His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s Puja Teachings – February 22, 2026

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne to preside over the incomparably wondrous Chod Puja and bestowed precious teachings on the Buddha Dharma to the attendees. Upon ascending the Dharma throne, Rinpoche chanted the Great Six-Syllable Mantra for quite a while; the moment that Rinpoche began to chant the mantra, an incomparably wondrous fragrance permeated throughout, the ground shook, and all attendees could feel their chakras vibrate, while waves of warmth gushed through their bodies, instantly appeasing their scattered and disorderly thoughts. 
 
Rinpoche instructed the assembly to recite the names of the living and the deceased three times, and next expounded compassionately (maitrī and karuṇā): 
 
Today, I am practicing the Chod Puja, which I have been practicing for over three decades. Because some of you are attending for the first time and some of you who have recently taken refuge may not be so familiar with this Dharma, here’s a brief introduction. Chod (in Mandarin) is to offer, as in making an offering, the body, and in Tibetan,  it is called‘གཅོད’(Chod), which means cutting, and what does one cut away? We cut away our vexations and cognitive hindrances. 
 
What does cognitive mean? Anyone thinks that they know things, and where does this cognition come from? These are the Dharmas of colors, sounds, smell, taste, touch generated by our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and consciousness, and these so-called cognitions are not the pure Buddha nature. When we learn Buddhism through cognition, we are eternally employing human thoughts and methods to learn Buddhism, and thus it will never be possible for us to receive the blessings of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and gurus. Therefore, we must practice the Chod Dharma to cut away the hindrances of afflictions and cognition. It is easier to cut away the hindrances of afflictions because, life after life, we have all generated afflictions. However, the hindrances of cognition are very difficult to cut away because everyone thinks that they know. For instance, I told you to say it this way, but you must add a few words in; that is the hindrance of cognition. For instance, I told you to make prostrations this way, but you insist on adding something extra, which is the cognitive hindrance. When your hindrances of knowing add up, you cut Buddha Dharma away! Do not think that this is a minor matter; it’s a very important matter.  
 
In the past, I have told everyone that His Holiness is Tibetan, and when His Holiness transmitted the Dharma to me, it was all in Tibetan. I do not know Tibetan, and I have implored His Holiness: Do I need to learn Tibetan? He told me not to waste my time. So, why was I able to attain achievement when His Holiness transmitted the Dharma to me? Because, when His Holiness was transmitting the Dharma, I had no notion of ‘me,’ I was simply very reverent and humble, accepting the Dharma-transmission without any ideas of my own, and so later on I could attain achievement. Many people do not believe in this, but because I accomplished it myself, I can tell you that if you employ your own thoughts, you will never be able to learn Buddhism. Is one supposed to be an idiot? It is slightly better than being an idiot because idiots cannot listen to anything. People from ancient times have said that those who learn Buddhism, and are able to attain achievement, are all thirty percent daft, daft as in doofus, meaning one is not very clever. You clever people will have difficulties learning Buddhism. 
 
Since 1995, when I began to propagate the Buddha Dharma till the present, there have been a few types of people who are very hard to liberate: first, those who are teachers, including professors; another is doctors, scientists, and lastly, Westerners. These people are all very hard to liberate due to their particularly severe hindrances of cognition, especially those who think of themselves as being learned. Why are they hard to liberate? Because they find it frightening when asked to give up all the cognitive understandings they have acquired about and learn something completely unknown to them. Therefore, they juxtapose their so-called cognition with Buddha Dharma, comparing it with that which they know and are capable of. Thus, many of the male disciples have not cultivated well because of this exact reason; they are comparing: can I accomplish this Buddha Dharma? 

Buddha has expounded that all sentient beings can attain Buddhahood. All sentient beings possess the criteria to become Buddha as we all possess the pure Buddha nature. However, because you have covered up your pure Buddha nature, therefore you will never attain Buddhahood as you will take all the knowledge,  experiences, and all other things  you have learned and compare them with Buddha Dharma: Can you do this? Can you comprehend, understand, and learn? Therefore, none of the male disciples are able to learn anything because of cognitive hindrances! Because I am only a high school graduate, I remain very humble. Whenever someone transmitted Dharma to me, I cherished it as if I had obtained a priceless treasure. I had no personal ideas of my own, no particular demands, and I never thought about what I might become in the future. I only knew that the Buddha Dharma is extremely precious. For example, in the sutras, Shakyamuni Buddha once said that paying homage to His sarīra is not as meritorious as listening to even a single sentence of the Buddha Ｄharma or a single line of a sutra transmitted by a meritorious guru. Hearing just one sentence of the Dharma brings greater merit than worshipping His sarīra. However, many people have seriously distorted Buddha Dharma and have completely misunderstood it.

