CGC welcome the arrival of Geshe Deyang

Chokyi Gyaltsen Center WELCOME the arrival of our resident teacher ~

Geshe Tenzin Deyang

on 17^th March 2011, Thursday, 3pm @ CGC

It is our great honour to welcome the arrival of Geshe Tenzin Deyang to be CGC first resident teacher as appointed by the our kindest Guru Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche on year 2010.

After several months working on visa application for Geshe la, we have successfully obtained the approval letter on professional visa for Geshe Deyang.

Geshe Deyang was born in 16^th June 1966 in Dharamsala, India. Becoming a monk at the age of 9, Geshe la entered Gyuto Tantric College where he studied and memorized numerous ritual texts for the next five years.

In 1979, when he was 13 years old, Geshe la left his hometown and travelled southward to Bylakuppe, a remote neighbourhood where he was admitted into Sera Jey Monastic University, then home to approximately 1,200 monks from all over India, Tibet and countries of the Himalayan region.

From 1979 to 1999, Geshe la participated in the extensive studies of Buddhist philosophy through attending classes, daily memorization of texts and rigorous debates with classmates etc. This eventually culminated in his graduating with a Lharam Geshe degree (equivalent to PhD) in year 2000, which is the highest possible credential granted by the monastic university to any monk who successful completed his 20 years of curriculum and passed all tests with top grades, which include written texts and public debates.In 2001 Geshe la returned to Gyuto Tantric College to further his knowledge in the tantric rituals. Upon completing his study, Geshe la was elected into the Gelug Examination Board as the Secretary General. From 2001 to 2003, he took charge of the monastery’s examinations and his duties include monitoring the exam questions and issuing various certificates.

After retiring from the Board of Examination, Geshe la was again chosen to be the Head of Sera Je’s Hayagriva Committee in 2003. During those years in office, Geshe la successfully invite from Nepal 9 magnificent, life-sized statues of protectors who are the entourage of Hayagriva, the Protector of Sera Je. Besides supervising the regular administrative works in the Committee, Geshe la is himself an expert in the entire practices and rituals of Hayagriva.

At the end of year 2004, among 5 other candidates who are also Geshes and his seniors, Geshe la was selected to become Sera Je’s new Gegu (Master of Discipline, and a position next to the Abbot) with 60% votes from all the monks in the monastery.

Geshe Deyang was the resident teacher of our sister center in Kuala Lumpur, Losang Dragpa Center (LDC) where he conducted dharma classes and prayer from year 2006 to 2007.

We will have a welcoming reception to Geshe la upon his arrival at CGC.

Please bring along kata, flower and angpow offering to join in the

welcoming reception!

If you have any queries, please contact Stephanie @ 012 4282929 or write to

fpmt.cgc@gmail.com

Medicine Buddha Jangwa Puja - Sunday, 10/04/2011

Dear All,

As we know Ching Ming festival is coming soon. Chokyi Gyaltsen Centre will conduct the annual Ching Ming's Medicine Buddha Jangwa Puja. This time the puja will be led by our Resident Geshe - Geshe Deyang.

This is a very good thing to do. Sponsoring such puja for your ancestors (if they are already born in the lower realms, by dedicating the merits of this puja, they can receive the merit and will quickly take the next rebirth to a higher rebirth). And also by dedicating merits for yourself for repaying the karmic debt, your life obstacles will be removed substantially - we never know how much karmic debt we created in the past, so it is good to do this annually.

If you are free on 10/04/2011 (Sunday), it is good to attend the puja if not Geshe Deyang will do the puja and make the dedication. You will receive great merits if you can personally participate in the puja.

Please fill in the sponsor names and your dedication in the attached form. The closing date is Wednesday, 30th March 2011.

The payment can be done through our bank - Public Bank and the Account No: 3144257518.

For further information, please call 012 428 2929 or email to us at fpmt.cgc@gmail.com.

Dharma Activities For The Month Of March 2011

Saturday, 5th March 2011 (8.30 pm) - LOSAR DAY : Prostrations to 35 Buddhas & Sutra Recitation.

Sunday, 13th March 2011 (3.00 pm) - Tara Puja.

Tuesday, 15th March 2011 (8.30 pm) - Guru Puja.


Saturday, 19th March 2011 (8.30 pm) - DAY OF MIRACLES : Medicine Buddha Puja

Sunday, 27th March 2011 (11.00 am) - Animal Liberation.

Tuesday, 29th March 2011 (8.30 pm) - Guru Puja.

Dharma Activities For The Month Of February 2011

Thursday, 3rd February 2011 (10.00 am) - Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche Arrives @ ABC, Singapore. Lunar New Year Blessings.

Friday, 4th February 2011 (2.00 pm) - Chinese New Year Celebrations @ CGC, Penang.

Saturday, 5th February 2011 (7.30 pm) - "Medicine Buddha Great Initiation" by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche @ ABC, Singapore.

