His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Puja Teachings – May 31, 2026

The Mahayana Sutra of the Bodhisattva Treasury of the True Dharma Taught by the Buddha and Gongchig (dgongs gcig, The Same Intention）by Lord Jigten Sumgon.
 
His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne and expounded the ‘Scroll 33, Chanding Paramita’(Chapter 10, section 3) of The Mahayana Sutra of the Bodhisattva Treasury of the True Dharma Taught by the Buddha and Gongchig (dgongs gcig, The Same Intention）by Lord Jigten Sumgon.
 
Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne and recited the Great Six-Syllable Mantra for a long period of time. His sacred body and the mandala emitted a golden ray of light, and a miraculous fragrance permeated, the earth trembled; and the assembly all felt the chakra vibrate, with their whole body grew warm while all of their distracting thoughts suddenly ceased, so they could receive Rinpoche’s incomparably wondrous and pure teachings on the Buddha Dharma. During the process when Rinpoche expounded the teachings, a miraculous fragrance permeated the venue, and the assembly deeply felt the body and mind are calm and pure. After the puja came into perfection, the fragrance still lingered around the mandala for a long time without dispersing. Filled with Dharma joy, the assembly expressed heartfelt gratitude and praise, deeply mindful of Rinpoche’s compassion（maitrī and karuṇā ） and vow to benefit sentient beings.
 
Rinpoche bestowed precious Dharma teachings:

Sutra: ‘Achieving the stage of empowerment, attaining dharmasvāmitva.’
 
The term ‘empowerment’is generally not mentioned in most sutras, only the Ratnakuta Sutra mentions it. To achieve ‘the stage of empowerment’simply means that if you have not reached the required level of practice, you are not qualified to receive empowerment. Even if empowerment is given to you, you will gain only some good fortune in the human and heavenly realms and will never be able to attain accomplishment through the practice.‘Achieving the stage of empowerment, attaining dharmasvāmitva.’ When a practitioner has received empowerment, then on the aspect of the Dharma, whatever he does that is related to the Buddha Dharma will be at ease,  whatever he wants to do will definitely be accomplished. For example, His Holiness instructed me to build a Buddhist Monastery, and I built it, this is Dharma at ease. For example, when I am searching for the land on which the Buddhist Monastery is built. It was very strange, before this person attended the Amitabha Grand puja, in the dream he saw his deceased parents had come to attend my puja. Originally, he had planned to make a great fortune from this piece of land, but in the end, he sold it at the original price, this is Dharma at ease.

 If one receives empowerment not for the purpose of benefiting sentient beings, then one is like many people who come to implore for the Dharma today. No matter what they say, they have never truly reflected on why they are learning Buddhism. They do so merely to resolve their own suffering and personal problems. Of course, this is acceptable. Solving reincarnation is a very good matter, but the key point is here: the Bodhisattva Path is absolutely not something ordinary beings can practice. Many people think that if they want to learn the Bodhisattva Path, they will be able to learn it. They cannot. The Buddhist sutra speaks of ‘Achieving the stage of empowerment, attaining dharmasvāmitva.’ Why does Tibetan Vajrayana speak of having ten years of foundation in Exoteric Buddhism? The foundation of Exoteric Buddhism doesn’t mean understanding many terms or being able to recite Buddhist sutras; rather, it is that knowing all the fundamental theory of all the Buddha Dharma taught by the Buddha, and being able to accomplish them; only then can one learn Vajra. First, for Vajra, one must receive empowerment. After that, the way of practicing the Bodhisattva Path is opened. Why am I being very strict when transmitting The Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro, different from other centers; even if you can explain things very eloquently, I still will not transmit it to you, because I look at your heart.

Practicing the Bodhisattva Path does not mean merely talking about sacrificing oneself. It is not about self-sacrifice; rather, it is about becoming someone who wants nothing for oneself. What does it mean to want nothing at all? For example, some time ago, I donated a very large amount of money to the city government and he invited me to the gratitude ceremony, but I did not go. Yesterday, people from the Department of Social Welfare came to see me and kept expressing their gratitude. I said that there is no need to thank me, this is what we practitioners ought to do. The meaning is that we have to continuously benefit sentient beings, but after doing so, we do not claim credit for ourselves, nor do we feel that we are now prepared to live a good life.
 
In Tibetan Buddhism, to bestow empowerment, there are several kinds of it: The first is an empowerment for forming fates. Simply put, you have received empowerment. The second is the actual empowerment of the yidam, meaning that in this lifetime, you are to practice this yidam. There is another one called great empowerment. One who qualifies to receive a great empowerment, then one can be changed in this lifetime, I am a very clear example of this. Some people will say that they want to attend, but you are not qualified to attend. For example, the yidam I am practicing now, even the number of people who can receive the empowerment is limited, the Dharma text states very clearly that it must not exceed a certain number of people. Do not think that you want to learn Buddhism, I will give you empowerment; there is no such thing. Even the Ratnakuta Sutra speaks of ‘Achieving the stage of empowerment, attaining dharmasvāmitva.’ Strictly speaking, in this world, there are very few people who have cultivated to the point of being able to receive empowerment. Some people will say that I am very devout, and I listen to whatever the guru says, and I have done it and become vegetarian, and also attend puja. It is useless, you have not accomplished it. Because once you receive empowerment, it means that you are prepared to practice the Bodhisattva Path in this lifetime and in lifetime after lifetime.
 
The Ratnakuta Sutra states that both monastics and laypeople can practice the Bodhisattva Path. But it is more difficult for laypeople to practice the Bodhisattva Path because of the entangling evil karma. If we are without evil karma, we would not appear in the form of laypeople in this lifetime. Some will ask, ‘Where is the evil karma?’ There is! Greed, hatred, and ignorance are all present; problems in the family are all present. Even though I have practiced to the point of becoming a Rinpoche and am able to practice so many Dharma methods, I still have issues involving my family members, the only difference is that I deal with them differently from the way you do. 

