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Results 11 to 20 of 35
Thread: Hello really need help.
Sure, with the right conditions you can grow out your Anemones. Many aquarists have had saltwater tanks in a variety of sizes, with a variety of anemone/fish species. Your tank would be perfectly suitable.
I'm hoping someone, like our buddy Cliff chimes in. He'd be my go-to for saltwater tanks. =]
I only know about as much as I've read, so I think you're about to get into questions that exceed my ability to answer. lol I've yet to venture forth into marine/reef tanks.Adventures in Aquaria - The KevinVA Story
When in doubt, ask yourself... W.W.L.S (What would Lee Say)?
Have a fish problem? Fill out and post this completed questionnaire in the General Aquarium Forum, when you start a new thread.
There are a lot of suggestions that I can make, but first I would like to ask just a few questions:
-What are your water parameters? And by that I am asking for the following exact measurements: Salinity, alkalinity, calcium, and nitrate. Your remaining fish are more tolerant to water conditions as compared to the ones you lost. Based on your first post, I am thinking something is off in your water. Maybe you could ask the guy for this info when he is there on Monday.
-When you added the fish to your tank, how did you acclimate them to the tank ?
-What type of normal maintenance does this guy preform ? How often and how big of water changes will he complete ?
-How much rock it that in your tank and how much water flow do you have with that one powerhead ?
-Are you using any other equipment on this tank, like a skimmer or a filter ?
-What do you enjoy more, the fish or the ell? In a tank that size with a moray ell, you can't have both the ell and smaller fish. It is highly likely that won't end well for those fish
-If you enjoy the fish more, are you looking for a more aggressive stocking, or more peaceful ? Right now you have both. With time, that will cause more problems down the road. You will start to see the behaviors of the damsel change over time once it claims a territory as his.
-Are you open to making changes to your rocks in your tank? changing layout and maybe adding some
-What do you have for lighting on this tank. Anemones that clown fish will host in have very very specific lighting requirements. Not to mention, most anemone will outgrow your tank
Sorry for all the questions, but I want to make sure that I can give you the best possible options.If you take your time to do the research FIRST, you can successfully set-up and keep ANY type of aquarium with ease.
"Not using a quarantine tank is like playing Russian roulette. Nobody wins the game, some people just get to play longer than others." - Anthony Calfo
Fishless Cycle Cycling with Fish Marine Aquarium Info [URL="http://saltwater.aquaticcommunity.com/"]
02-14-2013, 06:25 PM #13Junior Member Guppy
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Hi Cliff,
Thankyou for chiming in. I would like to say I know all the answers to your questions, but I think part of the problem is I've relied too heavily on the fish man (who is good and reputable but doesn't live with the tank) to take care of the tank - so don't know as much as I should. I just went and spoke with him, so that my husband and I can be more involved.
- the water parimeters (we're the thing that intimidated me most - he takes care of that - so I don't know all of them)
Here is what I do know: (this is before changing water because 32 days will be next monday)
ph - 8.2
kh -8/ 10 d
ca - 400/ 500
no2 -0/ 0.5
no3- 40
- To acclimate the fish, first we cycled the take for 5 weeks. Then we added the fish 1 at a time 2 - 4 weeks apart in this order
1) fox face rabbit
2) snowflake eel
3) trigger
4) clown
5) 2 damsels together
When we put them in the tank, they had been socialized at the store for at least 6 weeks minimum. We got them in a plastic bag with water. Put the bag, unopened in our tank for 30 minutes. Then added a little bit of water from our tank to the bag every 5 minutes for another 1/2 hour. Then opened the bag and let the fish into the tank.
- When the fish guy comes, once a month, he tests the water with a one go test, then changes 40 liters of water, cleans everything in the tank, and changes the filters - polypad and carbon sponge. We have ph/kh plus so I guess he adds that if we need it.
- I'm not sure how much live rock we have. I remember it seemed like alot.
- For waterflow, It's a newave high flow circulator, NWA 5500. It seems pretty powerful. I can see the water moving around the whole surface of the tank and when I put my hand in on the opposite side of the tank I can feel it.
- We have a filter and a skimmer. The skimmer is Juwel 3.0. I can't find the box on the filter but it's a Juwel as well.
- I can't get rid of the clownfish or the eel. My 9, 7, and 5 year olds went to an aquarium last spring and decided that they wanted a tank. They told all their relatives not to give them birthday presents because they wanted to pool their money to buy the tank and fish. They each put 250.00 towards the tank and had 80.00 left each to buy their fish. My oldest bought the eel. My youngest the Foxface which I replaced with the Clown for him when it died, and my 7 year old bought the Picasso (which I need to replace for him). My husband bought the 2 Damsels because they were inexpensive and a couple. But now the three that are left feel like family. So I can't get rid of any of them. Is there a way to make it work? The fish man says the eel is fully grown. He hasn't seemed to get any bigger since we got him in September.
- I don't know that we were thinking in terms on aggressive vs peaceful. More in terms of what could get along together. Right now we have two fish and the eel. I'd like to have 4 or 5 fish with the eel if that's possible but happy fish.
- Definitely can change the rocks.
- The lighting, I don't know. When we bought the tank we bought everything new for a marine tank set up. But I can't find the box on it, so and not sure exactly what it is.
I appreciate you taking time to look at this. This tank has been a much bigger investment than I ever imagined but I really do love the fish in it. And want to love the tank.
The biggest problem that I see is your nitrate levels.
If you improve your water quality, you will not loose as many fish. 40ppm of nitrate is very very high and not good for the long term health of your fish. Your nitrates likely climbed up slowly over time allowing your current fish to slowly get used to it. That is what is stressing our newly added fish resulting in a stress related death in a matter of days/weeks. You have to keep in mind, the fish that we keep in the hobby come from or near the coral reefs which typically has a nitrate level of 0.5 to 0.003 ppm. Nitrate starts to become toxic to fish at 40ppm. What you are dealing with here is coming referred to as "Old Tank Syndrome" . In your case , the cause has little to do with how long your tank was maintained but more to do with how it was not correctly maintained.. Here is what I would suggest to fix this:
A) Start cleaning the filter media from your filter in old tank water 2 or 3 times a week. It likely has a large build-up of gunk which is adding nitrates to the water
B) Start doing 15 to 25% water changes every second day. You need to lower the nitrate levels in the tank slowly over a period of a few weeks.
C) Test the water before each water change. Once you get a reading of less than 5ppm, start spacing out the water changes every 4th day. You have to keep in mind, your live rock is like a sponge. It would have been soaking up nitrates out of the water all this time. Once you lower the nitrate level in the water, the rocks will start releasing some of the nitrates they soaked up back into your water. You will have to continue with the waterchanges for a while to get the nitrates out of the rock. What you are basically doing here is curing your rock again.
D) Make sure you maintain your salinity between 1.025 and 1.026 specific gravity (~35.5PPT). This will help to ensure your pH and other parameters stay stable while completing all these water changes
E) For the next week or two, cut back a lot on your feeding. Maybe even skip feeding the tank every third day. You would be surprised at how little food fish can truly thrive on.
F) Considering completing all your maintenance and testing yourself. There are a lot of members here will to help you through this. In my experience, marine aquariums are not all that hard to keep. If I can learn this stuff, anyone can. It is easier that you think it is right now.
In short, this is easy to fix, but will just require some short-term extra work.
Once the nitrate levels are in-line, there are a lot of other fish and invertebrates we can look at for your tank. No sense adding them now as they will not survive too long in your water
I hope this helps
Last edited by Cliff; 02-14-2013 at 07:18 PM.If you take your time to do the research FIRST, you can successfully set-up and keep ANY type of aquarium with ease.
"Not using a quarantine tank is like playing Russian roulette. Nobody wins the game, some people just get to play longer than others." - Anthony Calfo
Fishless Cycle Cycling with Fish Marine Aquarium Info [URL="http://saltwater.aquaticcommunity.com/"]
02-14-2013, 07:17 PM #15Junior Member Guppy
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We will start by changing the water first thing tommorrow.
What is your nh3 (ammonia) levels at?
Can try to re-arrange the rock and add hiding places for the fish. The eel would love a piece of PVC which can be buried under the sand.300g + 240g in wall build! - Follow Here
120g SW Reef, LED lights, cool fish and corals!
02-14-2013, 08:17 PM #17Junior Member Guppy
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glarior our nh3 is a 40 - which is what the fish man marked as being ideal on the box - tonight is the first time I've used a stick test because usually he does it in a test tube. The package says 0 - 10 is safe but he made black marks on the package when I went by to indicate what the ideal values should be. He marked 40 as the ideal. So now I'm not sure what to think.
If your ammonia was at 40ppm, everything would be dead. Any amount, even 0.25ppm is toxic to all marine life. There is no amount of ammonia that is safe in a marine aquarium.
0 to 10 ppm of nitrates are safe(ish), although certainly not ideal. Perhaps he is misreading the labels ?
If you keep up on the water changes and filter maintenance as I have suggested, your other water parameters will start to fall in line after a few water changes.If you take your time to do the research FIRST, you can successfully set-up and keep ANY type of aquarium with ease.
"Not using a quarantine tank is like playing Russian roulette. Nobody wins the game, some people just get to play longer than others." - Anthony Calfo
Fishless Cycle Cycling with Fish Marine Aquarium Info [URL="http://saltwater.aquaticcommunity.com/"]
02-14-2013, 08:33 PM #19Junior Member Guppy
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Will do. My husband got some water so we're going to try cleaning it ourselves tonight.
02-14-2013, 08:41 PM #20Junior Member Guppy
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Do you have any idea why the nitrate level would be so high on such a new tank? The boys got it for their birthdays in July. It was cycled for 5 weeks. Then had the fox face rabbit fish added on the 19th of August. The eel was added on the 20th or 21st of september, the Picasso on the 20th or 21st of October the clown mid nov and the damsels end of Nov. The tank was professionally cleaned (70 euros a time) every 30 -35 days. I don't understand why the levels are so off.


