On May 29, 2009 starting at 2 PM, the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche held the one-year inauguration anniversary puja of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Kyoto, Japan, in the center. During the puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducted the rituals of Lamp Offering Prayer Chapter Two, Jewell Self-Born Lamp Offering, and Lama Chopa. There were a total of 129 persons attended the puja, including local believers and guests, believers and guests from Taiwan, guests from India, and disciples of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taiwan.

Right before the one-year inauguration anniversary puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducted dharma to give blessings to the prayer flags in the yard of the center. The anniversary puja immediately followed. Today is the anniversary of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Kyoto and is also the anniversary for Lord Jigten Sumgon, the founder of Drikung Kagyu Lineage. The meaning of it is very auspicious. While conducting the Lamp Offering ritual, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche lighted the butter lamps in front of the Buddha in the mandala, lighted His Holiness’ butter lamp as well as place it on His Holiness’ throne, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s butter lamp was lightened up  by His Holiness’. Afterwards, disciples’ butter lamps and then the believers’ were lighted by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s butter lamp. After that, the representatives of believers lighted the butter lamps in front of Buddha in the mandala. That symbolizes that the Buddha dharma were passed from Shakyamuni Buddha to His Holiness, from His Holiness to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and then from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to disciples and believers.

The conduction of Lama Chopa ritual is to reverently make offerings to gurus of all generations so that we have merits to learn Buddhism. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche first enlightened the origin of Drikung Kagyu Lineage and introduced the life of Lord Jigten Sumgon.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche further enlightened how the custom on eating is concerned with the new flu H1N1; encouraging Japanese believers not to drink iced water, nor eat sashimi. The ritual proceeded to the Mandala Offering and then the conduction of Lama Chopa ritual. On behalf of all beings, the leading Dharma brother made the tea offering to the Buddha and Budhisattvas in the Mandala, His Holiness, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. After the perfect completion of the ritual, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led all attendees to practice sitting meditation to initiate the cause and condition of learning Mahamudra teachings in the hope that the Mahamudra teachings will be propagated in Japan.

On May 30, 2009 starting at 2 PM, the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche held the auspicious fire puja in the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Kyoto, Japan. There were a total of 131 persons that had attended this puja, including the local believers and guests from Japan, believers and guests from Taiwan, guests from India, and disciples of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taiwan.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened that conducting the fire puja today was in memory of Jigten Sumgon as well as in the hope to contribute to this country Japan. As long as you came and held absolute respect and faith to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, the Guru, and the Yidam, the prayer Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche recited on behalf of you would be beneficial to you. The fire puja was rarely conducted in Japan. The practitioner must be a Rinpoche. It is depicted in Tantric text that, conducting a fire puja can eliminate contagious diseases, help those who are harmed by contagious diseases, and eradicate obstacles caused by devils. The so-called widespread contagious diseases are the harms to beings by devils. For instance, the outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) several years ago were to harm to human beings by devils. It can be eliminated by fire pujas. As people are panicking over the H1NA flu that is spreading in Japan, the fire puja (of cessation dharma) has helped all beings in need.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened that fire pujas would utilize a variety of offering items, each having its particular effect. It requires understandings of profound exoteric teachings and tantric practices as the foundation to conduct the fire pjua. In addition, the practitioner that conducts fire puja to benefit all beings must have attained accomplishment in Yoga Tantra and Supreme Yoga Tantra as well. It will not take effect if a Rinpoche that has not attained accomplishment in Yoga Tanra or Supreme Yoga Tantra conducts it.

The Yidam for this fire puja was Acala. The cause and condition between Acala and Japanese is very significant. Acala is also one of the Yidams of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s. A large statue of Acala is worshiped at the Glorious Buddhist Center, Kyoto. The expression of this Acala is commonly seen in Japan. Accidentally, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche found this statue at Yun-Nan, China. Obtaining this statue initiated Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s cause and condition to find a Buddhist center in Japan.

During the ritual, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche let Japanese believers and disciples in the yard take turns to receive offering items and then throw them to the stove of the fire puja. The puja had lasted for nearly three hours. During which, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was continuously reciting mantras, holding the offering items, and contemplating without making a pause for drink nor taking a reset so that conduction was completed perfectly. The weather was fine and mildly cool in the afternoon, with rarely seen auspicious clouds in the shape of a dragon in the sky. There were the rare and auspicious signs of perfection. Upon the perfect completion of fire puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave enlightenment on the throne again: “Why do we have to practice the dharma of Achi Chokyi Drolma after the completion of the fire puja? It is because without the protection of Dharma protector, the puja would not be smooth and success. We are therefore thankful to Dharma protector and practice the dharma of Achi Chokyi Drolma after puja, in hope that Achi will continue to protect us. Then, when whole process of the puja was completed, it rained and thundered, which were auspicious signs manifesting the perfect completion of the puja.

The one-year inauguration anniversary puja was perfectly completed. In the evening, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had dinner with the disciples. It is of great merits to have food with a Mahasiddha. The disciples of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center had immense gratitude to our guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for bestowing on disciples the opportunity of accumulating virtues.

Updated on June 10, 2009