On August 16, 2010, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Kyoto, Japan. Overall, there were 133 attendees, including local believers and disciples in Japan, and disciples and believers from Taiwan.
Prior to the beginning of the puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche first lit the light at the mandala and then led attendees to recite prayers of taking refuge and generating the mind. As His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in person guided attendees to recite “Praise to Amitabha Buddha,” his graceful sound of prayers was pervading the whole space, making attendees feel blissful, reverent, and a sense of making offerings. Unaware of their tears already shedding all over the faces, participants all felt the boundless compassion and theopneusty of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche; their feelings were beyond descriptions. And then, those Japanese and Taiwanese believers who drew a lot before the puja reverently made mandala offering to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche on behalf of all sentient beings.
Before performing the rituals, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave the following precious enlightenment.
Today’s Amitabha puja of transferring consciousnesses was different to ordinary salvation ceremonies. There are two directions in learning Buddhism. One is related to the Exoteric Buddhism. Examples of such practices are reciting Buddhist sutras and making prostrations that you Japanese are used to perform. The other direction is related to the Esoteric Buddhism; it is also known as Vajrayana which include more advanced dharma methods than the Exoteric Buddhism. In ancient time, Vajrayana was introduced to China from India. Tang Dynasty was the most prosperous period for Vajrayana; it was also during the time Vajrayana was transmitted to Tibet. Later, Vajrayana was spread to Japan and became the well-known Eastern Tantric School. But only two categories of tantras are transmitted by Eastern Tantric School, whereas 4 complete categories of Vajrayana’s tantras there are transmitted in the Tibetan Buddhism.
As long as you are an Asian such as a Chinese, Japanese or Korean, you must have heard the name of Amitabha Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha introduced Amitabha Buddha during his late period of the Sakyamuni’s propagation of Buddhism. The common vow among all of the Buddhas is to help sentient beings gain liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. Therefore, anyone who prays to attain rebirth in the pure lands will receive helps from Amitabha Buddha.
To be a practitioner that is capable of performing today’s Amitabha puja of transferring consciousnesses needs many qualifications. He must take refuge first, and followed by a 10-year practices of Exoteric Buddhism and then 3-year practices of Vajrayana as a foundation. His guru will examine whether he is qualified to accept the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha. And then under the supervision of the guru, he has to perform retreat practices, reciting Amitabha’s mantra at least one million times. A Buddhist center in Kyoto known as Root Buddhist Temple of One-million-times is named for their practices of reciting one-million times of mantras. For Vajrayana’s practitioners, however, reciting one-million times of mantras is only the beginning. Additionally, to be able to recite mantras is one thing, to be able to attune to the deity is another. In other words, a capable Vajrayana practitioner must be able to communicate with the deity. Whether a practitioner of Vajrayana can communicate with the deity must first be approved by his guru. Secondly, signs must be observed in accordance with the descriptions of dharma texts.
After the practitioner’s achievement through retreat, he needs to practice the dharma Phowa – which was personally transmitted out by Buddha Amitabha, and also called transference of consciousness – so as to be able to help to directly transfer the consciousness of the deceased, right after the death, to the Pure Land of Amitabha. There will be many auspicious signs shown on the body of the deceased who got the transference through Phowa ritual and the body had a big change. One who is able to conduct Amitabha Puja for transferring consciousness must have gained the achievement of Phowa.
While you all do not want to die and have a fear of it, you like to do the things that would make you die earlier such as smoking, drinking, and eating meat. In last year 2009 Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has made a prophecy that there would be rainstorms hitting Japan in 2010. At that time the Japanese did not believe it. The recent rainstorm almost caused a flood that almost swamped the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. These disasters are the result that the ghosts and the deities of this region have not been transferred.
What is transference? Today the time is not sufficient to bestow the detailed teachings that will be given in the future. Simply speaking, transference could be interpreted by that when a person wants to go to a place, and another one leads him to go there. For example, one person in Kyoto would like to take the Shinkansen( new main line) to Tokyo but he has no money nor has he been there. One kind of people tell him where the station is , which is like that you list the names of the deceased in Buddhist temples, recite some phrases of the Sutra, and burn some incense. People who are more kindhearted would take the one to the station. However, the one still has to wait for people who would like to give him money to buy the ticket, which is like that people keep reciting the Sutra and prostrating before the Buddha until their ancestors get liberation from the three evil paths. If one person who has been to Tokyo and knows how to take the new main line shows up, not only to take the one to the station but also buy the tickets for him and bring him to Tokyo, how would the one who receive the help feel? In that way would Today’s Amitabha puja for transferring consciousness be like.
The great Amitabha puja for transferring consciousness is the first time to be conducted in Japan. Originally in Tibet it takes one day long to conduct this rituals. As Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knows that in the commercial society you have limited time, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would rather take the hardships himself and condense the rituals within several hours today, without any omission. It is like the Espresso you drink which is condensed coffee without any missing ingredient.
During the process of the Amitabha puja for transferring consciousness conducted by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, you will see many rituals that you may not understand. But it is ok as you do not understand. You only need to believe that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has the ability to help those dead that you would like to receive the help go to the Pure Land.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued to start the rituals of the great Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness. It began with the recitation of the texts of making vows and the prayers of exorcism that would free today’s puja from evils’ interference. Followed with the prayers that describes the precious adorned appearance of Buddhas, including Avalokitesvara, Mahāsthāma and the scenes of Amitabha Pure Land. Then, the Buddha Amitabha is invited to the mandala, that makes the practitioner be the same as the Yidam without discrimination. The eight offerings are presented to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Again, the Buddha Amitabha and the Pure Land are introduced by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche reciting the dharma texts and contemplating them in the meanwhile.
