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

 
After ascending the Dharma throne, Rinpoche chanted the  Great Six-Syllable Mantra for a long time. His compassionate (maitrī and karuṇā) Dharma voice fills the entire space. The mandala appeared radiant, a fragrant scent permeated the air, the ground shook repeatedly, and attendees felt warmth throughout their bodies. After the chanting, Rinpoche immediately began the Chod to liberate suffering sentient beings.
 
Rinpoche then instructed the attendees to recite three times the names of the living and the deceased whom they wished to help. At that moment, sudden gusts of cold wind blew by, and a chill came from all directions, and instantly, the mandala appeared dim. Rinpoche then blew the thigh-bone Dharma instrument, its sound mournful and profound. With impartial compassion (maitrī and karuṇā), Rinpoche called forth sentient beings to receive consciousness-transference. In chanding (Puja Teachings Index 06) Mahamudra, and with the ultimate bodhicitta, Rinpoche visualized all his flesh, blood, and bones transforming into nectar, offering them without reservation to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and equally making Dānapāramitā (Puja Teachings Index 15) to all sentient beings of the Six Realms.
 
When performing the Dharma, Rinpoche’s Dharma voice was deep and powerful, and he manifested a solemn, mighty, and powerful Dharma appearance. Then Rinpoche chanted the Great Six-Syllable Mantra; his Dharma voice became mournful and earnest, like a loving father comforting suffering children. Several times, Rinpoche shed tears out of compassion (maitrī and karuṇā) for sentient beings. Toward the end, the pace of the chanting accelerated, each sound attracting (Puja Teachings Index  22) the hearts of the attendees. Many felt as if a current of energy entered their bodies and hearts, causing their chakras to vibrate. At the perfect completion of the Dharma Performance, both Rinpoche and the mandala appeared incredibly radiant, and miraculous fragrance filled the air. With gratitude for Rinpoche’s great compassion (maitrī and karuṇā) in rescuing sentient beings from the reincarnation’s sea of suffering, many attendees found themselves moved to tears. Afterward, Rinpoche led the disciples in practicing the liturgy of Dharma Protector Achi and instructed the monastic disciples to lead the assembly in reciting the dedication prayer.
 
Rinpoche bestowed precious teachings:

Next Saturday, I will perform Dharma for two days in the Monastery, then immediately enter retreat. Rinpoche asked the disciple in charge, ‘How many people in total this time?’ The disciple replied, ‘Thirty people.’ Among these thirty people, only two are male monastics, and there are no male disciples.
 
Why is it required to complete the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro before being allowed to enter retreat? This is because our understanding of retreat is not what you imagine, shutting the door and chanting continuously. The sutras have talked about the meaning of retreat: if one has the opportunity to achieve attainment through practice in this lifetime, one must leave the crowds and the cities to practice in forests or mountain caves. So why is this Monastery? Because, according to the Dharma texts and the sutras, my vow power is to help all sentient beings attain Buddhahood. Therefore, retreat is only a beginning; do not think that entering retreat means attaining Buddhahood; there is still a very long way to go. For me, a seven-day retreat is far too short. However, for them, a seven-day retreat is already taking their lives. The purpose of retreat is to rapidly accumulate the resources of good fortune and merits so one can continue practicing, not to become a different person just because one has done a retreat.

In my case, throughout this lifetime, my practice has been focused entirely on retreat. Without going through so many retreats, it would not have been possible today to have even a small degree of strength in the Buddha Dharma to benefit and help sentient beings. Compared to the places where I used to do retreats, the conditions at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Monastery retreat center are equivalent to a six-star hotel. Of course, this retreat has only been made possible through the efforts and donations of many sentient beings.
 
Therefore, the several dozen disciples participating in this retreat must stay humble. Do not think that you have this opportunity because you practice so well. I will observe how you do this retreat; if it is not okay, you will be eliminated. Just because you have completed one retreat does not mean there will be a second opportunity; that is not guaranteed. Only through various stages of practice can you truly understand whether you have genuinely practiced. It is not the case that reaching a certain number of mantra recitations during retreat means you have succeeded. Besides focusing on a single thing, the most important aspect of retreat is to constantly examine yourself and observe what you have not changed, what you have failed to notice, and where you have gone seriously wrong. Once you are in retreat, you will see yourself more clearly. Otherwise, in this ordinary, mundane society, everyone thinks they are right. Therefore, anyone who attains realization must go through retreat; without retreat, attainment is impossible.
 
