Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

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Schrödinger’s Yidam
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Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away tonight. Yesterday H.H. Karmapa came and gave him a private initiation. It was as good a time as any for him to go

His life goals were to build a monastery in upstate New York and to get westerners through the traditional 3 year retreat. His monastery was finished in 2016 and over the years he got around 100 westerners through the retreat. He accomplished all his goals in life and said as much.

His students will focus on Akshobya practice for the 49 days. People that knew him are encouraged to do the same, or else just their regular practice.

Any updates on ceremonies and practices will be posted on the Kagyu Thubten Choling FB page or their website kagyu.com.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
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practitioner
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Re: Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

Post by practitioner »

Thank you for sharing
One should do nothing other than benefit sentient beings either directly or indirectly - Shantideva
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Grigoris
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Re: Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

Post by Grigoris »

OM AMI DEWA HRIH
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Schrödinger’s Yidam
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Re: Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

LNR was cremated today. When the group got back to the monastery they started doing long hours of chanting in Tibetan.

I don’t know Tibetan, and there was work to be done for lunch, so I was outside. Then someone pointed out to me there was a faint sun rainbow above the monastery.

Even to the naked eye the colors were not very bright, but it was definitely a rainbow. The smartphone picture I took didn’t even get all the colors I could see with my eyes. I tried to post it here but failed miserably. If someone PMs me with instructions I’ll try it again.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
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Grigoris
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Re: Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

Post by Grigoris »

If the file is not to large just upload it as an attachment to your post.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Schrödinger’s Yidam
Posts: 7885
Joined: Wed May 29, 2013 6:13 am

Re: Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

The building in the foreground is the new monastery.

To the naked eye the colors were a little more pronounced, but admittedly it was not the most impressive of rainbows. Smartphone cameras are good, but not great. However it was still unmistakably a rainbow.
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1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
PSM
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Re: Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

Post by PSM »

I just came across this great story from Krishna Das:

http://krishnadas.com/blog/remembering- ... lled-love/

Image
Remembering Lama Norlha Rinpoche, I am filled with love

February 22, 2018

Lama Norlha Rinpoche was a disciple of Kalu Rinpoche who was considered to be the greatest Yogi of the previous generation of Tibetan Lamas. Kalu Rinpoche sent Lama Norlha to the US in 1974, I believe, and he started a small monastery in Wappinger’s Falls NY. I met him there in 1975 or 1976, but it was only in the last few years that I started to visit him as much as I could. This was because I heard that he had spent 2 years with my Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, in 1963/64, after he had escaped from Tibet to India.

He told me the following story.

He had found a small broken down abandoned kutir(hut) in the hills above Haridwar and had just finished settling in to it, when a man came and started yelling at him and kicking his stuff around. After few minutes the man left. Lama thought to himself that maybe he should leave, because the kutir might belong to this man. But he decided to stay anyway. After a couple of hours some Indian people arrived with tea and snacks for him and told him that there was a Baba who wanted him to come for a meal at a house nearby.

Lama went with the Indians and he was surprised to see that the Baba was the same man who had yelled at him and kicked his stuff around. That was my Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, Maharaj-ji. He told Lama that the kutir was not safe as there were many poisonous snakes there. He asked Lama to come stay with him. Lama did. They spent much time together and loved each other very much. Maharaj-ji called Lama, “Tibeti Baba” and said, “We’ll stay together our whole lives…we love each other so much.” For 2 years Lama and Maharaj-ji spent much time together. When they went to the bazaar, Lama told me that the shopkeepers would accept whatever Maharaj-ji offered them for there goods. Maharaj-ji would often say “Who will feed my people when I’m gone?”

Lama told me that he believed Maharaj-ji to be the greatest Siddha in the Himalayas.

After 2 years, early one morning, there was loud banging on Lama’s door. He opened it and Maharaj-ji was standing there He said, “Don’t listen to them. Don’t listen to them. Don’t listen to what they say.” And then he turned and walked away.

Lama was confused…he had no idea what Maharaj-ji was talking about. However later that day Kalu Rinpoche’s brother arrived there. He had come to bring Lama up to Darjeeling, where Kalu Rinpoche was living after escaping from Tibet. Lama had been Kalu Rinpoche’s meditation master in Tibet and had led retreats for Kalu’s disciples.

Lama came to Maharaj-ji and said, “Baba, they want me to go with them to Darjeeling.”
Maharaj-ji said, “Don’t go. Don’t go. We love each other so much. We’ll stay together our whole lives.’
Lama answered, “But Baba, he is my Guru.”
Maharaj-ji said, “You must go. If you don’t go your sadhana won’t bring fruit.”
Lama: “But Baba, We’ll meet again.”
Maharaj-ji, “Yes, We will meet again, but after you have died.”

Lama told me this with such joy and happiness remembering those times with Maharaj-ji.

Another time I was with Lama Norlha and I asked him if he and Maharaj-ji had talked about philosophy.
He said, “Oh yes, we talked a lot.”
Then he looked at me and with great seriousness, he said, “He liked my view (spiritual understanding of things.)
Then Lama leaned towards me and in conspiratorial whisper and a sweet smile said, “But he liked his view better!”

Whenever I spent time with Lama he would always give me food to eat and talk like Maharajj-ji, mimicking his voice and teasing manner.

About a month ago I had heard that Lama was in hospice and I went to his monastery, KTC. I was hoping to see him but didn’t want to be a burden. When they told him that I was there, he agreed to see me. He had not spoken much for about a week. He was sitting up in a chair because he had much trouble breathing.

When I came and bowed he started talking to me in Hindi and handing me things to eat. I just fell into his lap and he put his arms around me and held me. It was unbearably sweet. He asked for a protection cord and with great difficulty tied it around my neck. After a few minutes I got up to go and as I bowed to him I said “Ram Ram”. I don’t know what made me do that, but he immediately lit up and started say,

“Ram Ram Sita Ram, Ram Ram Sita Ram” over and over again in a very loud and powerful voice.

Everyone there was amazed. Need I say that this is very unusual for a Tibetan Rinpoche. I was infused with happiness and joy…and whenever I remember Lama, I am filled with love.

~KD
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

That is such a wonderful story!
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EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
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kirtu
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Re: Lama Norlha Rinpoche passed away.

Post by kirtu »

:buddha1:
Maitrya mantra
Maitrya mantra
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Oṃ maitri mahāmaitri maitriye svāhā

May loving-kindness fill the hearts and minds of all beings, esp. those beings who have a connection with Lama Norhla
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
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