His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche Performs the Fire Offering at Miaoli Glorious Jewel Buddhist Temple Site to Pray for Smooth Construction
His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang has instructed our Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to construct a Glorious Jewel Buddhist Temple for the purpose of upholding the pure and auspicious lineage of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche of the Drikung Kagyu Order to benefit greater numbers of sentient beings! Likewise, His Holiness personally selected the auspicious date of February 29, 2020 to have Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche perform a groundbreaking puja and pray for the smooth construction of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Temple, as well as for Rinpoche’s Dharma lineage to be as solid as a huge rock, flourishing eternally and richly benefiting all sentient beings.
The sky above Miaoli was sunny and clear on this auspicious day. H.E. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche arrived at the temple site at 2:15 p.m. In addition to the Glorious Jewel disciples, other guests in attendance at this puja included Miaoli County magistrate and the village head of Longsheng Village. At 2:30, H.E. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne at the fire-offering site, and presided over the puja for three and a half hours. Rinpoche started by instructing the ordained to recite the Auspicious Verses and the Auspicious Prayer of the Eight Sages, and then began performing the consecration ritual. After its perfect completion, Rinpoche instructed an ordained disciple to explain the significance of the ritual to the guests.
Rinpoche then performed the ‘Emperor Ritual’ Great Compassionate Avalokiteshvara Supplement and Subduing Fire Offering Dharma Endeavor. He granted two guests and two disciples the opportunity to take offering items from his hand during the ritual, and, as representatives for all sentient beings, cast them into the flames of the fire offering mandala in a direct offering to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Rinpoche also instructed the ordained to recite the Great Six-Syllable Mantra during the ritual.
Before the fire offering, H.E. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche first personally placed kusha grass onto the mandala.
Then, as Rinpoche began the fire offering proceedings, the hot, muggy air suddenly gave way to a gentle breeze, sending a wave of refreshment over everyone, and nearby birds began chirping in rising and falling succession. Although the sky overhead was overcast at the beginning of the ritual, a short time later, the sun suddenly came out, auspicious dragon-shaped clouds appeared on the horizon, and auspicious clouds surrounded the sun as well, rolling past nimbly, and transforming endlessly and spectacularly. All of these auspicious omens were due to the fact that Rinpoche’s vast compassion to build this Buddhist temple and benefit countless sentient beings moved both the heavens and earth.
In addition, as Rinpoche conducted the ritual, the flames constantly transformed and manifested into various auspicious appearances, just as if the fire deities themselves had descended amidst the mandala. Throughout the ritual, the offering mandala burned with fierce intensity, its flames shooting upward several feet high, raging with unstoppable energy, as if the fire deities of the mundane world and the yidam of the supramundane were incarnating into various nagas, devas and Dharma protectors, blessing and benefiting countless sentient beings. Later on, His Holiness revealed with delight: “The flames are like the head of a dragon; this is most auspicious!” Rinpoche’s single-mindedness for the benefit of sentient beings, as well as his attunement to the compassion of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas brought forth the praise and blessings of the nagas, devas and Dharma protectors!
His Holiness revealed with delight: “The flames are like the head of a dragon; this is most auspicious!”
After the fire offering was completed to perfection, H.E. Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche used crystal prayer beads to bless all attending guests and disciples and all of the staff on site one by one from his Dharma throne. Even construction workers who were considerably farther away from the ritual site ran over, delighted to receive Rinpoche’s blessings. Afterwards, under Rinpoche’s direction, an excavator carried out the groundbreaking ceremony at the center of the main temple area, unearthing the first patch of dirt for the groundbreaking of the temple, symbolizing that from there and then, the spread of Rinpoche’s Dharma lineage would be vast and eternal.
Rinpoche then descended the Dharma throne, and chatted with guests. Finally, at 6:00 p.m., everyone gave him a respectful sendoff, and he left the temple site.
Updated on March 3, 2020