His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the 2nd annual inauguration puja of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Kyoto, Japan at the center. The auspicious Lama Chopa as well as the ritual of Lamp Offering, and Fire Puja were performed on May 22nd and 23rd, 2010, respectively.
His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Lama Chopa and the ritual of Lamp Offering at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Kyoto, Japan. A total of 125 people attended the auspicious pujas, including dignitaries and believers from Japan and India, Japanese disciples, and believers and disciples from Taipei. Time flies and another year passed. For three years the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Kyoto, Japan has been established. Three years ago, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, the 37th throne holder of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage, picked the date, which is also the memorial day of Jigten Sumgon, the founder of Drikung Kagyu Order, for the inauguration of this center. Today Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche particularly presided over the very important puja, the Lama Chopa that requires a Rinpoche to conduct.
Merits, that are requisite for Buddhist practices, will be accumulated only after offering is made. Also, making offering can eliminate the obstacles from our path of Buddhist cultivation such as our family dependents that hinder us from learning Buddhism. Some people may not think it is important to learn Buddhism, while for gurus of the lineage and for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, learning and practicing the Buddha’s teachings is the most important thing throughout the Universe.
Tibetan Buddhism has developed into four main traditions: Sakya (the Colorful Sect), Nyingma (the Red Sect), Kagyu (the White Sect), and Gelug (the Yellow Sect). Different sects have inherited different practices and rituals, but these are all different means to reach the same goal: to benefit all sentient beings and to attain the Buddhahood.
Jigten Sumgon, the founder of the Drikung Kagyu Order, was born in Qinghai. Drikung protectress Achi is his grandmother. Achi’s parents walked to Nepal from Qinghai to circumambulating the Stupa, praying for a son. After that, they returned Qinghai and gave birth to Achi. You may wonder that why they got a daughter after they prayed for a son. Actually the causal conditions of the Universe are so complicated that you ordinary people cannot see into. Only Buddha can know what our karma actually is.
In ancient times, one’s marriage is arranged by his/her parents. However, Achi chose her own husband. After getting married, Achi gave birth to Jigten Sumgon’s father. Jigten Sumgon learned the Buddhist teachings since his childhood. At the age of twenty, he attended Phagmodrupa of the Kagyu Order, and became an ordained monk. In his thirty-fifth year, he founded the Drikung Kagyu Lineage. Once in the flourishing period of the Drikung Kagyu Order there had been up to one hundred and eighty thousand ordained disciples. In many sutras and dharma texts it is depicted that one of Jigten Sumgon’s previous lives is Lopon Ludrub, one of the 86 Mahasiddhas of India. Lopon Ludrub’s former incarnation is Layman Vimalakirti, who is of the same era as Buddha Sakyamuni and attained Buddhahood.
Drikung Kagyu Lineage, having been of 830-year history, puts its emphasis on retreat practice. Buddhism has been pervaded in Tibet for around one thousand and five hundred years. At first the teachings of Sutra was brought from China and then both Sutra and Tantra teachings were brought from India. The Exoteric Buddhism refers to the Buddhist Sutra and Shastra. In Tibetan Buddhism, one has to at first study the foundation of Exoteric Buddhist doctrines for ten to twelve years before continuing on the tantric practices. One who learns the theoretical parts will then need the means to attain it. And tantric dharma is just the means.
Most of the Buddhism sects in Japan are the Exoteric Buddhism. In Tang Dynasty the Tang Tantra in China was transmitted to Japan and then it developed into the Eastern Tantric sect. However, it is only one part of the tantric dharma. In the Tibetan four main traditions, Nyingma and Kagyu emphasize more on the Tantric Dharma, while Sakya and Gelugpa put more emphasis on the Sutra teachings. Jigten Sumgon, the founder of the Drikung Kagyu Order, ever prophesized that the Drikung Kagyu tradition would be entirely pure and of extraordinary power of blessing. Everyone who has faith in the Drikung Kagyu Order could attain liberation in this life.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche proceeded to conduct the Lama Chopa, and bestowed the explanation about the beginning part of the Dharma text: It is the preliminary practices wherein the purpose of this ritual lies.
