Kunzang Palyul Choling

Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC) is a center for Buddhist study and practice in the Nyingma tradition (Palyul lineage). Founded as the Center for Discovery and New Life in 1985, and then given to His Holiness Penor Rinpoche and renamed in 1987, KPC was Penor Rinpoche's first Dharma Center in the US.

Prayer vigil

In April 1984, the Center began a 24-hour prayer vigil in the basement of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo's home in Kensington, Maryland, dedicated to the end of suffering. A year later, the Center formed a corporation, purchased an antebellum style mansion in Poolesville, Maryland, purchased numerous large crystals [ [http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs015/1101301140013/img/806.jpg?a=1101864701609 Crystals at Jetsunma's center in Maryland] ] weighing hundreds of pounds and reinstituted the 24-hour prayer vigil at its new location. [Nyingma.com. [http://www.nyingma.com/artman/publish/kunzang_palyul_choling_.shtml Kunzang Palyul Chöling] , Feb 16, 2007] Already overextended with their mortgage, the crystals drove the temple into the red. [Sherrill, Martha. "The Buddha From Brooklyn", Random House 2000, pg 146]

Participants maintain two-hour prayer shifts, [Iyer, pg 84] cite news | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/07/AR2005090701172_pf.html | publisher = Washington Post | title = For 20 Years, an Unbroken Chain of Prayer | date = 2005-09-08 | page = GZ05 | first = Julie | last = Rasicot | accessdate = 2008-07-28 ] and as of 2005, the vigil remains largely unbroken. [Sherrill, Martha. "Tough Town, Sad Times. So Why Are These People Smiling?" "The Washington Post", May 17, 1995] In 1999, Kunzang Palyul Choling began another 24 hour prayer vigil shortly after Jetsunma established another center in Sedona, Arizona.

Peace Park

The Peace park's creativity and imagination starts with entering a natural mandala laid out with red, green, blue, yellow and white gardens. Holly objects are placed in strategic positions, including a silent Buddha, crystals, Tibetan prayer wheels. Visitors can make a circumabulation. [ Mackenzie, Vicki. "Reborn in the West: the reincarnate masters" Marlowe & Company, 1996, p.85-86 ]

Stupas

Many stupas have been built at Kunzang Palyul Choling's two locations, all containing relics pertinent to the Nyingma linage. The first stupa, the convert|36|ft|m|sing=on enlightenment stupa in Maryland was built and consecrated in 1988. [Kunzang Palyul Chöling. [http://stupas.org/maryland_general.html Stupas of Maryland] ] [Sherrill, "The Buddha From Brooklyn", pg 20]

In 1991, a stupa peace park in Maryland containing all eight types of stupas, representing the eight great deeds of the Buddha, was completed. The central convert|18|ft|m|sing=on long life stupa in the park is dedicated to the long life of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. [Sherrill, "The Buddha From Brooklyn", pg 235]

In 1995, Penor Rinpoche gave Jetsunma a relic from Terton Migyur Dorje, which is now housed in the convert|38|ft|m|sing=on tall Migyur Dorje Stupa in Maryland. [Montgomery Gazette, August 27, 1997] [Sherrill, "The Buddha From Brooklyn", pg 114] This particular stupa is dedicated to the eradication of diseases for which there is no known cure.

The most recent is the Amitabha Stupa in Sedona, Arizona, completed and consecrated in 2004. [ Ganzer, Tony. [http://kjzz.org/news/arizona/archives/200705/amitabhastupa A piece of "Spiritual Technology"] , May 24, 2007]

Key Practices

Nam Cho, is the "sky / space treasure" terma of the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma Palyul Lineage as revealed by Terton Migyur Dorje.

Known as Sadhana, KPC practices may require a Wang (empowerment) and commitments (samaya).

* Nam Cho Ngöndro
** Contemplations that turn the mind to Dharma - Precious Human Rebirth, Cause and Effect, Benefits of Virtue, Faults of Non-Virtue, Faults of Cyclic Existence, Ship to Liberation
** Uncommon Preliminaries
*** Refuge - Tree Visualization and Dissolution
*** Bodhicitta - Visualization, Vow, Verses, Ship to Liberation, Meditation Upon Joy, Four Immeasurables Meditation, Tonglen
*** Mandala Offering - Visualization
*** Long Mandala Offering - Three Kaya, Root Terms, Nirmanakya - Ship to Liberation, Sambhogakaya - Ship to Liberation, Dharmakaya - Ship to Liberation - General Short Mandala, Dissolution
*** The Kusali Chod - Visualization (Vajrajvarahi), Vajra Verses, Vajrasattva Visualization, Confession, Peascful and Wrathfull Deities - Short Confession, Dissolution, Short Confession, Root Terma - Short Confession - Dedication
*** Guru Yoga - Visualization, Vajra Verses, Ship to Liberation, Nam Cho Lineage Prayer, Terma Lineage Prayer, Blessings, Motherly Sentient Beings Prayer, Six Realms Gurus, Four Empowerment, Root Terma, Ship to Liberation, Prayer to Guru
*** P'howa - Visualization, Three Deities, P'howa Prayer, Visualization (Impure Doors Blocking), Prayer to be Reborn in Dewachen, Nectar Descent, Prayer to Amitayus, Dissolution
*** Chenrezig Generation in the Six Realms
** Nam Cho Dzogchen - Vajra Verses - The Space Treasures of the Great Perfection

* Dzogchen
* Tsog
* Vajrakilaya
* Vajrasattva

* Rigzen Dupia

Meditation practices:
* Mandala
* Tonglen
* Tantra

Related Buddhist practices:
* Mindfulness
* Satipatthana

References

*Blythe, Will. "Bad Karma" in "Mirabella Magazine", 1998.
*Iyer, Pico. "The Price of Faith," "Tricycle: The Buddhist Review", Summer 2000.
*MacKenzie, Vicki. "Reborn in the West". HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN 0-7225-3443-4
*Sherrill, Martha. "The Buddha From Brooklyn". Random House, 2000. ISBN 0-679-45275-3

Notes

External links

* [http://www.tara.org KPC Arizona website]
* [http://www.kpc-md-tara.org KPC Maryland website]