On February, 2010, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche bestowed Jambhala pujas at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Kyoto, Japan. A total of 82 people attended the auspicious pujas, including 13 Japanese dignitaries, 10 believers, and 59 disciples from the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taiwan. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed Black Water Jambhala in the morning and Elephant Jambhala in the afternoon respectively and inculcated the attendees with the Buddhist teachings. All of the attendees received immeasurable blessing and were benefited with the Buddhist teachings.

At commencement of the puja, a mandala offering was conducted. The Japanese believers that had been chosen as representatives of the sentient beings with the lot they handpicked upon arriving at the venue offered mandala to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche explained that the ritual of mandala offering conducted today was a kind of offering. In Tibetan Buddhism, this ritual is performed to make an offering to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the Rinpoche who presides over the puja before every puja commences, just like Japanese people usually bring a gift with them when paying a visit to someone so as to express politeness and respect.

As stated in the Buddhist sutras, one fourth of one’s income should be allocated to making offerings and donations because all the wealth and health you have got in this life is a result from the offerings and donations you made in your previous lifetimes. Such is considered a good cause. With the good cause, then the continuation of the good cause can take place. The biggest difference between Buddhism and other religions lies in that Buddhism places high emphasis on the law of cause and effect. Nonetheless, the law of cause and effect is not an invention of the Buddha, but a natural law in the universe. For example, if you smoke, you will develop heart and lung diseases later in time because of such a cause. On the other hand, the appearance you have got in this life is related to the karma you created in your previous lifetimes. If one carried out virtuous deeds in the past, he or she would have a more serene look.

After a cause rises, there is still a period of time for alteration before its effect manifests. Just like you have sown a good seed in the soil, quality soil is needed, as well as attentive care and fertilizers, so that the fruit being grown would be good. However, if there is a lack of favorable conditions and the seed is not attended, its fruit won’t be good no matter how good the seed is. Contrarily, if the seed is not good, its fruit will be better with all the fertilization and care during its growth. When a cause rises, its karmic retribution will never vanish. However, there are still opportunities for one to carry out virtuous deeds so as to change the taste of the fruit.

The puja you are attending today is from the Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. In every puja, a Rinpoche is needed to conduct the practice and an ordinary monk won’t suffice. The literal meaning of “Rinpoche” refers to the treasure among the human beings. A Rinpoche has to complete practices of both Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism. Besides, there are two types of Rinpoches: Type-1 Rinpoches used to be Rinpoches in their previous lifetimes. They were reincarnated and then identified by a lineage throne holder. Type-2 Rinpoches achieve accomplishments in practice in current life. Such Rinpoches have to go through difficult practice and be recognized by a lineage throne holder before they can be held reliable.

In Tibet, a Rinpoche has to conduct studies in Exoteric Buddhism for 10 years before starting to learn and practice Kriya, Charya, Yoga, and Anuttara Yoga in Tantric Buddhism. Then, he can learn practices to help the sentient beings. Exoteric Buddhism is like the sutra recitation in ordinary Japanese Buddhist monasteries. Additionally, Japan has Eastern Esoteric Buddhism but it only comprises Kriya and Charya. The practices of esoteric teachings for helping the sentient beings are categorized into the four activities of peace, power, increase, and wrath. The practice of peace is to pacify and to cause disasters to cease. It can reduce and eliminate the disasters in the family, change weather conditions, and even calm the hatred of a hostile country. The practice of power can make your foes change their minds and think for your best interest instead. The practice of increase can increase a practitioner’s power and wealth. Today’s Jambhala pujas are examples of the practice of increase. The practice of wrath is to kill one’s enemies and can be performed on the devils that curse and jeopardize the sentient beings. Nevertheless, wrathful practices can bring harm to the practitioner and should not be conducted carelessly. Otherwise, his own life would be at risk. You don’t have to worry that a practitioner with such practices would be scary and want others to listen to him all the time. In fact, a practitioner has to have mercy and compassion while performing this type of practice and has to use it to help the sentient beings instead of performing it so as to fulfill his own desires. If the practices of peace, power, and increase are inefficacious, the practice of wrath can be carried out. However, if the practitioner performs the practice for his own benefits, he will fall into the Realm of Hells.

