His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Puja Teachings – February 15, 2026

During the last puja of the year, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the Drikung Kagyu Guru Puja Liturgy, offering the lineage gurus with the utmost sincerity and reverence, and expressing gratitude to the guru for bestowing blessings and protection upon the disciples on the path of learning Buddha Dharma. Before performing the Dharma, Rinpoche first presided over a refuge-taking ceremony for 8 believers who had implored and been granted refuge. Rinpoche earnestly exhorted his disciples to adhere to the precepts strictly, follow the guru steadfastly,  learn the authentic Dharma, and transcend samsara. 

During the puja, Rinpoche compassionately (with maitri and karuna) expounded on the importance of the guru: all the good fortune from practicing comes from the guru’s teachings, and only by receiving the guru’s transmission and guidance does one understand how to practice. As long as one has absolute faith in the guru, one shall definitely receive help from the guru at the time of one’s passing. 
 
Rinpoche is wholeheartedly dedicated to sentient beings and does not seek fame or wealth; all is solely for the purpose of helping them transcend samsara. With painstaking effort and sincerity, Rinpoche urged all disciples to make offerings to the guru with a pure heart, to give rise to absolute reverence and faith in the guru, to accumulate good fortune for learning and practicing Buddhism, and thus to practice sincerely and genuinely.   

With the welcoming procession of the jeweled sitātapatra, musical instruments, and incense leading the way, Rinpoche Rinpoche stepped onto the mandala, respectfully prostrated to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, offered a khada to the Wish-Granting Jewel Dharma Throne of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, lit a lamp as offering to the Buddhas,  ascended the Dharma throne, and compassionately  (with maitri and karuna) bestowed precious Buddha Dharma teachings: 

Today is the last puja of the year, and since in this entire year we have received the guru’s teachings on Buddha Dharma, and the guru’s protection, which enabled us to learn Buddhism safely and peacefully, we shall practice the Guru Puja to give thanks to the guru’s protection. Before practicing the Dharma, because I agreed to let some people take refuge, I will first hold a refuge-taking ceremony. 

In learning Buddhism, one must first follow the liturgy of taking refuge to meet the criteria for starting. Many people believe that being literate allows them to practice on their own and read about Buddhism online. According to the teachings in Buddhist sutras, Shakyamuni Buddha never said that one can hide in their homes and attain achievement by practicing alone. Unless the guru instructs you to enter retreat, you may not do so. It is not the case that one can attain achievement in this life by reciting for a certain amount of time at home on a daily basis; this has never happened before. Second, because without the guru’s experiences in cultivation to provide you with teachings and guidance, you will be mistaken without even knowing how. Third, although the Buddhist sutras are written in text, and everyone is literate, you are unable to understand the content and meaning, unless you have a practitioner with experience in cultivation to explain things to you. Even if you can understand, you are merely using textual meaning to explain Buddhist sutras, and that would be a huge mistake, so learning Buddhism must start with taking refuge.  

From the moment you take refuge, the Buddha accepts you so that you may receive Buddhist teachings and begin to learn the Buddha Dharma. Taking refuge means a new and different course of life begins. Why must we learn Buddhism? Because we want to learn how to transcend life and death, and we hope to be reborn in the Western World of Utmost Bliss, it would be impossible without being guided and taught by the guru. Some people have taken refuge but left afterwards, and yet they think that by reciting from the refuge certificate, they can go, but that is impossible. Because later, during the refuge ceremony, I will first instruct you on what you must take note of and refrain from doing. If you do take part in these acts, you will not receive the blessings of the guru. 
 
Many believe that the guru is merely a human being, but that is wrong. Myself, for instance, I am the lineage of the Drikung Kagyu, and Drikung Kagyu, starting with Jigtien Sumgong to my root guru, His Holiness the 37th throne holder Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, as long as I continue to propagate the Buddha Dharma and benefit sentient beings within the system of Drikung Kagyu, and ceaselessly teach the Buddha Dharma to the sentient beings for another day, all of these 37 generations of throne holders and Mahasiddhas will bless me. Our lineage is Drikung Kagyu, which was directly transmitted from India, therefore, in the sector of Vajrayana Dharma, Vajradhara is our most fundamental root, and in the sector of Exoteric Buddhism, our root guru is Shakyamuni Buddha, but it would be impossible for Buddha to appear in front of you and teach you Buddha Dharma, that is impossible, if it does happen, it’s either psychosis or some other problem. 
 