Sunday, 6th February 2011 (7.30 pm) - "Medicine Buddha Great Initiation" by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche @ ABC, Singapore.

Tuesday, 8th February 2011 (7.30 pm) - Teachings: Day 1: "Commentary on Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga" by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche @ ABC, Singapore.

Wednesday, 9th February 2011 (7.30 pm) - Teachings: Day 2 by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche @ ABC, Singapore.

Thursday, 10th February 2011 (7.30 pm) - Teachings: Day 3 by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche @ ABC, Singapore.

Saturday, 12th February 2011 (7.30 pm) - Teachings: Day 4 by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche @ ABC, Singapore.

Sunday, 13th February 2011 (9.30 am) - Long Life Puja for Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche @ ABC, Singapore.

Monday, 14th February 2011 - Namgyalma Initiation by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche @ ABC, Singapore.

Friday, 18th February 2011 (8.30 pm) - Medicine Buddha Puja @ CGC, Penang.

Sunday, 27th February 2011 (11.00 am) - Animal Liberation (3.00 pm) - Guru Puja @ CGC, Penang.

New Year Eve Dharma Activities in CGC‏

Dear members, benefactors and friends of CGC

I take this opportunity to wish all of you a very blessed and happy holiday. A lot of us have had an unbelievable time with a great lama, Kyabje Choden Rinpoche, and received so much blessings from Him. We were so happy to see so many dharma brothers and sisters from Thailand, Singapore, and particularly from our sister center in KL, Losang Dragpa Center.

On 31 Dec 2010, 9:00pm, on the eve of New Year, CGC will be holding:

Extensive Merit Accumulation Activities
(including reciting a very powerful auspicious sutra to create auspiciousness all year round for 2011)

&

Powerful Purification Practices
(to get rid of our unwanted negative karma before they are ripened)

We will be making lots of light offerings and mandala offerings
(Kyabje Choden Rinpoche mentioned that the merits we create by making mandala offering are beyond our conceptual thoughts!!)

And, we are very pleased to announce that Wesi Rinpoche has kindly accepted our request to grace this event, and Ven Dechen, also has kindly accepted our request to lead the prayers.

The programs will start at 9pm and are expected to last till next year! If you cannot attend the full session, you can leave any time.

These programs are sure to end your 2010 in the most meaningful way. And with all the negativities purified and merits extensively created, that should be the way to celebrate our new year!

To all the members, benefactors and friends who wish to create extensive merits for the Great Enlightenment, for great success, for auspiciousness, for good health, for excellent luck,

and,

to all the members, benefactors and friends who wish to purify unwanted negative karma to avoid misfortune, to get rid of bad luck, to remove obstacles,

we look forward to the joyous occasion of celebrating this new year with you.

Best wishes
Daniel Yeoh

Kyabje Choden Rinpoche's Visit to CGC

Kyabje Choden Rinpoche will be visiting Chokyi Gyaltsen Centre (CGC) on 13th - 18th December 2010 (Monday - Saturday).

This is the 2nd year the highly-realised lama will be visiting CGC. Last year, Choden Rinpoche had mentioned that Cittamani Tara grants realisation faster than other deities, and that is why she is called Supreme.

It seems our good karma has ripened because Kyabje Choden Rinpoche has accepted our request and agreed to give us the Cittamani Tara Initiation plus commentary this year. This is a very rare opportunity to receive such a special initiation from the Great Master. So don’t miss out this opportunity because we may not know when our karma will get this chance again.

Cittamani Tara is a highest yoga tantra (HYT), so to receive the full initiation, one must have already received a HYT before. The commitment for taking the full initiation is to do the Cittamani Tara Guru Yoga sadhana/meditation prayer daily.

However, those who have not taken hyt, can still attend the initiation, only that they will receive blessings from Cittamani Tara.

For those who want to attend the Cittamani Tara Initiation, please register by contacting CGC's Spiritual Co-ordinator, Ms. Stephanie Teoh before Thursday, 09/12/2010.

Kyabje Choden Rinpoche will also give commentaries on Cittamani Tara Initiation over two days, which is fundamental in doing the practice properly. The 2 days commentary is only restricted to those who have taken Cittamani Tara Initiation, and made the commitment to do the daily practice of Cittamani Guru Yoga.

Below is the schedule of Kyabje Choden Rinpoche’s visit to CGC:

13/12/2010 (Monday) - Kyabje Choden Rinpoche is scheduled to arrive at CGC in the afternoon.

14/12/2010 (Tuesday) 7.30pm–10.30 pm - Cittamani Tara Initiation.

15/12/2010 (Wednesday) - REST DAY.

16/12/2010 (Thurday) 7.30pm–10.30 pm - Cittamani Tara Commentary – Day 1
** Restricted for those who have taken Cittamani Tara Initiation and made the commitment to do the daily practice of Cittamani Guru Yoga.

