The Amitayus Puja Presided over by His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in Japan Comes to a Perfect Completion

On December 22nd, 2013, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Amitayus Puja at the Glorious Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. Ever since the Center’s consecration in 2008, the guru has held an auspicious puja there at the beginning or end of each year, unlocking and accumulating wondrous virtuous conditions for learning Buddhism for countless sentient beings. The puja’s attendees included twenty believers and 172 disciples from both Japan and Taiwan, totally 192 people. The puja came to an auspicious and perfect completion.

On May 29th, 2008 when, in answer to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s invitation, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang visited Kyoto, Japan to preside over the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center’s consecration ceremony, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang specially bestowed a statue of Amitayus Buddha upon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. The statue had been brought all the way from the holy mountain of Lapchi in Nepal, and symbolized Amitayus Buddha’s arrival. Moreover, the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto is a pure Buddhist Center, situated in an auspicious location in which to perform the Dharma; from this one might imagine that the Amitayus performed there was able to provide unfathomable blessings. Therefore, it was an extremely rare and precious opportunity for those who possessed sufficient causal condition to participate in this auspicious Amitayus Puja presided over by His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

At 2:00 in the afternoon, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne to preside over the auspicious Amitayus Puja, and bestowed precious Dharma teachings upon all of the attendees.

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche began by revealing the significance of “preliminary practice,” as well as the differences between Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism. The guru commenced: “The Dharma being performed today is the Amitayus. Before any puja begins, the Refuge Prayer must be recited. The first page of it, recited just a moment ago, includes the Refuge Aspiration Prayer. Using Buddhist terms to explain this prayer, it is a ‘preliminary practice;’ what this means is that before doing anything, one must make preparations for it and know why one is doing it.

“The first type of Buddhism taught by Shakyamuni Buddha was ‘Theravada.’ Theravada is very prevalent in Sri Lanka and the region which includes Myanmar and Thailand, and to practice it one must shave one’s head and become ordained. Shakyamuni Buddha taught that ordained means ‘to renounce the home of reincarnation;’ that being the case, practitioners are not allowed to have a family. To put it in simpler terms, they cannot marry, nor are they allowed to eat meat or drink alcohol. The karmic reward of practicing Theravada Buddhism is becoming an arhat.

“For monastics and laity whose root capacities are a bit better, Shakyamuni Buddha provided another teaching method—’Mahayana Buddhism.’ The karmic reward of practicing Mahayana Buddhism is becoming a Bodhisattva, and it is a suitable form of practice for both monastics and laity. Shakyamuni Buddha called male monastics ‘Bhikkhus’ and female monastics ‘Bhikkhunis.’ Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis may not have relations with the opposite sex, do business, or take life, and they must keep the precepts. Thus, anyone who drinks alcohol is not a Bhikkhu. Mahayana Buddhism became prevalent in China, and afterwards spread to countries such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Buddhism began to be introduced into Japan during China’s Sui Dynasty. That was at about the time of Japan’s Prince Shōtoku Taiji, which is why many of Japan’s monasteries and Buddhist statues took their styling from the Tang Dynasty.

“The last method taught by Shakyamuni Buddha was Vajrayana Buddhism, for which the karmic rewards include ways of attaining Buddhahood. During the Tang Dynasty, a part of Vajrayana Buddhism spread to Japan, where it became known as ‘Tōmitsu.’ The ‘homa’ common in Japan are the same as ‘Kriyayoga’ in Tantra, the entry-level Tantra. However, Esoteric Buddhism was transmitted in its entirety to Tibet.

“The mindset you are in while the Dharma is being performed today is of great importance. What this means is that you must know what motivated you to come and participate in this puja, because the Dharma being performed today is Tantra; it is not the typical method one might use when inviting someone to one’s home to recite sutras in search of peace and protection. The main focus of the four lines of the Refuge Prayer recited at the beginning is the hope that by attending this puja, you will be able to learn Buddhism in the future and help all sentient beings. The second part is ‘the Four Immeasurables.’ The center of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism is ‘compassion.’ It requires learning and practice in order to cultivate a compassionate mind. Only by having a compassionate mind can you help sentient beings with the Dharma. Thus, the Four Immeasurables teach us what compassionate thoughts are. The third part of the prayer, the ‘Seven-Branch Offering,’ is a method taught by Bodhisattva Samantabhadra in The Avatamsaka Sutra; it teaches sentient beings how to accumulate good fortune by practicing Buddhism. The Seven-Branch Offering is very important for anyone practicing Mahayana or Vajrayana Buddhism. You must all know that today’s puja will only be useful to you if you maintain the proper mindset while participating in it.”