Because according to the Dharma text, for instance those who practice Exoteric Buddhism or the school of chan  (Puja teachings index 06), two sentences are very important, ‘If the Buddha comes, slash the Buddha, if the demon comes, slash the demon,’ which means that the heart should remain unmoved, do no hope which Buddha or Bodhisattva might come to help you. When you begin to practice Buddhism, you must not have these ideas; the moment such ideas rise, you can very easily fall into demonic delusion, and thus enter the demon. Therefore, before achieving anything, one must rely on the teaching and guidance of the guru to prevent one from going down the wrong path. 

Upon taking refuge, one must not prostrate or pay tribute to other deities, which includes refraining from prostrating to all other gods and religions. What is the definition of prostrating or paying tribute to? Do not implore or worship; sometimes, by accident, one may enter certain renowned historic temples or sites; it is fine to enter such places, but one need not keep praising them, now that is paying tribute or prostrating. For instance, after taking refuge, when something happens to the friends and family members of some people, they arrange memorial services according to other religious practices; it would be best not to attend these ceremonies. Why? When we Buddhists hold consciousness-transference pujas, people following other religions will definitely, absolutely not join us. So, how can we Buddhist disciples attend memorial services under other religious orders? Do not tell me you will feel apologetic, and that this is a matter of human affections! You can give them a thick white envelope (condolence money), and then you’ve made your sincerity evident. In the past, a disciple of mine had once been an old disciple of another religion, and her good friend was part of that religion. Upon her friend’s passing, she attended their memorial service, and by going, she broke the precepts because she spoke this sentence when she took refuge. If some people say: In my childhood, a particular female deity used to protect me, and now that I have improved, I should return the favor. You all think that she is just like Avalokiteśhvara Bodhisattva, but she is not. If I do find out, and even if I don’t, Achi will know and will tell you not to come anymore. You must listen and understand what I am saying, since you all like to wander around worshiping at different places, in the hope of finally finding someone you can attain with. 
 
Even if you need to worship your ancestors in your households, you should simply bow and refrain from pleading for things. Nor should you say your name, and say that you have returned to visit your ancestors; there is no need to say any of that. What do you mean by returning to visit your ancestors? Unless you are a ghost, your ancestors cannot see you! Now that the New Year is upon us, many people from central and southern Taiwan follow the tradition of ancestral worship; the Buddhist sutras do not forbid us from worshipping our ancestors, and we show our respect for them, but respect means reverence, not worship. Since without our ancestors, we wouldn’t even exist, so when you go to your family home, and your relatives tell you to prostrate to the ancestors, you may simply stand on the side and bow, do not hold the incense or eat the food that was offered to the ancestors, even if the fruit is vegetarian, you should not eat it. Could you eat the food that ghosts have consumed? Usually, you pretend as if you’re full, or that you have a stomachache and cannot eat anything; we’ve all played these tricks growing up. You’ve also tried throwing up in front of your mother, so you can throw up to show them, but don’t say that Rinpoche taught you this; otherwise, they’ll all tell me to clean up afterwards, and I will be in trouble. (The assembly laughs.)

Upon taking refuge in Buddha Dharma today, you must have a compassionate (maitri and karuna) heart and cultivate the Bodhicitta; therefore, you must not harm any of the sentient beings. After taking refuge in the guru, you must not abide by any non-Buddhist gurus, and what does abide by mean? It is not to befriend them, or say that you’ve known each other since youth, and now you’d feel apologetic if you did not keep in contact with them. In Annutarayoga-tantra(Highest Yoga Tantra), it clearly states to invite those you have fate with and reject all contact with those you don’t have fate with. If you are constantly exchanging favors with others, interacting because of these favors, then you might as well not learn Buddhism at all. Would you please come to learn Buddhism after you’ve repaid your favors in full? It is hard, painful, and difficult to decide, but you must make these decisions. As someone who has been through it all, I know it all too well. My father was a very capable Daoist practitioner; he could cure the sick and see many things. However, upon taking refuge in Buddhism, I renounced it all—I never worshiped, wanted, or even came close to them. The Daoist sect that my father belonged to, including the temple we visited, is still in the New Territories. If I ever returned, I would be one of the senior members, even though my photo is still there; I never went since taking refuge. You might call me ruthless and ungrateful. But this is not a lack of gratitude, as it has nothing to do with the graces of others! If one wants to learn Buddhism, then one should remain pure and clear; since you are all very easily snatched away, if you remain in contact with these matters, you will get snatched away. It is much more difficult for politicians to learn Buddhism because they are often in contact with a wide range of people. Many people have urged me to run for office, but I always tell them not to drag me into trouble, not because I am afraid of making mistakes, but rather, I don’t want to be in contact with them. It has nothing to do with whether they are right or wrong, but their methods cannot prevent us from falling into the Three Evil Realms in this life, so we shouldn’t waste our time. I can use that time to practice more and help sentient beings even more.  

