Murder in Drepung Monastery: Depa Norbu
H.H. the 4th Panchen Lama. Click on image to enlarge.
One of the things history has taught us is that the rise of the noblest of men and women and the advent of the most epochal and pivotal events that have benefited mankind, have always been preceded or at least accompanied by the presence of the greatest evil. The Buddha was holy and faultless not because there was no evil during his time. In fact, evil was always close by in the form of Devadatta who attempted to kill the Great Sage on a number of occasions.
Forward to another era, the world witnessed the slaying of an innocent and righteous man by the name of Yeshua, at the hands of evil men. And from that calamity arose the Christian tradition of worshipping Jesus Christ as the son of the Abrahamic god.
Similarly in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, one of the greatest blessings for Buddhist practitioners of our time manifested because a great scholar-saint, Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen willingly forfeited his life and suffered a painful death at the hands of Depa Norbu, a man so notoriously evil that his villainous ways were noticed by all, even the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. In His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche’s landmark volume on Dorje Shugden, “Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors“, he says clearly that Depa Norbu was the murderer of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, otherwise known as Zimkhang Gongma Tulku of Drepung Monastery. His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche was the tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama for over 30 years and his scholarship, research and knowledge is beyond dispute.
Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s life began illustriously, with the young boy showing such great signs of learning and attainments that he was identified as a potential candidate for the reincarnation of the 4th Dalai Lama. After another child was recognised and enthroned as the 5th Dalai Lama, Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was recognised as the reincarnate lama of Zimkhang Gongma of Drepung Loseling Monastery.
A thangka of the Three Drakpas, namely Panchen Sonam Drakpa (left), Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen (centre) and Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen (right). Click on image to enlarge.
Nevertheless, the 5th Dalai Lama and Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen grew up as Dharma brothers. While the 5th Dalai Lama was wrestling with various political troubles in Tibet, trying to consolidate power in the office of the Dalai Lama, Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became known as an erudite scholar and powerful Tantric master. People came from all over Tibet seeking his blessings and teachings. With that came a lot of offerings and every day, streams of people would walk past the Dalai Lama’s Ladrang (residence) on their way to Zimkhang Gongma (Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s Ladrang or residence) to seek an audience with him. The residences of high lamas or notable persons have names. Zimkhang Gongma was the name of the residence of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen in Drepung Monastery. At the same time he was also known as Zimkhang Gongma Tulku or the Tulku of Zimkhang Gongma from Drepung Monastery.
As with any story of success, there always comes with it tales of jealousy and envy. In Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s life story, this is represented in the form of Depa Norbu. It was at Depa Norbu’s hand and under his orders that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was murdered. While the run-up to the actual murder differs according to varying traditions, the end result is always the same — a hugely popular lama of high repute, erudite scholarship and unstained reputation was found dead with a khata (ritual silk scarf) stuffed down his throat.
H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche
What happens next is also disputed. Dorje Shugden practitioners such as His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche maintain that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen manifested as the enlightened Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden after his death. On the other hand, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and their supporters argue that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, someone who was qualified to be a candidate for the 5th Dalai Lama, took rebirth as an angry, raging spirit. Because of this, the CTA (the Tibetan leadership based in Dharamsala) says they are justified in their ban on the Dorje Shugden practice today.
As proponents on both sides of the Shugden conflict debate over whether Dorje Shugden is a benevolent deity or malicious spirit, more important questions have been sidestepped. It is time for this long overdue inquest and for important questions to be raised — what happened to Depa Norbu, how was he able to escape punishment for killing an innocent monk and most importantly, why was an erudite, well-respected and holy scholar such as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen murdered?
- What crime did Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen commit? The Tibetan leadership says he is a lama who made wrong or bad prayers at time of his death that created the cause for him to arise as an evil spirit (Dorje Shugden) but what was his alleged crime that was so horrific, that it justified murdering him, dismantling his Ladrang, banning his incarnation, and throwing his relics into a river? Never mind the alleged wrong prayers he made at his death, but why was he murdered in the first place to cause the death? In historical records, even those kept by people against Dorje Shugden practice, there has never been a single mention of the actual crime that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen committed that warranted or led to his murder. In truth, his only crime was this — Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was becoming more popular than the 5th Dalai Lama and the Dalai Lama’s assistants, masterminded by Depa Norbu, simply could not handle it.
- How can such a despot like Depa Norbu have been allowed to rise in the ranks? Throughout Depa Norbu’s life, it is very clear that he was highly self-motivated, self-promoting and self-serving. In spite of his multiple political and military failures which adversely affected Tibet on many occasions, he eventually became the Regent of Tibet. However, the 5th Dalai Lama did not trust him and on one occasion, even vetoed his promotion. So in all historical accounts, there is not a single shred of praise about Depa Norbu’s qualities or abilities; he is universally acknowledged as selfish, evil, harmful and everything he became involved in ended in catastrophe. There is no way that Depa Norbu murdered Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen for some higher, beneficial reasoning.
- In contrast, look at the kind of life that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen lived. There is not a single historical record that references Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen in a negative light; every single account that exists about him only praises his qualities and deeds. He starts out in life being considered one of the candidates to become the 5th Dalai Lama. Historical accounts talk about his unmatched scholarship, his unparalleled skill in debate and his immense popularity with the masses. He was a close student of His Holiness the 4th Panchen Lama and a Dharma brother of His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama. So how could such a being who might have become the 5th Dalai Lama himself, have become evil after his death? It is just not possible.
- Why was Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s murder and the circumstances leading up to it all covered up? The Tibetan leadership is not giving us the full story. They claim to be a democratic government but they only say negative things about Dorje Shugden. That is not in keeping with democratic principles to offer a balanced presentation of information. They promote Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s supposed rebirth as a so-called angry spirit but they say nothing about the circumstances that led him there. What are they trying to hide?
Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen
- How come someone from the Tibetan leadership was able to murder another person without being brought to justice? There are no recorded apologies from Depa Norbu, or records of the punishments he faced for murdering a high lama. Did Depa Norbu get arrested and did the Tibetan government charge him with any crimes? Or was he allowed to get off scot-free? Everyone focuses on Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and what happened to him after he was killed, but no one ever questions the fact that Depa Norbu was able to murder someone and get away with it. The wrongs against Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen is immense. To cover his murder, the Tibetan leadership for over 350 years has the audacity to say he made wrong prayers at the time of his death that caused him to arise as an evil spirit, Dorje Shugden, mistaken for a protector. Ask yourself honestly, in the normal scheme of things, how many hauntings or evil spirits seek revenge as they were murdered even though innocent in life? Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen according to numerous high beings after being murdered did not seek vengeance but in fact out of compassion as he practiced in life forgave those who murdered him, and he arose as a powerful dharma protector as foretold by Nechung’s prophecy.
- Is this what the Tibetan leadership are really like? How many more people have been murdered in Tibetan history and their perpetrators allowed to get away with it thanks to their position? What else has the Tibetan leadership turned a blind eye to, and is this really the behaviour of a democratic government? How come Depa Norbu was never held accountable for his crimes? A posthumous apology is in order. A consistent denigration of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen’s life, death and afterlife should stop as a way to healing and amendment towards the wrongs done to him to cover his wrongful murder.
- If you were murdered and your murderer was not charged, would you not be upset as well and manifest signs of unhappiness? Let us say that the CTA’s false claims are true, and Dorje Shugden is the vengeful and harmful ghost of a high lama. The question is, why is he vengeful? No normal person seeks revenge unless something has been done to them. So, what was done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen that was so bad that he is now supposedly seeking revenge in the form of Dorje Shugden? I am not saying that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became an angry spirit; I am saying that anyone, including Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, would be entitled to be upset if they had this level of injustice committed against them. So, focus not on what Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen did or did not become; focus on what was done to him, that led him to become what you claim.
- The CTA themselves confirm a murder took place. Each time the CTA repeats their lie that Dorje Shugden was a murdered lama who took rebirth as an angry spirit, they are in fact confirming in their own words that someone was murdered and another person was literally allowed to get away with murder.
H.H. the 5th Dalai Lama and Emperor Shunzhi in Beijing
Keep this in mind as you read about Depa Norbu and his life. His biography below was gleaned from a scholarly resource known as “Treasury of Lives” which is known for their impartial translations about the lives of Tibet’s great, good and not-so-good. And unlike most other biographies which sing praises about the concerned individual, not a single word of praise is directed at Depa Norbu. He is universally known to have been evil, ruthless and cold; everyone, from the common peasant all the way to the 5th Dalai Lama, distrusted him and he relied on his brother’s position to ascend through the ranks of Tibetan politics.
So regardless of what you believe Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became after he died, the fact is that he was a highly respected and beloved lama who lived during the 5th Dalai Lama’s time. It is also a fact that Depa Norbu’s murder of a high religious personage is recorded in Tibetan history but he was never brought to justice. And in spite of his crimes, and his obvious inadequacies in politics, diplomacy and even military strategy, he was able to rise in the ranks of the Tibetan leadership thanks to others who overlooked his “botched leadership”.
To this day, very little has changed within the Tibetan leadership and the ‘Depa Norbus’ of the Tibetan establishment continue to hold high positions and get away with unspeakable acts they would not get away with if the CTA were a real democratic and fair government that respected its own laws. Nepotism is still alive and well, and the Tibetans are still governed by an administration filled with many people promoted thanks to their family names. The lack of accountability during the time of Depa Norbu remains endemic within the CTA and that is why they had to ban Dorje Shugden, not because he is a demon or evil as the CTA claims but because, starting with Depa Norbu, the CTA do not have a history of taking responsibility for their failures.
Another thangka of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. Click on image to enlarge.
It is not too late to start, however. Throughout this saga, there is one aspect in which the CTA have failed very miserably – they have failed to hold anyone accountable for the murder, and failed to apologise for the actions of their highest government official. If the CTA were serious about being a democracy, they might wish to consider posthumously vindicating Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and finally admitting, three and a half centuries later, that one of their own did something grievously wrong.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has mentioned that this ‘issue’ of the death of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and his subsequent arising as Dorje Shugden has been going on for over 350 years and it is still not resolved. Of course it will not resolve unless His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the current Tibetan leadership acknowledge publicly the wrong that has been done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen. Make amends. Many governments apologise to individuals and groups for wrongs committed against them by their previous governments, and they do this many decades or even centuries after the wrongful acts were committed. They even posthumously vindicate the ‘wrong-doer’ and admit the government was wrong. If the Tibetan leadership and His Holiness the Dalai Lama wish to resolve the ‘Dorje Shugden issue’ that has been ‘haunting’ them for over 350 years, then they need to acknowledge the wrong that was done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen who was an innocent high lama. If Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen after his murder did arise as a vengeful evil spirit, perhaps he will be placated by this official vindication.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama likes to say that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen made wrong prayers at the time of his death, and this caused him to arise as the so-called evil spirit Dorje Shugden. But His Holiness the Dalai Lama never mentions why Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was so angry upon his death, which led to his arisal as a so-called angry spirit in the form of Dorje Shugden. So now it is time to acknowledge the wrong that was done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen who was innocent. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama should acknowledge that the 5th Dalai Lama’s right-hand man (Depa Norbu) killed Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen who was innocent, and therefore put his ‘spirit’ to rest. Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen the Innocent should be posthumously vindicated then this will begin the healing between Dorje Shugden and the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership in exile. Since His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama is very compassionate and always speaks about resolving issues and dialogue, he can perhaps resolve now the wrong done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen.
Whether you believe Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became a vengeful spirit or an enlightened Dharma Protector, the fact is that a murder was committed and no one was held accountable. So it would not be about vindicating a so-called spirit, but about taking the first steps to right a murderous wrong that, by the CTA’s own admission, was committed 400 years ago. It may be 400 years since Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was unfairly killed but it is never too late for justice to be meted, and never too late for justice for Dorje Shugden.
Pastor Khong Jean Ai
(Note: The exact same article has been published under a different title, The 3rd Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche points out clearly the murderer of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, so that this news might spread further)
Depa Norbu སྡེ་པ་ནོར་བུ།
Depa Norbu. Click to view the full thangka (top row, rightmost figure)
b.1595? – d.mid 17th cent.
