A Brief Biography of His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche
◎ The Precious Gem of the World
◎ Dedication to Support and Promote the Lineage
◎ Benefiting All Sentient Beings with Great Compassion
◎ Propagation of Orthodox Dharma and turning of the Dharma Wheel
◎ The Precious Gem of the World
His Eminence Vajra Guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center is the root disciple of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Dharma Lord and the 37th throne holder of the Drikung Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhism. Under His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s personal supervision, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has gone into retreat on multiple occasions at the Bodhi Monastery in India, and has received from the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang the pith of the Mahamudra as well as many Drikung Kagyu empowerments. In April 1997, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang held a grand enthronement ceremony for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and bestowed a ceremonial hat and garment upon him. In the face of all the Rinpoches and lamas at the monastery, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was officially recognized as a Drikung Kagyu Guru and became the only ngakpa guru of Han lineage who has attained fruition in true cultivation in the history of the Drikung Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhism. Besides His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Tenzin Nyima Rinpoche and Yunga Rinpoche of the Drikung Kagyu Order were also Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Root Gurus. These two great Rinpoches had both been in retreat in Tibet for a long period of time, and did not normally hold audience with outsiders, yet they still personally bestowed empowerments and Earth Terma Tantra upon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was Tenzin Nyima Rinpoche’s only lay disciple. In 2005, Yunga Rinpoche further confirmed that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had attained fruition in the Simplicity Yoga of Mahamudra. In 2007, while in retreat on the holy mountain of Lapchi in Nepal and under the supervision of the Three-Grace Root Guru His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche witnessed with his Dharma-eye the sentient beings of the Six Realms suffering through reincarnation. This gave rise to compassion, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche wept in grief for many hours on end. After the perfect completion of the retreat, and after reporting this to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang gave verbal confirmation that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had realized Emptiness.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been propagating the Dharma in Taiwan for many years. In 1997 the guru established the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center. “Glorious Jewel” was the Dharma title of the great Drikung Kagyu Lord Jigten Sumgön, and thanks to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, this name was bestowed upon the Buddhist Center. The Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang additionally wrote a letter of authentication certifying that the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center was authorized to propagate the Right Dharma on behalf of the Drikung Kagyu Order. Occupying nearly a thousand square meters and host to more than 1500 disciples who have taken refuge in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center is currently the Drikung Kagyu Order’s largest Buddhist center. In 2004, leading many Rinpoches and lamas, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang arrived in Taiwan to preside over the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center’s consecration ceremony. In answer to implorations from the Glorius Jewel disciples, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang personally composed a Long Life Prayer for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche during the puja. In 2006 His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang pronounced, “Of all my disciples, Yen (Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s lay surname) Rinpoche is the best! Buddhist practice comes naturally to him, and he excels at both learning and practicing it!” During Grand Pujas held in recent years, the location of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s seat as well his close proximity to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang during the processions are both very clear indications of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s cultivation. Furthermore, the authentication of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s fruition level has been made public on the Drikung Kagyu Order’s official website!
In 2006 His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang bestowed an important Dharma instrument upon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, one which the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang himself had used to perform the Chod. This action was symbolic of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s direct transmission of the Chod to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. In the same year, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang also bestowed Master Gampopa’s Dharma hat upon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, as well as a Five Dhyani Buddhas Conch. His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang also personally instructed Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to inlay the Dharma hat with gold-cast Drikung symbols of a treasure vase and auspicious clouds.
On April 16th, 2007, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang authorized Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to propagate Buddhism all over the world on behalf of the Drikung Kagyu Order. In the letter of authorization the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang wrote, “His Eminence Yen Chen-How (Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche) is the founder of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center of the Drikung Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhism in Taipei. Over the past twenty years, under the guidance of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Yen Chen-How Rinpoche (Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche) has practiced Buddhism diligently while doing his utmost to support many projects of the Drikung Kagyu Order. Yen Chen-How Rinpoche (Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche) is in possession of truly outstanding experiences and capabilities, and can teach Buddhism both at home and abroad. It is my wish that Yen Chen-How Rinpoche (Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche), by way of his Dharma activities, should promote Buddhism around the world, causing it to flourish and benefit countless sentient beings!”
In order to promote the Dharma, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche traveled to Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Latvia, Hungary and other countries, presiding over pujas and employing various methodsto help sentient beings.
