On January 3rd, 2011, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over an auspicious puja of Thirty-five Buddhas Repentance Ritual and Dorje Phurba at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Kyoto, Japan. The puja was attended by 184 people, including 15 Japanese believer, one believer from India, one believer from New Zealand, one Japanese disciple, 146 Taiwanese disciples and 20 Taiwanese believers.
At 10 AM, leading disciples on behalf of sentient beings greeted His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche with an incense burner and musical instruments to lead the way and with a dharma umbrella to escort Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche while Rinpoche ascended the throne. Several believers and disciples from Japan, India, New Zealand and Taiwan reverently made offering with white scarves to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and beseeched Buddha Dharma. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the Thirty-five Buddhas Repentance Ritual and gave the following precious teachings about Buddha Dharma.
This is the first Drikung Kagyu’s puja in Japan in 2011. No matter which country you are from or which race you belong to, you all wish for better fortune in this new year. You’d hope everything will proceed smoothly and bad luck would never appear. For this reason, many people, on the first day of a year, would usually visit temples or sacred shines to pray. In Buddhism, we usually hold pujas on the first of a year. Holding pujas doesn’t mean to ask Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to give us something. Rather, it is once again to learn teachings of Buddhas. In so doing, we might know what shall we carry out things in the coming new year.
One aspect marks the most difference between Buddhism and other religions is that believers of other religions think as long as they can confess to their gods about their wrongdoings, everything will be change for better. In Buddhism, on the other hand, doesn’t teach practitioners how to confess their misconducts; instead, it teaches how to make repentance. In Chinese, there two characters for the term “making repentance.” The first character refers to admit our wrongdoings, take responsibilities for and accept whatever the consequences are. The second character means we would not carry out the same misconducts again. In sutras, it has described that there are three kinds of humans. First kind is those who never make any error since their birth. Sakyamuni Buddha represents this kind of humans. The second kind is those who know how to make repentance and will not commit the same errors. The third kind is those who would not repent their wrongdoings and admit their mistakes. 99% of humans belong to the third kind, making but not acknowledging their mistakes.
A while ago, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche watched a scientific documentary on TV. It was about an experiment in which children of 4 years of age were individually brought into a room. A teacher would join these children and pretend to teach them how to play a toy. Several minutes later, the teacher left the room and, before leaving the children, the teacher told them that they couldn’t touch the toy. After telling children the rule, the teacher left the room. All the children in the experiment would play that toy 2 or 3 minutes after the teacher left the room. As the teacher returned and asked children whether they had played with that toy, almost every child told the teacher he or she didn’t. We are like these children. We all have made mistakes, but said otherwise.
Buddhas know how humans’ merits are increased or decreased. Decreasing of our merits is resulted from our wrong deeds. But what standards can we use to inpsect if our deeds are wrong? In sutras, Buddhas had said that no matter which race you belong to, you were reborn as humans since you had attained the accomplishment of Ten Meritorious Deeds in one of your previous lifetimes. Nonetheless, after being reborn with human bodies, we’d forget what we had done in past lifetimes. We forgot we should cultivate the Ten Meritorious Deeds to be a human being. Consequently, in this life, we have been practicing the Ten Nonmeritorious Deeds.
What are the Ten Meritorious Deeds? The first is no killing. Certainly, if you eat meat and sea food, the chance to commit killing must be there. The second is no stealing. Simply speaking, you shouldn’t take anything that is not yours. When you sell produces and don’t measure enough pounds to your customers, you are stealing too. The third is not drinking alcohol excessively. In Japan, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche deemphasized this matter by saying not to drinking alcohol excessively, but in Taiwan Rinpoche taught about not drinking alcohol. It’s due to the fact that in Japan it is widespread to drink alcohol. It’s impossible to quit drinking altogether. So to some extent the teaching adjusts to not drinking alcohol extensively. The underlying reason will be explained in the future. The meritorious deed of not to drinking extensively also includes not smoking. In medical science, it has been proved that smoking would harm your health and that of those who sitting next to you.
