How Can We Sleep While Our Beds Are Burning? | Venerable Chokyi | 8 August 2025

Venerable Chokyi is resident teacher at Hayagriva Buddhist Centre. Ordained in 2006 by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, she has held several senior posts at FPMT centres in Australia and international positions within the FPMT. Before coming to Perth, Venerable Chokyi was Spiritual Program Coordinator at the FPMT Centre in Sydney, Vajrayana Institute, for 10 years and in 2018 was appointed the resident western teacher at Chenrezig Institute, an FPMT Centre in Queensland.

 

- Unless otherwise noted, this shared collection of photographs was supplied by Vikas Kumar, Helen Richardson, Sharon Thrupp, Kathy Uno, Deanne McKenzie, Sandra Henville and Venerable Thubten Chokyi who travelled together from 1 – 15 June 2025, to the place mapped in this presentation.

- Maps produced using ESRI © OpenStreetMap contributors

- Videos of chanting nuns at Dormaling Nunnery and traditional Tibetan dancers near Norbilingka and were recorded by Sandra Henville 10 June 2025

- Vicki Mackenzie (1998) Cave In The Snow, Bloomsbury Publishing, 1998

- Khyentse Norbu (2000) The Cup Film Release date: 20 April 2000 (Australia); Director: Khyentse Norbu, Producers: Raymond Steiner, Malcolm Watson

- Geleck Palsang (2022) Amala - The Life and struggle of Dalai lama's sister (2022) Director: Geleck Palsang. https://youtu.be/nkkb7hkRRCY?si=qbrfcR0MSBY_O-F9

- Tenzin Yankyi (2025) Golden Flowers of Dhamma. Director: Tenzin Yankyi 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_IftsyDwFk

- Presentation compiled by Sandra Henville

Every year, the monastic community (Monks and nuns) go on a three month retreat called the “Rains Retreat” from mid July to mid October. During this period, they do not visit our centres for teachings as it’s a time for deepening their own practice. While the monks and nuns are away, we will have some interesting guest speakers coming in to give the Friday Night talk.

Dust in Our Eyes 2025 (Rains Retreat Speakers' Series 2025) Hear stories of everyday dhamma as told by monastics and lay practitioners from various Buddhist traditions.

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