- 2019 - This year briefly - teachings, teachers, retreats, happiness and more to celebrate
2019 seemed almost ‘quiet’ after 2 very full and busy years previously – organizing and co-hosting 4 very significant events : 2017 – we co-hosted the first annual National Guru Bhumtsok Puja event followed by Lama Zopa Rinpoches’ 5 day Tasmanian visit and co-hosted the FPMT Australia Annual National Meeting of Directors & SPC plus the 2nd Guru Bhumtsok Puja event in 2018 . CTCT welcomed and cared for many hundreds of local, interstate and international visitors over those 2 years and 4 events in total.
Too many to name here - we recall and thank again from the depth of our hearts all the CTCT community and friends whom volunteered and worked so hard with great heart to make sure all these events went smoothly and most beneficially for all ~ and hoped you enjoyed the quieter retreat like 2019 year !!
2019 opened with Geshe Tenzin Zopa consecrating our new Gompa venue and leading a 3-day Lamrim retreat
welcoming in a most auspicious new year to follow
CTCT were very fortunate to host Geshe Tenzin Zopa for 3 visits in 2019 Jan, April & July, Sonam Thakchoe offered 4 monthly study group presentations March - June and Ven Khadro joined us for 2 weeks in Oct-Nov leading 2 most successful residential meditation retreats.
Throughout the year CTCT community also hosted recitation of the Golden Light Sutra for the 15 Days of Miracles, Medicine Buddha Pujas, Lama Chopa Pujas ,Public talks and birthday celebration dinner occasions, introduction to Becoming a Heartist sewing group, film afternoons, practice days, teachings via video and a number of community lunches and afternoon tea gatherings.
Our 2019 program was exceptionally rich with profound and practical teachings, guidance and support from our most valued spiritual friends – and each other.
( You can look back through the Centre News tab to see more in-depth accounts of our 2019 program events, activities and visiting teacher occasions)
Here is a reminder of the topics that were programmed throughout the year:
- The Three Principle Aspects of the Path
- Guru Devotion
- Mindful Compassionate Leadership
- Purpose and practice of meditation
- The Four Noble Truths
- The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation
- Developing Bodhicitta – the essence of Chenrezig Practice
- Calm Abiding and Special Insight methods and practice
An abundance of teachings for our continuing further study, contemplation and integration into our daily lives – we hope you will enjoy the summer break period to rest, contemplate and integrate these great offerings – see your study / reading resource links HERE
- Heartfelt thanks to our outgoing SPC and Welcome to new SPC for 2020
An enormous offering of thanks and appreciation to Ali Fuglsang for all the support she offered in her role as Spiritual Program Co-ordinator during 2018-2019 in various activities – a most wonderful and valued input during Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s’ visit and the Guru Bhumtsok Puja events especially and also assisting well with the hosting of our visiting teacher Tours in 2019. Ali remains committed to CTCT core SPC working team, volunteering her time when required - THANK YOU Ali
Congratulations and a warm welcome to incoming SPC for 2020 Jen Kyne , a familiar face to many in CTCT community . Jen has been supporting CTCT in varied general areas since 2015 as acting SPC during the winter program in 2015 and assisting in roles as General Volunteer & Shop and Retreat Manager especially during the hosting of our large events in 2017-2018 – Guru Bhumtsok Pujas and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s visit and during retreats in 2019.
Jen has engaged as SPC and Shop Manager at Atisha FPMT Centre in Bendigo Victoria previously. Currently residing in Melbourne, Jen is actively seeking conditions to relocate to Tasmania , hopefully in the very near future. Jen is a long-time devoted student of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Dharma generally. CTCT welcome her generosity, easy friendly company and expertise across many aspects of Centre life!
We will introduce and welcome Jen officially on March 8th [save the date !!] – the opening of our 2019 Program at CTCT Gompa
- Upcoming 2020 Program plans and proposed visiting teacher schedules
Here you will find information about CTCT Summer Break period.
