Author Archives: Birwallah

Protected Area Permit (PAP) Application Form for Bir Tibetan Colony

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For the benefit of foreign (non-Indian) travelers wishing to stay overnight in the Tibetan Colony of Bir, we are posting a copy of the Protected Area Permit (PAP) Application Form that the Government of India requires you to complete and submit to the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in order to receive the PAP, which allows you to stay overnight in the Tibetan Colony.

Please note that the PAP is required only in the case of overnight stays in the Bir Tibetan Colony by foreign citizens. It is not required for day trips to the Colony, nor is it required for visits or overnight stays in Bir proper (Upper Bir) or at the Dharmalaya Institute in Ghornala Village. Also, it is not required for citizens of India, Nepal, or Bhutan.

Download the PAP application.

(Thanks to SanghaSeva!)

Sustainable Living in the Himalayas: Volunteer Programme at Dharmalaya (15 Feb – 10 Mar)

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What: Informal volunteer and service-learning programme
Topic: Sustainable living in the Himalayas, including green building, organic gardening, and permaculture landscaping
When: 15 February to 10 March, 2013 (Participants may arrive and depart anytime in this period)
Where: Dharmalaya Institute
Languages: English & Hindi
Facilitators: Mark Moore, Raj Kumar, Naresh Sharma, et al

Description: Informal programme at the Dharmalaya Institute open to both residential and non-residential participants. We will be doing fun, physical work, including green building, organic gardening, tree planting, and more. There will be plenty of opportunities for learning, application, questions, and relaxation. Feel free to come and go anytime between 15 February and 10 March.

For more information see Dharmalaya’s volunteer page, read the FAQ, and complete the volunteer application if you’re interesting in joining us.

Update on Protected Area Permits

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We’ve received word that the Government of India has issued changes in policy regarding the requirement of Protected Area Permits (PAPs) in the Bir Tibetan Colony (and other Tibetan settlements, such as Chauntra).

Three key points:

  • Foreigners require a PAP only for overnight stays in the Bir Tibetan Colony (or other Tibetan settlements). No PAP is required for day visits to the Tibetan Colony (or, for example, Chauntra).
  • Foreigners only need a PAP if you are staying in the Tibetan Colony itself. If you are staying in an Indian area, such as an Indian hotel or guest house outside of the Tibetan Colony, for example in Chowgan or in Bir proper (“Upper Bir”), then no PAP is required.
  • If you are staying in Bir and visiting Chauntra you only need the PAP for Bir, not for Chauntra (and vice versa if you are staying in Chauntra and visiting Bir, you only need the PAP for Chauntra, not for Bir).

To apply for a permit for to stay in Bir Tibetan Colony, you need to apply at the District Commissioner’s office in Dharamshala.

Government declares Bir Tibetan Colony a “Protected Area”

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For those who haven’t heard the news: The Government of India has recently classified the Bir Tibetan Colony as a “protected area.” Unfortunately, this means any foreigners wishing to visit the Bir Tibetan Colony for any reason must now obtain a Protected Area Permit (PAP) before arriving.

You can apply for the PAP in one of three ways:

  1. When you apply for your India visa
  2. At the Ministry of Home in New Delhi
  3. At the Foreigner’s Regional Registration Office in Dharamshala

Note that the PAP is needed only for the Bir Tibetan Colony in Chowgan, not for Bir proper (“Upper Bir”) or surrounding areas.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche: Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara (3-5 August)

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What: Buddhist teachings on the Way of the Bodhisattva (year 4)
When: 3-5 August, 2012
Where: Deer Park Institute
Who: Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

Bodhicaryavatara by Shantideva

The Way of the Bodhisattva (year 4)
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

Shantideva was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist master, who hailed from Kathiawada in Gujarat. He was a renowned scholar and adept at Nalanda University and an adherent of Prasangika Madhyamaka philosophy.

His classic text Bodhicaryavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva) has been studied, practiced, and expounded upon in an unbroken tradition for centuries, first in India and later in Tibet. It explains the Mahayana view and the methods to realize it. H.H. Dalai Lama has said, ‘If I have any understanding of compassion and the practice of the Bodhisattva path, it is entirely on the basis of this text that I possess it.’This is the fourth year of a series of teachings on Bodhicaryavatara by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche at Deer Park. If you would like to obtain the recordings of the last two teaching of this series, please email us at info@deerpark.in.