Why is (Chod) called the Body-Offering Dharma in Mandarin? Because the practitioner presiding over this Dharma must, through visualizations, mantras, Qigong, etc., transform his body into nectar and offer it upwards to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, yidams, and downwards to the sentient beings for their consumption. Should the sentient beings desire meat, the nectar would turn into the form of meat. Whatever substance the sentient beings want to eat, they shall see it, but it is actually nectar. Why does one feed the beings? Because all beings of the Six Realms, even all those sentient beings in the Heaven Realm must eat, apart from Bodhisattvas who needn’t eat, all sentient beings of the Six Realms want to eat something. 
 
When we are alive, our desire to eat is extremely strong. To ask you not to eat for one day would be incredibly painful, but in fact, can one refrain from eating for one day? Absolutely, because I have tried it, I have not eaten for two days and still continued to retreat. Is it true that one must eat a lot each day to gain sufficient nutrients? I have also tried it, but let me emphasize this, do not imitate me, please do not imitate me because currently there is only one Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in Taiwan; there is no second one. For instance, during my three-month retreat, all I had each day were two bowls of white noodles cooked in plain water, with a few pieces of leafy vegetables, as well as some Pu-er tea that I brought myself; that was all, nothing else. This is proof that the desire to eat is a human need; the most fundamental and strongest desire is for food. Therefore, in the practice of Chod, the practitioner uses compassion to offer his or her own body as food to sentient beings. When those beings satiate their hunger, they will settle down and listen for a while. Only then can the practitioner transfer their consciousness.
 
Tibetan Buddhism, same as Chinese Buddhism, can be distinguished into Exoteric Buddhism—that which is obvious and what you can see, for instance, Buddhist sutras, teaching you to follow repentance rites, this is what we call Exoteric Buddhism. The other section is Vajrayana Dharma, which has been lost in both China and India; historically, in China, this was called Tang-Vajrayana, which was once popular in the Tang Dynasty. Part of the Tang-Vajrayana teachings were passed on to Japan, which was called Eastern-Vajrayana of Japan, but Eastern-Vajrayana of Japan is not complete since only part of the teachings were passed on. Another part was transmitted from India to Tibet, which came to be known as Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. The Buddhist teachings in Tibet also include the sutras. For example, every Sunday I teach the Ratnakuta Sutra. Jigten Sumgön also frequently taught the Ratnakuta Sutra during his lifetime. In addition to the sutras, there are also Vajrayana Dharmas. However, Vajrayana Dharma is not something that ordinary people can simply learn or practice; the criteria are very strict.

Chod is one of the practices in Vajrayana Buddhism. In Tibet, it is said that within the Vajrayana Dharmas, there are the Eight Sadhana Teachings—eight major methods of Vajrayana practice. If, in this lifetime, a practitioner focuses on and continuously practices just one of these methods, he or she will certainly attain accomplishment in this very life. This means that in this lifetime one will definitely be liberated from samsara, liberated from birth and death, and will no longer reincarnate in cyclic existence. Chod is one of these Eight Sadhana Teachings. It encompasses the Kriya Tantra, Charya Tantra, and Yoga Tantra among the tantric classifications, but it does not include the highest level, Anuttarayoga-Tantra. The practice of Chod also includes the practice of Phowa.

How did the practice of Chod originate? More than a thousand years ago in Tibet, there was a female yogini. She was married and had children. After learning the Buddha Dharma, she practiced diligently and continuously, and eventually composed the liturgy for this practice. The theoretical foundation of this practice is based on the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra in the Buddhist Canon (Tripiṭaka). The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra teaches the concept of Śūnyatā (Puja Teachings Index 21). Śūnyatā (Puja Teachings Index 21) is one of the most important directions of practice in the Buddha Dharma. If someone who learns and practices Chod does not understand Śūnyatā (Puja Teachings Index 21), it would be impossible to attain achievement in this practice. 

