Get to know Lama Ngawang
Earlier this year, our sangha celebrated the auspicious elevation of a new teacher, Lama Ngawang, whom many of you have long known and cherished as Master Xi.
A deeply respected artist and professor at the University of Utah, Lama Ngawang has brought his wisdom, reverence and creative brilliance into our space. We are profoundly honored to welcome him as a guide and teacher within our sangha.
Lama has graciously agreed to share a bit of his story with us - offering his reflection in both his native language of Chinese - and also in English for our community. Through these reflections, we glimpse into the sincerity and depth of Lama Ngawang’s journey - a life shaped by inquiry, devotion and the courage to embody the dharma across cultures and languages:
Born in China, Lama grew up in an environment where Buddhism was already engrained in daily life. His hometown of Kaifeng is also home to significant temples like Xiangguo Temple and the Shaolin temple nearby, so naturally, he was surrounded by Buddhist influences from a very young age.
“What truly drew me in, however, was encountering texts like the Diamond Sutra and especially the Platform Sutra (Tanjing) around the age of sixteen,” Lama shares.
The Platform Sutra had a profound impact on Lama as it introduced the idea of realizing one’s “true nature.”
“At that time, I didn’t fully comprehend its meaning, but it awakened a deep curiosity. I began to see how my previous way of viewing the world was rather dualistic and conceptual. The sutra opened a path toward a more fluid, open, and compassionate understanding of life and of the nature of mind itself.”
He continued to study Buddhist texts - particularly the foundational Mahayana texts such as the Madhyamakāvatāra and others that focus on this idea that wisdom and compassion are inseparable.
At the young age of nineteen, Lama came to the U.S and immediately faced language barriers and cultural differences that tested his understanding of Buddhism.
“I realized that if the teachings remained only theoretical and couldn’t help me face real-life difficulties, they would be empty words. It was like reading a manual about riding a bicycle instead of actually getting on and riding. That experience inspired me to integrate Buddhist practice into daily life. Though challenging, it became a turning point—from theory to lived experience.”
Eventually, Lama met his wife, who we all lovingly know as Dawa. Also a Buddhist, she discovered Urgyen Samten Ling during a Chenrezig Puja Ceremony.
“At the beginning, I wasn’t entirely sure if this was the right path for me, but I was deeply moved by our teachers, their teachings and the sincerity of the sangha. After a period of quiet observation and participation, both my wife and I felt in our hearts that this is indeed the right path for us.”
Although Lama Ngawang has only recently been elevated to the role of Lama, he has long served our community with tireless dedication - quietly supporting our teachers, our sangha and the continued flourishing of Urgyen Samten Ling.
Lama Ngawang’s story in his own words:
我成长在一个佛教自然融入日常生活的文化环境中。在我的家乡开封，有几处非常重要的寺庙，比如相国寺，以及不远处的少林寺——无论是佛教徒还是非佛教徒，都会前去参访。从小我就被佛教的氛围所环绕，尤其受到禅宗思想的影响。
真正让我被佛法吸引的，是我大约十六岁时接触到的《金刚经》和《坛经》。其中《坛经》对我影响最深。它让我第一次接触到“明心见性”的思想。那时我还不能完全理解这些道理，但它在我心中点燃了深刻的好奇心。我逐渐意识到，自己过去看待世界的方式太过二元和概念化，而《坛经》为我打开了一条更流动、更开放、更具慈悲心的理解之路——去体会生命本身与心性本质的深层意义。
此后，我持续学习佛法，尤其是一些大乘佛教的基础经典，如《入中论》等，它们让我更深刻地理解了“智慧与慈悲本为一体”的道理。
十九岁来到美国后，我面临语言障碍与文化差异，这让我重新思考如何将佛法落实到生活中。我意识到，如果佛法只是停留在理论上，不能帮助我面对现实中的困难，那它就只是空谈。就像读了很多骑自行车的手册，却从未真正上车去骑一样。正是这种觉悟让我开始把佛法从理论转化为实践。虽然过程艰难，却成为我生命中的一个重要转折——从理解佛法到真正“活出”佛法。
我的妻子Dawa也是一位佛教徒。她最初是在一次观音法会上认识我们的贡巴（Gonpa）。起初我并不完全确定这是否是适合自己的道路，但我被上师的智慧、教法的深度，以及僧团的真诚所感动。经过一段时间的观察与参与，我和妻子都在心中感受到——这确实是我们想要走的道路。
A Call for Volunteers in SLC…
This month, we are making a call for volunteers who live in or near Salt Lake County. On Saturday, October 18th at 10am., we’ll gather at our storage unit to help consolidate and circulate items that have been safely tucked away since Urgyen Samten Ling’s last move.
