The Project for Peace Story

Just prior to the 10 day heat wave in July of 2006, Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche invited all his students in the Santa Cruz, California area to join him in the viewing of Al Gore's film about global warming, An Inconvenient Truth. Afterwards, I asked Rinpoche," What can we do to help?" "We know what to do," Rinpoche replied, "Recite the Sutra of Golden Light!”  This is how the idea for this project began to grow, but the seeds had been planted years before.

In 2001, the second year of my last 4.5  year solitary retreat, Karin Rice offered me cassette tapes of Kyabje Ribur Rinpoche's Lam Rim teachings at Land of Medicine Buddha that I could not attend. In the section on great compassion, Rinpoche began to talk about the escalation of suffering that is going on in the world due to the ignorance of our leaders. He said all the meditators must come down out of the mountains and do something to help the political situation. It was like I was stabbed in the heart by the power of Rinpoche's words..

Then, in the autumn of 2004, Land of Medicine Buddha allowed me to lead Tara Pujas that prayed for election of leaders in the USA who could bring peace and ecological and economical well being to our planet. At the third puja, to our great surprise and delight, Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche appeared and asked me why were we not reciting The Sutra of Golden Light; its purpose is to create the cause for wise leaders.

In April of 2006, Lorne and Terry Ladner invited me to Washington, D.C to lead a recitation of this blessed sutra at the capitol mall with the members of the Guhyasamaja Center. Rinpoche had requested these recitations. Totally energized and inspired by this activity, I felt the wish to return to the mall and recite this sutra every day for the month of October before the elections and pray as hard as I could for political policies that will bring about world peace and check global warming. It's like Al Gore says, we can do it if there is political will. What we know, as Buddhists, is that political will manifests if the cause is there in the mindstreams of the people.

After the conversation with Rinpoche about An Inconvenient Truth, the idea came to create a campaign amongst all the FPMT centers to recite the sutra as many times as we could. I was thinking America, but my good friend, Fabienne Pradelle, suggested, why not all over the world? Working in the garden at Rinpoche's house a few days after the movie date, Rinpoche came over to speak to me and I gingerly asked Rinpoche about this idea. The reply was overwhelming with encouragement and enthusiasm. Rinpoche said, "Not just at the centers, but recitations going from friend to friend, house to house, spread the practice all over the world."

It is hotter this last week than I can ever remember here at Vajrapani Institute. It is over 100 degrees F inside the house---outside over 110. I would expect this in Utah, but the Santa Cruz Mountains? No way. Luckily for me, we built a super insulated quiet room inside a room for my last long retreat, so I am held hostage in this little room, sitting on a beach chair with a solar electric air cooler blowing on me so I can even think straight. I'm hoping that these heat waves (which happen to coincide with the showing of Al Gore's movie) will alert the population and the politics of this nation. Yes, global warming is a reality.

So, if you've noticed the increase in hurricanes, or are concerned with the increased instability of the relationships between countries, please join us in our campaign for peace and global cooling. You can download the Sutra of Golden Light from the FPMT education department website, or order a free copy in book form from the FPMT store.  Call over a few friends for tea and treats and have a recitation party. We envision hundreds or thousands of people spreading this practice house by  house, county by county, country by country... just as Rinpoche said. By adding yourself to the world map, we can rejoice as we watch the community    grow.  Everyone I have spoken to (except for one die-hard skeptic) has been really enthused by this plan. We have nothing to lose and so much to gain!  Besides, if Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche says this is a good idea and wishes for us to do it, then, of course, what are we waiting for ?! The sutra is so wonderful to recite.

You can get started today!

Venerable Nyingje  Paula Chichester ~ July, 2006