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Results 11 to 20 of 39
Thread: More tales of woe....
"I have two 55 gallon tanks. The goldfish tank has 4 fish the longest being 4' body and I haven't lost any of them. Yesterday, I tested with strips, had nitrites = 10.0 nitrates =40. I did a 20 gal water change with no difference; did another 20 gal water change 4 hours later and I am at nitrites= 5.0 and nitrates= 20. I plan to do another 20 gal water change today. I am using a Top Fin dechlorinator, but ordered the Satchem product yesterday".
Sweet, two 55 gallon tanks is exactly what I was hoping to hear. When you do a water change you want to make sure you change enough to make the difference. With nitrites of 10 I would probably do 2 back to back 80% water changes. You're just diluting the concentration of harmful elements in the water so if your water change isn't large enough, it doesn't make as much of a difference in the overall chemistry of your tank.
"It has a Tetra Whisper hang on that is rated at 70 gal. I did replace the filters and after doing more research and reading more threads, I see where that was a mistake. I will order the API Master test kit today or do you have another suggestion? Again after more research, I understand that I will have to do daily water changes until it is under control and I intend to do that."
The API Master Test kit was a perfect choice and will be your best friend! Just a heads up that you are going to want to add more filtration to the tank. You will constantly see the recommendation that you add double the filtration capacity for the size of your tank (IE a 55 gallon tank needs 110 gallons worth of filtration) This isn't just that we are being overly cautious. The reason for this recommendation is that when the manufacturer tests the flow rate of the filter they do so without any media inside. We pack our filters with media for our beneficial bacteria to live on thereby reducing the flow of the filter. Especially in your goldfish tank (they are extremely messy). A canister filter would be a great addition to each tank. When you are ready to add filtration, we can give you recommendations, but we'll cross one bridge at a time. Right now we want to get your water chemistry safe for your fish.
"I started with Kordon Rid-Ich Plus-advice from PetSmart. I did a 20 gal water change, increased the heat to 85 degrees, and added an aerator. I didn't seem to be making any difference. So after reading different places on the web, I tried the salt. I have killed off 4 neon tetras in the process. I was thinking that I wasn't going to be able to get rid of the ich, so I would start from scratch, i.e. dispose of the fish, plants, gravel, etc. and cycle the tank the right way. If there is a sure fire way way to be rid of the ich, I am all ears and will try it. As to your plant suggestion, I have plants in that tank now, but not the goldfish tank. I will get some floating plants today for the goldfish tank.."
Honestly, adding treatments and salts in a fish tank is usually a last resort. The best thing for your fish with ich is going to be to kill the ich by raising the temperature. So the first step here is to confirm that it is for sure ich. This article has some great pictures that you can look at.
It should look like someone sprinkled salt on your fish. Once you have confirmed that it is ich, you need to first make sure you have removed all the medication from your tank, then you can raise the temp to 86 degrees slowly. Ich medication and higher temperatures both cause a lower oxygenation in the water. This often accounts for deaths of already weakened fish, so the addition of a couple of air stones would be of great benefit as well
I've rambled long enough and I think you have more than enough to digest right now, so let me know when you test kit comes what your parameters look like, also let me know if you for sure feel like it's ich you're dealing with based on that article that I linked and we can take it from there.~Manna
120 gallon FW bowfront in progress
Thanks Crunchy Leaf! Can you elaborate onA canister filter would be a great addition to each tank. When you are ready to add filtration, we can give you recommendations, but we'll cross one bridge at a time. Right now we want to get your water chemistry safe for your fish.
Yeah. Adding a canister filter to your existing filtration would be my personal choice if these were my tanks. You really can't have too much filtration on your tank. You could do something like an Eheim 250 or Fluval 305. Those would be top of the line filters though, for which you also pay top dollar ($100+).
If budget would be an issue AquaTop 302 and Rena XP-S are two other popular filters that would put you in the $50 - $70 range. I have heard great things about those brands but I've only used Eheim and Fluval.
You can also get 2 more filters identical to what you have and just double up on each tank. There are plenty of aquarists that keep tanks using only Hang On Back (HOB) type filters and it works great. I am just partial to canisters since I started running them on my tanks.~Manna
120 gallon FW bowfront in progress
Another water change: Nitrates= 0 Nitrites= 3.0 It is getting there...
Will do another one later after the water cools.
I dont know if you use amazon, but you could put some different cannister filters in your cart and save them for later. That way you can be alerted in the price drops a lot one day and you want to pounce on the price. Last month I was able to get a rena large cannister for under $70 when they normally go for over $100 and around $150 in stores.
Good luck.
Your nitrItes should still be lower than your nitrAtes, not suddenly higher as you are saying in this post. If the issue was a mislabel in your post and the nitrItes are the ones at 0, and the nitrAtes are the ones at 3.0 then you are good! Take a break and just check your readings for when they go back up again. If you didn't mislabel then I'm questioning your testing results and suggest you retest before you do another water change just to be sure. (not a personal slight! Just know that sometimes people have testing errors and its good to be certain!)
If you have moved to a liquid test, one common issue can be getting the Nitrates solution sufficiently mixed because one of the two is very heavy/sluggish in the bottle and you have to shake it quite a bit.
I did another 20 gal water change tonight, so that makes 2 today. I just checked, using the same test strips I have been using and my nitrates are 0 and my nitrites are 3. That is a 40 gal water change in a 55 gal tank and the nitrites didn't change???? I bought the API ammonia test kit; no ammonia. Thought it might be the strips, but used them on the other tank and they were fine. Looks like another day of water changes are in store??? Any other suggestions???
Trillianne-I didn't take it as a slight. Actually, I need someone to ride herd on me as I am still wandering in the desert. thanks
Have you tested your tap water?
I suppose its possible if you have issues with a septic or fertilizer (think farm or lawn) run off contamination issues... but if its above 1.0ppm that's above what the EPA has set for max contamination and I'd be in touch with whomever is responsible for your water. (link to EPA guidelines on Nitrites in tap water here)
If you live near enough to a pet store, perhaps take them a water sample and have them test. It seems odd to me that one is diluting and not the other.
If you don't have ammonia that is a wonderful sign! Honestly I think the problem here is the test strips. I used test strips on my ten gallon a couple years ago when I first got it. They were crap. Possibly yours have been compromised by excess light exposure or just aren't all that accurate to begin with.
The pet store tests with strips too, I don't think they'll do anything for you that you haven't done for yourself. I'm not saying you can't trust them at all, but to change 40 gallons in a 55 gallon tank with no change to nitrites, doesn't make sense.
The EPA's maximum contaminant level goal for nitrite in drinking water is 1 ppm. So of you had 3 in your water from the faucet, I think you'd have a real concern.
I say get those test values for nitrite and nitrate with your master test kit.~Manna
120 gallon FW bowfront in progress
Here is the AM update from my secret bunker in the desert:
Test strips still say 0 nitrates and 3 nitrites. I am on the road today and will not get back until this evening and won't be able to do a water change today.
Other actions:
1)I added Sachem Prime to the tank in the recommended dose to control the nitrites as I can't do the water change today.
2) Bought some floating plants for the tank. Have them quarantined for a few days to make sure they don't have snails. I got them from a big fish/aquarium store in downtown Phoenix and the dealer's tank didn't have any snails in it.
3) I tested the tap water with same strips, 0 nitrates/nitrites.
4) I will be getting a bigger hang on or cannister filter for the other tank and then use the spare hang on on the crazy out of control tank
5) Will order the API Master test kit on Friday after there is some $$ in the bank.
Am I going in the right direction?? Also, some of you have mentioned the cannister filters; here are my questions:
1) Inside or outside the 55 gal tank?
2) How noisy are they, (both tanks are in the living room)??
3) Am I ready for such a beast, or stick with hang on filters for now?
Thanks in advance for your help! I truly appreciate everyone's responses!!

subset: commoncrawl


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Pabongka Rinpoche Dechen Nyingpo Jampa Tenzin Trinlay Gyatso was one of the greatest masters of the 20th century and one of the most influential teachers in Tibet. He had acquired the teachings from the Sakya, from the Nyingma, from the lineage of Ganden Tendzin** and Ngulchu Dharmabhadra, and collected other valuable teachings from various venerated sources during his lifetime.
When there was some civil unrest and many Tibetans departed Tibet, Pabongka knew that he would not be able to leave. Therefore, he carefully transmitted all these important teachings to a single heart disciple, Trijang Rinpoche, who became the Tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama. In this way, all the transmissions could then be securely passed on to His Holiness, as well as, the other high Lamas of Gelugpa. This becomes the living foundation that is the Gelugpa Lineage we have today.
** Extracted from page 35 of Vajra Yogini Teachings by Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche (Publisher: Jewel Heart). This refers to Ganden Tenzin Namnyi and Ganden Dhargyey, who were master and disciple, and who took the teachings from the Sakya tradition and gave it to Ngulchu Dharmabhadra. The two Gandens are not so well known but Ngulchu Dharmabhadra is very well known and very famous.
Pabongka was born north of Lhasa at a town called, Tsawa Li in the Yeru Shang district of the state of Tsang in 1878. His family was part of the nobility and had owned a modest estate called, Chappel Gershi. It is said that on the night when he was born, a light shone in the room and people outside the house had a vision of a protector on the roof.
As a child, he has already exhibited unusual qualities and thus, was taken before Sharpa Rinpoche Chuje Lobsang Dargye, one of the leading religious figures of the day. Later on, he was found to be a reincarnation of the Changkya line, which included the well-known scholar Changkya Rolpay Dorje (1717-1786). The Lamas of this line had done much teaching in the regions of Mongolia and China, including in the court of the Chinese Emperor himself, and to be the Royal Tutor to the Emperors, that Lama must have been highly attained. This regal position has enabled him to accomplish a great deal for Tibetan Buddhist institutions in China, Mongolia, and Tibet. Changkya Rolpay Dorje was also the student of the Seventh Dalai Lama and a teacher of the Eighth. He was an important lineage holder in several adept traditions of both Father and Mother Tantras.