📍 Location: Public Storage, 1560 West North Temple
Jinpa will be there with the gate code, so please arrive on time so that he can welcome you!
This is a great way for you to accumulate merit by serving the Dharma in a hands-on way. It is also a lovely opportunity to feel more connected with your fellow practitioners by working side by side.
Not to mention - all of the treasures that you may get to discover inside of our unit from Dharma items and texts - to household items like baskets, vacuums and shovels.
We will have a big U-Haul to load up a lot of old items that simply need to be delivered to the landfill as well.
Whether you can say all day or only have an hour, your presence will be a great benefit. Even small efforts are deeply valuable when offered with bodhicitta.
If you have questions or suggestions to help, feel free to email Jinpa directly at semerad@hotmail.com.
We’re excited to work shoulder to shoulder with you in the spirit of joy and service - and in the process, help to circulate these items back into our community where they belong.
Deeper Guidance on the Ngondro…
In the Vajrayana tradition, the doorway to all higher practices begins with Ngondro - the “preliminary practices.” Though they are a simple foundation for practitioners, this practice is profound, transformative and complete in and of itself.
Ngondro invites you to purify obscurations, accumulate merit and open your heart fully to the blessings of the lineage. Committing to these practices daily help us to prepare the ground work - so that the most subtle and powerful teachings can take root. Once you start to get familiar with the Ngondro - all of our other rituals start to come together and make sense!
We understand that beginning your Ngondro practice may feel intimidating as it asks much of us through devotion, discipline and even courage - but taking it step by step and breath by breath, it becomes a path of great beauty.
If you have been formally given the Ngondro practice but need more support and guidance on working through it, Lhamo Khandro offers a guided Ngondro Practice every Saturday from 10-11:30am MST.
These sessions are for those who are actively working on their accumulations - or ready to begin - and wish for the support of community and a teacher as they walk this courageous path.
➡️ Click here to join Ngondro this weekend.
As always, please reach out to us if you need any support or have any questions on your path. We are here for you!
Lhamo’s advice for beginners on the path…
Over the last few weeks, we’ve had the joy of sharing reflections from our senior teacher, Lhamo Khandro, who leads our sister sangha, Tahri Marpo Ling. We’ve shared her fascinating origin story, how her sangha came to be and also her devoted connection to Green Tara.
In this final installment of our series, Lhamo shares her advice for beginners and the guidance that she offers to anyone just stepping onto the Buddhist path. We hope that you all feel encouraged and support through her words of wisdom, whether you are new to our community or a seasoned practitioner.
Lhamo first shares the importance to make sure that Buddhism is really your path - and equally how momentous is is to find a good teacher from an authentic lineage:
“Test-drive the practices they give you. If they bring you more loving-kindness, compassion, joyousness and equanimity to your life, then this is a litmus test. It let’s you know that your chosen path is bringing blessings into your life, and the lives of others.”
She warns beginners to check carefully - that this path may not be for you, as it is not for everyone. But if you decide to continue to pursue your training in Buddhism, you must find the right teacher - and practice what you are taught in great faith, trust and devotion.
“Be very respectful, delve deeply into the nature of reality. Tend to your vows. Be one who is more interesting in giving than taking. Ask questions. Strive to create and maintain harmony with others. And mostly, learn to stay and work things through.”
She reminds us that it’s easy to come to Buddhism, but it’s hard to stay - as many people leave Buddhism at the first disturbance that comes along - rather than see it as an opportunity to grow and change and develop more patience and compassion - and to hone communication skills.
“A sangha is like an alchemical retort - a container is which we let the teachers and teachings ‘cook’ and transform us - from our most base characteristics intro the pure gold of Enlightened beings. It takes much time, trust, faith and devotion to allow yourself to be changed - eventually into bodhisattvas and buddhas. Along the way, there’s so much joy to be found.”
We are in deep gratitude towards Lhamo for generously sharing these teachings with us. We hope you have enjoyed feeling the inspiration from them - and attaining more of a connection with our teachers here at USL. We look forward to continuing this series as we share more about our Sangha with you!
If you’d like to connect with Lhamo’s teachings this week, you can join her on Fridays at 10am MST for Green Tara practice, as well as Saturdays at 10am MST for Ngondro.
Lhamo Khandro and Green Tara on the Feminine Path…
We’re honored to share more from Lhamo Khandro, who leads our sister sangha in St. George. This week, she speaks about her connection with Green Tara and what it means to practice the Dharma as a woman in our lineage.
Green Tara, the Mother of all Buddhas, is known as the embodiment of compassion, protection and guidance - always appearing in ways that meet us as we are. As Lhamo Khandro explains it:
“Tara has vowed to always take rebirth as a woman, so that she can be a source of motherly compassion and love for all, and an inspiration for women. She’s the embodiment of the feminine divine, appearing in 21 forms — some peaceful, some wrathful. For me, Tara has been and still is very instrumental in helping me stand my ground when it’s important, and in offering the kind of patient, protective wisdom I once turned to my own mother for.”