The fourth is no making harsh words. That is, don’t curse others, nor should we say something disagreeable. The fifth is no slandering. The sixth is no saying frivolous words. This means not to say things to seduce others to do evil things. Strictly speaking, as men pursue women, in order to reach their goals, men might agree upon anything asked. But if they can’t fulfill their promises, they have violated the sixth Meritorious Deed. The seventh is no lying. This principle is mainly for Buddhist practitioners. If a practitioner has not achieved certain level of accomplishment in cultivating Buddhism but claimed otherwise, it’s lying. For ordinary people, to obtain some purposes, one might say something incorrect, it’s lying, too.
Eighth, don’t be greedy. One who desires for the things beyond his ability is greedy. Ninth, don’t be angry. That is, do not have a vicious heart as a snake’s. Tenth, don’t be ignorant. Here it means that one ought to believe the Buddha’s teachings, and the law of cause and effect.
Therefore, today’s Thirty-Five Buddhas Repentance Ritual is going to help you who have not well practiced Ten Meritorious Deeds to make repentance. These rituals are written according to Buddha Sakyamuni’s teachings recorded in the Sutra. You may feel the rituals somehow different from the feeling when you go to Japanese Buddhist temples. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ever visited Japanese Buddhist temples and found that most of them introduce ancient Buddhas’ statue, history cultures, and teach people to transcribe and recite Sutras. However, very few of them would give Buddhist teachings in the way as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does. Perhaps the situation is because Japan is a commercial society. But according to the Sutra, the above-mentioned ways of Japan would only help sentient beings to create karmic relationship with Buddha and Bodhisattvas.
Every places have different customs. For example, before praying in a Shinto shrine, Japanese would clap their hands three times so as to make the deities hear them; In Tibet, however, clapping one’s hands is symbolic of dispelling devils. There is a joke talking about that in Tibetan history, once a Britain’s troop from India was invading Tibet. Tibetan, lacking of advanced weapons to resist, stood by the road and clapped their hands with the intention of dispelling the ghosts, but the Britain thought they were ewelcome. Hence, different places have different customs. Hope you can put aside your own customs to attend the puja, as the puja’s dharma is totally according Buddha Sakyamuni’s teachings.
As long as you sincerely make repentance today, the impact power of your karmic retribution of your past evildoing would be reduced. The Buddha has ever said that repentant people could be ranked at three level: First level are those who tear while making repentance; Second level are those who cry out and their fine hair creep; Third level, also the best, are those whose eyes bleed. It is depicted in the Sutra that merely those people of worthy vessel would have that appearance. You don’t need to intentionally cry to show Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that you’re crying. Especially for girls, you don’t need to make you cry by thinking you are abandoned by your man.
Besides, there will be a special ritual in today’s puja. That is, you will follow the ordained people to do prostrations to Buddhas. This is also the chance for you to exercise and lose weight by digesting what you ate in the year-end banquet several days ago.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed the attendees to move forward their small tables whereon put the dharma texts. Besides, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also attentively reminded the ordained followers that they should let the translator translate what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche recited into Japanese and then Japanese believers recite, and then lead attendees to do prostrations. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led attendees to recite “All sentient beings permanently seek refuge under their Guru.” Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche explained on this phrase, and said: In Esoteric Buddhism, it is extremely important to seek refuge under Guru. And a Guru here is a dharma master who ascends the Dharma Throne.
His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche started to conduct the rituals of the Thirty-Five Buddhas Repentance Ritual. The ordained followers led attendees to reverently prostrate toward Guru, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. After they finished the prostrations, all the attendees kneed down, reverently put their palms together before their chest. And Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led them to recite the repentance phrases of the dharma texts, so as to make repentance before Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Guru on their sin and karmic and obstacles that they have been done by themselves, asked others to do, or rejoiced at others’ crime in this life, previous lives, and since beginningless time in the cyclic existence; and, furthermore, to vows that they would abstain them and not commit them from now on. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened that this section means that Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Guru accept your repentance. In Buddhism, to make repentance one ought to speak out what he has done wrong before Buddha’s status or his Guru, rather than just speaking to himself. Speak all out without any concealing or hiding. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche bestowed the precious opportunity to the present for them to speak out what they have been wrong in this life, or, if couldn’t totally recall, in 2010. Speak all out with your own language, and it is alright to speak loud or low, even not heard by people by your side.