For more information: http://www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/bodhicaryavatara-by-shantideva-4/

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo: The Four Dharmas of Gampopa (11-12 June)

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What: Buddhist teachings
When: 11-12 June, 2012
Where: Deer Park Institute
Who: Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Four Dharmas of Gampopa with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Gampopa (1070-1153) also know as Dagpo Rinpoche is the heart disciple of the great Yogi Milarepa. Together with Rechungpa, the two are described as the sun and moon and each radiated his distinct light in the world. It is Gampopa with his luminous presence that shines to this day through the Dagpo Kagyu lineagues that collectively bear his name.

Besides writing the two most influential texts: The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, and A Precious Garland of the Supreme Path, Gampopa distilled the Buddhist path into four short lines or truths, called dharmas.

These lines became known as the Four Dharmas of Gampopa and are often studied as an explanation of the Four Noble Truths.

These four lines are:

Grant your blessings that my mind may follow the Dharma

Grant your blessings that my Dharma practice may become the path

Grant your blessings that the path may clarify confusion

Grant your blessings that confusion may arise as wisdom.

“These extremely profound sentences are a combination of Sutra and Tantra, and were expounded upon by the great master Longchen Rabjam. If a practitioner receives these instructions and is diligent, he or she will be able to attain complete enlightenment within a single lifetime. It is amazing how extraordinary the vital teachings of the buddhas and accomplished practitioners are.”

— Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, from Repeating the Words of the Buddha

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo is a renowned Buddhist teacher, popular worldwide for her warm, clear and down-to-earth presentation of the Dharma and its application in daily life. The inspiring story of her life, including 12 years of secluded retreat in a Himalayan cave, is the subject of a well-known biography, Cave inthe Snow. Jetsunma is the founder and abbess of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery near Tashijong, H.P

For more information: http://www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/four-dharma-of-gampopa/

Paragliding Temporarily Banned in Bir-Billing: Pilots Protest

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BIR, HP — The government of Himachal Pradesh has imposed a temporary ban on paragliding at the popular Bir-Billing site, 80km southeast of Dharamshala, claiming a need to keep the region secure during the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches in Dharamshala.

Paragliding enthusiasts and professional pilots alike have criticized the ban, saying it is unnecessary and harmful both to local business and to India’s chances in the upcoming  Asian Championship in China on 20 May.

According to the Times of India:

Flyers Gurpreet Dhindsa and Jyoti Thakur, who are to participate in the tournament, said: “This ban doesn’t make sense. A sport must not suffer due to another. We are here wasting crucial time, otherwise would have practiced our skills better.” However, the administration citied a different season saying the ban was due to arrival of VIPs. Kangra deputy commissioner R S Gupta said, “Paragliding has been restricted due to the IPL matches. Security measures are necessary as so many VIPs and VVIPs are scheduled to arrive.” The ban has also upset local flyers and tourists. “The tourist season has begun and the weather is suitable. We charge Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,000 from each customer, and we cannot go on with our business,” said an operator.

Bir-Billing is acknowledged as the best site in India for professional-level paragliding, and is regarded internationally as the second-best site in the world, second only to Lake Como in Italy. Paragliding enthusiasts travel to Bir from across the globe to enjoy the strong thermals and beautiful scenery.

Three Treasures: Body, Speech & Mind in the Art (19-20 May)

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What: Art workshop
When: 19-20 May, 2012
Where: Deer Park Institute
Who: Andrew Schelling and Rebecca Eland

Three Treasures : Body, Speech and Mind in the Art

A workshop celebrating what’s known in Zen as beginner’s mind, allowing art to be shaped and informed by the immediate environment and the quality of open awareness. Participants will work with movement, dance, and poetry, cultivating avant-garde practices that have roots in traditions of yoga and Buddhist discipline. What sort of movement &what sort of  poetry discipline will reveal the profound interconnection of landscape, event, and one’s own mind? There will be two sessions a day, with sample time for reflection and writing.