Many people hope to receive empowerment. For example, I once had a good friend who, throughout his life, had received more than five hundred empowerments. He received empowerments from all four main orders. But, in the end, how did he pass away? He got a stroke and lay in bed for nearly half a year before he died. Logically speaking, if one had received empowerment and practiced diligently, it would be impossible to pass away from a stroke. This shows that there is no cultivation, only being greedy for empowerments. It is just like some people who keep coming to listen to the Buddha Dharma but are reluctant to register to take refuge, saying that it is because it is too strict here. Of course I am strict, because I act according to what the Buddhist sutra says. Would I casually and easily let you come here and become a believer?
 
If today I wanted to accept many believers and disciples, listen clearfully: disciples could divide into many kinds. One kind is called a disciple who is a believer. This disciple is only a believer, because he doesn’t practice. I can also use this method. If today I were willing to accept disciples who are believers, even ten places like here would not be enough to seat, because I am very capable. Speaking of being very capable, let me talk about why I did not perform the Dharma last Sunday. Disciple-Xie came out and said a whole lot of nonsense. What a waste, after following me for so many years! He said he was wasting Rinpoche’s physical strength. You have wasted my strength for several decades already, would this one time make any difference? In the past, when you first came to know me, you took me all day long to intensive care units to bestow blessings, to see whether I was powerful and capable or not; even testing me. Rinpoche has already accepted the stage of empowerment and is a person who has attained dharmasvāmitva. As long as I give rise to the thought, whatever I want to do will be accomplished.

Everybody knows that when I perform the Phowa, I don’t need to go before the deceased in person, even from thousands of kilometers away, I can still perform it successfully. Everyone also knows that for all deceased who have participated in the Chod, as long as they are cremated, there will definitely be a hole at the crown. (The assembly says in unison: Thank you, Rinpoche.) There is no need to thank me. Do you know where this comes from? Dharmasvāmitva. When I say that I will practice the Chod tomorrow, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma protectors already start to help. When you start registering and think of whom you wish to liberate, those Dharma protectors have already begun to act. The message has already been sent out, saying that so-and-so is included. By the time I pick up the booklet with the liberation list written in it and open it, the deceased have almost arrived. You think it is only a booklet, if it were merely a booklet, then there would be no need to place it on my Dharma throne.
 
That day, if I had not taken a brief look at the cover, both books would have been labeled as liberation lists. As long as the words ‘liberation’ are written on it, then it is for liberation. You don’t understand how frightening this cause and effect is. I am reverently inviting Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva to help me liberate all the sentient beings whose names are on the list. Therefore, when I open this list, they come. Blowing this flute is only to urge them to come more quickly. You don’t believe in Rinpoche’s power and capability, and that is why you say you are wasting Rinpoche’s physical strength. Why did I drive you out that day? Even if the name on the cover had been changed, it was still a liberation list. Of course, all of you will die, but I don’t want you to die so early, I want you to make enough offerings to me before you die. (The assembly laughs and says in unison: Thank you, Rinpoche.)
 
Therefore, when doing anything, there is no such thing as being careless. If that day I had been careless along with you, then a large group of people would have had their lifespans shortened, without enough time to continue to practice. You must think, ‘Is it really that serious?’ Because you don’t have supernatural powers, of course, you don’t feel that it is serious, only feeling that it was merely a writing mistake. But I have supernatural powers, and I feel that it is extremely serious, why was I able to see it? These two booklets had passed through many people’s hands before reaching the Dharma throne. Before they came into my hands, they had gone through at least a dozen people. Why did no one see it? Because they did not care. Other people dying had nothing to do with them. But I care. I care that you have not yet learned enough. If you were to die now, where would you go? I would be very tired.
 
That day, if I had still let you stay, even though the title on the cover had been changed and it was said not to be a liberation booklet, this fate would still exist. Therefore, I drove all of you out. I could also have chosen not to drive you out, I could first have collected the offerings for the puja, although it would not have been much, at least I could have received it. Why did Disciple-Xie not say that Rinpoche had sacrificed one round of offerings? Not a single disciple knows where Rinpoche’s power and capability lies. Why was I able to see it? I am eighty years old. Why did none of you see it? Because you have not practiced the Bodhisattva Path, you have no compassion(maitrī and karuṇā)  and do not care about others; you only care about whether coming to the puja brings you any benefit. Therefore, this is your collective karma, the collective karma of all the disciples. Do not think that it was only the fault of these two people. Do not think that it was only the fault of the board of directors. It was the fault of all of you.

What is wrong? You have never cared about others, you do not even know who is sitting next to you. People who learn Buddhism together at the same center are closer than family members, but you know nothing about them. You only know whether your own life is going well, whether attending the pujas brings you any benefit, and whether Rinpoche has helped you. As a result, such a strange situation arose and was seen by me. These two people were not doing this for the first time, they have been doing it every month. Why is it so strange? Because Dharma Protector Achi considered that the time had come and it was time for scolding.  If you were not scolded, you would be in a very miserable state. You have already begun to be numb, thinking that learning Buddhism is like this. 
 
