The Crazy Wisdom Community Journal • September - December 2016 • Page 65
In this spiritual community, names have heightened significance. “Tsochen Khandro,” her Tibetan name, is an honorific meaning “sky dancer”; she has left the confinements of earth for the vastness of open space. “Tsochen” means great lakes. Traktung Rinpoche’s previous name, Pranama, means worship. The name was given him by a Hindu teacher in whose ashram Traktung Rinpoche lived. Before that, he was known as “Khepa,” which is actually a title, not a name. It’s Bengali for “aimless, worthless, stinky beggar” — his way of signifying his lack of pretense in the presence of his teachers. It’s a name that put me in mind of the Jewish legend of the Messiah, whose harbinger will be a beggar — a creature wrapped in rags, possibly stinky, and certainly without clear signs of dignity, let alone holiness. If people take pity, if they share their earthly goods with such figures, the Messiah may reveal himself. If not, the Messiah may decide the world is not yet ripe for redemption. In other words, the world has more than one culture that nourishes the idea that recognizing promise in the lowly may be key to affecting change. When Traktung Rinpoche was Khepa, Tsochen Khandro was “Acala [Ah-CHA-la] Devi” — a name her husband gave her. Devi is Sanskrit for “Tsochen Khandro,” or “sky dancer.” “Acala Devi” means “immovable and unshakable in her commitment to all beings through compassion.” These days, members of the Tsogyelgar community feel that Tsochen Khandro embodies the meaning of her name: “female holder of wisdom of the great lakes.” The student who explained this to me added: “We call those who teach us by their formal names. Of course, we do this for our benefit, not theirs.”
MONTHLY FAIRY GARDEN WORKSHOPS!
LOVE YOUR
LANDSCAPE
It is interesting that for Tsochen Khandro and Traktung Rinpoche, renaming themselves serves not as pretension but as a route toward greater authenticity. It is interesting that for Tsochen Khandro and Traktung Rinpoche, renaming themselves serves not as pretension but as a route toward greater authenticity. For many, a new name can signal the reinvention of self, which can smack of artifice. For them, however, delving deeper into Buddhist tradition seems to bring them closer to awakening (enlightenment). The names of traditions are also important. This community follows the Nyingma Buddhist lineage. When Tsochen Khandro and Traktung Rinpoche switched from teaching the foundations of Buddhism to the formal teaching of their preferred Bhutanese version of the practice, Vajrayana with an emphasis on love, they changed the name of the community to “Tsogyelgar.” Four years ago, the farm was named White Lotus Farms. Once they learned to identify serious students and set parameters for membership, the chaos of the early years waned. The community is now stable. According to Traktung Rinpoche, Tsochen Khandro’s competent and compassionate oversight is what keeps the farm humming. Actually, he can’t praise his wife highly enough. Alternating between “Katie” and “Khandro,” he extolled her virtues and their benefits to their community of Buddhist practitioners, or “sangha.”
1885 BAKER RD. DEXTER, MI 48130 734·426·6600 WWW.LOTUSGARDENSCAPES.COM
[Buddhism] teaches its followers to be compassionate, clear-minded, truth-seeking, awake. Continued on page 66
A Glossary • Buddha: the teacher • Dharma: the set of teachings • Dorje: diamond or thunderbolt (honorific) • Gar: Buddhist encampment (note the “gar” at the end of “Tsogyelgar Dharma Center,” better known now as White Lotus Farms. Yeshe Tsogyal was a princess who lived from 777-837 A.D. It is said that when she was born, a divine, fresh-water lake emerged beside her house. Her youth was hard. It built strength. Ultimately, she became an Enlightened Buddha. The mythical lake that sprang up became a pilgrimage site. It is referenced in “Tsochen Khandro,” or “goddess of the great lakes.” “Yeshe” is the Tibetan word for wisdom.) • Lama: protector of the soul (honorific) • Paramita: Sanskrit term meaning “perfection of wisdom,” or perfecting the virtues that culminate in enlightenment • Six Paramitas are: (1) generosity (2) discipline (3) patience, acceptance, forbearance (4) joyful endeavor, perseverance (5) meditative concentration (6) transcendent wisdom, insight • Rinpoche [RIN-po-SHAY]: precious one (honorific) • Sangha: community of Buddhist practitioners • Siddha: Sanskrit for “perfected one,” or “one who is accomplished” • Tenzin: Tibetan name for the holder of Buddha Dharma (honorific) • Terten: treasure; discovered (honorific) • Tsochen: wisdom goddess, or goddess of the great lakes (honorific) • Tulku: reincarnated Lama; a title of affectionate respect, like Rinpoche; sometimes given to teachers who are not tulkus (honorific)
Emanation versus Incarnation An emanation is a duplicate of its original. The mind stream of the Dalai Lama, for example, is believed to be an emanation of Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion. An incarnation on the other hand is the continuity of a mind stream from previous lives in current life. For example, the 14th Dalai Lama who is an emanation of Chenrezig is currently in his 14th incarnation in human form. Traktung Rinpoche is believed by some to be the reincarnation of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, a Tibetan mystic who lived in the 19th century, who was in turn an emanation of Dorje Trollo, who lived in the 8th century. (Dorje Trollo is alternately spelled Dorje Drölö and is also known as Padmasambhava, and Guru Rinpoche, Subduer of Demons.)
Yeshe Tsogyal