In terms of tantric practice, Chod incorporates methods from Kriya Tantra, Charya Tantra, and Yoga Tantra. It also employs three types of activities:  santikarma (Puja Teachings Index 25), vasikarana (Puja Teachings Index 26), and raudrakarmana(Puja Teachings Index 28). After Machig Labdrön transmitted this practice, the lineage later developed into two branches, known as the Father lineage and the Mother lineage. The lineage passed down through her husband became known as the Father lineage, while the lineage transmitted by Machig Labdrön herself is called the Mother lineage. Even today, there is still a monastery of Machig Labdrön in Tibet. It is not far from Drikung Monastery; it takes only about one or two days to reach it. Therefore, for those whose karmic burdens in this life and from past lives are very heavy, practicing Chod is especially suitable. The practice of Chod not only helps practitioners deal with the negative karma accumulated over many lifetimes, but also enables them to deliver and liberate sentient beings throughout the Six Realms of existence.

Practicing the Chod Dharma requires some special Dharma instruments. In ancient times, many monasteries had to practice one to two sets of the Chod Dharma, but now that the number of these Dharma instruments is decreasing, many monasteries no longer practice this Dharma. Presently, there are no Buddhist centers in Taiwan that can publicly practice the Chod for over one thousand attendees. I have benefited sentient beings with this Dharma for decades. If one practices this Dharma over a long period of time, it can benefit one’s physical health, Buddhist practice, and one’s lineage ancestors. 

The main point is that when you participate in this puja, the first thing you must have is a mind of repentance. Repenting for not having diligently learned the Buddha Dharma throughout your countless past lifetimes, which is why in this life you have reincarnated again here. Before taking refuge in Buddhism and learning the Buddha Dharma, our body, speech, and mind constantly created many evil karmas without even realizing it. Attending this puja is meant to help cut off these evil karmas. Second, we must have a compassionate (maitrī and karuṇā) heart. This is not just for yourself or your ancestors, but with the wish that all sentient beings, upon hearing the sound of this Dharma instrument, will willingly come to join the puja and receive consciousness-transference from the guru. Among all Vajra Dharma, only this particular Dharma requires blowing this Dharma instrument. This Dharma instrument is made from a human thigh bone. Many from Exoteric Buddhism criticize Vajrayana in Tibetan Buddhism for using many bones, but in fact, the meaning behind using bones is very profound. As time is limited today, I will not explain it further.
 
Why blow the thigh bone? Because the sound produced by the thigh bone is very familiar and comforting to sentient beings in the Ghost Realm and the Hell Realm. If we were to chant mantras, those beings might become frightened, so the thigh bone is used instead. Not everyone is capable of blowing this Dharma instrument. Only a guru who has accomplished the Chod through practice can do so. The sound produced carries both compassion (maitrī and karuṇā) and the power of calling forth sentient beings, capable of calling forth the consciousnesses of sentient beings. Therefore, when I perform the Chod, many of you feel that the temperature suddenly becomes very cold. It is not because the air conditioner has been turned down, nor because the weather has become colder. It is because the beings in the bardo have come in. The bardo beings are here to receive consciousness-transference through the Dharma; they will not harm you. So there is no need to be afraid that so many ghosts might possess you. Rest assured, you have not cultivated enough good fortune for them to want to possess you anyway.
 
The Dharma instrument I am holding now was used by my root guru, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, in the previous lifetime. He transmitted it to me. In terms of lineage, this means that the lineage of the Chod of Drikung Kagyu Lineage is now in my hands. Can you simply dig up any thigh bone and use it? No. It must meet specific shapes, requirements, and standards; not just any bone can be used. Moreover, because of current laws, a person must be cremated within three days after death. As a result, it is now very difficult to obtain this kind of thigh bone. Without such a thigh bone, this Dharma cannot be properly performed. The Chod liturgy is divided into two types: one practiced for oneself and one practiced on behalf of sentient beings. When practicing for oneself, it is possible to do it without the thigh bone. However, when performing the Dharma for sentient beings, the thigh bone instrument must be used.

How did I learn this Dharma method? About more than thirty years ago, there was a Drikung Kagyu monastery in Yunnan that I had been supporting. One time, I asked them whether they had a practice specifically for transferring consciousnesses. They then invited an eighty-year-old lama traveling from Zhongdian to Kunming to come and see me. This elderly lama had never left the monastery in his life. He had spent his entire life practicing the Chod, he could not speak Mandarin. When he met me, he first asked me to ring the bell and play the hand drum. When he saw that I could immediately handle them and ring them correctly, he transmitted to me a simple liturgy, and from then on, I began practicing it.

