VEN. LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY PICNIC Sunday afternoon, 7/28/24

You are cordially invited to a special event ! IN PERSON ONLY

༄ །བླ་མ་ཀུན་དགའ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ། འཁྲུངས་སྐར་ལ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས་ཞུ་།།  Happy Birthday to Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche       

HERE is Lama Kunga Rinpoche at a previous Birthday Party Picnic.

COME TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE THE 89th BIRTHDAY OF OUR PRECIOUS DHARMA TEACHER.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!    BRING FOOD TO SHARE.  Remember that Lama Kunga Rinpoche doesn’t eat anything with sugar or any artificial sugar-type sweetener.
WEATHER-PERMITTING, THERE WILL BE A BARBEQUE.

DATE: Sunday, JULY 28, 2024
TIME:  1:00 pm to about 4:00 pm

LOCATION: The Arlington Park at 1120 Arlington Blvd. in El Cerrito.
Drive northward on Arlington Blvd. after Kensington. The park is on the right with plenty of street parking. Site #1. Past the tennis courts.

Rinpoche really enjoys seeing all of you !

NOTE:  If you aren’t feeling well or test positive for Covid (or any other currently circulating illness), please stay home and recover.

Any questions?  Email Ewam Choden: info@ewamchoden.org

DATE:  Sunday, JULY 28, 2024
TIME: 1:00 pm to about 4:00 pm

LOCATION: The Arlington Park at 1120 Arlington Blvd. in El Cerrito.
Drive northward on Arlington Blvd. after Kensington. The park is on the right with plenty of street parking. Site #1. Past the tennis courts.
 

This session is cancelled on July 28 and on August 4. LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE WILL OFFER SUNDAY MEDITATION and TEACHING on Aug. 11, 2024 at 10:00 am-noon, Pacific daylight time.

We are happy and appreciative that Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche has very kindly agreed to conduct his traditional Sunday morning Chenrezig compassion meditation and offer us his precious dharma teaching in a live Zoom space from 10:00 am to 12 noon, Pacific Daylight Savings Time on most Sundays.

Everyone is invited to attend by following these instructions.
Please read everything.

The ZOOM address and Meeting ID are here below, but if you are new, you need to request a password. Get the password by emailing Ewam Choden, and requesting it in advance. <info@ewamchoden.org> The Chenrezig meditation sadhana used for our practice will be sent to you in the (same) email with the password if you don’t have it. PLEASE NOTE: If you’re new to the Center, you may be asked for some information about yourself.

GENERAL INFORMATION

PLEASE USE YOUR REAL NAME for the Zoom room.
You may log in shortly before the scheduled start and wait. Please don’t be late. The session begins on time.

Please mute yourselves (the moderator will control microphones for all). Although we enjoy reciting aloud together as an aspect of the practice, this sound interferes with the Zoom transmission . So we need to limit the audio to only Rinpoche’s speaking, while we recite by ourselves.

When Rinpoche arrives, he’d like to see everyone, so please keep your video on. Then, if you wish, you may close it until the dedication at the end.

At the end of the meditation, we will again turn on our videos for Rinpoche to see everyone again and we will unmute for recitation of the Dedication and Long Life prayers.

YOUR GENEROSITY COUNTS : EWAM CHODEN exists from the support of your donation. SEE BELOW.

DONATIONS to Lama Kunga Rinpoche and to Ewam Choden may be sent through the “DONATE” button on the front page of this website.

Ewam Choden Tibetan Buddhist Center is a  501 (c) (3) status nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible.

HOW TO JOIN THE SUNDAY TEACHING AND MEDITATION:

If you don’t have Zoom, GET THE ZOOM application in order to be ready.

TO Join The Zoom MEDITATION Meeting: Use the link at the time of the meeting. The link doesn’t work until that time.

Log in and follow the message that says to wait until the room opens and you are admitted.