The participants began to repent verbally, to recall and admit their own faults. Many people cannot help but burst into tears. Next, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led all attendees to recite the dedication prayer and the verses of repentance in the Dharma text of Thirty-five Buddhas repentance ritual, and to dedicate the merits accumulated from participating this repentance ritual to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas’ grand ocean of merit, and also to repent the evil deeds that violated the principle of the Ten Meritorious Deeds one after another. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche noticed that when repenting verbally a moment ago, some people did not know what they had done wrong, so they did not speak out their own mistakes. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had already enlightened everyone that one should repent based on the Ten Meritorious Deeds and Paths. Who in here had not scolded others in this life? Haven’t you repent for that? Haven’t you felt wrong for that? Who had not stirred up trouble between people? Did you still think you did not need to repent? This was why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had just wanted to enlighten everyone the story of those children since all of you had been the kind of people who did not admit their own mistakes.
Next, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued to lead the participants to recite the verses of repentance in the Dharma text, and let everyone repent again for all evil deeds they and all sentient beings had done, and pray that they would not do these evil deeds again, and wish that the eternal hindrance of karma could be eliminated. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened the attendees that the just recited section of paragraphs reflected the Buddha’s compassion. The Buddha knew that it is a very difficult matter for all sentient beings to repent, so the Buddha comprised the just recited section of dharma text to let everyone repent again. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once again gave all participants an opportunity to repent verbally, asking everyone to speak out their repentances. Do not think small things are not important. If you eat a fish, you have to repay with your life. If you cut a piece of beef, you have to repay with a piece of your flesh. If you have cheated others, other people will definitely cheat you. If you were not filial when you were young, you will not have someone to take care of you at your old age. Also, if you did not do what you had promised to others, you were wrong. All of these require you to repent.
All participants today have neither committed any serious crime such as killing people nor violated any law of heavy crime. However, although you have not done these serious mistakes, you are still doing those bad and trivial evil things every day. Any significant matter is gradually developed from tiny little things. The vicious acts Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had done in past lives have manifested in terms of evil karmic retributions in this lifetime. For example, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had committed killing in past lifetimes; and, in this lifetime, Rinpoche had eaten a lot of seafood. Consequently, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s waist has been bad and felt very painful in this lifetime. In addition, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also had several accidents and almost died. In past lives, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had deceived others. So, in this life, when doing business at a young age, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had been deceived by others. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had not given charities and made offerings in past lifetimes; hence, he had also become so poor that he even had had no money for buying meals in this lifetime. Because of killing in past lifetimes and this lifetime, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had gotten skin cancer. Due to the killing deeds in past lives, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s family life had not been happy and perfect in this life.
Although these bad things had happened to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, because Rinpoche had learned Buddhism and been willing to repent, Rinpoche attained the beginning of a new life. Therefore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has gotten very rich life experience from practicing dharma. Buddha dharma is useful to everyone, no matter who everyone is. The Buddha neither distinguished Japanese, Chinese, and Westerner, nor said that Buddha dharma was divided as Japanese Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, and Western Buddhism. What Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had experienced are the worst things you think a person can encounter; but now those things are gone. The power of repentance is very big. As long as you are willing to repent, your life will definitely turn good one day.
At this point, according to the dharma text of the Thirty-five Buddhas repentance ritual, the Buddha once again gave all attendees the opportunity to repent verbally and let everyone speak out the evil deeds they had done by their body, speech, and mind. All participants then once again repented verbally and publicly while Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche simultaneously recited the Hundred Syllable Mantra to bless all people. Under the incomparably compassionate voice of mantra reciting, all participants further cried heavily like raining and wailed very hard, losing their voices.
After the completion of this group repentance, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked all attendees to sit down and continued to enlighten them with Buddha dharma. The Thirty-five Buddhas repentance ritual performed today is the dharma text for repentance taught by Sakyamuni Buddha in Maharatnakuta sutra of Tripitaka. In Maharatnakuta sutra, Sakyamuni Buddha said that if any sentient being wants to learn Buddhism and practice a bodhisattva’s path, but has obstacles, practicing this repentance ritual can eliminate the obstacles. The obstacles mentioned here mean that you want to learn Buddhism, but often find excuses for not coming here to learn. For example, you say you are busy or say that Buddhism is not that important to you when comparing to your work and business. Or you feel that drinking with friends is more important. All of these are obstacles.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does a lot of business; However, Rinpoche also practices Dharma and regularly holds ceremonies. It turns out Rinpoche’s business is not affected. For example, in year 2007, while Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche spent three months in his retreat – guided by His Holiness Chetsang – at Lapchi, Nepal, Rinpoche had stayed in an isolated retreat hut and could not have any messages from the outside. Before Rinpoche left Taiwan for the retreat, Rinpoche had not thought about if there would be any impact to his business during the retreat. Regarding his business, Rinpoche had done nothing but prepared money for employee’s salary and rents of his company and stores. Moreover, in Taiwan, today was a business day; many people were just back to office after the new-year holiday, like the other businessman, Rinpoche would have to pay more attention on their businesses. To realize his promise, however, Rinpoche left for this puja in Kyoto. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche differs with the other Buddhist practitioners in that Rinpoche works hard, uses Buddha dharma in his daily life, and through his life-long persistent practices Rinpoche verified the truth that Dharma teachings are all beneficial. The positive changes observable on Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche are such a good example.