Tradition: Geluk དགེ་ལུགས།
Geography: U དབུས།
Historical Period: 17th Century ༡༧ དུས་རབས།
Institution: Government Officers གཞུང་ཞབས།
Name Variants: Gekha; Gekhasa; Gekhasa Norbu; Gekhasapa; Nangso Norbu མིང་གི་རྣམ་གྲངས།: གད་ཁ་ས་ནོར་བུ༎; ནང་སོ་ནོར་བུ༎; ནོར་བུ༎; སྡེ་སྲིད་ནོར་བུ༎
Norbu (nor bu) was born in the village of Gyale (rgyal le) in the Tolung Valley (stod lung), northwest of Lhasa. As younger brother of Desi Sonam Chopel (sde srid bsod nams chos phel, 1595-1658) he was born sometime after 1595. His early title of Nangso (nang so), literally meaning ‘internal spy’ or ‘border protector,’ indicates an official with military and religious power, or a manager, and is often applied to the younger sibling of a ruling house.
As a young man Norbu was retained as an aide by his brother who was already Treasurer and Chagdzo (phyag mdzod) — the personal manager and principal attendant — of Lobzang Gyatso, the young Fifth Dalai Lama Lobzang Gyatso (tA la’i bla ma 05 blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682). Only a few histories covering this period even mention Depa Norbu in passing, and the best source that we have for his life and activities is the autobiography of Lobzang Gyatso, who is not sympathetic to him.
Lobzang Gyatso first mentions Norbu as attending a tea party in 1626, invited by the young Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen (sprul sku grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1619-1656), their neighbor at Drepung Monastery (‘bras spungs dgon); the Dalai Lama’s residence was then at Drepung. Drakpa Gyeltsen offered Norbu a ceremonial scarf with a sacred knot but Norbu later undid the knot and exchanged the scarf for some baubles from Kongpo. A monk attendant observed: ‘Norbu has no faith in the Tulku.’ Norbu is alleged by some, including the Third Trijang Lobzang Yeshe Tendzin Gyatso (khri byang 03 blo bzang ye shes bstan ‘dzin rgya mtsho, 1901-1981), to have suffocated the same Tulku thirty years later with a similar scarf.
A little later when Lobzang Gyatso caught the measles and cats were brought to keep him awake, apparently as an antidote, Norbu beat these cats and even stabbed one with a knife. Lobzang Gyatso’s comment on this cruelty was that “it was the first crowing of a man who would eat man if he had power.”
Early in 1638, acting as Drepung’s Treasurer in a project to construct new sets of the Eight Classical Stupa (mchod rten cha brgyad), Norbu insisted on changing the proportions of the Drepung set, which had been designed by master Zur Choying Rangdrol (zur chos dbyings rang grol, 1604-1669). This resulted in their shape being the worst among the Geluk monasteries.
Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet.
Shortly afterwards Sonam Chopel was displeased with his chief assistant Jaisang Depa (ja’i sang sde pa) who eventually became the Fifth Dalai Lama’s third Regent in 1660; he wanted to appoint Norbu in his place, but Lobzang Gyatso was not happy about it. He objected and vetoed Norbu’s promotion.
In the summer of 1638, Norbu married Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen’s sister, whose name is not recorded, at Gekhasa (gad kha sa) village in Tolung (stod lung), probably modern-day ‘Gyekhar’ between Yangpachen (yangs pa can) and Tsurpu (mtshur phu). The heirs to the Gekhasa family had been killed by Mongols and they needed a bridegroom but Lobzang Gyatso felt that Norbu was a poor choice, commenting that the family accepted him “as if it wished to be punished.” According to another history, Drakpa Gyeltsen’s sister, his only surviving sibling, felt obliged to marry the ambitious Norbu, who was proud of being Sonam Chopel’s brother. After the marriage, Norbu was also called Gekhasa or Gekhasapa Norbu. Norbu was not personally well-off but the marriage increased his wealth and status, enabling him to enter politics; he then became notorious for the violent and unscrupulous ways in which he later dealt with certain practical issues on the regent’s behalf that were embarrassing for a high-ranking religious dignitary like Sonam Chopel.
Military Commander & Governor of Shigatse 1641-1644
In 1641, during the Tibetan civil war between U (dbus) and Tsang (gtsang), Norbu was deputed as military commander to lead a body of troops west from Shun (shun), six miles west of Lhasa, via upper Tolung to reinforce Gushri Khan’s Mongol army besieging the fort at Shigatse (gzhis ka rtse). Avoiding Kagyu resistance en route he progressed at a snail’s pace, finally reaching Chushur (chu shur) on the north bank of the Tsangpo (gtsang po) after dawdling along and losing time. His men eventually engaged in battle in Tsang under Gopa Tashi of Drungme (grong smad dgo pa bkra shis). Some were assigned to operate cannons, others to take positions on hilltops. However, Norbu refused to do anything and when the cannon station was lost to the enemy he was the first man to leave his post and run away.
In the summer of 1642 during the first uprising in Tsang after the war he was charged with holding Gyantse fort (rgyal rtse rdzong) but when a small group of rebels attacked he abandoned it and fled.
Regent Sonam Chopel appointed Norbu as Governor of Shigatse in 1644. Lobzang Gyatso wrote that most people now began to call Norbu ‘Desi’ (sde srid) or ‘Depa’ (sde pa) and he put on airs of being the Regent’s brother. ‘Depa’ (‘Governor’ or ‘Commissioner’) and ‘Desi’ were both in current use. Norbu retained the post of governor until 1659.
A statue of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel
In the same year, 1644, Sonam Chopel and Gushri Khan, thinking that their victorious, combined Tibetan/Mongolian forces were invincible, sent an invasion force into Bhutan while they were busy looking for rebels in Lhodrak near the Bhutan border. Western Bhutan had only recently been unified under Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgyal, 1594-1651), and its defense forces dealt the joint Tibetan and Mongolian forces their first defeat; the expedition was crushed and twenty five of its leaders were captured. This surprise defeat became a popular topic for mockery of Tibet’s new Geluk regime in Lhasa. In 1646 Norbu was sent south to the Bhutan border to investigate the humiliating rout. Norbu returned to report that the Bhutanese had indeed captured the army officers and all its weapons, armor and equipment.
A satirical song then became popular using word-play to mock Norbu for acting as a common spy (Tibetan: ‘so pa’), playing on his earlier title Nangso (‘border protector’), on his name Norbu (‘jewel’), on the Zhabdrung’s renown as a magician as the lama in the south and finally on Bhutan’s precious vertebrae relic of the First Drukchen Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (gtsang pa rgya ras ye shes rdo rje, 1161-1211), brought from Tibet by the Zhabdrung:
The lama must be residing in the south,
For all offerings were made to the south.
The Drukpas have captured Ngodrub;
Norbu has worked as a spy.
Here the “offerings” refers to armor and weapons, and “Ngodrub” (dngos grub), the name of one of the commanders means “yogic powers.”
Army commander, 1648-1649
Sonam Chopel negotiated a post-1644 invasion peace treaty with Bhutan, obtaining release of the hostages, but then broke it in 1648 by sending in a much bigger, three-pronged invasion force. He appointed Norbu as commander of the main army, marching east from Shigatse via Phari (phag ri) to Paro in western Bhutan where he tried to attack the fort. When the Bhutanese counter-attacked, Norbu retreated to Tibet with his men following after him, abandoning all their arms, weapons and equipment. Hearing of this, the other two columns retreated from Punakha and headed home, making a fiasco of the attempted invasion. Due to Norbu’s mistakes, the army had great difficulty retreating and the other commanders made endless complaints about his behavior. This shameful defeat went down as disgraceful in the history of Tibet. People rebuked Norbu for his cowardice and made a mockery of his flight, as Lobzang Gyatso later noted. Despite all this, under his brother’s protection he retained his position as Governor of Shigatse.
Norbu was even accused of betrayal, indulging in secret dealings with the Bhutanese enemy, but despite his incompetence, cowardice and duplicity Lobzang Gyatso tried to come to terms with him, hoping that he might yet turn out to be a good leader.
In 1652 Lobzang Gyatso, invited by the Qing Shunzhi Emperor (1638-1661), left for Beijing. Amongst others Norbu accompanied his party as far as the foot of the Nyuklai Lanying pass (snyug la’i la snying). Everyone going to China was apprehensive about the diseases and other dangers of the perilous journey, wrote Lobzang Gyatso, but Norbu, who was to remain in Lhasa, and seemingly convinced that nobody would be returning, was delighted that he did not have to go and he did not hide his pleasure.
Qing Shunzhi Emperor
In 1654 Lobzang Gyatso proposed to offer a public long-life empowerment, a major personal blessing, to all his followers, aware that it would be very popular. The Desi agreed but Norbu started drawing up a tariff of fees to charge everyone for attending the event, according to their status. The Dalai Lama recorded that he felt embarrassed by this, but rather than rebuking Norbu he simply gave up the idea, not wishing to appear greedy by charging people to attend his teachings.
In 1656 Lobzang Gyatso was busy organizing various religious projects, creating murals, statues, multiple copies of the Buddha’s teachings and so forth. A sculptor called Dol Nesarwa (dol gnas gsar ba) had neatly carved a complete set of ritual kila daggers from teakwood for him and was working on other themes when Norbu suddenly had him transferred to the south of Tibet to help construct military catapults. Lobzang Gyatso lamented that Norbu made this artist, incapable of doing anything harmful, suddenly disappear from his project staff.
A little later in 1656 Norbu gets a positive mention, the only one he earns in Lobzang Gyatso’s autobiography. Diplomatic tensions with Nepal necessitated the rescue of the famous Aryawati Avalokitesvara statue from Kyirong temple near the Nepal border. Norbu and Dronnyer Drungpa (mgron gnyer drung pa) were deputed to go there and retrieve it and they actually succeeded in doing so. Lobzang Gyatso noted this success as an auspicious occasion. However, he refers to a prophecy warning that the relocation of the statue to central Tibet could portend the death of an important personage. Next mentioned in the autobiography is the illness and death of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen who was thirty-six years old. His spirit is then said to have manifested as the spirit Shugden (shugs ldan), and some, including Trijang Rinpoche, allege that he was murdered by suffocation at the hands of Depa Norbu.
Commander-in-Chief, 1656-57
After Gushri Khan’s death in 1655 Sonam Chopel organized one last attempt at capturing Bhutan to obliterate the memory of his earlier defeats and suppress Kagyu resistance against the Geluk, which was a constant threat to internal stability. He appointed Norbu as overall commander of four large invading armies but Norbu asked Lobzang Gyatso to have the invasion postponed. Seeing no purpose in this and knowing Sonam Chopel and other leaders would not agree, he refused; there was also no indication from divinations or oracles of a need to delay.
Norbu advanced in the summer of 1656, but too slowly and cautiously and his tactics were inept. The Nechung Oracle had predicted success but later blamed the failure on Norbu’s incompetence; Lobzang Gyatso also criticized him for not sticking to the agreed plan. As he continued to employ delaying tactics his army gradually wasted away through illness. The Bhutanese used guerrilla tactics to sap morale and after an entire year of ineffective campaigning in the inhospitable climate and the dense jungles Norbu retreated to Tibet and camped near the border at Phari.
Internal divisions arose due to Norbu’s poor leadership. The two Mongol princes with their own troops, Dalai Batur (da la’i bA thur) and Machik Taiji (ma gcig tha’i ji), quarreled with Norbu about his cowardly strategy. In fact, Norbu is said to have poisoned Machik Taiji after the latter severely criticized his policy. One of Norbu’s men, Taklung Mendrongpa (stag lung sman grong pa), wrote to Sonam Chopel to defend Norbu and blame the Mongols, claiming they would not care if everyone in Tibet died. Lobzang Gyatso, however, disagreed and defended the Mongols and their good character; they were simply too ashamed to have to retreat from battle under Norbu’s orders.
Norbu’s behavior was dubious; he let himself be defeated and his army retreated from Phari in disgrace after the disastrous campaign. These Tibet-Bhutan wars highlight the difficulty the Tibetans faced in trying to invade Bhutan; warfare was still conducted seasonally, and in the hot Bhutanese summers the invaders generally found themselves retreating back to the Tibetan plateau. Eventually, a peace treaty was negotiated by the Fourth Panchen Lama, Lobzang Chokyi Gyeltsen (blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1570-1662) and others, allowing for the release of prisoners by the Bhutanese. Thus ended the third Bhutan war involving Norbu.