From May to August of 2007, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang gave special instructions for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to make a journey to the holy location where the Venerable Lord Milarepa had performed retreats in the past—Mount Lapchi in Nepal—and, under the supervision of the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, to go into retreat there for a period of three months. Upon the perfect completion of the retreat, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang conferred upon his disciple the auspicious Dharma title of “Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche,” which means “Precious Vajra Rinpoche.” The fact that this Dharma title was granted by the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang himself was a sign of supreme honor and respect. “Rinchen” means the “essence of countless treasures,” while “Dorjee” means “Vajra;” thus, “Rinchen Dorjee” means “Precious Vajra,” signifying that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche benefits sentient beings and engages in Dharma activities with a mind that is as solid and eternally immutable as a diamond. The yidam performed during the retreat was the Hevajra, a Dharma which Master Marpa had cultivated and which had not been transmitted or practiced within the Order for two or three hundred years. Having spent three or four years gathering and organizing the necessary materials, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang then transmitted the essence of the Dharma to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche personally. This retreat had yet another layer of auspicious significance: Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was the first Rinpoche in the history of the Order to follow His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang into retreat and perform the Hevajra yidam to perfect completion. When the retreat was finished, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in a three-day performance of the Fire-Offering Ritual. (For a detailed account of this retreat, please refer to Latest News.)
In 2008, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang conferred a letter of authorization (dated May 19th) which stated that the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang had specially appointed Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to conduct Dharma activities and propagate Buddhism in Japan on behalf of the Drikung Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhism, and to be in charge of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Cultural Exchange Association.
On May 29th, 2008, under the guidance of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche founded the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center of the Drikung Kagyu Order in Kyoto, Japan. This was not only the first Buddhist center to be established in Japan by the Drikung Kagyu Order, but by any of the four major orders of Tibetan Buddhism. In answer to an invitation by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang agreed to preside in person over the Center’s consecration ceremony on May 29th, 2008. For this grand occasion Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche made a special trip to India to reverently escort His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang first to Taiwan and then to Kyoto, Japan, where the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang presided over the consecration ceremony. During the ceremony His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang specially bestowed upon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche a statue of the Amitayus Buddha as well as a sutra, both brought all the way from the holy mountain of Lapchi in Nepal. These symbolized the arrival of the Amitayus Buddha and that the thousand-year-old pure Dharma lineage of the Drikung Kagyu Order would flourish in Japan. After the consecration, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in a performance of the solemn and auspicious Fire-Offering Ritual in the courtyard of the new Buddhist Center, benefiting countless sentient beings in the void.
From the 9th to the 10th of November in 2009, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led 366 disciples to Kathmandu in Nepal to participate in the consecration ceremony of Drikung Kagyu Rinchen Ling Monastery as well as the Parna Shabari Empowerment Puja, over both of which His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang presided. Before the consecration ceremony and the empowerment puja began, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang entered the venue with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche following closely on his heels. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had been invited to sit for the entire duration of the ritual upon a ceremonial single-seat sofa in the exact center of the front row of the dais, right across from His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Upon the perfect completion of the ceremony, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche accepted an invitation to enter the monastery’s exclusive lounge to share in the midday meal. During the Empowerment Puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s seat was arranged to be in the first row of the mandala, extremely close to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s Dharma throne. After the perfect completion of the puja, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang left the venue with only Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche following closely behind. At the same time, complying with His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s instructions, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche accompanied the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang into his personal lounge. Many lamas, believers, and Rinpoches of the Order—including Nuba Rinpoche, Rasbsang Rinpoche, and Nyizong Sopa Rinpoche—all met with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in his personal lounge.
◎ Dedication to Support and Promote the Lineage
The foundation of the Drikung Kagyu Order’s Dharma activities and the establishment of its Buddhist centers in Taiwan began with His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s first visit to Taiwan in 1988, and have had a profound affinity with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ever since.
1. His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang first visited Taiwan to propagate the Dharma at the end of 1988. Without ever having met with the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang in person, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche made an offering by way of a friend in the amount of NT$100,000. During their first face-to-face meeting His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang orally transmitted the Vajrasattva Dharma method to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, who later took refuge in the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and began to practice Tibetan Buddhism. In 1989 the first Drikung Kagyu center in Taiwan, the Drikung Kagyu Mahayana & Tantra Vihara, was founded in Taipei. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche began to give financial support to the center while serving as the chairman of the Dharma Protection Committee. In 1993, the Drikung Kagyu Buddhist Center was established in Neihu. With financial support from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, all the Buddhist statues and the interior decorations were moved from the Drikung Kagyu Mahayana & Tantra Vihara to the Neihu Center. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued to pay for all of the Center’s monthly expenses.