We aim to resume our activities in early March after the predicted usually most hazardous Tasmanian Bush Fire season of Jan – Feb. We are pleased to confirm the return visit of Geshe Tenzin Zopa in June 2020 – dates TBC [plus possibly another tour also with Geshela in September / October ]– we await news and confirmations from FPMTA National Office Tour Coordinator, hopefully soon.
We have invitations in place to welcome the return of Geshe Thubten Sherab and Ven Thubten Khadro – both requiring extra time to confirm their other commitments before we can schedule in our program as yet.
The 2020 program at CTCT Gompa will also include regular meditation and practice days, varied workshop opportunities, community occasions and monthly Pujas – The Calendar on the website will be a source of information for all these activities to be scheduled plus CTCT Facebook event pages and circulated via the Program email Enews
Sonam Thakchoes 2020 “Sutra Study Forum” details
Once again, we have the greatest happiness and appreciation to welcome Sonam’s continued input in CTCT teaching program.
Following is a note and information from Sonam outlining our plans which will commence on
March 8th 1.30 pm - 4.30 pm at CTCT Gompa – continuing approx. every second Sunday of the month. Full information will be advertised via our FB event page and Enews - registration will be required to participate.
Dear Dharma friends,
Chag Tong Chen Tong Tibetan Buddhist Centre welcomes you to join a new and exciting: Sūtra Study Forum with Sonam Thakchoe.
The Sūtra Study Forum aims to read, reflect and immerse deeply into the words (sutras) of the Buddha through https://84000.co/ which is a global initiative to translate the words of the Buddha into English. Monthly forums will be interactive, engaging and enriching.
Here is how we plan to proceed our study: each of us first must read the selected sutra assigned for each session at home. When we come together at Sūtra Study Forums, we bring questions to discuss, claims/assumptions to challenge, investigate and enquire upon, doubts / unclear ideas for clarification, crucial/important passages/insights to share, re-enact, re-emphasis and to re-read together and to discuss.
We found two sutras most appropriate to start our study. Here are summaries of each sutras taken verbatim from the translation:
(1) The Play in Full tells the story of how the Buddha manifested in this world and attained awakening, as perceived from the perspective of the Great Vehicle. The sūtra, which is structured in twenty-seven chapters, first presents the events surrounding the Buddha’s birth, childhood, and adolescence in the royal palace of his father, king of the Śākya nation. It then recounts his escape from the palace and the years of hardship he faced in his quest for spiritual awakening. Finally, the sūtra reveals his complete victory over the demon Māra, his attainment of awakening under the Bodhi tree, his first turning of the wheel of Dharma, and the formation of the very early saṅgha.
I suggest we start with The Play in Full – the life story of the Buddha.
We may want to spend two sessions and then move to the next sutra:
(2) In The Rice Seedling (Śālistamba) sūtra, at the request of venerable Śāriputra, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Maitreya elucidates a very brief teaching on dependent arising that the Buddha had given earlier that day while gazing at a rice seedling. The text discusses outer and inner causation and its conditions, describes in detail the twelvefold cycle by which inner dependent arising gives rise to successive lives, and explains how understanding the very nature of that process can lead to freedom from it.
(3) The White Lotus of the Good Dharma, popularly known as the Lotus Sūtra, is taught by Buddha Śākyamuni on Vulture Peak to an audience that includes bodhisattvas from countless realms, as well as bodhisattvas who emerge out from the ground from the space below this world. Buddha Prabhūtaratna, who has long since passed into nirvāṇa, appears within a floating stūpa to hear the sūtra, and Śākyamuni enters the stūpa and sits beside him. The Lotus Sūtra is celebrated, particularly in East Asia, for its presentation of crucial elements of the Mahāyāna tradition, such as the doctrine that there is only one yāna, or “vehicle”; the distinction between expedient and definite teachings; and the notion that the Buddha’s life, enlightenment, and parinirvāṇa were simply manifestations of his transcendent buddhahood, while he continues to teach eternally. A recurring theme in the sūtra is its own significance in teaching these points during past and future aeons, with many passages in which the Buddha and bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra describe the great benefits that come from devotion to it, the history of its past devotees, and how it is the Buddha’s ultimate teaching, supreme over all other sūtras.
