PLEASE SUPPORT MY HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN RETREAT 2.0

Andreas Jarkowski is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Dear friends, Dharma sisters and brothers.

The extraordinary opportunity to do a one year meditation retreat in a remote himalayan valley was only possible with the guidance and blessing of Ven. Ringu Tulku Rinpoche and the generosity of Drupon Khen Rinpoche of Serkhar retreat centre. I am deeply humbled and grateful to have received permission to be here. Over 40 years on the buddhist path with practice, prayers and wishes have finally made this precious situation real.

Deeply calming my mind, clearing confusion and delusion and opening my heart for the good of all fellow sentient beings is the most meaningful and beneficial activity that I can think of as a purpose of this retreat, as the purpose of my life.

THE PLEDGE

The trust that Drupon Khen Rinpoche and Ringu Tulku Rinpoche are placing in me is a great responsibility. I am determined to put the instructions that were given into practice to the best of my abilities. This is the way to honour their blessing.

Please join in this Dharma activity by becoming a supporter and/or sponsor. Any help and every financial amount is truly appriciated and will be an encouragement in my effort to bring the retreat to its most meaningful completion.

The goal for this fundraiser is 2000 US$

The detailed costs are:

150 US$ per month for food and provisions (including gas, electricity) =

4 x 150US$

= 600 US$

50 US$ offerings

150 US$

2 x lodging in Kathmandu(for provisions and visa)

~ 100 US$ for transport between Yolmo and Kathmandu Bus/Jeep - depending on road conditions.

= 250 US$

500 US$ touristvisa 5 month

including service fees

600 US$ Flight Ticket Kathmandu-Frankfurt - end of June 2024

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Total 2000 US$

Please share the link of this campaign with friends, Dharma centres and anyone that might be willing to help.

During the next 4 month in retreat I will not send messages of gratitude to donors. Therefore I wish to send all of You a big, big „THANK YOU“ in advance. I will keep You in my mind and will dedicate the small merit that I might be able to accumulate also for Your wellbeing.

MAY YOU BE WELL AND FULL OF JOY. MAY YOU BE HEALTHY AND IN GOOD SPIRIT. MAY THESE DIFFICULT TIMES OF WAR AND OUTER TURMOIL NOT DIMINSH YOUR INNER PEACE, YOUR COMPASSION AND LOVING KINDNESS TOWARDS ALL FELLOW BEINGS.

MAY ALL BE AUSPICIOUS

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For those of You who haven’t heard about this endeavour before, let me recapitulate in short what happend sofar.

This pilgrimage to Asia began in April 2022. My teacher Ven. Ringu Tulku Rinpoche adviced me at its beginning to "make no plans" in my search for a place to do retreat. Some weeks after arrival in Nepal he then connected me with Khen Rinpoche. He accepted me for a 1-month stay in his Serkhar retreat centre. On my request Khen Rinpoche decided to accept me as the first retreatant in his then to-be-build hermitage in Yolmo.

It took about a year until the construction was finished. During this time I joined the annual summerretreat at Rumtek monastery in Sikkim for 3 month, visited Bodhgaya, did several short retreats and took part in some Dharma courses in Kathmandu.

RUMTEK

BODHGAYA

KATHMANDU

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YOLMO

The retreatplace lies near the „Lion Fort Tiger Cave“ in the hidden Yolmo valley. Milarepa stayed here for 3 years. Over the centuries the area has been visited by many great masters. Padmasambhava, Marpa, Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche, the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa Rangjung Rigpey Dorje and many more have blessed the socalled "Lotus grove sanctuary" with their presence.

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THE RETREAT UNTIL NOW

Traditionaly, it is said that what happens in the retreat stays inside.

Nevertheless I feel inclined to offer some impressions and some simple poems as a gift to the donors of the first fundraiser and all new potential supporters.

The retreat began on 25th May 2023. During a spontaneous visit to the nearby Milarepa Cave on 5th June something highly auspicious happened. After arrival at the cave I was told that Yangsi Tenga Rinpoche had just come to this holy place. I joined the Puja in the Milarepa Cave and felt deeply blessed that the reincarnation of my refuge Lama appeared at the beginning of my first long retreat.

Poem 1

„Sitting so near to the cave of Milarepa’s dwelling and still so far from mystic realization, the simple things stand out as precious. A sunny day in monsoon. Majestic clouds atop the mountain peak. The smile of a fellow retreatant. Chattering morning birds telling me that for far too long fearful, jealous, aggressive ghosts have occupied minds house.“

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Connecting positively with the locals is of great importance. They are the guardians of the space and provide support. Their occasional donations of fresh food like potatoes, milk and vegetables are important and delicious delights. Practicing with fellow retreatants on rare meetings is of even greater delight sharing feedback, inspiration and joyful hearts.

Poem 2

„There is nowhere to hide, there is nowhere to go. What I believed to be appears cristalclear and straight to the face. Dakinis and demons are dancing on the corpse of my ambitions. Dakas and demoness are feasting on the decay of my illusions.“

The retreat instructions that Ven. Ringu Tulku Rinpoche gave, pointed to the simple and essential practices. The means for working on transforming the samsaric aspects of my mind are not as „exotic“ as I believed them to be. To acknowledge my suffering and to identify its underlying cause is the actual working ground for growth. A clear and relaxed mind, honesty with myself and an attitude of loving kindness towards all living fellow beings is the path. This is of great importance before engaging in formal ritual practice. A healthy and workable balance between the two appears to be the most meaningful approach for allowing the innate good nature to manifest.

It is my heartfelt wish and intention that now and in the future the result of my effort will be of benefit for others. May this be possible by the blessing of the 3 Jewels and by the blessing of the 3 Roots.

Poem 3

„Sometimes I feel like an old ox plowing a rocky, dry patch of land groaning under ego's whip that pushes me forward. When the rain of Lamas blessing, when his compassion soothes my hurting back, the earth seems to soften and plowing becomes a meaningful pleasure.

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LOOKING BACK TO THE PAST

For those of You who don't know me and haven’t read information on my personal and Dharma background in the last crowdfunding campaign I will give a short summary.

I was born 01.03.1961 in Poland and moved with my family to Germany in 1964. The wellbeing of my two sons has been the most important task in my life. They are now 29 and 31 years old and are two strong and kind fellow human beings. I studied anthropology, worked as a professional cook and in the past ten years as a social worker.

At the age of 21 in 1982 I met late Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche in Berlin, and took refuge with him. Eversince, the Buddhist path has been central to my life. Early on I developed the wish of turning my mind to the Dharma by doing long retreat. Alot of studying, practicing and also suffering was needed until the merit and circumstances were right to let this wish come true.

Over the past 40 years I had the great fortune to be a student and disciple of the following masters of the Karma Kagyu lineage, namely late Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche, Ven. Chime Rada Tulku, late Ven. Namse Rinpoche and now Ven. Ringu Tulku. These relationships were filled with valuable personal teachings, empowerments and practice instructions. I had to go through sometimes painful learning, but never lost my confidence in the Buddhist path. The wisdom, the loving kindness, and the compassion with which I was blessed by these precious teachers encouraged me over and over again to keep going.