It has been many years since Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche first started paying visit to Japan. Rinpoche has been aware that Japanese respects Buddha Dharma, because the Dharma transmission had begun in the ages of Chinese Sui Dynasty. Nonetheless, nowadays, Japanese does not honor the tradition. It tells that why, for years, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has received only a few disciples in Japan. Rinpoche, however, does not have any anxiety, and will wait. You might have a thought that why Rinpoche come to Japan is for making money; in fact, Rinpoche has been losing his money here. Japanese may then wonder why? Rinpoche, as a Buddhist practitioner, would like to use the Dharma to help more people in different areas. Again, you persist asking why? What Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could tell you today is that it’s due to certain karmic connection with Japan in previous lifetimes. Details of the story will not be told today. You can take a guess.
Buddha always would not deny anybody learning Buddhism. It’s all up to your own determination to enter into the dharma. The custom of tomb sweeping prevails in Japan; the tradition, however, was also transmitted from Chinese. Since Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche became a Buddhist practitioner, Rinpoche has not visited to his Father’s tomb; Rinpoche had helped his Father have rebirth in god realms. The tomb became nothing but merely a heap of soil and rocks. According to Buddha, if you have filial affection toward your parents and your ancestors, you must take the opportunity to perform obedience while they are alive. Buddha also guides people that to become true filial is to learn Buddhism. If your parents or ancestors have passed away, you should attend Dharma ceremonies on their behalf in order to benefit them. Sweeping tomb alone cannot be recognized as filial piety.
In fact, Chinese people used to go for tomb sweeping in March because, after a whole season of winter, the weather of March is more comfortable; they would like to walk around. They also would do it in September which marks end of the hot season – the summer. It is the cultural origination that Chinese go for tomb sweeping. Buddha does not oppose man’s worshipping their ancestors, but the key point is one should not be misguided nor do it in superstitious way.
When it came to completion of this morning’s ceremony, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said that the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center had prepared lunch boxes for each one. Another ceremony in this afternoon would be commenced at 2 o’clock, the ceremony was quite important – we need sheltering and protection from the deity – in such degenerate ages full of disasters and uncertainty. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche mentioned that someone in the audience would not like to attend the puja, but Rinpoche had forced him to come by. The reason is that we need protection from the deity to endure that many natural disasters in the following years. Before the year 2010, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had predicted that the weather of 2010 would be quite unstable – earthquakes, heavy rain falls, suddenly turning to extreme coldness – now everyone can tell the prediction has come true. Year 2011 will be a similar one.
Nowadays European almost does not learn Buddhism. Although it happens that only a small portion of Japanese practices Buddha Dharma, Japan is more or less blessed by Buddha Dharma since many Buddhist monasteries have been preserved in Kyoto. In ancient times, some Buddhist practitioners had accumulated merits and blessings that Japanese, today, is benefited from. Some heavy snow storms swept across Japan recently, however it had not brought too many accidents. In Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s mind, his worry lies in the fact that Japanese takes too much sea food. From the Buddhist perspective, Japanese accumulates quite deep and heavy karmic burden through killing life. It would cause more accidents. Throughout today, the puja is aimed to give blessings for all of you. Moreover, the deity of this afternoon’s puja could not be practiced by ordinary practitioners. Everybody should attend it, after the lunch break.
At 2 PM, leading disciples on behalf of sentient beings greeted His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche with an incense burner and musical instruments to lead the way and with a dharma umbrella to protect Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche while Rinpoche ascended the throne. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche personally presided over an auspicious Dorje Phurba puja, and gave the following precious enlightenment.