When encountering places fully imbued with the power of the Three Jewels, such as Buddhist sutras, Buddha statues, and stupas, one must treat them with reverence and respect. For example, the Monastery is currently constructing a stupa; once it is completed, everyone will have another place to circumambulate, this is also a place one can accumulate good fortune and merit. Even for the sake of one’s life or for gifts, one does not abandon the Refuge Precepts. This means that after taking refuge, even if your life is in danger, or even if you are offered many gifts, one must not forsake the Refuge Precepts and turn to rely on another. In the past, in Hong Kong, many elderly people had taken refuge in Buddhism and attended pujas. However, because it was very difficult to obtain a burial ground in Hong Kong, some other religions would offer to sell a burial ground on the condition that one joined their religion and received baptism. Therefore, many elderly people previously in Hong Kong gave up their Refuge Precepts for the sake of a plot. This is what is meant by ‘for the sake of gifts.’Even when encountering particularly urgent or difficult matters, one must not seek other expedient means. This means that when facing special or seemingly unsolvable problems, one should not look for alternative expedient means elsewhere. For example, if something happens and someone says that a certain place is very efficacious, and one goes there to ask or pray, expecting more protection from imploring more places, the Refuge Precepts are immediately broken. You might say: ‘I am not a practitioner; I have only taken refuge.’ Yet if in this lifetime you break the Refuge Precepts, it will be extremely difficult to take refuge again in the next life, because you severed the connection. Especially we are in such a complex society, these situations happen easily. So one must remain vigilant and be careful. Do not, simply because a problem cannot be resolved, go elsewhere after hearing that somewhere is ‘very efficacious,’ thinking‘just for a ask.’When you say, ‘you will go just for a ask,’ it already indicates you give up the Refuge Precepts, because you do not believe in cause and effect. Whatever happens in one’s life is absolutely related to cause and effect. If anyone were truly able to reverse your circumstances, then other consequences would inevitably arise elsewhere. Yet sentient beings remain stubborn to the extreme, wishing to escape present difficulties. Once the Refuge Precepts are broken, other problems will follow. One should make offerings regularly. After taking refuge,  you should be mindful of yourselves.

After taking refuge, the relationship with the guru is very close. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection with the guru is especially close, this closeness does not mean seeing the guru or speaking with him/her every day. It means that the guru practices the Dharma daily and dedicates blessings to his/her refuge disciples. If a refuge disciple’s attitude toward the guru is not correct, then the blessings given by the guru cannot be received, truly cannot be received. The guru’s responsibility is to guide and teach disciples well. Therefore, the practices the guru performs each day are not for himself, but are dedicated outwardly to all disciples and sentient beings. If sentient beings lack faith in the guru, or if they commit certain things wrongly, the guru’s blessings will be completely cut off. It is not even a case of ‘lingering attachment’; the connection is severed entirely and cleanly. If you commit these five kinds of actions, it means you do not truly believe in cause and effect. I often tell you that you must deeply believe in cause and effect, and everyone claims to believe in it. But in fact, you do not believe in it even the slightest. For example, arguing back with the guru shows a lack of faith in cause and effect. Ignoring the guru’s words and insisting on doing things one’s own way also shows a lack of faith in cause and effect. Slacking off means that after receiving the Dharma transmission, one does not learn or practice them. Slacking off is not the same as laziness. Laziness is like saying you are too tired today that you don’t pracitce.  Slacking off means giving up. For instance, when certain individuals are told they may not make offerings, and they then leave, this is slacking off. They believe that making offerings can purchase merit. When their offerings are not accepted, they assume they have lost protection, so they depart. This is slacking off. Rinpoche does everything for a reason. If one remains steadfast and does not lapse into slacking off, then even if offerings are not accepted, the guru’s blessings will still reach that person. Why do Ireveal this secret? I shouldn’t have. Harsh speech means criticizing others and the guru, and especially criticizing the guru. Shamelessness, committing the same mistakes repeatedly. When one has done wrong, one comes to repent and apologize. For example, I dissolved the Dharma Affairs Team, it was because they made mistakes repeatedly; no matter how much I scolded them, they remained the same. This shows a lack of shame. Without a sense of shame, even if you know how to manage the mandala properly, the guru’s blessings will no longer come; it is you yourselves who have cut them off. Befriending evil ones means relying on non-Buddhist religions. As mentioned earlier, making friends with people of non-Buddhist religions, including fortune-telling kinds, falls within this category.

