Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is an invitation from Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

We have invited the Colossus Of New York here to celebrate our diversity, everyone is welcome here. 

Please visit. I know you can’t come in but please come by. She is 15.5 feet tall – you don’t even have to get out of your car. She is wondrous to me. It’s almost like you can hear her breath!

Stay Lady, stay! Please protect us! 
you can find more information at www.tara.org

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo originally published in 2011:

Hello to all! Have any of you noticed I talk about the movie Avatar sometimes? I’ve watched it in director’s cut (wow!) Prolly 15 times. This movie, about the planet and people of a fictional (?) Planet named Pandora. The people are “indigenous humanoids” called the “Na’vi” and are truly breathtaking in their appearance and their ways. Their planet is lush and green. Their water is pristine. Their culture is noble.

Their goddess is Eywa, “Great Mother.” They make ceremony to become non-dual with her at maturity. They depend on Her for all and since the planet is virginal and healthy She delivers. Our Earth must have been that healthy before we began living out of harmony with her. Hurting torturing and raping Her. Our Earth is quite ill. We hurt our Mother and her children mindlessly. How do we expect the Earth to provide?

The Na’vi people have a beautiful prayer at the time of hunting, and a human death. I can’t say it perfectly but it is like this, for hunt – I cry every time I hear it. “I see you, my brother and I thank you for your life. Now your body will feed and become part of the Na’vi. Your spirit will return to and be one with Eywa. Ah HO. During the feast the animal is cherished, and known. How achingly beautiful, please try to see this movie and take it to heart. It shows us what we do as disconnected humans and where we went off.

Hopi teach there are two paths, basically. One is the “White Path,” where we left and do not know our Mother. We build machines to chew her up. We rip her flesh. Then there is the “Red Path” which never leaves the “way of connection.” The people live in harmony with Mother Earth’s way. We do not dominate her, we listen to her wisdom and live in harmony. It may be too late, as She has been poisoned. We would have to grow up and evolve out of the “I’m number one” idea into “we are life and this is our only planet” idea. We’d have to “see” each other truly. When the Na’vi meet each other they say with a gesture of touching head and heart and saying “I see you.” And it means really see – who and what you are.

I’d give my life if only we could be natural again. Respect and love again. Heal our Mother. I’d give it in a “New York” minute. I am currently trying to restore steep land, clear cut. It is already registered as sanctuary, and I want to give the wild beings their space back. Restore the natural land to food and shelter. This is my deep prayer:

 

Mother Goddess Earth, holy mother Tara, grant the blessing that I may have help and strength to provide for your babies, and grant blessings that I may give this little broken place back to you, whole and healed. KYE HO!

Hear this cry and accept these tears from a Dakini who is your daughter, your servant and your lover. May you recover, and may those who see “The Way” join hands as one people. Let us pay it forward. Eh Ma Ho!

OM MANI PEDME HUNG! OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA!

PS. Once I was led to Hopi land and found prophesy rock. Behind it climbing down, I saw a place of offerings. I made an offering, then found a perfect green valley, so lush in the desert. I saw light beings there. Working the Earth. Water. I never found it again, though I looked.

When I met with Hopi Elders, Grandfather David was still alive. I told the Grandfathers and Mothers what I’d found. Grandfather David said only people of pure intention could ever find these places. He then said “you are welcome to go to any place in Hopi land you wish.” Then a beautiful Grandmother jumped up and rattled as she spoke to me. “You must never abandon the Red Road!” With deep eyes and blazing heart. I see you, my Mother!

May I never disappoint you, and all beings!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

 

The following was a short instruction given spontaneously by Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo to a six year old student:

I love Amitabha so much. Do you? His qualities are amazing. When people are dying, he blesses them. When people are alive, he cares for them. He is like Guru Rinpoche in many ways. But more sublime in some ways. I can’t decide which is more sublime. But it doesn’t matter. They are the same.

The following is a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo offered at Kunzang Palyul Choling in Maryland:

Jetsunma takes us to a deeper understanding of the interdependence of the practices of Refuge and Bodhicitta. Leading us through the mental equations that will result in the cessation of suffering, she points out, “The cessation of suffering does not come about when everything external gets alright.” The answer to the question, “How in the world am I going to fix this?” is: you’re not…in the world. We have to move beyond the realm of cyclic existence to get the answer. In a less than perfect world we decide to reach for something perfect that we can’t see yet. Only then can we bring comfort to others.

This story was shared by Ani Sangye, one of Jetsunma’s students:

On Wednesday, February 26, 2020, a 30 year old horse named Strike Up the Band fell in his pasture, after having suffered from an infection for several days that had caused him great pain in one leg. Strike wasn’t responding to treatment begun days earlier and had stopped eating. He was completely exhausted from standing on three legs and couldn’t get up. The decision was made to euthanize him. 

I live on the farm where Strike lived, with his devoted owners of 21 years, Erich and Gloria. When he fell, we all happened to be home and rushed out to the pasture. While waiting for the vet to arrive, Jetsunma’s “Prayer to Be Reborn in Dewachen” was played for him. I texted Jetsunma’s attendant, Ani Sonam, informing her of what had happened and requesting that Jetsunma please pray for Strike. We didn’t hear back until the exact moment when the vet was administering the sedative prior to the euthanasia drug– perfect timing. Jetsunma said she would pray for him and instructed us to tap the crown of his head repeatedly. Gloria, Erich and I all took turns tapping while he was euthanized and for 15 minutes after, at which point I looked at his crown and saw the unmistakable sign of his liberation– a hole-like opening in the hair.

