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H.E. Ratna Vajra's Vermont Visit

Lama Migmar Tseten, on behalf of the Sakya Institute in Cambridge Ma, invited His Eminence to Vermont. His Eminence's historic visit to Vermont marks the first time a high lama from the Sakya tradition had ever visited this beautiful state. Lama Migmar decided to invite His Eminence to Vermont in order to benefit beings and in order to help faithful students to make a true Dharma connection with the Glorious Sakya Tradition.

Lama Migmar invited His Eminence to bestow two teachings as well as a long life empowerment: The 21 Tara Tradition of Jowoje Palden Atisha, the most wide spread system of practice of Tara among all four schools and the special Khon tradition of Vajrakilaya.

Atisha has a special connection with the Sakya School, since he made a prediction about the appearance of emanations of Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani when he passed the through region in West Tibet where Khon Konchog Gyalpo was to found the Sakya Monastery a quarter century later. Therefore, because of the special blessing of Atisha's tradition of 21 Taras, and because of its universal presence in all four schools, Lama Migmar thought this would be the perfect teaching for His Eminence to bestow in Vermont. During the initiations, we recited lineage prayer to the 21 Taras and the Vajrasattva mantra as a preliminary, and after each initiation we recited the mantra for the Tara manifestation we had just received in order to integrate the blessings of Tara more firmly into our minds.

The next teaching was the empowerment of Vajrakilaya, which is one of the ancestral teachings of the Khon Lineage. Vajrakilaya is universally considered to be one of the best practices for removing obstacles and it too is widely spread among all four schools, and especially among Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya. Vajrakilaya was one of the two main deities of Guru Padmasambhava, and the Khon tradition comes directly from Guru Rinpoche through a long lineage of Khon family masters who all have perfect realization of this deity.

The final teaching was the long life blessing of the Mahasiddha Thangtong Gyalpo, who also has a special connection with the Sakya school. This great Tibetan saint is well known for being a metal smith, a non-sectarian master, a treasure revealer, a master of the teachings of Chod and recipient of many pure vision teachings, but what is less known is that he is the founder of the great Eastern Tibetan Sakya monastery of Derge, Derge Gomchen, and that he began his Dharma career as a monk in Ngor Monastery where he was a disciple of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo.

After being met by Lama Migmar and two students acting as drivers, Rich and Ben, and travelling from Walden, NY, with a stopover at Moke Mokatoff's house in Rhinebeck., NY for dinner, His Eminence arrived in Vermont in the late hours of the evening to the house where he was hosted. His Eminence's stay was hosted at the lovely home of Osa Manell in Lincoln, VT., whose gracious hospitality and hard work in preparing her home set the stage for a wonderful and intimate five day visit. Assisting at the house were Earl Uprichard and the cooks, Cache and Will Hartzall and Cy Pugh. The cooks prepared lovely meals which were served beautifully by Earl Uprichard and Osa Manell.

The teachings, hosted at Holly Hall in Bristol, VT, began the day after His Eminence arrived, and the weather was perfect, never too hot and never too cold, which was fortunate, since a heat wave had ended the day before.

On the first day, the Tibetan Association of Vermont turned out in large numbers to welcome His Eminence. The Tibetan Community was very gracious and sponsored many meals. Many of the Tibetan Families in Burlington Vermont come from old Sakyapa families, so this was a wonderful occasion for them to meet with His Eminence for advice and blessings.

The mandala offering was done by Osa Manell for the Tara teachings. The mandala for the Vajrakilaya teaching was offered by Lama Migmar, and the president of The Tibetan Association of Vermont offered the mandala for the long life blessing.

There was a consistent turnout of local Buddhists, both Western and Tibetan in attendence. Many students also travelled from New York, Boston and other places. Lama Kalsang and Ani Kunga were also in attendance, as well as Lama Migmar's two brothers, Trinley and Tenzin.

His Holiness also visited the Morgan Horse Farm in Middlebury, Middlebury College, and downtown Burlington in the middle of our busy schedule.

At the end of the visit, departing on a path strewn with flowers, loaded down with delicious food prepared, we drove His Eminence and the monks to the train station in Rutland, Vt, where we saw them off.