From July 7 to 24, we had the immense good fortune to welcome Khenpo Chödrak Tenphel Rinpoche for the traditional summer retreat on the Buddhist Treasures of Knowledge. In accordance with the instructions left by the 16th Karmapa, Khenpo Rinpoche has been teaching at Dhagpo since the first summer university in 1994. This year he continued to explain the text by the great 8th-century Indian pandit Kamalashila on The Stages of Meditation (Bhavanakrama), consisting of three short treatises.
In particular, Khenpo Rinpoche elaborated on the second treatise, which discusses the necessity of practicing both shamatha and vipashyana.
It explains that the practice of shiné consists of making one’s mind completely stable, like the deep ocean, and that when one then investigates the nature of this perfectly stable mind, that is where the practice of vipashyana lies, which then serves to develop higher wisdom or higher knowledge. This wisdom can then completely eradicate all latent imprints that foster the development of afflictive obscurations and the clinging to reality.
[ …] The development of shamatha and vipashyana is equally important because, if one wishes to know the nature of one’s mind and abide in that knowledge, one must have the ability to maintain a stable mind. Shamatha and vipashyana are therefore both equally important.
Throughout the teaching, Khenpo emphasized every day the paramount importance of cultivating the enlightened attitude of bodhichitta: whatever our activity, the bodhisattva’s commitment is to cultivate loving-kindness and great compassion—that is, to be capable of working for the benefit of others with a mind imbued with equanimity. Studying the namthars (biographies) of the great masters can be an effective way to inspire us and dispel obstacles on the path.
Furthermore, Khenpo Rinpoche emphasized that Dhagpo Kagyu Ling—which has been visited and blessed by the greatest noble beings of the 20th and 21st centuries, including the 16th Karmapa—is “a truly extraordinary place” and “an excellent conducive place extremely conducive for the development of samadhi.”
At the end of the three weeks, the Institute’s students expressed their deep gratitude to Khenpo Rinpoche—his generosity, knowledge and wisdom are sources of inspiration for our study and practice throughout the year!
Here is a photo recap of these three weeks in the precious presence of Khenpo Rinpoche. Stay tuned for an exclusive interview in early September about his life and his unwavering commitment to sharing the Buddha’s teachings.