In fact, the descriptions are for the consciousness of the deceased rather than you. It is like that when you would like to introduce a person to another one who has never met each other, you would describe his looking; when you like to introduce a place to a person who has never been there, you would describe its scenes. Later on, the eight offerings and the five offerings are made by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche on behalf to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In the prayers Buddha Amitabha’s merits and the methods the Buddha uses to help you are stated. As for Buddha Amitabha’s power of vow, today’s time is not enough so it won’t be explained for the time being.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led the attendees reciting the Amitabha Heart Mantra. During the ritual of tea offering, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened the attendees that although because of reciting for a long time the dharma conductor can take this opportunity to quench the thirst with the offered tea, this is a kind of offering as well. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also instructed to let the attendees share the tea with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. During the ritual of Tsok Offering, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also compassionately let the attendees share the offered food with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
During the ritual of transferring consciousness, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed all attendees to stand up; then the lead religious disciple made homage prostrations to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on behalf of all attendees’ ancestors and all sentient beings they have harmed. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led the participants to recite a section of the prayer text. The prayer text described the fearful and desolate experiences of the sentient beings in hell when they were in the bardo, and prayed to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to give merciful rescue and protection. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche particularly asked the believer who was doing the Japanese translation to translate on the spot this important prayer text and let the Japanese attendees recite the prayer together. Later, when reciting the content of the dharma text, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was extremely compassionate, sympathized with the sentient beings’ sufferings in the cyclic existence, and couldn’t help crying.
The name list for transferring consciousness on the Mandala contains the ancestors whom you want to help to liberate today and the ancestors’ karmic creditors. And for these deceased people who will be liberated today, their karma from past generations of lives can all be eliminated.
After the perfect completion of the dharma, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche noticed that the time was earlier than the scheduled completion time; the time of dharma conduction was shortened. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then enlightened the participants that probably because today’s attendees were more respectful, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, the dharma conductor, was not so tired comparatively.
It looked like Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had come to help you. But actually you had helped yourself. Why do we have to make offerings? It is because we do not have enough virtues. Having virtues does not mean that you can make money, have a career, or have a marriage. Buddhist sutras have said that only those who practice Buddha dharma can have real virtues. Many people thought that happiness in life is money, family, or a successful career. Previously, during the prayer in the process of the dharma conduction, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had helped all attendees to pray for the growth of virtues, lifespan, and wisdom. However, the growth of these are for you to practice Buddha dharma.
It seems that all attendees today only have one hundred more people. However, those who come at your back or whom you cannot see are much more than that. We Chinese have a phrase to describe a person who loves to drink. We call the person a ghost of alcohol. If you drinks a lot of alcohol, you will look the same as a ghost; and your friends of drinking alcohol together will also look the same as ghosts. Those who like to eat meat and fish, especially raw meat, will fall into the hungry ghost realm, like Japanese who like to eat slices of raw fish and raw meat. When you eat the raw meat, you will be the same as ghosts since ghosts also like to eat raw meat.
The enlightenments of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche were not for the use of giving scare to you. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has the capability to predict that those people will have something in future if they ate the fish and meat. Before learning the Buddhism, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ate fish and meat as well, especially for fish was much more than you. However He found that those wine-and-meat friends who causing Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche with higher greediness. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not ask you not to get married, make friends and do business when you learn Buddhism. Being a vegetarian does not mean that you can not make friends with others and do business. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is a vegetarian, also having a better business.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has benefited sentient beings since 1996 which is more than 20 years. From the experience of practices realizing that all of Buddha’s saying is definitely correct and right, which can be achieved by yourself. Although it seems that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas helped you, but you have to do something by yourself. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have done everything which is for the sake of us. You must obey it. Besides, there is one more criterion that you need a guru and follow the guidance of your guru and Buddhas and Bodhisattvas’ teaching.
Now the disciples of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche are extended to Europe and the U.S. Most of western countries initiate the vegetarian. It is not only good for your health, but also for the earth and posterity. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened the reason why more and more disasters were happened in the world. There were lots of places with mudflows and landslides after raining. This age, just like the sutra saying, the gnome, the mountain god and the dragon deity were angry with people doing evil deeds; therefore they took vengeance on it. That is why the more and more people in Taiwan, Japan and other places in the world have cancer illness, the main reason was due to eating meat and killing.
Today’s puja will help the attendees to have good karma connections with Buddha Amitabha. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also wishes that today’s puja will benefit all people and bring blessings to Japan. You have the most blessed reward to join the puja in Tokyo: It was not only to attend the puja, but also having the dinner to enjoy the scenery of “Daimonji Fire Festival”. It is better than going to an izakaya (Japanese pubs), only difference is without beers and liquors.
And then Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche treated the believers to have dinner and enjoyed Daimonji Fire Festival in the yard of Buddhist center. And Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche proceeded to led disciples to practice the dharma of the Dharma Protector of Drikung Kagyu Achi. After the completion of puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche not to shrink from toil and hardship and continued to enlighten on the Japanese disciple and believers with Buddhism, helped and gave blessings to sentient beings in order to relieve all kinds of suffering.
Updated on September 1, 2010