His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Bestows His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche with the Chod Empowerment for the Third Time
On January 15, 2020, while staying in Taipei, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang specially bestowed His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche with an auspicious one-on-one Chod Empowerment.
His Holiness arrived at the Taipei Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center that afternoon to prepare for the empowerment. This would be a special empowerment, performed by a root guru for his disciple. His Holiness said that this particular Chod Empowerment would be most auspicious, with greater purifying power than those of the past. As His Holiness was about to begin transmitting this Dharma, the auspicious sign of a double-rainbow suddenly appeared outside despite the fact there were clear skies for miles with no mist in the air at all. It was truly unfathomable! Guru and disciple stared out at the rainbow side by side, then made their way toward a mandala to prepare for the ritual. At this time, His Holiness praised Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche before the mandala: “Rinpoche is becoming better and better — more and more remarkable all the time!”
As His Holiness prepared for Rinpoche’s empowerment ceremony, a double-rainbow (a primary rainbow plus a secondary rainbow) appeared hanging high in the sky.
In total, His Holiness has bestowed the Chod Empowerment upon Rinpoche three times, the first time being in March of 2000. While H.E. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was in seclusion at the Jangchubling Monastery in India, His Holiness bestowed the Chod Tantra Empowerment on him one-on-one in his retreat hut, also transmitting to him the lineage and Dharma instrument.
The second time was in 2006. His Holiness again bestowed the Chod Empowerment upon Rinpoche, as well as an important Dharma instrument of his own. This symbolized that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche received the Chod lineage of His Holiness.
On this the third time, His Holiness first ascended the Dharma throne to perform the preliminary practice. Rinpoche sat across from him at a lower height to receive the empowerment bestowed by His Holiness with reverence. Afterwards, His Holiness instructed Rinpoche to lead the attending disciples in reciting the Heart Sutra three times, and then continued performing the ritual.
Next, His Holiness instructed the disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center to adorn Heruka Dharma vestments (human bone Dharma vestments) for Rinpoche before continuing transmitting the Dharma. His Holiness began the empowerment ritual at 4:50 p.m., and it went on for over 2 hours before being completed to perfection. The lineage of this empowerment is most auspicious. It comes from a Dharma text in His Holiness’s own possession, and has been passed on to Rinpoche. After the perfected completion of the empowerment, Rinpoche respectfully offered khata and offerings to his Three-Grace Root Guru the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang in gratitude. He then attended to His Holiness in a respectful sendoff.
In this one-on-one secret empowerment, most was said without words. Two great practitioners: one compassionately transmitting the Dharma, and the other delightedly receiving it with no other thoughts but to continue the lineage and benefit more sentient beings. The heavens and earth were moved by this scene! It exhibited an ease of movement possessed by a Mahamudra Simplicity Yoga practitioner. We are able to rejoice and enter the sea of merits of our guru. How fortunate!
Thanks to Mr. Fate Chang for providing this photo
Epilogue:
Afterwards, Lama Sonam, who was accompanying His Holiness at the time, shared his thoughts: “His Holiness said that this Chod Empowerment was particularly pure. Before the empowerment, a double rainbow appeared — an extremely auspicious sign. This proves that with this Dharma, Rinpoche will be able to benefit even greater numbers of sentient beings. I’ve never seen a double rainbow before; it happened right before the empowerment. It’s unfathomable, auspiciousness upon auspiciousness!”
Khenpo Namdol of the lineage said: “This double rainbow also symbolizes His Holiness and Rinpoche’s guru-disciple attunement of the minds. This is an indicator of Rinpoche’s utmost faith in His Holiness. The Dharma activities of these two great practitioners will continue to flourish, and Rinpoche’s endeavors using the Chod for the benefit of sentient beings will spread widely across the Three Realms!”
Updated on January 20, 2020