My most dear, wish-fulfilling Isabel,
Thank you very much your kind letter and news. My idea is that you need to start the preliminary practices first, then you can start the actual retreat later. You can do the preliminaries that are needed now, slowly, slowly, while you are working for the centers and helping the centers.
In essence, for so many years since you became a Buddhist and particularly since you divorced your husband, your devotion has grown continuously, more and more. Your life is completely dedicated to sentient beings—particularly to the FPMT, the teachings of Buddha, and particularly to Lama Tsongkhapa and to me, and of course to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Yeshe. This is bringing happiness to the world and to Spain.
Wherever you are, you help the peoples’ mind, so it’s very good. Even though you didn’t have much opportunity to study extensive philosophy and teachings, the essence is lam-rim—you are studying, meditating and guiding people in this, so it’s very good.
So even giving you skies filled with wish granting jewels is not enough.
With much love and prayers...
Preliminary practices to do:
- Refuge: 50,000
- Prostrations by reciting the Thirty-Five Buddhas: 100,000
- Mandala offerings: 200,000
- Chanting the Names of Manjushri: 30,000 recitations. This is the first preliminary you should focus on.
- Vajrasattva: 500,000
- Tong-len: 30,000
- Tsa-tsas: The deity is Thousand-arm Chenrezig - 100,000
I have an example of the particular tsa-tsa mold I am suggesting. There is also a smaller mold of this same aspect at Kopan Nunnery, but we have the bigger mold at the Aptos house. I would like to send you some money for the cost of tsa-tsa material, so when you get to that time and are making them, please let me know the costs. Once you have made the tsa-tsas, give them to people who can paint them gold. They are a very good present for people, as well as for centers; they can have them all lined up on a wall or high on a ledge.
