Dear Kurukulla Center Community,

Today is a very special day, one that brings an opportunity for us to express our sincere appreciation to Geshe-la, our precious resident teacher.  I share with you this message from Geshe-la, which Ani Yeshe was kind enough to write for us.  As you read it, please meditate on the qualities of our precious teacher that have allowed him to realize such amazing events, and think sincerely about your personal relationship with Geshe-la.

The year ahead is full of unbelievable opportunities for Kurukulla Center. Our collective merit is allowing these to ripen under Geshe-la's skillful spiritual leadership that creates the conditions for us to engage in virtuous works.  There is much to be grateful for and rejoice in this special day of Geshe-la's, Ani Yeshe's and Kimber's return home.  

They arrive at Boston Logan Airport Terminal E, flight BA0215, scheduled to arrive at 7:20pm, followed by sweet tea and rice in the Gompa upon their arrival at the Center.

Kind regards,

Sean González,

Center Director

Dear Kurukulla Center brothers and sisters,

I would like to share with you some of the details surrounding the incredible events that took place on December 25, 2015 at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Southern India. Thanks to your kind generosity and support, we had successfully raised $25,500 to sponsor the Nagarjuna Teaching by His Holiness and made whatever necessary preparations we could before leaving for India. However, there still remained many steps before our teaching could be actualized; details such as the date and place of the teaching were yet to be determined.

After arriving in India and during the weeks leading up to the Jangchub Lamrim Teachings, I continued to work with various members of His Holiness' entourage and Jangchub Lamrim Teaching Organizing Committee to finalize those details. Also, in a private audience, H.E. 7th Ling Rinpoche shared with me that his previous incarnation had passed away on December 25th. He graciously suggested that I request His Holiness to give our Nagarjuna Teaching on that day. Rinpoche further gave me the opportunity to sponsor the Guru Puja tsog offering to commemorate his previous incarnation's passing. Hence, along with copies of our teaching booklets, I submitted these requests to His Holiness through His senior attendants and also requested Him to stay for just five minutes of the tsog offering. While waiting for His Holiness' decision, I was very fortunate to receive back several copies of our teaching booklets which His Holiness had personally signed.

A couple of days prior to the beginning ofJangchub Lamrim Teachings at Tashi Lhunpo, I received confirmation that His Holiness had kindly accepted all of my requests. Elated by this news, I shared this information with other Geshes of House 2A in a meeting and enlisted the help of our brother monks in distributing the teaching booklets on the day of the teaching. In the ensuing days, I also requested and received confirmation that our entire Kurukulla Center group would have a brief audience and photo with His Holiness on the morning of the 25th. In addition, several of us would have the rare opportunity to offer the requesting mandala to His Holiness before the teaching.

As the much-anticipated day arrived, everything unfolded perfectly beyond our hopes and imagination. The day began early at 4AM as our brother monks of House 2A transported 13,000 Tibetan booklets and 1,500 English-Chinese booklets to Tashi Lhunpo from Sera Je. They divided the books among various entrance gates and stood ready to distribute them as teaching attendees arrived. Our Kurukulla Center group also arrived early for our audience with His Holiness. Unlike others, we were shown to the top floor where His Holiness held a limited number of special audiences. When His Holiness came out to meet us, He seemed very pleased and announced, "You will receive your oral transmission today. I requested and received the transmission from Ganden Tripa Rinpoche the other day." I humbly replied, "Thank you, Your Holiness! Now, all of Gen Tsulga-la's final wishes will be fulfilled." To this, His Holiness pointed His finger at me and said sternly, "Yes, but you must stay and continue the work for a long time." He then stood in the middle of our group as we posed for group photos. Those of us offering the mandala made our way to the stage area of the teaching place while others returned to their respective seats.

After His Holiness entered and sat on His teaching throne, tea was offered and preliminary prayers began. As the chant leader began the mandala tune, we got up and made our prostrations to His Holiness while Dagri Rinpoche made the first mandala offering for the Jangchub Lamrim Teachings. I then offered to our precious Root Guru the world mandala along with representations of the holy body, speech, and mind, as well as an offering of $5,000 USD. Ani Yeshe, Marianne and Snehy followed with their katags and personal offerings.

His Holiness began by speaking tenderly about Geshe Tsulga-la, describing him as someone He had known for many years, first in India before Geshela had left for America, and afterwards also in America: "...Geshe Tsulga was always energetically and enthusiastically working to help others wherever he was. He had a very pure heart... His final request to me was to give this oral teaching on Nagarjuna's "Praise to Satisfying Sentient Beings," but I did not have the time to fulfill his request. Recently, I met Geshela's student (Geshe Tenley) in America, and he requested me to give this teaching during this year's Jangchub Lamrim Teachings. I said that this could be done..." His Holiness further added that He had just received the oral transmission of the text from Ganden Tripa Rinpoche. He then began the teaching with a brief commentary on selected verses of Nagarjuna's "A Commentary on the Awakening Mind." Afterwards, He gave us the complete oral transmission of "Praise to Satisfying Sentient Beings" with a brief commentary on key verses. His Holiness also stayed for the entire Guru Puja with tsog offering, despite having given teachings all day. He seemed very pleased throughout the prayers, reciting and remaining absorbed in meditation.

In the days that followed, I was greeted with heartfelt thanks from all the monks that I met--especially from all the senior geshes of Geshe Tsulgala's generation. Everyone mentioned how they had experienced a special feeling when His Holiness unexpectedly spoke of Geshe Tsulgala, as fond memories of him resurfaced in each of their minds. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was also very pleased and said to me, "Beyond all expectation! Beyond all expectation!"

This was the day when a big dream became reality, and I have been left with a great ease of mind as I have never felt before. I owe all of this to the kindnesses of our peerless root teachers--His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Geshe Tsulga-la--as well as to everyone who supported this teaching with hard work, valuable time, generous resources, and sincere prayers. I am happy to report that all additional costs of sponsoring this teaching and the tsog offering have been covered in full. In addition to the $25,500 that we raised, we also had funds that Geshe Tsulgala had set aside for this teaching prior to his passing (~$10,000); additional offerings from various students; and, leftover funds from book printing and tea offering. The remaining difference came from my savings which I had been accumulating for this purpose. The following is the final itemization of our offerings:

Mandala Offering to HHDL 330,000 INR
Tsog Offering 500,000 INR
Monetary Offering to Sangha 1,810,000 INR
Tea Offering 98,000 INR
Book Printing 359,500 INR

Total 3,097,500 INR (~$46,932 USD)


Please join me in rejoicing over this great merit we've created together! From the depths of my heart, I offer sincere thanks and appreciation to every single one of you for helping to bring about these incredible events on the auspicious day of December 25, 2015.


Geshe Tenley