On February 24 and 25, 2013, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche specially led 204 disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center to Jangchubling Monastery in Dehra Dun, India, to participate in the Long Life Puja and Mandala Offering to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and to seek the audience of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, on February 24. At the Long Life Puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led the disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center to present the Long Life mandala and to make offerings of the precious Lapis Long Life Buddha Bowl.

This Long Life Puja originated on July 23, 2012, on the occasion of the birthday celebration of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. With the permission of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the Long Life Puja where he led more than 1,000 disciples at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taipei, in chanting the Amitayus Mantra continuously for 24 hours to show his gratitude to His Holiness and to pray for long life of His Holiness. Also present at the Puja in Taipei was Lama Sonam, who was impressed and moved by the utmost reverence and sincere offering shown by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, a Han Chinese, for His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Upon returning to India, Lama Sonam began preparations for holding the Long Life Puja at Jangchubling Monastery.

This Puja spanned a period of 10 days, from February 15 through February 25, 2013. As the Puja had its origination at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led disciples from Taipei to India for the last two days of the Puja, symbolizing that the origination and the completion of the Puja were auspicious and perfect, and that His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang would remain in the world forever in the form of the blissful Vajra to bring peace and happiness to innumerable sentient beings.

On February 23, when his Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s plane was about to touch down at Dehra Dun, there appeared in the sky an auspicious rainbow; the earlier overcast sky disappeared and the clouds dispersed, whereupon bright glorious rays of sunlight shone on the earth. As His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche stepped out of the Dehra Dun Airport, wondrous nectar rain came down from the bright sky. These auspicious signs foretold that the meritorious guru and the observant disciples were to meet and embark on Dharma activities that would benefit countless sentient beings.

On February 24, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led the disciples to seek an audience with His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and to take part in the Long Life Puja held at the Jangchubling Monastery. Upon meeting with His Holiness, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche reverently presented the Dharma text of the Drikung Dharma Practice, and implored His Holiness to orally transmit the Sutra of Recollection of Three Jewels to all those in attendance. After giving permission compassionately, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang immediately orally transmitted the Sutra of Recollection of Three Jewels and instructed that the Sutra could be recited every day. His Holiness then personally held the Dharma instrument to bless individually the disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center.

Disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center were deeply aware that without great blessed rewards in this life it would be impossible to be granted an audience by His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. They knew that it was indeed a very rare opportunity: Not only could they see His Holiness in person, but they were also transmitted the Sutra of Recollection of Three Jewels; and they were bestowed blessings with great compassion by His Holiness. It was all due to the compassionate protection and blessings of His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that the disciples were granted such an opportunity to accumulate the virtuous conditions of learning Buddhism. They were immensely grateful to their guru. During the time when seeking the audience with Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, in order to minimize disturbance and inconvenience to His Holiness, was meticulous in that he personally attended to the needs of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche personally took charge of the proceedings and ensured that everything was in order. In addition, when His Holiness bestowed blessings on the disciples, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche directed the disciples not to kneel in prostration but to bow slightly with their heads lowered, so as not to burden His Holiness physically. The respectful actions and behavior shown by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche toward His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang in body, speech, and mind was the best example of how a Vajrayana disciple submits himself completely to his guru.

Next, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche took the disciples to the Jangchubling Monastery to attend the Long Life Puja being held for His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. As Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s official car arrived at the Jangchubling Monastery, many Tibetans came forward to implore Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for blessings. Lamas at the Buddhist Monastery who were in attendance were waiting at the gate for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. As they received him into the Monastery, ordained practitioners of the Monastery put their palms together respectfully and bowed to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in greeting.

On February 25, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center to attend the Long Life Puja, to present the Long Life mandala to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, and to make offerings of the precious Lapis Long Life Buddha Bowl. Before embarking on the trip, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche convened a special meeting for the disciples wherein the guru reminded them to pay particular attention to the details and rites when presenting the mandala. This showed how respectful Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was toward His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. It demonstrated the guru’s seriousness in maintaining good order and serenity for the Puja, as well as the high expectations he had for his disciples. Before the Puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led the disciples, who lined up near the main entrance to the Monastery, to welcome respectfully His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. When His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang arrived, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche moved forward to greet His Holiness and attended by his side. When making the mandala offering, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche held the precious Lapis Long Life Buddha Bowl in his hands and then walked up the Mandala to present the mandala and made offerings of the Buddha Bowl to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. The 204 disciples wearing the red vests of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, each with a khata in their hand, stood in two rows. Under the direction of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, the disciples each took their turn in offering the khatas and greetings to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Meanwhile, the big flag of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center was hoisted, thereby creating a grand and stately atmosphere.

