january e-news from rangjung yeshe gomde · in the range of $20,000 to $80,000 per year. we are...

Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche in Denmark

Gomde E-NewsJanuary 2010

Happy 2010, and an auspicious Year of the Iron Tiger!Losar starts February 14, and the Chokling TersarFoundation has officially changed its name to RangjungYeshe Gomde California. Gomde remains a 501(c)(3)organization, with the ability to accept tax-deductiblecontributions. Check out the new Paypal donation buttonat the bottom of the website's home page. And pleaseconsider joining Gomde's 12th anniversary weekendFebruary 12-15 in Leggett, which will feature study,prayer, practice and celebration. More details comingsoon.

New Year's Wishes from RinpocheClick here to see New Year’s greetings from Rinpoche to thesangha: http://www.shedrub.org/news.php?nid=60&video

Dear Sangha of Gomde USA,I hope you are able to see my online New Year’s greeting wesent out through Dharma Sun, but I also wanted to make sureto specifically extend those prayers to you. I wish you all ahealthy and happy long life, with great success in yourpractice. As mentioned in my video, I feel it is very importantthat we combine listening, reflecting, and meditating, all ofwhich should be motivated with the vast wish to lead allbeings to enlightenment.

Harmony and compassion are extremely powerful. This is ourfuel from which the impossible becomes possible. Pleasenever underestimate them. Through strong compassion ourobscurations will automatically be purified. What does that

Membership DriveBecome a Gomde member for the yearof the Iron Tiger! During this specialLosar season, we ask you to considerhow important Rangjung Yeshe Gomdeand its lamas are in your life.

Subscribe to our email list

January e-News from Rangjung Yeshe Gomde http://app.e2ma.net/app2/campaigns/archived/24788/fb4ea728e...

1 of 5 5/2/11 7:12 PM

mean? It means our negative emotions will become less andless, and this is what Dharma practice is about. When ournegative emotions are less, we become more calm; and, as itis said, through calmness the intrinsic wisdom will be able toshine forth. Therefore, please continue to give your utmost toimprove your kindness, your calmness, and your wisdom.

With love and blessings, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

An article by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche originally published inthe Shambahala Sun has been excerpted in the30th-anniversary collection of the finest meditation teachingsfrom the Sun, as printed in the January 2010 issue. ReadMahamudra and Wakefulness: http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1660

please renew your membership. If youare not currently a member, pleaseconsider becoming one. Membershiphelps provide the financial continuitythat is the life blood of Rangjung YesheGomde. All members receive 10% offseminar fees and 15% off lodging feesfor personal retreats. Annual categoriesare as follows:Individual membership $180Family membership $300Discounted membership for those undersevere financial stress is $70. If you have questions or would liketo become a member, contactFundraising Manager Stephen Estelle at406-425-0965 [email protected]

Ani Dekyi Chodron

Summer 2010 Schedule Programs for the coming year:Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel June 17-20 Faith: Beyond Doubt and BlindAcceptance

Ani Dekyi ChodronJuly 8-11 Chod Practice Retreat July 15-18 Tara Retreat

Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche July 23-27

Program Volunteers NeededGomde is preparing for an auspicious 2010 teaching season.Many new sangha members have come forward to support andmanage our precious retreat land this year, creating new andexciting teaching and retreat opportunities. We are developingnew positions that allow more people to be personally andjoyfully involved in the nurturing of our dharma center. Someof these positions involve pre-retreat planning; others may befulfilled during the different teachings. With the aspiration tocreate harmony and continuity, please join us in volunteeringyour time and energy in one (or more!) of the summerprograms:

Send an email to Rhonda LoPresti at [email protected] ifyou are interested in any of the following positions:Registrar Assistant Kitchen Manager Lama House Manager Buddha Hall Manager Hospitality Manager Audio/Visual Tech Yogi Job Coordinator More volunteer needs:

Ratna Shop is looking for a volunteer to edit and reproducevideo recording of seminars. Currently we have a duplicationmachine and Bravo II printer. Work could be done on oroff-site. Position is eligible for staff seminar rates. Please



2 of 5 5/2/11 7:12 PM

Training the Mind, Taming the HeartJuly 27Ocean of Amrita: Ngakso Puja July 27-August 2 Dzogchen Intensive: Training in theEssential Nature

Phakchok RinpocheAugust 2010, one week, dates tbaThe Nine Yanas

contact Ani Marcia at [email protected]

Communications is looking for help in laying out the onlinenewsletter and/or coordinating national advertising. All workcan be done online. Volunteers need an eye for detail, Websavvy, and some sense of layout & design. If you're interestedin helping, contact Kerry Moran at [email protected]

From the LandLand Manager Lauren Phillips has moved on from theposition – thank you, Lauren, for all your hard work. Gomdeis seeking to hire a new qualified land manager withprofessional skills. A notice regarding the position will becoming out soon. Here’s a report from Caretaker Kelly Bond:Well, winter has rolled in once again bringing the normal arrayof wind, rain and snow. It's business as usual up here, makingsure nothing important gets washed away and hoping a treedoesn't fall under the weight of the bad weather and land onsomething precious. I'm happy to report that as far as thingsgetting whooshed downstream, we're looking good. But as faras a tree falling on something precious, well ... let's just saythat our wood-sided trailer met with an unfortunate accidentlast week when a pretty fair-sized madrone tree, apparentlyrotted at the base, decided to crash atop it. But thank goodnessit wasn't a fatal injury. Poor Mr. Trailer had some severetrauma to his front left wheel area and general cuts andbruises, but is now resting comfortably in his shed.