Of course, after taking refuge, if you no longer want to learn the Buddha Dharma, you can tell the guru you want to give up the Refuge Precepts. This is fine as well, but do not break the Refuge Precepts. If you give up the Refuge Precepts, you may still have a chance to encounter a guru who has a fate with you. However, if the Refuge Precepts are broken, it will forever be extremely difficult to meet a guru with whom you have a fate with. If one no longer wishes to learn the Buddha Dharma, no problem. If you feel afraid to come see me or do not dare to tell me directly, you may inform your group leader or your contact-person you no longer want to learn the Buddha Dharma, and you give up the Refuge precepts. Why must you return all the things if you leave? First, because those things are not yours, they were purchased by the Buddhist Center and given to you. Second, once the Refuge Precepts are given up, keeping the Dharma texts and reciting them daily is useless, truly useless! What use would there be? At most, it may generate some good fortune, perhaps enough in the next life to be reborn as a certain kind of pet dearly loved by someone, but it will not lead to any progress when it comes to practice. Therefore, those who have registered and whom I have approved to take refuge should now come forward. Rinpoche instructs the monastics to guide the registered believers who are taking refuge to kneel.
 
The two most important sentences in this Refuge text are these: you should carefully reflect on why you take refuge. Because the Three Evil Realms and reincarnation are like a fire pit, so you wish to take refuge to escape such suffering. The guru must perfectly and completely fulfill all the Refuge Precepts and sit upon a high throne. Sitting in a higher seat on behalf of all the Buddhas to accept you taking refuge.

After you recite the Refuge text, it means that you have received this refuge. After you take refuge, the guru will orally transmit the Five Lay Precepts: 1. No killing. 2. No divisive speech. 3. No sexual misconduct. 4. No stealing. 5. No alcohol.  No killing definitely entails a vegetarian diet; it also means not killing any sentient being for personal reasons or out of hatred. Living on this complex earth, we inevitably harm some sentient beings unintentionally; such cases are not included. However, deliberate acts, such as intentionally poisoning beings, count. The definition of sexual misconduct includes engaging in a relationship with someone who already has a spouse, a partner, or even someone who is financially supported by others. If you engage in a relationship with such a person, that is so-called sexual misconduct. It also includes involvement with minors, as well as acts such as drugging, rape, or sexual assault, all of which fall under sexual misconduct. There are also more subtle aspects to this precept, but they will not be explained here since some younger people are present. The precept of sexual misconduct must be strictly observed. It does not mean that lay practitioners cannot marry, nor does it mean they cannot get into a relationship. The definition of sexual misconduct is that do not cause the other person affliction or harm.

The precept of no stealing has a wide scope. Besides literally stealing anything, it also includes holding items that are not yours in your hands. Even picking a flower outdoors counts as stealing, because all things have their owners. Piracy or plagiarizing someone else’s writing and claiming it as your own are also considered stealing. The precept of no divisive speech; divisive speech includes harsh speech, frivolous talk, and false speech. False speech does not mean lying; the key issue is claiming to have transmitted or practiced a Dharma when you have not, this is so-called false speech. If you have practiced a Dharma but claim you know nothing about it at all, that is also false speech. Thus, it is very easy for practitioners to conduct false speech. Lying is not considered part of false speech; it is within the scope of divisive speech. Lying is to speak untruths to others, such as to stir up conflict; this is divisive speech. No harsh speech means refraining from cursing or using hurtful words toward others. No frivolous talk means avoiding speech that incites inappropriate thoughts in others, no matter whether you are male or female. The precept of no alcohol, the most important point is to avoid excessive drinking. Cooking with a small amount of alcohol as seasoning is not considered breaking this precept. In winter, people like to eat sesame oil chicken; now the vegetarian version of sesame oil chiken are poplular, some people add a bit of baijiu; it would not be allowed in this case. Can you observe these Five Precepts? (Replies: Yes.) You said it yourself: if you break the precepts, that is your own responsibility. Alright, now, come forward for a haircut.