In the Dharma text, if the liturgy is performed incorrectly, if a mudra is formed incorrectly, if a mantra is pronounced incorrectly, or if one recites more or fewer repetitions, one must repent before the yidam. How much more so when these two booklets were written wrongly? You will certainly say that you were careless, let me ask everyone something: almost ninety percent of the people here know how to drive, aside from the children. If you are careless while driving and hit someone, are you guilty or not? (The assembly answers: Yes.) Is that negligent injury? (The assembly answers: Yes.) Why a mistake is made when one is careless, the repentance you said is merely admitting that you were wrong and the sentence will be lighter, but still guilty. Is Disciple-Chu here? (Disciple-Chu, a lawyer, replies: Yes. Even if one admits it, the sentence will only be lighter, but one is still guilty. The guilt remains.) So the offense of negligent injury applies regardless of whether the driver intended it or not, whether the driver saw the person or not. If someone is hit and injured, it is negligent injury. Is this correct? (Disciple Chu replies: Reporting to Rinpoche, yes.) You can write the two booklets wrong, and come out to repent, and still thought that once you had repented, everything would be fine? What a waste that Disciple-Xie has taken refuge for so many years, yet he only said that it was a waste of Rinpoche’s physical strength. Even now, he still does not understand that he has violated the precepts.
 
We are all habitually used to doing things wrong, thinking that once we have explained ourselves, then we don’t need to take responsibility. Therefore, even in learning Buddhism, they are all the same. There was a disciple who was working at the Buddhist Monastery. While sawing bamboo, he killed two snakes. He himself said that he had not been careful, and hoped that I would liberate them. I said I would not liberate them. Why? It was not that Rinpoche was not compassionate(maitrī and karuṇā). Rather, his concept was that once Rinpoche had helped liberate them, he would no longer owe those two snakes. Let me tell you: he still owes them just the same. It is only that the karmic retribution will be lighter, he negligently killed the snakes. He could have been more careful, he clearly knew that there are many sentient beings around our Buddhist Monastery. Except for there are no tigers, lions, and elephants, there are all kinds of animals there, he should have been careful, why was he not careful? Even his manager, Disciple-Chou, said that he was not careful. Since one has already learned Buddhism, how can one still be careless? We must clearly examine where our motivation lies when we do things.
 
Why did these two booklets go wrong today? These two people were in a hurry, they had become accustomed to doing it, thinking that because they had done it correctly every week, it would be impossible to make a mistake this time. When matter happens, repent and think that Rinpoche will forgive you. I will not be angry with you, and this has nothing to do with whether I forgive you or not. Everything was done by you, so you must face karmic retribution in the future. Today, regardless of whether you intentionally or unintentionally wrote the wrong title on the list, what will your karmic retribution be in the future? You will definitely sign something incorrectly on documents. Perhaps someone will give you the wrong document; because you caused trouble for one thousand people. You say that you didn’t do it intentionally. Of course, it was not intentional. I agree with your way of saying, and I also agree with what all the directors say. Then why was Rinpoche sitting here and able to see it? I saw it at the very last second. Why was I able to see it? Because I care very much about sentient beings. I deeply respect the Dharma, every detail is something I must pay attention to. Why is the Dharma affairs team scolded by me all day long? It is exactly about this. It is not that if they do things well, I will be able to practice a little better; every detail, every single detail is related to sentient beings. Can we be negligent and careless?
 
My restaurants are all very clean, and the kitchens are open for you to see, because I am very careful. Even now, there are still many people who don’t dare to eat there because they think it is expensive. Whether they are believers or disciples, I all know. There is such a clean place to eat, yet you choose not to go there. Instead, you look for cheaper places without even knowing whether the kitchen is clean or what ingredients are being used. Then you get sick, and when you do, you come to me. I opened the restaurant deliberately, in fact, there is hardly any profit to be made. With the amount of money invested in it, how could it possibly generate much profit? My hope was simply to reduce some of my own troubles, because whenever you get sick, you definitely come to me. Could you please be a little more clear-headed and stop placing so much importance on money all day long?

Recently, a female disciple passed away, but while she was ill, she was unable to die for a long time because she was worried whether or not her children could inherit what she left them, and what would happen after her death; these matters had been constantly on her mind. Later on, I took over, told her not to worry, and she took her final breath. She was very industrious all her life, and lived frugally, but she could not use what she saved up, so she suffered a great deal when she was about to die; it took her nearly a month to pass away. Today, Rinpoche tells you this matter not for the sake of receiving things for myself, if I wanted to get anything extra, why did I order you to leave last Sunday? Writing down the wrong title for the list had nothing to do with me, I could have continued to practice and accepted the offerings as usual. 
 
Why did I ask you to get out? Your shared karma is too horrifying! If these disciples of mine were reverent to the guru, the three jewels, and the Dharma, this kind of mistake would have been absolutely impossible. You treat this as if you were going to work like a bureaucrat who comes once a month, especially to attend the Chod Puja, to see if this might improve things for you. I have told you again and again, to attend the Chod, you must possess the heart of repentance and compassion (maitrī and karuṇā). But do you have any of this? Gradually it has dissipated. Compassion (maitrī and karuṇā) about what? There are still many sentient beings who cannot be liberated. What should one repent about? One has accumulated so much evil karma throughout past lives, and yet you are still unclear about what you are doing; have you repented? Now you have started to refrain from repenting. ‘I am doing well, why should I repent?’ Even now that I am a guru who has reached the Anuutarayoga-tantra in my practice, I still recite Vajrasattva in repentance every time before performing the Dharma, needless to say, you people.

Therefore, when you are unaware of the need to repent, you will naturally be careless because you think it’s nothing and that simply apologizing will be fine, just like those people who came up to speak publicly today and thought it would all be fine. Of course, everything will be fine; no one will get angry at him because none of you understand the severity of this incident. If I recite any name, I can make anything I want happen to them. Don’t you believe me? (The assembly replies: We do.) Since you believe in me, why did you make a typo on the list? Since you believe in me, why did Disciple-Hsie only speak about wasting Rinpoche’s energy when he represented all in repenting? It is simply because you do not believe; you treat the matters that you cannot see or touch as non-existent. 