The Jambhala pujas are not conducted in order to bring you great fortune or to win the lottery. The fact that you have wealth is a result of the offerings and donations you made in your previous lifetimes. There will not be extra fortune for you. Such a thing can only happen to a Rinpoche and will not happen to an ordinary person. The reason why your wealth decreases lies in that you have made a lot of mistakes, such as eating meat, deceiving others, being unethical, and breaking promises.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche cited his own example. Ten years ago, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had once helped a woman who had been possessed by a ghost. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche recited mantras to bless her, her originally closed eyes suddenly opened with a very charming look to seduce Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. If Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s mind were aroused by the look, the effects of reciting the mantra would be lost. However, because there is only mercy and compassion within Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s mind did not get affected. Later, this woman woke up and cried heavily; and the female ghost originally attached to her also left her body and sat beside her. The first sentence from the woman was, “Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, you have to help her.” On the spot, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then promised that he would liberate the ghost. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche forgot this promise afterwards. After the happening of this event, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s business began to encounter difficulties; some already promised business deals were also broken. Later, during meditation, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche realized that these troubles happened because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche forgot his promise to the ghost. So Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche immediately helped to transfer the consciousness of the sentient being. After that, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s business then became smooth again.

The Black Water Jambhala conducted this morning is a 8th stage Bodhisattva; and the dharma text conducted today is not like a Buddhist sutra which was spoken by a human being, but is a dharma directly transmitted by the Yidam of Jambhala himself; so its power is especially strong. Black Water Jambhala is one of the dharma protectors of Avalokiteshvara; so if one wants to practice the dharma of Jambhala, one has to practice well on the dharma of Avalokiteshvara and become Avalokiteshvara’s friend. To achieve this, one has to first recite the six-syllable Mani mantra one million times. However, it is useless for one to recite the mantra while walling. To recite it properly, one has to go to a sacred location to perform a retreat: locking up in the room alone, no seeing other people, no speaking, no cutting hair, no shaving, no cutting nails, no bathing, no talking on even a phone, and no sending any text message. On the spot, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened a Japanese believer who often sent text messages that if he liked so much about sending text messages, it would be hard for him to perform a retreat. And only if you can tolerate such situations mentioned above, you can then go to perform a retreat. If you can recite the six-syllable Mani mantra one million times completely, the dharma text has stated that you will see Avalokiteshvara when the dharma was completed perfectly. This is the way for one to correspond with Avalokiteshvara. This kind of achievement is not just determined by one’s words after the retreat that one has completely recited the mantra one million times. One has to report the process of the retreat to the guru; then one’s accomplishment has to be confirmed by the guru. In addition, a Rinpoche should have ever performed such retreats.

During the dharma conduction, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had recited mantras for all attendees and asked them to make wishes. And then because Jambhala feared that they had forgotten something when making wishes the first time, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately held mantras and let them make wishes again.

For ordinary people, Black Water Jambhala can drive away the spirits who blocked your wealth and bring back the money which belongs to you originally so that you can have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a place to live. For a Buddha dharma practitioner, Black Water Jambhala is very important, because practicing Buddha dharma requires money while performing a retreat requires supporting assets as well. But after one gets the money, one has to make offerings and do charities; these are the things one has to practice first when practicing Buddha dharma.

Thus, if you had not had good causes, conditions, and virtues, it would be impossible for you to attend the Jambhala puja today. This also represented that you had done virtuous deeds in your past and current generations of lives. Hope that you will continue to do good deeds. Because there are many people who need financial assistance in the world, nations, and societies, after you make money, you should not forget there are still many people who need help and still many people who are suffering in this world. If you do not have the mind of giving alms, today’s Jambhala puja will not help you either.

The dharma text has stated that one who practices the Jambhala dharma will have one’s wishes come true. As long as you need any help, if you pray to Jambhala, he will help you so that your wishes can be fulfilled; however, you cannot pray for your own benefits. If the practitioner who practices the Jambhala dharma does not have a merciful and compassionate mind, he will pray with greedy desires and practice the Jambhala dharma for money at any time he feels that he has no money. The dharma text has stated that one can pray to Jambhala frequently for blessings. If you do so and pray to Jambhala all day long, the large amount of money obtained will also crush you.

The puja of Black Water Jambhala dharma in the morning has been completed perfectly. In the afternoon, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will conduct a puja of another Jambhala which has different functions. There are believers who would like to attend the puja in the morning, but not to attend the puja in the afternoon. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened us that such actions will has defects just like a person who lose one of his hands or one of his legs.

