Dear friends around the world,

We all have much karma that we have collected from previous lives and this life. When these karmas are triggered, they open up into emotional and physical and environmental states of suffering for ourselves. The best way to eliminate obstacles is the meditation on Emptiness, and to focus and to be single-pointed in this meditation. When we do meditation on Emptiness, it is the most profound and powerful way to eliminate obstacles, obstructions, obscurations and residual klesas. By removing the causes of suffering which is karma, then we will not experience its fruits. Having said that, it is very difficult for many people to do such advanced practices such as single-pointed meditation on Emptiness, yet we still experience the results of our actions from previous lives and this life.

So therefore, we experience many, many types of obstacles… physical, mental, environmental… and it creates problems for us to actually do our Dharma practice, or to fulfill our commitments or to take care of our families. So therefore in Tibetan Buddhism there are many methods to remove obstacles, some of which I have spoken about before that is on this blog. And today, I would like to introduce everyone to the removal of obstacles according to the Dharma Protector tradition.

According to H.H. Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, he says that there are two types of Protectors: one is enlightened and one is not enlightened or worldly. Worldly Protectors are beings that are not enlightened but they have been bound by powerful oaths or they have sworn allegiance to benefit others. And sometimes they can be temperamental or difficult and they can even, at times, create obstructions when they are not happy. So, only in certain circumstances would we rely on a worldly Protector.

Extra-worldly Protectors (Protectors that are enlightened) are beings who are manifestations of higher Bodhisattvas or Protectors who themselves have achieved enlightenment aeons ago. Within the enlightened class of Protectors, you have two categories again. One is obviously showing their enlightened form, and the second sub-category is that they are in the form of a worldly Protector but their mind is enlightened. Dorje Shugden and Setrap fall into this category of Protectors who appear as worldly Protectors but are actually fully enlightened… in the case of Setrap, being an emanation of Amitabha; in the case of Dorje Shugden, being an emanation of Manjushri.

The reason why these beings appear in the form of a worldly Protector is because they are karmically closer to us to be able to fulfill our wishes and to help us achieve our spiritual goals. So the analogy that I always like to give is: if you have two very close friends that are equally loving and caring and supportive of your actions, and you live in Japan and one friend lives in Northern Japan and the other one lives in, let’s say, United States. If you became sick or if you needed some help and you contacted both these friends, of course the one that is living in Japan, in the same country as you but further away, would arrive quicker than the friend in America although both of them would like to help you very much.

So, the worldly Protectors that are actually enlightened such as Dorje Shugden, remain in samsara in order to benefit others but appear in a worldly form just like that friend in Japan… where they live in the same country as you and therefore are able to arrive in your assistance immediately, very quickly. So therefore, I am introducing here some videos of my talks on Dorje Shugden given in the past, a few years back, that you may listen to, that will help you. Listen to the essence of it, listen to the teachings, and listen to the meaning behind it. You don’t have to be worried about the technical parts. And then, I am offering you two retreat texts that are compiled by myself from traditional sources, but compiled in such a way that it will be easy for the modern, busy and, if I may say, distracted practitioner to still accomplish some benefits through this Dharma Protector. You have a short retreat manual and then you have a long one. Depending on your time and your understanding, you can do either one.

What is a retreat? A retreat is time taken away from our ordinary, daily, mundane activities set aside specifically to focus on deeper meditation, deeper meditational practices to gain some benefits. So therefore a retreat is when we take time away from our normal everyday activities and set aside time to do the practices. Let’s take the shorter retreat manual as an example. It will be good if, every few months, perhaps every three to six months, we do a short retreat on Dorje Shugden in order to get closer to him and also to achieve the accomplishments that he promises by doing his practice, which are compassion, wisdom, activities, insight, clarity, good memory and removal of obstacles… even helping us to achieve resources that we need to do dharma practice. We can set aside a weekend – Friday, Saturday, Sunday or even Saturday and Sunday – and we can do three to four sessions a day. That means we recite, we change the offerings three to four times a day in accordance to the sessions we wish to engage in, and we do the retreat manual in its entirety three or four times a day. But each time we do the manual, we actually focus on the mantra. The mantra can be recited two ways. According to H.H. Trijang Rinpoche’s tradition, it is “OM BENZA WIKI WITANA SOHA“… according to H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s tradition, it is “OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA“. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche himself said, “Either way is fine. No difference in accomplishing one’s wishes through either method of recitation.”

