Chagdud Gonpa Foundation is an international Nyingma Buddhist organization, founded in 1983 by H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche (1930-2002), a highly revered meditation master, artist and Tibetan physician who taught extensively in the East and West. Through its many activities, which include offering public teachings and retreats, translating, and publishing texts, Chagdud Gonpa Foundation upholds and preserves the arts, philosophy, and meditation practices of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Above: The Ice Cream Bike at the Blue Lake Music Festival
The main seat of CGF in North America is located in Junction City, CA at a center named Rigdzin Ling. This summer we wanted to have public outreach with the local community and, with bike culture flourishing, what more of a fun and exciting opportunity could it be to offer the Rock The Bike “Ice Cream Bike” at local events? The main event for showcasing the bike was at a local music festival that has been ongoing for nearly 20 years in the small town of less than 700 residents that is shared by our center. The festival also showcased a pedal-powered stage which, by pure coincidence, was also designed and created by Rock The Bike. In addition to the main event, we brought the Ice Cream Bike to our local Farmers’ Market for five weeks, and also to our local monthly Art Walk. At each of these events, we provided a booth with literature about upcoming retreats and teachings at Rigdzin Ling and let the Ice Cream Bike draw people in.
Above: Kids at Weaverville Farmers’ Market churn up some ice cream
We were successful with our outreach. We made positive connections with new people visiting the center and attending retreats and teachings. Making these appearances locally communicated that our center is a public entity that welcomes visitors. The Ice Cream Bike could very well be the coolest thing that folks in this part of the country have seen, and we are thrilled to have made the decision to purchase one for one of the main seats of CGF in South America, at a center named Odsal Ling just outside of Sau Paulo, Brasil! I hope that this helps bike culture flourish in South America and I am so happy to be a part of spreading pedal-power starting from my chance encounters with Rock The Bike in the Bay Area at local bike events to the extent of places in which our Buddhist activity flourishes.