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September/October 2001 Spirituality
The Khenpos Visit Portland

by Paul Levy

Paul Levy

This September 27-29th Portland will play host to two of Tibet's greatest and most beloved living masters, Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche, and his brother, Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. "The Khenpos," as they are affectionately known to their students worldwide, will be giving a series of teachings, transmissions and empowerments on the nature of the enlightened mind. Their visit is sponsored by the Portland PadmaSambhava Buddhist Center, which the Khenpos started during their visit to Portland in 1996.

In the Tibetan tradition, the Khenpos are considered to be living Buddhas. Many people's lives have been forever changed upon simply meeting the Khenpos, as they are, to put it simply with no exaggeration, living, breathing embodiments of their teachings on love, compassion and joy. Filled with childlike wonder, genuine humility and eternal gratitude, they truly touch people, opening up hearts everywhere they go.

To give a sense of their family lineage, their father, Lama Chimed Namgyal, passed into mahaparanirvana this past March 6th. Three days before his transition, the Khenpos’ father uttered the following aspiration prayer, "In this world, at this time, there are many people who are suffering. May I become the substitute for their illness. May the six realms be free from suffering and the cause of suffering." The Khenpos and their father are living representatives of what it is to be a truly selfless human being, fully embodying the bodhisattvic ideal of tirelessly serving others.

On Thursday night, September 27th, at 7:30, the Khenpos will give a public talk on the dreamlike nature of reality. During this lecture, the Khenpos will also give the blessing and transmission of PadmaSambhava, who is the Buddha of our age. It is said that the greater the negativity, the greater PadmaSambhava's power of transformation. The cost is $15.

On Friday night, September 28th, at 7 pm, the Khenpos will give the empowerment, or blessing ceremony, of Vajrasarasvati, who is an emanation of Tara, the mother of all the Buddhas. Vajrasarasvati is both a Buddhist and Hindu goddess of art, music, poetry and beauty, and this empowerment will increase creativity and inspiration, dispelling ignorance and giving birth to wisdom. The cost is $15.

On Saturday, September 29th, from 10-4 pm, the Khenpos will be giving a teaching on the Heart Sutra from the Dzogchen point of view. The cost is $60. One of the most profound and famous of all the Buddhist teachings, the Heart Sutra contains, in its few lines, the essence, or condensed meaning, of the true nature of reality. Dzogchen is the highest teaching in all of Tibetan Buddhism, it is considered to be the culmination of all spiritual paths. The elder Khenpo is a living Dzogchen master and holder of this ancient lineage.

All events are at the Unity Church, 4525 SE Stark. These events are truly a blessing for us here in Portland. Please call (503) 230-4841 for further information.