The Venerable Lama Pema Wangdak

Articles, Interviews and Information

Conversation
Interview with Lama Pema in June 2000 about the visit of His Holiness the Sakya Trizin to the United States. (Jason Stern, Chronogram)

Lama Pema Wangdak's speech at Union Square for the victims of the September 11th tragedy plus the Office of Tibet's official news release on the Union Square gathering

Snubs and sensitivities -- the Millenium World Peace Summit
Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held partially at the United Nations Assembly and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel from 28th to 31st August 2000. Lama Pema was one of the Tibetan representatives at the summit in place of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who was not invited.

Walk the Dog and Light the Light - Laura Nyro
Lama Pema sang background on Laura Nyro's 1993 Columbia/Sony record.

The Wheel of Great Compassion - the Practice of the Prayer Wheel in Tibetan Buddhism
Vajrayana News, Vajrayana Institute, February 2001, page 1. (You need Acrobat Reader in order to download the newsletter.)

ONE THOUSAND TIBETANS GATHER IN NEW YORK CITY TO PRAY FOR THE SEVENTH WEEK, THE LAST WEEK OF PRAYERS, FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE SEPTEMBER 11TH TRAGEDY

New York, N.Y.--More than twenty Tibetan monks from the tri-state area gathered at Union Square in Manhattan, joined by some one thousand others, mostly Tibetans, on Sunday, October 28, for the formal "49th Day Ceremony." This was an extended memorial prayer service for the victims of the national tragedy of September 11th, sponsored by the Office of Tibet.

The Venerable Lama Pema Wangdak, resident lama of the Palden Sakya Centers in the New York area gave the following special dedication:

"We have come here today to pray to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and to our teachers for their kind blessings, protection, and compassion, for everyone affected by the recent national tragedy here in the United States. We pray for the deceased victims of the atrocities, for their safe passage in the bardo, and into a higher and better rebirth in the next life and for the well-being of their family members and that they gain the courage to go on with their life undiminished by the tragedy. We also pray for all who are wounded in body and in spirit, that they shall heal their wounds and realize that enduring anger and bitterness must not be allowed to poison their hearts, for that would be an even greater personal tragedy, far harder to heal.

Our prayers extend to all those who perpetrated this unthinkable tragedy, that they be freed from the unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and hatred that propelled them to participate in such a heinous crime against all of humanity and that they shall soon realize the futility and profound negativity of such acts and thoughts and come to appreciate the worthiness and the effectiveness of beneficial acts and thoughts.

We direct our prayers especially for our own leaders and for our nation and its supporters throughout the world, so that wisdom and compassion may guide their decisions and their efforts to ward off or overcome any future atrocities. By praying in this way, we can reinforce the likelihood of a more elevated level of thought and conduct, which will reduce the possible harmful effects of the actions involved in rebuilding national and universal peace.

It is inspiring for me to realize that at this critical and confusing time, spiritual concerns are taken seriously as an important part of our existence--with the encouragement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all of the great leaders of the world.

In approaching the spiritual and moral dimensions of this crisis there are elements that we each must include as part of our considerations - if we expect to achieve a valid insight into the real nature of the crisis and see our way to its enduring resolution.

In our individual reflections, the element of awareness must be cultivated to formulate a spiritually sound view of the crisis. We must work to become aware of the complex elements involved in the crisis itself. More importantly, I believe, we must look within and be self-aware and be conscious of our reactions, so that our negative emotions such as anger and our tendencies to the subtle poison of self-righteousness and moral superiority, will not blind us to perceiving the authentic power of compassion and wisdom.

We must be humble in our posture of mind and heart--and see that 'we don't have all the answers.'

We must bear in mind that teachings of the Buddha are not based upon passivity and inaction. The central premise of Buddhism is the understanding that each person has the ability to heighten his or her level of spiritual realization -- within oneself and one's effectiveness within the world -- purely by one's own actions. In reflecting upon this crisis we must consider the merits of alternative actions and their long-term implications, based fundamentally upon compassion and guided by wisdom in their execution.

We should be very careful and very deliberate in formulating our ideas and pursuing our actions and not allow ourselves to be seduced by our own self-perceived noble intentions and feelings. Buddhism holds that we must strive to accommodate within our hearts the altruism of compassion and to understand that authentic compassion can only exist when it is accompanied by the discernment of wisdom. THIS IS TRULY THE HARD PART, I believe.

May all prayers and actions lead to the greater goodness of this country and the enhancement of peace in the world and in our hearts.

Let us complete our prayers."

The monks led prayers for the kindness and compassion of the Buddhas, with meditation upon the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig, invoking their blessings and guidance for all who have died in the terrorist attack, for their peace and freedom from fear, and for their rapid and better future rebirth.

A special prayer, meditation, and ritual of "repelling" was part of the evening ceremony -- on behalf of the land and the people of the United States and of the world -- so that all future malevolent and destructive forces that face this nation and the world be averted.

The evening concluded with the invocation of the truth through the singing of the "Prayer of Truth," written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

(From the Office of Tibet web site. The Office of Tibet is His Holiness the Dalai Lama's official agency in London.)

Tibetans perform traditional Buddhist rituals in support of the American people

NEW YORK - 29 Oct - The Tibetan communities of New York and New Jersey gathered yesterday in Union Square for a candlelight ceremony and celebration of life to observe Shaghu, the end of the formal 49-day mourning period, for the victims of the September 11 inhumane terrorist attacks.

In the Tibetan Buddhist religious tradition, the 49th day after death represents the culmination of seven weeks of mourning during which the family members and friends of the departed come together once every week to perform death rites for the benefit of the deceased. On this final day of mourning, Tibetans from New York and New Jersey conducted a special religious ceremony, alerting the entire community to reflect upon the memory of lost ones and offer their prayers so that the deceased may have a peaceful passage into the next life.

Attracting more than eight hundred Tibetan and American participants, the ceremony included special Buddhist rituals and prayers performed by members of the Tibetan monastic community, a speech by the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Americas, Nawang Rabgyal, and a dedication offered by Lama Pema Wangduk from the Palden Sakya Center of New York City.

In his address, Representative Nawang Rabgyal called upon the importance of peace and harmony, stating, "At this crucial time in global history, it is important to treat others with respect and kindness so that we may all work together toward one universal goal of world peace. With this thought in mind, we dedicate this prayer service to the perseverance of world peace and universal harmony." Representative Rabgyal further stated that by "Expressing our own sense of universal responsibility, we would also like to offer a prayer dedicated to putting an end to the suffering of innocent people in Afghanistan."

Conveying the Tibetan communities' deep condolence for the American people, Representative Rabgyal concluded his address with an appeal for compassion. He said, "I would like to call upon the entire community to come together in the name of solidarity with the American people, a peaceful passage to the next life for the victims of the recent unthinkable tragedies, healing for the relatives and loved ones, and the promotion of harmony and world peace for all."

The two-hour ceremony concluded with a traditional tsok offering.