Kunzang Palyul Choling

Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC) is an organization for Buddhist study and practice in the Nyingma tradition (Palyul lineage) that is located in Poolesville, Maryland and Sedona, Arizona, with smaller groups in Santa Barbara, California and across Australia. KPC was founded by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and later given to Penor Rinpoche. KPC was Penor Rinpoche's first Dharma Center in the US.

Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo: first Western woman to be recognized as an incarnate lama

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History and overview

Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo Rinpoche is the KPC resident lama. She was enthroned as a lineage holder in 1988 by Penor Rinpoche. [1] Khenpo Pem Tsheri Sherpa from Namdroling monastery is a returning teacher, in residence several months out of the year.[2] The monks and nuns and Ahkon Lhamo's daughter Atira teach beginning classes.

Prayer vigil

KPC was established in 1985 to house the 24-hour prayer vigil begun in Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo's basement, and to create a temple that was open 24 hours a day.[3] Participants maintain two-hour prayer shifts, doing practices in the Nyingma tradition.[4][5] The vigil is dedicated to the end of suffering and has remained unbroken.[4][6] In 1999, Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC) began another 24-hour prayer vigil in the new location in Sedona, Arizona.[4]

Founding

In 1988, Penor Rinpoche enthroned Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo during the Rinchen Terzod cycle of esoteric empowerments at Kunzang Palyul Choling. [1][7] At that time he ordained 25 monks and nuns, creating a large ordained community.[8] In 1990, the temple purchased 65 acres of land and built prayer wheels and statues which Yangthang Rinpoche consecrated following the Nyingtig Yabshi empowerments. Ahkon Lhamo later moved to Sedona, Arizona, and the temple expanded there. She returned to Maryland in the early 2000's.[4]

Historically, the temple has hosted Buddhist teachers of the Nyingma lineage. Gyaltrul Rinpoche gave Nam Cho, generation stage, and tsa lung teachings. Jigme Phuntsok gave his own discovered teachings (terma), Kusum Lingpa gave the Yeshe Lama trekchod and togyal teachings,[9] and Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche gave his Red Tara teachings. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche was briefly in residence, and Khenpo Palden Sherab and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal returned frequently to teach.

Locations

Poolesville, Maryland

Kunzang Palyul Choling's main temple is located in suburban Maryland surrounded by the McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area. The main shrine is an antebellum-style mansion renovated into a Tibetan Buddhist style[4][5] situated on 17 acres to one side of River Road, with 65 acres of walking trails in the Peace Park. There are over twenty stupas, many Tibetan prayer wheels, gardens, and Buddha statues throughout the property. The largest stupas are the 36' Enlightenment[10] and the 38' Migyur Dorje stupas, the latter of which houses a relic from Tulku Migyur Dorje and is located in the middle of the Peace Park.[11]

The main temple structure has been closed due to COVID, and the residence area has been closed to public activities awaiting renovations to comply with Montgomery County's Building Use and Occupancy Code. The prayer room, which is separate from the main building, remains open and houses all teachings and activities.[12] The organization raised $1 million for the building of the new temple.[13]

Sedona, Arizona

KPC's Sedona, Arizona location has a community of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo's students who built the 36' Amitabha Stupa, which has become a tourist destination at the base of Thunder Mountain. [14] The Sedona center is home to Dakini Valley, a large tract of undeveloped land.

Santa Barbara, California

KPC's Santa Barbara, California group is run out of the home of a senior student who has been given authorization to teach and perform weddings. The group has a small 6' stupa given to them by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.[15]

Australia

KPC's Australian students are spread widely over the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. They sponsor visits from teachers from Namdroling monastery in India, such as Khenpo Pem.[16]

Teachings and practices

Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo teaches twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays, and podcasts Buddhism for Beginners.[17] Atira Zeoli, Ahkon Lhamo's daughter, teaches a beginning class twice monthly, while the monks and nuns teach shamatha meditation on weekends based on Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo's book Stabilizing the Mind. [18][19]

The Migyur Dorje Institute started by Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso has been continued by Khenpo Pem Tsheri Sherpa, who teaches a regular series of classes on such topics as Shantideva's Bodhisattva's Guide (Bodhicharyavatara).[20]

Visiting teachers give esoteric empowerments. Kuchen Rinpoche and Khenpo Norgay give empowerments necessary for students to begin many traditional Vajrayana Buddhist practices. In addition, students attend the Palyul summer retreat in McDonough, NY.[21]

Monastic community

Kunzang Palyul Choling has a large community of monks and nuns, many of whom have remained ordained since 1988.[8][22][4] A small number live at the temple while the majority live in households of three and four nearby. [4][8]

Charity work

The Garuda Aviary was founded in 1998 to help abused, neglected, or abandoned parrots. Its focus is on desperate cases where birds have become "unadoptable" due to past mistreatment or abuse, and birds taken into the sanctuary have a life-long home. The Aviary aims to educate the public on the exotic bird trade that takes parrots from their natural habitat. It is open to visitors in good weather, where people can view the birds and hear their caretaker give a presentation on the challenges faced by exotic birds.[23]

