On November 15, 2009, the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducted an auspicious puja of Longevity Buddha at the Regent Park Hotel of Jarlandar in Punjab Province of northern India. There were four hundred and eighty-two attendees, including three hundred and twenty local Indian believers (among them, twenty from the hotel requested to participate on their own initiatives after they knew there would be such an auspicious puja) and one hundred and forty-four disciples of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taiwan. Since 2007, this is the third time Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has presided over a Tibetan Buddhist puja of Drikung Kagyu at this major city of Sikh region to benefit sentient beings. His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche especially sent three lamas with a dharma throne, musical instruments, a dharma table from Jangchubling of northern India to help with setting up the mandala, the embellishment of the throne and the rituals of the puja. Additionally, Khenpo Namdol also came from Yunnan Province of China to assist the puja. The gyaling and dungchen (Tibetan long trumpet) brought by three lamas from Jangchubling, northern India have been used by His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche when presiding over pujas. Additionally, the dharma table has been also used by His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche. All these have indicated that Rinpoche Dorjee Rinpoche is the heart son of His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s accomplishment and his position in the lineage is highly honored.

The puja commenced at 9:30 in the morning. Soon after Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended to the throne, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened that attendees ought to acknowledge our motivation. At the beginning, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche recited the dharma text of Four Refuges and Four Immeasurables which was our motivation. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, then, continued to recite the Seven Branch Prayer, including making repentance, imploring Buddhas to reside in the world, etc. The ritual of making offering can help attendees to accumulate merits so that they can obtain opportunities to listen to Buddha Dharma.

Making offering consisted of three parts; the first was making offering to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the second was making offering to sentient beings in the heavenly realms and gods of local religions, and the third was making offering to sentient beings in the ghost realm. Making offering to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas was to accumulate our merits to obtain opportunities to learn and receive help from Buddha Dharma. Making offering to sentient beings in the heavenly realm and gods of local religions was to prevent them from being jealous to the Buddhist puja. Hence, it was the hope that they can also benefit from Buddha Dharma. Making offering to the sentient beings in the ghost realm was to avoid their hatred toward attendees due to their incapability of participating. In so doing, ghosts might not disturb the puja and allow the attendees to participate smoothly.

And then the ritual of mandala offering followed, which was carried out by five Indian believers who were chosen from drawing a lot as they entered into the venue. On behalf of all sentient beings, these five Indians presented mandala to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. After the ritual, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche explained the meaning mandala offering. First was about the mandala plate of “Mount Sumeru.” Buddha enlightened that in our galaxy there are four planets where human beings reside in. Five pillars were sculptured onto the plate. Four of them represent the four planets. The pillar in the middle represents the Mount Sumeru depicted in Buddha Sutra, where all sentient beings in the Heavenly Realm live in different levels of the Mount Sumeru according to the different achievement of their merits,. The five-colored ribbon tied onto the plate also denoted certain meaning, but Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not explain it today.

Other objects used in the ritual of mandala offering included a Buddha Statue, a Dharma Sutra, and a Sarira Stupa which represent making offering to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, respectively. Therefore, this ritual of mandala offering represented that attendees made offering with the most precious objects to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Additionally, during the ritual of mandala offering, the Ceremonial Hat Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche wore was bestowed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s guru His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche after His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche recognized Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s the position of accomplishment, approved the color and appearance of this the Ceremonial Hat, and particularly instructed the lama to make it in Nepal;; it was not made as anyone’s wish. Wearing the Ceremonial Hat meant Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was in no difference with Buddha to conduct the puja here.

Following mandala offering was the recitation of imploring the transmission of Buddha Dharma. After Sakyamuni Buddha obtained realization, at first he did not speak a word. There would be no conditions to teach Buddha Dharma if no one implored. The first to implore Lord Buddha was an emperor from the Heavenly Realm. Hence, to learn Buddha Dharma, you need to implore in person so that you will obtain the conditions to hear your guru’s teachings.