Later, when His Holiness learned that I was practicing this Dharma, he bestowed the empowerment on me twice, once in India and a second time here. The empowerment in India was bestowed while I was in retreat there. One day, His Holiness asked me to go to his retreat hut at seven in the evening. At that time, the sky was pitch black, there were no stars or moon, and thick clouds covered the sky. After His Holiness had completed transmitting the Dharma and was reciting the dedication prayer, suddenly there were three claps of thunder in the sky. His Holiness then said, ‘In the future, you will achieve the attainment in this practice.’ After I left His Holiness’s retreat hut, the moon and the stars came out. This was a good sign, indicating that in the future, I can continuously help many sentient beings with the Chod.
 
This is the background of the Chod. Therefore, His Holiness bestowed the empowerment on me once again here, because the number of sentient beings whose consciousnesses I help transfer has been increasing, accumulating more good fortune and resources, allowing me to help transfer the consciousnesses of sentient beings. Without learning it, one cannot help liberate sentient beings. Some people say they want to help sentient beings. I often give an example: if you want to be a lifeguard and rescue someone who is drowning, shouldn’t you first learn how to swim? You must first make sure you won’t drown yourself before you can save others. It is not enough simply to say you want to help people, or to recite a mantra and think that you can help. One must follow the proper order in learning the Dharma and entering retreat. Retreat does not mean sitting still for a few hours and remaining unmoved; many things must be done.
 
Today, I will briefly introduce the yidam of the Chod. Later, when I begin reciting the Dhrama text, everyone should bring forth your heart of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā),  heart of repentance, and reverence for the guru. Otherwise, the blessing power of this Dharma for you will be limited.
 
Then, Rinpoche blew the thigh-bone Dharma instrument. The Dharma instrument’s sound was profoundly mournful and resonant, calling forth sentient beings with equal compassion (maitrī and karuṇā) to come and receive consciousness-transference. At that moment, the attendees felt waves of chill. Rinpoche in Mahamudra Chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06), with the incomparably wondrous bodhicitta, visualized all his own flesh, blood, and bones transforming into nectar, offering them without reservation to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and impartially doing ​​Dānapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 15) to all sentient beings of the Six Realms. Several times, he was moved to tears by pity and compassion (maitrī and karuṇā) for sentient beings.
 
During the Dharma performance, Rinpoche chanted the Great Six-Syllable Mantra. The sound of the mantra resonated deeply in the hearts of those present. His compassionate (maitrī and karuṇā) vow power flowed like a warm current, removing the suffering in the hearts of sentient beings and soothing their afflictions and attachments. It deeply moves all those present.

After performing the Dharma to a perfect completion, Rinpoche’s sacred body, the Buddha’s statues and the mandala radiated dazzling golden light. Filled with gratitude for Rinpoche’s great compassion (maitrī and karuṇā) in earnestly rescuing sentient beings from the reincarnation’s sea of suffering, the attendees could not help but shed tears.
 
Next, Rinpoche led the disciples in practicing the liturgy of Dharma Protector Achi and then instructed the monastic disciples to lead the assembly in reciting the dedication prayer. After the disciples had chanted the Motivation Prayer for Rebirth in Amitabha’s Pure Land of Utmost Bliss once, Rinpoche began earnestly chanting in a deep and resonant voice. The entire assembly together fell silent at once, focusing on the compassionate (maitrī and karuṇā) Dharma voice of the guru and receiving the incomparably wondrous blessings.
 
Afterward, Rinpoche expounded:
 
Over these days during the Lunar New Year, more people came to visit the Monastery. Anyone who goes there would notice different fragrances both inside and outside the Monastery; one can smell them as soon as he or she enters the grounds. You might think it’s supposed to be, but there is no such thing as ‘supposed to be.’ Why is it that normally the Buddhist Center doesn’t have these fragrances, but they only appear during the time while I am performing the Dharma? (The assembly replies: Yes.) And even when I am not at the Monastery, the fragrances remain, don’t they? (The assembly replies: Yes.) That’s because the Ｍonastery is very pure and the feng shui is great. Once the Dharma is performed, especially after performing the eight Fire Offerings Liturgy, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would naturally be there.
 