What followed is the refuge prayer. Normally the refuge prayer is saying about taking refuge under Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Today’s refuge prayer particularly mentions about taking refuge under Buddha, Dharma, and Bodhisattva and cultivating the Buddha-Dharma that enables one to benefit sentient beings.
Then it continued with The Four Immeasurables prayer: May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes, namely the merciful heart; May all sentient beings be free of suffering and its causes, namely the compassionate heart; May all sentient beings never be separated from bliss without suffering, namely the heart of sympathetic joy; May all sentient beings be in equanimity, free of bias, hatred, and attachment, namely the heart of renunciation. Mercy, compassion, sympathetic joy, and renunciation are the most important essence of Buddhism. One ought to keep on practicing virtuous deeds with his body, speech, and mind till he realizies Buddhahood, and abstain from evildoing with body, speech, and mind till he dies.
It is mentioned in the Dharma texts: we ought to pray for the enemies who do harm to us and for all sentient beings that are like our mother. We ought to pray for them, for not falling into the three evil paths of hell, ghost, and animal. Buddhism, unlike other religions, does not try to dispel or kill the enemy.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then bestowed and transmitted the empowerment of meditation. Empowerment is the exclusive dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. Bestowing an empowerment upon you means that then you have the opportunity of learning that Dharma. However, it is not saying that you can just go home to start sitting in meditation and practicing by yourself after you receive the meditative empowerment today. Without Guru’s teachings, no matter what Buddhist practice you take, it won’t take effect. Today through this empowerment you obtain, it will help you make determination to cultivate Buddhism in the future.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued to perform with bell and Vajra according to the Dharma text. Bell and Vajra are not the dharma instruments that can initiatively suppress demons. On the contrary, they take effect through being in use by an authentic Guru during the ritual performance.
The ceremony followed with the Mandala offering ritual. Making mandala offering is an exclusive offering ritual of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche put on the Dharma hat and received the offering. Only after getting the permission of the sect’s holder can one make a Dharma hat to wear. From the hat’s appearance, it can tell to which sect it belongs, and to what position, of a lama, a teacher, or a Rinpoche, the practitioner has attained. Even the hats for ordained people and those for lay people differ. The hat is for wearing during a puja or when some specific rituals are conducted, rather than at any time, as it indicates that the practitioner on behalf of all Buddha, Bodhisattvas, lineage Gurus and protecting deities receive your offering.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche kindly let everyone take a break for 30 munities with tea and desserts. Then the Lama Chopa was continued.
The conducted rituals are of offering. Offering can be divided into three categories: The outer offering refers to making offering with the common outer material objects such as fruit, flower, and lamp toward Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The inner offering refers to the clean and pure offering made with a practitioner’s entire body, speech, and mind. It cannot be made by an ordinary person. As to the secret offering, it is the secret offering that can be done only by a Rinpoche of Tibetan Buddhism.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducted the “Prayer of Mani Dedication to Rapidly Attain Great Bliss.” “Mani” refers to the six-syllable mantra that can eliminate all hindrances to our Buddhist cultivation. It can prevent the neighboring demon of ill health, including infectious diseases, from brining you harm. It also can cut off the possibility of falling into the three evil paths of hell, hungry ghost, and animal. It let you have the chance to listen to Buddhist teachings, to learn and practice Buddha-Dharma.
A true Buddhist learner’s life, merits, and wealth will be strengthened and prolonged. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche himself is the best example. If you want to increase your merits and fortunes, come to cultivate Buddhism. Without truly learning and practicing Buddhist teachings, one couldn’t obtain peace merely by praying. One’s career will not be affected by his Buddhist practices. Nor will his job or family life. Buddhism cultivation is to apply the Buddha’s teachings and it will let you feel safe and know your future is bright.