Rinpoche bestowed the new refuge disciples’ refuge certificates and expounded: In the center of the refuge certificate you are holding is Lord Jigten Sumgon of the Drikung Kagyu lineage. Our lineage has been passed on for over 800 years. I am the first Rinpoche in over 800 years who did not achieve cultivation through reincarnation, and who is of Han ethnicity.. On this side of the certificate is my root guru, the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, and on the other side is the portrait of myself. Rinpoche instructed that the refuge certificate be turned over to the back, and said: here are a few lines I will transmit to you orally: ‘I take refuge in the guru, I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha. Taking refuge in the Buddha, from now on, I will not take refuge in non-Buddhist religions. Taking refuge in the Dharma, from now on, I will not kill. Taking refuge in the Sangha, from now on, I will not follow evil companions. Refrain from all evil, practice all virtue, and purify my own mind; this is the teaching of the Buddha.’ Here, the teaching of the Buddha refers to all that the Buddha taught. The most important part is these lines: refrain from all evil, practice all virtue, and gradually your mind will naturally become purified; this is what the Buddha taught. It is better that you recite the Refuge text ten times daily. In the center of the certificate is a portrait of Shakyamuni Buddha, with my Dharma name alongside it. For your Dharma name as a disciple, I will name it for you; do not change it yourself. Likewise, I will fill it on the date you take refuge; you should not fill it in yourself.

The refuge-taking puja had come to perfection. Rinpoche, then, performed the Guru Puja Liturgy of Drikung Kagyu. 

Rinpoche led the assembly to recite the Dharma text and proceeded to the mandala offering liturgy. Rinpoche wore Gampopa’s Dharma crown, the monastic disciples and the Eight Offerings Girls represented the sentient beings to reverently make the Mandala Offering to His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.
 
Rinpoche performed the Dharma and led the assembly in the recitation of the heart mantra of the Guru Puja for a prolonged period of time. When reciting the mantra, Rinpoche’s sacred body and the mandala radiated golden light; the assembly all felt the heat in the body and sweat, or smelled the miraculous fragrance, or felt the ground shaking; a current of warmth entered from the top of the head; all deeply felt the blessing power of the guru flow unceasinly, firming the disciples’resolution of learning Buddhism and practice.  

Subsequently, the liturgies of song offering of the Eight Offering Girls, the tsok liturgy (Puja Teachings Index 03), tea offering, and meal offering were conducted. The attendees received offerings blessed by Rinpoche, and were granted the rare and incomparably wondrous fate to partake of the feast together with the guru, the Buddhas ,and Bodhisattvas during the puja.
 
The lamp offering liturgy was then performed, with Rinpoche lighting lamps as an offering to the Buddhas on behalf of all sentient beings.
 
After performing the Guru Puja came to perfection, Rinpoche led the assembly in reciting the dedication prayer, and instructed the monastic disciples to lead the assembly in reciting the Long Life Prayer of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and the Long Life Prayer of His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chungtsang. Next, the monastic disciple led the assembly to recite the Long Life Prayer of His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.
 
After Rinpoche recited the Great-Six Syllable mantra, Rinpoche instructed the monastic disciples to lead the assembly in the recitation of the Aspiration Prayer for Rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land of Utmost Bliss, the Prayer of An Exhortation to Bring Forth the Bodhicitta Resolve, and the Auspicious Prayer of the Dharma Being Flourished. 
 