2. In 2001, when the Drikung Kagyu Vajra Dance Troupe was to go on tour in Taiwan, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche felt sympathetic to the fact that the performing lamas did not speak Chinese and would therefore be likely to encounter many inconveniences as they traveled around the country. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche implored His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang to assign a Rinpoche capable of speaking Chinese to accompany the lamas. As a result the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang sent Senge Tenzin Rinpoche to Taiwan with the lamas. By the time the Vajra Dance Troupe had finished its performances, the Drikung Kagyu Order’s Neihu Center still did not have a Rinpoche assigned to it, and so Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche further suggested to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang that Senge Tenzin Rinpoche act as the Neihu Center’s abbot. The Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang accepted this suggestion, and assigned Senge Tenzin Rinpoche to take up long-term residence in the Neihu Center as its abbot.
3. In 2001, in India, Drubgyu Tenphel Rinpoche made an offering of a Tibetan tent to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Soon after, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and Drubgyu Tenphel Rinpoche all shared a midday meal together in the tent, during which time His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang instructed Drubgyu Tenphel Rinpoche to develop Dharma activities in Taiwan and for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to do what he could to help. Afterward Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche assisted Drubgyu Tenphel Rinpoche in the establishment of the Drikung Kagyu Drupgyud Buddhist Center in Taipei, and provided financial support for it. In addition, some of the Buddhist statues and buildings of the Drupgyud Monastery in Yushu, Qinghai Province had also been paid for by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has taken supporting the Drikung Kagyu Order and propagating the Right Dharma as his life-long mission. Since taking refuge in His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has continued to make offerings and give alms, incessantly providing support to the Order single-handedly and without hesitation. To read about the many contributions Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has made to the Order, please refer to “Staunch Support of the Lineage.” During the Snake Year Grand Puja held in Dehra Dun, India, in 2001, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang publicly praised Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for having spared no effort in his support of the Order. In 2003, during the grand consecration ceremony for Songtsen Library and in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness Sakya Trizin, representatives from every order of Tibetan Buddhism, and numerous international guests, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang publicly praised Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche as an important disciple of the Drikung Kagyu Order. The Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang went on to give special instructions to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to present a perfect mandala offering on behalf of the Order during the Avalokiteshvara Empowerment Puja over which His Holiness the Dalai Lama was presiding. At the time, the Dalai Lama placed both hands on Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s cheeks and bestowed blessings for a long while. In 2008, during The Pith Instruction of the Ganges Mahamudra Puja in Dehra Dun, India, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang publicly praised Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in Tibetan, Chinese, and English before puja attendees from many different countries: “To put it simply, since we met in 1988, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center has been my root disciple for more than twenty years, and has always helped the Lineage with the utmost devotion and sincerity. He also has built gilded roofs for Drikung Thil Monastery in Tibet, provided support for Jangchubling Monastery’s Songtsen Library in India, and all of the Drikung Kagyu Order’s monasteries and retreat centers that have ever been in need, and for this reason I would like to commend him for the monumental efforts he has made in support of the Order. In addition, members of the Glorious Jewel staff have taken great pains to aspire to all their duties here with extreme devotion under Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s leadership. Even the lamps used for this year’s Annual World Peace Prayer Gathering were brought over from Taiwan by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and his Glorious Jewel disciples. In India, whatever the Drikung Kagyu Order needs, in matters both large and small, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has always been willing to lend a hand. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and present him with a khata. Amitabha!”
In addition, on many occasions His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang has praised Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for his contributions toward the restoration of the gilded roofs of Drikung Thil Monastery’s Cannons Library. These gold roofs were originally built by Lord Jigten Sumgön more than eight hundred years ago, and since then have undergone many renovations. His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang predicted that with the gilded roofs’ restoration the Drikung Kagyu Order would prosper greatly. When the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang instructed Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to restore the gilded roofs, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had no source of funding at the time; nevertheless, by way of wholehearted devotion and an absolute faith in his guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche completed this task by the year 2000. In the years since, the Drikung Kagyu Order’s monasteries and Buddhist centers have experienced vigorous growth all around the world, and its teachings have been propagated extensively. This is a testament to the concerted efforts His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche have made to spread the Dharma and the teachings of the Order, as well as their auspicious accomplishments in doing so. Just as the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang has publicly proclaimed, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will be together forever, walking the Buddhist path and benefiting more and more sentient beings!
