For me stupa is a cosmic symbol

For me stupa is a cosmic symbol

It is somehow representing 3D mandala, and as my Guru Munko lama said – it is a direct connection to the Shambala.

Classically stupa (in Pali literally meaning "heap") is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the ashes of deceased, used by Buddhists as a place of meditation.

Very different understanding to compare with my Guru`s explanation. I always believe what Guru said, and I like his version. It gives new perspective for Kalachakra as well, and then stupas are like cosmic antennas.

When I built my last stupa in Estonia, happened something strange. We built it on countryside, quite nice place. When stupa was ready, all offerings and other rituals were made by me. Week later night time I waked up at the night time, and I went to another room. In another room was sleeping my friend. He was awake and told me to look at the stupa.

I took a look and it seemed like stupa was in fire, mostly like somewhere near would have been big fire that reflects from stupa. He asked me: "What is this?" I coudn`t answer because I saw such strange thing first time in my life. We went out to take a closer look and when we get 5 meters from stupa, it disappeared.

No explanation. Three days later came another friend to see me, and again night time he told me that stupa is shooting towards to the heaven some sort of big blue bubbles.

They were the same size as stupa base and very bright, I have 8 witnesses. And it happened with last stupa, never before. Then I started to believe that mu Guru was right. I just thought how could he know this?

When you look at the classical explanation: "The stupa is the oldest Buddhist religious monument and was originally only a simple mound of mud or clay to cover relics of the Buddha (cetiya)"

Stupa is staying in Estonia and now it is quiet. No bubbles no fire anymore. It happened just when I finished the dedication ritual to the deity of stupa. I have asked around different lamas who have built stupas and they didnt know what to say about this.

Now I feel that I have to build more stupas because connection with Shambala may be useful (joke).

Thangkas are easy. I just meditate and I see them.

King`s uncle from Bhutan said that they are not real thangkas. Maybe he is right but as I see, the problem in our days is that most thangkas are just copied from others, and nobody wants to sit down and meditate a week . Probably they think it is vaste of time. In my case, I see thangkas all the time but I don`t have time to, let say build them because I am doing Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia. And it takes all my time. To be honest, last years - no time to teach so to say. And I a probably too conservative, I need to have people who want to know more - philosophy, how is built Buddhist view of world, psychology, rituals, and so on.

Maybe I am wrong but people often need as I say a Light Buddhism. Some mantras, couple of yidams, little peace of text to hit and that`s all. I need always more. I want to see what is behind the Buddhism because an example Padmasambhava.

We know from where he came, even his birth is unnatural. It doesn`t mean that I don`t believe that he existed, not at all. When mythological language is used in texts, it always has background symbolism and that part is most interesting for me. I understand that I produce some sort of my own terminology to explain things, but I guess it,s my nature.

Estonia

As I haven`t been in Estonia 10 years, so it is hard to say. Of course in our days everybody is interested in Ati yoga or Dzogchen. I guess there are millions already who are interested about it. My opinion is you have to be better prepared to get into Dzogchen.

As much I know Kagyu is quite popular in Estonia, and there is some Nyingma and of course Dzogchen. To be honest, I am unable to describe how looks Buddhist life in our days in Estonia,

Working with Encyclopedia takes all the time. Too much work and I am alone. The best for me was how we established Estonian Buddhist Brotherhood. It seems that it was the first such organization or group of people who was gathered together by me. We had a house in Tallinn and all started from there. We studied little bit Tibetan, I mean not me but the others because I already knew Tibetan.

But I got my pronunciation from Buryatia and they got it from Mongols, so I can read and translate but when I try to communicate with Tibetans they just laugh at me because they don`t understand me or Buryat pronunciation. Estonian Buddhist Brotherhood even put together a book to learn Tibetan. Where the first original don`t know because I was expelled from the Soviet Union and I had no possibility to take something with me. It is sad.

But lots of books were translated about Buddhism, I mean about Tibetan Buddhism. I studied in Gelug but I have always counted myself as Nyingma. In Ivolga monastery others were making jokes that Nyingma is spying in Gelug monastery. I liked to be there. Now my Guru is dead

and I hope he reached Pemakö. He was a doctor lama and he tried to turn my interest toward to medicine. I was not so bright because I didn`t want to be bright in medicine. I was interested in philosophy. Guru told me that philosophy cannot heal the body, I told mind is more important then body. At the end he understood it is meaningless for me to deal with Tibetan medicine, you have to study many years and so on.

About Estonian Buddhism. We, the Estonian Buddhist Brotherhood, built the first stupas in Northern Europe.It was called Brotherhood but actually we had more feminine members who helped with translations, for example Anu Rootalu who is a Tibetan medicine doctor now. I guess it was nice start for Buddhism in Estonia, all Brotherhood visited Ivolga monastery where I studied. It was nice and light time.