Join Zoom Meeting here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5275829240?pwd=TDUrN0k4WnQyWG9aZ3ljVDhDK2Yrdz09

Join the Zoom Meeting by clicking the following URL.

Click on the following:

https://zoom.us/j/92773242520?pwd=bzFiSXk2K3NTSEUvNU5qNkFZSHdzUT09

Meeting ID: 927 7324 2520
Password: (Get it by emailing EC in advance.)

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Meeting ID: 927 7324 2520
Passcode: Request by emailing EC
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adhzemTV2g

Meeting ID: 927 7324 2520
Password: (Get it by emailing EC in advance.)

OM MANI PAD ME HUM

Completed—NEW YEAR’S EVE PRAYERS & BLESSINGS

Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche will very kindly meet with us on New Year’s Eve for prayers, recitations, and meditation for peace and for the benefit of all beings in the new year. From December 31, 2023 to January 1, 2024.

ONLY ON ZOOM from 11:00 pm to 12:00 pm, Pacific Standard time.

The Zoom link (shown below) is the same one as for the morning meditation session.

LOG IN WITH THE LINK OR WITH THE ID & PASSWORD.

https://zoom.us/j/92773242520?pwd=bzFiSXk2K3NTSEUvNU5qNkFZSHdzUT09

Meeting ID: 927 7324 2520

Passcode: 251385

VEN. LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE SHOWN DURING THE SUNDAY MORNING MEDITATION ON ZOOM.

Completed well—ANNUAL MEMORIAL PRAYERS on Zoom, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023 at 6:30 pm Pacific time

Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche will conduct the annual Memorial Prayer service at Ewam Choden and we will participate through Zoom. Everyone is invited to attend.

Annually, Ewam Choden holds a gathering to offer prayers for the benefit of all of our friends, relatives and countless sentient beings who have passed on this year and in previous years. 

You may set up or hold a photo of a special person or animal that you wish to include.   You may light incense and tea lamps if you wish.

The following prayers that we usually recite can be downloaded here.

http://www.ewamchoden.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Happiness-Prayer.pdf

http://www.ewamchoden.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Heart-Sutra-Prayer.pdf

Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche

HOW TO ATTEND

HERE IS THE URL LINK FOR THE ZOOM ROOM:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86765902832

Meeting ID  86765902832

COMPLETED–BIRTHDAY PARTY PICNIC FOR LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE in Arlington Park, El Cerrito, CA on SUNDAY, July 23, 2023 , 1pm to 4pm

WE ARE HAVING OUR ANNUAL POTLUCK BIRTHDAY PICNIC for VEN. LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE’s 88th BIRTHDAY.
We will honor and celebrate Ven. Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche with offerings of food and prayers and wishes for his continued long healthy life with many dharma activities for the benefit of all beings.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!  BRING FOOD TO SHARE. 
Reminder: Lama Kunga Rinpoche doesn’t eat anything with sugar or any sugar-type sweetener.

WHEN:  Sunday, July 23, 2023
TIME:  from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm  After Rinpoche’s Meditation-Teaching on Zoom
WHERE:  Arlington Park, 1120 Arlington Blvd.,  El Cerrito, CA 
HOW: Drive northward on Arlington Blvd. (past where you turn for Ewam Choden).  The park is on the right with plenty of street parking.
See a map Here.     At the park, we’ll be at Site 1, past the tennis courts.

LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.

NOTE:  If you aren’t feeling well or test positive for Covid (or any other currently circulating illness), please stay home and recover.

UPCOMING EVENTS in 2023

Summer Greetings to you from Ewam Choden.

We are happy to announce the following upcoming events with Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche. We will continue to meet in the Zoom room, and not in person.
EMAIL notices for each event will also be sent individually with details.
Please convert the Pacific time to your time as necessary.

SUNDAY MEDITATION and TEACHING by Lama Kunga Rinpoche at 10am, Pacific time will continue weekly.

For Empowerments, please LOOK AT THE SEPARATE POST UNDER EMPOWERMENTS.