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- Lama Zopa Rinpoche one-month 2020 Retreat at The Great Stupa Bendigo March 21-April 18
A rare opportunity to spend one full month in retreat with a very great teacher! The Spiritual Director of the FPMT organization.
The retreat is held at The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo Victoria – a variety of options of participation and accommodation is available. The daily schedule is full of personal practice, teachings, discussions, and more – a very rich opportunity of experiences awaits!
Join a large group of like-minded friends in practice and community – approx. 200-400 people are anticipated to attend this year.
Please check the registration and information website HERE
If you will plan to attend please let us know via
- Opportunity to support our Appeal for your generosity towards CTCT Annual Operating Expenses and facilitation
Always welcomed and vastly appreciated is the generosity offered to CTCT Community. It is the sole source of our continued existence!!
It comes in varying forms – a warm and sincere smile, volunteering at an event, cooking for a retreat, doing the dishes in the tea room, bringing biscuits for the morning tea, cleaning the gompa and toilets, financial contributions, expertise and skills shared , sewing meditation matts, a friendly hand or word of support in challenging times, supporting via our shop merchandise outlet, participation in the teaching program , offerings for the alter and more ....
All these things are appreciated deeply by CTCT and are completely necessary for the Centre to function for you. Each year we have expenses to cover that ensure we can keep the ‘ball rolling’ so to speak. These include Annual Levy Fees to FPMTA National Office, Tour and visiting teacher fees, Public Liability Insurance fees, Facility hire and storage fees, requested offerings and donations to The IMI Sangha fund and to the Annual Long Life Pujas for H H Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and projects and often more ... anyway we depend upon the generosity of others to support our activities and aspirations. Projected annual expenses range approx. between $11,500 – 13,500 per annum.
If you’d like to make a one-off donation in appreciation of the Centres endeavours or set up your monthly deposit you can easily visit our Donation page for details – thank you sincerely in advance
- Extensive thank you to all the very kind supporters of CTCT throughout the year
To conclude this brief overview of 2019, we wish to extend deep thanks and appreciation and acknowledge some special friends of CTCT community that contributed markedly to our financial requirements, supported our resident Sangha and the needs of program facilitation, visiting teacher visits and the renovations, transition and ongoing upkeep of our new venue location throughout 2019
THANK YOU
Emerald Roe, Barbara Marcin, Mathew Poxon, Ali Fuglsang, Tony Migalka, Martin Walker-Watson, Ven Lobsang, Mary Richards, Adrienne Wentworth Pam Scott, John Ballantine, Peir Potowa, Ingrid Leibrandt, Lucia Ikin, Ven Thubten, Ally McDermott-Batt, Anna Bugess, Chai Hicks, Polly McGee, Jilly Norris, Susan Vanderheinen, Rob Miller, Deb Smith, Doug Fuglsang, Kathy Purtill, Gabriella Simolini Pilo, Dan Mailhot, Jen Kyne, Monica Bosco –
PLUS & including all the wonderful sponsors of the large Lama Tsong Khapa Tangka celebrating this 600th Anniversary year of our lineage holder.
THANK YOU everyone for your interest and dedication developing the kindness and wisdom of the good heart
Program Schedule will be circulated by early February
*** Due to the considerations of security and the imminent bushfire season we will not have CTCT Gompa open/available for personal use during our summer break as previously, tentatively noted.
SAVE THE DATE - PROGRAM RESUMES MARCH 8th at CTCT Gompa
It will be the opening of our Program with Sonam Thakchoe 1.30 - 4.30pm
Celebration potluck lunch for the new year and to welcome our new SPC Jen Kyne - 12 midday- 1pm
Enjoy a restful, meaningful summer – looking forward to seeing you again soon