The puja was continued with the ritual of lamp lightening. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche appointed an ordained person and a lay person on behalf of sentient beings to light the lamp. Then Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche bestowed the following enlightenment: What the Dharma texts you just read talks about is all related to Buddhist practices. In every Buddhist sect, the ritual of Lamp Offering is extremely important. It is also depicted in the Sutra that lamp lightening will lead to great merits. In Avatamsaka Sutra it describes: Buddha-Dharma is like a bright lamp. Without it one will be as if in the darkness losing his direction. In a dark room, even a faint light can light up the whole room and bring safeness. Besides, through practicing the ritual of lamp offering, one will be received and guided by Buddhas, Vaiśravaṇa and illustrious vajra kings to the Pure Land after his death. Therefore, each ritual in a Tibetan Buddhist puja has its profound meaning and far-reaching effect. As you have the causal conditions of attending this puja, you ought to cherish the opportunity of learning and practicing Buddhism.
On May 23rd, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over a fire puja, an auspicious and rare tantric practice, at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. There were 132 attendees, including dignitaries and believers from Japan and India, Japanese disciples, and believers and disciples from Taipei. The fire puja is called “homa” in the Buddhist tantras. It is an offering ritual in which various aromatic woods, such as sandalwood, are burned so as to make offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. However, it is different from the Japanese homa ritual. When in Japan, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saw Japanese people write their names on pieces of wood or paper and cast them into flames during the homa ritual. Such a practice is different from Tang Tantra, too. In ancient Chinese traditions which have lasted for thousand years, if one’s name is written on a piece of wood or paper, it means that the person is dead. As you Japanese do so, does it mean that you want to die young and go to the realms of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas? One should not invent anything that is not stated in the Buddhist sutras. If one does not act in accord with the Buddhist teaching, no merits or virtues will be accumulated. In such a case, one will fail to help others and will even do harm to himself. Such a deed will actually cause an adverse effect, instead.
During the fire puja, the practitioner needs to make offerings to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, gurus, Dharma protectors, and dakinis, practice generosity among all the ghosts and deities, such as gods of mountains, rivers, waters and trees, and then give charities to all the sentient beings in the six realms. There are four ways to conduct the fire puja. One of them is the practice of peace, which is able to pacify any obstacle and devil of diseases. It is also the most commonly practiced. Should any special circumstances occur, the practice of increase will be conducted. It is able to increase the blessing power and enhance the force which helps make the practice successful so as to spread the power of the Buddhist teachings. A special kind of grass will be burned in order to extend one’s life span. Rice grains are burned to increase one’s merits. Five different kinds of grains and various kinds of oil are burned to increase one’s wealth. Today’s fire puja was conducted as the practice of increase. If any enemies want to harm the lineage or the country, the practice of power can be conducted, but only by a His Holiness or a great Rinpoche. As to the practice of wrath, it is conducted when a war breaks out or enemies intrude the country and will cause the enemies’ lives to end. Such a practice is rarely conducted. Although the Rinpoche who conducts the practice of wrath is capable of transferring the deceased, the thought of killing has its consequences. Any Rinpoche who conducts the practice of wrath is someone who does not wish to remain in the world.
The fire puja can only be performed by a guru who has achieved the attainment of a Rinpoche. The practitioner needs to be able to summon the god of fire as well as the yidam, i.e. Acalanatha, literally Not-move Lord, for today. Acalanatha has a very close kinship with Japan. During the Warring States period in Japan, the samurais would pray for victory to Acalanatha. As to the reason why Acalanatha has got such special karmic connection with Japanese people, it is partly related to the Japanese culture. The main factor would not be explained today. If you are interested, you may consult Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche afterwards.
Acalanatha holds a sword in his right hand and a rope made up of gold and silver in his left hand. There are two hooks at the end of the rope. As to the sword, it is not used as a killing weapon, but as a symbolization of wisdom. Wisdom is like a sharp sword that can cut off all the afflictions. The sentient beings in the six realms generate desires. As their hearts move, the afflictions are thereby created. Acalanatha is able to cut off our afflictions with the sword. The hooks on the rope drag back the sentient beings who have made mistakes in the six realms of reincarnation. The rope is a symbolization of the Buddhist teachings and the “not-move” in the name of Not-move Lord, Acalanatha, refers to the fact that our hearts can be bound with the Buddhist teachings and can thereby remain still.