Therefore, whether or not one learns Buddhism, one must be cautious with all matters in life. Now is the age of Dharma Decline, an era of severe karma, the slightest carelessness will drag you into bad shared karma. Wouldn’t life be very stressful this way? Always on edge in your daily lives. That’s the way things are! Each day the news talks about so many cases of driving under the influence of drugs, after getting high on drugs, they start to bump into this or that, and if you drive over, you will get run into. Drugs are trending in Taiwan, but learning Buddhism is not. If one does not learn Buddhism and practice pure virtue, and still harbors so many thoughts and selfishness, then the Buddha Dharma one learns will not be of pure virtue—it will be tainted by some evil. Therefore, when this evil matures and appears, you will get hurt. What is pure virtue? The Five Precepts and the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, taking refuge and abiding by precepts. If one refrains from taking refuge, it would be useless to listen even a million times. 

Therefore, the Buddhist Sutra speaks of achieving the stage of empowerment, attaining dharmasvāmitva. This sentence makes it very clear that you must receive the Dharma to liberate yourself from life and death; to receive the Dharma— to relieve any sentient being from life and death means you must first achieve the stage of empowerment. 

Sutra, ‘Sariputra. This Buddhisattva Mahasattva with the supernatural power of non-retrogression; all his activities completely devoid of arrogance or conceit, his heart is pure, clean, authentically virtuous, disciplined, radiant, immaculate, and at ease.’ 

Buddha tells Sariputra that only the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas possess the supernatural power of non-retrogression. All the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas’ activities are completely devoid of arrogance or conceit, which means that when he performs any Dharma-related matters, he has not the slightest arrogant mindset. He does not feel conceited or proud when he achieves something, nor does he think he is different from others because he is able to achieve things; he never harbors such thoughts. His heart is pure, clean, authentically virtuous, and disciplined. His heart is pure and asks for nothing in return. Authentically virtuous has the same definition as purely virtuous, which I mentioned earlier. To be disciplined, radiant, immaculate, and at ease. This means that he employs authentic virtue to discipline his heart and the remaining karma from past lives, and by employing pure virtue to discipline, one becomes radiant, immaculate, and at ease. Immaculate means untainted. Being at ease means that as long as a thought arises, he can help sentient beings; he needn’t take action; simply giving rise to the thought would suffice. 

Sutra: ‘Abandon all sensory desires and subsidiary afflictions.’ 

Abandon all sensory desires and subsidiary afflictions. He can abandon all desires and the defilements of greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt. And subsidiary afflictions; he does not generate vexations through following vexation. For example, recently someone kept coming to implore me to transfer his adopted father’s consciousness, but I have continued to refuse him. Why? He kept racking his brains on how to tempt me with money. Yesterday, I saw through his act and exposed him; I explained the whole matter to him very clearly. If I had desires and was defiled, I would have been tempted by his money. How much did I refuse yesterday? ( The monastic disciple replies: Reporting to Rinpoche, not including that person, it was NT$ 500,000, and including him, it was NT$ 1,000,000.) This person could have inherited tens of millions from his adoptive father, but he brought only NT$500,000. I am not being calculative about money, but he wasn’t in the right mindset. How so? Because his adopted father came to see me before his death, and kept telling him that he must implore Rinpoche to perform consciousness transference. First, he tempted me by telling me he had sold the plot of land, and he had money to make offerings to Rinpoche, but there was nothing. Now that his adopted father has passed away, he came again. He said that the account of the funds has been frozen. I said, ‘You’re lying to me. Once someone dies, it takes a month for the tax bureau to figure out whether the deceased owes any taxes; how can the account be frozen?’ If I had desires, I would have taken the money first. It isn’t that I don’t need to make money; I need to make money because I support the livelihood of many people, but I don’t have this type of greed. If the circumstances are incorrect, I’d rather refuse and reject. You may say that I am compassionate(maitrī and karuṇā) for not transferring his consciousness. But without proper fate, how can I transfer their consciousness? Only when the proper fate arises can one transfer consciousness. Therefore, this sentence makes it very clear that the gurus who truly practice the Bodhisattva Path will abandon all sensory desires and subsidiary afflictions.

Sutra: ‘Miraculous silence. Bring all virtuous karma to perfect accomplishment. Within chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06), they contemplate liberation, samādhi, and samāpatti, and give rise to samyaksaṃkalpa (authentic contemplation). Though dwelling within life and death, they remain entirely free from all bondage.’ 

Miraculous silence. Bringing all virtuous karma means that his mind is miraculous and silent, and he can employ all virtuous karma to counteract this sentence mentioned earlier, to abandon all sensory desires and subsidiary afflictions. Silence does not mean that he remains within ding (Puja Teachings Index 06), but rather, his mind is serene and unaffected by any person, matter, or words, and he employs virtuous karma to face all matters. If the words and actions of a person are unrelated to virtuous karma, he will not help that person. You might ask why he won’t provide help. Even an evil person, a great demon, may suddenly have a virtuous thought. However, in the face of someone purely evil, there’s no way to help him unless through practicing the Vajra sector. But if this person is not prepared to learn Buddhism or doesn’t have the fate to learn it, then practicing the Vajra sector for him will harm him instead. Therefore, many people want to learn the Buddha Dharma to help sentient beings, but without some supernatural powers, if one helps casually, it will not only be of no benefit to the other party, but can also harm oneself. 
 
Look up the terms samādhi and samāpatti for me. （See remarks for detailed query results.) Liberation means to leave this state of mind. To perfect accomplishment. This means that if this Bodhisattva wants to help any sentient being attain achievement, he can accomplish any Buddhist activities. Within chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06). The chanding  (Puja Teachings Index 06) mentioned here does not refer to sitting still and quietly somewhere, it is through chanding  (Puja Teachings Index 06) that one can accomplish many things, and his mentality and state of mind resides within the state of chanding  (Puja Teachings Index 06), which echoes the earlier statement about how his heart is unmoved by any pollutants, desires, and subsidiary vexation. 
 