Next, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche revealed the auspiciousness and preciousness of the Amitayus Dharma. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said, “The Amitayus ritual being performed today is a Dharma method which does not typically exist in Mahayana or Exoteric Buddhism, and most temples you see belong to Exoteric Buddhism. This Tantric Dharma method was spread to Tibet from India, and Amitayus is the Sambhogakaya of Amitabha Buddha. All Buddhas have three bodies, of which the ‘Nirmanakaya’ is defined as all sutras, Buddhist statues, mantras, and gurus teaching the Dharma, especially helping sentient beings in the Six Realms who have not yet been liberated from reincarnation. The ‘Sambhogakaya’ especially helps practitioners who have attained fruition as Bodhisattvas, while the ‘Dharmakaya’ is the body of all Buddhas who have attained Buddhahood.

“Why doesn’t the Dharmakaya help Bodhisattvas, and why doesn’t the Sambhogakaya help ordinary people? In the sutras it is written that there are ten Dharma realms in the universe and the void; in other words, there are ten dimensions of space—and science has proved that these ten dimensions mentioned in the sutras do indeed exist. We humans live in three-dimensional space, and are unable to see anything beyond it with our eyes, so we can only be helped by the Nirmanakaya. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can see things in ten-dimensional space, so the Buddha can help with the Sambhogakaya. The Dharmakaya can go beyond ten-dimensional space, and only those who have attained Buddhahood can know the Buddha’s Realm.

“Everyone hopes to live a little longer, but where exactly does human longevity come from? At present, neither medicine nor science has a definite answer. Even considering the current state of its development, science has never been able to enable discovery into how we humans get our longevity, nor has it led us to know with certainty what causes a person’s lifespan to be exhausted. As the traditional Chinese saying goes, if one does one’s utmost to do virtuous deeds throughout one’s lifetime, then this can extend one’s longevity. Another condition, of course, is that the person must no longer commit evil acts. In the sutras it is written that human longevity is not given to us by our parents; our parents only give us our bodies for this lifetime, not our longevity. There is mention in the sutras that longevity comes from not killing, from doing many virtuous deeds, from not eating meat, not drinking alcohol, and not smoking tobacco, over the course of many lifetimes. Thus, we can obtain longevity in this lifetime.

“According to the sutras, Shakyamuni Buddha once told everyone how to see how long people in each era could live, and taught everyone how this could be calculated. The Buddha once revealed that humans should be able to live to be 80,000 years old. However, ever since we began to commit evil acts, our lifespans began to get shorter by an average of a year each century. Modern humans live in a kalpa of reduction, so we currently live to the age of seventy. This will continue to be reduced until the average human lifespan is only ten years; after that, our longevity will turn around and go back up, and a year will be added to our lifespans every century until we can live to be 80,000 years old.

“Would the Buddha tell fairy tales? Isn’t human history only four or five thousand years old? On the contrary, many scientists these days have unearthed human cultural artefacts from twenty or thirty thousand years ago. Why is our longevity being reduced? It is because most people these days eat meat, drink alcohol, and smoke cigarettes, frequently contaminating the water supply, and this causes our lifespans to get shorter and shorter. Shakyamuni Buddha once taught why humans die, and stated that one’s lifespan is a good fortune that is comprised of two different things: One is the longevity brought over from past lives, and the other is the wealth brought over from past lives. The Buddha taught that people can die in a few different situations: One is when people die with neither wealth nor longevity; they suddenly use up all of their longevity and wealth by committing many evil acts, so pass away in this manner. Another is when people die with both longevity and wealth. I often see people who die when they are in their thirties or forties, or who are murdered; however, it is obvious from the way their faces look that they should not have died so young. While they were alive, their professions, almost without exception, had something to do with killing, or perhaps were related to some major evil acts. This sort of karmic retribution can come to people who start wars, too.

