“There are four moralities or guidelines we use when acting to benefit others, to make sure our activity is well directed.

(1) First, we share whatever we have: if beings need it and we have it, we give it if we have the capability.

(2) Second, we must be soft-spoken, respectful, and soothing so that we don’t hurt anyone’s feelings.

(3) Third, we act skillfully, giving according to individuals’ needs, and with an awareness of their readiness.

(4) Fourth, we are involved with others, not acting like we’re superior or detached.

Basically we’re all sitting in the same boat. Our attitude should be that, “You and I are the same.” So we’re not just like an announcer on television talking about what someone else ought to do. We are doing what we’re saying, not just speaking nice words. We try to do what we say. If our activity has the context of these four moralities, it will be the activity of a bodhisattva.”

Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche
Vows and Conduct in the Nyingma Tradition (pg 21)

www.padmasambhava.org/chiso/books-by-khenpo-rinpoches/vows-and-conduct-in-the-nyingma-tradition

Annually produced, these handmade lunar practice calendars mark the months and days for the complete Tibetan Metal Ox Year 2148 (February 12, 2021 – March 2, 2022) with highlights on important practice days, festivals, and anniversaries of many great Buddhist lineage masters.

2021 PBC Metal Ox Calendar

This year’s calendar features 19 color photographs of the Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches and the PBC Sangha taken by Rinpoches’ students around the world.

Proceeds from the sales of this calendar support completing the Stupa Garden and Guru Padmasambhava Temple in the meadow of Padma Samye Ling.

Experience the full immersion of Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches mandala throughout the four seasons!

The Learning Dharma Skills Program has been created to facilitate the compassionate vision of international Sangha and friends, both to preserve Padma Samye Ling (PSL) as a center of study and practice, and to reflect their devotion to the Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches’ mandala and lineage.

Padma Samye Ling monastery is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist retreat center devoted to Dharma service, meditation, study, and community living. This beautiful mandala sits at 2,000 feet on 500 acres of pristine countryside. It reflects the glorious vision of our spiritual directors, Venerable Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Venerable Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche, to establish a living community that fosters world peace.

Program participants are invited to join in all retreats and teaching programs at PSL, enjoy our beautiful temple with traditional Tibetan architecture and mural paintings, study in the Shantarakshita Library, and delight in the breathtaking views and scenic trails of our flourishing retreat environment.

Areas of Service Include:

1. Grounds

• Temple Caretaking
• Skilled Craftsmanship and Maintenance Skills & Experience Strongly Recommended
• Exterior and Interior Painting
• Knowledge of Machinery
• Should be thorough and patient

1. Kitchen Management

• Culinary Training is helpful
• Knowledge of Vegetarian Cooking
• Supplies, Upkeep, and Budgeting
• Creative with Whole Foods

III. Administration

• Friendly People-Person
• Reliable Technical Skills like computer programming
• Accounting and book keeping
• Website Design

1. Outdoor Facilities

• Landscaping
• Organic Gardening – experience required

• Ongoing Weekly Classes for students interested in Ngondro Foundational Practices

• Personal Morning Practice

• Daily Evening Group Meditation

• Due to Covid-19, PSL premises are currently closed to visitors except for long term residents.

• Shared dorm included or possibility of low-budget single dorm.

• Orientation Provided

• Internet only available from 5:00-8:00pm.

Apply on the PBC website:

www.padmasambhava.org/psl-dharma-skills-program

Get a feel for the PSL Learning Dharma Skills with Testimonials from previous resident volunteers:

“I feel I benefited spiritually and in my practice more than any other way. Being around other people interested in the Dharma, practicing regularly with the sangha, and being able to attend Rinpoche’s teachings helped strengthen my faith, understanding, and commitment in ways I hadn’t imagined.” -Bonnie

“My time at PSL provided me the incredible opportunity to set down my self-centered struggles and join in something inconceivably larger, in the enlightened unfolding that is the Rinpoches’ mandala. While taking part in such unquestionably beneficial activity is an enormous blessing in itself, for me the greatest blessing was the chance to see all the places in my daily work where I was not practicing the Dharma. Of course, PSL is the ideal environment to bring all those blind spots slowly onto the path, and being in the presence of a realized master such as Khenpo Rinpoche allows such integration to take place as a joyful act of love rather than a grind.”

–Emmanuel

“I think it is the most wonderful experience I’ve had in recent decades. In the Learning Dharma Skills Program, I was able to bring my years of work experience to PSL in a way that reinforced strong ethical and moral precepts, while at the same time benefiting the center. Having the Dharma be integral to my everyday routine also reinforced the path of the Dharma; it was something I lived—before breakfast, after dinner, even during dreamtime—in a way I’d not experienced before in my life.” –Carol

“Before I participated in the Learning Dharma Skills Program at PSL I think I did not fully realize the importance of the sangha and the relentless support that it provides. The community at PSL radiates with such love and joy that you cannot help but be uplifted in your practice and have a brighter view of the world. During my time at PSL, I read a quote from the Words of My Perfect Teacher in which Patrul Rinpoche says that we should consider any being who inspires true bodhichitta in us to be a buddha. I remember having that thought so often at PSL because of the myriad ways in which people expressed their love to me, and to everyone else present and elsewhere.” –Jeff

“Padma Samye Ling offers me the best setting to make the best use of my time.I study underand receive personalized practice guidance from an enlightened being, while working with the most inspiring people to facilitate Khenpo Tsewang Rinpoche’s activities.There is nothing higher than receiving teachings that help me see life more beautifully and appreciate it more deeply. There’s nothing better than adhering toa practice that imbues each day with purpose and builds con!dent determination to benefit all beings who’ve benefited us, as we face future challenges together.”

–Pema Yontan

“My time spent at Padma Samye Ling was definitely life impacting—even as a Christian. I learned so much more about mindfulness and the consideration of all life forms, healthy meal preparation, and the importance of meditation and self-care. I spent time with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met in my life. My experience will forever be embedded into my history.” –Monica