The Collected Works of Chogyam Trungpa: Volume One (48 page)

This progress through the three yanas was also manifested in the development of the community itself. Through the strict discipline of sitting practice, students were encouraged to develop warmth and a greater compassion toward themselves. Beyond this, it was necessary for them to have compassion toward their world and to share what they had learned with others. Working for the benefit of others is at the heart of the Buddhist approach, particularly that of the mahayana. I began to appoint some of the older students as meditation instructors to work with newer ones. These individuals are instructors in a very strict sense; their role is not to theorize or analyze but just to transmit what they themselves have learned and understood.

Going further in our effort to expand communication with others, we evolved the plan of establishing the Naropa Institute. The purpose of this institute is, first of all, to provide a vessel for the development of bodhisattva activity among both teachers and students. It emphasizes the discipline of learning and the appreciation of our heritages of both the Orient and the Occident, grounded in meditation practice and commitment to personal development. The first session of the institute in the summer of 1974 attracted over two thousand students. Among other prominent teachers who participated, perhaps the most colorful was Ram Dass; the interplay between the two of us during the course of the summer was delightfully humorous. After a second highly successful summer in 1975, Naropa Institute adopted a year-round degree-granting program.

By this time my relationship with my students had become entirely natural, and the flow of communication between us was effortless. There was a need, however, for them to witness other teachers of our lineage. In the autumn of 1974, with perfect timing, His Holiness Karmapa made his first visit to the West. Arriving in New York, he traveled across the country visiting each of our main centers. While at Tail of the Tiger, at my request he gave it the new Tibetan name of Karmê Chöling, “Dharma Place of the Karma Kagyüs.” In spite of a certain amount of uncertainty and clumsiness on the part of the students, His Holiness was extremely pleased with them and with what I had accomplished. Many people had the great fortune of participating in the Vajra Crown ceremony as well as several abhisekas which His Holiness performed. The visit served as a landmark to confirm that the dharma had actually taken root in the soil of America. His Holiness issued a proclamation confirming the existence of Buddhism in America and the fulfilment of my role as a Vajra Master, further empowering me as Vajracharya, a spiritual master of the highest level.

Following the first Vajradhatu Seminary I had transmitted to a small group of close students the preliminary practices of the vajrayana. With the introduction of these practices, along with the enormous inspiration to devotion aroused by the visit of His Holiness, the true vajrayana style of surrender combined with complete discipline began to show through in our sangha. One example of this was that the contingent of voluntary bodyguards who had served His Holiness requested after his departure to remain active on a permanent basis, to assist me personally and to prevent any interruptions to our work.

By now Vajradhatu had become one of the foremost Buddhist institutions in America. Its growth had been natural and unforced, but in order to accommodate such large-scale work, it became clearly necessary to employ a number of the students as a permanent staff. In the beginning most of these administrators were complete amateurs. Coming to their work purely as practitioners of meditation, they learned from their experience, step by step, and developed increasing administrative capabilities, combining efficiency with a wakeful sense of humor. Narayana has been an outstanding example of this process. Another is my private secretary, David Rome, who has been a reliable companion and confidant to me for the last four years and has helped a lot in inspiring my work.

During all of this time my wife Diana has been a considerable source of encouragement to me, as she has involved herself with dharma practice and the care of our children. Also, she has revived an interest from her own childhood in horses, which has led to her becoming a student of the classical school of equitation known as dressage, exemplified by the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. She has made extremely rapid progress in working up to the level of Grand Prix, and the two of us share a keen interest in the art of horsemanship.

All in all, my sense at each point on the way has been one of trying very hard at first, then relaxing and thinking to the future. By now, I feel, the major obstacles have been overcome and there is a sense of having achieved what was envisaged. No doubt there is much more work and many adventures still awaiting me, and for these I feel prepared. Whatever I have done has been guided by the blessings of Jamgön Kongtrül, and his presence is closer now than ever before. There is a constant sense of gratitude to my tutors and of appreciation for the Tibetan wisdom which was imparted to me, everything from how to pitch a tent to the attainment of enlightenment. I feel young and old at the same time.