In her reflections, she reminds us that Tara’s blessings are not only something we receive - but something we are called to embody ourselves:
“After finding such good help in Tara, the next step is to ask: ‘But what about everybody else?’ This is Bodhicitta — the wish to practice and spiritually evolve for the sake of others.”
When asked about her experience of being a female Lhamo in a lineage largely shaped by men, her response was both honest and encouraging:
“Ultimately, Buddhas are neither male nor female. They only appear so, to be of help to us. The same is true for us - we each carry both masculine and feminine qualities. Still, it can be a challenge for women in practice. Perhaps this female manifestation will allow me to meet the needs of others — to inspire women, and men, too.”
Circling back to her her first spiritual role model - her mother- which serves as a gorgeous reminder that we can find our most profound teachers in all traditions:
“Every morning she got up and read her bible quietly, never imposing it on anyone but herself. When I was sad, she would help me think of someone else, and reach out to them. She was a nurse, and sort of like a Zen master. In a tense moment, she would usually say something kind of wise and unusual, like – “Well, don’t worry. Civilizations come and go.” She was good at training our minds. I hope that I can be like her.”
Lhamos teachings are an inspiring reflection of true devotion, openness around the challenges of practicing and a reverent example of what it means to embody the feminine qualities of wisdom, compassion and strength.
We hope that you enjoy reading these teachings and feel a deeper connection with our lovely leadership at USL. Stay tuned for next week where Lhamo shares some advice for beginners students walking the path.
If you’d like to connect with Lhamo’s teachings this week, you can join her on Fridays at 10am MST for Green Tara practice, as well as Saturdays at 10am MST for Ngondro.
Spotlight on our teacher, Lhamo Khandro
One of the things that makes our sangha so special is the people like yourself who bring it to life. As we’ve shifted to being fully remote, it’s understandable that you miss the feeling of being in the same room together and learning from one another. To help us feel a little closer, we’re starting a new series where we’ll introduce to you some of our community members and what they share with us here at Urgyen Samten Ling Gonpa.
We’re beginning with Lhamo Khandro who leads our sister sangha, Tahri Marpo Ling in St. George. Many of you already know her for her kind and gentle approach to teaching, and for those of you who do not know her, we’re excited for you to get to know her story:
Lhamo Khandro actually started her auspicious journey as a Zen Monk and practiced at Kanzeon Zen Center for 15 years. In early 2011, she made the decision to turn towards the Tibetan Buddhist branch of Buddhism with Genpo Roshi’s blessing and began her studies at USL with Rinpoche.
“The highly devotional nature of the Vajrayana path was such a relief to find,” says Lhamo.
“I’ve been very blessed by Roshi, Rinpoche and the many lineage holders of both traditions. Such an unfolding of Karma!”
In the fall of 2017, Tahri Marpo Ling was founded.
Rinpoche and Lama Palden were holding a retreat that weekend in St. George.
“The ordination ceremony came as a great surprise to me, and happened during the retreat’s closing puja. I was quite stunned when I realized what was happening. Blessing-tears just came out of my eyes for the rest of the day, in wonder and out of appreciation. It is so powerful when you know that your teachers believe in you.”
During that retreat, Rinpoche called Nepal to request a name for the new sangha - that is when Tahri Marpo Ling was born - “the place where the red rocks protect.”
Tahri Marpo Ling is a very kind group of practitioners that feel fortunate for the guidance of our teachers and ability to connect despite distance - thanks to Zoom!
“We all have our foibles, and it’s a part of practice to grow out of them and care for each other. Everyone is welcome,” says Lhamo.
You can join her on Fridays at 10am MST for Green Tara Practice and also Saturdays at 10am MST for Ngondro practice.
Click here to join her classes anytime.
Lastly, as we receive your thoughtful responses from our recent Sangha Survey - we want you to know that we are always here to answer your questions, whether you have a simple question for Tenzin, our secretary - or if you need further guidance from one of our Lamas or Rinpoche - simply email us at USLgonpa@gmail.com and we will respond in a timely and thoughtful manner to get you the support that you seek.
Stay tuned next week for more about Lhamo’s teachings and her connection with Green Tara!
Getting to know Green Tara:
The Goddess of Swift Compassion
Legend says that Green Tara was born from the tears of Chenrezig, the diety of unconditional love and compassion.
While he wept in sorrow for the suffering of the world, Tara arose in a fierce feminine form and vowed:
“I will always be reborn as a woman to serve and liberate all beings.”
She is known to be the first Bodhisattva to work for the benefit of beings in a woman’s body.