This fragrance is not produced by human; anyone who has visited knows this. Normally, while there are no Dharma being performed, the Mahavira Hall doesn’t have incense burning, only butter lamps. The fragrance you notice is varied and different from each other, just like what the Avatamsaka Sutra describes with many different fragrances. Each different yidams and protectors has its own fragrance, and when one attains the Heaven Realm through practice, there is always fragrance. The sutras say that when a heavenly being’s life is ending, the fragrance on their body disappears and turns into a foul odor. Based on logical reasoning, we can understand that at Ｇlorious Jewel Buddhist Monastery and in my mandala, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are constantly present.
 
You think that visiting the Monastery is a waste of time, yet you also travel to the central and southern regions, there are many places to visit in Miaoli as well, and you can also visit the Monastery and receive blessings. The sutras say that fragrances like these are not easy to obtain; Only when Buddhas or Bodhisattvas give teachings in a place will certain clouds and fragrances appear there. Have many of your friends or relatives ever visited other monasteries and noticed this kind of fragrance? (The assembly replies: No.) I can confidently say they haven’t! Because when a monastery is properly built according to the Dharma, and the practices inside are according to the Dharma, not a single precept taught by the Buddha can be violated. The sutras say: One prostration to a Buddha eliminates sins as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. One prostration accomplishes the path of Buddhahood. This is not about simply prostrating to a Buddha statue in an ordinary place; it must be in a place where there are Dharma protectors, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and practitioners, will it works. Prostrations done with sincere devotion in ordinary places are still effective, but very few people have that sincerity, most are imploring protection or other things. Those who implore a lot may not notice any fragrance in the Monastery, or if they do, it quickly disappears. But those who come with true sincerity will definitely perceive many fragrances. That is the difference. I do not intentionally release fragrances in the Monastery, yet the fragrance is always there.
 
The Monastery was consecrated in November the year before last. Until now, I see that you, my refuge disciples, are all very busy. It’s fine if you don’t go, but visiting allows others to understand what a Monastery that is truly for practice is like… well, I can’t say it in these words, or I’ll offend people! (the assembly laughs.) Why don’t I say that? Rinpoche asked a monastic who has been ordained for more than thirty years: You have read more sutras than I have. According to the Avatamsaka Sutra, what is this fragrance? (Replies: The sutras mention the scent of ox-head sandalwood, various flowers, and isandalwood.) Do the sutras say what happens when you smell it? (Ｒeplies: It opens wisdom.) You smell a lot, but you haven’t? (Replies: No.) Rinpoche then asked another monastic disciple: You made an offering to me with the Avatamsaka Sutra, which shows you have read it. Tell us about it. (Replies: After smelling these fragrances, both the body and mind feel light and safe, and one is filled with Dharma joy.) Because we live with minds full of afflictions, don’t assume that sitting cross-legged, taking refuge, or being a vegetarian will eliminate the mind of afflictions. Only through the continuous blessings of all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the guru can these minds of affliction gradually go away.

Just now during the puja, while I was chanting the mantra, all one thousand of you should have felt that your thoughts were greatly reduced— even completely gone. (The assembly replies: Yes.) However, it is not possible for Rinpoche to preside over a puja for you every day, that is why I built a Monastery—to create this kind of environment for you. You may say that it is more convenient at the Buddhist Center, but since the Center is located in an urban building, I have no control over what others are doing, right? People upstairs can eat whatever they like, and I cannot interfere. But in my Monastery, everything is kept pure and clean!
 
Without this Buddhist Center, there would not be the Buddhist Monastery. In this type of evil time of the Five Turbidities, it is already not easy to establish a pure Buddhist Center. What is special about our Buddhist Center? There are no blessing lamps, right? (The assembly replies: Yes.) During the New Year, it seems easiest to light a blessing lamp. For example, some Buddhist Centers say that lighting a dragon lamp can ensure safety for a year. But Rinpoche doesn’t do such things, I simply continue to use Buddha Dharma to help you cultivate, because the Buddhist sutras do not mention these; what is not mentioned in the Buddhist sutra, I will neither do them nor dare to do them; so then, in this way, can we maintain a pure Buddhist Center, and only a pure center can develop into a pure Buddhist Monastery. Do not think that coming to the Buddhist Center is more convenient and that going to the Buddhist Monastery is very troublesome, having to sit on transportation, spending a lot of money, and so on. That is just your thoughts. I saw in the news that in some places several tens of thousands of people crowd together just to place a single stick of incense, believing that doing so will bring protection for the year, wealth, and safety; there is no such thing. Can one stick of incense really bring back so many benefits?