His Holiness is now in such an advanced age, 80 years old, and has also begun a three-year retreat. Of course, his way of retreat is different from yours. It is to prepare for things of his next lifetime, which is why he is now entering retreat. The venerable elder’s grand vow power is far greater than mine; he is going to return again to this evil time of the Five Turbidities of the Five Degenerations to liberate sentient beings. As for myself, after this lifetime ends, I will not return again. Therefore, within the limited time I have, I will do my best to continue giving opportunities to those who possess even the smallest qualifications. As for those who do not truly wish to practice, there is no doubt that entering retreat has nothing to do with them. Do not think that making donations qualifies you to enter a retreat, do not think that. Retreat is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can immediately give you an opportunity to have some understanding and make some progress in your practice. On the other hand, if your attitude toward retreat is incorrect, I have heard of and even seen people go insane or die while in a retreat hut. Why should you complete The Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro? Because at the very least, it shows that you are willing to do the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro.

Yesterday, two male disciples came to implore The Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro, but I did not transmit them. This is because I had already refused them once, and they only came to implore after four or five months. This shows they are very busy. If they are that busy, there is no need to practice. Because if I ask them to enter a retreat, they will begin to hesitate: I am going to enter a retreat. Can I get leave from work? What about my wife and children? I cannot let go of them. They say they want to practice, yet they are unwilling to let go of anything. When death comes, they will then realize that everything will cling to them, causing them to die in discomfort and pass through much suffering.

This is the first retreat being held. If you do not enter retreat, it does not mean you cannot practice. You can still practice, practice simpler methods, and diligently recite the mantra. Do not indulge yourselves in fantasies. Many people imagine that after completing The Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro, they will automatically become better. But have you prepared yourself to practice the Bodhisattva Path? Do you have the necessary conditions to practice the Bodhisattva Path? Do you have the physical strength to practice the Bodhisattva Path? Do you have the heart (or motivation) to practice the Bodhisattva Path? If not, if you cannot let go of anything and cannot see things clearly, then what is the point of doing The Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro? I have told you many times that the sutras say the Great Six-Syllable Mantra is the king of all mantras. I have also told you that the sutras record the story of a practitioner who had already become a monastic and had attained the level of a Bodhisattva, yet he still implores the transmission of the Great Six-Syllable Mantra. He even had to learn from a lay practitioner who had attained accomplishment through this mantra, and he had to bring many offerings in order to learn it.

Your hearts are insatiably greedy, and looking down on the Great Six-Syllable Mantra. Some people feel disappointed, thinking that it is only mantra recitation. Now, I have four different Dharma texts of the Great Six-Syllable Mantra in my hand. I have already transmitted three of them, and there is still one that has not yet been transmitted. Among these, two of them seem to have been given to only a little over ten people, isn’t it? (Replies: Yes, only 24 people have received them.) Why have I not transmitted to you? Think about it yourselves. Since I possess so many skills, I definitely have to transmit them out. But think about it, why is it that I am not able to transmit them? 

Like those two men yesterday, the last time I refused to transmit the Dharma to them, I rejected them, and they only came back after four months.I said, ‘You must be very busy!’ Every time I bestowed empowerments and transmitted Dharma, I always told you to cherish the Dharma. When one has the opportunity to learn Buddhism, one should cherish it very much and not to wait. He waited for four months, which equals to losing four months to learn Buddhism. Is this logic correct? Since he is not in a hurry, I am even less in a hurry. Have I not mentioned that in the Buddhist sutra, what does Bodhisattva Samantabhadra say about the heart of learning Buddhism? (The monastic disciple replies: Saving a burning head.) When the hair is on fire, what will happen? Those male disciples are not in a hurry at all. Should we find a male disciple and burn his hair to see what will happen?  Only came back to plead after waiting for four months, I truly admire their courage; their faces are thick to such a degree. Why didn’t I bestow it on them? Because he is busy! Waited for four months, four weeks per month, which equals sixteen opportunities given to him, and he didn’t come; he had to wait until he had spare time. Coincidentally, I didn’t have the time yesterday—not that I was in a bad mood, but simply that my mood was busy—so I didn’t transmit it.
 
I am already fully occupied with many matters in my hands, because there are many matters that need to be arranged for the retreat. When you go on retreat, you think that once you register, and you go on a retreat, many things need to be arranged in between that you didn’t know. Hardware is the renovation, and software is what is needed to be prepared for you. Because you are all pampered, and what is provided for you is a six-star hotel retreat. Therefore, people who attend the retreat should truly cherish this opportunity. Let me say this again: do not think that after attending a seven-day retreat you become different from others, or that you will have the chance to truly learn. It is still far from that. Every time Rinpoche goes into retreat, it is for at least one month; this time, it is shortened to seven days for their sake. Otherwise, it would not be just seven days. A seven-day retreat is like scratching an itch through a shoe; it doesn’t really satisfy.
 