There had been many instances of Norbu’s botched leadership but he was never held to account and his brother Sonam Chopel pretended not to hear about it. In the end, however, the proliferation of negative reports from his stint in Shigatse and his dishonest activities became so notorious that he was publicly censured.
Appointed as Regent, 1659
Sonam Chopel died in the spring of 1658 but Lobzang Gyatso kept it a secret to hold off political instability while he arranged the succession by Norbu, heir apparent as he was Sonam Chopel’s next of kin. The Dalai Lama wanted to ensure that Norbu would be unable to dominate him. For thirteen months this pretense was maintained while prayers and rituals were carried out, ostensibly dedicated to Sonam Chopel’s return to health, until the spring of 1659 when the death was announced and funeral rites were carried out.
Gushri Khan and H.H. the 5th Dalai Lama
Soon Lobzang Gyatso nominated Depa Sepo (sde pa sras po), a friend and associate of Norbu, to replace Norbu as Governor of Shigatse; he then spent eight days negotiating discreetly with the Mongol successors of Gushri Khan, Tendzin Dayan Gyelpo (bstan ‘dzin da yan rgyal po) and Tendzin Dalai Han (bstan ‘dzin da la’i han rgyal po), to ensure and arrange their support in case of need, probably making contingency plans in case Norbu got too out of control after his promotion. The Mongols left Lhasa to stand by at their pastures in Dam (‘dam) to the north, just before Norbu arrived from Shigatse.
Two weeks later, on the sixteenth day of the sixth month of the earth-pig year (i.e. August 3rd, 1659), Lobzang Gyatso told his chamberlain to go and inform Norbu that he was to be appointed as Regent to succeed the late Sonam Chopel. The surprised chamberlain hesitated, saying that if this was simply a tactful gesture he risked it being accepted by Norbu which would not have been appropriate. But the Dalai Lama insisted that he was serious, the message was delivered, and Norbu accepted. Next day, Lobzang Gyatso sent a second message to Norbu, scolding him for having failed in the past to do his duty well. He restricted Norbu’s powers regarding the Regent’s official residence, preventing him from using it for personal ends. All this would have been hard to bear for Norbu who was used to doing as he liked with impunity under his now deceased brother’s protection.
There was no inauguration ceremony apart from a gathering of important teachers and monks at the Potala to pay respects to Norbu. It was apparently expected there would be exchanges of gifts, but Norbu, he wrote, was as selfish as the Taklung treasurer: they merely exchanged vases of water.
Reign as Regent and Rebellion of 1659-1660
There is no account of Norbu’s activities in office as regent. In the ninth month of the earth-pig year (October-November, 1659) however, Lobzang Gyatso consulted Nojin Chenpo (gnod sbyin chen po), the wrathful spirit which had been oath-bound and installed at Samye Monastery by Padmasambhava (padma ‘byung nas) eight hundred years before. The spirit warned him: “If you are not careful about Norbu, it will be as if you fail to act when the goat is in its enclosure; you will not catch it, [he will be] like a musk deer running away on the rocks.”
Samye Monastery, Tibet
In the tenth month, Norbu made his move. Norbu’s relatives and close associates, his nephew Ngodrub (dngos grub) and family asked permission to visit the hot springs in Tsang. Lobzang Gyatso allowed it, although he was suspicious of their motives. Then, with the connivance of the new Shigatse governor Depa Sepo, they and other accomplices such as Tegangpa Tsering (bkras sgang pa tshe ring) seized and occupied Shigatse fort in an open act of rebellion against the Ganden Podrang government. Eventually Norbu himself deserted his post to join his co-conspirators in Tsang.
Norbu’s rebellion was supported by the Tsang nobility, the Sakya hierarch and the Fourth Drukchen Padma Karpo (‘brug chen 04 pad+ma dkar po, 1527-1592). Shigatse’s close affiliation with the Tsangpa regime, the previous rulers of central Tibet, and with the Karma Kagyu tradition, made it the ideal location from which to instigate a rebellion against the Geluk government. Any disturbance in Tsang was bound to cause alarm. In an additional act of treachery, Norbu sent his co-conspirator Tegangpa south to persuade the Bhutanese to send their army to enter Tibetan territory and join the rebel army against the Lhasa government.
Lobzang Gyatso sent investigators to check on the situation in Shigatse. They reported that Depa Sepo had improperly dismissed and expelled from the fort all officials unwilling to join the revolt, Tegangpa had intimidated Tashilhunpo (bkra shis lhun po) and the revenue collectors and Norbu and Ngodrub had seized control of the Shigatse fort. Hearing this, Lobzang Gyatso summoned his loyal ministers and generals, including Jaisang Depa and Dronnyer Drungpa, for a council of war. They decided to immediately send an expeditionary force to Shigatse. Taiji of Ukhere, a Mongolian prince who had, conveniently, just arrived from the north with a hundred soldiers and gifts of gold, silver, silk and porcelain, agreed to march his men to Shigatse right away. Dronnyer Drungpa was detailed to guide him. Two army commanders were appointed and orders for the rapid mobilization and dispatch of additional forces were issued.
Rituals of suppression and liberation targeting the rebels, based on the violent rite of Jampel Leyshin Marmo (‘jam dpal las gshin dmar mo), were carried out, led by the chief officiating prelate Ngakrampa Lobzang Dondrub (sngags ram pa blo bzang don grub), and signs of success occurred. Meanwhile the expelled Shigatse fort officials and Lobzang Gelek (blo bzang dge legs), Treasurer of Tashilhunpo, were keeping Lhasa informed about the goings-on at the fort, and advised that Tashi Tsepa of Shang (shangs bkra shis rtse pa), near Shigatse, was proving very helpful, providing the army with useful advice and information.
Others, however, had defected to the rebels. The eighty-nine-year old Paṇchen Lama, still in Shigatse and trying to negotiate a compromise, corresponded with the Dalai Lama who concluded, after discussion, that the impending conflict with Norbu’s rebels could not be postponed. Meanwhile, more rituals were being carried out to bring Norbu down. Lobzang Gyatso had decided on a two-pronged attack: a show of military force to scare the rebels and a series of magic rituals designed to terrify the more superstitious amongst them.
Meanwhile Taiji of Ukhere had reached Shigatse fort to find Tegangpa had returned from his mission to Bhutan and fortified the areas around the castle. In the clashes that followed, Tegangpa was captured and brought out ‘like a lamb to the slaughter.’ The plan to recapture the fort was put into operation.
The two royal Mongol brothers, Tendzin Dayan Gyelpo and Tendzin Dalai Han, now arrived on the scene in Shigatse with their forces. It would appear that this was not a coincidence. Shortly before Norbu had arrived in Lhasa from Shigatse a few months earlier they had met Lobzang Gyatso for eight days of detailed conversations concerning leadership, history and matters of concern to the Mongols. Considering the incompatibility and animosity between Norbu and the Mongols following the three military debacles in Bhutan it is likely that they were preparing contingency plans in case things went awry with Norbu after his expected promotion to Desi. When Norbu deserted and made Shigatse the base of his rebellion, the Mongols turned up with their armies as if they had been ready and waiting for it and it seems they had been empowered by the government to avoid violence and negotiate with the rebels.
Nyingma master Pema Trinle
The second part of the strategy, magic ritual, was also unfolding. Lobzang Gyatso detailed the government’s chief ritual official, the young Nyingma master Pema Trinle, the Fourth Dorje Drak Rigdzin (rdo rje brag rig ‘dzin 04 pad+ma phrin las), and his team of thirty assistants to go to Gongkar (gong dkar) and perform “the rite of the wind wheel” through suppression and destruction. Lobzang Gyatso then consulted the spirit Gyelpo Tsangpa Dungtochen (rgyal po tshang pa dung thod can), through its oracle, to see what it suggested. To defeat Norbu’s rebellion and promote loyalty to the government the spirit specified the “demon-exorcism” (bdud bzlog) rite to be performed by all members of Geluk establishments that were philosophical in nature and the “torma exorcism” (gtor bzlog) by the rest. In the context of this rebellion the purpose of publicly propitiating, in this way, loyalty to the Tibetan government seems clear: any superstitious members of the Tibetan public who sympathised with the rebels might have second thoughts if the threat of supernatural retribution was brought into the equation. The lamas and stewards of two hundred and fifty monasteries were ordered to carry out these services nonstop and the government funded all the participants’ tea offerings three times a day.
More rituals were undertaken, with frequent signs of success: sudden windstorms arising, ritual wheels bursting into flames, torma flashing and the like. In Kyisho, the Lhasa valley, the performance of rituals intensified. Renowned tantric sorcerers such as Jingpa Ngakrampa (bying pa sngags ram pa) were commissioned by Lobzang Gyatso to increase pressure on the rebels. Nyingma artists Agur (a gur) and his brother Ngawang Trinle (ngag dbang ‘phrin las) of Shar estate (gzhis ka shar) in Lhasa drew the wind wheels of Lungmar (rlung dmar), the ‘Red Wind’ deity and Bektse (beg tse) and the rite was performed immaculately. Others were sent to shoot the torma of Lungmar towards Tsang where Norbu was installed and to place the wheel of Bektse at the corner of the Potala’s temple hall. According to the Fifth Dalai Lama, as soon as they began the wheel rite, a powerful windstorm broke out each day. Even where negotiations were being held at Shigatse, the felt tent was nearly overturned by a storm. Others reported having to have their food well before noon since from midday until sunset, due to the gale the only thing they could do was to pull down the lower parts of the tent and hold them down with heavy objects. Similar effects continued to occur, windstorms and so forth being attributed to the presence of wrathful deities and spirits manifesting their power and intent. In support of the tantric rites, the thousands of monks of the three great monasteries and others, recited scriptures. All this must have created a tremendous amount of gossip and speculation amongst the superstitious populace as they wondered about what would happen to Norbu’s rebels under this tremendous onslaught of destructive rituals.
Shigatse Fort in the current day
Superstitious attitudes and spirit-fear may have not only dampened support for the rebels from the people of Tsang and Bhutan but also caused the rebels themselves to lose heart, negotiate and abandon Shigatse fort. Monks led by the Drakna Choje (brag sna chos rje), ritual master of Drepung, performed the rites of protection, aversion, liberating and suppression based on a form of Manjusri known as “Flaming Sword” (‘jam dpal me’i spu gri). The idea of the rebels being bought off with landed property recurred again. Rumors circulated that Norbu would probably be given Khartse (mkhar rtse) fort in Penyul (phen yul) and that of Meldro Gongkar (mal gro gung dkar) would go to Ngodrub. A negotiated settlement seemed to be on the cards, when all of a sudden Norbu and Ngodrub quit the fort, handing it over to the commanders of the government forces, and left for Samdrub Dechen (bsam grub bde chen) in Dam, north of Lhasa. It was about March 1660 and Norbu’s rebellion was over, less than three months after it had begun. The Tibetan soldiers dispersed.
Norbu’s sudden departure is directly linked by Lobzang Gyatso to a rite carried out by the Drakna Choje. The rebels’ departure took place after Lobzang Ngawang (blo bzang ngag dbang), the Drakna Choje, with some monks, practiced the rite of the wheel of expulsion and sent the ritual item representing the rebels away to the northern plain as a ritual gesture of expulsion. Norbu and Ngodrub promptly accepted the offer that was on the table, quit the fort and headed north themselves.
Apparently, following Tegangpa’s mission described above, the Bhutanese army had crossed the border into Tibet and reached Phari. The Tibetans had anticipated this, however, and sent a force to Phari to repel them. No actual fighting was reported and the Bhutanese withdrew. It is also possible that after hearing the news of the Bhutanese army’s withdrawal from Phari, Norbu and Ngodrub gave up hope and surrendered the fort.
In any case the entire rebellion ended without significant violence; in fact, it seems from Lobzang Gyatso’s account as if it was mainly fought by gods and demons on the spiritual plane.