After Rinpoche led the disciples to perform the Dharma Protector Achi Liturgy, Rinpoche bestowed teachings: 
 
Today is the last puja of this year, in a couple of days it will be the beginning of the new year, it means you will have one less year to see me, and I will also have one less year remaining on this earth. Don’t assume that Rinpoche can perform the Dharma for more than two hours and still speak with a strong voice, that the body must be in good condition. Whether the body is healthy or not is not equal to when I will pass away. When I feel that my tasks are completed, I will leave. I carry out my work in a well-planned manner. Of course, it is impossible for me to tell you everything, because many matters are beyond your ability to understand. Why was the bank account suddenly closed? Because I felt that the time had come, there is no need to continue exhausting myself like this with them. They don’t want to learn Buddhism, and they don’t want to cultivate. I keep owing too much and can’t leave. I suffered a lot! Like yesterday, Disciple Li and Disciple Yao; did they come today? Stand up! I punished these two people to perform 500 grand prostrations today. Originally, it was 1,000, but I have grown old and soft-hearted. I also see that they grow older; if they were to perform 1,000 prostrations, they wouldn’t be able to attend the puja this afternoon!
 
Last time, I publicly spoke about the financial amount of our Monastery during the puja. Later on, I crossed it out. Why did I cross it out? Because this is an internal matter of our Glorious Jewel, there is no need to publicly disclose it to anyone. It is not a secret, but there is no need to add anything or explain this matter further. However, these two, one a professor and the other a teacher, felt that it was inappropriate for Rinpoche to cross it out, saying that the word doesn’t connect, and they proactively made changes; even said that there was a Dharma brother can’t understand. I again tell you two one more time.  Matters I do are not for you to intervene with, nor for you to revise. Don’t think that I have dementia, alright? Although your academic knowledge and certificates obtained may be higher than mine, I am very clear about matters that I have seen myself. If you two professors and teachers regard me as a student, then please come up and take the seat and be a Rinpoche. How do you know why Rinpoche crossed it out? Did you ask? Acting on your own authority? Are you teaching a class? Are you lecturing me? Every word I speak during a puja, after it is transcribed, I read it through from beginning to end. If they missed it, I immediately pointed it out. Wasn’t that so? (The assembly replies: Yes.) There are more than a dozen people memorizing what I say, yet I am the only one remembering what I myself have said.
 
Matters of what the two of them did; what did they violate? It is despising the guru! They think that the guru lacks academic knowledge and doesn’t know that crossing out the sentence would make the article inconsistent from beginning to end; making it difficult and laborious for others to read. What does that have to do with you? On the surface, it seems that it is for the sake of doing good for me, and helping me, but deep down, they look down on the Guru; thinking the Guru is old, 79 years old, perhaps mistaken, having crossed it out in error, and that they should remind him. Rinpoche may, sometimes, oversight, miss something, or not see clearly. But once I have reviewed it, I will not miss anything. Today I am scolding them again. Originally, I did not intend to. I have already worked overtime today. But seeing the two of them, I feel it’s such a pity. One is a professor, the other a teacher, and they are so stubborn in their own positions, not at all humble, not objective. They have followed me for so many years, and still can’t realize the method Rinpoche does things. What is Rinpoche’s method of doing things?
Low-key. As long as the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Monastery and Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center continue, this is the matter that I pursue. I don’t seek for fame or profit. Although many people now know me, and naturally, I have fame and benefit, I truly don’t pursue this.
 
These two people looked at what I was doing from a worldly perspective; they thought they were being good to the guru, worrying that if such words were published, others might misunderstand and think the guru is uneducated. I truly am not highly educated — I only graduated from high school, what scholarship do I have? Compared to the two of you, I really cannot compare, yet somehow I learned the Buddha Dharma, so what can be done? Therefore, today I sincerely advise all of you: if in this lifetime you truly wish to learn the Buddha Dharma and genuinely seek liberation from birth and death, then there is only one way — one hundred percent faith in the guru, this is how I achieved in cultivation.

How many times have I told you? When His Holiness transmitted the Dharma to me, he spoke it once and then let me go practice on my own. He didn’t give further explanations, why? If you are cut out for this, you will naturally be able to cultivate and achieve it. If you are not cut out for this, then no matter how much is explained, it is useless. I advise all of you who are learning Buddhism not to overthink, your mundane knowledge is meant for earning to sustain your physical body, but it does not have any inevitable or direct connection with the Buddha Dharma. I crossed out that number, for many people it might seem like a small amount; but for others it might feel like a large amount, then they will start making an issue out of it, writing a lot  about it. Some matters we understand, but there is no need to publicize them widely. Secondly,  Rinpoche truly does not want the idea of ‘the more the better.’ I genuinely do not wish to keep taking money endlessly. So today, it is the last time of this year, and I still have to scold you. I practiced for more than two hours today. No one believes I am 79 years old; till now, my voice is still so resonant, and I can continue speaking to you like this. Look at the one who came out earlier, only 70 years old,  does he have strength in his voice?
 
