Autobiography - Oddiyana Dharma Sanctuary is a Buddhist Temple in Hervey Bay located at 399 Charlton Esplanade, Torquay, Queensland Australia

Autobiography

I have been asked to write about myself for the Oddiyana Dharma Sanctuary website.

Teachers of the Dharma (Buddha’s teachings) normally list their qualifications and achievements, years of study, number and duration of retreats, high titles, and reincarnation status and so on . . .

I feel these days the world seems far too attached to the concept of fame for just about anything from being the biggest, longest, fastest, highest, most famous and so on . . .

It seems spirituality is not safe from this as well.

I’m sure the intention is to encourage student confidence in the teacher. However I personally don’t feel very comfortable with this approach.

Besides, I honestly do not see myself as a teacher. I only see myself as a student of the precious Dharma . . . but since I have been encouraged by my precious gurus to share the Dharma with others I feel I must follow their wishes.

I’m just a person of the world who has chosen to happily devote her life to the Triple Gem which is the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

If it helps you to have more confidence in me to hear these profound and vast Dharma, I welcome you to come and ask me about my studies and experience and I will, happily, share them with you.

However, the experience I would much prefer to share with you is the story of how the Dharma has transformed my own life.

Like all beings, I have suffered from the time I was born. That is until I had the good karma to meet the precious Dharma.

This doesn’t mean I am now completely free of suffering.  knocks on my door as it does for everyone.  difference now is that my study and practice of the precious Dharma and meditation has shown me how my suffering is a state of mind and not a permanent part of my life.

The precious Dharma has shown me how true happiness comes from loving and caring for all beings equally.

The precious Dharma has shown me how I must have loving kindness and compassion for myself so that I am able to develop the ability to show loving kindness and compassion for all beings without discrimination.

The precious Dharma has helped me to see clearly that without having self love and compassion for ourselves we cannot possibly have it for others.

Travelling this path has shown me we can suffer from compassion fatigue when practising what is sometimes referred to as "idiot compassion." How this in turn can result in hurting, rather than helping others.

I learned the hard way that it is not enough to just want to help others that we need wisdom to walk hand in hand with compassion in order to be of benefit to those who are suffering.

The Dharma is the greatest gift I have had the good fortune to have received in my life.  precious Jewel has stumbled patiently with me along the path of understanding my own deluded mind in order to make sense of the world I live in and beyond.

This precious gift came to me wrapped beautifully in the importance of taking this understanding deeply into my own heart. And, for this I rely on and take refuge in my gurus.

I see clearly unless it dwells in my heart I will never learn how to understand others deeply and love all beings equally without discrimination.

The Dharma has given me the key to having a life well lived by teaching me the importance of living in the present moment . . . not the past . . . or the future . . .  present moment . . . which is all we have.

I am forever grateful to my mahasiddha guru Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche for helping me to understand Buddha Nature through his succinct, clear and riveting teachings. Showering me in the optimism of being able to remove the dust of my defilements to recognise my delusions and bathe in the freedom of my fully awakened, "Enlightened" mind. For helping me to see the emptiness of not only self but all of phenomena . . . I just need a few eons of study and meditation to achieve this realisation.   And, for bestowing upon us the absolute honour of becoming part of his 84,000 project.

A BIG thank you to my guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche for his moral presence residing in my heart.

To Lama Choedak Rinpoche for his patient, compassionate and never ending loving-kindness. I am forever grateful.

I am eternally grateful to all of my gurus’ guiding me to understanding the impermanence and emptiness of all things including this thing we call "self."

I am very grateful to my guru Lama Robina Courtin, for her generosity of time in showing me how to "unpack", as she refers to it, the precious teachings of the Buddha to better suit the western psychology.

And most importantly I thank all my gurus, who have helped me in many different ways

I cannot imagine anything more important or rewarding to do in my life than study and practice the Dharma. I am humbled to have the great fortune of sharing it with others with the wish that they may transform all their suffering and achieve Enlightenment.

I feel so blessed to be traversing this sometimes very difficult, sometimes blissful . . . but never boring . . .  of the Buddhadharma.

I welcome anyone who thinks they may benefit from these very logical, profound and nurturing teachings of the Buddha.

A very warm welcome to all faiths and non faiths who feel meditation may enhance their spiritual journey.

I dedicate my good fortune of finding the precious Triple Gem: The Buddhadharma to all the teachers of the past present and future that they have long lives and stay with us until all beings achieve Enlightenment.

OM AH HUNG!  AH HUNG!  AH HUNG!

Choeying Dolma is available to provide her many services to both Hervey Bay and the surrounding communities. She is available to provide counselling to both individuals of all ages, couples, families and groups (marriage, family, children, grief, domestic violence, mental health issues – depression, anxiety, dissociative disorders (multiple personality disorders), addictions, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence.

As well as hospice (helping the dying), community and business workshops and retreats (enhancing work environment for themselves, as a team, and for their clients)

Choeying is available to preside over weddings and funerals, as well as blessing ceremonies for babies, houses, businesses etc.

For any inquiries, more information or to make a booking with Choeying, please get in contact with the Oddiyana Dharma, here.

OM AH HUNG!  OM AH HUNG!  OM AH HUNG!

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