CELEBRATION OF THE BIRTHDAY OF VEN. LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE

on Sunday, July 23, 2023 and the actual BIRTHDAY date on July 25, 2023.

______________________________________________________________________

Completed—The annual Himalayan Fair will be held in Berkeley, California on May 20 & 21, 2023. It’s the 40th anniversary of this wonderful event that was started by Lama Kunga Rinpoche and Arlene Blum. (Arlene is a scientist and pioneer high mountain climber.) Check online for Himalayan Fair.

Completed–NEW YEAR’S EVE PRAYERS will be held on Saturday, December 31st, 2022, starting at 11:00 pm.

Completed–PRAYERS FOR THE 49th DAY of MOKE’S PASSING. January 2, 2023 at 6:00pm Pacific time. The Zoom logon is the same as for Sunday meditation.

Completed—EMPOWERMENT OF PARNASHAVARI on Sunday, January 22, 2023, at 2:00 pm.  
Attendees have to register and pay in advance in order to be admitted to the Zoom room. PLEASE WAIT FOR REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT TO BE POSTED WITH A LINK.

Completed—LOSAR PRAYERS and a meeting with the Oracle on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

Completed–EMPOWERMENT OF WHITE SARASWATI on Sunday, March 19, 2023, at 2:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time, only on Zoom.

Completed –EMPOWERMENTS OF KURUKULLE AND SIMHAMUKA FROM LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE

Completed–EMPOWERMENTS OF RIG SUM GONPO AND SINGHANATA FROM visiting H.E. THARTSE KHEN RINPOCHE.

His Eminence Ngor Luding Khenchen Rinpoche (1931-2022)

In the early dawn of the sixth day of the 11th month of the Male Water Tiger Year of the Tibetan Calendar (Wednesday, 28 December 2022), at Bodhgaya, His Eminence Luding Khenchen Rinpoche entered into the Dharmadhatu and has since parted from his physical body.

His Eminence Luding Khenchen Rinpoche was the 75th abbot of the Ngor Ewam Choden Monastery and was head of the Ngor lineage of the Sakya tradition from 1954 to March 2000.

See https://www.ludingfoundation.org for more information.

Lama Kunga Rinpoche and the sangha of our Ewam Choden Center in California pray for His Eminence Luding Khenchen Rinpoche.

The cremation of the holy body was correctly accomplished on February 16, 2023 in Manduwala, India.

Completed—H.E. NGOR THARTSE KHEN RINPOCHE came to Ewam Choden in California

We are grateful to H.E. Thartse Khen Rinpoche for his visit to Ewam Choden, and look forward to his future visits.

Thartse Khen Rinpoche will be at Ewam Choden on July 12 – 31, 2022.
He will attend the North American Sakya Monlam from July 15 through July 17.

This is an important visit as Lama Kunga Rinpoche also comes from the Ngor tradition of the Sakya lineage. Click here for more info on this connection

Lama Kunga Rinpoche and the members of Ewam Choden Tibetan Buddhist Center are looking forward to welcoming His Eminence Thartse Khen Rinpoche on his first visit to the United States. 

Ngor Thartse Khen Rinpoche is the 77^th abbot of Ngor, a main branch of the Sakyapa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The visit fulfills Lama Kunga Rinpoche’s wish to establish a lasting connectionwith the Ewam Choden Tibetan Buddhist Center, which derives from the Ngor Thartse tradition. 

Born in 1968 into a royal family in Mustang, Nepal, Rinpoche was ordained as a monk at the age of eight by His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche.  At the age of thirteen, he was recognized as Ngor Thartse Shabdrung Rinpoche by His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin.  

Rinpoche then completed extensive studies of  ritual and rites of the Ngor tradition, with close instruction from His Eminence Luding Khenchen Rinpoche, who ordained him as a bhiksu at the age of 19. After completing his formal monastic education and training, Rinpoche attended Sakya Institute to study Higher Buddhist Philosophical studies and Art. He later joined Sakya College to further study Tantra.

