Okay, “Enlightenment or bust” might be a bit dramatic, but…

"Dang Zang" is an empty name. The blog has to do with the dharma; material related to Buddhist teachings (Tibetan style in particular, Kagyu in even more particular), meditation, gurus and lamas be they genuine or flaky, books and events. I do have a more personal blog, Pica Pica, and a site for my work.

Oh yes, it's by Alex Wilding

Archive

Categories

  • The annual festival – postcript
    It happened. It went on very late. More than 300 people, many of whom came from all over Italy because, for instance, their grandmother came from here. I fluffed one line, but my little turn went down well enough – the cheer from the piazza demanded that I take a bow and flourish my hat […]
  • Our annual festival – preparation
    The village is a-buzz with excitement and activity! There is a connecting together of electric cables; a welding of steel trestles; a burning-off of the dirt on grilles; a setting up of lights; a preparation of beer dispensers… For tomorrow, our village has its annual festival! I too am making a small contribution. I shall […]
  • Nick and Sam’s post-wedding bash
    Nick and Sam got married in America, so had their post-wedding bash in Bristol […]
  • Comment on Wikileaks
    A good comment on the Wikileaks release of papers about Afghanistan at http://www.truth-out.org/national-insecurity-afraid-truth61841 […]
  • Festival of Hunger and Thirst
    Filatiera, festival […]
  • About the place
    How nice it is here! […]
  • Filling in
    I rather doubt if I will ever have time (and I doubt if you would be interested) to describe the whole process of getting here, so here are just a few pictures to give an impression. First of all, here is the container being filled up in Sydney with the possessions, some of which are […]
  • Hunting dogs
    What to say? There are hunting dogs here. […]
  • Greyhound transport
    Be very sure the greyhound has room if the journey is at all long […]
  • Landed and connected
    Arrived in Tuscany and connected to the net! […]

Dharma links

This is my list of dharma-related favourites – I am (at the end of June 2009) in the process of editing, weeding and commenting – suggestions welcome!

Centres and teachers:

Barom Kagyu Chodrak Pende Ling - Tasmania and NSW. Sonam Tenzin is Barom Kagyu by tulku lineage, but mainly trained in Karma Kagyu.

Benchen Monastery Community - I was privileged to visit Benchen in Kham in 1992 with my first teacher, Chime Rinpoche. This site is focussed on Tenga Rinpoche, Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche, the new Benchen monastery in Kathmandu and various associated centres in the West.

Chagdud Gonpa - mainly of interest to those with links to the late Chagdud Tulku, of course; mostly based in the American continents

Dharma Sun - link point for Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche; a few resources

Dongyu Gatsal Ling - Tenzin Palmo’s nunnery

Evam - Traleg Rinpoche’s centres

Jamgon Kongtrul Labrang - lots of material associated with Jamgon Kongtrul

Kagyu Benchen Ling - one of my “homes”, not that I have been for many a year. Black Forest; German only.

Kagyu Office - the main website of His Holiness Karmapa

Kalu Kagyu Thubten Choling - centre descended from Kalu Rinpoche, New York state

Karma Lhundup Rinpoche - young(ish) Nyingma yogi/teacher who visits Australia every couple of years

Karma Samten Choeling - centre in Sydney’s west for Dekhung Gyaltsey Rinpoche

Karma Triyana Dharmachakra - Karmapa’s biggest American centre

Karma Yiwong Samten Ling blog and Karma Yiwong Samten Ling - two sites for a small retreat centre associated with Dekhung Gyaltsey Rinpoche (see Karma Samten Choeling above)

Khachodling - “Land of the Blissful Dakinis”, site for Khandro Thrinlay Chodon

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche - the incomparable

Khyentse Foundation - founded by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

Marpa House - my spiritual home, if I have one

Nalandabodhi International - central site for Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Rich

Neydo Foundation - skeletal, if I may say so. Karma Chagme

Palpung - Situ Rinpoche’s central site

Pathgate Institute of Buddhist Studies - a Nyingma institute associated with Palyul