I immediately texted Ani Sonam with a picture. Jetsunma asked, “Did you get oil on your tapping fingers?” We then saw that Gloria’s fingertips were coated in a thick black oil, which had a distinctive perfume-like scent, sort of floral with a hint of honey. Gloria had been the one tapping his crown right before we saw the signs. Gloria noted that her fingers didn’t smell at all like horse. She also remarked that she doesn’t use any scented products at all, so this scent couldn’t have come from her hands. 

Jetsunma said, “This is an auspicious sign! That horse went to Dewachen!” 

Almost immediately after seeing the signs on Strike’s head a gentle rain began, which is considered auspicious. 

Strike’s holy body will continue to purify the earth and water around it and to bring benefit to countless beings. My Precious Guru Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo, a sublime and supremely enlightened one, has liberated this horse and blessed us with unmistakable signs. It was an extraordinary blessing to be able to witness such a rare and profound event. 

May this account deepen the faith and devotion of every Dharma student, as we see undeniable proof of the teachings before our very eyes. 

May Jetsunma’s life be strengthened and lengthened as a result of her compassionate activity and blessing us in this way. 

May this event be the cause for all sentient beings to be liberated at death. 
This account was written by Ani Sangye. 

The following is a video teaching by Khenpo Tenzin Norgay offered at Kunzang Palyul Choling temple in Maryland:

The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Faults of Cyclic Existence”

If we broaden our perspective, we look out from our own self-absorption into our immediate environment which is generally pretty easy for most of us.  We have friends and relatives that we don’t mind increasing our space to include and we look at them and we consider them part of our lives. But let’s move out and see all the rest of humankind.  They are all, in the same way as we are, striving to be happy.  And then look out beyond that to the animal realm.  Even though these animals don’t have a forehead, even though these animals cannot conceptualize in the same way that we do, still each one of them in their own way is trying to be happy according to their capacity. The predator is trying to be happy when it chases its prey.  The prey is trying to be happy when it fixes itself or creates for itself a safe environment and develops coping mechanisms with the reality that the predator is always out there.

There are many different ways to view this, but we can see if we really study, that we all have that in common and so we become, in a sense one family with a fundamental genetic code.  Even across species, even across the form and formless realms, we become one family with this particular underlying reality in common. Now if we were to really contemplate this issue in this way, we might come up with a new world view.  Wouldn’t that be wonderful!  We might come up with a new, more universal perspective.  Wouldn’t it be delightful!  We could use that tool as a way to end self-absorption, and to really open our eyes and look at everything around us with a new kind of vision, a new kind of empathy, a new kind of understanding, a new kind of willingness to put oneself in the place of others, a new kind of planetary human, you know, aware of life around itself, a new kind of cosmic perspective, a new understanding as to what life is all about.

Now how does this relate to refuge?  Well, as we are turning our minds towards Dharma,  that means softening them, preparing them, fertilizing them, plowing the field so that the mind is turned toward the path that leads to liberation and renouncing what does not lead to liberation.

Where does the idea of Bodhicitta actually come into play?  Actually it comes into play as both a motivator and as a clarifier.  As a motivator , we understand that part of the process of turning the mind towards Dharma is to truly look at the six realms of cyclic existence and all the conditions and situations of sentient beings.  Having done that, we see that cyclic existence is faulted and that these sentient beings, although they do wish to be happy, have no understanding of the causes of happiness.  That’s the main different between a Dharma practitioner, and the serial killer.  The Dharma practitioner wants to be happy just like the serial killer, but they are engaging in method.  Method means we are looking at cause and effect relationship.  We see the faults.  We look at cause and effect relationships and we are trying to work it out where we produce the causes that allow the desired effect.

The serial killer is also trying to do that.  He perhaps feels some kind of need build up in him and then he goes and tries to satisfy that need.  So in his way, this serial killer is doing the same thing.  He is engaged in trying to create the causes that produce happiness.   The difference is he does not understand.  There is such heavy delusion that there is no understanding of what causes produce happiness, so the serial killer is in a way, like a completely ignorant, completely confused, completely hatred-oriented basket of misconstrued ideas acting in a knee-jerk way to get some kind of result.  He is not able to think it through and has no guidance to think it through.  So the serial killer is yes, engaging in method, but what method?  The serial killer is engaging in the method of hatred, is engaging in the method of destruction, is engaging in the method of harm-doing, and is thinking that it will bring some sort of power or happiness or relief in some way.  And yet what this person doesn’t understand is that the seed and the fruit cannot be unrelated.  You cannot produce happiness from the fruit of hatred, destruction, ignorance and harm doing.  You cannot produce happiness in the same way that a peach seed cannot produce a banana tree.

 Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo All rights reserved

Dear Mr President,

I want you to know that first of all, I greatly respect your office. In this country our democracy, we are all one nation, Dems and Republicans. I don’t understand why you so hate the Dems. It’s so evident that you do and they are half our nation. Can’t you understand you are doing yourself no favors? 

You are rejecting half our nation and as a result, half is rejecting you also. I know you think you have some special power or special mind, but Sir, I think life is life and cause and effect are perfect. I certainly can not threaten you and I wouldn’t do that. I have no power. But the rest of us are really hurting. They don’t understand why our democracy is turning into smut. Have you read the Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood. Of course not, you don’t read. I ask you please to have someone read it to you or for you and give you notations. It’s what is happening now to us. And you are part of it. Please help us. I beg you for compassion for the people. 

The people are everything. We the individuals, don’t amount to much. 

But the nation is vast. Please open your eyes. Before you get too old. And you die too. Please see the light.