Now, in the short retreat manual I have enclosed also a picture of a basic altar that you can set up with the offerings to the best of your ability. If you are not able to set up as you see in the illustration, then do the best that you can. Sincerity is the key. And then along with that, you will see downloads of offerings such as Ganze. Ganze is the offering to the Dharma Protector of his clothes, his ornaments, his implements, his environment and sensory offerings. Everything is offered in this Ganze. The Ganze is drawn and illustrated but that is just for us to visualize as vast as space. Therefore, although the Ganze is downloaded and printed out maybe in a 3-inch size or 5-inch size or 8-inch size and is offered up on your altar to Dorje Shugden during retreat, but actually that is just for us to visualize as the size of space: large and big. So, you do the best you can with the offerings. You set up the altar and the offerings as best as you can, and then you proceed.

You can do your retreat in your home, you can do it anywhere in your home, and you can set up the altar anywhere, it is up to you. And you start by following the retreat manual as you see it. The most important part is recitation of the mantra. While you are reciting Dorje Shugden’s mantra, it will be very good to visualize Dorje Shugden in front of you and golden lights coming from his body and entering your body, and within the golden lights are millions and millions and millions of forms of Dorje Shugden’s body, speech and mind. The body is in the form of Dorje Shugden as you see it but in mini form; the speech is in the form of the mantra coming down to you “OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA“; and then the mind is the implements – Dorje Shugden’s sword, Dorje Shugden’s jewel heart, the mongoose and the bowl of jewels. So that – many, many millions and millions of implements falling into you and blessing you – that is Dorje Shugden’s mind. So the body is represented by replicas of his body coming into ourselves, the speech is represented by the mantra, and the implements represent Dorje Shugden’s vajra mind coming and blessing us. So our body, speech and mind become one and closer with Dorje Shugden… ‘closer’ meaning more similar.

In Tibetan Buddhism, when you merge with one’s protective deity or Yidam, it does not mean the deity and us become one. Two consciousnesses cannot become one, that would be illogical. In Tibetan Buddhism, when we say the deity becomes one with us or merges with us, it actually means that we start to take on the qualities of that deity, which is enlightened qualities or enlightened mind. Therefore the merging of a deity with ourselves is not the merging of an enlightened consciousness with our unenlightened consciousness. The merging of a deity is that we are blessed by the deity to start seeing the faults of samsara, to see the sufferings of samsara, and the inherent impermanent nature and the projections that we have put upon samsara, to fool ourselves into thinking that it is a pleasure grove when in fact it is pure suffering. So therefore, the deity blesses us for us to see this and when we see this, we develop renunciation.

By seeing this, we develop renunciation and we realize that we are not the only one with this predicament, that all of our loved ones and the people around us and the people we like and the people we don’t like… in fact, every being in samsara in this world also is in the same predicament and therefore we generate some sort of compassion for these beings, some sort of responsibility, some sort of concern… so Bodhicitta arises in our mind. And realizing that we are living in a supposed pleasure grove, which is actually pure suffering, we develop renunciation, which is an aversion towards samsara. From that, we see everyone is in the same predicament and we develop a compassionate responsibility towards others, that we wish to become a fully enlightened being in order to benefit others and bring them out of suffering. So, some sort of Bodhi mind arises. From that Bodhi mind, we realize that the ultimate view, which is non-dual, that has no delineations, which is a pure view of emptiness, is the only way out of samsara.

We develop a deep respect and insight into shunyata or emptiness. And therefore in this meditation with Dorje Shugden, we gain the Three Principal Paths of renunciation, bodhicitta and correct view. So therefore, with bodhicitta, renunciation and correct view, these are the tools, these are the weapons that we are able to fight our inner samsara with, and with these three tools replacing our delusions, replacing our negative illusions and projections, then we start to become one with the deity. How does that happen? When we take on the Three Principal Paths as part of our being, when our minds start to take on the qualities of the Three Principal Paths, then these are the qualities of a Buddha or our Protector or our deity or our Yidam. Therefore, when our minds start to take on these qualities, we are “merging” with the deity. In other words, we are taking on the qualities of the deity to become an enlightened being.