The yidam for the afternoon ceremony is Dorje Phurba. No practitioners practice this yidam, Dorje Phurba, in Japan. Dorje Phurba is the wrathful yidam of Vajrasattva. In temples, statuses of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas appear to be peaceful yidams. That is their looks are the ones show compassion. Practitioners in Exoteric Buddhism which is popular in Taiwan, China, Japan and so on do not practice wrathful yidams. Practicing wrathful yidams requires practitioners achieve the highest level of compassion. Without such, it’s dangerous to practice wrathful yidams.
There are two reasons to have the practices of wrathful yidams in the Esoteric Buddhism. Most Japanese usually heard of a deity named Acala which also belongs to Vajra Family. As Buddhas and Bodhisattvas want to help and liberate sentient beings, they must appear as the same kinds as sentient beings. For instance, to help human beings, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would appear as human kind so as to bestow helps. In sutras, it has descriptions that Buddha Sakyamuni, in several lifetimes, appeared to be a deer, a peacock, an ape, or a bear. To manifest as these animals is to help and liberate animals of the same kind. Thus, showing their wrathful appearances, yidams of Vajrayana are to help and liberate those sentient beings whose minds are more complex, thoughts and karma are more abundant.
Another reason to show wrathful appearance is as if when parents and teachers try to teach children, they would be patiently sweet-talking to educate children who at first may follow what was taught. It is a way of coaxing. If, however, children continuously fail to learn, parents and teachers would show disagreeable appearance so to frighten children. It’s to have children follow words and teachings.
Not every practitioner can learn dharma of wrathful yidams. One must successfully cultivate yidams of compassion so his or her guru will consider transmitting the dharma of wrathful yidams. Dorje Phurba is the wrathful appearance of Vajrasattva who can manifest a compassionate look or a wrathful look as Dorje Phurba. In sutras, it has descriptions that, in ancient time, once a vicious ghost had harmed numerous sentient beings. Vajrasattva then manifested as the vicious ghost to subdue this ghost. After this incident, Dorje Phurba became a manifestation of Vajrasattva. Additionally, sutras has described that Dorje Phurba can also represent the mind of Buddha Amitabha, Bodhisattva Mahastamaprapta, Bodhisattva Manjushri, Bodhisattva Vajrapani, Yamantaka.
Sutras also have described that once Master Padmasambhava had performed retreats in a cave in Napel. The dharma protector then was Dorje Phurba. Thus, Master Padmasambhava had said that practitioners of Dorje Phurba can be propitious, attain all kinds of merits, longevity, and fortune. Their family will be perfect in every aspect, meaning that they will have many disciples and their administration and teaching of Buddha Dharma will be prosperous. In other words, their achievement in terms of the undertaking of Buddha Dharma will be flourishing, powerful and perfectly complete. The meaning of perfectly complete lies in the fact that practitioners can keep practicing this yidam till achieving Buddhahood, during which the yidam will be giving help. So you all know why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has acquired all those conditions aforementioned. This is because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been specifically practicing the yidam of Dorje Phurba. The power of practicing it is unlimitedly boundless.
There are various methods to practice the dharma of Dorje Phurba. Today’s dhrama is a terma, which is specific to Tibetan Buddhism. Master Padmasambhava had preserved many dharma texts in cave or under water. Some texts were given to dakinies, which are heavenly deities. This kind of dharma texts are with special blessing and power. They are also very auspicious. The text Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will perform was found by a guru Retna Lingpa, and was compiled and reorganized by the 29th Drikung Kyabgon. Dorje Phurba will help those practitioners in Vajrayana to eliminate all obstacles, which is the vow of Dorje Phurba. It is because Dorje Phurba will protect and help all practitioners of Vajrayana. Practicing the dharma of Dorje Phurba can subdue all the heads of evil spirits, ghosts, and goblins. It has special dharma power. With the dharma of Dorje Phurba, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once had subdued ghosts and goblins of a sacred shrine in Japan.