Norbu and Ngodrub, the rebel ringleaders, had been promised forts and land by the Mongol brothers, Tendzin Dayan Gyelpo and Tendzin Dalai Han. Lobzang Gyatso was not at all happy to reward their treachery in this way but out of respect for the Mongols he was grudgingly making arrangements to cede some suitable territories to them. However, while Norbu and Ngodrub were being escorted to Lhasa from Dam, they panicked, escaped and sought sanctuary as fugitives in Taklung Monastery (stag lung dgon).
The Mongols saw this act as a betrayal of trust; their offer of forts and land was now off the table. Norbu and Ngodrub were then held at Taklung Monastery under guarantee and that is the last that is related about Norbu by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Tibetan historian Dungkar Lobsang Trinle (dung-dkar blo bzang ‘phrin las, 1927-1997) writes that Norbu ultimately fled to exile in Bhutan.
Bibliography
- Aris, Michael. 1979. Bhutan: The Early History of a Himalayan Kingdom. Warminster: Aris & Philips, pp. 201-226.
- Bultrini, Raimondo. 2013. The Dalai Lama and the King Demon. Maria Simmons, trans. New York: Tibet House US, part 4.
- Dhondup, K. 1984. The Water-Horse and Other Years. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives History Series, pg. 32.
- Dungkar Losang Trinle. 2002. Dungkar Tibetological Great Dictionary. Beijing: China Tibetology Publishing House, pg. 1205.
- Karmay, Samten G. 2009. The Arrow and the Spindle: Studies in History, Myths, Rituals and Beliefs in Tibet. Revised edition. Kathmandu: Mandala Book Point, pg. 514.
- Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso, Fifth Dalai Lama. 2014. The Illusive Play: The Autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Samten G. Karmay, trans. Chicago: Serindia Publications, pp. 3, 5, 6, 66, 68, 135, 158-159, 175, 185, 187, 191, 215, 270, 335-336, 362-365, 368-369, 374-375, 383-406, Chapter 32 pp. 409-425; 430.
- Ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho. 1679. Rtse pho brang po tA la’I gsum skas ‘go’i rtsi tshig phyag rjes ma. In Rang rnam du ku la’i gos bzang, vol 3, pg. 128a. TBRC W175.
- Ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho.1991-1995. Jig rten dbang phyug thams cad mkhyen pa yon tan rgya mtsho dpal bzang po’i rnam par thar pa nor bu’i ‘phreng ba. Gangtok: Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology. TBRC W294-1813.
- Phuntsho, Karma. 2013. The History of Bhutan. London: Haus Publishing, pp. 207-238, 240-242, 244-247, 261-263.
- Richardson, Hugh E. 1998. High Peaks, Pure Earth; Collected Writings on Tibetan History and Culture. London: Serindia Publications, pp. 444, 448-450.
- Schweiger, Peter.2015. The Dalai Lama and the Emperor of China: A Political History of the Tibetan Institution of Reincarnation. New York: Columbia University Press, pg.39.
- Shakabpa, Tsepon W.D. 1967. Tibet: A Political History. New York: Yale University Press, and 1984, Singapore: Potala Publications, pg. 112.
- Shakabpa, Tsepon W.D. 2010. One Hundred Thousand Moons. An Advanced Political History of Tibet, Vol. 1. Derek F. Maher, trans. (2 volumes). Leiden, Boston: Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library, pp. 348, 350-352, 361.
- Trijang Rinpoche. 1967. Rgyal chen bstod ‘grel.
- Tucci, Giuseppe. 1949. Tibetan Painted Scrolls, Vol. 1. Rome: La Libreria dello Stato, pp. 70-72.
Source: Sean Jones, “Depa Norbu,” Treasury of Lives, accessed June 19, 2018, http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Depa-Norbu/13614.
Sean Jones left school in England in the 1960s to travel overland to India and lived in the Himalayan regions for a decade, before returning to London to establish a successful travel business. From 1985 he travelled all over Tibet and in the UK he co-founded a number of Tibet-related organizations. An autodidact, he has written and published various articles on Tibet, its people and its history, including in Wikipedia.
Published April 2018.
Disclaimer: All rights are reserved by the author. The article is reproduced here for educational purposes only.
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Addendum
Drepung Monastery འབྲས་སྤུངས་།
Drepung is one of the three major Geluk monasteries of Lhasa. It was founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choje Tashi Pelden, a disciple of Tsongkhapa. It contains the Ganden Podrang residence which served as the seat of the Dalai Lamas until the seventeenth century. The entire monastery was initially administered from the office of the Drepung Throne holder; since the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama the custom has been that the senior abbot of the two principle colleges, Gomang or Loseling, has served as head of Drepung. Of the seven colleges that were once part of the monastery, only four survive, the two others being the Ngakpa Dratsang and Deyang.
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Tashilhunpo བཀྲ་ཤིས་ལྷུན་པོ།
Tashilhunpo, one of Tibet’s most important monasteries, is a Geluk monastery in Shigatse that was founded in 1447 by the First Dalai Lama Gendun Drub, whose remains are interred at the site. The location of the monastery is west of the great fortress and above a pre-existing sky-burial site. The monastery serves as the seat of the Panchen Lama incarnation line. The remains of the Second, Third, and Fourth Panchen Lama, who was tutor to the Fifth Dalai Lama, are also preserved in a stupa at Tashilhunpo. Reliquaries for the Fifth through Ninth Panchen Lamas were destroyed in the 1960s. The Tenth Panchen Lama was responsible for the construction of a new mausoleum, Dungten Tashi Namgyel, where the remains of his previous incarnations were re-interred. The Jamkhang Chenmo, which was added during the tenure of the Ninth Panchen Lama, contains the world’s largest gilded copper image that stands 26 meters tall. At its height, Tashilunpo housed close to 5,000 monks.
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Taklung Monastery སྟག་ལུང་དགོན།
Taklung Monastery is the main seat of the Taklung Kagyu tradition. It was founded by Taklungtangpa Tashi Pel in 1180 on a site where Lama Potowa had practiced with disciples in the eleventh century.
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Click here to see more beautiful and updated photographs of Trode Khangsar, the Dorje Shugden chapel in Lhasa, Tibet which was built by His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=92148
For more interesting information:
- Who is Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen?
- Glenn Mullin on Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen
- Becoming Dulzin Drakpa Gyaltsen
- Dorje Shugden Illustrated Story & Graphic Novel
- The 14th Dalai Lama’s Prayer to Dorje Shugden
- A short prayer to Dorje Shugden
- Dorje Shugden Retreat: a powerful practice to fulfill wishes
- Magadha Sangmo (须摩提女)
- Dharma Protectors of Tibetan Buddhism
- Drashi Lhamo: The Protectress with the Rolled Out Tongue
- Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors – A Definitive Guide to Dorje Shugden by Trijang Rinpoche
- Paranormal Protection
- How My Protector Healed Me | 我的护法神如何让我从病中痊愈
- Dorje Shugden – The Protector of Our Time
- What He Can Do For Us | 祂能为我们做些什么？
- Dalai Lama’s Controversial Thoughts About Four-Faced Mahakala and Setrap
- 10 Holy Dorje Shugden Statues around the World
- The Phenomena of Oracles
- Dorje Shugden Taking Trance in Peaceful Form | 多杰雄登护法寂静尊降神
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- Namkar Barzin
- Lightning-Fast Yumar Gyalchen
- Methar of Tengyeling Monastery
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- Achi Chokyi Drolma – Chief Protectress of the Drikung Kagyu
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The truth is truth cannot be hidden ,many of us as Dorje Shugden practitioners and non-practitioners should get to the bottom of the truth. Its more than decades the Tibetan Leadership still could not accept the reality of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was murdered by Depa Norbu and manifested to become the Protector of Our Time as promise. Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen rose as Dorje Shugden is an enlightened protector who is an emanation of Manjushri who appears in mundane form. Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was a great scholar, powerful Tantric master and was well known for his teachings. Due to jealousy , masterminded by Depa Norbu , the officers murdered the great master. It is also a fact that Depa Norbu’s murder of a high religious Lama is recorded in Tibetan history but he was never brought to justice. Interesting history and the murderer of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen ,may more people get to read this interesting article.
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Jean Ai for this sharing.
Mantras are sacred verbalized words that invoke the protection and blessings of the deity to whom the mantra is ascribed. Mantras are also the manifestations of Buddhas in the form of ‘sounds’, hence the various mantras of Dorje Shugden contain the essence of the Protector.
Dorje Shugden’s main mantra 多杰雄登主要咒语
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for peace 平和咒语
For gaining attainments through the energy of Peaceful Shugden, peace of environment and mind, harmony in one’s abode and dwelling area, and calming of disasters
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SHANTI SIDDHI HUNG
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for health 福寿安康咒语
For long life, increasing life, healing of disease and protection from diseases
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA AYU SIDDHI HUNG
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for increase 增长咒语
For gaining great merits and increase of all necessary needs, both material and spiritual
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA PUNYE SIDDHI HUNG
Dorje Shugden’s mantra for control 控制咒语
Of worldly deities, negative people and nagas and for influencing friends towards the positive
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA WASHAM KURU HO
Dorje Shugden’s mantra to grant protection 庇护咒语
Visualize that you are in the Protector’s mandala, fully protected from outside interferences. Recite when in danger or for dangerous situations, for protection while travelling or when residing in dangerous/hostile places
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA RAKYA RAKYA HUNG
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videouploads/comment-1544345059.mp4
Reincarnation Lineage Prayer of the Incarnate Master Dragpa Gyaltsan
This prayer also, to the incarnate master Dragpa Gyaltsan through his reincarnations, has been spoken for the benefit of all migratory beings by the Vajra Shugden who protects the holy Dharma, at the sacred abode Choling in response to requests from many devout monks and nuns and householders. Gedun Choejor was the scribe. May this serve as cause for all migratory beings swiftly attaining in one lifespan the state of Vajradhara.
May there be auspiciousness!
Lord Manjushri, the sole father of all kindhearted Victors,
Lord Tsongkhapa, whose renown fills this world,
Lord Yamantaka who has arisen to subdue the intractable:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
Lord Sambhota, the best of scholars,
Loden Sherab, the savant in all classics,
Lords Naropa and Khyungpo Naljor:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
Ralo Dorjedrag and master Khutoen,
Masters Sakya Shri and Choeku Woezer,
And to the Omniscient Lord Buton:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
The all-pervading Tsarchen, and Sonam Dragpa;
Sonam Yeshe, prominent among saviors of beings;
Sonam Geleg, in whom merit and virtues shone like the sun:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
Dragpa Gyaltsan, the master leading nyig-dhue1 beings to liberation,
Whose very name, just hearing, frees from the lower migrations,
Who leads to liberation any who supplicates single-mindedly:
To this protector of teachings and beings of three worlds we pray.
Ngawang Jinpa the emanation in saffron robes, and
Ngawang Tenzin, upholder of the victory banner of the teaching,
And Jetsun Losang Geleg, the great master:
Bless us supplicants with common and uncommon attainments!
Losang Tenzin, the victory banner of Dharma who comes
As kings, ministers and monks for beings and dharma’s sake,
In successions endless as ripple in water:
To such past and future emanations we pray.
By the truth power of the Three Jewels,
By the enlightened actions of oceanic dharmapalas
Such as the Four-faced Lord and the Dorje Shugden,
May all beings live well and in happiness.
As you embody all Three Roots2,
For us all migratory beings here, in the future, and in bardho3,
In all happy and bad times we have none but you:
Hold us, without separation, with parental love.
When in future you enact the enlightened deeds,
As attaining Enlightenment as Buddha Rabsal among others,
May we and all other beings connected with us,
Be the first to taste the nectar of your vast and profound words.
May we, and all sentient beings, in all lifetimes,
Come into contact with the Second Buddha’s teachings,
May we all take on the going forth, and take
All sentient beings across the ocean of samsara.
Footnotes
[1] ‘Degenerate times’ that is characterized by “five dregs in terms of lifespan, times, delusions, views and sentient beings.” Source: Commentary on the Abhidharmakosh by Chim Namkha Drag, also known as ‘Chim Jampalyang’ (1210-1285); folio 181 (p. 371) ); Woodblock edition, 1893; No. of folios 430 (pp. 869)
[2] The spiritual mentor, the meditational deity, and the dakas and dakinis.
