On November 9, 2008, the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was invited to conduct the auspicious Chod puja in Jalandhar, the famous major city in the Sikh region of the Punjab province of the northern India. Right after that, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led nearly 200 disciples heading for Jangchubling Monastery in Dehra Dun to attend the Annual World Peace Prayer Gathering on November 11 held by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche and the Winter Teachings on the teaching and transmission of the Chagchen Gangama (Mahamudra of Ganges) by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche from November 12 till November 15. All the way during this trip, Rinpoche was overwhelmed exhaustedly by events of pujas and seeing believers one after another to perfectly and compassionately fulfill wish from all sentient beings with the power of Rinpoche’s great vow to benefit all sentient beings.

On November 7, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led nearly 200 disciples of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center Taiwan flying to New Delhi, India. On the next day, Rinpoche left for Jalandhar where is 360 km away from New Delhi and is the major city of the Punjab province of the northern India. Taking a 10-hour driving trip on the bumpy road, Rinpoche arrived the famous school M.G.N. Public School, Kapurthala in the evening where Rinpcohe was invited as the chief guest of the 2008 Annual Function and delivered a speech. This was the second time that Rinpoche was invited as the chief guest since 2006. Upon arriving the school, Rinpoche was ceremoniously received by the traditional percussion band and escort and ardently welcome by thousands of people to the festival venue. During the award ceremony, Rinpoche not only was painstaking to be taken pictures with the prize winners, but also delivered a speech, which all attendees reverently listened to, in elegant and noble British accent. Following the speech, Rinpoche, to pray for all people present, also particularly led 4 lamas, 2 nuns, and 50 disciples to recite the “Aspiration Prayer for Rebirth in Pure Land” and the scene was very touching. The chairman of the MGN Educational Trust especially presented Rinpoche a miniature model of the Sikh Golden Temple, which is regarded as a holy place for the Sikh, and thus the gift was particularly of meaningful.

Since 2007, this is the second puja that was held by Rinpoche in Jalandhar to benefit countless beings with the auspicious teachings of Drikung Kagyu order. In the nightfall of November 9, Rinpoche conducted the auspicious Chod puja in Jalandhar, the famous major city in the Sikh region of the northern India, which was attended by approximately more than 250 Indians and nearly 200 disciples of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taiwan. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinpoche’s root Guru, especially sent 4 lamas with a precious umbrella, a Dharma throne, a Dharma tablecloth, a cloth for the back of the throne, Dharma musical instruments, and a small table from Ladakh to help organize the puja. In particular, the patterns and colors of the cloth of the back of Rinpoche’s Dharma throne and the Dharma tablecloth are as the same as those of His Holiness’s in the venue. Rinpoche enlightened that attendees should pray for all sentient beings in the equality of all religions and races, and, as a result, not only Buddhas & Bodhisattvas but also Gods of various religions would be in the venue to grant their requests and help the people on the scene. At the beginning of Rinpoche’s conducting, it was gloomy, thundered and winded at times, and even the lamplight became dim. However, the sky turned bright, and the moon and the distinct stars were clear to see right after the perfect completion of the conduction by Rinpoche. Those were the auspicious signs that the Chod practice was completed perfectly and countless beings were liberated. At the end of the Chod puja, Rinpoche gave blessings with an auspicious statue of Machig Lapdron to each of the Indian believers that stepped onto the mandala one after another. Rinpoche also blessed the candies and biscuits, which had been offered to Buddha on the mandala, and then bestowed them upon each of Indian believers. All of them received Rinpoche’s blessings with the heart of reverence and joy. The Hony. Secretary of the MGN Educational Trust not only attended the Chod puja but also, on behalf of foundation, made offerings to Rinpoche. Following the end of the puja, the MGN Educational Trust arranged a banquet and a dance performance by the students as well as presented Rinpoche a gift of a big painting to welcome Rinpoche’s visit. The Lamas from Jangchubling highly praised the auspiciousness of this puja, especially which was held in the place of Sikh religion. They said that in India, there were no pujas of Tibetan Buddhism that were held outside the Tibetan monasteries, nor Indian local people attended pujas that were held at the monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism. This was the first Buddhist puja (including Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism) that was held in the major Sikh region by the attending of so many local Indian people, especially the Sikhs, who also participated in the entire puja and reverently listened to Rinpoche’s teachings. All of the above indicated that this Rinpoche’s unprecedented achievement, with Rinpoche’s unselfish mercy and compassion and the marvelous power of Buddha Dharma, omnipresently benefited myriad sentient beings, beyond the barriers of races, regions, languages, and cultures. The chairman of the foundation requested Rinpoche’s conduction of the Chod puja again in 2009, and firmly believed that there would be over 1000 people to attend it.

The Indian guests acknowledged allegiance to Rinpoche during the trip in Jalandhar. They expressed their most supreme respects by touching Rinpoche’s shoes first, and then their own head and chest by their hands.

On November 10, Rinpoche heading for Jangchubling Monastery in Dehra Dun where is more than 200 KM far away to prepare to lead nearly 200 disciples to attend the 5 days teaching by Jangchubling Monastery. In the evening, there was a rare and auspicious lunar halo appearing in the sky over the area of Songtsen Library in Dehra Dun.

On November 11, H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche held the Annual World Peace Prayer Gathering. November 11 is the memorial day of the end of World War I. H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche enlightened the importance of world peace by noting the wounded and the death, and property lost in two World Wars.