For this Long Life Puja, all the flowers, rice, oil lamps, and tomas were sponsored and paid for solely by His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. The guru also made offerings to more than 600 ordained monks and nuns in attendance. The supervisor and disciplinary director of Samtenling Nunnery of the Drikung Kagyu Institute were very impressed and grateful for the support of His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to the Nunnery. During the Puja, they specifically presented a khata in honor of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

Upon the perfect and successful completion of the Puja, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in leaving Jangchubling Monastery. When walking past elderly Tibetan residents who had difficulty with their movements, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche bestowed blessings on them. When many believers trailed behind him to his official car and implored for blessings, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately fulfilled their wishes. Their hearts were filled with joy as they followed slowly behind the official car of His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, until it drove away.

That night, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave precious Dharma teachings to the disciples: Among the organizing committee members of the Puja, there were some Tibetans who still retained misunderstandings toward Han Chinese and questioned the fruition that the Han Chinese had attained. Therefore, there was quite a discussion about the order of presenting the mandala offerings. In order not to cause trouble for the organizers, and for the sake of the perfect completion of the Puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche decided not to regard himself as a Rinpoche; but instead, he chose to present the mandala together with the disciples, demonstrating a way to practice the Dharma method of forbearance. However, Buddhism emphasizes equality and that is why His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang took and trained Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche as his disciple. As a result, there were people of different ethnicities and cultures that took part in today’s Puja. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche reminded the disciples to behave like Dharma practitioners, to be disciplined, and to accept calmly any misconceptions placed on them so that any misunderstanding between Tibetans and Hans could be averted.

The guru continued to elucidate the preciousness and auspiciousness of the Lapis Long Life Buddha Bowl. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had made preparations for making this offering as early as eight years ago; and, the time was now ripe for the causal condition to present this meaningful and significant Lapis Buddha Bowl as an offering to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. The Buddha Bowl symbolizes the resources of the Dharma. His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang is endowed with all the lineages of Buddhism, signifying that Buddhism shall flourish eternally.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche further stated that it was indeed a fortunate occasion for the disciples that they could attend the Puja and accumulate the blessed rewards for learning Buddhism; they should dedicate the merits to those disciples who could not attend the Puja. More importantly, we would ensure that the Long Life Puja held for His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang came to a perfect completion and that Buddhism shall remain in this world to help liberate sentient beings from the cycle of reincarnation. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s purpose for leading the disciples in presenting the mandala was to enable all to go to Pure Land. The disciples were profoundly grateful for the guru’s teachings.

During the period of the Puja, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had oftentimes bestowed upon the disciples opportunities to dine with him, to help disciples relieve the affliction of illness, as well as to give the precious Dharma teachings. However, on this trip, the disciples had committed errors many times as a result of their laxity and showed little respect for His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Thankfully, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche not only pointed out the mistakes made by the disciples, but also reprimanded severely and guided the errant disciples. The guru thereby helped to rid the disciples of their bad habits, thus preventing them from planting any causes for falling into the suffering sea of reincarnation. The actions of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, as evidenced by his respect for His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, in body, in speech, and in mind, as well as in the offerings made, were highly exemplary of the total surrender of a Vajrayana disciple to his guru. Disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center witnessed how His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche respectfully followed and attended to the needs of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. The disciples were awestruck and at the same time repented deeply for their inaction and inability in protecting their guru; neither were they respectful enough to the guru. In fact, it was the guru who had to make arrangements and take care of the disciples, reminding them to be careful all the way. The disciples were grateful that His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche selflessly and tirelessly propagated the Dharma to benefit sentient beings and that the guru employed all expedient means to help liberate sentient beings with affinities. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has spared no effort in promoting the Drikung Kagyu Lineage and has supported with reverence and gratitude the Dharma activities of his Three Grace Root Guru His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. We pray that His Holiness may have good health, keep turning the Dharma wheel, spread the Dharma teachings perfectly, and that the flags of Drikung Kagyu Order fly across all five continents.

Updated on March 11, 2013