To give rise to samyaksaṃkalpa (authentic contemplation) means that his mentality differs from that of ordinary human beings. His entire mindset centers on how to employ the Buddha Dharma to liberate sentient beings from life and death. Therefore, once there is samyaksaṃkalpa (authentic contemplation), any suffering or changes that occur within life and death cannot entangle or bind him. Because the Bodhisattvas want to liberate sentient beings, they constantly go through life and death, but life and death for them are different from those of ordinary humans, as they return through their vows. Many people claim to be able to return through their vows, but it’s not possible unless one possesses samyaksaṃkalpa (authentic contemplation) and the supernatural power of chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06); otherwise, one simply returns by following karma. Do not think that having formed vows in this life means that you can return through vows to liberate sentient beings; that won’t do. Based on the teachings of Buddhist sutras, one must give rise to samyaksaṃkalpa (authentic contemplation), possess a stillness mind, and dharmasvāmitva. 

Dharmasvāmitva in the Vajrayana School means that, upon one’s rebirth, one can understand and choose to enter only when the garbha-dvāra (gate to the womb realm) is pure and beneficial. If this garbha-dvāra (gate to the womb realm) is useless to his future practices, he will not enter. Therefore, during his lifetime, he has to practice many Dharma methods to be able to decide for himself and avoid being entangled in karma when he reincarnates. Even when one reaches the Eighth Ground Bodhisattva fruition level, one still possesses karma. If one has not attained these fruition levels and claims to be able to return through vows, then it’s actually returning through delusion; it’s impossible for one to return through vows. ‘Returning through vows’ is a term, but how does one achieve it? It can only be accomplished through many methods of cultivation. 

Sutra: ‘Therefore, why is it so? Because he has relieved himself of all karma, vexations, and bonds of  inverted attachments.’
 
Therefore, Buddha stated, ‘Why does he relieve himself of such matters?’ Life and death will not entangle him unless he vows to return because he has relieved himself of the karma he generated, all vexations and entanglements, inverted attachments. He is no longer entangled, blinded, or controlled by these karmas of life, unless he wants to return. Just as I have continued to vow not to return, and thus I must practice and achieve this. To practice and achieve what state? So that I am capable of not returning, not so that I don’t have to return just because I say so, because as long as humans haven’t attained the fruition level of Buddhahood,  before the Eighth Ground Bodhisattva level, one still faces karmic forces. We can only rely on the yidam to prevent the karmic force from rupturing. Therefore, without receiving empowerments and verbal transmission from the guru to teach you how to practice the Yidam, you will still reincarnate. Do not think that simply reciting Buddhist sutras would suffice. Do not think that simply reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name would suffice; according to the teachings of Buddhist sutras, none of these are the case. Many say that it can be done, but you can ask a few of those monastics who recite Buddha’s name: how many people have they seen who could truly be reborn in the Pure Land? 

Rinpoche asked the monastic disciple: Speak on the matter, have you seen them? (The monastic replies: No.) Rinpoche asked another monastic disciple,  (Reply: No.) And have you, female monastics, seen it? (Reply: No.) What is the definition of not having seen such cases? Tell these fools. (The monastic who has been ordained for over three decades replies: Not having seen means…) No need to be polite, just speak up, alright? Don’t use jargon, speak plainly like a human being. (Reply: There is no way for an ordinary human being to relieve oneself of life and death, vow to be reborn in the Pure Land of Sukavati, one cannot achieve it oneself, one cannot, with Buddha…) I asked you what you meant by saying you hadn’t seen this? Do you mean that there were no auspicious signs? (Reply: Yes, exactly, there were no auspicious signs. The appearance of their deaths was not good.) How so? (Reply: They were not at ease.) Not as at ease as their faces were miserable? (Reply: Yes.) Were their mouths open? (Reply: Correct.) Were their eyes wide open? (Reply: Yes.)Were their limbs stiff? (Reply: Yes.) The top of their heads were not warm? (Reply: Yes.) Now you know how capable Rinpoche is? (The assembly replies: Yes.) After I recite a bit, all of their limbs grow soft? (The assembly replies: Yes.) They became younger-looking? (The assembly replies: Yes.) So if you want to become younger, you can die sooner, so I can help you, alright? (The assembly replies: Sure.) Sure? Yeah, right, plus, who’s going to listen to you? You are the ones who spoke of these auspicious signs, not me, right? You all told me your mothers became younger-looking, appearing to be even more beautiful than before. Why do you always talk about your mothers? No one talks about their father, how strange. 
 
Rinpoche asked another monastic, why don’t you speak about why you haven’t seen such cases. (Reply: I have not seen such cases; at least I haven’t heard of anyone who could predict their time of death; no one has been capable of predicting their time of death.) Many of my disciples could predict their time of death—plenty of them. What else? (Reply: Also, their bodies were odorous.) How so? (Reply: Most of them reeked of a kind of stench of the corpse.) If I transfer consciousness for the deceased, do they reek? (The Assembly replies: No, and there’s even fragrance.) You spoke so loudly! We are very low-key at the Glorious Jewel; originally, such cases could be publicized as an advertisement. But then I would be doomed; I’m not getting involved in that. I’m already exhausted as it is. Why put an 80-year-old man through all this?
 
I made the point of mentioning this matter today to tell you: To learn Buddhism, you must diligently follow and depend on a meritorious guru. By meritorious I do not mean moral, but rather merit. Has he attained merit through practice? These couple of decades have been quite enough for you to witness!  Have I proven things to you? (The assembly replies: Yes.) And yet you’re still so half-hearted and indecisive, and you dare tell me I’m not being cautious enough! Therefore, I absolutely cannot forgive you for making typos on the names of the two booklets. Not forgiving does not mean I am angry; how can you possibly still be so careless? Buddhists cannot be careless and inattentive. When you behave carelessly and inattentively, you cannot notice the subtle and delicate changes in the states of your mind. So, please can you refrain from making a habit of being so careless and inattentive? I am very polite today! 