For me at least.

I don`t know how much I have to write

Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia or Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia

First I made little encyclopedia about Buddhism in Estonian, it is very small, a few thousand words. When I was doing this encyclopedia, it came to my mind that Estonia is so small country, I can do something bigger.

When I went to Australia I decided to start a new and bigger project and it was, or it is Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia. At the beginning everything looked bright, I was in China, talking tothe people and many people promised to help. I started encyclopedia with one friend, now I have been doing it alone. It came out that many people promised but as we all know, we can change our plans.

Everybody said it is too big project. Professor Lewis Lancaster from Berkeley was a first person to support my project. I made the announcement about CBE in Berkeley University. In my vision, Tibet and China have been opposite side ideologically through history and they both have very bright religion approach .

They both are nations who were able to build up such high culture. Problem is that Tibet has always been non violent but China choose another form of ideology and trough this new ideology destroyed the base of Tibetan culture.

Tibetans found a way how to survive and get help from Tibetan Buddhism.They escaped their homeland and brought with them ideology what is more than 1000 years old, and they brought their ideology to the West.

The same time in China started to grow interest in Tibetan Buddhism. It means Tibetans started to occupy Chinese cultural territory. In China I met lot of people who said that they have Tibetan lama as a guru.

First such nice person I met in Beijing was Kunkun Duan. Nice lady and she supported me a lot. She had Tibetan lama as a Guru. First Chinese who I met was deeply, I could say, in Tibetan Buddhism. I could say I was lucky. And I met others as well.

Then I understood that Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia must have place for Tibetan Buddhism. The first thought to use Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia as a base for Tibetan Buddhism came already in Estonia, but it was just a glimpse.

First time in Beijing I understood that idea is already placed in Chinese ideological soil by Tibetans.

And interesting is the fact that they didn`t do anything special, they just talked about their view of the world, and they gave Tibetan Buddhism to the West. At the same time interest about Tibet and their Buddhism started to grow in China

My problem is that I am alone, working 18 hours per day, sometime two days in row. At the beginning there were many people but they disappeared fast. So I have been done it alone already 4 years.

I have asked about the world an example computer programmers to help with scripts what I use in CBE until now no one has reacted except my friend in Stockholm who has dedicated lot of time for CBE and amazing guy Eugene Rossin. problem is he is a big boss in company and not so much time to deal all the time with me so I need more people I have to say who could help little bit.

As a Tibetan Buddhist myself I started from Tibetan Buddhism in CBE. I was in China and called to Drepong in India and told to the monastery that I want to build up a big project by name CBE.

They started to shout at me how you could do this when you are Tibetan Buddhist. I cut the call and understood that no need to explain to them the real purpose of CBE. I guess I will do it until I die.

Sad that none supports me, I have to pay for the servers myself and for all other costs.

As I mentioned, at the beginning Kunkun Duan and his friends helped me a lot.

Now many years I am just my own.

Interesting, I just came to Stockholm and tried to contact with different government and other organizations in regards CBE . Even Swedish Royal Academy of Science didn`t pay any attention, nobody answered, no one showed interest. The same time many universities all over the world have shown their support. Probably Swedes do not know about China. It seems so by their reaction when you talk abo6t China and Tibet.

When I was in China then people were amazed that a Swedish person is doing CBE. I didn`t tell them that I am more Estonian than Swedish.

Strange everywhere

People often ask me from where are you and my answer is Sweden, so then I am always Swedish. But it seems that Sweden doesn't care about China or CBE, it is sad.

About Australia

I lived in Perth. Perth knows very well Ajahn Brahm, I know him too. I think he has done amazing work to build up a monastery in Christian country.

It means that Hinayana influence is quite strong I guess. Ajahn Brahm is popular among Australians plus there are many Asians who visit the monastery, I saw it myself.

Perspective for Buddhism in Australia we can see in time. I left Australia because Chinese doctors said - when you want to live longer you have to move to the cooler climate.

Now I am back in Stockholm, I live in friend`s apartment and I have 6 square meters to use. For me and for my computer it is enough but I have huge amount of books and some manuscripts. For them I need at least one small room.

New Year' wishes:

===Year 2020, Metallic Rat

We all know the story of the rat and Jade Emperor. Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party.

The Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived at the finish line, Rat jumped down and landed ahead of Ox, becoming first. That is a nature of the Rat. They are able to turn unlucky events into fortune.

I wish happiness to each house, to each person, to each living being here in Sansara. No war, no suffering. And for ourselves the most important thing in our life Teachings of the Buddha.