I advise all of you that right now, in this evil time of the Five Turbidities, the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Monastery and the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center are such a pure place, a place where many matters are sacrificed in order to propagate the authentic Dharma. You should make efforts to support this kind of Buddhist Center with authentic Dharma. (The assembly replies: Yes!) Because you are not able to practice, neither can these male disciples. Why are no relatives and friends of yours going to the Buddhist Monastery? It is because you do not speak about it, you are afraid of losing face. You think that it is too troublesome because of spending money, or it is troublesome to invite people. It is fine that you cannot accomplish any result in cultivation; you can rejoice. In the Sevenfold Offering Prayer, one is rejoicing. Why don’t you rejoice? This is also a method of practice. Why is it that all the male disciples, I rarely see you bringing anyone to the Buddhist Monastery, except for an occasional few? Aren’t you embarrassed? You take everything from my side!
 
Now that a good Buddhist Monastery has been given to you, why don’t you bring relatives and friends to visit? Too busy? I am preparing a method; if married couples are both here, I will interview those wives and ask them whether they are keeping their husbands so busy that the husbands have no energy left to visit the Buddhist Monastery. I will surely do it. If she says no, then it is your matter. What exactly are you learning in Buddhism by coming here? Let me ask all the men: since you think you cannot achieve what Rinpoche has achieved, it’s fine that you don’t practice well; then rejoice. Every time before we perform a Dharma, we must recite the Sevenfold Offering Prayer, and one of those offerings is rejoicing and praising the merits, right? (The assembly replies: Yes.) Have you practiced it? You men—don’t be disobedient, don’t think I’ll just keep going along with you, waiting to see what happens one day.

Let me tell you a story from yesterday, there is a female disciple who has taken refuge for fifteen years. She got married, though I did not ask how many years she has been married. Suddenly, she said that she was pregnant, but that it was a pregnancy without a fetus. (A disciple replies: A blighted ovum, an empty one.) Disciple Xie, explain it a bit. (Doctor-disciple Xie replies: A pregnancy without a fetus means there is just an empty blister there.) So it is simply a blister. (Disciple Xie replies: Yes.)
 
Yesterday, she came to plead for a transfer of consciousness; only then did I know that she had gotten married, she did not say how many years she had been married, but her beloved husband isn’t a vegetarian. So yesterday I told her: I will not transfer the consciousness. In fact, there is no need for it, since there is no consciousness. I even told her not to attend the puja today. Hasn’t Rinpoche told you many times: if you want to get married, first make sure whether your partner can follow a vegetarian diet?  (The assembly replies: Yes.) So yesterday I spoke very plainly and made it very clear—if you are a vegetarian and he eats meat, when the two of you kiss, you are exchanging saliva back and forth. If he eats meat, he will definitely consume things like onions and garlic. When those pass to you, will your recitation of sutras and mantras still be effective? The Buddhist sutras say no. You don’t listen! You’ve been hiding this for many years, how long has she been married?  (Disciple replies: She is preparing to get married.)Not married yet? Preparing to? Then this is already a warning sign for her! Having taken refuge for fifteen years, I have said this again and again from the Dharma throne. I am not stopping you from getting married—in fact, I strongly support that you women should marry sooner. But you can implore Dharma Protector Achi, yet you don’t! Instead, you think that just to get married first, and you can change him later. Once the rice is cooked, will he still listen to you? Before it is cooked, don’t lift the lid for him. Tell him: If you can’t do it, I won’t open the lid for you. But in the end, you can’t restrain yourself.

Therefore, those of you who are not yet married listen carefully. In the future, do not bring your man here and say that he isn’t a vegetarian, or complain about it in various ways. I will not respond to you. I cannot control the believers, but you have taken refuge in me, I can manage you to some extent. I again remind you: being vegetarian is not one of the Dharma methods in cultivating Buddhism; rather, it is to refrain us from killing, and let the thoughts of killing become weaker and weaker, so that we can cultivate to accomplish the heart of compassion(maitrī and karuṇā). Second, being a vegetarian prevents you from forming further evil karma with sentient beings. Third, being a vegetarian improves your health. There are many benefits. Nowadays, many studies in the West have shown that eating meat is not good for the body. Some people say that children who are vegetarian will lack nutrition. In my Buddhist Center, there are many children who have been vegetarian since before birth; they were vegetarian in their mother’s womb and have continued being vegetarian as they grew up. So do not be superstitious about eating meat. The Buddhist sutras urge us not to kill. In order to avoid killing, we go vegetarian. Some people say that many Tibetan lamas eat meat—that is their own matter and has nothing to do with me.
 
