The Temple Groundbreaking Ceremony, Presided Over By His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang on November 7, 2016
On November 7th, 2016, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang arrived in Miaoli, Taiwan to personally oversee the groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site of the new temple and to lead Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in the Three-Part Torma Ritual, the Yidam Hevajra Earth Mother Ritual, the Earth Mother Groundbreaking Ritual, the Smoke Purification Offering, and the Food Offering for Devas, Nagas, and the Eight Groups of Beings. Participants in this grand, auspicious ceremony included the Order’s Khenpo Namdol and Lama Samten, as well as ten ordained disciples from the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center. The groundbreaking came to a perfectly auspicious completion.
His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche established the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taipei in 1997. Over the past two decades, he has been constantly on the move, propagating Buddhism to benefit sentient beings around the world in places such as Mainland China, Tibet, India, Nepal, Bhutan, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, as well as in the Japanese cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Ishinomaki. As a result, more than 1,500 people from home and abroad have taken refuge in him.
Out of compassion for the many sentient beings still trapped in the suffering sea of reincarnation, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche vowed to build a temple able to accommodate upwards of three thousand people. It will include a Dharma center, a monastics’ dormitory, a retreat center, and a stupa, all for the purpose of fulfilling his great aspiration to propagate the Dharma and benefit sentient beings. In January of 2016, while visiting the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taipei, His Holiness publicly praised Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s great vow to build this temple, and joyfully bestowed assurance of the project’s complete success.
His Holiness had constantly been inquiring about the progress of the temple’s construction, and was overjoyed to learn of its confirmed location. He had stated that November 7th would be a good day for its groundbreaking ceremony, so Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche made arrangements for it to be held on that day.
To construct from scratch a temple large enough to hold 3,000 people was an incredibly difficult project involving a plethora of challenges and requiring an enormous expenditure of energy, strength, and money. Drawing from his vast bodhicitta, and with utter selflessness, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was willing to take on this great responsibility, despite being nearly seventy years old. Moreover, with propagating the Dharma to benefit sentient beings as his only goal, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was granted blessings and assurance from his Three-Grace Root Guru, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.It stands to reason that, upon its completion, this temple will serve to benefit countless sentient beings, allowing them to obtain boundless merits and Dharma benefits.
The bright sunlight shone through the clouds, emitting unusual, golden hue, which symbolized the perfect and auspicious nature of this beginning.
The weather was crisp and bright that day, and the way clouds cleared to reveal the bright blue sky was an extraordinary sight.
The temple will be sited at the top of a hill, looking down into the valley; surrounded by the mountainous green forests, the environment is quiet and refreshing.
At 8:30 AM, His Holiness and RinchenDorjee Rinpoche arrived at the temple’s planned construction site.
After a short rest, His Holiness, accompanied by RinchenDorjee Rinpoche, inspected the temple grounds and surrounding terrain.
His Holiness, accompanied by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Khenpo Namdol, and Lama Samten, inspected the temple grounds by car, and disembarked to better inspect the geographical conditions.
Constantly paying close attention to His Holiness’s footsteps, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was quick to offer support whenever they came upon uneven ground.
His Holiness inspected the geographical conditions, and enquired about the boundaries of the site.
After inspecting the area, His Holiness, accompanied by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, chose a location in which to conduct the grand groundbreaking ceremony.
His Holiness inspected the geographical conditions, and enquired about the boundaries of the site.
After inspecting the area, His Holiness, accompanied by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, chose a location in which to conduct the grand groundbreaking ceremony.
After inspecting the area, His Holiness, accompanied by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, chose a location in which to conduct the grand groundbreaking ceremony.
His Holiness further confirmed the position for performing the Dharma.
Many birds gathered in the surrounding trees, chirping excitedly.
His Holiness smiled and exclaimed, “So many birds!” Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche replied, “They’ve all come because they are very happy to hear you perform the Dharma.”
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Khenpo Namdol, and Lama Samten in a further confirmation of where to perform the ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Khenpo Namdol, and Lama Samten in a further confirmation of where to perform the ritual and place the Earth Mother.
At 10:30 in the morning, His Holiness ascended the Dharma throne to perform the puja.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual, while Khenpo Namdol blessed the offerings.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Earth Mother Ritual.