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has not only put forth intensive efforts toward supporting the Drikung Kagyu Order and financing its various projects, but also has accomplished much on his own toward the propagation of Buddhism and the promotion of the Drikung Kagyu Order. Examples of projects Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has sponsored in the past include the Drikung Kagyu Vajra Dance Troupe’s tour of Taiwan, whose performances raised US$200,000 toward the construction of Songtsen Library and its subsequent consecration ceremony; the Phowa Puja of the Amitabha Pure Land Dharma and the Great Parna Shabari Puja for Eliminating Diseases, over which His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang presided; the annual traditional puja at Drikung Thil Monastery during which 250 lamas recite the Great Six-Syllable Mantra for forty-five days in a row, twenty-four hours a day; the Drikung Kagyu Grand Puja held in Qinghai; and the Earth Terma of the Eight Major Herukas Empowerment Puja held in Qinghai. Beginning in 1999, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche sponsored numerous Blessing Pujas for Avoiding Calamities presided over by His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and many Drikung Kagyu Rinpoches, but never charged participating believers any fees at all. All of the puja’s expenses were paid for by the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, and all monetary offerings made by believers after each puja were donated in full to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang or the presiding Rinpoches to be used toward the construction of monasteries, Buddhist colleges, Tibetan elementary schools, and so on. Between 1,000 and 2,000 believers attended each of these grand pujas. To read about the many contributions Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has made to the Order, please refer to “Dedication to the promotion of Buddhism.”
Given that this is the Age of Degenerate Dharma, there are still many sentient beings of this world who have passed away as a result of natural disasters, accidents, wars, and epidemic diseases, and who continue to suffer in the Evil Realms. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s great compassionate aspiration has led him to preside over the Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness of the Drikung Kagyu Order, held in Taiwan annually since 2005, in the hope that it will help sentient beings from the Six Realms to be liberated from reincarnation. This auspicious puja has received the blessings and well-wishes of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and many other Mahasiddhas of the Order. The Great Amitabha Dharma for Transferring Consciousness is an auspicious Tantra of the Drikung Kagyu Order, and must be performed by a guru who mastered the Phowa. For this Tantra, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang bestowed the Four Tantric Empowerments solely upon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.
In September of 2005, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided in person over The Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness, with five thousand Drikung Kagyu lamas, disciples, and believers participating. Upon the perfect completion of the puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche donated more than NT$4,520,000 to the Department of Social Affairs in the Taiwanese government’s Ministry of the Interior, to be used as charity toward social welfare.
In August of 2006, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided in person over a second Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness. More than ten thousand people were in attendance. Upon the perfect completion of the puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche donated more than NT$4,680,000 to the Ministry of the Interior, to be used as charity toward social welfare.
In September of 2007, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided in person over the third annual Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness, and this time more than twelve thousand people participated. Upon the perfect completion of the puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche donated more than NT$4,890,000 to the Ministry of the Interior, to be used as charity toward social welfare.
In August of 2008, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided in person over the fourth annual Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness, at which fourteen thousand people were in attendance. Upon the perfect completion of the puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave a total of more than NT$4,160,000, made up of offerings from believers as well as his own donations, to the Department of Social Affairs in the Ministry of the Interior, to be used as charity toward social welfare. This provided assistance to those people in society who were vulnerable and in need, and formed virtuous affinities for many sentient beings.
In October of 2009, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the fifth auspicious Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness of the Drikung Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhism at the Taipei Arena, with more than 13,000 people in attendance. During the puja, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang donated NT$2 million in cash by way of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to the Ministry of the Interior’s Department of Social Affairs, to be used as a part of the post-Typhoon Morakot disaster reconstruction fund. Upon the perfect completion of the puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche donated a further NT$2 million in cash as well as an additional NT$4.23 million from the attendees’ offerings for a total donation of NT$6.23 million, also to be used toward the post-Typhoon Morakot disaster reconstruction fund. A total of NT$8.23 million was donated toward this fund. The Ministry of the Interior sent a special letter of appreciation to express their gratitude to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.
On October 3rd, 2010, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the sixth annual auspicious Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness of the Drikung Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhism at Nangang Exhibition Hall in the Taipei World Trade Center, with as many as 20,000 people in attendance. Upon the perfect completion of the puja and witnessed by an attorney, an accountant, and bank representatives, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche donated a total of more than NT$6 million in offerings made by the attendees to the Department of Social Affairs in the Ministry of the Interior, to be used as charity toward social welfare.
Over the six years from 2005 to 2010, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche donated a total of more than NT$30 million, and each of those years the Ministry of the Interior sent a special letter of appreciation to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. By word of mouth alone, and without resorting to the use of posters or any other advertisement methods, disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center were able to attract as many as 74,000 attendees to these six pujas, including believers who made the special trip to Taiwan from such countries as Japan, Hong Kong, Holland, France, India, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Britain, Canada, the Philippines, Brazil, and Mainland China. Furthermore, Ngakpas, Geshes, Khenpos, and lamas from various Orders, as well as monastics of Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism, also took the initiative to participate. This caused the pujas to enjoy joint participation from the Four Groups of Bhikkhu, Bhikkhuni, Upasaka, and Upasika of Exoteric and Esoteric Buddhism. All of this was testament to the fact that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche possesses, as do all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, vast merits and good fortune, as well as a profound aspiration to liberate all sentient beings.