[3] The intermediate state between death and next rebirth.
————————
Reincarnation Lineage Prayer of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsan
This praise to the reincarnation lineage of the supreme incarnation Dragpa Gyaltsan has been composed by the monk Losang Choekyi Gyaltsan (The 4th Panchen Lama) at the prayer hall of Tashi Lhunpo on account of fervent requests from Legpa Gyaltsan and many other attendants of the master.
May there be auspiciousness!
The one whose renown permeates the world;
The great being holding aloft the banner,
Of the Second Buddha, happiness and wellbeing’s source:
At that great master’s feet we pray.
At the feet of the World Teacher with the ten powers,
You invoked the power of truth with pure superior intent,
Causing flowers to fall like rains.
We pray at the feet of that great master.
The Guide of all migratory beings both man and god;
The treasury of all knowledge and attainments in dharma;
The great hero who strove for the supreme liberation:
We pray at the feet of Choekyi Jhangchub.
The one whose greatness, on account of pure prayer,
Was like that of a second Buddha;
And was supreme Guide to fortunate ones of India and Tibet:
We pray at the feet of that great being.
In the sky of the great bliss of Dharmakaya,
The radiant orb of the three bodies of the Buddha is full circle,
Radiating a million rays of enlightened activities: We pray at the feet
Of that opener of a million lotuses of benefit and wellbeing.
We pray at the feet of Master Buton, the unrivalled
Amongst all those who are scholars and realized ones,
In upholding and spreading the Buddha’s teaching,
By example in teaching and practice.
With an intellect superbly trained from the past,
Your mind joyously bloomed in all profound paths.
With single-minded effort you attained supreme realization.
We pray at the feet of that supreme and realized master.
From the vast lotus gardens of phuntsog* merit,
Myriad lotuses, with hundreds of petals, of learning and practice, bloom.
The fragrant scents of good name and deed dispel the ancient sicknesses
Of migrant beings: At the feet of that master we pray.
By the wish-granting jewel of merit and wisdom,
You became a crown jewel of both man and gods,
Its hundred rays of good deed dispelling the dark ignorance
Of all migrant beings: At your feet we pray.
The vast celestial mansion of virtuous accumulation of merits,
Overflows with jewels of the good path of the three trainings.
We pray at the feet, of its dweller─a guide of all beings─
Attired in the magnificence of enlightened deeds.
In holding aloft the victory banner
Of the sutra and tantra teachings of the Second Buddha:
In this you are unrivalled in all three worlds.
We pray at the feet of this noble tutor.
The source of renown and wellbeing and happiness,
Is the Buddha’s teachings. May the chief of all who uphold this banner
Live for long for the sake of innumerable beings to be tamed!
May his phuntsog* enlightened deeds spread to the ten directions!
By the merit of praising in this manner, may we never be
Separated from the protection of noble spiritual mentors!
Progressing swiftly in the supreme vehicle’s path,
May we swiftly attain the state of the three kayas!
Footnotes
From Panchen Losang Chogyan, Collected Works, Vol Ca (5), folio 34a-35a (p. 83-85), Tashi Lhunpo woodblock print, Tibet.
*phuntsog: a compound word in Tibetan (of phun sum tsog) meaning the ideal combination of the three i.e. a good cause, its result and enjoyment of that result.
Dear friends,
Tibet has produced many powerful meditations, rituals and guidelines to help us gain spiritual protection, gain wisdom and higher states of consciousness. In general Tibet has produced many powerful methods for the growth of our spiritual evolution. Dorje Shugden is an angel, a saint, a powerful spiritual protector-warrior who originated 350 years ago when a highly awakened Tibetan Lama fulfilled his vows to become a special being to grant protection, wisdom, material needs, safety when travelling (normal and astral travel) and spiritual awakening. Both the Great 5th Dalai Lama and the current His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama composed short yet effective prayers to invoke upon the power and blessings of this special saint and protector. One can recite either one of the prayers that you feel suits you, anytime or even daily. When you feel a special need for help, you can recite either prayer anytime. When you are feeling down, afraid or just need a blessing, you can recite them. After reciting either invocation, it is good to chant the mantra of Dorje Shugden: Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha.
You do not have to be a Buddhist or practitioner of any religion to invoke upon the blessings and protection of this special enlightened and awakened angel Dorje Shugden. He helps all without discrimination or bias as he is filled with compassion and love. Divinity has no boundaries, they help all who call upon them.
Enclosed are the prayers in English, Chinese and Tibetan.
May you be safe, protected and blessed.
Tsem Rinpoche
More on the Great 5th Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden – https://bit.ly/2w7KHv6
More on H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden – https://bit.ly/2QdaL4n
Chapel (Trode Khangsar) built by the Great 5th Dalai Lama dedicated to Dorje Shugden in Lhasa – https://bit.ly/2zBTd8M
—
亲爱的朋友们，
西藏产生了许多有助于我们得到精神庇佑、取得智慧和更高层次之觉悟的强大禅修法、仪式和教诲。总括来说，西藏产生了许多有助于我们在修行上取得提升的强有力方法。多杰雄登是一个天使，一位圣人和一名护法战士。他的崛起始于350年前，当一位高度觉悟的西藏高僧履行本身的承诺，化身为特别的护法，赐予我们守护、智慧、物质需要、出入平安（平日外游和神游时）和灵修上的觉醒。任何人都可以随时随地在任何时候念诵适合自己的祈愿文。当你需要特别的帮助时，你可以随时念诵任何一篇祈愿文。当你感到沮丧、恐惧或仅是需要加持时，你也可以持诵这些祈愿文。在念诵任何祈请文后，你应该接着念诵多杰雄登的心咒：嗡 班杂 维格 毗札那 娑哈 Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha。
要祈请多杰雄登这位特殊、觉悟和觉醒的天使赐予加持和庇佑，你无需是佛教徒或任何宗教的修行者。他总是没有分别或偏见，充满慈悲和慈爱地帮助一切众生。神圣是没有界限的，圣者会帮助有求于他的任何人。
以下附上英文、中文和藏文的祈愿文。
愿你平安，常受庇护和加持。
尊贵的詹杜固仁波切
更多关于第五世达赖尊者和多杰雄登护法的内容 — https://bit.ly/2zsC3tG
更多关于第十四世达赖尊者和多杰雄登护法的内容 — https://bit.ly/2r4aaDN
第五世达赖尊者为多杰雄登护法在拉萨建造的护法殿（布旦康萨）— https://bit.ly/2zBTd8M
“The 4th Zhabdrung Rinpoche of Bhutan and Dorje Shugden” blog post which was published June 8, 2018 already has exactly at the moment 152,744 views!! Over 150k views!!! Amazing!! The views will keep growing as time elapses of course.
This indicates many Bhutanse and Buddhists around the world will now know that Dorje Shugden is connected to Bhutan and their Kagyu Lineage. Dorje Shugden was promoted by the highest lama of Bhutan namely the 4th Zhabdrung Rinpoche himself. So Dorje Shugden will help and protect anyone and is not sectarian as they accuse him to be. People in the Kagyu school of Buddhism also practised Dorje Shugden and Dorje Shugden assisted them lovingly. Dorje Shugden being an emanation of Manjushri will help anyone who calls upon him regardless of their background and religion.
Good job to our writers, researchers, editors, technical team, supporting team and Kechara people who promoted this blog post on social media. Now more will come to understand how pervasive Dorje Shugden is in all the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism although the Tibetan leadership in-exile tries to hide this truth. Thank you everyone for promoting Dorje Shugden to benefit many. We were all very harmonious before the unethical ban against Dorje Shugden practitioners. Since the inception of the ban in 1996, there has been no benefits and instead so much disharmony among Tibetan Buddhists around the world. Many hundreds have spoken up about this point where we want harmony back. There should never be a ban against any spiritual practice.
Tsem Rinpoche
Blog post- https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=160863
—
于2018年6月8日发表的《不丹国第四世夏仲仁波切与多杰雄登》的博文至今已经有 152,744次的浏览量！！也就是超过了15万次的浏览量！！这个数字肯定还会随着时间而增长。
这表示很多不丹人和全世界的佛教徒现在已经知道了多杰雄登和不丹以及他们的噶举派传承是有紧密联系的。多杰雄登是被不丹的最高级别的喇嘛夏仲仁波切本身所推崇的。这显示了多杰雄登是会帮助和保护任何人的，而祂不是像他人所指控那样的充满宗派主义。佛教的噶举派的修行者也修持多杰雄登，而多杰雄登也很怀爱地帮助他们。多杰雄登是文殊菩萨的化身，祂将无视任何宗教和背景地去帮助任何召唤祈请祂的人们。
我们的写作、搜集资料，编辑、技术、辅助等的人员们和推广这篇博文的克切拉人们，你们做得好！虽然流亡藏人领袖们尝试掩盖事实，但现在更多的人将了解到多杰雄登在所有藏传佛教的传承中是多么的普及了。感谢大家努力推广多杰雄登以造福大众。在这个不道德的多杰雄登禁令出现之前，我们都是很和谐融洽的。自从禁令在1996年开始之后，它为全世界的藏传佛教徒没有带来任何利益，而只有更多的不和谐。成千上万的人已经对该禁令发声，要求重建和谐。对于任何心灵修行，是从来就不该有任何禁令的。
詹杜固仁波切
博文网址: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/l/cn/dorje-shugden/the-4th-zhabdrung-rinpoche-of-bhutan-and-dorje-shugden-cn.html
His Eminence Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche’s incarnation is in Lhasa visiting. He is visiting the 350-year-old Trode Khangsar chapel dedicated to Dorje Shugden. He is paying homage to the powerful statue of Dorje Shugden housed in this sacred chapel. Both the chapel and statue of Dorje Shugden were commissioned by His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama. The Great 5th Dalai Lama also composed a prayer to be recited daily to Dorje Shugden.
Dagom Rinpoche’s previous lives were great masters, scholars and practitioners of Dorje Shugden. Now this new incarnation of Dagom Rinpoche is offering gold on the face of Dorje Shugden in homage and worship to this very sacred statue of Dorje Shugden housed in Lhasa for the last 350 years. This is a very traditional Tibetan method of paying homage to holy images, which is by offering gold with prayers.
The Tibetan leadership wrongly says if you practise Dorje Shugden you will take rebirth into the three lower realms. Hundreds of lamas from the Sakya, Kagyu and Gelugpa schools of Buddhism have practised Dorje Shugden and their incarnations returned. Many of the incarnations are recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself. So this shows if you practise Dorje Shugden, only benefits come and no harm will come. The very fact Dagom Rinpoche’s incarnation is back, is clear evidence that Dorje Shugden’s practice is beneficial.
May Dagom Rinpoche’s current incarnation live a very long life.
Tsem Rinpoche
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com
YouTube High resolution video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THbGknXcLbo
Trode Khangsar – A 400 year old Dorje Shugden Chapel in Lhasa:
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=92148[/color]
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尊贵的扎贡仁波切的现任转世正在拜访拉萨。他拜访了一座供奉给多杰雄登并且拥有350年历史的护法殿”布旦康萨”。他在向这座神圣护法殿里的强大多杰雄登像顶礼。该座护法殿和多杰雄登圣像是由第五世达赖喇嘛指示而造的。伟大的第五世达赖喇嘛也亲笔撰写了多杰雄登的每日祈愿文。
扎贡仁波切的前几世都是伟大的上师，学者兼多杰雄登的修持者。现在扎贡仁波切的现任转世在为这尊已经安奉在拉萨350年并且非常神圣的多杰雄登圣像的脸上供养金漆，以示顶礼和膜拜。这种供养金并祈愿的做法是西藏为圣像顶礼非常传统的做法。
流亡藏人领袖们说如果你修持多杰雄登就将投生三恶道，那是错误的。佛教派系——萨迦派、噶举派、格鲁派的上百名喇嘛们都修持了多杰雄登，而且他们也都转世回来了，而其中有很多转世还是达赖喇嘛亲自认证的。这明显显示了如果你修持多杰雄登，是百利无一弊的。扎贡仁波切转世回来了，就已经是很确凿的证据显示多杰雄登的修持是有利的。
愿今世的扎贡仁波切健康长寿。
詹杜固仁波切
blog.sina.com.cn/zhandugu
YouTube高清视频- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THbGknXcLbo
拉萨400年历史的多杰雄登护法殿—布旦康萨- https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=92148
Divination (‘mo’) Text by Dorje Shugden
This is an important divination (‘mo’) text composed by Dorje Shugden himself. Dorje Shugden took trance of the Choyang Dulzin oracle lama, the senior oracle of Gaden Shartse Monastery, and instantly on the spot composed this text within two hours.