Changkya Rolpai Dorje
However, the name "Changkya" had strong Chinese connotations. As the Tibetan government and people were already sensitive to the pressures put on them from China, the name "Changkya" was ruled out and the boy was declared to be "Pabongka" instead.
There was a small monastery atop the rock named Pabong. Hence, he was eventually recognized and enthroned as the late abbot of that monastery. For this reason, Rinpoche is documented as the second Pabongka and was sometimes referred to as, "Pabongka Kentrul". It is commonly believed that he was also the reincarnation of Tsako Ngawang Drakpa, one of the main disciples of Lama Tsongkhapa and founder of Dhe-Tsang Monastery.
It was Sharpa Chuje Lobsang who foretold that if the young boy was to be placed in the Gyalrong House of Sera Mey College, something wonderful would happen with him in the future.
Pabongka Rinpoche's full name was Kyabje Pabongka Jetsun Jampa Tenzin Trinley Gyatso Pel Sangpo, which means the "Lord Protector, the one from Pabongka, the venerable and glorious master whose name is the Loving One, Keeper of the Buddha's Teachings, Ocean of the Mighty Deeds of the Buddha". He was also affectionately known as "Dechen Nyingpo", which translates into "Essence of Great Bliss" or "The King of Bliss from the Palace of Bliss", meaning a highly attained being who is already one with Heruka.
He was an extraordinary master for the Heruka Body Mandala and the Vajrayogini practice, and he had a special responsibility for the Mother Tantra.
There is a famous story of how Heruka actually appeared to Pabongka when he visited Cimburi in Tibet, where there is an image of Heruka. This is where the Blood drinker's mountains are and this name refers to Heruka – Drinker of Blood. Apparently, Pabongka went to this place three times during his lifetime.
When he first went there, this image spoke to him, opened its mouth and a tremendous amount of nectar came out. Pabongka collected the nectar from the mouth of Heruka while in the presence of sixty or seventy people. This nectar was then made into nectar pills. The Gelugpa's current nectar pills originate from there.
It is also stated that this very same cave in Cimburi where Pabongka received the nectar from the Heruka image was the place where Heruka promised him the following:-
"From now on, for the next seven generations, whoever practices my teaching, I will protect and help."
This is why Pabongka is also considered to be a living Heruka. Many people received the Heruka Body Mandala and every teaching on it from him. And if you happened to fall within that seven generation category, you are indeed very much blessed.
At the tender age of seven, Pabongka Rinpoche entered Gyalrong House of Sera-Mey Monastery. He underwent the usual studies of a monk, earned his Geshe degree and spent two years studying at the Gyuto Tantric College.
In the monastery, Pabongka did not show much scholarship, as though he was slightly on the dull side. The Geshes would often insult him and at times, they would even use him as an example to illustrate 'lesser intelligence'. He under-studied more than 38 Masters and one of them was Gondro Kendro Ngulchu.
Although Pabongka Rinpoche's academic career at Sera Mey College was not outstanding, he did complete his Geshe degree. However, he only reached the "Lingse" rank, meaning he was just examined within his own monastery and did not go on for the exhausting series of public examinations and debates that is required to attain the coveted "Lharampa" level. These would have been conducted at different monasteries, culminating in a session before the Dalai Lama and his teachers at the Norbulingka summer palace.
A young Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche
After having passed his Geshe exams, Pabongka began to receive teachings from a very important Master, Dagpo Jampel Lundrup. Dagpo Rinpoche was just a normal monk, and not even an incarnate Lama. However, under this Master, Pabongka started to develop by leaps and bounds. He studied the Lamrim, and everything began to flourish within him from then on. Dagpo Lama Rinpoche became his Root Guru.
Pabongka would visit Dagpo Lama Rinpoche in his cave and was sent into a Lamrim retreat nearby. According to Ribur Rinpoche:
"Dagpo Lama Rinpoche would teach him a Lamrim topic and then Pabongka Rinpoche would go away and meditate on it. Later he would return to explain what he'd understood: if he had gained some realization, Dagpo Rinpoche would teach him some more and Pabongka Rinpoche would go back and meditate on that."
Dagpo Gompa
It went on like this for ten years before Pabongka received any Tantra teachings from his Guru. Gradually, with consistent dedication, Pabongka became a Master of everything, outstanding in every single thing – to the point that even learned Geshes ended up going to Pabongka and consulting him.
Even though in the beginning, Pabongka was not a big lama at all in Tibet, he became an exceptional Master in forty years. He truly became the Master of Tibet in the 1920s through the 1930s, especially of the Gelugpa Tradition.
If we look at today's Gelugpa Lineage, tracing from H.H. Trijang Rinpoche, H.H. Ling Rinpoche to H.H. Zong Rinpoche, there is not a lama who is not a disciple of Pabongka Rinpoche, directly or indirectly. In one way or another, every lineage came through Pabongka.
As stated earlier, Pabongka Rinpoche was not high ranking at all and was even considered as a low ranking person when he first started but he became extremely popular. At that time, he did not have any ladrang at all.
Pabongka Rinpoche himself often shared how poor he was when he was young. He said,
"When I was young, I had nothing, no wealth at all and on top of that, no food to eat. Everybody had at least a little bag with barley-flour. For several days, I couldn't get any food. I ran from Sera Monastery down to the sand, filled my bag with sand, and put a little barley on top to smell and taste a bit. I lived on that for several days. This is what I did and look what I am today."
It was only much later when he became very popular that he was offered a little retreat-area by the Ngakpa College of Sera Mey Monastery. They offered him a large retreat complex on the hillside above Pabongka. The name of this hermitage was Tashi Chuling, or "Auspicious Spiritual Isle". Pabongka built a small meditation cell around the mouth of a cave located near his residence. When he was not busy on the road for his extensive teaching tours, he would retreat for long periods of time to do his private practice and meditations.
As a keen meditator, Pabongka Rinpoche emphasized Lamrim, Lojong and Mahamudra. He had his own unique way of learning and teaching that yielded the most impactful of results.
Pabongka had two main spiritual qualities – from the tantric point of view, his realization and ability to present all tantric teachings, and from the sutric point of view, his ability to teach Lamrim, or the entire graduated path to enlightenment.
He was unique in his ability to bring the complex ancient teachings to the monks as well as to the laypeople's level of comprehension. Hence, it is through him that a great number of lay people were able to learn and benefit from the Dharma. For this reason, he was known as the teacher for the common man and the monks. Similar to Buddha Shakyamuni who taught an enormous variety of people about 2,500 years ago, Pabongka Rinpoche did not teach from some predetermined syllabus. Instead, he taught according to the spiritual needs of the listeners. His influential teachings, coupled with his powerful way of conveying the Dharma made him a respected spiritual figure of his day.
It is said that Pabongka's teachings are so famous that thousands of people would come from far and wide to attend, especially when he gave initiations or conducted special prayers during festivals. Pabongka is well known for using his humour to elucidate the teachings. As some teachings could go on for ten hours, he would intersperse his teachings with jokes and amusing stories laced with moral values to keep his audience 'awake'.
One of Pabongka's great accomplishments was his ability to devise a way to attract and lead his listeners to every level of the Buddha's complex and highly technical teachings. On many occasions, he would address an audience that numbered up to several thousands of people, and yet everyone could hear him clearly. Back in those days, there were no such things as microphones or speakers. His voice was that powerful!
Pabongka's talks and teachings were known to have always left a profound and immediate effect on the listeners. A story that is worth highlighting is that of Dapon Tsago. He was a member of the nobility and had held a powerful position in the government that is equivalent to the Minister of Defence.
One day, this great general Dapon marched into the hall where Pabongka Rinpoche was giving a teaching, all decked out in his finest silks and with his long hair flowing in carefully tailored locks. At that time, this was considered the highest of fashion in Tibet. He had hung a great ceremonial sword from his belt and whenever he walked, it would make a loud clanging noise of importance, as if to announce his arrival. However, by the end of the first section of Pabongka's teachings, he was seen leaving the hall quietly, deep in thought. He had even wrapped up his weapon of war in a cloth to hide it, and was taking it home. Later, it was seen that he had actually trimmed off his warrior's locks. Finally, one day, he threw himself before Pabongka Rinpoche and requested for the special lifetime religious vows for laymen. From then on, he was seen to follow Pabongka around to every public teaching that he gave.
Pabongka was well known to be a realized and complete practitioner of Gelug. Although he did not say anything bad about other traditions nor discourage them, he always showed the extraordinary qualities of Tsongkhapa's teachings.
H.H. Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche
When Pabongka went to the Eastern Tibet, in an area called Kham, there were many Bonpos who attacked Pabongka. All the Bons in Kham gathered together and continuously, day and night, directed black magic against him. There were many incidences and they kept happening numerous times.
Once, Pabongka was crossing over a high pass and it was all covered in snow. Suddenly a huge storm appeared and everybody was carried up and down by it. There was quite a lot of damage – although there was no harm done to human life, there was much material damage. When they finally made it to the other side of the mountain, Pabongka told everyone not to enter his tent.
He sat in there for a while and when the thunder came, together with lightning, Pabongka would collect the lightning in his pocket, and kept it there for some time. Finally, he called out to someone and told him, "Take this here and throw it outside, that way." And when they threw it out, they could see a sort of red-coloured light and liquid inside the lightning. This burnt the grass and everything. Yet Pabongka collected it just like that.
It is a well-known fact that people from Lhasa came to see Pabongka Rinpoche every day. They even had to queue up. Pabongka's popularity was such that even the Thirteenth Dalai Lama noticed. At that time, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama was very powerful, holding all political, economic, military and spiritual power in his reign. However, Pabongka had thousands and thousands of disciples all over Tibet – from the three great monasteries of Sera, Drepung and Gaden, to the Government Officials, members of the Court and to the several thousands of lay people as well. Almost everybody was Pabongka's disciple. Hence, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama often observed Pabongka Rinpoche closely, but found no faults.