I hope every disciple thinks clearly. Since you are not qualified to learn the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro, then when you recite mantras, should you really be reciting only one or two thousand times a day when you recite mantras? Do not think that you are very busy. I dislike it the most when these men say they are very busy. Busy for what? How much money do you even earn in a month to be so busy to such a degree? How busy I am! In order to prepare these 30 people to go in a retreat, I have had prepared Dharma texts, many liturgy, and arrange many matters. In fact, the preparations began a year ago. What benefit do I gain from their retreat? None! I am simply fulfilling my promise. You could alo say that I am reluctantly allowing these thirty people to go on retreat. According to my standards, they are not qualified. But given the current market is in such way, I am reluctantly giving them this opportunity to see how it goes.
 
The meaning is that if you recite mantras well, then one day you may also have the opportunity to go on retreat. It is not absolutely necessary to learn the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro. If you are not the material to learn the Vajrayana, then truly, do not come pleading to learn the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro. What does it mean to be the material for Vajrayana? It is not allowed to get angry when the Guru scolds you, hits you, or kicks you. Look at those male disciples, caring so much about their faces. After being rejected once, one waited for four months, thinking that my anger would have subsided and I would have forgotten, then one came. He will not continuously come to plead each week because he calculates the cost. If coming each week to plead, the offerings would be too much; sixteen times, how much money would that be? So I did not transmit it. You calculate your money, and I also calculate your money. Some of the female disciples also pleaded seven or eight times in such a way, and I transmitted it to them. I have found that women are more persistent, so don’t provoke women. (The assembly laughs.)
 
Today I saw in the news that a woman got into an argument on the road. The moment she got out of the car, she was holding a gun in one hand and a baton in the other—how fierce this woman was. So nowadays, don’t provoke women. Towards women, I tend to give them more opportunities. As for men, I dare to challenge them; if they want to fight me, then come! I truly have never seen such a type of man; waited for four months, then came to plead, and even plead in a light attitude, just to see if there is a chance. I will not give you a chance, because you do not cherish opportunities. I am also a man; you are also men. Why is it that I can do it, but you cannot? You might say it is because I am a Rinpoche, but before, I was also not a Rinpoche. I am a person who started as an ordinary believer and cultivated. The difference between me and you is that I am someone who does not cling to my life, while you do. What does ‘not clinging to life’ mean? I believe that the Buddha Dharma is definitely effective for sentient beings, and I am willing to give up everything, placing learning Buddhism in first place. Each of you worries about taking too much leave, and you will get fired by your boss, or the year-end bonus might be reduced. Since you are being so concerned about it, Rinpoche will not drive you away. Therefore,  you just recite the mantra.
 
I am now 79 years old. If I transmit the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro, and you complete only one in a year, it will take four years to finish. By then, I will already be 83 or 84. How would I still have the time to deal with all of you? There was one who told me that when I transmitted the grand prostration, he could only do 300 prostrations a day. I told him, ‘Then you might as well not do it.’ It would be 9,000 times in a month, and it would take more than a year to finish. The Hundred-Syllable Mantra would also take about a year. For each of you, it would take at least four years. If one is afraid of pain and suffering, then do not come to plead for the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro. Truly, do not plead for it, including the female disciples. Do not think that once one learns them, one will become more capable; one will not. If one does not have the heart of learning Vajrayana, and doesn’t have the heart for preparing to cultivate the Bodhisattva path, then obtaining the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro is of no use to you at all. Only giving one to have good fortune for the next life. So do not waste the time and energy. Examine yourselves: why does one want to plead Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro? Why is it called AveNika (Puja Teachings Index 7)? Because they are not publicly taught, a Dharma method of not cultivating together. It is not that an ordinary person wants to learn, and then it is taught. This is AveNika (Puja Teachings Index 7). A Dharma method only practiced in Vajrayana. It is not transmitted in either Hinayana or Mahayana. Therefore, it is called the Four Extraordinary Foundations of Vajrayana Ngondro. There is also another Dharma called the Common Four Preliminaries, which can be listened across the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.

Extraordinary means that only the Vajrayana can listen to these teachings; therefore, your hearts are not firm and robust, I shall not transmit these Dharmas to you since you are all afraid of taking the day off, losing your job, and physical pain, and you don’t even have the time to do a little extra each day, you are not practicing the Vajrayana. When I berate you in your presence, you feel embarrassed, so I shall speak publicly now. None of you male disciples qualify to practice the Vajrayana, so you should all just recite the Great Six-Syllable Mantra obediently because you all cherish your own lives, and are afraid of having no money, no job, no money to pay for your housing loans, which shows that you have absolutely no faith in the guru. Of course, I cannot force you to behave this way since none of you can do what I do. In the past, when His Holiness told me to go into retreat, I went without caring about or arranging anything. 
 