The dharma conducted today was the ritual of Longevity Buddha. Buddha has three kinds of manifestation: Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya-kaya. The Longevity Buddha was the Sambhogakaya of Amitabha Buddha. Longevity Buddha is also known as Buddha of boundless light or Buddha of boundless life. Our lifespan of this very life was resulted from the accumulated virtues from past lives. It will be shortened because of the evil deeds we have done in this life; to the contrary, it can be prolonged by the virtuous deeds we’ve done in this life.

Many fortune-tellers had all said that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would only have a lifespan of 45 years. At the age of 36, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche began to practice Buddha dharma. At the age of 47, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche got skin cancer which was the karmic retribution Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche obtained from liking to eat meat and live seafood before Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had practiced Buddhism. At that time, many Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s disciples who were doctors suggested Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to do surgical operation and chemotherapy. But Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche followed none of the suggestions. The skin cancer was cured by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s practicing Buddha dharma. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been alive all this time and now is 62 years of age.

All sentient beings, including humans and animals, are composed of six major elements, but two of them are related to Buddha dharma so Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will not get into the details of them. The four major elements were earth, wind, water and fire element. The earth element consists of our skin, flesh, skeletons, and organs. Wind element is our breath and the “chi” circulating in us. The water element includes blood, fluid and hormone. Fire element provides us energy; elderly people would gradually lack of appetites because the fire element has been depleted, which would result in insufficient energy to digest food. By the same token, the skin of the elderly would wrinkle because they lack of water element. The limbs of newborns are full and supple, but those of elderly are dry and stiff, which indicates that the four major elements of the elderly have been used up. If the four major elements are imbalanced or are not in harmony, we are more likely to get ill. When the four major elements are exhausted, we’ll die. Neither doctors nor religions can help with the exhaustion of the four elements. Eating more nutrition won’t replenish the four major elements, either.

Conducting the ritual of Longevity Buddha could help everyone avoid many deceases, devils, wars, disasters, accidents, droughts, the harm of poisonous snakes and insects, and untimely death. And the most important of all is to supply and maintain the four major basic elements in everyone’s body to give all of you a better health. Conducting the ritual of Longevity Buddha today, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche hoped that everyone could have a better health so as to have strength to do more virtuous deeds and to have good opportunities to practice Buddha dharma in the future. In addition, because Longevity Buddha is Buddha Amitabha’s Sambhogakaya, all of you who have attended the puja today will have more chances to go to Buddha Amitabha’s Pure Land in the future.

Dharmakaya has neither form nor language; Sambhogakaya is manifested in response to the prayers of sentient beings; Nirmanakaya could be an object, a sentence, a matter, or a person; anything could be Buddha’s Nirmanakaya, as long as it could benefit sentient beings. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s guru, the 37th throne holder of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, has once enlightened the disciples that any thing or action which can help sentient beings is all Buddha dharma. The ritual of Longevity Buddha was also transmitted to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche by His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche personally.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche just came to India yesterday from Nepal, after attending another puja there. Yesterday at seven o’clock in the morning, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche took a flight from Nepal and arrived at New Delhi sometime past eleven o’clock (in the morning). Then Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche immediately came to Jalandhar by car. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche arrived at Janlandhar in the evening, it was already very late. There were lamas attending today’s puja, some from Yuannan province of China, some from northern India, and some from Ladakh. In addition, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also brought a group of disciples from Taiwan to help preparing for the puja. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche travelled specifically from far away to preside over this puja without expecting anything in return, only hoping that the puja could help this place and its people. Buddha dharma does not distinguish the appearance, the language, the culture, and the race of sentient beings, since all of human beings are the same, being the combination of the four major elements and containing the same essence. Buddha dharma will help any sentient beings in need without any distinction. As long as someone in some place needs Buddha dharma’s help, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will go there to help, expecting nothing in return.