After performing the ritual, His Holiness, attended by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and Khenpo Namdol, descended the Dharma throne to perform the groundbreaking ceremony.
His Holiness conducted the groundbreaking ceremony, digging the ground with a red-ribbon-tied hoe.
His Holiness conducted the groundbreaking ceremony, digging the ground with a red-ribbon-tied hoe.
His Holiness conducted the groundbreaking ceremony, digging the ground with a red-ribbon-tied hoe and placing pieces of earth into a glass jar.
H.E. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed the groundbreaking ceremony, digging the ground with a red-ribbon-tied hoe.
H.E. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed the groundbreaking ceremony, digging the ground with a red-ribbon-tied hoe and placing pieces of earth into a glass jar.
His Holiness held up the jar of soil they’d dug up and examined it closely for a long time.
It was the last month of autumn, so His Holiness and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche dug the ground to the left of the confirmed position.
Throughout the ceremony, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche naturally attended His Holiness with respect and consideration, and was wholeheartedly devoted to the needs of His Holiness. In this manner, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was showing the best example of how to serve one’s guru.
Throughout the ceremony, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche naturally attended His Holiness with respect and consideration, and was wholeheartedly devoted to the needs of His Holiness. In this manner, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was showing the best example of how to serve one’s guru.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Smoke Offering.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Smoke Offering.
While His Holiness performed the Smoke Offering, Lama Samten placed tormas in the Smoke Offering mandala.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Smoke Offering, during which white smoke continuously billowed skyward.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Smoke Offering.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Smoke Offering.
His Holiness led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Smoke Offering.
His Holiness and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche spread rice kernels into the air, offering them to all sentient beings.
Immediately after the ceremony, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed three grand prostrations on the sand and dirt in front of His Holiness while imploring to offer the mandala, and thanked him for his auspicious Dharma performance.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche offered the mandala to His Holiness respectfully, thanking him for his auspicious Dharma performance.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche offered the mandala to His Holiness respectfully, thanking him for his auspicious Dharma performance.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche offered the mandala to His Holiness respectfully, thanking him for his auspicious Dharma performance.
Upon the perfect completion of the groundbreaking ceremony, His Holiness bestowed precious Dharma teachings.
His Holiness said: “ A piece of the soil we dug up contains many colors, signifying the perfect and auspicious future accomplishment of Dharma activities related to subduing, placating, increasing, vanquishing and many others.”
His Holiness said: “Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche cares deeply for the ordained disciples; in finding this peaceful location, he has prepared a wonderful place of cultivation.”
The disciples made three reverent prostrations before His Holiness and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, thanking them for their infinitely benevolent blessings.
After the rituals came to a perfect completion, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche respectfully and sincerely asked His Holiness where exactly the stupa and temple should be built, as well as His Holiness’s private lounge.
Behind Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, an unusually large grasshopper appeared to be a part of the ceremony. It followed His Holiness and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche from the top of the valley, to the mid range, and all the way to the mandala. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche prostrated to His Holiness, the grasshopper jumped on to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s robe to partake in the prostrations towards His Holiness.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche accompanied His Holiness down from the Dharma throne.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche kept by His Holiness’s side, paying close attention to the elder guru’s footsteps. Whenever they came upon uneven ground, he was quick to offer support. In this manner Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was giving the best example of how to attend to one’s guru.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche kept by His Holiness’s side, paying close attention to the elder guru’s footsteps. Whenever they came upon uneven ground, he was quick to offer support. In this manner Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was giving the best example of how to attend to one’s guru.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche kept by His Holiness’s side, paying close attention to the elder guru’s footsteps. Whenever they came upon uneven ground, he was quick to offer support. In this manner Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was giving the best example of how to attend to one’s guru.
The closeness of guru and disciple naturally appears between His Holiness and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, signifying that they will remain together forever, walking the Dharma path to benefit even more sentient beings.
At the perfect conclusion of the ceremony, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche accompanied His Holiness in leaving the site of the future temple.
In unison, the disciples expressed their gratitude to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and H. E. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and reverently sent them on their way.
Upon perfect completion of the ceremony, a halo circling the sun appeared in the sky, emitting colorful hues. This auspicious sign represents that the Dharma wheel will shine brightly to bless the Earth and all sentient beings in the Six Realms.
Updated on January 1, 2017