There was one incident in which Pabongka was summoned by His Holiness to prove that his Southern Lamrim Tradition called, Shargyu, was genuine. Somehow this tradition was not popular in Tibet at that time, and very little was known about it. Therefore, one could not find much proof of its source. It was not written anywhere in the regular texts studied in the monasteries. There were even talks amongst learned scholars of Pabongka introducing a strange system of a Southern tradition that he learnt from an old monk in some village in a corner of Tibet. Hence, people were trying to refute the authenticity of this Southern style Lamrim. In this respect, His Holiness had to do something to intervene and asked Pabongka to provide solid evidence.
The Southern Lamrim tradition was what Pabongka has studied under Dagpo Rinpoche. Being fiercely devoted to his Root Guru, Pabongka would not tolerate anyone disparaging his Guru's name or even remotely implying that his Guru was wrong in any way. So, Pabongka had to send a letter in reply to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama's questions.
At first, Pabongka did not think it was so serious. However, upon hearing that without concrete proof, he would have to declare that his newly introduced Southern Lamrim tradition to be a fraud and no one would be allowed to practice it, he was unwilling to risk any injury to his Guru's name. So, Pabongka thought for a while and then said to the Manager of his labrang, "Under these circumstances, I shall reply. I shall dictate and you go ahead and take notes".
Then Pabongka quoted, "The Buddha said in this sutra and that sutra and in the collected works of the Buddha in volume such and such this is written and right at this moment Your Holiness is sitting in your room and if you look at your back in the third shelf, open that book and read on page 146 at the back side the 6th line, there it says this, this and then, if you look at your left side, on the second shelf, the second volume number, this and this, pull that book out and there it says this, this, this…."
Pabongka continued, "This is the proof from the Kanjur and if you read this book by Asanga which is available in Your Holiness's room on such and such a shelf in the outer volume whose colour is this, and the inner book is this, and then, if you look at line this, line that, page number this and this, you will find it. And from the Tibetan tradition, look in the works of your late Master, Purchog Jampa Rinpoche, in volume number four of his collected works, which is in Your Holiness's bedroom on such and such a shelf and the colour of the cloth is this and the page number is that."
Pabongka Rinpoche was so precise and confident in pointing out the details for His Holiness to find every piece of evidence to support his Southern Lamrim tradition. This letter was then given to His Holiness's Chamberlain to be delivered into the hands of His Holiness.
When the Thirteenth Dalai Lama read it, he asked his Chamberlain to take out the exact books and volumes as described by Pabongka in the letter. Everything was proved right. Then His Holiness asked his Chamberlain, "Did you know and tell him I would be in this room?" The Chamberlain answered, "No." His Holiness did not comment any further.
(This is the photo of Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche framed and kept in Kyabje Zong Rinpoche's audience room in Zong Ladrang, Gaden Shartse Monastery when I arrived.)
In another incident, while Pabongka Rinpoche was giving a big teaching, he received an order from the Thirteenth Dalai Lama to make rain immediately. So, Rinpoche said to his disciples gathered there at that time that they should say the Lama Chopa. During the recitation of Migstema in the Lama Chopa, Pabongka directed his students in their visualization to create a cloud, and this cloud would in turn shower rain wherever that it was needed. True enough, rain started to fall where it was needed. Then after a while as the rain continued to fall, Pabongka made the rain stop as magically as he made it appear. It was said that on that very day, they got quite a good amount of rain.
Pabongka's unusual ability to teach was not an integral part of Tibetan culture. It is rather at the heart of the living transmission of the teachings of the historical Buddha from one great master to the next. It is, first and foremost, an oral transmission: the master teaches his gifted disciple continuously until the transmitted knowledge becomes the student's second nature.
Due to Pabongka's skill as a Gelugpa master, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama requested Kyabje Pabongka to give the yearly Lamrim teachings in 1925, instead of asking the Gaden throneholder (Gaden Tripa) as was customary. Usually the teachings lasted seven days, but these lasted for eleven days.
These were some of Pabongka Rinpoche's many amazing qualities.
Pabongka Rinpoche was also a perfect example of guru devotion. If anyone has read Pabongka's collected works, poems and so forth, one would know that he had always talked about his Guru, Dagpo Lama Rinpoche. In every teaching from Pabongka – be it Yamantaka, Vajrayogini, Heruka or Hevajra, Lamrim, logic or Prajnaparamita, he would always speak of his Guru.
It is common knowledge that whenever Pabongka visited his lama's monastery, he would dismount as soon as it appeared in view and would prostrate all the way to the door. This was no easy feat, because of Pabongka's large build. Yet he would do this religiously. And whenever he left his Guru's monastery, Pabongka would walk backwards until the monastery was out of sight. Only then would he turn around and get back onto his horse to proceed with his journey. Even when he was unwell while visiting his Guru's monastery, he would still dismount from his horse and make, at the very least, one prostration before continuing his journey towards his Guru's monastery.
It was also famous that Pabongka Rinpoche would not stand for anyone speaking ill of his Guru in any way or form. His face would immediately turn black. **
** Extracted from Guru Devotion – How to Integrate the Primordial Enlightened Mind –A Commentary on the Lama Chopa by Gelek Rinpoche (Publisher: Jewel Heart), whereby he was describing how Pabongka must reply the 13th Dalai Lama's questions on his Southern Lamrim Tradition. If Pabongka could not prove it, then he must admit that his Guru was wrong. Actual extract from the book: Pabongka's face turned completely black.
Pabongka's devotion was such that he even purposely chose to visit the Province of Dagpo where his Guru had lived, when he was about to pass on. He chose to pass away in the place where his Master had lived, at the age of sixty-three. That was the kind of Guru Devotion that Pabongka embodied.
(I saw this picture of Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche in a book. It was captioned "Pabongka, A high lama of Lhasa" I did not know much else. But upon seeing this picture over two and half decades ago, tremendous faith instantly arose in me. I was in Los Angeles. I didn't know why or didn't know much of Kyabje Pabongka at that time, but I photocopied this picture, laminated, framed it and kept it on my shrine in Los Angeles. I always felt great respect, faith and tremendous devotion to Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche. It is beyond me to know why. It was a natural stable faith that arose from deep within me naturally.
Same for Trijang Rinpoche and Zong Rinpoche. Just a natural faith very strong arose. The first time I saw Trijang Rinpoche's photo, I cried. I was maybe 12. The first time I saw Zong Rinpoche photos and was told he is Heruka, I developed instant and tremendous devotion that is strong in me now just as ever from that first moment. How fortunate I am to be in their lineage..)
There is a story of how Serkong Dorjechang of Gaden Jangtze, the "Holder" of the mystical Manjushri Wisdom book wanted to pass this "sacred responsibility" over to Pabongka Rinpoche, but Pabongka had been delaying it. So, in order to get Pabongka to come to him as soon as possible, Serkong Dorjechang started scolding Pabongka's Guru, Dagpo Rinpoche during a big teaching that he was conducting in front of a few thousand people. Serkong Dorjechang knew that if he insulted Pabongka's lack of respect through Dagpo's inability to teach his own student well, that act alone would be enough to make Pabongka Rinpoche go to Serkong Dorjechang immediately and receive teachings from him.
The day that Serkong Dorjechang died, Pabongka had a dream. He dreamt that he was going to see Serkong Dorjechang. A number of people had lined up and he had to do the same. Pabongka had a small bell and vajra to offer Serkong Dorjechang. When he finally approached the front of the line, Serkong Dorjechang was sitting on a throne and Pabongka had to look up. Serkong Dorjechang handed over to Pabongka Rinpoche the vajra and bell he was holding, and said, "Gold made, please take it." He gave it to Pabongka and took the small one Pabongka had. That was how the mystical Manjushri Wisdom book and teachings were transferred to Pabongka. That was how the transition was done.
Another interesting story revolves around the Manager of Pabongka's labrang. As this Manager was also a disciple of Pabongka, they shared a strong Guru-Disciple relationship. Unfortunately, this Manager was considered to be very wild. During Pabongka's teachings, he would not hesitate to give a slap to anyone who was not behaving properly in the audience. He would even pick up someone's shoes from the back and hit anybody. However, no one would dare raise a complaint because of Pabongka.
This Manager's previous incarnation was a Gyuto tantric college abbot. When people were supposed to look for his reincarnation, they decided not to go ahead with it at all. Finally, it was Pabongka who insisted that they should and must. Due to the unpleasant reputation of this particular incarnation, everyone was very reluctant as they feared he would turn out to be another wild one. They were most unwilling to bear the burden and shame of his non-virtuous actions, including the squandering of wealth. Yet Pabongka maintained firmly that they must, and when excuses were given, Pabongka rebuked them. He said, "There is so much wealth accumulated around here now, and even though the 'son' is throwing some here and there, there is still a lot available. You have only excuses. That is not right. They are not correct reasons. You have to look for the reincarnation."
In the end, they all had to obey and comply.
Apparently, this 'son' was the very same person who dissuaded Pabongka from accepting Reting Rinpoche's offer to become regent of Tibet in 1938. He stated that, "…if you become regent, all the good work you have done will be damaged. You will have to deal with political matters and then everything will be finished. Every commitment of the master-disciple relationship will be broken. There will be nothing, so please don't accept!"
That was what he requested and Pabongka was actually very happy about that. He rejected the offer and Talungdra became regent. In fact, Pabongka himself was famous for maintaining that a monk should never touch politics.
Pabongka was asked by Heruka and Vajrayogini to combine the Sakya Vajrayogini teachings with the techniques that Tsongkhapa had given for the Heruka practice. These can be found in Tsongkhapa's written works on the "Secret Precepts of Heruka", the "Elucidation of All Hidden Meanings". This is why Pabongka said that it would be good if he got a piece of cloth from a Sakya Lama and one from the Gelugpa Lama and weaved them together in order to create the great fabric of Gelugpa practice.** This is one of many magnificent contributions that Pabongka Rinpoche has made.
