By Rev. Ani Kunga Chodron

For nine weeks during the spring and early summer 2007, practitioners of the Buddha Dharma in North America were blessed by the teaching tour of His Eminence Ratna Vajra Rinpoche. His Eminence is a renowned lineage holder of the Buddhist doctrine in Tibet, the elder son of the Sakya Dolma Phodrang which holds the throne of the Sakyapa, fluent in English, and an experienced teacher of students in the West.

Vancouver, Canada
On May 6, H.E. Ratna Vajra Rinpoche and attendants departed India for North America. The first stop was Vancouver, Canada, where H.E. Ratna Vajra Rinpoche bestowed teachings and initiations amidst a joyful reunion with his aunt, H.E. Jetsun Kushog Chime Luding.

San Francisco Bay Area, California
On May 18, His Eminence flew to San Francisco at the invitation of Tony Jan and other students in the San Francisco Bay area. There, over the next few days he bestowed a Dharma talk, Green Tara empowerment and teachings on the Green Tara sadhana, as well as an Avalokiteshvara purification ritual for the departed at the Clarion Hotel, near the San Francisco airport.

Next, H.E. Ratna Vajra Rinpoche and entourage were welcomed to Ewam Chodan Center in Kensington, California by Venerable Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche and members of the Center. There, His Eminence remained for several days to bestow the Hevajra Initiation to fortunate disciples.

Los Angeles, California
On May 27, His Eminence Ratna Vajra Rinpoche and entourage flew to Tsechen Chokhor Ling in the Los Angeles area at the invitation of Venerable Lama Kalsang Gyaltsen and center members. There, he bestowed White Mahakala, White Tara, and Avalokiteshvara initiations.

Minneapolis, Minnesota
On June 1, His Eminence traveled to Sakya Thupten Dargye Ling in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the invitation of Venerable Lama Kalsang Gyaltsen and center members. There, he bestowed a Medicine Buddha initiation and Dharma talk on “Healing through the Practice of Medicine Buddha,” as well as White Tara and White Mahakala initiations. Part of the program included a warm welcome by the local Tibetan community and teachings and blessings for their long life and success in their new lives in the United States.

Silver Spring, Maryland
On June 7, His Eminence was welcomed at Sakya Phuntsok Ling in Silver Spring Maryland, a suburb of Washington D.C. by Venerable Lama Kalsang Gyaltsen and center members. There, he bestowed the initiations of Buddha with Sixteen Arhats, Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, Green Tara, and White Tara to the joy and delight of center members.

Tsechen Kunchab Ling, New York
His Eminence’s main program in the United States occurred at Tsechen Kunchab Ling, Temple of All Encompassing Great Compassion, which is His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s temple seat in the United States. People came from all corners of the US, and several foreign countries to attend the teachings.

His Eminence’ program at Tsechen Kunchab Ling began with a formal welcome ceremony by Venerable Lama Kalsang Gyaltsen, Vice President, together with the monks, nuns, temple members, and assembled students. The next day, His Eminence bestowed the Bodhisattva Vow and an explanation of the vow, followed by a two-day teaching on the “Patience” chapter from Bodhisattvacharyavatara (Engaging in the Conduct of the Bodhisattvas) by Shantideva.

Over the course of the next week, His Eminence bestowed a two-day Vajrakilaya empowerment, followed by five days of initiations from the Narthang Gyatsa Initiation cycle. This initiation cycle is a part of Collection of All the Sadhanas, a compendium of nearly one thousand initiations which contains almost all of the short sadhanas of the Sakya, Kagyu, Kadam, Jonang, and Shangba Kagyu schools, and also includes a smaller number of Nyingma sadhanas. This multi-year initiation series was begun at Tsechen Kunchab Ling in 2006 by His Eminence’s brother Gyana Vajra Rinpoche.

His Eminence’s teachings concluded with a day-long roof-ridge-raising celebration for the new temple building, followed by long life and wealth deity initiations. This celebration was attended by many busloads of Tibetan people from the greater New York City area. Following the celebration, His Eminence remained at Tsechen Kunchab Ling to perform prayers and a fire puja at the request of many faithful people.

Vermont
On June 29, His Emience Ratna Vajra Rinpoche and entourage traveled to Bristol, Vermont for four days of teachings at the invitation of Venerable Lama Migmar Tseten and center members. In a charming historic city hall, beautifully transformed into a shrine room for the occasion, His Eminence bestowed the initiations of the 21 Tara initiation cycle, a Vajrakilaya empowerment and meditation instructions, and long-life initiation.

New York City Area
On July 6, His Eminence was welcomed to Manhattan by Venerable Lama Pema Wangdak and members of the Jetsun Sakya Centers. At Tibet House in Manhattan, His Eminence bestowed the Avalokiteshvara initiation of the combination of great compassion and mahamudra, as well as teachings on the meditation practice. This was followed a special children’s blessing which was attended by many Tibetan families and children. The teachings concluded with a refresher course on the Hevajra sadhana for advanced students who had received the Lam Dre teachings.

On July 14 and 15, His Eminence was welcomed to Queens by Venerable Lama Kalsang Gyaltsen and members of Sakya Chokhor Ling. In a beautifully decorated room in the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel, His Eminence bestowed a Dharma talk on “How Buddhist Meditation Deals with Anxiety and Stress,” followed by a Green Tara empowerment and teachings on the meditation practice. Activities also included an Avalokiteshvara purification ritual for the deceased, and a fundraising dinner for the Tsechen Kunchab Ling temple building project. The events were translated into Chinese, and widely attended by Chinese students living in the New York City area.

After a brief stop in Raleigh, North Carolina to give teachings and blessings to faithful students there, His Eminence flew to London to participate in the Lam Dre teachings bestowed by His Holiness Sakya Trizin.

Thus His Eminence Ratna Vajra Rinpoche’s 2006 U.S. teaching tour was auspiciously completed. At the repeated request of many fortunate students throughout the United States, he promised to return again before long.