In response to growing food insecurity during the pandemic, in 2020 the temple sought and received a grant from Montgomery County and dedicated 2,400 feet of lawn to a teaching garden. Since May 2021, it has produced hundreds of pounds of food that have been donated to help shelters and the food insecure throughout the region. [24]

To save the many pets left behind after Hurricane Katrina, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and her students traveled to the site of the disaster in New Orleans. They personally adopted abandoned animals, and then in 2006 formed Tara's Babies to continue to rescue fearful and unadoptable animals from shelters, housing them on property near the Sedona, Arizona location. [25]

After a visit from prominent Mongolian Lama, to help Mongolia's post-Communist revival of its Buddhist culture, especially the Nyingma lineage, in 2005, permanent staff was sent to Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar.[26]

Monks and nuns from the temple, answering letters from prisoners who were interested in Buddhism, joined the ministerial program at various prisons in Maryland. Monks and nuns are trained by the prison system on their rules and restrictions, and visit to teach meditation.

Recording and publication
  • Palyul Productions – records teachings given at Kunzang Palyul Choling to preserve and disseminate them.
  • Blinded by View – originally known as Skydancer, Blinded By View produces Ahkon Lhamo's music. Invocation at Discogs

Fundraisers
  • The Capital Campaign - Current fundraiser to build new temple.[13]
  • Tara Studios - Tara Studios, producing small Buddhist statues, was founded in 1991 with the hopes to financially support KPC's monks and nuns.[27]
  • Ladyworks - Ahkon Lhamo designed a hair care product line which sold in The Sharper Image. In 1996 Ladyworks created a million-dollar infomercial for the products featuring Ahkon Lhamo.[28]
  • Chocolate Passion - A dessert company formed in 1992 also in hopes to financially support KPC's monks and nuns.[29]

References

Citations
  1. Stevens, William K. (1988-10-26). "U.S. Woman Is Named Reborn Buddhist Saint". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  2. "Namdroling Golden Temple".
  3. Nyingma.com. Kunzang Palyul Chöling, Feb 16, 2007
  4. Rasicot, Julie (2005-09-08). "For 20 Years, an Unbroken Chain of Prayer". Washington Post. p. GZ05. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
  5. Iyer (2000), p. 84.
  6. Sherrill (1995).
  7. "American-born Woman Tulku Enthroned," Vajradhatu Sun, October/November 1988
  8. Sherrill (2000), pp. 66, 142–45, 158–66.
  9. Sherrill (2000), p. 313.
  10. Sherrill (2000), pp. 11, 31, 66–7.
  11. Sherrill (2000), pp. 122–8.
  12. "Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Poolesville Closes for Renovations". Patch. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  13. "KPC Capital Campaign". Tara.org. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  14. "KPC Ceremonies To Dedicate Stupa" Red Rock News, July 14, 2004
  15. "California". Tara.org.
  16. "Australia". Tara.org.
  17. "Buddhism for Beginners". Apple Podcasts.
  18. "Beginning Buddhism". Kunzang Palyul Choling.
  19. "Beginning Buddhism". Kunzang Palyul Choling.
  20. Sherrill (2000), pp. 336–7.
  21. "Chogtrul Khentrul Gyangkhang Rinpoche Opening Remarks Palyul Ling Virtual Summer Retreat 2021". Palyul Ling.
  22. Iyer (2000).
  23. Blitz, Matt. "Pretty Bird, Pretty Big Responsibility. What It’s Like To Care For Parrots In Washington." WAMU, Mar 14, 2019
  24. "KPC Buddhist Temple Grows Food to Share and Teaches Other to Do So" Monocacy Monacle, page 8, September 24, 2021
  25. Hudson, Alan R., "Rim County Gazette", September 9, 2010
  26. "Sedona Buddhists Send Monk to Mongolia". Way Back Machine. Archived from the original on 2008-10-07. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  27. Sherrill (2000), pp. 74, 78.
  28. Sherrill (2000), p. 182.
  29. Sugarman (1992).

Works cited
  • Iyer, Pico (Summer 2000). "The Price of Faith". Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.
  • Sherrill, Martha (May 17, 1995). "Tough Town, Sad Times. So Why Are These People Smiling?". The Washington Post.
  • Sherrill, Martha (2000). The Buddha from Brooklyn. Random House. ISBN 0-679-45275-3.
  • Sugarman, Carole (October 21, 1992). "The Chocolate Passion of Poolesville's Buddhists". The Washington Post.

Further reading
  • Brace, Eric (February 23, 1992). "Limelight". The Washington Post.
  • Ganzer, Tony (May 24, 2007). "A piece of 'Spiritual Technology'".{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  • Hansen, Nate (December 16, 2005). "All she wants for Christmas is life". Red Rock News.
  • Hansen, Nate (June 2, 2006). "'Pilar' of life, Asia Claus recovers from cancer". Red Rock News.
  • Hirsch, Arthur (June 21, 2004). "World unrest fuels Buddhist vigil". Baltimore Sun.
  • MacKenzie, Vicki (1997). Reborn in the West. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-7225-3443-4.

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