The workshop will end with a group performance.

Facilitators:

Rebecca Eland is a dancer and poet from Boulder, Colorado.

Andrew Schelling is a poet and translator of Sanskrit and bhakti poetry, also from Boulder, Colorado. Both artists are from Naropa University.

For more information: http://www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/three-treasures-body-speech-and-mind-in-the-2/

Introduction to the Middle Way: Teachings on Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara @ Deer Park (12-16 May & 15-17 June)

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What: Series of Buddhist Teachings on Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara
When: 12-16 May (part 1) & 15-17 June (part 2)
Where: Deer Park Institute
Who: Khenpo Choying Dorjee

Introduction to the Middle Way

The Madhyamakavatara, considered to be a masterpiece on the Madhyamika “Middle Way” philosophy, is a treatise on the two types of selflessness composed by one of the most well-known Indian Buddhist panditas, Chandrakirti.

Chandrakirti’s work is a commentary on the Mula-Madhyamaka treatise of Nagarjuna. The Mula-Madhyamaka treatise is itself a systemization of the Prajnaparamita or “Perfection of Wisdom” literature – the sutras on the crucial but elusive concept of emptiness. The Madhyamakavatara of Chandkirti expresses both the profound aspect of Nagarjuna’s Mula-Madhyamaka, namely emptiness, as well as the vast aspect – the paths and bhumis of the bodhisattva. The Madhyamakavatara has eleven chapters, each addressing one of the ten ‘perfections’ (Sanskrit: paramita) fulfilled by the Bodhisattvas as they traverse the ten ‘stages’ (Sanskrit: bhumi) to Buddhahood, the subject of the 11th chapter.
Khenpo Choying Dorje’s classes on the Madhamakavatara will be divided into 5 series. For the 1st series, Khenpo will cover the first five chapters.

Khenpo Choying Dorjee

Khenpo Choying Dorjee is one of the senior Khenpos and assistant principal at the renowned Buddhist college Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro Institute. He received his Khenpo degree from Dzongsar Institute in 2002 after completing twelve years of study. He also received a special Khenpo degree from His Holiness Dalai Lama in 2004.

Khenpo Choying Dorjer has been teaching at Dzongsar Institute since 1998 and he was the Sakya scholar representative at a number of international conferences and workshops. From 2007, he started giving teachings in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and USA. In response to an adornment project of Khyentse Foundation, Khenpo recently went to University of California in Berkeley for a 5-month stay as visiting scholar in the Department of Southeast Asian Studies. Khenpo’s teaching at Deer Park will be in English.

For more information: http://www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/introduction-to-the-middle-way-2/

Words of My Perfect Teacher: A Dharma Talk with Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche (5-6 May)

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What: Dharma talk on the classic text Words of My Perfect Teacher
When: May 5-6, 2012
Where: Deer Park Institute, Bir Tibetan Colony
Who: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

Words of My Perfect Teacher

Deer Park is very honored to host three talks by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche on, “Words of My Perfect Teacher”, one of the favourite works of practioners of Tibetan Buddhisim and recommended by many senior Buddhist masters. This practical guide to inner transformation introduces the fundamental spiritual practices common to all Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Patrul Rinpoche, the author of this book, makes the technicalities of his subject accessible through a wealth of stories and references to everyday life. It is a wonderful opportunity to go through this text with Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche was recognized as an incarnation of Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and trained extensively in all aspects of Buddhist doctrine, with an emphasis on the Rime tradition of Khyentse, Kongtrul and Chokgyur Lingpa. After moving to the United States in 1989, Rinpoche founded Mangala Shri Bhuti, an organization established to further the study and practice of the Buddhadharma in the West. Rinpoche is the author of two books, It’s Up to You: The Practice of Self-Reflection on the Buddhist Path, and Light Comes Through: Buddhist Teachings on Awakening to our Natural Intelligence. He is also an avid painter in the abstract expressionist tradition well as an aspiring photographer. Rinpoche travels widely throughout the world teaching and furthering his own education.

For more information: http://www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/words-of-my-perfect-teacher-2/