He asserted that we have to carry the lineage of the Sakya tradition, because Tsongkhapa only came in 1357 and the Buddha came some 2,500 years ago. There is a gap of one and a half thousand years. That is where the unbroken lineage becomes crucial, and in this case, it stems from the Sakya Tradition.
Pabongka wrote the long Vajrayogini sadhana called Dechen Nyur Lam, Short Path to Great Bliss. It encompasses all of Vajrayogini's practices. One really does not need any more detailed teaching than this. Pabongka said that from that book, there is not only the short lineage from Vajrayogini to him, but also the long lineage and the combined teaching techniques.
Pabongka Rinpoche in Heruka tantric dress
Many highly established scholars know that Vajrayogini has been Tsongkhapa's secret practice and that he kept it as his hidden heart treasure. However, it was Pabongka who made it very clear that Tsongkhapa had so many practices and had combined all of them together. He also added the Ganden Nyengyu which means not only oral, but it is a sort of teaching that is not given in public. It is more likened to a valuable family heirloom that is passed from relation to relation. Pabongka combined all these techniques and made it possible for lazy people like us to obtain Vajrayoginihood within the shortest time-span with very little effort. And this was how the Vajrayogini lineage had come through.
One of the most significant benefits of Vajrayogini Practice is that she represents the swiftest path to Enlightenment and one would gain control over their death and birth. At the point of death, one does not lose control over the entire process, but will gain control instead. Due to this, we do not have to go into uncontrolled ordinary bardo and ordinary rebirth either.
** Extracted from page 237 of Vajra Yogini Teachings by Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche (Publisher: Jewel Heart). .
In 1921 at Chuzang Hermitage near Lhasa, Pabongka Rinpoche gave a twenty-four-day historic exposition on the Lam Rim. This was attended by some seven hundred people, including lay people. Many monks came from the three major monasteries in Lhasa, and many more travelled weeks from the Central Province, from Tsang, and from as far away as Amdo and Kham. These teachings were eventually translated into English and published as "Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand" (Tib. rNam grol lag bcangs) in 1991 by one of Rinpoche's disciples who had attended the 24-day Discourse. This disciple was the famed Trijang Rinpoche and the book became the foundation of most Gelug teachers' Lamrim presentations, including those of the great Gelug Masters all over the world who are still alive and practicing today. The book conveyed a strong sense of what it was like to have been there with this remarkable Master.
Many listeners would maintain that they were always stunned by the power of Pabongka Rinpoche's teachings. Although most of the scholar monks may have heard some of the teachings before, the way in which Pabongka Rinpoche taught was very unique. Many students, monks and laypeople alike, felt like they were receiving more than a teaching. They felt they were also receiving a tremendous blessing.
Due to Pabongka's knowledge and practice, tens of thousands of people became his disciples, including numerous eminent lamas, powerful generals and even Chinese government officials and monks, who came all the way from Beijing and Shanghai to Lhasa in order to receive his teachings. Ribur Rinpoche recounted that Pabongka Rinpoche spent a lot of time contemplating on the practical meaning of the teachings and came to inner realizations of them. Pabongka Rinpoche also practiced and accomplished everything he had learnt, right up to the completion stage. It was widely regarded that Rinpoche did not just spout words, but tried things out for himself. He was always known to be very gentle and never got angry. There were many instances whereby long lines of people would be waiting to see Rinpoche and to receive blessings. Rinpoche would patiently ask each one individually how they were and tap them on the head. These were some of the things that made Rinpoche well respected and adored by many.
Pabongka Rinpoche had written a total of about a hundred different treatises covering a wide range of topics from both the open and secret teachings of the Buddha. It is said that he wrote extensively on every aspect of Buddhist thought and practice. These collected works cover about 15 volumes. However, it is really his students who played the most pivotal role in preserving his teachings. Many of the major works that we have today are actually records of his oral discourses compiled by his closest students.
Pabongka Rinpoche was also the teacher of most of the other Gelug Lamas who have been bringing the Dharma to the West since they fled Tibet in 1959.
Rinpoche's four main disciples were not just any disciples. They became great Gurus in their own right. They are Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Khangsar Rinpoche and Tathag Rinpoche. Tathag Rinpoche was the main teacher of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama when he was a child and gave him his novice ordination. Trijang Rinpoche and Ling Rinpoche were later appointed as the junior and senior tutors to His Holiness, and Ling Rinpoche was elected to be the 97th throne holder of the Gelugpa lineage (Gaden Tripa). Khangsar Rinpoche's Chinese disciple, Master Nan Hai, started a Buddhist movement in China which has survived to this present day, with tens of thousands of spiritual descendants and over a hundred monasteries and nunneries throughout China.
Sermey Geshe Lobsang Tharchin, another disciple of Pabongka Rinpoche, was a great Guru to many and the ex-abbot of Sera Mey Monastery. When Geshe Lobsang Tharchin met Pabongka, he was a wild teenager and was not considered a model student. However, all that changed when he met Pabongka at the Tashi Chuling Hermitage.
It was known that in private company or conversation, Pabongka was in the habit of constantly including the words, "Quite right! Quite right!" to everything he said. Geshe Lobsang Tharchin clearly remembered that on the day he met Pabongka Rinpoche, Pabongka had put his hand on his head. And Pabongka said, "Quite right! Quite right! Now this one looks like a bright boy!"
From that day forward, Geshe Lobsang Tharchin felt as though he had received Pabongka's blessing, and some special power to pursue his studies.
He shared this much:
"I can say it was here that my life turned around, for three reasons: Pabongka Rinpoche had put some renunciation and other good motivation in my heart. I had given up wealth and position to pursue spiritual studies."
If he had not met Pabongka, he would not even have studied so devotedly and became a Geshe. Many did not believe that he could master what he studied to become a Geshe. All because Pabongka Rinpoche inspired him so much.
Geshe Helmut Gassner explains:
"The great master Pabongka was, in the first half of the twentieth century, the pivotal or key lineage holder of the Oral Gaden Tradition. It was Pabongka Rinpoche's particular merit to locate and find all these partial transmissions, to learn and realize them, and bring them together once again to pass them on through a single person. In his lifetime there was hardly a significant figure of the Gaden tradition who had not been Pabongka Rinpoche's disciple. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was the one capable of receiving and passing on the entirety of the Oral Gaden Tradition once again. The cycle of learning and teaching continues. In this way, the Dharma remains eternal."
Pabongka Rinpoche would always urge all his students, "Practice whatever you can so that my teachings will not have been in vain. But above all, make Bodhicitta your main practice. You must pursue any of the other meditation subjects in the knowledge that they will assist your Bodhicitta."
Pabongka Rinpoche passed away in 1941. His holy body was cremated and his relics preserved in one of his monasteries, Tashi Choling in Lhasa, until it was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.
Over many centuries, Tibet has produced a repertoire of extraordinary Buddhist saints and scholars, but it is rare for a lama's teachings to become classics within his own lifetime, such as the works of Pabongka Rinpoche.
Without Rinpoche holding all the important lineages of sutra and tantra and passing them on to most of the important Gelug lamas of the next two generations, many students may not even have the benefit of learning the Dharma that we have today. To highlight an important fact, the "Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand' is the culmination of the Lamrim tradition in Tibet, tracing all the way from Tsongkhapa to Atisha, and to all the many illustrious great scholars and Masters throughout history within the lineage's Guru Tree.
As with all great Masters, most of their disciples would maintain that nothing is as significant to them – not their fame, riches or authority – only their Guru holds supreme in their hearts and minds. This is exactly what Ribur Rinpoche proclaimed,
"The only thing that matters to me is that I was a disciple of Pabongka Rinpoche."
In a way we are all disciples of Pabongka Rinpoche, because all our Gurus or our Gurus' Guru in the Gelugpa Lineage were all taught by Pabongka Rinpoche. He was truly the Guru of Gurus – the Grand Master.
A statue of Pabongka Rinpoche
Pabongka's foremost disciple, H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, praised his teacher highly in Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, as such:
"Our childish minds were unfit vessels for so vast an ocean of teachings, so precious a source of qualities. How sad if these teachings were forgotten."
H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche explains:
"Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche were tutors to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They taught His Holiness everything from basic teachings to advanced levels. Kyabje Pabongka passed all of his lineages to Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang. He often said this in discourses. The purpose of this detailed exposition is to affirm the power of the lineage. If we lose faith in the lineage, we are lost."
In Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey's commentary to the Wheel of Sharp Weapons, he says:
"Likewise, Lama Trijang Dorje Chang, Junior Tutor to His Holiness the present Dalai Lama, folds his hands upon the crown of his head whenever he mentions Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche. He was such a great lama, unsurpassed by any, that hardly any lamas or geshes of the Three Pillars (the monasteries of Gaden, Sera and Drepung) had not been his disciples."
Lama Zopa commented:
"Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo wrote incredible teachings on sutra and tantra; on Heruka, Tara Cittamani and many other topics. All these amazing teachings were written purely from his experience."
Rilbur Rinpoche, for example, was held and tortured during the Cultural Revolution for two decades and famously said:
"If I told you what happened on a regular basis, you would find it hard to believe." By all accounts he emerged from his trials with a heart full of love and forgiveness and, when asked how, he replied that it was due to the blessings and teachings of his root Lama Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche.
According to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, a highly regarded Lharampa Geshe, Je Pabongka was considered an emanation of the Highest Yoga Tantra Deity, Buddha Heruka. He explains how 32 reincarnate Lamas, including his own teacher Dagpo Dorje Chang, attended his Lamrim teachings in Lhasa:
"Dagpo Dorje Chang could hear statues of Avalokiteshvara and Tara speak, and saw visions of multi-armed Yidams (Deities). Once Kyabje Pabongka invoked the wisdom beings of Heruka's mandala to enter into a statue of Heruka Chakrasamvara. Heruka then offered nectar to Kyabje Pabongka, and prophesied that seven generations of his disciples would be protected by the body mandala of Heruka. Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang is cared for by Heruka Chakrasamvara, as are his disciples."
Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey gives an account of Pabongka's mastery of the practice in his commentary to Wheel of Sharp Weapons:
Once, in the cave-under-water, he experienced a manifestation of Yamantaka for nine days, while he himself was essentially Heruka Chakrasamvara. Further, he experienced a manifestation of Vajrayogini who told him of the benefits to be derived from merging the Vajrayogini teachings of the Sakya and Gelug traditions into one meditational practice. When he once made a great (tsog) offering beside a Heruka statue in Lhasa, the wisdom body actually entered into the statue. The statue danced and told him that whoever received Heruka initiation from him up to the seventh generator would be taken to the dakini realms.
This incarnation of Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche was after Dechen Nyingpo (the famous one in Tibet) and before the current one. This particular incarnation passed into clear light around 30 years old.
I had the great privilege and blessings to live with Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen of Gaden Shartse Monastery, when he had his own centre in Thubten Dargye Ling in Los Angeles, USA. I stayed there for about eight years with Geshe-la and he would give wonderful Lamrim teachings almost every Sunday. During those teachings, he told us that Kyabje Pabongka was very, very famous and very well-known in Tibet. His fame was all over in China too.
When Kyabje Pabongka gave teachings or initiations, there are certain parts of the initiation where he would invite the actual deities and their entourage to enter into each of our bodies, in other words, requesting the wisdom beings to dissolve into us, to bless us. When Pabongka did that, it was seen in the audience that many people would physically shake because Pabongka's power to bring forth these deities was real, and people would actually shake and feel them entering them and blessing them.
Geshe-la also mentioned that while Kyabje Pabongka was conducting the teachings, it was a very well-known fact that many people in the audience saw the third eye appear in the middle of Pabongka's forehead. Especially during Heruka teachings, a third eye would open up and people would see him with three eyes. It was very, very obvious.
I have also heard that when Pabongka did the blessing of his inner offering, there's a part where the Lama says, "…all faults, colours, smell, potentiality are gone and then it increases and boils." When Pabongka said those words, the inner offering in his cup would boil in front of him. Many people had witnessed this, and there was no fire there.
These are just some of the many incredible things that Geshe-la told us during his talks. Geshe-la, being who he is, remains without fault and is also perfect in speech. So, everything Geshe-la said, did and shared is absolutely true.
I have also read in the commentaries that, Vajrayogini specifically appeared to Pabongka in a vision. Not once or twice, but several times. In one of those visions, Pabongka was granted direct initiation by Vajrayogini. She promised him that those who received Vajrayogini from him, and inclusive of the following four generations, would be taken to Kechara Paradise within seven lifetimes. The usual timing for Vajrayogini's practice is that when you receive Vajrayogini's initiation, she promises you during the initiation, via the Lama, that you will ascend to Kechara Paradise within 14 lifetimes. That is a promise Vajrayogini gives the recipient of the initiation.
If you have received Pabongka's lineage of Vajrayogini within the four generations, you will achieve Kechara Paradise within seven lifetimes instead of the usual 14 lifetimes. So, basically, it's cut in half.
For example, Pabongka gives the teachings and practice to Trijang Rinpoche and so, that counts as the first. Trijang Rinpoche then gives it to Zong Rinpoche, which counts as the second and perhaps Zong Rinpoche gives it to me, which makes me the third generation. This means that I can ascend to Kechara Paradise within seven lifetimes. If my contemporaries and I practise well, and whoever I, or the people in my contemporary peers can receive it and give it to their students, then their students will be the last. So that would be the 4th generation and those students will be ascending to Kechara Paradise within seven lifetimes.
Now, if my students or my contemporaries, and their students give it to their students, then it goes back to 14 lifetimes. This is not a bad deal either. However, when you've been in samsara this long, the seven and 14 does make a huge difference.
I have read in the biographies that Kyabje Pabongka's lineage of Vajrayogini is very, very sensitive. In this context, the word "sensitive" means that this deity's practice confers her blessings very quickly because she is very close to him. This is not surprising as she is his consort and he is her's; they're one in nature. This is why Pabongka promoted Vajrayogini's practice during his lifetime.
There were "sang-de-jig-sum", Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, and Heruka, and Pabongka promoted Kalachakra and these great yidams of Lama Tsongkhapa. But for the common man, for the normal guy and for everybody during this time, he strongly promoted Vajrayogini because it suits us.
Pabongka was not a known scholar, but all scholars were under him. He was not labeled a great knowledge holder, but he became very knowledgeable. He is the type that didn't really debate or show off his knowledge, so he looked dull. However, when it came to teachings, the way that he taught and the power of his teachings clearly showed that he was very learned and that he was not ordinary.
Hence, I recalled that even in Kyabje Zong Rinpoche's private audience room, there would be a big picture of Pabongka right behind his throne, framed on the wall. I saw it myself. When my lama, Zong Rinpoche, believes in Pabongka and keeps a picture of him, Pabongka must be a Buddha because Zong Rinpoche is a real direct, very tough Lama and he won't accept anything easily. If Zong Rinpoche accepts Pabongka, then Pabongka is definitely something special. Pabongka's lineage of Vajrayogini that he recommended to all of us, is one that we should strive to achieve, we should strive to get and that we should strive to practice.
My personal statue of Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche
A few years back, a contemporary lama who is a very accomplished lama and also a Tulku, was visiting Gaden and I went to pay my respects to him. He's from Sera and at that time, the current Pabongka Rinpoche had a Ladrang in Sera Mey monastery. Pabongka Ladrang is situated along the circumambulation circuit of Sera. The circumambulation path goes around all of Sera Jey and Sera Mey and that path is still there now. I have been there and I used to circumambulate too when I visited Sera, it's beautiful. And if you circumambulate around Sera, you will walk past Pabongka Ladrang and from the circumambulation circuit of Sera, sometimes you can even get a glimpse of Kyabje Pabongka Choktrul Rinpoche on the verandah, walking around or at his window.
This elite senior Lama told me personally that every night, after a full day of giving Dharma talks and philosophical classes, he would go for circumambulation around Sera. And one day when he was circumambulating, he looked at Pabongka Ladrang and he saw the young Kyabje Pabongka Choktrul Rinpoche at the window. Pabongka Rinpoche was just looking out of his window and so this Lama folded his hands to Pabongka Rinpoche and then walked onwards for a few seconds.
Then he turned around and looked again at Pabongka Ladrang and in Pabongka Rinpoche's place, instead of a young tulku, he saw a lady, red in colour with dark hair. He couldn't believe his eyes – he stopped walking, rubbed his eyes and looked again, and he saw Pabongka Rinpoche once more.
Now, this master who told me this story is a great teacher, very renowned, a senior monk, and he is not prone to hallucinations due to his meditations. He told me that it was amazing, and I asked him, "What do you think?" And he said, "Maybe I have the fortune to see Pabongka's real nature, which is Vajrayogini". And I repeat, he said "Perhaps I have the fortune to see Pabongka's real nature, which is Vajrayogini". And I thought "Wow!" I've see all these great Lamas and all I see is who they are, as they are, unfortunately for me.
But I really believe in this Lama's story and what he told me. I know who he is and his reputation therefore it is totally believable. What is mean is, the Lama and the Yidam are really one, especially accomplished Lamas like Pabongka Rinpoche. So I thought I would share that with everyone and I thought it would be very nice.
On another post, I've already written some things on Vajrayogini that I would like everybody to read up on and follow, see and contemplate. In the lineages of Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, Kalachakra, Heruka and Vajrayogini, when you do their sadhana everyday, you have to go through the prayers of the lineage Lamas. Every single one of those sadhanas has their lineage lamas' supplication prayers and within that, Pabongka's name is included because he is our lineage lama. Therefore he is very, very important.
Tsem Rinpoche
Sermey Jetsun Khen Rinpoche Losang Tharchin on Pabonka Rinpoche
Khen Rinpoche, Geshe Lharampa, ex-Abbot Sera Monastery says:
KYABJE PABONGKA RINPOCHE DECHEN NYINGPO and his classmate, Gyelrong Sharpa Choje—known as Jangsem Choje Lobsang Nyima—went together very often to debate when they were at their monastery. Indeed, both of them became Geshes. Later Jangsem Choje Lobsang Nyima entered Gyu Me Tantric College and became a great scholar. He proceeded to become gi-go, an administrator, as I did, then Lama Umdze, then Abbot, and finally almost reached the position of Ganden Tripa.
Pabongka Rinpoche Kyabje Dechen Nyingpo's life proceeded in another direction such that he was later to become a very famous teacher of Sutra and Tantra, especially of the Lam Rim (Stages of the Path to Enlightenment) tradition. Whenever he taught, many people came from miles and miles around to attend his teachings. Everybody said he was an unbelievable expert on all subjects.
Later, when Lobsang Nyima had learned that Kyabje Dechen Nyingpo was going to be in nearby Chusang Ritro, his curiousity piqued from having heard so much relating to Kyabje Pabongka's fame coming from all quarters, he decided to visit him and so he brought along a pot of excellent yogurt as a gift for Rinpoche. During that visit they met for a long time discussing many points on numerous topics. Since Kyabje Pabongka had answered every one of his questions so thoroughly, Lobsang Nyima couldn't argue with him at all on any of the points.
Upon his return, when others asked about the visit he remarked: "When we were on the debate ground at Sera Mey, Kyabje Dechen Nyingpo wasn't an expert at debate by any means. At the time I didn't think he had learned very much. But now I understand that his way of studying and mine went in different directions. For instance, when we debated, I for my part, would apply reasons and quotations to back up my arguments, all the time focusing on the other debater. But Kyabje Pabongka, for his part, when studying, asking questions, giving answers, reciting quotations, giving reasons, everything, would focus all of these on himself, applying them to his own mind. Therefore, by using such a method, there is no way to argue with him on any of the points since he has mastered them all."