The divination text contains information on how to use dice to do divination for the future and is known to be highly accurate. When practitioners use this text, they will be in direct contact with Dorje Shugden to get answers to questions about the future. It is for those who have good samaya with Dorje Shugden and are free of the eight worldly dharmas to be of benefit to others in divining the future.
Tsem Rinpoche
DS-MO-choyang.pdf
The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives is in Dharamsala, which is broken into two parts. Upper Dharamsala is where the Dalai Lama’s palace is located with his audience room and main prayer hall. It is also the location of the Dialectics School, Gaden Shartse’s guesthouse, restaurants, tourist hotels and main tourist areas.
A short ride down takes you to the lower part of Dharamsala where the Tibetan government is located. It is the location of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Nechung monastery, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, the Tibetan arts centre…it’s all in one area. And the reason why it’s split into upper and lower Dharamsala is because the area is mountainous.
The Library of Tibetan Works and Archives was established by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government to preserve all the ancient texts – both secular and spiritual – of Tibet and in the process, translate them into various languages like English. This book, Overview of Buddhist Tantra, by Panchen Sonam Drakpa was one of the books translated into English. What’s very interesting is that the book very clearly says that Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s previous life is Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen, one of the five main disciples of Lama Tsongkhapa. It also says that after that, he was Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen.
So the book is basically saying that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, Panchen Sonam Drakpa and Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen – the three Drakpas – are of the same mindstream.
Now that’s very peculiar because if Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s previous life is Panchen Sonam Drakpa, the renowned composer of 45 volumes of Dharma texts, the abbot of three monasteries AND the 15th Gaden Tripa, the holder of Lama Tsongkhapa’s throne…if that’s the case, how can Panchen Sonam Drakpa take rebirth as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and become an evil spirit and have a negative mind?
Prior to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, he was Panchen Sonam Drakpa and before that, he was Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen, a heart disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa. How can a heart disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa reincarnate as the erudite master Panchen Sonam Drakpa, and then die and reincarnate as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen…and then Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, due to a bad and negative prayer, become the evil spirit Dorje Shugden? How is that possible? Logically, it’s not.
What’s incredible is that all of this was printed by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives under the Dalai Lama’s guidance. They contradict themselves because on one hand, the Tibetan leaders say Dorje Shugden is an evil spirit. On the other hand they’re printing a book saying that Panchen Sonam Drakpa, whose later incarnation became Dorje Shugden, is of this illustrious mindstream.
So how can the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, which is under the auspices of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government, print the translation of a book composed by the previous incarnation of a so-called evil spirit? How can they then say in the book that Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s previous life is Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen, and his next life was Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen?
Prior to the Dorje Shugden ban and controversy, everyone in Tibet knew that Dorje Shugden is Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen is Panchen Sonam Drakpa, and that Panchen Sonam Drakpa is Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen. The three Drakpas, they are one mindstream emanating again and again to benefit other beings.
And as we all know, Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became Dorje Shugden so it totally doesn’t make sense to call him an evil spirit, then highlight all of his previous lives as erudite masters, and publish all of this information under their own library. So you can see the contradictions. You can read all of this for yourself in Overview of Buddhist Tantra, which was printed by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.
—–
OVERVIEW OF BUDDHIST TANTRA
GENERAL PRESENTATION OF THE CLASSES OF TANTRA,
CAPTIVATING THE MINDS OF THE FORTUNATE ONES
rgyud sde spyi’i rnam par bzhag pa
skal bzang gi yid ‘phrog ces bya ba bzhugs so
BY
PANCHEN SONAM DRAGPA
(Pan-chen bSod-nams grags-pa, 1478-1554)
O Choje Sonam Dragpa Pel! (Chos-rje bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal!)
In the vast expanse of Your bodhi-mind,
The mind that the Buddhas have lauded for as many as
one hundred times,
You have developed “merit” shining like the sun.
Through Your skill in learning, debate and writing,
As illuminating as one hundred thousand sun rays,
You have developed in You a complete knowledge of
the entire sutras and tantras,
Resembling a garden of flowers in full bloom.
The power of Your speech is like the sun;
The fame of your name has reached the three realms of
this world.
O Sonam Dragpa, the teacher of teachers!
I bow down at your feet.
In the vast garden of Your great teachings,
The intelligent young people gather for
The ‘six ultimates’ and the ‘four modes of transmission,’
Just as they are attracted to
The one hundred thousand types of nectar
Dripping from a flower of one hundred petals.
May I be able to experience
The taste of the secret tantra!
Panchen Choje Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen Chos-rje bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal), the holder of sutra and Vajrayana teachings, was a master whose outstanding learning and spiritual accomplishments are well known by all the learned ones in Tibet. His first incarnation came in the form of one of the five prestigious disciples of Lord Tsongkhapa (Tsong-kha-pa) and became known as Vinaya Holder (Dulzin) Dragpa Gyaltsen (Gragspa rgyal-mtshan). Then came Panchen Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal), the author of the present text. The next was Nagri Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen (mNga’-ris sPrul-sku Grags-pa rgyal-mtshan). In this way, a line of his incarnations, each with the Dragpa (gragspa) surname, followed successively.
Panchen Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal) was born in the 14th century in Tsetang (rTsed-thang) in the Lhoka (Lho-kha) region of Central Tibet. He entered the great seat of learning, Sera Thekchenling (Se-ra theg-chen-gling) monastic university, where he became the personal disciple of spiritual master Donyo Dangden (Dhon-yod dang-ldan) and His Holiness the Second Dalai Lama Gedun Gyatso (dGe-‘dun rgya-mtsho). Under them, he studied the entire teachings of sutra, tantra and their commentaries, and became known for his outstanding learning. He also received from them the empowerments, reading transmissions, guides and instructions of the entire body of spiritual training. On becoming the fully blessed one, the Dalai Lama appointed him the abbot of the Loseling (Blo-gsalgling) college, one of the four colleges of Drepung (‘Bras-dpung)- the most prestigious monastic university in Tibet before 1959, with over 10,000 monks on its register. He continued to be the abbot of this college for the next six years; and after him the tenure for each of his successors in this position was fixed for a period of six years, a rule that is followed even today.
He was then appointed the head of the Gelugpa (dGe-lugs-pa) order, the throne holder of Gaden (dGa’-ldan), thus becoming the 15th regent of Lord Tsongkhapa (Tsong-khapa), the second Buddha. In his eulogy to him, Khedrub Gelek Pelsang (mKhas-grub dGe-legs dpal- bzang) says:
O Lama, the second successor of the Unsubduable One,
The regent of the Lord of Dharma,
You are the one who made the virtuous qualities thrive;
You are the one who ascended to the golden throne uplifted
by the fearless lions.
May Your success thrive forever!
He continued to be the throne holder for the next seven years, during which time he promoted the spread of Lord Tsongkhapa’s (Tsong-kha-pa) precious teachings, the Gelug (dGe-lugs) tradition, across the land in all directions. He also paid special attention to the practice of monastic rules and the learning and meditation of Buddhism in the monasteries such as Sera (Se-ra), Drepung (‘Bras-spungs), Kyomolung (sKyo-mo-lung), Phagmo Chode (Phag-mo chos-sde), Nyeding (Nye-sdings), Ödna (’Od-sna) and Chöde Rinchen (Chos-sde rin-chen) etc. and improved them to a great extent. He taught the Third Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso (bSod-nams rGya-mtsho) as the latter’s spiritual master. It was from him that the Dalai Lama received the name Sonam (bSod-nams).
His contributions in the literary field are enormous; and, indeed, they are the most valuable of all his contributions. Tsongkhapa (Tsong-kha-pa) has rightly said:
Of all one’s deeds,
The ‘deeds of speech’ are the most valuable.
Panchen Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal) was a person with an extraordinary talent for teaching, debate and writing. In his colophon to Bu mey chi don zab don sel wey dron mey (dBu ma’i spyi don zab don gsal ba’i sgron me), he wrote:
In the field of teaching, I am [next to none!] Knowing that
I would outdo them in this field, Arya Asanga and his
brother transmigrated into another realm.
In the field of debate, I am [next to none!] Knowing that
I would find out the areas they had contradicted and
that I would examine them and put forth my arguments,
the logician Dignaga (Digh-naga) and Dharmakirti tactfully
bypassed me.
In the field of writing, I am [next to none!] [In my eyes,]
Arya-sura was just good at spreading the works, which
are like ‘disputes~ between an insect and a field.’
I am the learned man. Peerless in the field of teaching,
debate and writing!
For some this passage might sound utterly nonsensical, but the most learned master of our age, the talented teacher, logician and writer, the late tutor to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Yongdzin Trijang Dorjechang (Yongs-‘dzin Khri-byang rDorje-‘Chang), said: “Now, some people of our time, who consider themselves learned scholars, think that this is utter nonsense; but they are wrong.”
Panchen Sonam Dragpa Pel (Panchen bSod-nams grags-pa-dpal) wrote over 45 volumes of books dealing with many different subjects, such as the commentaries on the sutras and tantras, the saddhana manuals of the tutelary deities, history, religious history and so forth. Among these, one that is very important for all who wish to learn and meditate on the path-of the practical aspect of Buddhism in general and that of Vajrayana in particular is the Leg shey gyu de chi nam par shagpa kelsang gi yi trod (Legs bshad rgyud sde spyi’i rnam par bzhag pa skal bzang gi yid ‘phrod). In this book, he has explained precisely how the four tantras differ from one another. He has also fully described the stages of the two spontaneous path practices of the Vajrayana tradition, dealing with the ‘six ultimates’ and the ‘four modes of transmission’, thus interpreting without mistake the intention of Adhi-Buddha Vajradhara.
May the reprint of this text, which the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives is publishing herewith, bring peace and happiness in this world!
Prof. Nawang Jinpa
St. Joseph’s College
Darjeeling
January 24 1996
Appliqué thangka of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, who is the previous incarnation of Dorje Shugden. The thangka dates possibly to the 19th Century, and it can be found in Erdene Zuu Monastery, considered by many to be the most important and oldest monastery in Mongolia. In the lower portion of the thangka are Yellow Dzambala, Six-Armed Mahakala and Kalarupa. Learn more about Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen’s life here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/who-is-tulku-drakpa-gyeltsen.html
A Daily Request for Wealth, Peace and Protection
Composed by H.E. Tsem Rinpoche
In the heavens there are myriad manifestations of the divine. All those manifestations specifically show us different aspects of divinity in order to be of benefit to all living beings. All the rupakaya forms of the divine have compassion, skillful means and wisdom. We invoke upon them whether we are happy, sad, down, lost, fulfilled, confused, empty, and during the whole range of emotions we constantly experience due to an untrained mind.
Understanding our nature, Great Wisdom Being Dorje Shugden, therefore all the more so, please hold us close to your bosom as an only child to a parent.
Though the manifestations of the divine need no offerings and gifts from us, we offer you supreme Manjushri Dorje Shugden a libation of tea, incense and mantras, in order to ask you to bless us, to be a part of our lives, to abide in our dwellings and to give us signs, omens and portents of both good and bad. When the negative arises, quell them immediately. Please increase the positive for my weary and worn mind as I lay my hopes in you.
When difficulties, problems and confusion arise, we ask you, who is but the culmination of all that is powerful, holy and omniscient to bless myself, family, loved ones, environment and even my pets. May I see wisdom, find hope, and be at peace.
I request you, O Divine Bhagavān Dorje Shugden, who wears a round dome hat and the three robes of a saffroned bhikshu, who wields a sword of liberty, justice and wisdom and clutches a wish-fulfilling jewel, who rides on a supreme lion of subjugation of all that is negative, to fulfill my wishes. I understand my wishes may not be the best, so I surrender to your wisdom for the outcome though it may not be what I have in mind. Please bless myself and everyone that we may enter into the supreme city of liberation.