Pundarika Foundation - Tsoknyi Rinpoche; Nyingma

Rangjung Institute - institute in Kathmandu; Chökyi Nyima

Rigpa Australia - Sogyal gets everywhere. Here are his Australian centres

Ringu Tulku - central web point for this much-valued teacher

Samye Ling - big, important Karma Kagyu centre in Scotland

Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche - his site, as you might guess

Saraswati Bhawan - Nyingma yogis, Lama Dawa

Siddhartha’s Intent International - organization under the direction of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

Thrangu Rinpoche - his main site

Yeshe Khorlo Buddhist Center - Nyingma from Bhutan

Books and shopping:

Buddhist bibliography - long list of available books, though not a lot of explanation.

Dharma Treasures - shop for stuff! Connected to Lama Tharchin. Based in California

Drukpa Publications - a few Drukpa Kagyu resources (of course!)

Garuda Trading - shop. Don’t be put off by the fact that it’s in Cornwall – I’ve had them ship stuff to me here in Sydney, based on stock depth and price.

Jnanasukha - Lama Wangmo has specialized in the Dudjom Dakini Heart Essence under Lama Tharchin. Events, teachings, shop.

Light of Berotsana - translations, mainly Nyingma

PKTC – Books and Translations - Tony Duff’s excellent work

Rangjung Yeshe publications - Erik Pema Kunsang is a key figure here. Nice books!

Snow Lion Publications - possibly the best bookstore in the world

Vimala - Nyingma translation and texts, Gyatrul Rinpoche (was Mirror of Wisdom)

Wisdom Books - excellent bookshop and publisher. This is the UK one.

Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal - a publishing arm of Situ Rinpoche’s organization

Online resources:

Asian Classics Input Project Home - a long-established organization getting texts input into digital formats.

Berzin Archives - this is a valuable resource because it is extensive, well organized and the very opposite of flaky. But readers should be aware that it is written from a strongly Gelug point of view. This is not the place to go into the differences, but the approaches to emptiness and to meditation do differ in a number of key ways. Good resource for online texts, though.

Dharma Dictionary - as much an encyclopaedia as a dictionary, heavy emphasis on Kagyu and Nyingma material. Very handy!

Dharma Download - ritual texts (Karma Kagyu) in Tibetan for printing out, plus other resources

Dharma TV - a number of teachings from various lamas on video

Karmapa Links - a bunch of links, as it says

KARMAPAdotTV - a Youtube channel

Lotsawa House - translations and Tibetan texts, wide-ranging

Nitartha International - digital Tibetan studies. Important.

Ordinary Mind - magazine from Evam and Traleg Rinpoche – see above

Pitt Rivers pictures - unique pictures held by a museum at my alma mater

Quiet Mountain - a longstanding resource guide, all kinds of Tibetan Buddhism

Shenpen Osel Online Magazine - seems to have stopped growing some time ago, but the downloads available here are well worth it. Quite a few teachings from Thrangu Rinpoche, for example

TBRC Digital Library - important resource for serious students

Tibetan & Himalayan Digital Library - another resource for the more serious student

Tibetan Language Student - good place to start learning Tibetan

Tibetan Translation Tool Main Page - valuable if you are learning the language

More local to Sydney:

Australia Tibet Council - Australian-based political activism. They do work hard.

Buddhist Library - local Sydney general Buddhist centre with library and room

Lotus Speech Australia - group of people organizing Nyingma teachings in Victoria (Oz)

Sakya Tharpa Ling - Sydney’s large Sakya centre

Sakya Tibetan Buddhist Society - in Canberra

Vajrayana Institute, Sydney - FPMT in Sydney

News, events and miscellaneous:

Kagyu Monlam - for those who want to follow events around the annual Karma Kagyu prayer festival

Phayul – lots of Tibetan news, perhaps more politics than dharma

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL - humanitarian work initiated by Akong Rinpoche

Tibetan Government in Exile - like it says

Yahoo Kagyu list - we try to have a reasonable chat here!