17/12/2010 (Friday) 7.30pm–10.30 pm - Cittamani Tara Commentary – Day 2
** Restricted for those who have taken Cittamani Tara Initiation and made the commitment to do the daily practice of Cittamani Guru Yoga.

18/12/2010 (Saturday) - Kyabje Choden Rinpoche leaving CGC.


Information on Kyabje Choden Rinpoche

Renowned as a great yogi, scholar and teacher of our fortunate times, Choden Rinpoche was born on a very auspicious day, 15 of Fourth Month of the lunar calendar in 1931. This day also marked the full moon day of Saka Dawa that commemorates Buddha Shakyamuni’s birth and enlightenment.

Choden Rinpoche is the reincarnation of the previous great Mahasiddha Lama Choden of Rongpo Rabten Monastery in Kham region who was then instructed by the Eleventh Dalai Lama to establish the 1000 Offering Puja of Buddha Namgyalma (a long life deity) and a debate system for learning the Buddhist Philosophy at his Monastery. Having completed only the first instruction, the Mahasiddha passed into the sphere of Dharma. Coincidentally, when the late Mahasiddha’s brother Gongpo Nyisher took on and established the debate system at the Monastery, on the very same auspicious day, Choden Rinpoche was incarnated.

Born as one of seven children in a noble family from Dahi, the Khampa region of Eastern Tibet, Rinpoche’s connections to past spiritual masters were evident from early childhood in his exemplary conduct and superior intelligence as well as in the miraculous signs often witnessed in his presence. Reting Rinpoche, the Regent of Tibet, officially recognized the small boy as the living reincarnation of the previous Mahasiddha Lama Choden, who had been one of the finalists in the search for the Thirteen Dalai Lama’s reincarnation.

At the age of seven, Rinpoche took novice ordination from His Holiness Pabongka Rinpoche who named the child Losang Gyalten Jikdrel Wangchuk. Rinpoche traveled to Central Tibet at the age of seventeen and enrolled in Sera Je Monastery where he was trained in the Five Canons of Buddhist philosophy. While mastering this twenty-five year course of study, Rinpoche became an outstanding student of His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche and His Holiness Pabongka Rinpoche as well as numerous other prominent lamas. Under their tutelage, he received empowerments, oral transmissions and personal instruction. He was given complete pith instructions and ear-whispered transmissions as well, which led him to an internalized understanding of the teachings. By virtue of this lengthy apprenticeship with many renowned lineage masters, Rinpoche mastered the Five Canons and earned the title Pandita.

During the 60s, Rinpoche undertook a solitary retreat, relying on the metok chuelen practice for sustenance. Rinpoche states unequivocally that his productive practice, his accumulation of merit and his accomplishment of clarity of mind are directly attributable to his metok chuelen practice. In 1985, Rinpoche left Tibet, traveling through Nepal to India. In Dharamsala, as his paramount wish, Rinpoche finally met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama: it was as if he had met with Buddha Shakyamuni himself.

Rinpoche spent twenty years of his youth studying Buddhist logic, the Perfection of Wisdom sutras, Middle Way philosophy, Treasury of Knowledge treatises, and monastic code and conduct at Sera Je Monastery. Subsequently, he dedicated another two decades to contemplation, meditating on the Five Canons in order to internalize the teachings. Most recently, he has devoted a third span of twenty years to teaching in South India and worldwide, and at the FPMT Centers at Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s request.

Kyabje Choden Rinpoche is regarded as one of the great masters of our day, and is particularly famed for his pure moral conduct. His great insights in the dharma and his peerless and compassionate conduct have inspired many students in the West to follow on his example to take ordination vows.

CGC's Dharma Activities For The Month Of December 2010

Monday, 13th December 2010 (Afternoon) - Kyabje Choden Rinpoche scheduled to arrive at CGC.

Tuesday, 14th December 2010 (7.30 pm) - Cittamani Tara Initiation by Kyabje Choden Rinpoche (** For those who wish to attend this initiation, kindly register by contacting CGC's Spiritual Co-ordinator, Ms. Stephanie Teoh before Thursday, 09/12/2010).

Wednesday, 15th December 2010 (8.30 pm) - Guru Puja

Thursday, 16th December 2010 (7.30 pm) - Day 1: Cittamani Tara Commentary by Kyabje Choden Rinpoche (** Restricted to those who have taken Cittamani Tara Initiation and made the commitment to do the daily practice of Cittamani Guru Yoga).

Friday, 17th December 2010 (7.30 pm) - Day 2: Cittamani Tara Commentary by Kyabje Choden Rinpoche (** Restricted to those who have taken Cittamani Tara Initiation and made the commitment to do the daily practice of Cittamani Guru Yoga).

Tuesday, 21st December 2010 (8.30 pm) - Medicine Buddha Puja

Sunday, 26th December 2010 (11.00 am) - Animal Liberation

Thursday, 30th December 2010 (8.30 pm) - Guru Puja