One of the projects around here this winter has been therenovation of one of the retreat cabins overlooking theriver.We've replaced the deck and are in the process now ofinsulating, sheetrocking, and painting the inside. What adifference insulation makes! Instead of feeling like you'veentered a wooden shed, now when you come in you feel likeyou're in a marshmallow, all quiet, comfortable and protected.And with the addition of two large thermal-paned windows,it's now a room with not only a view, but light as well. What adifference it makes having all that wonderful sunlightstreaming in! And unless I'm eaten by a bear or some otherhorrible tragedy befalls me, it should be finished in time for

More Land NewsFrom Gomde Manager ShabadKhalsa: This fall has been really activeat Gomde. Monthly retreats havedrawn good attendance, as has AniMarcia's weekly Lojong class. We'vefixed up a retreat hut, the Glass Houseis getting a new roof, and Kelly hasplanted a privacy hedge to shield theGatehouse from the main road. The severe cold weather ofDecember meant several water pipesbroke and the west spring water linefailed. Gomde staff rose to theoccasion, but without reliable water wehad to cancel the December retreat.Claude led a great January retreat, forwhich we used water from the eastsprings. In February we will meet withMendocino County PlanningDepartment as we proceed withsecuring use permits for retreatactivities, particularly new retreat huts.In March we will install two 10,000-



3 of 5 5/2/11 7:12 PM

Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche

Khyentse Rinpoche'sVisit to the U.S.Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche’s firstofficial US visit will take place inAugust 2010, as he travels toevents in Vermont, New YorkCity and Colorado. Rinpoche willalso be visiting Vancouver B.C.and Mexico during the trip.Details athttp://khyentsevisit2010.org/events/ To view a very beautifulphoto gallery of both KhyensteRinpoche and the Yangsi:http://dilgokhyentsevancouver.ca/gallery.html

Dharma Dhrishti Mindrolling International haslaunched an online dharmanewsletter containing reflectionsby many great contemporary

Finance and Admin ReportFrom Joanne Brion:We have been working diligently on updating and streamlining allthe tasks involved in managing the finances and administration ofGomde. Working with the new board members and managers, wehave established a Google Wiki site to share information and data.We can now access our information from any computer, withoutbeing present at Gomde. We've switched to using QuickBooksonline for our accounting system, which has cut down on theamount of time spent entering information, and again allows us towork remotely. We completed our name change paperwork and arein the process of applying for property tax exemption for Gomdewhich will save over $5,000 per year in taxes, plus possibly evenyield refunds..

The finance team continues to work with fundraising. Our end ofthe year fundraising effort generated about $15,000 -- a big ThankYou to all of our donors!! We received many donations from newpeople who had never donated before.We are working diligentlywith our managers to ensure that the upcoming seminars arefinancially sound and generate sufficient profit to support Gomdeyear-round. We are in the process of preparing the final Profit and Lossstatements and tax letters for 2009. RYG CA experienced anoperating loss of about $11,000 for 2009. This is a trend that mustbe reversed as our reserves are limited. In order to make furtherimprovements to the water system, to develop our retreat facilities,and to replace aging structures, we must bring in surplus donationsin the range of $20,000 to $80,000 per year. We are workingdiligently to increase membership and monthly and annualdonations, and to increase revenues from all of our activities. Owning and maintaining 250 acres of wild lands with sevenbuildings in northern California is an ambitious undertaking for

people to enjoy this summer. (We did find some amazing beartracks down by the river -- bigger than your hand, so he's a big'un!) Until next time,Kelly

summer water source. Work Week(May 21 – 31) will bring togethervolunteers for a variety of projects,including water piping, carpentry, andmasonry projects, as well as generalcleaning and painting. Come up andjoin the action on the land as wecontinue to upgrade our retreat center.



4 of 5 5/2/11 7:12 PM

panel of teachers includes manywith connections to Gomde,including Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi,Dzongsar Khyentse, DzigarKongtrul, Tsoknyi, NetenChokling and Yangsi TulkuUrgyen Rinpoches. View the first issue here:http://mindrollinginternational.org/dharmadhrishti/journal/2009_Spring/introduction.cfm

such a small Sangha. We need more financial support frommembers and from the broader Dharma community. We also needmore people to come work and volunteer at RYG California. Manyjobs exist that can be done remotely, but much work is neededon-site. Please contact any of the managers if you are interested inhelping (see the volunteer page on the website). We areparticularly looking for volunteers to work during Work Week andduring seminars this summer. In an effort to make seminars moreprofitable we are limiting staff pay significantly this year andrelying on volunteers.

Rangjung Yeshe Gomde | 66000 Drive Thru Tree Road | P.O. Box 162 | Leggett, CA 95585tel: 707-925-0201 | [email protected] | www.gomdeusa.org

This email was sent to .To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list.

manage your preferences | opt out using TrueRemove®

Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.



5 of 5 5/2/11 7:12 PM

january e-news from rangjung yeshe gomde · in the range of $20,000 to $80,000 per year. we are...

Documents