I have mentioned in the last Bodhisattva Vajrapani puja that on that day, I happened to open this sutra by chance. The page I turned to was in The Mahāyāna Sūtra on the Inconceivable Secrets of the Tathāgata, Volume Fourteen, Chapter Sixteen, The Prophecy Given to Bodhisattva Vajrapani the Great Lord of Secrets. In that passage, Shakyamuni Buddha introduces Bodhisattva Vajrapani. In Exoteric Buddhism, there is no practice of Bodhisattva Vajrapani. Some people may even think that Bodhisattva Vajrapani is only practiced in Vajrayana. However, if that were the case, Shakyamuni Buddha would not have introduced him so clearly in the Ratnakuta Sutra, there must be a great fate existing. What is that fate? It is that if, in the course of our lives, we have never received the assistance of a yidam from the Vajrayana, then not only will liberation from reincarnation be impossible, but even attaining rebirth in the Pure Land will be extremely difficult. We ourselves have no idea how much evil karma we have done. Do not be complacent and think merely attending pujas or reciting the Buddha’s name will repay everything.

I have told everyone a real story before. Those who have learned Buddhism know that in ancient India, there was a great Bodhisattva known as Bodhisattva Nagajuri. His cultivation was so great that, while still alive, he had already attained the fruition level of Dharmakaya Bodhisattva. Because of this, many non-Buddhist religionists wanted him dead, thinking that if he were gone, no one would be able to point out their flaws. Yet no matter what they tried, they could not kill him. Every karmic retribution that could have led to his death had already been repaid. Finally, a large group of these non-Buddhist religionists knelt before him and begged him to die, because as long as he remained alive, it was tough for them to live a good life. Being a Great Bodhisattva, he agreed. He told them that there was only one karmic retribution he had not yet repaid. In a previous life, due to carelessness, he had used a leaf to sever the head of an ant.  Bodhisattva Nagajuri said, ‘Only this karmic retribution can bring me death.’ He then took a leaf, used it to cut off his own head, and passed away. Listen carefully: through carelessness! One of my disciples carelessly killed two snakes, and his manager even wrote a report to me on his behalf!
 
I am telling this story not to frighten or threaten you, but to make you understand that even the smallest actions carry karmic retribution. There is no such thing as an action without consequences, and there is no excuse for being careless. We all know what it is to abide by the precepts and to break them. Breaking a precept is, of course, a serious matter. What many people call ‘carelessness’ is violating the precepts, those who commit such a violation are usually you guys who claim you were just careless. Opening a precept is to open it. For example, Shakyamuni Buddha, in one of his previous lives, killed a boatman to save five hundred arhats. According to the precepts, this was an act of killing. Yet his was to open a percept because he was to save the lives of those five hundred arhats. Furthermore, he was also saving the boatman from falling into Hell. In such a case, the act was permissible. Another example mentioned in the sutra is that if someone is suffering from a serious illness and medicines require an ingredient from an animal, it is allowed to be used. This is not done for the sake of appetite, it is regarded as opening a percept.
 
What all of you are doing now is to violate the precepts, because you are always saying things like, ‘I was careless,’ ‘It was an accident,’ or ‘I didn’t see clearly.’Opening a precept is, of course, better than violating one, and violating a precept is better than breaking it. Once a precept is truly broken, a great deal of cultivation is required to restore it. For those who have violated a precept, repentance alone is not enough. In addition to repentance, you must continuously accumulate good fortune through making offerings, practicing Dānapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 15), and keeping doing. Only by doing so can turn the violated precept around, preventing them from ripening into severe karmic retribution for you in the future. I have already cultivated to the level of a Rinpoche, yet from time to time my skin still accidentally injures or bleeds a little. Why? Because in this lifetime I have killed ants and crushed cockroaches. Have you done the same? (The assembly replies: Yes.) Must those karmic retribution be repaid? (The assembly replies: Yes.) Do you think that simply reciting sutras and dedicating it to them is enough to repay the debt? Because I have practiced, when my skin scraped or I bleed, that karmic retribution is repaid, but all of you spend your days hoping to avoid repayment. That is impossible, you have repaid it anyway. The difference is that, if you have learned Buddhism, the repayment becomes much lighter, this is what is meant by a lessened effect of heavy karmic retribution.
 
For example, during my retreat this March, before I had entered the retreat room, I rubbed the skin on my hand raw while shaking a hand drum, and it began to bleed. I was very happy, because it meant that before entering retreat, I had repaid a heavy debt. 
You, on the other hand, would probably think, ‘How unlucky! I haven’t even started the retreat yet, and I’m already bleeding.’ I remember the first time I entered a retreat in India. His Holiness had arranged for me to stay in a retreat hut on a hill above the monastery. On the very first night, I saw a large crowd of strange Indian ghosts standing outside my door. Some had no noses; others had no hands. What would you have done? If it were some of these monastics, they would probably have recited sutras and dedicated them. But that was not what I did. Instead, I spoke to them directly: ‘Tomorrow I will spend an entire day cultivating merit and dedicate all of it to you. Please do not disturb me, I need to retreat.’ The next day, I practiced diligently for the entire day and dedicated all the merit to them. From that point on, they truly disappeared and never appeared again. After the retreat ended, I asked what that place had been in the past. It turned out that during British rule, it had served as the major leper colony for the entire northern region. All the people suffering from leprosy had been sent there. How many must have died there? No wonder there had been so many ghosts gathered outside my door. Yet I felt no fear. At the time, no one had told me beforehand that the place had once been a leper colony.