Jigten Sumgon is a vegetarian, Drubwang Rinpoche is a vegetarian, and Milarepa is also a vegetarian. On what basis do you think you can eat meat?  Even find a partner who eats meat, thinking that getting married first, and you can slowly persuade him to become a vegetarian, believing that you will be able to change him. If you could not change him before marriage, will he change after getting married? I do not believe that, the prerequisites should be made clear beforehand. If you want me, then you must do this; if you cannot do it, then I will find someone else. When you go home, don’t say that I said this. (The assembly laughs.) I am not telling you,  I’m just telling these monastics, do not misunderstand Rinpoche’s meaning. 

Another year has passed, everyone should put more effort and strength into the aspect of practice. Do not be so weak, and neither alive nor dead, what is the point of that? There was a disciple to whom I transmitted the Hundred-Syllable Mantra, and he told me that he recites it 200 times a day. I said to him: Are you busy making a great fortune? He said he hadn’t become rich yet. Then, in that case, don’t bother reciting it. Not diligent! Don’t think that you have recited; reciting doesn’t mean you’re being diligent. It is already not very easy for lay practitioners to practice. If you get lazy, so lazy that you become weak, doing things on and off, always saying that ‘I’ll do it tomorrow, I’ll recite tomorrow, I’ll practice tomorrow’, there is no time for you. Do not assume that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will give you special care.
 
The Buddhist sutras state this very clearly: whom do the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas take care of? Those who vow to practice the Bodhisattva Path. If you are unwilling to practice, it means you are not prepared to cultivate the Bodhisattva Path, and only seeking protection. If you’re seeking protection of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, they will not refuse you. However, it’s impossible to fulfill what you wish for in your mind, why? Because Bodhisattvas cannot change the karmic consequences of sentient beings—you must transform them yourself. For example, when I had cancer, why didn’t I pray to His Holiness? It is not that His Holiness is ineffective, it is because this is my own karma, I must face my own situation and deal with it myself. And so, my cancer naturally recovered, but no one believes in this.
 
Before my younger daughter was born, I already knew that her birth would be difficult. At that time, I went back to the Buddhist Center to implore, but I was told, ‘The Buddhist Center has no money right now—yet you still come to implore?’I said, ‘Fine. If you won’t let me implore, I will practice on my own.’So I cultivated the practice of Achi. I practiced until Achi personally appeared before me, and this was not some vague vision with eyes closed, swaying in meditation—it was seen clearly with my eyes open. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will not withhold their blessings from us, and the guru will not fail to bless you either. But you must first learn to bless yourselves, do not be lazy, do not live day by day in a careless, drifting way. No matter how busy you are, none of you is busier than I am. Yet I am still able to accomplish my practice, why can’t you? Because you keep making excuses! If all you want is to live a comfortable life—taking it easy every day—then why even bother to practice?
 
I have told you before that, throughout history, the Mahasiddhas and practitioners all endured much suffering in life. I do not wish for you to suffer either, but since I do not want you to go through such suffering, you must practice diligently. Use the attitude of ‘it is a hardship to cultivate’ to take the place of the suffering you otherwise ought to endure. The Buddhist sutras explain this very clearly: if the fate of suffering is not eliminated, then that fate will follow you forever. You fear hardship in everything, recite a little more, and you think it is too hard. Prostrate a little more, and you think it is too hard. Go a little more often, and you think it is too hard. That is why the fate of suffering keeps following you. Without virtuous fate, and with this constant fear of hardship in everything, you should go home and reflect on this carefully.
 
You are not afraid of the suffering of samsara—but samsara is the true and ultimate suffering. Every day, Rinpoche prays for one purpose: that all sentient beings may swiftly leave the ocean of suffering in samsara. It is not for these small worldly matters—such as not falling ill, or everything going smoothly. These are minor concerns. Samsara, however, is the great matter. When Shakyamuni Buddha manifested in this world and taught the Dharma, it was for one great purpose only—to teach and help sentient beings attain liberation from samsara. It is not as you imagine: receiving blessings so that you become well, and only after that, turning back to learn Buddhism properly. That is not the case—do not misunderstand this. Alright, I have said enough, I will say no more.  (The assembly replies together: Thank you, Rinpoche.)

« Previous - Puja Teachings - Next »

Updated on February 25, 2026