So therefore in Tibetan Buddhism, when you do retreats, you wish to get closer to the deity, you wish to merge with the deity. Now when you say closer and merge, it has the connotation that the deity enters you and you become one with them. That is not possible. Why? We are separate consciousnesses; two consciousnesses cannot become one. One is enlightened, one is not enlightened. So therefore the words “become closer”… by retreat, by meditation, by mantra, by making offerings, by recitation, by doing prayers with the deity, by merging with the deity, we are taking on the characteristics of the deity more and more. What are the characteristics? The characteristics are inherent in all sentient beings who have consciousness and have the potential to become a fully enlightened being. So the qualities you are taking on are the enlightened qualities of a Buddha.

Therefore, merging with a deity is merging with one’s inner potential of enlightenment. Therefore, when we do this retreat, when we do this practice, the purpose of doing this practice is to develop these three qualities that lead us to enlightenment: renunciation, bodhicitta and shunyata. And by merging these qualities or arising within these qualities… by arising within these qualities, what happens is we have the tools and we have the weapons to fight our inner samsaras. Why? When we are unhappy with the situation around us, we apply shunyata. When we are feeling selfish, when we are feeling “we cannot go on anymore”, when we are feeling spoilt, when we are feeling lazy, when we are feeling unmotivated, then we apply renunciation and along with that, impermanence. And then, when we are feeling very, very “don’t care about anyone, just me, me, me, me, me”, when we are feeling very self-centered, we apply Bodhicitta. Bodhicitta is that all of us are in the same situation.

So these are three very powerful tools that we can use to fight our inner samsara, and that is the whole purpose of doing any enlightened Dharma Protector’s practice. It is to solicit them to gain these qualities in order that we can have these qualities that give us a breathing space to practice Dharma. So doing Protector practice is helpful for doing Dharma practice. Doing Protector practice of any type – Palden Lhamo, Mahakala, Kalarupa, Dorje Shugden, Setrap, Vaishravana – is not particularly Dharma practice per se but they assist us in Dharma practice.

What is Dharma practice? Dharma practice is learning the teachings of the Buddha, whether it is the Kangyur or Tangyur, whether it is something like… as profound as the condensed teachings of the Buddha: Lamrim, Three Principal Paths, etc. To learn these teachings, to meditate and contemplate on them, apply them and gain the results of these teachings to transform our minds from something that is self-centered, unhappy, depressed, angry, into something that is beneficial, that focuses out, that wishes to be of benefit to others, that has repulsion toward self-centered activities… that is Dharma practice. So, when we do Protector practice, we are actually actualizing the blessings of the Protector to help us gain the tools, bless us on the path, and to help us even to gain resources in order to practice the actual Dharma. Therefore, doing Dharma Protector practice during the degenerate age is very helpful because in the degenerate age, everything is degenerated.

There are five types of degeneration – the degeneration of life-span, time, disturbing emotions, view and experience. The five degenerations is according to environment and where we live. These five degenerations actually help and assist our negative karma to open up even more. For example, if you are walking over a smooth floor, the chances of you pricking your feet are almost nil. Whereas if you are walking over broken glass, even very slowly, the chances of you puncturing your feet and bleeding are very high. Kaliyuga is like walking over glass. Kaliyuga is a combined degenerate time as a result of the group of sentient beings living in this era. So the group of sentient beings living in this era create the Kaliyuga, which is an environmental circumstance that helps us to open up more anger, more selfishness, more desire, more hatred, more negative states of mind that are planted in our mind stream from negative karmas from the past. So it is an environment that helps you to open up more negative karma.

Therefore, during the Kaliyuga, we are more easily swayed towards samsara’s false delights and therefore able to open up negative karma faster and quicker. And the negative karma doesn’t run out because as you open your negative karma, you do the actions that create even more negative karma, so whatever fuel you use is immediately refueled. So therefore, during the Kaliyuga, Protector practice is even more important and urgent because the whole environmental situation that we exist in perpetuates more negative states of mind. For example, if you are near the fire, you are going to feel heat; if you are near ice, you are going to feel cold. So if you are near any of these objects, they are going to affect you because of the nature of what they are. Fire is heat, ice is cold; so therefore if you are near ice, you are going to feel cold; if you are near fire, you are going to feel heat because that is their nature. So, if you are in Kaliyuga, its nature is degeneracy – hatred, selfishness, anger, desire, attachment, miserliness. So if you are living in this era… this era, this time is created by the group living in that realm, therefore it will prompt your karma to open more towards the negative. So Dharma Protector practice counters this very, very strongly. Ok? So the purpose of Dharma Protector practice can be Dharmic in nature if our motivation is to gain higher attainments.