Apart from propagating the Dharma in Taiwan, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has also traveled to India many times and has even gone to the northern Indian state of Punjab to preside over auspicious Tantric pujas and give public speeches, thereby bringing Buddhist teachings to the Sikh region. Moved by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s compassion, believers participating in these pujas have given rise to an incomparable attitude of respect toward the guru. Some of them, in a ritual of the utmost reverence, have even touched their heads to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s feet to demonstrate their delight and gratitude. Sikh elders have supplicated for the guru to guide them with Buddhism, and even invited Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to visit the region twice annually to propagate the Dharma. The guru’s Dharma activities have made headlines in the local media, and one journalist praised Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for being a most precious, Heaven-sent gift to them. Every time the guru visits the region a large number of people approach to seek an audience, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche tirelessly bestows teachings and blessings upon them all. This illustrates the guru’s selfless compassion as well as the unfathomable power of the Dharma to transcend racial, regional, linguistic, and cultural boundaries, thus benefiting sentient beings far and wide.
Whenever a puja has been held in the region, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang has specially dispatched khenpos and lamas from Jangchubling Monastery in northern India to assist in the puja’s preparations by bringing Dharma thrones, instruments, Dharma tables, and other items. Many of these have been items used by the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang himself while presiding over pujas.
At the end of October of 2006, in the capacity of a Vajra Guru of Tibetan Buddhism, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was invited to give a speech and give out rewards at the renowned M.G.N. school in the Sikh province of Punjab in northern India.
In late February of 2007, in response to an invitation from Sikh public figures, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led two hundred disciples to the northern Indian province of Punjab to hold the Avalokiteshvara Dharma Transmission Puja and the Great Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness. 500 Sikhs reverently attended the pujas and were filled with Dharma joy.
In November of 2008, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche again accepted an invitation to preside over the annual awards ceremony held at the renowned M.G.N. school in the Sikh province of Punjab in northern India.
On November 9th, 2008, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Chod Puja in Jalandhar in the Sikh province of Punjab in northern India. The puja was attended by approximately 250 Indians and 200 disciples from Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taiwan.
On November 15th, 2009, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Amitayus Puja at the Regent Park Hotel in Jalandhar in the Sikh province of Punjab in northern India. A total of 482 people participated in this puja, including 320 Indian believers (twenty of whom took the initiative to participate upon hearing that same day that such an auspicious puja would be held at the hotel).
With incomparable courage, resolute determination, and a magnanimous attitude of compassion, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, under the guidance of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, established the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center of the Drikung Kagyu Order in Kyoto, Japan, beginning a new chapter for the promotion of Tibetan Buddhism in Japan! In addition, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has held a succession of pujas at the Buddhist Center, benefiting countless sentient beings with auspicious Tantra. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s great compassion and wisdom has caused more and more Japanese believers to have faith in the guru and to come forward to seek an audience. Since 2009 Japanese believers have taken refuge in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, thus formally becoming the guru’s disciples.
Prior to establishing the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto and at request of the president of the Sagano Scenic Railway, in mid-December of 2007 Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led 300 disciples and believers to Kyoto, Japan to perform an unprecedented Chod Puja aboard a moving sightseeing train. The guru liberated thousands of sentient beings that had passed away along the railway as well as countless sentient beings in the void.
On May 29th, 2008, under the guidance of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche established the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center of the Drikung Kagyu Order in Kyoto, Japan. It was the first Buddhist center to be established in Japan by any of the four major orders of Tibetan Buddhism. In answer to an invitation by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang presided in person over the consecration ceremony and performed the auspicious Fire-Offering Ritual in the Buddhist Center’s courtyard, benefiting countless sentient beings in the void.
On August 16th, 2008, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche held the auspicious Chod Puja at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan for the first time. More than 80 people participated in this auspicious puja.
On December 20th, 2008, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche held the auspicious Amitayus Puja at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan for the first time. More than 140 people participated in the puja.
On January 31st, 2009, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the Jambhala Puja at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. The Black Water Jambhala was performed in the morning, and the Elephant Jambhala was performed in the afternoon. A total of 85 people participated.
On May 29th and 30th, 2009, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over pujas at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan celebrating the anniversary of the Buddhist Center’s inauguration. On the 29th, the guru conducted Chapter Two of the Lamp-Offering Prayer, the Self-becoming Jewel Lamp Offering, and the Guru Yoga. On May 30th, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed the auspicious and rare Fire-Offering ritual. For the pujas held on the 29th and the 30th, there were 129 and 131 attendees, respectively.
On August 16th, 2009, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the Chod Puja at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. A total of 108 people participated.