“People who start wars all have their own explanations for doing so; they all say they did it for the benefit of their own people or nation. In the sutras, the question is raised: Why are there wars? They come from taking life and from eating meat. Another type of death involves people who die with wealth but without longevity; an example is the person who invented the Smartphone—he was very wealthy, but his longevity was transformed into money, so his lifespan was shortened. Then there are those who live a long time but die without wealth; these people often like to live in luxury, are wasteful, and are extravagant. It is written in the sutras that there are two types of things which can cause us to consume our good fortune very quickly, of which one is eating daily feasts that include fish, meat, and lots of alcohol; the other is liking to go to nightclubs and izakayas to drink alcohol and chat up the mama-sans. These sorts of people will blow through their wealth very quickly.

“This is the reason there are so many homeless people in Japan. In Taiwan, the corporations of many entrepreneurs failed all of a sudden, and likewise this was the result of many Taiwanese business owners who liked to go to nightclubs to conduct their business. I have done business since 1995, but not once have I ever made a single business deal in a nightclub. This is because I have neither gone to such clubs nor attended izakayas before. Many people think going to izakayas is no big deal; everyone there drinks a couple of beers, barbeques some fish and octopus, and feels that life is quite happy. On top of that, they all have girls sitting next to them whispering naughty jokes into their ears. All of these things consume one’s longevity and wealth.

“Before I practiced Buddhism, I would go and sit for a time in nightclubs just like most men did. Now, however, I wouldn’t dare to go, and this has been true for a very long time. Today I am performing the Amitayus; for most believers, including those of you who only started eating vegetarian today and who do not ordinarily eat such food, the benefits of today’s Dharma are such that it can help you not to meet with any serious accidents which would kill you. For most people who have just begun to practice Buddhism and keep the precepts, this Dharma can help to replenish the longevity they have consumed through a lifetime of their wrongdoings. For those of you who have already made a firm resolution to practice Buddhism to help sentient beings, today’s Dharma can help by increasing your longevity in this lifetime so that you can continue to practice longer.

“As for myself, I was originally only supposed to live until I was fifty years old. This was because I took life in my past lives, and committed very serious acts of killing in the age of my paternal great grandfather. None of my male ancestors ever lived past the age of fifty-five, and this remained true right up until I began to practice Buddhism in this lifetime. The reason our longevity comes to an end is that we have used up our good fortune. Our physical bodies are combinations of the ‘bindu’ from our fathers, or in scientific terms their ‘essences,’and the ‘bindu’ from our mothers, which is their ‘blood.’ As we begin to take human form, we are constantly consuming essence and blood.

“If we have poor living habits—such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or eating meat—we will consume our essence and blood more quickly. Once they are completely gone, we will die. As we consume our essence and blood, our bodies are formed from the ‘four elements.’ These include ‘earth’ (bones and muscle), ‘wind’ (our internal chi, which in Exoteric Buddhist terms is breathing, while in Tantric terms is divided into five different types which are useful to various parts of the body), ‘water’ (all of our bodily fluids and internal secretions), and ‘fire’ (energy). Modern medicine does not have a clear understanding of ‘fire’ or ‘chi.’ For example, as for ‘chi,’ to this day scientific instruments are still only able to detect breathing; however, as for what the origin is of the circulation of such liquids as what comes from the thyroid gland and so on, medicine has no answer. Likewise, science still has no clear explanation of the function of ‘fire.’

“Medically speaking, all that is known is that breathing turns oxygen into energy, and after being digested, food becomes energy as well. However, as for why this is and what that energy can subsequently be used for, no detailed explanation exists in modern medicine. According to the sutras, if a person’s four elements are out of balance, that person will become ill. Thus, performing today’s Dharma can help you all to replenish your four elements. Your four elements must be balanced, and in order to achieve this you must exercise moderation in your daily lives. I have only gone over this with you briefly today, but the long and the short of it is that the Amitayus is very important for practitioners. There are two different ways of explaining the word ‘immortal’ spoken of in the Dharma. From the viewpoint of Exoteric Buddhism, our original Dharma nature is neither arising nor ceasing. After we have cultivated the Amitayus, our Dharma nature can be neither arising nor ceasing; that is, we can become ‘immortal.’ In Tantra, the definition of ‘immortal’ does not lie in this simple flesh of our current lifetimes; our physical bodies can migrate, and this is called the ‘Dharma of Migration.’ For a Tantric practitioner, ‘immortal’ means having an eternally unchanging aspiration to benefit sentient beings, which is neither arising nor ceasing.”