Once again, I sincerely hope that all of you will stop muddying along. Year after year just disappeared, stop saying, ‘I was wrong, I was wrong.’ What happens if you are wrong? Just now, when one takes refuge, it is stated that repeated violation, repeated mistakes, mistakes leading to more violations; you didn’t make a resolution. All day long, you are scheming in your minds, thinking about how to make the guru treat you well, how to make the guru notice you; when pleading for the Dharma, saying some words, and thought the guru might be happy. I have already taught you: Being straightforward is the Buddhist Center. When you come to plead for Dharma, just simply come to plead for the Dharma. Saying words for me to listen, hoping that I will transmit the Dharma so that my lineage can go on. When I heard that, I was shocked. If this person didn’t plead for the Dharma or did not learn the Dharma from me, then my lineage will be cut? Whether my lineage will go on or not is not determined by who comes to plead for the Dharma, nor by who learn the Dharma from me. Everything is arranged by my guru and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It is not your place to decide, alright? You think that by saying such a sentence to threaten me, then I would transmit the Vajra Dharma to you? ‘Rinpoche, transmit it to me so that your lineage may go on.’ Even if my physical body no longer exists, my Dharma will certainly exist.
 
The female disciple who came to plead for the Dharma yesterday didn’t believe, she was self-centered. I have pleaded so many Dharma from His Holiness, yet I have never said to him, ‘His Holiness, transmit the Dharma to me so that your lineage may go on.’ Such a haughty and arrogant, egomaniac！I can’t understand; why is it that the more you learn in Buddhism, the more off-track and muddled you become? Rinpoche can give up his life and wealth to help you, so that in this lifetime you may attain liberation and achievement. But correspondingly, you must help yourselves, do not remain stubborn. I have constantly demonstrated to you how I plead for the Dharma, how I learn Buddhism, and how I practice. Why don’t you learn a little bit? Keep using your own methods. Because when His Holiness learned the Dharma, his guru also taught it once, and he went to practice it himself. Therefore, when he transmits it to me, it is also the same way. Do not envy why Rinpoche is able to accomplish the practice, I have endured great hardship, such hardship is beyond your understanding. But Rinpoche does not fear suffering, because a Bodhisattva fears nothing. Bodhisattva, for the sake of liberating sentient beings, no matter how harsh it is, the Bodhisattva can accept it. 

Another year has passed, I hope everyone will reflect on this past year in terms of the Buddhist practice. Have you gained a little more understanding? Have you moved a little further forward? Have you changed your personality? Take a look at yourselves. Don’t rely on the Rinpoche all the time to help you. Rinpoche can only transmit the Dharma, but I cannot help you all day long, you have to help yourselves. It is equal to when His Holiness finished transmitting the Dharma, I have to see myself whether I have truly accomplished it. So everyone must make a determination, don’t keep wasting your life. Every day, we waste so much time on things that are unnecessary. Therefore, under limited time, one must make up one’s mind, don’t be half-hearted, don’t waver, don’t keep thinking, ‘Is it this way? Or is it that way?’
 
Let me say it again: the special Dharma method in the Vajra, the one and only path, is completely believe in the guru. Even if in this lifetime you don’t achieve any attainments in the cultivation, when you pass away, the guru will definitely help you. This is the guru’s vow. Therefore, everyone’s heart should be calmer, stop thinking this and that; hoping that to cultivate and yield results, in this lifetime, stop thinking about these. I have told you many times: from the beginning, when I began learning Buddhism, I never thought that I would become a Rinpoche. I walked this path out naturally, just as His Holiness said, I cultivated and yielded results naturally. What does that mean? Unpretentious; follows the fate to do, not deliberately saying some words that merely sound pleasant. Pleading for Dharma, then plead the Dharma. Saying a long speech to me to listen to, truly…. Yesterday, I was already being very courteous, why was I courteous? Because suddenly I didn’t feel like getting angry. (The assembly laughs.) Alright, that’s all. I will see you on the first day of the lunar month.
  
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Updated on February 23, 2026