At noon on September 9th, 2009, at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taipei, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche received Master Noritake Shuunan (the Abbot of Reiun-in Temple of the Myōshin-ji of Rinzai Zen Buddhism in Kyoto, Japan), Minamikei Okajima (a resident nun from the Honko-ji of the Myōshin-ji of Rinzai Zen Buddhism), Master Xuan Shu (one of Abbot Noritake Shuunan’s disciples in Taiwan), and their accompanying dignitaries. Master Noritake Shuunan praised Tibetan Buddhism for being extraordinary. Furthermore, after Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche finished bestowing precious teachings, Master Noritake Shuunan said to the disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, “You are very fortunate!”
On December 26th, 2009, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Dorje Phurba Puja at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. A total of 109 people participated in this auspicious puja.
On February 20th, 2010, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed the Black Water Jambhala and the Elephant Jambhala at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. A total of 82 people participated in this auspicious puja.
On May 22nd, 2010, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Guru Yoga and Lamp-Offering at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. A total of 125 people participated in the puja.
On May 23rd, 2010, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Fire-Offering Tantra at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. A total of 132 people participated in the puja.
On August 16th, 2010, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. A total of 133 people participated.
On January 3rd, 2011, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Thirty-Five Buddhas Repentance and the Dorje Phurba Puja at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan. A total of 184 people participated.
◎ Benefiting All Sentient Beings with Great Compassion
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s aspiration is to “help all sentient beings to attain Buddhahood,” and having become very well known for chanting mantras and performing the Chod and the Phowa, the guru possesses the auspicious powers of transferring the consciousness of the deceased to the Pure Land and of healing sentient beings of their illnesses. His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang once said that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s blessings are particularly potent. Yunga Rinpoche also said that any sentient being of the Six Realms can be liberated just by listening to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche recite the Great Six-Syllable Mantra once. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche benefits sentient beings with the Dharma, paying frequent visits to the various major hospitals to bestow blessings upon patients. Many severely ill patients with unknown diseases or terminal conditions which their doctors cannot cure have, after being blessed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and giving rise to a deep faith in the Dharma and in cause and effect, experienced an alleviation of their symptoms or even been cured of their illnesses entirely and had their lives extended. During the SARS pandemic, people all over the world suffered in fear. Taking this to heart, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knew that many sentient beings needed to be liberated, and so while the pandemic was being closely watched in Taiwan the guru continued to hold regular pujas at various locations every week without interruption. All of the attendees and the locations in which the pujas were held were auspiciously safe and sound. Disregarding the risk of catching the disease himself and thinking only of the needs of sentient beings, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche went immediately to the hospitals to bestow blessings upon the suffering sentient beings who implored for help. The guru pronounced, “How could we abandon sentient beings in their hour of greatest need?” The guru used Tantra to help and cure many SARS patients, including a hospital emergency room physician who recovered from SARS without any residual effects.
For a long time now, as long as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is in Taiwan the guru takes time to receive believers and disciples in need of help. Whether they are suffering from problems related to birth, old age, illness, death, their spouses, family, career, education, or anything else, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche always uses the most appropriate method—based on the unique situation, causes, and conditions of the one seeking an audience—to bestow Dharma teachings and blessings. Over more than a decade, the number of people who have received help directly from the guru has risen into the millions, and countless sentient beings of the Six Realms, through their family members, have also been liberated and helped by the guru indirectly.
For years Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has held general pujas and Chod Pujas in Taiwan on a regular basis, and the sentient beings who have been liberated are as countless as the grains of sand in the Ganges. In 2000, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang transmitted the Chod Empowerment to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, who subsequently mastered it. In 2006, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang bestowed upon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche an important Dharma instrument with which His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang had performed the Chod, symbolizing that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had been transmitted the Chod directly from the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s Dharma lineage. Furthermore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is currently the only master practitioner in the Order who can simultaneously perform the Chod for thousands of people. For years Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has helped innumerable believers and disciples, liberating their ancestors and karmic creditors and eliminating their karmic hindrances, and countless sentient beings of the Six Realms have been liberated by the Chod. Many cancer patients, as well as those with other serious or chronic diseases, have seen an improvement in their conditions or even been cured by attending the Chod Pujas. There have even been patients suffering in deep comas who have gradually recovered due to their family members’ participation in the Chod Pujas and having had respect for and faith in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. These days more than 1,300 people participate in each Chod Puja, and some believers come to participate from countries all over the world such as Japan, India, the Netherlands, and Australia.