At the time, this was a radical feminist act that directly refuted the gender hierarchies of our spiritual tradition.
She affirmed that a woman’s body is not an obstacle for enlightenment, but in fact - a vehicle for it.
As a dakini, she teaches through both gentleness and fierce compassion.
She is the embodiment of wisdom, intuition, action and liberation beyond the duality of a perceived gender binary.
Through her practice, we chant the mantra Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha.
ཨོཾ་ཏཱ་རེ་ཏུཏྟཱ་རེ་ཏུརེ་སྭཱ་ཧཱ།
This mantra is meant to pierce through out fears, remove our obstacles and call her energy in as our swift protector.
Remember, in Tara practice we are not calling upon something that is outside of ourselves.
This is a practice to invoke the dakini within - and connect with our powerful lineage of women who refused to remain small.
This practice is a way to reclaim your spiritual power, step into your fearlessness and embody the fierce love that the goddess gives to us.
Join Lhamo Khandro for Green Tara Practice every Friday morning at 10am MST.
A message from Rinpoche:
Thank You For Your Prayers + Celebrating Lama Ngawang
In your practice, as we have just concluded, we will continue the recitation of the mantra and therefore support a Global Peace Initiative that is not just focused on Buddhist community - but also the world wide planet.
If we could all gather together in Loving-Kindness and Compassion, we may bring about a change in this world, starting with ourselves, our households, our societies.
Our practice is supported with a smile, with humility and with great Loving-Kindness that is naturally engrained in our consciousness - but our society blankets it and covers up our child-like love and ability to “get along in the sandbox.” This is why we must practice.
Sometimes we just engage in our spiritual practices to bring about our own inner happiness - but I’ll remind you that we sit on this seat to be of benefit to others. By having this attitude, we benefit ourselves. If we do not start with benefitting ourselves and extending it out to others - we simply cannot benefit ourselves.
These practices can be challenging to the Western Ego because it is not about transforming the self, it’s about aligning the self with the higher collective consciousness. We are seeing the beginnings of it and feeling the desperation of that need right now.
It is imperative that we make change in this moment.
However small we may feel at this moment - it is about the seeds of brining transformation to enhance and draw the growth of our humanity.
Currently, our humanity is being eroded away by ignorance, misplaced desire and anger. I invite you to ask yourselves this question in your practice:
What am I doing?
Why am I doing?
How am I doing?
When am I doing?
… and for whom?
The answers should always come back to the singularity of oneness of all sentient beings - every single one of them. Even the ones that we are currently struggling with - we should see all of them as our own mothers.
If we can find compassion through that strength - we can change right now in this moment. That which is day becomes the night - and night always becomes day, doesn’t it?
Sangha, are you doing enough with faith, devotion and trust that brings a transformation within yourself that you can share with others?
And through that transformation - radiate those blessings outward? Absorb the lessons and recognize that we are the vessels of light, compassion and love.
It starts with ourselves.
For this reason, we must continue to engage in our practices with clarity of trust, faith, motivation and perseverance through the difficult times we face.
As I always say: ”Things may be difficult, it is my karma - and I joyously accept.”
To all the sangha of the compassionate teachers and gurus of the infinite universe, may you not just persevere, but also - be joyous and compassionate in your heart, and extend that out to others.
Blessings of Peace, Harmony and Wisdom,
Rinpoche 🌺
Prayers for Compassion July 11th
We are so excited to officially announce the dates of our next in-person event - our annual Prayers for Compassion celebration.
This year, the weekend of July 11th - we celebrate the 90th birthday of our spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
It is our tradition at USL to spend one weekend in prayer to accumulate over one million prayers together.
In Vajrayana practice, it is said that when we gather together in prayer, the merit generated is multiplied by the number of people participating.
Practicing in a group magnifies the blessings - and that is our intention for this powerful celebration - to honor His Holiness, bless all sentient beings and create positive ripples of love from our city - emanating infinitely outwards.
Mark your calendars for July 11th when we kick off the weekend virtually:
Friday, July 11th - Virtual.
7-9pm: Opening Ceremony / Transmission of the Mantra.
Saturday, July 12th - In-Person @ Utah Tibet Association.
135 W. 2950 S. Open to the public!
9-11:30am: Session 1
1-3pm: Session 2
*Will also be streaming virtually.
Sunday, July 13th - Virtual.
10-11am Chenrezig Practice.
Noon-3pm Culminating Ceremony.
Please prepare to spend as much time as you can over these three days, accumulating the Mani mantra — Om Mani Padme Hung — and reporting to us your daily numbers by emailing USLgonpa@gmail.com to help us reach out goal of one million by the end of Sunday.
If you’d like to start preparing for the big celebration, now we invite you to come to Chenrezig practice every Sunday at 10am MST.
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