In order to impart this wealth to so many people, and to ensure that everything will not stop at my death, it is necessary to have one person as an inheritor, someone whom I can train and observe over a period of many years. For a long time it was in my mind to appoint Narayana to this role, and in the summer of 1976 I did so, empowering him as Dorje Gyaltsap, Vajra Regent. Assuming the refuge name which I had given him several years before of Ösel Tendzin, “Radiant Holder of the Teachings,” he took on his heavy responsibility, feeling burdened by it but tremendously inspired. Six hundred people attended the ceremony of his empowerment. There was a wide range of reactions; mostly, people were deeply moved that a future holder of the lineage could be an American.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
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PHOTO: BLAIR HANSEN.

Ösel Mukpo, the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
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PHOTO: WILLIAM KARELLIS.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
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PHOTO: LEE WEINGRAD.

Karmê Chöling in Barnet, Vermont
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PHOTO: JANE COHEN.

Ösel Tendzin himself is arrogant and humble, resourceful and impatient, and always willing to regard his position as a further training process. Working with him takes no struggle, and he is quick to apply what he has learned. My training of him is primarily through close and critical observation. My approach to administration and the community in general has been to give more and more responsibility to people but to hold the nerve center in my control, and I am teaching Ösel Tendzin to do likewise.

For their part, community members are taking on more and more duties, contributing their full-or part-time energy. A large number of authorized meditation instructors throughout the country work personally with newer students. In a few cases early leaders in the administration have fallen out through ambition and lack of vision, but they have remained as faithful practitioners. On the whole I find that all of the members of the community are becoming mature people committed to working on themselves and for others. They begin to feel at home in their new Buddhist world. In their manner of respecting and helping each other there is no need for big brothers, yet they have a genuine affection for leadership and sense of constant forward vision. They begin to present themselves with confidence and even elegance, although there could still be problems of exclusivity and self-satisfaction.

Throughout this time I have been conducting numerous seminars and public talks, making regular visits to the east and west coasts, and each year there have been more people in attendance. The size of our centers, as well as of the Vajradhatu Seminary, has grown accordingly. In the autumn of 1976 we completed a major construction project at Karmê Chöling, including a large shrine hall, halls for vajrayana practice, classrooms, dining hall, library, staff quarters, and dormitories for visitors. In Boulder we purchased a large older building to accommodate the expanded office needs of Karma Dzong and Vajradhatu. Community members did extensive renovation work on the building, to which we gave the name Dorje Dzong, and the top floor was converted into a handsome shrine hall capable of accommodating six hundred people. Other projects are in the planning, including a major group retreat facility at the Rocky Mountain Dharma Center.

We have also had more wonderful visits from teachers of the lineage. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche made an extensive visit in 1976 which was personally very moving for me. The response of our students and the progress in their practice have certainly contributed to prolonging his life, and he has promised to visit us again. His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, head of the Nyingma order, also paid us a visit, and his teachings have greatly benefited many of our students.

As I conclude my writing of this chapter, His Holiness Karmapa is with us again on his second visit, accompanied by the twenty-two-year-old Jamgön Kongtrül of Palpung, whose previous incarnation ordained me when I was eight years old. This time the hospitality and genuineness of His Holiness’ reception have been spotless, reflecting the maturity of the students, their lack of resistance, and their fearless devotion. Consequently His Holiness is enjoying himself thoroughly, as if coming to America were returning home rather than traveling to a foreign country. He has given his confirmation and blessing to Ösel Tendzin as Vajra Regent as well as to my son Gesar as the rebirth of Jamgön Kongtrül of Sechen. He has also requested me to act as one of the principal organizers of an international affiliation of Karma Kagyü institutions.

At this point, for the purpose of reviewing what has been achieved and what needs to be done further, as well as to devote time to practice, I have decided to set aside the year of 1977 for a personal retreat. During this year all of my students, headed by Ösel Tendzin, will have the opportunity to continue on their own. I have no doubt that they will be able to carry out the vision of the golden sun of dharma, energetically extending themselves for the benefit of beings and arousing the authentic dawn of Vajrasattva.