The sun beamed down upon a joyful crowd as Lama Jampa Thaye once again returned to London to bestow the beautiful teachings of the Dharma. Our local sangha and friends from further abroad gathered together in great numbers to continue to receive Drakpa Gyaltsen’s commentary on the King of Aspiration Prayers, begun last November, as well as the empowerment of Sitatapatra, the white umbrella goddess.
Morning: A Commentary on the King of Aspiration Prayers
In the morning Lama Jampa continued to teach Drakpa Gyaltsen’s commentary on the inspiring King of Aspiration Prayers, one of the five Royal Sutras entrusted by Guru Rinpoche to the 8th century Tibetan king, Trisong Detsen. Lama stressed the transformative power of the prayers, which allow the practitioner to develop a compassionate mind that can expand to include all sentient beings.
He also addressed the doubts that we might experience while practising the Prayers:
“Isn’t reciting these prayers just an act of imagination? I don’t have a bodhisattva’s compassion, so how will these prayers benefit others?”
“Well, we have to start somewhere. Every time we recite one of these verses, we expand our mind, and come closer to the heroic attitude which characterises the actions of the bodhisattvas”.
Afternoon: Empowerment of Sitatapatra
The day concluded with the empowerment of Sitatapatra, the White Umbrella Goddess, whose practice overcomes obstacles and purifies negative karma. The inspiration and strength of the empowerment was felt by all, and the London sunshine continued unbroken until dusk overtook the departees.
What’s Next: The July Visit of His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen and His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trizin
Lama Jampa Thaye is next departing for an extended stay in France, where he will be teaching at Le Bost.
His next visit to London will be on the 11th and 12th July to welcome HH Kyabgon Gongma Trichen and HH Kyabgon Gongma Trizen. We are all looking forward to this auspicious visit– keep an eye on this space and on our instagram for more updates!