Great Bhagavān Dorje Shugden, I request you sincerely from my heart to be a part of my life, bless my home, and grant me wisdom, solace and comfort, that I might be of service to others without agenda, and that I may focus out onto others and not be fixated on myself, creating more problems for all that I hold dear.
Bless me to become kinder, wiser, more compassionate, tolerant and very forgiving to all those who hurt and love me. In order to become close to you, Dorje Shugden, we must surrender the banal. We must abandon fixed views, projections and rigidity. Lastly, in my final moment when I leave this plane of existence, only the positive actions I have done will matter as everything and everyone will be left behind. Let me realise this and act upon this now! At this crucial moment, please may I have a vision of yourself, the powerful and merciful Dorje Shugden, to take me to where I may course in the sky to continue my journey of spiritual waxing.
I offer you saffron-coloured tea and my faith to fulfill my prayers and gain siddhis. By reciting your mantra, may healing, peace, love, long life, protection and perfect view of sunyata arise.
Mantra of fulfillment, peace and wisdom:
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA
(It is good to recite this mantra daily as much as you like or your timing allows.)
I dedicate this supreme heartfelt prayer to the all-knowing Celestial and Supreme Protector Dorje Shugden, that I may quickly become a being of light, compassion, love and enlightenment.
Please play the audio included here to follow along with the prayer.
OR
Follow on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-OSudd323A
For more information, go to: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=61394
https://video.tsemtulku.com/chat-videos/chat-1538813324.mp4
It is not surprising to see this. The Tibetan government has been doing dirty evil deeds like this to make sure there is no threat to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s throne and power. They are doing it since the days of the 5ft Dalai Lama when the government was newly formed.
After the Fifth Dalai Lama’s time, the Tibetan government still continue the same tactic up until now. Many high lamas from different lineages have been arrested, murdered, and tortured just because their fame and power post a potential threat to overthrow His Holiness. They would even cause schism in any community to make them weak and segregated. What is better than the strategy of divide and conquer. The Tibetan government can be considered as the expert in this.
Be blessed with these rare videos featuring explanation and advice about Dorje Shugden practice by His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in his own voice. The teaching was requested by Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the earliest masters who taught Tibetan Buddhism in the West.
Video 1: H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche Explains Dorje Shugden Initiation and Benefits (With English Subtitles)
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was an erudite scholar, ritual master and practitioner of the highest degree from Tibet. At the request of Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the pioneers who taught Tibetan Buddhism in America, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gives clear explanation and advice about the life-entrustment initiation of Dorje Shugden and how to go about the practice and get the maximum benefits in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzFMvlxAqtc&feature=youtu.be
Video 2: H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche speaks on the History and Lineage of Dorje Shugden (With English Subtitles)
In this video, an erudite scholar, ritual master and practitioner of the highest degree from Tibet, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche talks about the incarnation lineage of Dorje Shugden and how the practice arose, with examples of Dorje Shugden’s previous lives that reveal his powerful spiritual attainments and contributions. This very rare teaching was given at the request of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s student, Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the pioneers who taught Buddhism in the West to many disciples since the 1970s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzKSJgK618&feature=youtu.be
For more information: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/kyabje-zong-rinpoches-advice-on-dorje-shugdens-practice.html
Many come to Kechara Forest Retreat in Bentong, Malaysia to make offerings and prayers to the increase form of Dorje Shugden who appears like a prince and rides on a golden horse. Many report having their wishes fulfilled and return many times. Am happy to see this. Tsem Rinpoche
You can learn more about this form of Dorje Shugden here: https://bit.ly/2wxQyes
and
See video of this chapel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEK35F_O5Hg
In the emerald forest there lies magical beings and powerful entities of old. There are beautiful gentle creatures of the forest such as deers, rabbits, owls and so on. Faeries, little people, elves, dwarves, trolls and other magnificent worldly and other-worldly beings of mystical origins who nurture and look over the natural world call this place their home. These supernatural beings, who remain hidden to ordinary view and are rarely seen together, have gathered to herald the arrival of the World Peace Guardian Dorje Shugden within the ethereal realm. Paying homage to the divine king they welcome him, the supreme being whose body shines with the light of magnificence and abides in benevolent wisdom. He who has come from the pinnacle of the celestial dimensions, he has the dominion over men and gods. All beings in this and other worlds have gathered to pay homage and to receive blessings, abundance and counsel.
Shugden the divine king, at last has drawn near,
He offers a new life so clear,
With a silent prayer he offers the golden stair,
Sing praises, does the emerald forest all cheer.
Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha
To see other beautiful portrayals of Dorje Shugden, click here: https://bit.ly/2Nt3FHz
COMPASSION at its best: His Holiness the Dalai Lama explained in Ladakh, 31 July 2018:
“Usually at the beginning of an empowerment there is a ritual to drive away interferences. But I no longer feel it’s consistent to regard some beings as evil forces. At the start of each day I cultivate altruism, but in the evening we say, ‘May the evil forces be driven away.’ There seems to be a contradiction here that I’m no longer keen to comply with. I’m not highly realized, but I have great confidence in the power of Bodhichitta.”
Source: https://bit.ly/2wVsqSb
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This latest statement by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is excellent. I fully believe in his compassion and I hope he will fully implement it.
All negative beings take rebirth with negative minds due to deep attachments. The attachments result in negative states of rebirth and angry minds that carry out harmful actions, like spirits or hungry ghosts who can be very bothersome because they are very angry as they died in the state of attachment in their former rebirths.
Indeed we need to generate compassion towards these beings, especially the formless type, as it would be the best remedy to stop their harm. We can recite mantras with love and bless them with it. While reciting prayers, we can meditate on them being at peace. When we generate compassion towards these harmful interferences of the formless type, many of them will calm down and stop their harm and even go away. Some of them, you can talk to them and subdue their harm and they will stop harming completely if they feel your love. That is how you can help them.
Many high masters of India and Tibet generated great compassion towards certain ghosts, spirits or interferers and subdued them in this manner and even made them into protectors of regions. I’ve witnessed this with one of my lamas where he subdued a female spirit that crossed over the Himalayas. After making the spirit promise it will not harm others, my lama gave the spirit a drink to seal the promise.
Since the Dalai Lama has manifested saying Dorje Shugden is negative (although many high lamas disagree), then he can apply this method to Dorje Shugden. He can ‘subdue’ Dorje Shugden by generating tremendous love, prayers and talking nice to Dorje Shugden who will be ‘subdued’. Then people are henceforth ‘free’ to practice Dorje Shugden without more discrimination, segregation and being called degrading names for practicing this protector.
Give peace a chance. His Holiness the Dalai Lama can generate great love towards Dorje Shugden and all the hundreds of thousands of Dorje Shugden practitioners that love the Dalai Lama and miss him like I do. May His Holiness the Dalai Lama bring peace and heal the rift with Dorje Shugden practitioners.
May His Holiness live very long and always be healthy,
Tsem Rinpoche
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com
Reading- https://bit.ly/2wWQGUh
Interesting history where the truth was revealed of how an innocent respected great master Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was murdered and manifested to become the Protector of Our Time. Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was a great scholar, powerful Tantric master and was well known for his teachings. He has an extraordinary scholarly knowledge and spiritual practice that many people came from far and wide to seek his teachings and blessings. Even, the Chinese Emperor at that time would send offerings to him and meet with him. Due to jealousy among the 5 th Dalai Lama’s followers and masterminded by Depa Norbu , they plot the murder of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen without the Dalai Lama’s knowledge. . Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen arose as Dorje Shugden, it was a sacrifice to fulfil his earlier promise to Nechung to arise as the Protector of Our Time. The controversy surrounding the murder of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and arose as as Dorje Shugden yet to dissolve after so many years. May this controversy soon be resolve soon .
Thank you very much Rinpoche and Pastor Jean Ai this interesting sharing.
For the first time available, Dorje Shugden and his entourage of 32 asssistants of his mandala.
Dorje Shugden is a powerful protector deity who is also an emanation of Manjushri, a wisdom bestowing Buddha. Therefore, he has great ability to help us to progress further on the spiritual path. He does this by helping us to overcome obstacles and problems for the modern individual.
Due to his enlightened nature, Dorje Shugden is able to manifest 32 deities and within the same abode resides Setrap and Kache Marpo:-
1. 5 Dorje Shugden families or emanations. They consists of the following:-
– Dulzin Dorje Shugden, which performs activities to eliminate inner and outer obstacles.
– Shize, which performs activities to pacify all illnesses and disease.
– Gyenze, which performs activities to increase all desirable material and spiritual wealth.
– Wangze, which performs activities to control difficult people and circumstances.
– Trakze, which performs activities to wrathfully eliminate all insurmountable obstacles and life-threatening situations.
2. 9 Mothers. They represent protection of the five senses and developing control of the four elements. These are all attributes that signify their ability to assist tantric practitioners with their higher meditations.
3. 8 Guiding Monks. They represent the Eight Great Bodhisattvas (Avalokitesvara, Manjushri, Vajrapani, Samantabhadra, Maitreya, Kshitigarbha, Akashagarbha, Sarva-nivarana-viskambini) and they bring about the growth of the Dharma, through the Sangha, Dharma practitioners and Dharma establishments.
4. 10 Youthful & Wrathful Attendants. They represent the ten wrathful attendants to avert inner and outer obstacles. They are beings who are from Mongolia, China, Kashmir, India, Bengali, etc.
5. Setrap. He is a senior Dharma Protector from India and an emanation of Amitabha Buddha. He had enthroned Dorje Shugden as an authentic Dharma Protector. Therefore, he also resides within the same mandala of Dorje Shugden.
6. Kache Marpo. He is not an emanation of Dorje Shugden but he is still an enlightened Dharma Protector in his own right. He was originally known as Tsiu Marpo of Samye Monastery. However, he has placed himself under the service of Dorje Shugden as his chief minister, performing many activities in order to protect and benefit practitioners. Therefore, he stands guard at the main entrance of Dorje Shugden’s mandala. He often takes trance of qualified mediums to speak.
7. Namkar Barzin. He is the reincarnation of an old Mongolian monk and when he passed away in Phari area of Tibet, his spirit was placed as a powerful assistant of Dorje Shugden. He guards and protects buildings and great institutions especially those that benefit others. He rides on a mythical Gyaling animal that resembles a goat but with scales.
These sacred images are available on *Vajrasecrets. They are made of high quality alloy and are one of a kind. They are based on the lineage of His Holiness Panchen Rinpoche’s monastery, Tashilhunpo in Shigatse, Tibet. In fact, the iconography of these statues are based on detailed photographs taken by H. E. Tsem Rinpoche during a trip to Tashilhunpo’s protector chapel. These are based exactly as the 10th Panchen Lama’s personal collection.
Dorje Shugden mandala: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=131570
Dorje Shugden’s benefit and practice: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=62422
Dorje Shugden’s origins: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=106424
Dorje Shugden chapel in His Holiness Panchen Rinpoche’s Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=68698
*Stand not included
His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama
Tibetans commonly refer to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and His Holiness 10th Panchen Lama as the “sun and moon” of Tibetan Buddhism. They are the center of Tibetan Buddhist civilization, which draws to its sphere of influence millions of non-Tibetan practitioners. The Panchen Lama’s incarnation line began with the 16th abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Lobsang Chokyi Gyeltsen (1570 – 1662). He was bestowed the title of Panchen Lama by His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama after being declared as an emanation of Amitabha.
After being given the title, his three previous incarnations were posthumously also bestowed the title, making Lobsang Chokyi Gyeltsen the 4th Panchen Lama. He became a teacher to many Tibetans, Bhutanese and Mongolian religious figures, including His Holiness the 4th and 5th Dalai Lamas, and the 1st Jetsun Dampa of Mongolia. A prolific author, Chokyi Gyeltsen is credited with over a hundred compositions, including a number of commentaries and ritual texts that remain central in the Gelukpa tradition today. Along with his role as a teacher of the Dharma, the Panchen Lamas are usually responsible for the recognition of the rebirths of the Dalai Lamas, and vice versa.