Before the Dharma was performed, the ordained disciples led the local Japanese believers who, when entering the venue, had drawn lots to make the mandala-offering, and together they offered the mandala to His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Next, the guru began to perform the Amitayus. After performing the Dharma for a while, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led all the attendees in a recitation of a supplication prayer from the Dharma text, and then revealed its meaning.

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said, “There was mention in the Dharma text just now of ‘all untimely deaths.’ This refers to people passing away when they are not supposed to, and includes a broad variety of situations such as having car accidents, plane crashes, being bitten by mosquitos and falling ill, dying from being given the wrong medicine by a doctor, and so on; all of these are categorized as untimely deaths. Simply put, if you were originally supposed to live until you were seventy years old, but you suddenly died at the age of sixty, that means you suffered an untimely death. Recently the news reported that a Japanese owner of more than six hundred restaurant franchises was shot to death. From my point of view, this person’s facial appearance indicated that he should have lived into his eighties, but because he ran more than six hundred dumpling franchises which sold a lot of meat every day, he suffered an untimely death.

“The sutras quote Shakyamuni Buddha as having once taught that if one makes money using the flesh of animals, then in this lifetime that person will suffer many illnesses and a short life, will not get what he or she wants, will not be able to accumulate wealth, and will not have harmonious family relationships. Therefore, I can see that many things are indeed as was stated in the sutras. Today I am performing the Amitayus for ordinary believers. Those of you who in this lifetime have eaten meat, caught fish, and had others kill for you all possess the causes of untimely death; after today’s Dharma is performed, the causes of your past wrongdoings will all be destroyed so that it will no longer occur. What is the longevity you are being given to be used for? It is not for your enjoyment, nor is it so that you can be physically healthy enough to advance your careers further. Rather, the purpose is to give you time to practice Buddhism so that you can be reborn in Amitabha’s Pure Land. Don’t think that if you pay close attention to your physical health, and go to the doctors at the slightest sign of discomfort, then you will necessarily live to a ripe old age. Only by breaking away from all causes which shorten our lifespan can we live long enough to practice.”

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued performing the Dharma, leading the attendees in a recitation of the Amitayus Mantra that lasted quite some time. After performing the Dharma for a while, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately taught of the meaning behind the Dharma ritual. “What we recited just now were the ‘offering’ and ‘supplication,’ the latter of which includes a supplication made for all the countless sentient beings—not just for the people who have come to participate in today’s puja. We hope that none of these countless sentient beings meet with an untimely death, that they can escape the sixteen types of major disasters, and that they can live in a peaceful era free from drought and war. Therefore, if the Amitayus is performed for a long period of time in a certain region, then these sorts of things will not happen there. In the Dharma text it is mentioned that this Dharma can destroy and eliminate all disasters which would cause practitioners and benefactors to suffer an untimely death. ‘Benefactors’ here refers not to ordinary believers, but to people who have given support to the Order and to the gurus. Furthermore, in the Dharma text supplication is made for us to be devoid of all evil causes, for our longevity and wealth to increase constantly like moonlight so that we can attain Buddhahood in the future, and for the blessings of the yidam and the guru. Thus, as long as you believe in the yidam and the guru, you will continuously obtain blessings.”

While performing the Tsok Ritual, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave special instructions to the attendees to eat some of the food offerings, and showed concern for the Japanese believers by telling them that if they had not yet eaten any of the food offerings, then they should do so now. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche specially pointed out a particular Japanese believer, because by way of supernatural penetration the guru had seen that this believer had not eaten any food offerings. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said humorously that no one could pull the wool over the guru’s eyes by not eating.