Today people who attend the Dorje Phurba Puja will gain benefits of eliminating the illness of mind, emotion, and brain; dispelling any unknown diseases and cancers caused by ghosts, dragons, and deities. In modern time this world are full of many incurable diseases that are just associated with ghosts, dragons, or the deities offended by the patients. Besides, today’s puja also help you to avoid possible accidents affected by the yearly, monthly, daily or hourly conflicts. Generally speaking, everyone would have the chance to have accident at a year, a month, a day, and a hour. It may hurt you or make you die. In Buddhist Sutra this kind of situation is called untimely death. That is, one should not have died today or this year, but he still dies in an accident.
In addition, today’s puja also can keep off natural disasters such as flood, fire, and earthquakes that result from celestial bodies’ generation, destruction, or deviation from its predicted path. For example, in 2010 many floods, fires and earthquakes occurred. It was because, if you noticed the news of astronomy, in 2010 many constellations of the solar system, and celestial bodies in the galaxy just changed.
People who attend the Dorje Phurba puja also will be protected from being harmed by poisons or curses, and helped to eliminate the accumulated karmic obstacles. Karmic obstacles means all the negative strength cause hindrance to your Buddhism cultivation. Obstructions would occur to those who are too rich to practice Buddhism, who are too busily engaged in working, who believes in other religions, who are too affectionate with their boy/girlfriend, who get married, who care their children too much, who attend to their pet too much. Therefore, loving one’s dog or cat too much would also cause hindrance.
You ought to give rise to absolute faith in today’s puja, without any doubt, as the Yidam of Vajra Family is different those of compassion families. You don’t need to think whether or not today’s dharma will bring benefit to you or work on you, as you won’t immediately know about its effect. Therefore, all you need is to believe that Buddhas do not lie to us, and to be reverent.
Then Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche started the Dorje Phurba ritual. In the course of performing dharma, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche rumbled with a sound like that of roaring thunders, and gave off a sound like that of a lion’s breath. Besides, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche manifested the wrathful form of vertical eyebrows, protruding eyes, and a stretched mouth that are identical to the appearance of the wrathful Dorje Phurba Yidam, revealing the outstanding sign of his attunement to the Yidam. Those sound and facial expressions cannot just be intentionally made. All the present were shaken by personally feeling the awe-inspiring power of Dorje Phurba’s arrival.
In the course of ritual, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed the attendees to recite their names three times. Besides, in the puja, each of them obtained a bag of feast food blessed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and had the rare and auspicious opportunity to eat it together with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche benevolently gave instruction to all the attendees to step onto the mandala and bestowed blessing to each of them one after another. And everyone got a precious nectar pill and nectar.
Before giving blessing, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche particularly explained that in Esoteric Buddhism, it is said that every sentient being’s body, both that of humans and animals, is the combination of their father’s essence and mother’s blood. However, since our birth, we have been consuming our essence and blood, and we will die after our essence and blood are ran out. Today, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is helping you to supplement you. Here essence represents Buddha activities, rather than business activities; While blood represents wisdom. It is not saying that eating the nectar and nectar pills will let you become younger or prettier. Nor is it for letting you resume your youth or energy to go out to play. They are to increase your strength on Buddhist cultivation. If you does not listen to it or believe it, what you eat later would be just dough and juice.
In particular, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche told the Japanese male believers a secret. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, at age 63, does not need to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. If a man has to get up a couple of times during nighttime, it shows that his health condition is deteriorating and most of his essence has been consumed. If a woman finds it difficult to sleep, it means that her blood has been consumed. Therefore, if everyone is reverent and has faith in the Three Jewels, what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has done today will be helpful for you.
For example, in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s family, due to the fact that his great-grandfather’s generation committed heavy killing, the male descendants thereafter have all developed heart diseases and high blood pressure till Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s father’s generation. Besides, none of them made it through 55 years of age. In Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s generation, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s elder sister, younger sister, and younger brother all underwent brain surgeries and have high blood pressure. One who has high blood pressure does not have the problem simply because the pressure of his blood is high, but because of his killing. As Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche began to learn Buddhism at age 36, what happened to his brothers and sisters did not happen to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s younger brother has been suffering from high blood pressure ever since age 32. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche himself used to have high blood pressure before age 40. Nevertheless, his health recovered naturally without any medication or treatments. This is because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has changed his life by means of learning Buddhism and expressing repentance. Therefore, the reason why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave blessing to everyone today is to pray to Dorje Phurba to protect you.
The reverent attendees went to the front individually to receive auspicious blessing. Feeling deeply grateful, the attendees spoke their thanks to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in unison.