Acalanatha is topped by Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, which means that Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is Acalanatha’s guru. If the practitioner has not attained mercy and compassion of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, he can never summon Acalanatha. Therefore, it would be impossible for the Japanese warriors in ancient times to get Acalanatha to bring them victory. Although Acalanatha looks fierce, his heart is very compassionate. His fierce look is merely shown to subdue us stubborn sentient beings. Similarly, parents would talk to their children peacefully at first. If their children do not listen, the parents will then show their angry looks so as to make their children obedient. Therefore, if the practitioner fails to attain mercy and compassion, he will fail the practice of Acalanatha. The so-called mercy and compassion refer to a basic understanding of the suffering of the sentient beings in the six realms.
The Tibetan Acalanatha that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has practiced looks even fiercer than the Acalanatha that Japanese people usually see. Besides, the devils of disease, death, heavens, and afflictions were under Acalanatha’s feet. The devil of heavens refers to the devil who stops the sentient beings from leaving reincarnation. Acalanatha is able to prevent us from being harmed by the four devils.
The statue of Acalanatha in the Buddhist center has a look that Japanese people usually see and feel. Its Tibetan counterpart looks even fiercer. The statue of Acalanatha you can now see in the Buddhist center traveled from Fujian to Yunnan with some unknown reasons. The statue was an assignment commissioned by a Japanese client in Fujian during the time when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. Nevertheless, he never went back to collect the statue. Later, someone bought the statue of Acalanatha and took it to Yunnan, where Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche eventually saw the statue. At that time, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had not yet thought of establishing a Buddhist center in Kyoto, Japan, but knew that the statue of Acalanatha would benefit Japan. Afterwards, this statue of Acalanatha was then revered in the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan.
Crawling along Acalanatha’s neck is a python, which belongs to the naga family. If one has reverence and confidence in Acalanatha, he will not acquire diseases caused by the naga family. Any practitioner who practices Acalanatha will never develop cancer or incurable skin diseases. Besides, as the snake symbolizes hatred and jealousy, the python hanging on Acalanatha’s neck is an indication that Acalanatha can subdue the sentient beings’ hatred and jealousy.
As for those who love smoking, drinking, eating meat, speaking harsh words, and telling lies, everything has its cause and effect. One who loves drinking will develop Alzheimer’s disease, including being constantly forgetful or forgetting one’s own words. The reason why one would have yellowish or blackish teeth that are poorly arranged and have bad breath lies in that he loves telling lies. Some people would think that the problem can be solved as long as one changes all his teeth into white ones. However, as one can change the shapes of his eyes, nose and ears, the shape of one’s mouth cannot be changed even all of his teeth are replaced. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knows everyone well simply by looking at the shapes of their mouths. You won’t be able to hide.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked if the rain was still falling and a disciple returned with a positive answer. Therefore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche began the practice inside the venue and led the attendees in the recitations of Acalanatha’s heart mantra. Any attendee who has absolute reverence and confidence in the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, the guru, and the yidam, the prayer recited by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche on behalf of all shall be effective. Seeing that the rain continued, the benevolent Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche let the attendees stay indoors and went outside to perform the fire puja himself.
Many dignitaries and believers disregarded the rain and went outside with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed the practice and recited mantras, gusts of winds swept the grounds all of a sudden, causing the branches and the dampened prayer flags surrounding the mandala of the fire puja to wave vigorously and forming an astonishing sight. When the fire was lit, the disciples tried to protect the dampened mandala of the fire puja with umbrellas. Nevertheless, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche told the disciples to step down. Incredibly, the flames in the mandala of the fire puja soared and became even stronger in the rain. During the practice, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche revealed the wrathful look of the yidam, Acalanatha, for a while, emitting extremely powerful blessing!