Thartse Khen Rinpoche travels extensively in Asia where he founded and supervises numerous monasteries and Sakya centers.
We are very grateful for his first visit to the United States.

H.E. Thartse Khen Rinpoche will kindly offer the following events.

Two-Day HEVAJRA EMPOWERMENT in person, CLICK HERE.

SIX EMPOWERMENTS and A DHARMA TALK, LIVE-STREAMED ON ZOOM, CLICK HERE

DONATION REQUEST FOR LING GESAR SCHOOL

Lama Kunga Rinpoche received an appeal from Ngor Thartse Khen Rinpoche at Ngor monastery in India.
And we need your help.

As you know, Lama Kunga comes from Ngor monastery and has kept strong ties with his successor, Ngor Thartse Khen Rinpoche who, along with Luding Khen Rinpoche and other Sakya lamas of the Ngor tradition, have kept the Ngor-pa tradition strong in India and Tibet.

Aside from his responsibilities at Ngor Manduwala (the main monastery in India), he needs to help his Jomsom monastery in Nepal which has 35 monks and there is also the Ling Gesar School, where he sponsors 90 young students from villages bordering Ngor Manduwala monastery.
This school is managed by Khen Rinpoche’s brother Gonpo. It has been very helpful to the surrounding community, which is poor. Not only does it provide education but also basic needs to the children. 
The school had to close due to the pandemic but parents come and pick up homework once a week for their kids and return it to be corrected. This maintains the minimal continuity of education. (These families don’t have computers at home.)

Because the pandemic has restricted Thartse Khen Rinpoche’s travel, he can’t raise the necessary funds for the school.  The well being of the students at Ling Gesar school is now seriously in jeopardy.

Lama Kunga has made a personal pledge to help and we hope you can too.
You can give your tax-deductible donations by PayPal (here on the EC website) or by check to Ewam Choden. Please earmark it “School Project”. 
All funds will be sent to Ngor and any donation is appreciated.

SPIRITUAL ARTS and BOOKS

NEW BOOK ABOUT LAMA KUNGA’S FATHER

In the Presence of My Enemies, the fascinating autobiography of Tsipon Shuguba, the father of Lama Kunga Rinpoche, who was a minister in the Tibetan government, was published in English in 1995.

Now, the book is available in Tibetan. Contact Ewam Choden for purchase information. All proceeds from the sale of this book go to the Ewam Choden Tibetan Relief Fund Project.

CALLIGRAPHY and PAINTINGS

Ven. Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche has demonstrated his skills in arts and crafts for many years. He has made traditional cloth mountings for thangkas, shaped sculptures of Tibetan kings, painted memories of Ngor monastery, created Wealth and Earth Treasure Vases, and much more.

CALLIGRAPHY

Recently, Rinpoche has been making traditional Tibetan calligraphy.
Here is a sample piece that is the mantra of Bodhisattva goddess Parnashavari, the subduer of pandemics. This is written on Tibetan rice paper, and it is 15″ x 7″, unmounted. It is signed with Rinpoche’s signature as well as stamp. (Note that the brown on the top and bottom here is the table surface.)
Because of the pandemic, Lama Kunga has done the Parnashavari mantra. He is open to accepting orders for some other mantras, as well as other size presentations.

You may receive one of Lama Kunga Rinpoche’s calligraphy pieces with a donation of $108.
The payment is for the maintenance and support of the Ewam Choden Center.
To order, send an email to Ewam Choden. You may also pay directly on the Ewam Choden website, using the “Donate” link. Be sure to give your correct mailing address and a message about the Calligraphy.

PAINTINGS

Lama Kunga RInpoche’s paintings are also available. The donation amount varies depending on the painting. These donations are tax deductible. Send an email if you’re interested.

 Ewam Choden Tibetan Buddhist Center is a  501 (c) (3) status nonprofit organization.  Donations are tax-deductible.

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