In the afternoon, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducted the puja of White Mahakala’s Jambhala which has different functions than the puja of Black Water Jambhala conducted in the morning. Black Water Jambhala puja conducted in the morning is to remove the barriers for getting the money you deserve to have. The Black Water Jambhala dharma text has stated that this dharma has to be conducted in the morning. The White Mahakala’s Jambhala dharma conducted in today’s afternoon was transmitted to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche by the great practitioner of Drikung Kagyu lineage, Yunga Rinpoche, in person who had passed away last year. And this dharma text was directly transmitted and taught by the Yidam of Mahakala. Only if you have a repentant heart, a reverent mind, and a heart of giving alms, the White Mahakala will just come to help you.

Many people think that one who practices Esoteric Buddhism is justified to eat meats; but in fact this is incorrect. 830 years ago, the founder of Drikung Kagyu lineage, Jigten Sumgon, was a vegetarian. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s root gurus, His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche and Yunga Rinpoche, and even Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche himself are all vegetarians. The White Mahakala’s Jambhala conducted today belongs to the group of dharma protectors. There are Buddha group, Bodhisattva group, Vajra group, and Dharma protector group in Esoteric Buddhism. There are two kinds of dharma protectors; one is Worldly protector; another is religious dharma protector. The Worldly protectors can be divided into one group who protect Buddha Dharma and another group who do not protect Buddha Dharma. Before the Worldly protectors became dharma protectors, they had been human beings in their past lives and had had their own religious beliefs, not necessarily Buddhism. After they died and lost their bodies, they would still protect the religion and religious people believed by them. These Worldly protectors still keep the human habits and behaviors and still have distinguishing minds, distinguishing between likes and dislikes. The second kind is religious dharma protector. These protectors are actually Bodhisattvas and stayed in the realm of Bodhisattvas. For example, Black Water Jambhala conducted this morning is a religious dharma protector. This kind of dharma protectors does not have a distinguishing mind and will protect sentient beings that practice Buddha dharma.

As Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche explained that there are two kinds of dharma protectors, the translator suddenly couldn’t translate what was explained. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened that it was because she didn’t follow Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s suggestion to adopt a vegetarian diet. The fat of meat she ate blocked the veins of her brain to make her lack of intellect. As a result, she couldn’t even translate such an easy passage. Additionally, what she should’ve known was lost, too. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche taught Buddha Dharma in the state of deep meditation so Rinpoche didn’t even have to depend on reading any sutras. If she can’t stop eating meat, she will not be able to assist Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche nor learn Buddhism at this center. Afterwards, while translating, she was speculating what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was going to enlighten. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed her just translate what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said. She shouldn’t use her own guess.

Mahakala is a protector worshiped by Tibetan four major lineages, but with different rituals. Mhakala once was a vicious devil who had done harm to many people. Avalokiteshvara hoped he could cease to hurt people, but, in return, Mahakala wanted a most beautiful in the universe. With his supranatural power, Avalokiteshvara conjured up a beauty to the eye of White Mahakala. So he kept his promise, never hurting people and protecting Buddhism ever since.

Mahakala has a protector called Elephant Jambhala who once was a prince in human race and had been rich and keened on doing charities. He, however, was not wise enough to tell the kind from the vicious. No matter who came to ask for his help, he’d provide financial support, even giving money for buying weapons to kill people. So Mahakala killed him for two reasons. First, he helped people to carry out evil deeds. It was stated in Buddhist sutras that those who helping others to do evil deeds would fall in hells. In order to save him from falling into hells, Mahakala had to kill him so the premature death could redeem his karmic retribution of entering hells. Secondly, while alive, Elephant Jambhala had compassionately done many virtuous deeds. So Mahakala would like to accept him as a protector. When the prince was killed, his head was separated from the body and disappeared. So Mahakala attached an elephant’s head on his as a replacement. Since elephants represented great power, this Elephant Jambhala can help Mahakala to do charities to a great many of sentient begins.

There is a Monkey Jambhala who is a protector of Elephant Jambhala. Because one of the protectors of Avalokiteshvara is Mahakala whose protector is Elephant Jambhala who only follows Mahakala’s commends. Monkey is a protector of Elephant Jambhala and only listens to Elephant Jambhala. So Buddhist practitioners should still practice dharma of Avalokiteshvara.