In recent years many sentient beings with sufficient good fortune, merits, and causal conditions have implored Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to perform the Phowa and been able to be reborn in the Pure Land of Amitabha. The guru does not need to be by the deceased’s side while performing the Phowa in order to transfer his or her consciousness to the Pure Land. Every sentient being who has been liberated by way of the Phowa performed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has manifested all the auspicious signs that are referred to in the Dharma texts. These include the body being cold but the crown chakra atop the head being warm; a depression forming around the crown chakra and, after the cremation, a perfectly round hole appearing there; the complexion of the deceased remaining peaceful and rosy for a very long time; red and white Bodhi flowing from the nostrils; livor mortis disappearing; family members of the deceased feeling lesser degrees of grief; etc. There have even been occurrences where corpses being kept in freezer units in the morgue have, after the Phowa is performed, caused melted water droplets to form on the freezer units as a result of the heat coming out of the crown chakras of the deceased. Moreover, while their consciousness is being transferred, the deceased always tell Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche of their final thoughts and attachments, and the guru then conveys these to the family members of the deceased. These signs and the final wishes of the deceased have been confirmed by their family members, and often leave doctors and professionals in the funeral homes feeling completely amazed. On multiple occasions, while in retreat in India or while propagating the Dharma overseas, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has performed the Phowa for people who have passed away in Taiwan, and they have manifested the same signs of a successful liberation. In such situations witnesses are full of praise, and this proves what is recorded in the Dharma texts: “Attainment of the Phowa can be achieved wherever a bird can fly.”
There have also been a few times when disciples or their family members, while critically ill and on their deathbeds, have had enough faith in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to let go of any attachments to their physical bodies, and have then been taken by their family members to participate in a puja at the Buddhist Center during which they pass away without suffering at all. In such cases the deceased is liberated immediately by way of the Phowa performed by the guru, and his or her family members on the scene have witnessed the auspicious signs of the successful liberation. More than a thousand people participating in the puja have witnessed the auspicious success of the Phowa performed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and all have been deeply moved and amazed. Furthermore, many deceased do not have the causal condition to be liberated by the Phowa at their time of death; however, because their family members participate in the Chod Pujas with great respect for and faith in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, they still can be liberated by the Chod. After these deceased are cremated, they still manifest auspicious signs of a perfectly successful Phowa such as a perfectly round hole appearing in the location of the crown chakra of the skull, demonstrating the perfect success of the Phowa performed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.
In 2007, while Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was in retreat in Nepal on the 4,500-meters-tall mountain of Lapchi, the holy site where the Venerable Milarepa had once gone into retreat, the family members of one who had passed away had faith enough to prostrate themselves reverently before a Dharma photo of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche at the Glorious Jewel Jewellery Store on Yixian Road in Taipei. Likewise, the deceased manifested auspicious signs of the perfect completion of the Phowa. This showed that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s aspirations and compassion are attuned to the yidam Amitabha, and can benefit all sentient beings who have sufficient faith.
◎ Propagation of Orthodox Dharma and turning of the Dharma Wheel
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche possesses the compassion and wisdom of Emptiness, is indifferent to fame and fortune, and selflessly and wholeheartedly propagates the Right Dharma for no reason other than to benefit sentient beings. For more than a decade the guru has helped countless believers, relieving them of their various worldly difficulties and sufferings. Always sticking to the firm belief that “a straight mind is the Bodhimandala,” Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has never misled any sentient being with flattery. The guru always benefits sentient beings in accordance with the teaching methods written in the sutras, and would never mislead his disciples with flattery. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche always berates, hits, or kicks those disciples who do not act in accordance with the Dharma, does not accept their offerings, and will even drive them away. Unlike others out there in society, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has never bestowed Buddhist teachings for money or charged attendees any entry fees at all for participating in the pujas. Adopting the principle that all sentient beings are equal, the guru does not honor the main donors or charge fees for lamp-lighting. Furthermore, the guru donates the general offerings from disciples toward the Dharma activities of the Drikung Kagyu Order.
Ever since taking refuge in His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang in 1988, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has practiced with diligence, adhered strictly to the precepts, lived by the Dharma, and remained devoted to his Root Guru and the Order with single-minded loyalty. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once made an international phone call to the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, who was in America at the time, and implored for the oral transmission of the Guru Yoga; only then did Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche begin to practice it. This set a great example within the Drikung Kagyu Order. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche never hesitates when it comes to instructions given by his guru or the needs of the Order; he always gives his wholehearted support and devotion without any fear, however difficult the situation might be. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would gladly sacrifice all he possesses in order to accomplish his goal.
In 2008 at Jangchubling Monastery in Dehra Dun, India, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang personally transmitted the pith instruction of the Ganges Mahamudra. To show respect for the Order’s precious traditions, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche made a special trip from Taiwan leading nearly 200 disciples there to listen to the Dharma transmission and to signify that the Dharma Wheel keeps turning. When the puja began, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche not only offered the mandala to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, but also made an offering to the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang of a rare and precious crystal ball and a precious Thangka. Perfectly transparent and shiny, the crystal ball was about 150mm in diameter and absolutely flawless. It was a symbol of the significance of the Mahamudra, and right then and there His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang placed the crystal ball on the Dharma table.