Next, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche used two lines from the Dharma text to explain why everyone absolutely must partake of the food offerings. “On the surface, these appear to be food, but inside they were blessed with many mantras. In the Dharma text it is written, ‘Look! This is wonderful and auspicious food, and one must not doubt it.’ Therefore, the Japanese believer I singled out just now had given rise to doubt, which is why he was not eating the food offerings. It is also written in the Dharma text that the Dharma treats everyone equally; performing the Dharma is a pure act, and the Buddha also helps sentient beings by way of pure acts. The purpose of today’s puja is not just for the few people participating in it. In the Dharma text there is mention that dogs, butchers, and all sentient beings in the Three Dharma Realms can all enjoy this offering. Although it might appear on the surface that you are the ones eating it, in terms of Buddhism’s compassion, you are receiving this offering on behalf of all sentient beings. People who are too lazy to eat the offering, or who won’t eat it because they don’t feel like it or don’t like eating sweets, have neither compassion nor an indiscriminate mind; this is the reason they doubt this Dharma and the practitioner.

“Though this Dharma text emerged more than a thousand years ago, a millennium later it can still be used to reprimand people. That believer who did not partake of the food offerings had given rise to doubt. In the Dharma text it is written that ‘belief’ is the mother of all merits. The one performing the Dharma demands nothing of you who have come to participate in today’s puja; all I hope is that I can use the Dharma to sow a seed here in the soil of Japan, an act which is completely in keeping with the Dharma taught by Shakyamuni Buddha. As you participate in pujas in the future, you must listen to everything the guru says; this is for your own good, not for the guru’s. Next I will perform the Embracing Dharma for you all, to help you learn to embrace your longevity. The reason I instructed you to eat a few food offerings is so that you can form some affinities with the yidam and the guru; this will qualify you to receive the condition with which you can embrace your longevity.”

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducted the Embracing ritual while explaining the Dharma instruments he was holding. The guru taught, “In my right hand I am holding an arrow. In Tibetan Tantra, the Dharma is likened to an arrow. The practitioner is the one shooting the arrow, and by firing it correctly, that practitioner can hit his or her target. The colors of the top of the arrow represent the various elements in the universe. This is different from the waving of flags to exorcise and drive out devils as is practiced in Japanese religions. Many Rinpoches do not perform this section, because if their skills are not sufficient, then they cannot assimilate the good things of the universe. With one small slip-up, the good things within them will be driven out of them and given to you. However, you are not currently worthy of my doing such a thing, because you are not practitioners; you don’t even want to eat a little bit of candy after receiving instruction to do so. My purpose in helping you to embrace more longevity is not so that you can do a bit more business; the point is to allow you to have sufficient time to practice Buddhism in this lifetime. I first must perform the Dharma for myself, because I must replenish my own elements in order to be able to share them with all of you.”

After performing the Dharma for a while, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche taught all the attendees about the contents of the Dharma text. The guru said, “In the supplication prayer recited just now, one of the sections mentioned that our longevity will be damaged. This is the result of killing, drinking alcohol, smoking, deceiving people, and committing evil acts; by engaging in these things, one’s longevity will be damaged. People whose longevity is scattered suffer this from being very greedy; people whose longevity is broken suffer this because they do not believe in cause and effect. Longevity can crack and sway, just like those people who hang on the verge of death yet cannot die. Longevity can be stolen by ghosts; for example, people who often worship ghosts and deities can easily have their longevity stolen away by ghosts, which is the same as exchanging their longevity. In addition, people who eat garlic can easily have their longevity taken by ghosts, too.” Next Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed the Dharma for everyone, reminding the attendees that they must sit up straight.

After performing the Dharma, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued to bestow teachings. “The purpose of the Dharma performed just now was to increase and replenish your earth, wind, water, and fire essences. The Dharma texts make mention of ‘Vajrayana disciples in possession of affinities;’ this refers to disciples with sufficient causal conditions. The definition of ‘conditions’ is having belief in, and the ability to achieve, the lessons taught by the Buddha as well as the Dharma taught by the guru. ‘Vajrayana’ here refers to disciples who practice Tantra. Most of you here today are not disciples practicing Tantra; it stands to reason that anyone performing the Dharma would not perform this section for you. Why would someone perform this part for Vajrayana disciples? It is because Vajrayana disciples have already vowed to become Bodhisattvas, so performing this section for them helps them to obtain sufficient health and longevity with which to benefit sentient beings.