Why is Rinpoche able to achieve attainment through practice? Because whenever I am practicing, I fear nothing. A large crowd of ghosts stood outside my door, yet they could not enter, because I had protected my retreat room. I do not speak any Indian languages, and people of different ethnic groups speak different tongues. Yet they understood me. Why? Because true communication comes from the heart. Of course, I spoke to them in my own Cantonese Mandarin, but I made my meaning very clear: Tomorrow I will dedicate an entire day’s merit from practice to you. Please do not disturb my retreat. The next day, I devoted a full day of practice and dedicated all the merit to them. From that time, they never appeared again. If it had been some of you, you would have kept trying to drive them away. But you should not chase them away. Instead, give them what they need. A single day of merit is enough for them, especially the merit from a retreat.

So, why do I continually hold retreats? Because only retreats can enable us to accumulate the merit necessary for cultivation swiftly, quickly experience and understand ourselves and the Buddha Dharma, and quickly for the guru to teach you more Buddha Dharma in the future. His Holiness taught me so much because I was obedient and willing to go into retreat. He instructed many people to do a retreat, but many of them were too busy. They would say, ‘I’ll go when I am available.’ As a result, those people are no longer seen today. I do not mean that they have died; I mean that they are no longer around and cannot be found. Therefore, when your guru speaks to you, if you truly have faith, you should follow them. Do not keep holding on your own ideas. If you insist on following your own thinking, you will end up ruining everything. When His Holiness told me to enter retreat, he never mentioned that the place had once been a leper colony. Nor did he tell me how to protect my retreat room. He simply told me to close the door and lock it. That was all. Things are much better for you now. I have already performed the Dharma to protect your retreat rooms. Compared with what I experienced in the past, your retreat conditions are like staying in a six-star luxury hotel. In that sense, your good fortune is better than mine.
 
As for this section of Bodhisattva Vajrapani, I do not have time to explain it to you right now. Much is concerned with the fruition level of attaining the Dharmakaya Bodhisattvas, and the questions raised are extremely sharp, because the purpose is to enable sentient beings to understand the attainment of Bodhisattva Vajrapani.
 
Gongchig (dgongs gcig, The Same Intention）by Lord Jigten Sumgon
 
I happened to turn to this passage, so I will mention it briefly. Last time, did I talk about the difference between bodhicitta and the heart of karuṇā d in Gongchig (dgongs gcig, The Same Intention)? (The assembly replies: ‘Yes.’) Do you still remember it?  Should I explain it to you again? (The assembly replies: ‘Yes.’) The heart of karuṇā attains all the merits of the Buddhas and the foundational wisdom. Foundational wisdom is the natural wisdom within oneself, the preliminary basis of the path. It is the foundation that a practitioner practices Six Paramitas through noble conduct, without feeling hardship or weariness during learning the Buddha Dharma. Therefore, without a heart of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā), whatever you practice is ultimately useless. It is the foundational driving force of the ultimate Tathagata’s great compassion, continually and ceaselessly observing sentient beings, and embarking on vast, ocean-like activities to teach and transform his disciples. In other words, if a guru has not attained great bodhicitta and the heart of great karuṇā, that he cannot teach disciples. Therefore, the Mahayana is made incomparably wondrous by the heart of karuṇā. Without the heart of karuṇā, there is neither visualized sūnyatā (Puja Teaching Index 21)  nor unvisualized sūnyatā (Puja Teaching Index 21). That is to say, if you wish to learn Buddhism, learn the Dharma, without a heart of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā), then neither practicing sūnyatā (Puja Teaching Index 21)through visualization nor unvisualized sūnyatā (Puja Teaching Index 21) exist. This is why many people come to implore the Dharma from me, I do not transmit them. Because I know they lack the heart of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā). They implore the Dharma merely for the sake of improving themselves.
 
Even if one practices the  visualization of Vajra mantra pith of solar plexus and bindus, one ultimately brings harm upon oneself. This sentence is extremely important. Even if your guru transmits a Dharma text to you, teaches you mantras, or even the pith to practice solar plexus and bindus in the Yoga-Tantra (Yoga Tantra), and the Anuttarayoga-Tantra (Highest Yoga Tantra), if you lack the heart of karuṇā , you will end up harming yourself. Because mantras possess power to benefit you, but they can also harm you. The power generated through reciting mantras will benefit sentient beings, because all the mantras of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are founded on compassion (maitrī and karuṇā). If you recite these mantras without compassion (maitrī and karuṇā), then you end up cursing yourself. Do you understand? This is why the Dharma method of Avalokiteshvara is always the first. Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is the embodiment of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā). What is karuṇā? It means giving all that is good in oneself to others and taking upon oneself what is bad from others. For example, when I transfer sentient beings’ consciousnesses, I give them the good fortunes I have accumulated through practice. If I do not give anything, how can I help them? It is like someone who wishes to travel to America but has no money. If I buy the plane ticket for that person and even provide money for accommodation, then the person can make the journey. Same logic, do not assume that reciting a sutra can liberate beings. Do you have the heart of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā)? Only if you have the ability to give and they are able to receive what you offer, then they can go. For example, when I practice the Chod, it is my energy, good fortune, and merit that lift those beings. Without these, how could I possibly help them? And where do these things come from? They arise from cultivating compassion (maitrī and karuṇā).
 
Therefore, the source of vast benefit, comfort, and happiness for both oneself and all sentient beings is the heart of karuṇā. Such heart of karuṇā is bodhicitta. For example, when people see someone who possesses the heart of karuṇā, they call the person a ‘Bodhisattva.’ Thus, in Tibet, the heart of karuṇā is frequently taken as bodhicitta. However, regarding this, Jigten Sumgon taught: bodhicitta and the heart of karuṇā are different. Many people speak of the heart of karuṇā and bodhicitta as though they were identical, but Jigten Sumgon explained they distinct from one another. 
 