In September of 2009, the Chinese edition of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s auspicious work Happiness and Suffering was published. To date, the book has been accepted into the collections of the U.S. Library of Congress, Harvard-Yenching Library at Harvard University, C.V. Starr East Asian Library at Columbia University, Kroch Library at Cornell University, Milton S. Eisenhower Library at Johns Hopkins University, the Humanities Library at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and C.V. Starr East Asian Library at the University of California at Berkeley. Prior to writing Happiness and Suffering Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had asked the Three-Grace Root Guru His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang for advice, and had implored for the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang to write a preface for the book. His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang agreed, and this in itself was a blessing, because the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang knew from reading the book that it was Literary Prajna signifying that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas approve the fact that the book would benefit sentient beings. Furthermore, for people who read this book, the wording is simple yet profound in meaning; this is because of blessings from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the lineage. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche not only arranged the contents of the book with much attention to detail; the guru even personally designed the cover. The cover design implies the profound state of Buddhist cultivation and its significance, and just like the contents of the book’s 240 pages, is concise and meaningful. Since the book was first published it has been very well-received. Not only disciples have benefited from it; many people—both Buddhist practitioners and non-Buddhists—have drawn nectar of wisdom of the grand practitioner from it, causing themselves to have a healthier and more correct attitude with which to face all of the happiness and suffering they experience throughout their lifetimes. By January of 2011, more than 25,000 copies of the Chinese edition had been sold. A Japanese edition was published in September of 2009, and an English edition was published in December of 2010. As more and more people around the world suffer from such conditions as depression and bipolar disorder, the publication of this book in multiple languages will allow it to reach more people and liberate them from suffering.
His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang once stated that there are three reasons for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s attainment in performing the Chod and the Phowa: A virtuous root from many lifetimes, a profound cultivation of Samadhi, and one hundred per cent loyalty in the Order. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche makes sincere offerings of body, speech, and mind to his Three-Grace Root Guru, not only giving frequent large financial offerings, but also with the greatest offerings that are practicing the Dharma with diligence and benefiting sentient beings. Upon each perfect completion of a retreat, upon his initial prostration before His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche always recites, “I make an offering of all of the merits I have obtained during this retreat to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.” This is an example of a Vajrayana disciple’s supreme and selfless attitude while making offerings to the guru. In 2004, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche made an offering of a 3kg pure gold statue of Lord Jigten Sumgön to the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang during the consecration ceremony of the Drikung Kagyu Order’s Great Lotus Stupa in Lumbini, Nepal. This was the first pure gold statue of Lord Jigten Sumgon ever made in the thousand years’ history of the Order. In 2005, in order to relieve His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang of fatigue from traveling while propagating Buddhism, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche made a special offering of a car and a house bought in New Delhi, India to the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche regards His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang as a father and as the Buddha. Whenever making offerings to the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche takes the initiative spontaneously, sparing no effort and remaining extremely meticulous and considerate, thus exhibiting the sincerest aspiration of a disciple.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has remained consistently loyal to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and to the Order. In 2001, at the Drikung Kagyu Order’s Snake Year Grand Puja, before leading disciples from the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in a mandala offering made to the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche personally composed the following oath:
We, the disciples of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Taiwan, make an offering to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and all of the great Rinpoches. We fully realize that even if we were to make offerings of all the world’s most precious treasures to His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, we would still not be able to repay His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s benevolence in transmitting the Dharma. As such, all of the Glorious Jewel disciples make the following vow to the yidam, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, and the Rinpoches: To repay His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s benevolence, we will practice Buddhism with diligence, benefit sentient beings, and attain Buddhahood. We pray that His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will live a long, healthy life, and spread Dharma activities far and wide. May the Dharma flag of the Drikung Kagyu Order fly all around the world forever, benefiting all sentient beings.
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been unwavering in his adherence to this pledge to revitalize the Drikung Kagyu Lineage, and in recent years has taken actions to make it a reality.
At the end of 2006, Yunga Rinpoche gave Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche a statue of Bodhisattva Manjusri and bestowed such assurances as, “Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche embodies the merits of all the Buddhas in the Ten Directions and the Three Times,” and “Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche can liberate all sentient beings in the Six Realms.” From this it is obvious how much value a guru of Tibetan Buddhism places upon a disciple of great root capacity, and it has profound significance for the heritage of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage as well.
Updated on March 4, 2017