The rites of the fire puja continued in the rain and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately let the dignitaries and believers in the yard step forward to receive various offerings blessed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche such as grass, beans, rice and other kinds of grains so as to cast them into the mandala of the fire puja. In particular, the benevolent Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enabled all the disciples to have the auspicious karmic connection to receive the food offerings from their guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and to cast them into the mandala of the fire puja. The disciples, aged from 2 to 86 years old, all felt immensely touched and grateful for the guru’s mercy for them to have such an auspicious karmic connection to participate in the ritual of the fire puja. The practice took almost 3 hours to complete. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche painstakingly conducted the practice and recited mantras without taking any break and perfected the practice in one session. All the attendees were astonished at such an eye-opening event. Having personally attended this precious and rare tantra of Tibetan Buddhism, the fire puja, all the attendees gasped in amazement and felt great gratitude!
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then gave the following teaching: Today’s puja was conducted in the rain. Normally, a rain-free and sunny day would be selected for the practice of the fire puja. Nonetheless, even with the rain, the force of the flames was never reduced. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche recited the mantra of Acalanatha, the flames even leaped in eight directions. Such fierce movements made all the attendees let out gasps of amazement at the same time. The fact that the flames spread to eight directions indicated that the puja would eliminate the obstacles and disasters throughout the area. As a matter of fact, from the Buddhist perspective, the rain that fell during the fire puja was no ordinary rain, but nectar given by the compassionate Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in praise of today’s puja. Such nectar would be able to eliminate the devils of diseases and karmic obstacles. This rain was indeed strange, as there had not been any rain in the previous day and won’t be any for the next day. It particularly fell today, the day when the fire puja was conducted. Maybe you would think such thinking is based on superstition, but the powers of the Buddhist teachings are incredible and unimaginable for ordinary people. Besides, the heavy rain that fell today indicated that this nectar should eliminate the many obstacles and disasters in the local area.
At the end of last year, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche already said that many volcanic eruptions would occur this year. The reason behind this phenomenon lies in that the human beings have created such heavy killing karma that the Land God became upset. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said that, as the practice had been completed, no major fires would break out in Kyoto this year. Even if the volcanoes in the vicinity erupt, they will not have any impact upon Kyoto, so everyone can live a peaceful life.
After you attended the fire puja, do not think that you have to drink alcohol since you are capable of drinking a lot of it. Before learning Buddhism, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had been able to drink up a bottle of XO himself and had had to eat fish or meat during each meal. Nevertheless, after beginning to learn Buddhism, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche realized that such deeds were harmful to himself as well as to the world and, therefore, refrained from doing so.
Do you think that animals have no feelings? A believer who has a pet dog told Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche during today’s lunch time that her dog could talk. The others did not believe her, so she imitated her dog’s voice in front of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then said that the dog was saying that it didn’t like to eat a certain kind of food that was blackish and hard. The dog owner confirmed the statement at once. When you want to protect your own dogs and pets, why don’t you protect pigs or fish?
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has full confidence and guarantees with his own life that anyone who eats meat will not go to the heavens. Nowadays, even the westerners and the whole world are advocates of the plant-based diet. They do so not because of any belief or religion, but because the gas emissions from the cattle farming industries have caused global warming. If you still continue to eat meat, you are one of the many who cause harm to the earth. How can you let your ancestors and future generations down?
Regardless of the reasons which had brought you here, if you didn’t have contact with the Buddhist teachings in your previous lifetimes, you would not have the karmic connection to attend such a puja. You should cherish this puja. How can you cherish such karmic connection then? You should listen to the teachings of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the guru and refrain from doing any harm to the sentient beings. Do not eat meat any more. If you have sufficient confidence and reverence towards Acalanatha and have piety towards the Buddhist teachings, you will be helped. Sitting on the high throne, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has to take the responsibility for every word that is spoken.
Updated on June 14, 2010