Please note: Students are encouraged to fill out Commitment Cards and offer them whenever and as often as they like--an offering of practice is the highest type of offering one can give. That said, Geshe-la agreed to sign and return all of the cards offered Sunday October 17, and we cannot guarantee that conditions will allow him to sign or return any cards received after that date.
A note from Assistant Director Sean González
Dear Dharma Brothers & Sisters,
When Geshe Tsulga recently said, “Read more Dharma, study more Dharma, practice more Dharma. Open your minds.” I was deeply moved and motivated to do something to answer Geshe-la’s urgent call to action. Thus, I decided to commit myself to doing exactly as Geshe-la said to do. But I also realized that doing this for myself alone was not enough. I needed to do something to help all of you, my Dharma brothers & sisters, to realize the same sense of urgency that Geshe-la so clearly communicated to us.
With the guidance and blessings of Geshe Tsulga and Geshe Tenley, the help of our wonderful Sangha, and the help of our dedicated Management Committee, we’ve put together a commitment card for everyone to put on their altars. In this commitment card we write down a new practice – above and beyond what we’re already doing – to demonstrate to Geshe Tsulga our renewed commitment to grow and increase our reach beyond where we currently are. Perhaps you would like to commit to reciting a mala of OM MANI PADME HUM every day for the rest of your life, or read 10 pages of Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand every day for the duration of the book, or maybe volunteer at a shelter every week for the next year. The possibilities are endless, as is the reach and potential of our minds.
The plan is to fill out the cards and present to Geshe Tsulga on Sunday, October 17th after class (with a khata offering). Geshe Tsulga will sign them, and we’ll return them to you via postal mail. The cards will be available at Kurukulla Center as of Wednesday, October 13th. It will only take a minute to fill out, so you can fill it out before class on Sunday morning. What will take more time is taking a deep look at yourself and deciding what your commitment will be, which is why we are letting you know a week in advance. If you’re unable to pick a card up during the week or attend class on Sunday, October 17th, please send an e-mail to tsultrimdavis@kurukulla.org with the necessary information (Name, Mailing Address, Commitment, Frequency and Duration of Commitment). We will fill out a card for you.
As we make this commitment and make our offering of practice to Geshe Tsulga, it is important to remember that as part of our guru devotion we must not feel pity or compassion towards our guru. This is wrong view. Instead, we must view Geshe Tsulga as a perfect being and put our offering in that light, thus avoiding tainting it with conventional, deluded views. We are making this offering of service to Geshe Tsulga because this is his instruction to us, and we trust our guru to give us the best advice for our benefit. We are confirming through our commitment that we have heeded his advice.
If you have any questions about this commitment, please do not hesitate to contact me (sean@kurukulla.org or 781.405.5674) or anyone else in the Management Committee. We are here to help you in any way that we can.
With folded hands and heartfelt gratitude for all that you do,
Sean González