Sacred Name mantra of His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang Dechen Nyingpo:
Om Ah Guru Benza-Dhara Metri Shasana Dhara Karma Sarwa Siddhi Hung Hung
This is the illustrious Changkya Rolpai Dorje the previous incarnation of His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche Dechen Nyingpo
Other links to Pabongka Rinpoche
Surprise visit to Kechara House
Incomparable Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche
Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche in Tantric Dress
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team


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The Northwestern Journal of Human Rights (JHR) offers a forum for scholars, practitioners and law students to debate domestic and international human rights issues. By advancing human rights scholarship, the Journal aims to provide the legal community with the strongest arguments available to address human rights challenges. The Journal of Human Rights was founded in 2003 as the Journal of International Human Rights and adopted its present name in 2016 to better reflect its focus.
Current Issue: Volume 13, Issue 1 (2015)
A Call for the EU to Assume Jurisdiction over Extraterritorial Corporate Human Rights Abuses
Jodie A. Kirshner
Speech-Conditioned Funding and the First Amendment: New Standard, Old Doctrine, Little Impact
Heather Blakeman
Kiobel, Bauman, and the Presumption Against the Extraterritorial Application of the Alien Tort Statute
Ross J. Corbett


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Web Stories
Navy captain explores policy and special operations
Posted September 17, 2008; 05:20 p.m.
"Effectiveness in Public Policy: A Special Operations Perspective" is the title of a talk by U.S. Navy Capt. Brian Losey, director of combating terrorism for the National Security Council, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in 16 Robertson Hall.
Losey's role with the National Security Council focuses on policy related to weapons of mass destruction, maritime security, hostages and special operations. He has led naval deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was responsible for the planning and coordination of operations for more than 16,000 U.S. and coalition special operations personnel during the early stages of the Iraq war.
The lecture is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.


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Outreach in action
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We are proud to display our cutting edge research and facilities around NSW, and to host specific events which partner with industry and communities.
Science Alliance
Science Alliance was established with the aim of bridging the gap between Science at Sydney and high school science teachers.
If you'd like to find out more about our activities and get involved, please contact:
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Phone: 02 8627 1005
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Our work extends beyond the campus, informing and engaging the wider community to raise public awareness of agricultural, environmental and sustainability issues.
As part of our outreach program we meet with high school students, teachers and career advisers, giving them insight into our course offerings and forging links with the school syllabus. You can come and see us on campus, or we can arrange a visit to your school.


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Your little princess knows exactly what she wants – she's quite the ambitious one for such a young age! We're positive she'll fall in love with the comfy Little Ahi sandals from Reef when she lays eyes on 'em. These cute sandals feature a screen printed pattern on the footbed, a soft synthetic strap and a durable outsole with "Reef" lettering.
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|Winter Seasonal Essential doll
by Integrity Toys
Thank you to all of my dollie readers for putting up with my delayed Christmas doll photos! You guys rock!
|Winter Seasonal Essential doll
by Integrity Toys
like the face and hair...but what happened with her body? (",)
pretty me
I absolutely love the tiny Charlie Brown Christmas Tree XDReplyDelete
Wow, she has absolutely nice eyes!ReplyDelete
I'm glad you decided to go ahead and post some of your faves. Great accessories.ReplyDelete
Hello from Spain: I like a lot of these pictures. The doll is very pretty. I really like the lamppost. Keep in touch


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The Schlaube Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty, is considered the most picturesque valley in Brandenburg.
The Schlaube Valley nature reserve, part of the Oder-Spree lakeland region, is situated only about 80km east of Berlin. Originating in the meadows around Lake Wirchen, the river Schlaube meanders idyllically through wild and romantic valleys, marshy meadows, dense nature and vast forests, supplying picturesque lakes with crystal-clear water. This 25km trail starts in the spa resort of Müllrose, a town on three lakes known as the 'gateway to the Schlaube valley'. The route begins as a lakeside walk – beside the Grosser Müllroser Lake – before meandering through shady woodland beside the river Schlaube to the Ragower Mühle mill. It continues on narrow tracks and woodland paths to the Kupferhammer, one of the mills along the trail, which today serves as a restaurant. After the mill pond you arrive at Schulzenwasser lake with its two small islands, a paradise for waterfowl. Still walking beside the river Schlaube, you now come to several lakes in close succession, which you continue to follow all the way to Lake Hammersee. Perched on a hill here is Siehdichum Lodge. It's easy to see how it got its name: 'sieh dich um' literally means 'look around you'.
Bremsdorfer Mühle, a half-timbered mill with a water wheel, stands at the point where the Schlaube flows into the Grosser Treppelsee lake. From here, the river Schlaube meanders through the untamed valley to the former Kieselwitz mill. The Schlaube Valley Trail ends at its southern part on Wirchensee lake with the last mill of the route, the Schlaubemühle.
Tip: Ragower mill
Built around 1670, this grain mill is the only one in the Schlaube Valley with original machinery and a water-powered Francis turbine. The mill is open to visitors and the restaurant is well worth a visit.
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Not sure. Which one are you?
Not sure. Which one are you?
We cannot deny, however, that the Dems pilloried Romney for being a part of Bain, even for things that happened after Romney left Bain. Yet, I doubt that any of the MSM will even mention that a Dem PE firm is behind Hostess' demise. Wonder if the union bosses are also in tune with the fact that their battle has been with fellow Dems?
Seems like the Dems have achieved the ultimate in class warfare when their own constituencies are battling each other. Maybe the powers that were running Hostess anticipated that the union constituency would ultimately win this battle, so paid off those executives in advance?
And who gets the fuzzy end of the lollypop? Not the union bosses. Not those executives. Not the PE company. It was the 18,000+ workers who will have no job now. Yup, I can clearly see how this administration will "grow the economy from the middle out." Nobody bothered to explain how that concept works ... but it sure made for a good sound bite.
Last edited by Gerry Clinchy; 11-18-2012 at 05:52 AM.
"Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none ever happened." -Libby Fudim
I don't use the PM feature, so just email me direct at the address shown above.
the Democratic smear machine did a great job to villify Bain Capital, when they arent even in the Top Ten of Venture capital firms in the US.....but then firms like Warren Buffett's beloved Berkshire Hathaway gets a pass, same with Goldman Sachs who single handed controls more of the banking and stock manipulation here in the US..
I doubt the union or the union workers at Hostess care about the political affiliation of the persons at the head of the PE firm that acquired them, and I doubt the firm cared about the political affiliations of the workers. It was all about making money, and greed has no political affiliation.
The sad part is the workers will pay the ultimate price by losing their jobs. But, it's hard to see how the Obama administration can be held accountable for the failure. Hostess/Interstate Bakeries was in financial trouble long before Obama came along. All those jobs were in jeopardy 8 years when Hostess filed for the 1st bankruptcy. Ten thousand jobs were lost as a result of that bankruptcy (was that the Bush administration's fault?). Workers took wage and benefit concessions, and were forced into an ESOP. Poor management decisions are what led to the demise of Hostess, not the union. It's not like workers were being compensated with an exorbitant salary or benefit package.
This is really not a political issue. It is a poor management issue. The company failed, and people lost their jobs. It is sad, but it had nothing to do with either political party.
Amid the commentary on Hostess's failure is the company's lack of innovation . The tried to stand pat on their product line and had not introduced new product line for years. They really missed the changes in the market place and that had more to do with their demise than anything. The company had management problems for years and it was only a matter of time before the company would go bankrupt a second time--union or no union.
I don't want to feed an ugly dog!
I was chatting with our bread delivery guy about this the other day. He is an independant. Owns his truck and rout. Has a couple other brands on his truck other that the primary. Lots of bakery and drivers do this. If a truck is going to a store every morning, and has some empty space it just makes sence. Anyway, he was saying he could never add hostess cakes because of the union hostess workers used. The twinkies had to be on hostess trucks. The driver HAD to have a "puller" a second guy, not work alone. It is a Union lifestyle, my bread guys words. That is more than just the workers or the corperate bosses earnings. But how they have to do stuff. Instead of a lean and mean independant driver like my bread guy they, by the union they chose worked fat and happy. Again my bread guys words. And lean and mean beats fat and happy all week long and twice on Sundays! Just the way of the world.
"So what is big is not always the Trout nor the Deer but the chance, the being there. And what is full is not necessarily the creel nor the freezer, but the memory." ~ Aldo Leopold
"The Greatest Obstacle to Discovery is not Ignorance -- It is the Illusion of Knowledge" ~ Daniel Boorstin
There is also a local waste disposal company here that was started by a guy and his wife around 1960. In the beginning, he threw the garbage, and she drove the truck. His knees and back caused him a considerable amount of problems later in life. He had both knees replaced, and 2 back surgeries. He told me it was the result of lifting the cans and jumping on and off of the truck. Unfortunately for him, hospital workers dropped him after his 2nd back surgery while trying to move him from one bed to another. He is now a paraplegic.
Now, as an independent truck owner and business owner, like your delivery guy, are you willing to take more personal health risks for your own financial gain than you would be for financial gains going to the company or someone else?
Of course you would be. And the flip side. As a baker would you rather worry about trucks and maintenance and drivers, or just bake the best Twinkie you could? In this particular instance the product was legendary. The customer base was in place. The demand from the retailers was steady. You just needed to get the Twinkie from over to store shelf. Even the independent drivers are already in place. One would just have to open the kitchen door and ask, "Who wants to truck my Twinkie?" Independent drivers would win, the bakery would win, who is left out of the loop? Oh right, the union. And I am sure this delivery issue is just one of many that led to the Twinkie demise. One of many I am sure.
"So what is big is not always the Trout nor the Deer but the chance, the being there. And what is full is not necessarily the creel nor the freezer, but the memory." ~ Aldo Leopold
"The Greatest Obstacle to Discovery is not Ignorance -- It is the Illusion of Knowledge" ~ Daniel Boorstin


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hey gang,
Recently at a local flea-market I saw one of those gold Micromachine Classic Series exclusive sets; it was the one with the X-wing and Slave 1. It was still in the clear display box, and in fact it still had the sealed plastic bag over it.
Anybody here need it for their collection? I'm more of an Action Fleet collector and I also like to open all my stuff. I don't have the other 2 gold sets (there were 3 right?) and I know these are probably hard to come by these days, so if there's a hole in someone's collection they'd like to fill, let me know.