Then, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche started to conduct the auspicious ritual of Longevity Buddha. During the ritual, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened the attendees that the ritual included making offerings and the text of the ritual described the appearance, merits, and vows of Longevity Buddha. Then Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led all attendees to recite Longevity Buddha’s mantra. After that, holding a precious vase representing Longevity Buddha’s body in the left hand and holding a five-colored flag representing the universe and its five elements in the right hand, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche visualized himself as Longevity Buddha to help all attendees. Furthermore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked all attendees to straighten up their bodies to receive the energy from him; then Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche waved the five-colored flag, using Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s own energies, to replenish everyone’s four major elements. In addition, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche let all attendees, including believers and disciples, one by one line up and walk to the mandala to receive Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s blessing by touching the previous vase held in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s hand. After receiving the blessing, all attendees were given a nectar pill and nectar. To express their utmost reverence, many female believers of Sikhism placed their scarves on their heads when receiving Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s blessings by touching the treasure vase with their heads. All attendees were extremely touched by and grateful to the undifferentiated and unreserved profound blessing that attested Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s selflessness and compassion to exhaust his entire energy to benefit sentient beings.

The last ritual of the puja was practicing the ritual of dharma protector. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened all attendees the reason why we needed to practice the ritual of dharma protector. Because of the dharma protector’s help, this puja could then proceed smoothly and completely. Hence, we should thank the dharma protector. The yidam deity of the dharma protector ritual conducted by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is the dharma protector, Achi, of Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Every lineage of Tibetan Buddhism has its own dharma protectors. Achi dharma protector is the grandmother of the Drikung Kagyu lineage founder, Jigten Sumgon. Achi dharma protector treats all sentient beings well. Even if you are not a disciple, since you have come to attend the puja of Drikung Kagyu lineage today, as long as you have enough faith and reverence to Achi dharma protector, she will protect you as well.

After the completion of the dedication prayer, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened all attendees that although at the beginning of the puja Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had said that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had expected nothing in return; but now Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was still asking something in return from everyone; it was that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked everyone to adopt a vegetarian diet. All the wars, disasters, and accidents in the world are all related to the killing of sentient beings; if everyone can have a vegetarian diet, the number of disasters will be greatly reduced. Having a vegetarian diet will also render a person to grow old less quickly; and the person’s skin will be more flexible with fewer wrinkles as well. Medical science has also proved that having a vegetarian diet will benefit one’s health. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is already sixty-two years of age this year, but Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s appearance does not look as old as that of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s actual age, just because of being a vegetarian. Therefore, if all women here wish yourselves to grow old more slowly, to look prettier and more attractive, you should have a vegetarian diet, vice versa for all men here.

In the end, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche thanked Mr. J.P. Singh. Because of Mr. J.P. Singh’s arrangement and assistance, today’s puja could be successfully conducted and completed. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also thanked the participation of all attendees on behalf of all sentient beings. Because of everyone’s participation, today’s puja could then be held and let all sentient beings attain the helps from Buddha dharma. Furthermore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche blessed all attendees for safety and good health and hoped that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could meet all attendees again next year.

After the perfect completion of the puja conducted by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, all followers and disciples, with a happy and grateful heart, respectfully saw Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche off the dharma throne.

In the afternoon, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche went to Delhi by car. In the evening, when having dinner in the restaurant of the hotel, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche looked like an ordinary person because he dressed with ordinary suits, without wearing the dharma clothes. A Turkish mother and her daughter spontaneously approached Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and asked whether her daughter could take a picture with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche happily agreed. That young daughter politely asked Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s name and when the mother realized Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s dharma name, she implored Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s blessing and the wish was compassionately granted. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche blessed the mother and her daughter, they both reverently kneeled down and received the auspicious blessing from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. During which, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not refer to who he was but the sublime atmosphere led the foreign mother and daughter to implore Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s blessing. As Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche frequently enlightened the disciples that if you can follow the teachings of Buddha Dharma, correct your behaviors and educate yourselves, your appearances will naturally be changed. As a result, when people come close to you, they’d feel peaceful and joyful. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has demonstrated Buddha’s teachings at any place any time, which proves that what Buddha said is true and the power of Buddha Dharma can transcend the barriers of race, culture and language.

Next evening, at the hotel, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once again had a banquet with all disciples. It can accumulate great merits to have meals with a great master. The disciples of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center all felt grateful to the guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to once again bestow such an opportunity to accumulate merits. Khenpo Namdol and three lamas from Jangchubling, northern India, were also present in the banquet.

Updated on December 6, 2009