Actually, this Elephant Jambhala Dharma is related to Acalanatha. There is an Acalanatha statue in the Japanese center, whose look is what Japanese are familiar with. The Acalanatha’s facial expression of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism is more wrathful. Japanese all know how powerful Acalanatha is. Rinchen Dojree Rinpoche bought this Acalanatha statue at Yun-Nan, China one month prior to buying the properties of this center. It was stored in a warehouse and the owner didn’t mean to sell it so he placed it in a corner. As soon as entering into the warehouse, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche spotted it. Moreover, the owner found this Acalanatha statue in a southern province of China Fu-Jian where is near Taiwan but to the south of Shanghai. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche wouldn’t visit Fu-Jian, thus Acala deity made this owner bring the statue to Yun-Nan. Initially, during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, a Japanese commissioned a master from Fu-Jian to sculpture this Acalanatha statue. But the Japanese didn’t come to take the statue which became an antique. As a matter of fact, one of the primary deities H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche has been practiced is Acalanatha. So does Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. That’s why H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche instructed that Acalanatha should be the dharma protector of this Japanese center. In light of how this Acalanatha statue came to this center, we can imagine how incredible Buddha Dharma is, which can’t be thought of with our human brain. Having this Acalanatha statue in this Japanese center signifies a good cause and condition, meaning that it is a good origination of cause and condition.

Without asking anything in return, it took Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche a great deal of energy, time and money to found the Buddhist center in Japan. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been propagating Buddhism here without any greedy thought, in the hope to enhance and honor Tibetan Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism and help more people in need in Japan. The fact that the Acala statue Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche bought looks familiar to Japanese symbolizes that the Buddhist connection of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to Japanese is very profound. Perhaps, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had been to Japan in his previous lifetime. For this, you may not treat Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche as a foreigner.

After perfect completion of conducting the dharma, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened that during the December puja of 2009 here Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has prophesied there would be frequent volcanic explosions and earthquakes. It turned out that in January 2010 there were several volcanic explosions and the serious earthquake occurred in Haiti. Such natural disasters will continue in the future. Another phenomenon is that whenever there is a car accident or a fire, there would be several people died. When the center was under construction, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had predicted that there would be heavy flood and snow storms. The weather would fluctuate dramatically. The world has kept revolving. If you have done something bad and when this world runs out of its luck, you’ll be involved into the negative vortex.

Do not eat meat or seafood; otherwise, this dharma will not take effect on you. Nowadays the medical science has proved that all the diseases of Colorectal Cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and dermatosis are related to eating meat. Aren’t you afraid after hearing this? In the view of Esoteric Buddhism, we have had parents for each life; all sentient beings may have been our parents. Therefore, eating meat is identical to eating your own parents.

According to Chinese Zodiac, year 2010 is the Year of the Tiger. It would be a year of commotion, with both political intrigue and economic turbulence. Do not involve yourself in speculative investment. In this year, do not try to do business even with a small capital if you had never done it before. People who can earn money by doing business and survive till now are those who have been honest, sincere, and worked hard. Indeed, from year 2000 to 2020, it would be a period of time of weeding out those who are dishonest in business. Taking the biggest car manufacturer in Japan for an example, the reason why such a big enterprise still made a mistake was because they were not cautious enough. So they had that result today.

During the rituals, some agarwood that cost more than sixty to seventy thousand New Taiwan Dollars (which is equal to over two hundred thousand Japanese Yen) were burnt. Agarwood is sandalwood that has sunk in aqua for hundreds of years. It is very expensive. The Homa used today is different from that of Japanese tradition. The Japanese traditional one is a batten with written names of the believers. People think it would bring them protection by burning the batten out. In fact, it is not recorded in the Sutra or any dharma text. Indeed, Homa is mentioned in the Sutra, without further instructions on how to do it, though. Fire offering is the ritual peculiar to the tantric dharma. Today the dharma conducted is smoke offering. It is because Elephant Jambhala likes this smell. And after Elephant Jambhala is joyed, Elephant Jambhala would come to help you. Today, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is on behalf of all the attendees to make offering, in hope of that you can obtain Jambhala’s help.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked the attendees if they wanted to have more agarwood burned. All the attendees joyfully said: “Thank you Rinpoche.” Then, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately burned more agarwood to make offering.

As long as you make supplication, Elephant Jambhala will provide you help. But you must not pray for your own desires except for: being unable to afford the tuition fee for their children; being unable to afford the medical expense for their ill parents; having no money to practice charity that they want. However, after the completion of the Jambhala Dharma, you still need to work diligently before the fortune comes in. Gold will not fall down from the sky. If you earn money in your business or get a raise in your office, you are expected to make contribution your country and society. Do not merely seek enjoyment and forget there are still many people in suffering.

The two Jambhala Dharmas you attended today will definitely be of help to you. But if you continue to eat meat, they will not take any effect on you.

Updated on March 1, 2010