I'll give the SSG's MM gang first dibs, if no one here bites, maybe I'll put it on E-bay. Any idea what a fair price is on it?


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Got a call from the Colo DOW and they had a Bald Eagle chick that was about half grown fall from the nest. The chick spent a few days at the Rocky Mountain Raptor rehab facility before we got him home. There was a 2nd chick in the nest so the adults kept active on it.
So anyways I got to put him back. Felt good to touch an eagle again and be in a Bald Eagle nest.
You'd think he would have a happier expression now that he is home again...I don't think he likes me though.
The nest was very small by normal standards and I think he either got blown out or possibly could have been knocked out (accidently) by its sibling when it stretched or flapped its wings.


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By Stephanie Rebman/NEMS Daily Journal
Every day when Anna-Liesa Hussey goes to work, she has the chance to make a new friend or two.
As a waitress at Stables Downtown Grill for the past three years, Hussey keeps up with regulars and chats with new customers – all with a big smile.
"I like to get to talk and get to know people around town," she said. "I like to meet new people, and I get to eat good food all the time."
If you take a minute to chat, you'll learn the 28-year-old has done some interesting things so far in life, including nurture an interest in art and join the Navy.
After Hussey graduated from Mantachie High School and Mississippi State University in 2008, she returned to Itawamba County to teach physical education at Dorsey. She taught kids ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade. She also coached seventh- and eighth-grade basketball and fast-pitch softball.
One of her biggest moments coaching was when the seventh- and eighth-graders finally beat Fulton and won a tournament. They were one of the only teams to beat Fulton that year and wound up with a 29-5 record.
A competitive athletic nature was helpful when Hussey decided to join the Navy in June 2010. The first time she ever saw her dad shed a tear was when he retired from military service, and that meant something to her.
"My dad was in the National Guard for 42 years," she said. "I thought maybe I could join the military and enjoy it if he loved it that much – that it could be something I could try."
Hussey is now currently an active reserve, training in Millington, Tenn., and based out of Seal Beach, Calif. She's a master at arms, which is the Navy police.
Boot camp and Master at Arms "A" school in San Diego, Calif., were no problem because she said it was exciting to travel somewhere new. And, shooting M9s and M16s with paint bullets wasn't exactly boring.
"They travel more than anyone, and I just heard a lot of really cool stories from a friend who was in the Navy," she said. "I joined because I would get to meet people from all different kinds of places and do stuff there that I would never get to."
While Hussey has never been deployed, she said she would be proud to serve, which is a family tradition.
"My grandpa and my great-grandpa were in the Navy as well and they both were on Normandy Beach in World War II," she said. "My uncle was in the Navy as well, which kinda makes me fourth-generation Navy."
For now, Hussey's challenge is working on a master's degree in fine arts from the University of Mississippi.
One day, one particular customer helped fund her tuition bill with a friendly bet at Stables.
"A customer bet me one day that I'd be married within two years, and I said, 'How much?' So we bet $1,000 and I wrote it down and we both signed it and I taped it behind the bar. I got paid in October 2012," she said with a smile.
When not at Stables, Hussey is also working at Oscar's, raising her 5-year-old daughter, Allie, and working on acryllic and oil paintings. She's currently painting something that will be auctioned at a GumTree Museum of Art fundraiser.
Keeping fit is also important and she likes to wakeboard, hula hoop, run in races like the Warrior Dash and other fundraiser races around town.
Another piece of art she's working on is a tribute to her favorite singer, Jimi Hendrix, that's filled with his song titles. Maybe someone would like to make a bet on how many titles she can fit on there.


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Web Stories
Posted April 7, 2005; 04:25 p.m.
Sarah Coakley, a professor at Harvard Divinity School, will deliver a lecture on "Ecclesiastical Sex Scandals: The Lack of a Contemporary Theology of Desire" at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28, in McCosh 50.
The lecture is the fourth event in a three-year series offered by the Center for the Study of Religion, featuring speakers who combine strong interests in public affairs with rich understanding of theology, theological ethics, philosophy of religion and religious history. The series is sponsored by the Reynolds Trust.
Coakley is the Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School. She received master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Cambridge, as well as a master's degree in theology from Harvard Divinity School. A systematic theologian and philosopher of religion, her teaching also includes topics in feminist theory and theology, patristic thought and applied theology. She is the author of "Powers and Submissions: Spirituality, Philosophy and Gender" (2002) and editor of "Re-Thinking Gregory of Nyssa" (2003).
She is currently completing a co-edited volume, "Pain and Its Transformations" and is at work on a four-volume work, the first volume of which will appear as "God, Sexuality and the Self: An Essay 'On the Trinity.'" Coakley is an ordained priest of the Church of England and assists in parishes in Waban, Mass., and in Littlemore, Oxford, in England.


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Family: Phasianidae, Pheasants and Grouse view all from this family
Description ADULT MALE Has finely marked, dark brown upperparts, white on breast and side of neck, and black belly; latter is striking in flight, as are white underwings. Note white-bordered black throat and yellow wattles above eye, expanded during display. ADULT FEMALE Similar to male, but paler overall, with less distinct head markings and shorter tail. JUVENILE Similar to adult female.
Dimensions Length: Male, 26-30" (66-76 cm); female, 22-23" (56-58 cm)
Habitat Has declined markedly over the last 200 years due to habitat destruction and degradation (for agriculture), exacerbated by hunting. Favors sagebrush habitats and still very locally common; total population exceeds 100,000.
Observation Tips Easiest to find, and most rewarding to observe, in spring (mainly Mar-May) when displaying.
Range California, Western Canada, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, Plains, Northwest
Voice Male produces popping sounds during display, audible over a considerable distance.
Similar Species Gunnison Sage-Grouse Centrocercus minimus is similar to Greater, but appreciably smaller (L 22 in (male); 18 in (female)). Restricted to small areas in eastern Utah and western Colorado and population numbers just a few thousand. Similar habitat requirements and appearance to Greater; upper side of male's tail feathers are white-barred.
Discussion Large and impressive grouse. Males are particularly stunning when displaying. Ritual involves a strutting display with spiky tail feathers raised and fanned, head feathers held erect, and ruff of white neck feathers puffed up. Accompanied by wing swishing sounds and two loud pops caused by yellow air sacs on the neck being inflated and deflated (normally not visible). At other times, adopts a horizontal posture, emphasized by proportionately long tail. Typically gregarious throughout the year. Mostly sedentary although some food-related dispersal may occur during harsh winter weather. Feeds primarily on sagebrush, but also takes invertebrates in summer.


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Students are tasked with virtually designing a spacecraft to withstand the harsh environment of the Van Allen Radiation belts- the location of many communication, GPS and weather satellites. The details of the challenge, along with videos on... (View More) radiation, a materials list (including descriptions, densities, costs, and testing), and subsystems information are included. (View Less)
This is an online game associated with activities during Solar Week, a twice-yearly event in March and October during which classrooms are able to interact with scientists studying the Sun. Outside of Solar Week, information, activities, and... (View More) resources are archived and available online at any time. This is a scavenger hunt game to allow learners to review science concepts covered in previous activities. This game is scheduled to occur during Tuesday of Solar Week. (View Less)
This game helps students understand how multiple remote sensing wave bands can be combined to reveal new information about the weather. SciJinks is a joint NASA/NOAA educational website targeting middle school-aged children and their educators. It... (View More) explores weather and Earth science through articles, videos, images, and games. (View Less)
This project engages students in the science and engineering processes used by NASA Astrobiologists as they explore our Solar System and try to answer the compelling question, "Are we Alone?" Students will identify science mission goals and select... (View More) an astrobiologically significant target of interest: Mars, Europa, Enceladus or Titan. Students will then design their mission to this target in search of their chosen biosignature(s). Students will encounter the same considerations and challenges facing NASA scientists and engineers as they search for life in our Solar System. Students will need to balance the return of their science data with engineering limitations such as power, mass and budget. Risk factors play a role and will add to the excitement in this interactive science and engineering activity. Astrobiobound! will help students see how science and systems engineering are integrated to achieve a focused scientific goal. Includes an alignment document for NGSS and Common Core State Standards. (View Less)
This article describes the multi-camera instrument (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer or MISR) aboard the Terra Satellite; participants use information from the article to complete a crossword puzzle. A supplemental article entitled, "Clouds and... (View More) Earth" is included. The article is targeted to children ages 10-12. (View Less)
This website features a range of interactive games, hands-on projects and fun facts about Earth, the Sun, our Solar System and Space.
This article discusses how NASA, NOAA, and animal researchers work together using radio transmitters and satellites to track and study migration patterns of several animal species. Also included is a "Migration Concentration" game. The article is... (View More) targeted to children ages 10-12. (View Less)
Learners will play a card game to design a mission to Mars. This game will allow them to experience the fundamentals of the engineering design process as they use collaboration and problem-solving skills to develop a mission that meets constraints... (View More) (budget, mass, power) and criteria (significant science return). This activity can introduce many activities in technology education, including robotics and rocketry. The lesson models scientific inquiry using the 5E instructional model and includes teacher notes, vocabulary, student journal and reading. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Free
This is the culminating lesson in the MMS Mission Educator's Instructional Guide. Learners will choose and complete three activities about the MMS mission. Activity formats can include creating videos, composing songs, developing written materials,... (View More) constructing models, investigating current events, utilizing mathematics to explain concepts, and more. Depending on the project(s) chosen by a student, the activity may require student access to internet accessible computers. The MMS Mission Educator's Instructional Guide uses examples from the mission to introduce mathematics (focusing on geometry) in a real-world context. The lessons use the 5E instructional cycle. Note: MMS launched March 12, 2015. For the latest science and news, visit the MMS Mission Website under Related & Supplemental Resources (right side of this page). (View Less)
This is a game about data compression. Learners will use virtual foam balls to explore the different compression methods (lossless, lossy, and superchannel) used by the Earth Observing 3 mission.