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The three day Picnic was made possible with the blessing of Sogyal Rinpoche, support of VajraTV and Tongnyi Nyingje Ling and with the support of individual community donors. Young Tibetans from New York volunteered to help, some took off from their work, including professional chefs, hotel employees, entrepreneurs and so forth. The organizers hope they can make this an annual event.

During the picnic the elders had a chance to spend time with each other, share their stories with the staff, play various games including Sho (Tibetan dice game), sing and dance.

They received Guru Rinpoche empowerment streamed live directly from Sogyal Rinpoches’ Dharma center in Lerabling, France. After the empowerment, the elders had a tour of the beautiful waterfall and lake at Huyck Preserve. Tibetan actor and entertainer Sonam Wangdi travelled from New York to entertain the elders for the evening program.

Speaking about the event, VajraTV’s founder Thupten N Chakrishar said “We can never repay their kindness but the picnic was a small gesture of appreciation to our elders who have sacrificed so much in order to provide a better life for us. My own grand parents passed away when I was very young, so the picnic felt like I am with them again and it was my chance to thank them.”

On their way back to New York, the elders stopped at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra Center, the official seat of His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa in the US. There, they were welcomed by Lama Phuntsok who took them on a grand tour of the monastery including the private residence of His Holiness and were served tea and snacks.

The organizers would like to thank the following individuals for their invaluable contribution: Tongnyi Nyingje Ling’s team included Ryan DuVal, Jessica Zukerman DuVal, Laurie Lai, Michael Wong and VajraTV’s team included Karma Drukya, Thupten Sherab, Tenzin Topden, Tsering Choden, Pema Choedon Chakrishar, Tsering Paljor, Dolma Karma, Phuntsok Dolma, Sonam Wangdi and Thupten N Chakrishar.

Financial Statement (click to enlarge):

Tibetan Elderly Picnic Gallery.

Donors list
Lhakpa Dickey $150
Tenzin Kunsang $100
Deb Wolfe $10
Sally Clay $10
Patsy Hutchinson $10
Tenzin Pema Baro $25
Deborah C Blackburn $10
Ryan DuVal $20
Julie Just $50
Garett Wood $50
Dave Alberts $35
Yak Restaurant $51
Chime Dolkar $20
Nyima Dolma $10
Khenrab $25
Tsewang S Dorjee $20
Ngawang la $25
Pema Dodum $10
Penpa Tsering $20
Karma Drukya $66
Tenzin Tsering $20
Tenzin Dhondup $20
Lobsang tenzin $10
Lhakpa Dolma Norlingtsang $20
Ama Mingmar $25
Agu Palden $25
Ama Dolkar $25
Ama Lhakpa Dolma $25
Kusho Pedo la $30
Ukyab la $50
Dolma Tsering $20
Ama Kalsang $66
Tsering Dorje $25
Tenzin Wangyal $25
Amdo Shawo $25
Ama Dolma Tsering $25
Kalsang Phuntsok KP $118.96
Donation Box jackson heights $21
Wasabi Point restaurant: Dinner sponsor
Tsering Paljor $50

Additional contributions to cover net short

Thupten Sherab (Veg) $137.69
Thupten N Chakrishar  $137.69
Phuntsok Dolma $137.69

Total Donations $1756.04 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

The way the I, or the self, exists is merely labeled by the mind, but it appears to us as real, in the sense that it appears to exist from its own side. If it is expressed or introduced according to our experience, the ordinary term is the real I. This I appears to us as real, even when we are not upset, excited or frightened. Even when we don’t have these life situations, there is a real I appearing to us, but when we meet these situations, the I that appears as real becomes clearer and more obvious. When we get angry or when somebody provokes or blames us, or we win a game and we are excited about our success, at those times the I that appears as real becomes very clear and strong. This is called the emotional I and in that sense, the emotional I is always there, because this I appears as real. We always have this appearance and the emotional I is always there, but it is not as obvious, strong and clear as it appears in these particular life situations.

The real I—the emotional I, the truly existent I—doesn’t exist, because if we search for it, it can’t be found. If we search for that emotional I or that real I, it can’t be found anywhere on these aggregates, this association of the body and mind—from the tip of the hair down to the toes. If we search for this emotional I, this real I, this truly existent I, it can’t be found anywhere. When we are unaware of the reality of the I and we do not analyze, it looks as if there is a real I—a truly existent or inherently existent I—that can be found. However, if we look for the I and start to analyze, it suddenly becomes unclear and the experience that comes to us is that the I doesn’t exist.

If the I really exists, when we start to analyze and to search, it should become more and more clear. The existence of that emotional I—the real I or the truly existent I—should become more and more clear if it exists. We don’t feel that the I is in a particular location in the aggregates or the body, and as soon as we start to analyze we can’t find it, so that proves it is not there. This emotional I—the real I or the truly existent I—can’t be found anywhere on this association of body and mind, the aggregates.

The I is nowhere to be found, either on these aggregates or separate from these aggregates, therefore it doesn’t exist. Also this I is merely labeled by the mind, therefore it doesn’t exist from its own side and it doesn’t have true existence. There is no true existence on the I, which means there is no true existence on the merely labeled I. “On the I” means the I that exists, therefore, there is no true existence on the merely labeled I.

The conclusion is that every day, every moment when objects appear to us, they come from our own mind. If our mind does not label, there is no appearance of the objects of the senses, including the subject and object. If we do not label the subject, there is no appearance of the subject, and if we do not label the object, there is no appearance of the object.

At VajraTV along with our video distribution services, we’re always engaged with social project and often find ourselves raising funds for these projects. As many of you may know raising funds is a very time-consuming and hard work so we hope that the donation page will be of much help for that purpose. Please visit this page  http://www.vajratv.com/endonation/ and learn more.