Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism’s Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousnesses
The Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche Conducts the Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism’s Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousnesses
Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, the Vajra Guru of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taiwan, is the only Ngakpa Rinpoche of Han lineage that has achieved accomplishments through genuine practice in the history of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang of Tibetan Buddhism publicly gave recognition and conferred the Dharma name “Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.” Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is concerned about the well-being of the sentient beings and has taken a vow of great compassion to help all the sentient beings alleviate their sufferings—to gain liberation from the sea of sufferings. Therefore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been presiding over the auspicious Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage, which has been held annually ever since 2005. This grand puja is held to propagate orthodox Buddhism, to purify human minds, and to bring blessings to Taiwan. (Click here for photo album of Grand Puja of 2005) (Click here for detailed news of Grand Puja of 2006) (Click here for photo album of Grand Puja of 2006) (Click here for detailed news of Grand Puja of 2007) (Click here for photo album of Grand Puja of 2007) (Click here for detailed news of Grand Puja of 2008) (Click here for photo album of Grand Puja of 2008) (Click here for detailed news of Grand Puja of 2009) (Click here for photo album of Grand Puja of 2009). In order to fulfill the wishes of the many believers who want to attend the Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche decided to hold the great puja at the Taiwan World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall on October 3, 2010 instead of the Taipei Arena. The 2010’s great puja for transferring consciousness was attended by 20,000 people (Click here for detailed news of Grand Puja of 2010) (Click here for photo album of Grand Puja of 2010).
According to the benevolent Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, an indiscriminated puja refers to a puja in which its sponsors are not announced as one’s wealth and social status are not indicative of his virtues and merits. Any sentient beings with favorable karmic connections can attend the grand puja and receive equal blessings and protection from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Therefore, representatives for the auspicious ritual of mandala offerings to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and the guru presiding over the puja, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, as well as the 1000 representatives for previous pujas and 2000 for the 2010’s puja to light the lamp offerings to the Buddhas were not preselected. Participants personally took part in a draw for representation at their entrance to the venue on the day of the puja.
In the Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness, 2009, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang donated 2 million NTD in cash to the Department of Social Affairs in the Ministry of the Interior as reconstruction fund after the Typhoon Morakok through Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Additionally, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche donated another 2 million NTD in cash, plus 4.23 million NTD offered by participants at completion of the puja and made a total donation of 6.23 million NTD to sponsor the reconstruction after Typhoon Morakok. In sum, an amount of 8.23 million NTD was donated to serve as post-disaster reconstruction fund. The Ministry of the Interior also sent letters of appreciation to His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche afterwards.
Admittance to the annual Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness is free of charge as are the transference of consciousness and the ceremonious lamps to be used as offerings during the puja. Under the guidance of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and without the necessity for outside fundraising, as always, the disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center have pledged over 10 million NTD for the previous pujas and 20 million NTD for the 2010’s puja to cover the cost of the event. Furthermore, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would donate his personal contribution and all the attendees’ offerings during the Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness to the Ministry of the Interior at completion of each event. With donations made to implement charitable and social welfare services for the needy, the sentient beings have thus been able to form virtuous connections. Delegates from the Ministry of the Interior, a lawyer, an accountant, and bank representatives would be invited to the puja venue as witnesses of the donating process. The total amount of donations made by Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche from 2005 to 2010 was over NT$ 30 million NTD. Each year, the Ministry of the Interior would particularly send letters of appreciation to Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.
Without need for public advertisement, the compassionate aspiration of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche became well-known simply by word of mouth of the disciples from the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center. Each great puja would be completely full and attended by many physically challenged and severely ill people who had to stay in bed. Although the number of participants was extremely large, all of them would remain silent and reverent during the puja under the great influential power of Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche sympathizes with the sentient beings and keeps hardships for himself. With incredibly profound meditative power, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would complete the great puja, which normally takes a whole day to perform in Tibet, in just about 3 hours. Throughout the six years, more than 7,4000 believers have attended the pujas. Attendees included believers who particularly traveled to Taiwan for the puja from places such as Japan, Hong Kong, Holland, France, India, New Zealand, Australia, the US, Britain, the Philippines, Brazil, and Mainland China. Additionally, the pujas were also attended by Ngakpas, Geshes, Khenpos, lamas, nuns of the Drikung Kagyu, Drukpa Kagyu, Nyingma, and Gelug lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as monks and nuns of Exoteric Buddhism, who all came to the pujas on their own initiatives. The previous Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Pujas for Transferring Consciousness were all auspiciously perfected and innumerable sentient beings received salvation. In the past 6 years, over 241,000 names of the deceased were entered into the list of consciousness transference. With his immensely great loving kindness and compassion, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche exerted his vast virtues and merits and tremendous powers through his tantric practice and transferred all the sentient beings that participants wanted to help to the Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha.
At perfection of the Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness on October 3, 2010, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche painstakingly stood on an electric car to circumambulate the whole puja venue so as to cleanse and sprinkle nectar over the 20,000 participants, purifying their body, speech, and mind. In order to fulfill the needs of the sentient beings, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche disregarded his old age, cervical dislocation at the neck, severe scoliosis, lack of cartilage in his right shoulder joint, and pain in his wrist and elbow. Even though his Dharma robe was soaked, Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued to sprinkle the pure and clean nectar with a heavy bunch of auspicious grass that carried lots of nectar to the participants waiting with extended waving arms. The process took as long as 40 minutes. To satisfy the needs of the sentient beings, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche benefits the sentient beings regardless of his own physical burden, fame, or wealth and devotes himself completely. It could also be seen that Most Venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is a true accomplished tantric practitioner that has achieved attainments through genuine practice. The scene was utterly auspicious and touching, above all (Click here for detailed news of Grand Puja of 2010) (Click here for photo album of Grand Puja of 2010).
Even though no public advertisement was employed through press or electronic media, such a great number of participants came to the occasion. It served as a living proof of the great loving kindness and compassion of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Furthermore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once said that the sentient beings coming to the Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness would not have been transferred if the officiating practitioner did not have great loving kindness, compassion, or immense powers. Without being transferred, these beings would follow the officiating practitioner. Over time, the practitioner’s heath would be affected and the puja would not be held continuously. Nevertheless, the number of participants for the Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness increased gradually and seats were taken faster than ever each year. What’s more, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s practice during the puja has been conducted more smoothly. It shows that the attainment of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is on a rise and his influential powers know no boundaries. Additionally, it serves as an indication that each Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness has been auspiciously perfected. The innumerable sentient beings taking part in the events have received Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s help, attained liberation from the sea of sufferings, and been transferred to the far shore.
Updated on November 2, 2010