Message Regarding Our Lama's Schedule ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Very early this morning (September 21) Jetsun Ma was able to have a conclusive conversation with Rinpoche. The conclusion is that they will not be making a visit this winter. He sends his warmest greetings and blessings to everyone. As always, he supports his students from wherever he is and encourages us to practice. He is well, doing a lot of teaching at his own place, especially Words of My Perfect Teacher every morning. By late spring he will begin to consider whether a summer visit is possible. As always, as soon as there is any news, we will let you now. We hope your lives and spiritual paths are flourishing, knowing that these connections are forever. Deep in the dharma, Rigzin Drolma (Anne Klein)

7-line prayer - message from Peggy

Hi everyone,

As an adjunct to Anne Klein's inspiring request to accumulate 21 7-line prayers a day [see below], I just want to reiterate that it really does only take a few minutes to do and is a precious way to deepen one's connection with Rinpoche. I want to invite anyone who is not yet accumulating these prayers to join us - that is, it's OK to start now even if you didn't on 20 February!

For those of you who are participating in 7-line prayer accumulations for Rinpoche for the year, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when sending me your tallies:

Please let me know your total for the month.

I plan to send totals in to Anne at the end of each month, so please do your best to get them in to me before that, whenever possible.

Thank-you for being part of this sangha-wide effort to help Rinpoche this year!

Blessings to you all,

Peggy

pkmobbster@earthlink.net

***

Dear Dzogchen Nyingthig Community--

As you know Losar, from Feb 7 until the full moon on Feb 20th, is a special time for practice, positive activities and prayers. As for prayers, we have a special opportunity this year. Our teacher is in his 36th year and, according to Tibetan astrology, multiples of twelve can always pose difficulties. He has received advice he reveres that his students can support him this year, especially regarding his health, by reciting the 7-line prayer.

Can we commit to offering him 10 million* 7-line prayers from Dzogchen Nyingthig this year?

Please send your collective figures monthly to Peggy at pkmobbster@earthlink.net, who will pass them on to me and we will keep count.

We can formally begin this collection on his birthday, the first fullmoon of the New Year, which the Tibetan calendar (skipping a day as it sometimes does) places on Feb 20th this year. It is also Garab Dorje's birthday -- a great time to have a feast together in our communities. We will be doing this at Dawn Mountain and look forward to joining you all in spirit on that great occasion.

A wonderful Losar to each of you.

Anne Rigzin Drolma

*Here's the math:

if you do 21 day, which is only a few minutes, in a year that is 6000!

if there are 2000 practitioners, 5K each = 10 million

1000 practitioners 10K = 10 million

If there are 2000 practitioners 50K each = 100 million

1000 100K each = 100 million

The 10 Million figure seems like it could be a minimum.

The Worldwide Mantra Chain

ROCK THE WORLD WIDE MANTRA CHAIN! The California OTL Sangha has been activated into a giant global prayer wheel by Ad_zom Rinpoche. If you are a student of Ad_zom Rinpoche, or a member of the California sangha, please join us in maintaining this commitment. It's fun and it's easy - you're gonna love it. Here's the story and how you can join:

During Rinpoche's January, 2008 teachings in Italy, the students started a 24 hour continuous mantra chain for Zhitro (Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities of the Bardo). Rinpoche was delighted and thought it was very important for Dzogchen Nyingthig (the world community of his students, of which we are a part) to continue the mantra chain continuously. He suggested that the CA sangha, with our complementary time zone, should partner with the Italian dharma community to fulfill this wonderful dharma activity. Between our California and Portland sanghas--and others if they wish--and his Italian sangha, we are to ensure that there is someone in the Dzogchen Nyingthig reciting this mantra at every point of the day and night. This mantra benefits beings who are in the in-between state between this life and the next.

This accumulation began immediately on Monday, January 21, 2008, and will now be a permanent activity of Osel Thegchog Ling. There are also two other 24 hour accumulations going on for a special Vajrasattva mantra and a spontaneous prayer that Rinpoche wrote for these challenging times. We don't know how they will fit into the picture yet.

Nancy Havell is coordinating the mantra chain. Her email is nancyhavell@comcast.net, and phone is 707.577-0633. Please call or email her with any questions.

To sign up for a shift, visit our Google calendar:

The website is http://calendar.google.com
user: worldwidemantra
pw: mantrapower

Nancy writes: "Click on the appropriate time during a day, then select edit event. Change the event title from open slot-CHANGE EVENT NAME TO SIGN UP to your name, then click the save button. If you're a second person on a shift, just follow the same directions, but add your name to the name already there; if you're a third, add your name after the first two. In a few moments the calendar will update with your name as the event. Depending on your browser and security settings, you may have to refresh the screen to see the change.

"If this doesn't make sense to you or doesn't seem to work, don't worry, you're not alone! Send me an email with the date(s), day(s), and time(s) that you will commit to keeping, and I'll update the calendar for you. Please include your name and where you are located, too, since I don't know quite a few of you.

"But do try updating the calendar. I was rather put off by its apparent complexity at first, but it's not as hard as I thought. In fact, it starts making sense. Still, if you prefer, send me an email."

Currently, this is only being done by a handful of practitioners, and we need to expand ASAP! We especially need to fill the slots from 1pm-5pm. If you have not had the transmission for the text, Rinpoche has delegated people to give reading transmission (lung) so that YOU may join in this activity. Please email Nancy if you need the lung.