Then, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued his teachings as followed: today’s puja was perfected. In fact, there are more texts for the practice and it would take 3 days to complete the entire practice. The reason why you are told to speak of your name is to pray to Dorje Phurba to protect you so as to prevent you from making mistakes. If one who made mistakes is able to correct himself, everything shall get better off. The worst case is that one who made mistakes does not want to correct himself. If that’s the case, the person will be hopeless.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knew that some Japanese believers wanted some advice and wished to see Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in person after the puja. For those who wanted to ask about their illnesses, your attendance in today’s Dorje Phurba puja would be helpful to your medical condition. If you wanted to ask about o career, work, marriage or love affairs, there would be no need to raise the question before Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. It would cost very high to ask Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s advices for such kinds of questions. Therefore, there is no need to ask.
In fact, you all know that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has written a book called “Suffering and Happiness.” The book has been translated into Japanese. Besides, the book has been collected by libraries of 7 universities in US such as Harvard University, and the libray of Oxford University in England. Generally speaking, libraries in such universities do not collect books that are not helpful for the mankind. In fact, with your capacity, you will find all the answers to your questions in the book. If you skip one dine-out meal, you will have the money to purchase the book.
Some people read the book and said that they could not understand what it says. Of course you do not understand because this is not a romance or a fiction that tells you strange things such as the Harry Potter series. However, this book has helped a lot of people in Taiwan, China, and America. If you have the patience, you can read the book repeatedly. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche believes that it will be very helpful to you. Therefore, do not ask about anything that will waste Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s energy. If you still want to ask, it means that you do not have faith in the practice performed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche today. Then, the practice will have no effect on you.
In fact, problems in human life can be summarized into matters about money, love affairs, career, health, and boredom. So you shouldn’t further waste Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s energy. A little while ago when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche took a break after lunch, at about 1:30 PM, the whole room of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s lounge was suddenly shaking. This was Dorje Phurba urging Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to quickly come down and perform the dharma for you.
If Japanese believers have many questions wishing to ask Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, they can browse the web site of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center. In the web site, there are many Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s enlightenments about Buddha Dharma. Additionally, there are many stories of how Buddha Dharma has helped believers. It is Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s belief that these contents in the web site can benefit you. In the future, if there are Japanese believers who pray for learning Buddhism locally in Japan, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will then officially teach Buddha Dharma in Japan. You shouldn’t treat any guru of Tantric Buddhism as a fortune teller. If so, you are wasting this guru’s capacities.
Perhaps, many Japanese believers don’t think learning Buddhism is the most important thing in life. According to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s experience of learning Buddhism as well as that of many other practitioners, only Buddha Dharma can change and improve our future. Being a guru is just as a professor; he can teach you lessons and knowledge. However, it is students who should be willing to learn and to do home work, since a professor can’t do home work for you. Nowadays, believers of all religions in the world hope their gods would do home work for them. In other words, they don’t have to do anything. They simply ask their gods to give them what they need.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s late father had great achievement in practicing Daoism. Nonetheless, no matter how successful his accomplishment was, he was not able to alter the law of cause and effect. Nor could he change his life. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s late father had a short life-span. He died at fifty-something. The death shocked Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche deeply. That’s why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had kept trying to find a way for one to have a control of and alter one’s life. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has mentioned in his book that no mundane knowledge, theories or methods can change our lives and only Buddha Dharma can do so.
So Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche wished that Japanese believers can spare some time every day to browse Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s web site. Doing this is more meaningful than going to bars and drinking. It is also more meaningful than watching TV programs performed by those seemingly psychotic actors. If you like to watch those kinds of TV programs and laughed happily with them, it means that you are the same kind of persons. If you still have questions, you can use the web site to ask Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Spending 10 to 15 minutes every day to read the web site will benefit you. If after reading the web site you still have questions, you can send electronic mail to ask Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. If having time, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will respond to your mails. However, don’t write to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to ask questions such as whether your husbands or wives love you. Today’s enlightenment will be posted on the web site. You can browse the web site and read it about a week later.
The puja was perfectly completed. Modestly, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche expressed appreciation to all. Attendees also wholeheartedly said their gratefulness simultaneously to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for performing this puja in person. Moreover, this precious tantra has not only helped the attendees but also benefited countless sentient beings in the universe.
Updated on January 10, 2011