From November 12 till November 15, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche conveyed the teaching and the pith instruction of the Ganges Mahamudra (Mahamudra Upadesha, phyag chen gang ga ma) in Jangchubling Monastery. H. H. Chestang Rinpoche personally not only gave the teaching on the auspiciousness of Ganges Mahamudra’s pith instruction which was expounded to Naropa by Tilopa, but also enlightened the history and gurus of lineage transmission. To respect highly the preciousness of the lineage’s teachings, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche especially led nearly 200 disciples from Taiwan to listen to the teaching and transmission in person, signifying that Dharma Wheel turns eternally. The disciples were so blessed to receive the pure transmission by Rinpoche’s thoughtful arrangement.

On November 12, at the beginning of the Teaching, Rinpoche made Mandala offering and furthermore offerings with a particularly rare and precious crystal ball and a precious Thanka to His Holiness. The utmost lucidity and brightness, and the indefective perfection of crystal ball of 150mm in diameter expressed the implication of Mahamudra. His Holiness then placed the crystal ball on the Dharma table immediately. In the afternoon, Rinpoche led disciples to visit the retreat place where Rinpoche practiced his first retreat at Jangchubling, and to make prostration and light butter lamps to the Buddha in the Temple. Besides, Rinpoche also led disciples to the mandala of Chakrasamvara and walked around it three circles. Furthermore, Rinpoche led disciples to offer all the merits of walking around the mandala to all the Buddhas and Bodhisattva in the ten directions of the three generations periods, to the lineage transmission gurus of Drikung Kagyu, as well as to H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche, and to transfer the merits to all the sentient beings, praying for all the sentient being liberated from the sorrows of cycle of rebirth, and for us and beings to attain rebirth in the Pure Land in this life. All disciples were so touched and felt immense gratitude to Rinpoche that has been helping them all the time to build up the accumulation of virtues and merits in the path of practicing Buddhism.

In the afternoon of November 14, Rinpoche led disciples to visit Kagyu College where the principal of Kagyu College personally greeted the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche at the gate. The principal then delivered an address in the hall of the temple to welcome Rinpoche’s visit, and hospitably treated Rinpoche and the disciples with refreshments.

During the following 5 days teaching in Jangchubling, every morning the lama of Steward was at the main entry of the monastery to personally greeted Rinpoche’s arrival. Moreover, only the Regent Tritsab Rinpoche, the abbot of the Jangchubling monastery, and the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche were allowed to follow H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche into the monastery lounge, and to closely follow H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche’s steps to the throne, and to be seated closely next to H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche. There also was only the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche having lunch with H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche in the monastery lounge. There are the conditions that other Rinpoches do not have.

On November 15, after the completion of the Teachings, His Holiness especially praised Rinpoche publicly in Tibetan, Chinese, and English languages in front of the attendees from several different foreign countries: “Simply speaking, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, the abbot of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, has been being my root disciple for more than 20 years since we met in 1988. From then on, Rinpoche has been making contribution to the lineage consecutively and devoutly. Rinpoche also made big donation to restore the golden roofs of Drikung Thil Monastery, the main monastery of Drikung Kagyu lineage in Tibet, supported the monasteries and the Songtsen Library in Jangchubling, India, and very greatly helped and made offerings to those Drikung Kagyu’s monasteries and the retreat centers where there were in need. As long as any Drikung Kagyu places needs helps and Rinpoche would help them. Therefore, now I would like to praise his great support to the Drikung Kagyu lineage. Also, here the disciples of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, led by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, helped very piously and very hard in any aspects. More than 1000 lamps for the Annual World Peace Prayer Gathering this time were also brought from Taiwan by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and Rinpoche’s disciples. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been helping whatever small or big thing that are needed by Drikung Kagyu lineage in India. I’m taking the chance to express my thanks and giving Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche a scarf. Amitabha!” His Holiness bestowed upon Rinpoche a scarf personally to express his thanks, and also bestowed upon scarves to the disciples one by one through the lamas.

His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche, on many occasions, praised Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for his contribution to support the restoration of the golden roofs of the “Cannons Library” of Drikung Thil Monastery, which was built by Lord Jigten Sumgon over 800 years ago and was restored several times. His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche ever foretold that the Drikung Kagyu Lineage would flourish upon the completion of restoration of the golden roofs. When Rinpoche was instructed by His Holiness to restore the golden roofs, there was no source of funds at all. Nevertheless, Rinpoche devoted heartly all Rinpoche’s best to accomplish this marvelous work with utmost firm faith in Rinpoche’s guru, and eventually the restoration of golden roof was completed in 2000. For these years following that, the development of Drikung Kagyu centers and monastries has been blooming all around the world and Drikung Kagyu teachings has been propagating widely. All of these auspicious accomplishments in the promotion of Buddha Dharma and Lineage are the result by His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in the same heart of the guru’s and his disciple’s. Just as what His Holiness said in public that His Holiness and Rinpoche will be together forever on the path of Buddha Dharma to benefiting myriad sentient beings.

In the evening, Rinpoche especially invited H. H. Chetsang Rinpoche and the Regent Tritsab Rinpoche to have dinner with the disciples from Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center. All disciples felt gratitude to Rinpoche for setting up the auspicious chance for them to making offerings to Mahasiddhas.

Updated on December 17, 2008