“Although you are not all Vajrayana disciples, the fact that you have come to participate in the puja means that you have the affinity, so the performance of this Dharma will definitely be helpful to you. As long as you do not doubt, it can cause you to have sufficient health and longevity with which to help sentient beings. Don’t think that eating a single meal with meat is no big deal; in the sutras it is written that people should not labor under the misapprehension that it is okay to commit minor evil acts. All major evils grow from the accumulation of multiple minor evil acts. Therefore, I hope that you can all listen closely. Now I will perform another simple Dharma.”

After performing the Dharma, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed the attendees to approach the mandala. Holding the torma of the Amitayus yidam in hand, the guru bestowed auspicious blessings upon each of the attendees one by one with extreme compassion, all the while leading them in a continuous chant of the Amitayus Mantra.

After waiting for the attendees to return to their seats, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued bestowing precious Dharma teachings. “The performance of today’s Dharma has taken about three hours in total. In such a busy commercial society as Japan’s, being able to get everyone to truly take a break from it all is not an easy thing. These three hours have been more helpful to you than if you were to sit in meditation. Many people think religion is full of mystery, and that it is only remarkable if it can suddenly reveal a bunch of things to them that they did not know before. Shakyamuni Buddha was originally a person, who lived an ordinary life just like all of you. By way of cultivation over the course of many past lives as well as enlightenment achieved in His last lifetime, Shakyamuni left the experiences and methods of attaining Buddhahood in this world. Practicing Buddhism is not something done in one day or even one year. It requires perseverance and firm resolution to learn the sequence of methods taught by Shakyamuni Buddha.

“Buddhism does not rely on supernatural penetration to benefit sentient beings. Shakyamuni Buddha once said that if someone is constantly performing supernatural penetration for you to see, and trying to get you to believe in it, then this is not the Dharma. Supernatural penetration is fake, just as a magician’s tricks are. Are there any Rinpoches out there practicing Tibetan Buddhism with supernatural penetration? There certainly are, but it is used to benefit sentient beings; when sentient beings make mistakes, these Rinpoches use supernatural penetration to see them and to then help them. A little while ago I used supernatural penetration to see that Japanese believer who didn’t eat the food offering; I did not use my eyes. I was very anxious, because that believer is very busy and rarely has an opportunity to eat food that has been blessed by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Thus, I wanted to make him feel a bit pressured. However, my purpose was certainly to help him, so when I used supernatural penetration to see that he was not eating, I spoke up about it.

“Exhibiting supernatural penetration in such a way is fine, but if someone does it as a performance to get you to listen or obey, and not to teach you how to be a good person, then you should not go there. Propagating the Dharma in an age such as this is very difficult, because everyone has many self-righteous views which are actually erroneous. I will continue to work hard at propagating the Dharma in Japan—not for myself or for the Order, but for this piece of earth that is Japan, because I once spent a lifetime in Japan. If I were after fame and fortune, then I would not need to come to Japan, because I am already quite well-known in Taiwan, America, and Mainland China.

“I hope that today’s puja can provide the Japanese believers with some help. So long as you believe, many things will get a bit better for you. I once said that I will go wherever the Dharma is needed, to whatever places need me. Therefore, my coming to Japan was not completely arbitrary. Another year is gone; I hope Japan’s believers will think about whether or not their actions have resulted in any improvements over the past twelve months. If not, then you must use the Dharma to amend your ways. In doing so, you will help your future life and the lives of your family members, as well as your country and the world.” As Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s teachings came to a close, the guru expressed thanks.

Upon the perfect completion of the puja, all the attendees paid reverent homage as His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche descended the Dharma throne. In unison they thanked the guru for compassionately performing the Dharma and bestowing auspicious teachings. Every time His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche holds the auspicious Amitayus Puja, there are quite a few participants who obviously experience an alleviation of their symptoms of illness or are even cured entirely. This gives testimony to the fact that the guru always performs the Dharma to an auspicious and perfect completion. Any attendees with sufficient faith and respect, and who are able to participate in the puja with a compassionate aspiration to benefit sentient beings, will certainly be able to eliminate any hindrances to their Buddhist practice, increase their longevity, merits, and good fortune with which to practice Buddhism, and obtain peace and harmony.

Updated on January 14, 2014