The 10th Panchen Lama, Lobsang Trinley Lhundrub Chokyi Gyeltsen (19 February 1938 – 28 January 1989) continued both the spiritual and political roles of his predecessors. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, his contemporary, was even heard to say and echo the Panchen Lama’s own words that the Dalai Lama would safeguard Tibet from the outside while the Panchen Lama would safeguard Tibet from the inside, as he never left Tibet after the political troubles of 1959. He was truly loved by the Tibetans, all the way until his passing. When he taught, thousands of people would attend, not only from his own Gelug lineage, but masters and practitioners from all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
At his sprawling monastery of Tashi Lhunpo, he has a special chapel specifically dedicated to Dorje Shugden, where prayers and rituals are performed on a daily basis. In his great omniscience the Panchen Lama held Dorje Shugden as the principal Dharma protector of the monastery. He also personally propitiated Dorje Shugden among other Dharma protectors, and even wrote extensive prayers and rituals to Dorje Shugden. These rituals and prayers are contained within his ‘sung bum’ or collected works, which are provided here. As such a great lama, with an erudite and clear understanding of the Buddhist scriptures, a teacher to millions in both Tibet and China, from an established incarnation line and an emanation of the Buddha Amitabha, he could not be mistaken about his practice of Dorje Shugden.
His Holiness 10th Panchen Lama is known for his composition of commentaries and practice texts that are still in use by contemporary Buddhist practitioners both in Tibet and across the world. One of these is a powerful ritual composition propitiating the compassionate Dorje Shugden.
Upon the request by Acharya Lobsang Jangchub to compose a shorter version of the prayer (sadhana) for the exhortation of activities of Dorje Shugden, Panchen Lama immediately composed an abbreviate form of Dorje Shugden’s Kangsol. This text is entitled “Manjunatha’s (Tsongkapa) Lineage protector Dorje Shugden and five forms wrathful propitiations and confessional prayers and fulfilment of activities rites” or “Melodious sound of Accomplishment of the Four Activities” for short. Once the prayers were completed, he had signs and strong feelings that Dorje Shugden has been working hard to protect the Buddhadharma in general and the lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa specifically.
Mirroring the abilities of one of his earlier incarnations, Khedrub Je, a disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa and master of both sutra and tantra, the Panchen Lama used his compositional skill and poetic prowess to create a masterful sadhana. Worthy of note is a praise in which the first letter of each verse is a Tibetan vowel. Such compositions are rarely seen, and have historically only been used when propitiating senior Dharma protectors such as Palden Lhamo and Kalarupa.
The Panchen Lama also stated that while composing the Dorje Shugden sadhana (prayers) he was filled with a sense of happiness and bliss. He ends the composition with not only his official title but his ordination name, Tenzin Trinley Jigme Choje Wangchuk, endorsing the validity of his work. He composed the sadhana in his own Tashi Lhunpo monastery while in the Hall of Clear Light and Bliss.
See the Panchen Lama’s writings and download: https://bit.ly/2KIfeXb
Dear Kecharians and friends,
Last night, I gave a teaching to a group of people who were in Kechara Forest Retreat. I shared with them the correct way to pray for our loved ones and why we shouldn’t “demand” Dorje Shugden with fulfilling our wishes but let Dorje Shugden decide what is the best outcome. He has infinite Manjushri wisdom beyond our own and we should trust this wisdom. Sometimes what we pray for is not what should be fulfilled. Sometimes what we don’t want turns out to be the better result in the future.
I also shared with them about a beautiful monk, Tsawa Pulthok Rinpoche, who was jailed and badly tortured by the soldiers for 19 years, starting back in 1959 in Lhasa, and yet he has no anger towards his torturers. He was released and had resettled in Nepal where I met him. For the remainder of his life, he spent his time in meditation, retreats and pujas for the public until he passed. He was glowing, happy and very proud of the fact he was a student of His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, which he told me when we met. He did full meditations on Vajra Yogini and short puja to Dorje Shugden daily in his small room in Kathmandu, Nepal where I had to honor to join in his prayers. He told me he was very happy to have his room to do his meditations, pujas and prayers openly. Whatever happened to him, he accepted as part of his karma and he spent much time in prison meditating and quietly teaching dharma to his other cellmates. He was very much respected in prison in Lhasa because he never showed anger, always meditated and consoled others, giving them great strength. He endured much hardship, torture and beatings but he never lost his monk vows. His full understanding of karma helped him not feel any anger or bitterness towards the soldiers. He told me that daily, he would meditate that the karma of others in prison would come to him. That all the torture and abuse he received was so others in prison did not have to suffer this. He said suffering for others was what kept him going and made him be able to endure the pain.
We are not bound by our experiences. We are bound by our choice. I also reminded those were present about the good person inside each and every one of us, and how we should not “bury” this good person with our excuses because the more excuses we give, the deeper this good person is buried and soon the layers of excuses will make it very difficult for us to find this good person. We are all beautiful good people and we should not let it get lost by lying, laziness, lack of integrity and procrastination. We all have a choice. If we have to make excuses, we should choose to make excuses to be a winner. When we win, we make ourselves happy and those around us happy.
The teaching session went well and it was spontaneous, and I requested the people who live and work in and around Kechara Forest Retreat for the talk. We had some good laughs to during the talk.
Thank you,
Tsem Rinpoche
‘If we trust in karma which exists, then there is no reason for anger’.
~ Tsawa Pulthok Rinpoche
“If the Dalai Lama, if His Holiness the Dalai Lama can be harmed by Dorje Shugden, then we might as well not practice Buddhism anymore. If His Holiness the Dalai Lama can have his life shortened by a so-called evil spirit, any evil spirit, then can he be Avalokiteshvara? So on one hand you say, we say, I say, everybody says, he is Avalokiteshvara; on the other hand you’re saying that he can harmed by an evil spirit… Which one is it? Can he harmed by an evil spirit or is he Avalokiteshvara? Do you think Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Vajrapani, Tara all take refuge in something else to protect themselves from Dorje Shugden? How illogical is that? How illogical of people to say His Holiness the Dalai Lama can be harmed by an evil spirit, any evil spirit or “Dorje Shugden” evil spirit. How is that possible?” – Tsem Tulku Rinpoche
Photo: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, young Tsem Tulku Rinpoche and Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s tutor Kensur Rinpoche Jampa Yeshe
Thank you Pastor Jean Ai for this article.
So Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen was murdered by this person called Norbu and even though it was known Norbu killed Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen but he was not brought to justice, this is so unfair. Norbu was able to get away because he held a position in the government and he is also a relative to a high official. As a government officer, he was not performing at all and he failed in many of his assignments. Despite his incapability, he was still able to keep his position in the government. This showed how inefficient Tibetan government was.
I wonder why the 5th Dalai Lama allowed Norbu to continue to hold a position in the Tibetan government. Was it because the 5th Dalai Lama did not know how bad Norbu was? or because someone was covering up for Norbu?
Poor Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, not only he was killed and his ladrang was confiscated at that time, until today, he was still blamed for the failure of the Tibetan government.
This eldery & innocent monk in India was brutally attacked, find out why. Shocking– https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=163953
DON’T MISS THIS! FANTASTIC NEW GREAT STUFF! High quality videos redressing the misinformation about Dorje Shugden practice and people and the current sad Tibetan situation and why they are losing ground in the world. Powerful and truthful – CLEAR VIDEOS – https://bit.ly/2LJbo35
Nice short video of a new LED signage reminding us of who we can go to for blessings in case of need: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBwrkaKUoH0
Listening to the chanting of sacred words, melodies, mantras, sutras and prayers has a very powerful healing effect on our outer and inner environments. It clears the chakras, spiritual toxins, the paths where our ‘chi’ travels within our bodies for health as well as for clearing the mind. It is soothing and relaxing but at the same time invigorates us with positive energy. The sacred sounds invite positive beings to inhabit our environment, expels negative beings and brings the sound of growth to the land, animals, water and plants. Sacred chants bless all living beings on our land as well as inanimate objects. Do download and play while in traffic to relax, when you are about to sleep, during meditation, during stress or just anytime. Great to play for animals and children. Share with friends the blessing of a full Dorje Shugden puja performed at Kechara Forest Retreat by our puja department for the benefit of others. Tsem Rinpoche
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbzgskLKxT8&t=5821s
Amazing post!!!!!
Dear friends, For months we have been working on this BEAUTIFUL
and meaningful mural in Kathmandu, Nepal. Please click here to
enjoy the many stunning pictures of this mural:
https://bit.ly/2LgOj8J
Tsem Rinpoche
Sakya tradition’s thangka of Dorje Shugden sitting on a throne within his palace with his four emanations and high Sakya Lamas nearby. Tsem Rinpoche
Antique Pelden Lhamo thangka with sacred Dorje Shugden at the bottom right. Can see Tsongkapa and Guru Rinpoche on the top also. Beautiful and holy.
It is amazing how much this Depa Norbu is allowed to get away with. What more under the very nose of the 5th Dalai Lama who did not act on any of his misdeeds. Its a shame and such great loss to have the great Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen murdered by him. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama should acknowledge that the 5th Dalai Lama’s right-hand man (Depa Norbu) killed Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen who was innocent, and therefore put his ‘spirit’ to rest. Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen the Innocent should be posthumously vindicated then this will begin the healing between Dorje Shugden and the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership in exile. May justice prevail and history not be repeated. Thank you very much Rinpoche and Pastor Jean Ai for highlighting this very interesting history and the murderer of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen ???
Through out human history, villains and unkind beings are allowed to hold office and make significant decision that caused damages, to not just one but many people. For example He Shen during Qianlong Emperor’s time in Qing Dynasty, or Judas Iscariot during Jesus Christ’s time. It is frustrating to learn in hindsight that, for certain particular reasons, circumstantial or purely out of the leader’s selfish motivations, these villains to reign and damage. Shameful and disgusting.
Back to Depa Norbu, as a person, he is unkind, certainly not spiritual. He is self-serving and unscrupulous. He was given power and ascent to the position of Regent, then he flipped and joined the rebellious against Gelug tradition. Why would the crimes of such a person being covered up? The worst of all, he murdered a highly attained lama who arose as an enlightened protector of the lineage and teachings? Something is seriously amiss!
Logically, the Tibetan leaders should have drawn a clear line with Depa Norbu and charged him with all the crimes he have done, including the murder of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. It may seem unfair to charge a person centuries after he is dead, but it should not be new to the Tibetan leadership. They are capable for ascribing wrongs to the dead anyway, i.e. alleging TDG for making a bad prayer when he died and arose as an evil spirit, Dorje Shugden.
The Tibetan leadership should use this unscrupulous tactic now, for the sake of unifying the people as well as undoing the wrong of accusing a highly attained lama (Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen) and reinstating Dorje Shugden. It is really too bad that the Dalai Lama, the King of Tibetan Buddhism and his peers were (still is?) surrounded by people the like of Depa Norbu.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is always talking about resolving conflict through dialogue and mutual understanding. He says it is very important for people of various religious backgrounds to expose themselves to each others’s religious doctrines so that understanding grows. The Dorje Shugden lamas has asked many times to meet His Holiness to have dialogue regarding Dorje Shugden issue/ban. But none of those requests have been answered since 1996. If the Dalai Lama truly practices what he preaches, then he should be open to dialogue even on issues he does not like. He should not control/condemn Dorje Shugden practice based on whether it is beneficial or not, but because he claims he is creating a democratic state. Within democracy, all religions are accepted and allowed. But he does not allow Dorje Shugden followers who number in the hundreds of thousands to meet him, join his secular talks and participate in mainstream Tibetan life in exile in India. If he says there is freedom to practice,then why are Dorje Shugden people segregated? Why are they not allow to meet them. They are Tibetans too.
Samdhong Rinpoche said the mustache must be separated from the mouth. It is a Tibetan proverb meaning a group must be segregated. This is not religious freedom. But subtle blackmail.
His Holiness should be open to Dorje Shugden dialogue to resolve the issue and not let it drag on as people are suffering. Don’t show compassion, tolerance, kindness and acceptance when in other countries. But within his own Tibetan people it is a different policy of segregation if you do not obey the edicts of the Dalai Lama. There is no dialogue and there is harsh segregation. There is no dialogue. Will the Dalai Lama finally show compassion to all Tibetans no matter what their religion is?
????