The benefit of reciting the Great Six-Syllable Mantra is that you will definitely not enter the Three Evil Realms in this life, but that is about all. Do not harbor the extravagant hope that by reciting the Great Six Syllable Mantra, one can attain Buddhahood immediately, because it is impossible without going through retreat; it is already very difficult not to fall into the Three Evil Realms, in one hundred people who die, almost all of them will fall into the Three Evil Realms. Today, over one thousand of you can learn Buddhism; Rinpoche’s vow power each day is out of the hope to prevent you all from falling into the Three Evil Realms, but you must do your part; don’t be so lazy! You male disciples are afraid of hardship, pain, being without money, and losing your lives, so the best Dharma method would be to the recite the Great Six-Syllable Mantra, which will cause you no pain even if you recite for ten or twenty thousand times, unlike doing grand prostrations, reciting the Hundred-Syllable Mantra, performing Mandala Offering, or practicing the Guruyoga. For example, one of the disciples could never complete the practice of the Guruyoga because he is not reverent towards the guru. He thought that by having the Dharma text and being literate, he could attain achievement in his practice. I do not bless him, and I will not enable him to attain achievement in his practice because he is very calculative, and since I do business myself, I can also be very calculative. 
 
Today I want to inform everyone in advance: after next week’s puja, I will enter a retreat for one week. Why do I often tell you not to assume that Rinpoche will always be here? It means that for two Saturdays you will not be able to see me. Do not think that just because Rinpoche is not dead yet, you will certainly be able to see me. If I go into retreat again, that would mean three weeks without seeing me. Therefore, you must truly take in what I teach. Do not think that I am merely scolding you or joking with you. My time is limited. As long as I am able to speak, I will continue to teach, but whether you listen or not, whether you change or not—that is up to you. Whether you fall into the Three Evil Realms is also up to you. Because these Dharma texts have not been transmitted to you, simply relying on your current recitation makes it difficult to attain rebirth in the Pure Land. However, at the very least, you will not fall into the Three Evil Realms. I am stating this clearly on the Dharma throne: as long as you are willing to recite every day, even if I pass away, you need not worry—you will definitely not fall into the Three Evil Realms. But if you do not practice this, and you do not practice that, then what will happen? Do not assume that you are truly practicing. Of course, you may be slightly better off than those who have not taken refuge in Buddhism, but that does not mean that those who have taken refuge will not fall into the Three Evil Realms—there is still a possibility. Even monastics can fall into the Three Evil Realms. There is an old Chinese saying: ‘There are many monks and Daoists at the gates of hell.’ In other words, many monastics and Daoist practitioners are lined up at the entrance to hell, waiting to enter.

With great difficulty, the Glorious Jewel is finally able to establish a Buddhist Monastery in this evil world of Five Turbidities. This could only have come about through the great vow power of the practitioner himself, the lineage, and the root gurus; it is not simply built because you have the money. In the entire process of constructing the Monastery, there were, in fact, many obstacles and challenges that you could not know or comprehend. It would have been impossible to build the Monastery had it not been for the blessings of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, gurus, and the lineage. 

You reside under the gates of the Glorious Jewel as a result of the good fortunes you have accumulated in the past lives, but just because you have good fortune does not mean that you will definitely attain achievement in your practice—it simply gives you a good and virtuous fate, but you must take hold of this fate and determine your minds to do so. Do not come with the mindset of trying it out, listening casually, feeling things out, or seeing what Rinpoche might say before you decide. Everything is up to you. When His Holiness instructed me to go into retreat, I was the one who decided to go, If He told me, and I replied, ‘Sorry, Your Holiness, I can’t get the time off; Sorry, Your Holiness, I haven’t made arrangements for my business; if I do go into retreat, my wife might divorce me.’Could I have said this? Sure! But I thought to myself, let her divorce me at this opportunity. (The assembly laughs.) You do not have the guts to do this, but I do. Why do I have the guts to do so? Because when my father died, nothing could help him the slightest bit; only Buddha Dharma can help the deceased. 
 
Therefore, I will never give up on the Buddha Dharma in my entire life; not only will I never give up, but I treat the Buddha Dharma as something more important than my own life. Without the Buddha Dharma, many sentient beings will be reincarnated in the suffering sea. Therefore, since you have all taken refuge, Rinpoche will ceaselessly transmit the Dharma to you; you must cherish it; do not think that by having the Dharma texts and reciting them every day means that you are practicing Buddhism. This is not practicing Buddhism; practicing Buddhism means to change the behavior of samsara. Are you changing this behavior of yours? You are irrelevant even when imploring for the Dharma, and come only months later. You must all have your excuses for not cherishing the Dharma, and by not cherishing the Dharma, you shall not receive the Dharma. In the past, when His Holiness bestowed me with a piece of paper with a sentence, I’ve kept it till today. We will not disturb our daily lives because of learning the Buddha Dharma; if one truly determines one’s mind, any obstacles and difficulties can pass. It is simply a matter whether or not your mind is determined, if not, you will follow the flow of karmic forces, and never be able to turn back. 
 
 

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Updated on March 18, 2026