The heart of karuṇā is the general Dharma for Buddhists and non-Buddhist religions. Even animals can give rise to the heart of karuṇā for their offspring and relatives when they are suffering, not to mention for other sentient beings. The Buddha’s sravaka and pratyekabuddha disciples also possess the heart of karuṇā . The sutra says: ‘One should hold pity and compassion for those who are poor, lowly, or afflicted.’ Yet even if one possesses the heart of immeasurable karuṇā but without bodhicitta, one remains in lower vehicle. Bodhicitta does not arise from a single cause or fate. Rather, it depends on countless fates. One must have faith in the Buddha and the Buddha Dharma. One must have faith in the conduct of the Buddha’s disciples. If one has faith in supreme bodhicitta, then one gives rise to the motivation of a uttama-puruṣa(superior practitioner). It is also said: ‘The arising of the bodhicitta’s merit, the heart of contemplation does not occur without causes, nor does it arise from an inferior state of mind. It comes from faith in the Buddhas and the Dharma, and from faith in the Sangha. Only through raising the heart of faith, worship, and joy toward the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and all gurus, and making offerings to them, bodhicitta arise.’ This is why I constantly encourage you to make offerings. It is not because I want your offerings, it is to make you be able to generate bodhicitta.
 
As explained above, bodhicitta arises through inconceivable causes. Therefore, the heart of karuṇā comes first. Generation of bodhicitta has two kinds: Generation of bodhicitta vowing, and acting Bodhicitta. Firstly, there are four causes for generating bodhicitta: First, vastly accumulating the resources of good fortune and merits. Second, taking incomparably wondrous refuge. Listen carefully, it is impossible to have bodhicitta without taking refuge. Third, practicing the mind with the Four Immeasurables. These are the Prayer of Four Immeasurables we recite every day. Practicing the mind means that all your thoughts should be based on the Four Immeasurables. Fourth, the principal cause: raising the thought that the guru is a Buddha. I have often said this before: If you regard the guru as an ordinary person, then for you the guru remains an ordinary person. If you regard the guru as a Bodhisattva, then the guru is a Bodhisattva. If you regard the guru as a Buddha, then the guru is a Buddha. This teaching was given by Venerable Atisha and is preserved within the Drikung Kagyu Lineage. The heart of  karuṇā  is one of these four causes. Therefore, from the perspective of cause and effect, the heart of  karuṇā  and bodhicitta are not identical. Bodhicitta requires the complete presence of all four causes. In that sense, their relation is the cause and the fruit. They are different from the perspective of function as well.
 
Everyone should remember these four causes: Vastly accumulating the resources of good fortune and merits. Taking incomparably wondrous refuge. Practicing the mind with the Four Immeasurables. The principal cause: raising the thought that the guru is a Buddha. I have said before that when the guru teaches the Dharma, if you believe it is correct, then it is correct. If you think it is wrong, then you are wrong, because you are regarding the guru as an ordinary person. When a Buddha teaches the Buddha Dharma, the teaching can arise spontaneously according to the circumstances at hand. It is not always limited to a fixed formula. Of course, liturgies have their prescribed forms, but in many aspects, the guru considers it right, then it is right. Because he gives the teaching according to your fates, not according to the sutras or fixed Dharma text. These four causes are things that you must diligently cultivate. Only then can a heart of karuṇā develop further onto bodhicitta. In all Mahayana Buddhism, a heart of karuṇā is the root, and bodhicitta is the fruit. If you possess neither the root nor the fruit, then whatever Buddha Dharma you learn is useless. Even if you receive numerous empowerments, they are useless.
 
The heart of karuṇā arises in the fate of sentient beings, whereas bodhicitta arises in the fate of the fruition level of Buddhahood. Therefore, the heart of karuṇā and bodhicitta are not the same. The heart of karuṇā enables beings to move away from suffering, while bodhicitta leads to the attainment of Buddhahood. Bodhisattva Maitreya said: ‘To benefiting others, I motivates to generate authentic bodhicitta.’In order that all sentient beings can be liberated from the reincarnations’sea of suffering and ultimately attain Buddhahood, I myself shall attain supreme bodhicitta.’ Such a thought is bodhicitta. Then what does it mean by, ‘one who possesses the essence of sūnyatā (Puja Teachings Index 21) and karuṇā completely?’ It refers to one who is inseparable from the Dharmakaya of all Buddhas and who engages in activities that benefit sentient beings. In this context, worldly bodhicitta is referred to by the name ‘the heart of karuṇā,’ while sūnyatā (Puja Teachings Index 21) refers to ultimate bodhicitta. Jigten Sumgon taught: ‘All Buddhas of the three times are known by the name of sūnyatā (Puja Teachings Index 21) and karuṇā. The two forms of bodhicitta are united and practiced through body, speech, and mind, then all actions, whether yet to be done, presently being done, or already done, are nothing other than yoga.’ Therefore, we should clearly understand the distinction between the heart of karuṇā and bodhicitta. My Mandarin pronunciation is quite standard! (The assembly laughs.) Do you smell the fragrance? (The assembly replies, ‘Yes!’) As I continue teaching the Buddha Dharma, the fragrance continues to arise. This is a sign that what is being taught is the authentic Dharma, the heart Dharma of Jigten Sumgon. Today, because I am teaching his heart Dharma, Lord  Jigten Sumgon is pleased. That is why the fragrance keeps appearing and is becoming stronger and stronger. Isn’t it? (The assembly replies together, ‘Yes!’) Can those sitting in the back smell it as well? (The assembly replies, ‘Yes!’) Practice the Dharma Protector liturgy.
 

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Updated on June 5, 2026