As a subsidiary, as a side benefit, obstacles are removed and resources are gathered. Ok? So at the same time, when you do Dorje Shugden’s retreat, what is very powerful is – because he is no other than Manjushri – all of Manjushri’s seven types of wisdoms or types of clairvoyances are granted to us… clarity, good memory, clear understanding of Dharma is granted to us. So therefore, when you do Dorje Shugden practice, although he appears as a Dharma Protector, realizing that his true nature is Manjushri, you will know that you are blessed by Manjushri’s supreme seven types of wisdoms. You are blessed.

So therefore, to do Dorje Shugden’s practice is to counter the Kaliyuga, counter the five degenerations of Kaliyuga. Then, to do Dorje Shugden’s practice is to gain the merit, to gain resources that you need to help you along the path and protection. Why do you gain protection when you do Dorje Shugden’s practice? Because he is Manjushri and Manjushri’s definitive meaning is emptiness. The ultimate protection from samsara is the realization of emptiness. Therefore, when you do Dorje Shugden’s practice, you are tapping into the energy of the Buddha’s realization of emptiness. When you tap into the Buddha’s realization of emptiness, you are countering samsara directly, head on. Therefore by doing Dorje Shugden’s practice, you counter the five degenerations of the Kaliyuga, and you lessen your aptitude to open up the negative karma because you are putting a block. You are also gaining the seven types of wisdoms from Manjushri. You are also creating the karma and the merit to realize emptiness because you are contacting no other than Manjushri. On top of that, you are creating the karma to gain resources and to purify karma that will create more obstacles or have obstacles rule your life.

Therefore by doing Dorje Shugden’s practice, it is very, very beneficial in many, many ways if your motivation is correct, which is the Three Principal Paths… then it becomes a Dharma practice. But I would like to stress here, Dharma practice is not Dharma Protector practice. Dharma practice is the transformation of the mind and Protector practice is to help us in this. Therefore, my team of writers and myself all have worked very hard these past few days and we have compiled and put up from traditional sources Dorje Shugden’s retreat, manual and practice and prayer for everyone to do. You can do the short one every single day as is, or you can do it on special weekends and special timings.

Every few months, take a spiritual break. Take one day off, two days off, three days off, go some place or just in your home. Set aside time, set aside the offerings, prepare and do a Dorje Shugden retreat according to the manual. And when you do a Dorje Shugden retreat, you can recite the short manual two or three times a day and focus on the mantra during each time you are doing it. Ok? So that means you recite the manual from beginning to end but at the mantra part, you do more and you collect. So, let’s say that you do it in the morning… one session, and you do 5000 mantras then you write down “5000 mantras”. Then the second session you do, it could be 2000 mantras, write down “2000”. Then the third session, you can do 1000 mantras, you write down “1000”. So, at the end of the day, that day you have done 8000 mantras. So every weekend, you set a goal. You say, “Ok, this weekend I am going to do 10,000 mantras… this weekend I am going to do 20,000 mantras…”

Make your goal of mantra recitation small and simple so that you don’t feel bogged down, you don’t feel overwhelmed, you don’t feel so tired… because people who do their retreats in the beginning should do it less but with good quality. So therefore, that can be like Friday or Friday evening, then Saturday you can do another three sessions, Sunday you can do another three sessions and finish. If you are busy, you can do one or two sessions on Friday, one or two sessions on Saturday and maybe just one session on Sunday. How many sessions you do per day does not really matter but traditionally in Tibet, we do four sessions per day. Although it is traditional, there is nothing traditional in this sadhana because it has been condensed; it has been highly condensed to suit the busy individual of today. So therefore, you can do this whole thing for a week. Try to finish a minimum of 100,000 mantras of Dorje Shugden per year. That means you can do several retreats throughout the year to finish 100,000. I repeat, you can do several retreats throughout the year to finish up to 100,000 and do a good dedication. The more you do, the more you benefit. It is up to the individual.

After you are done with the items that you have offered, you can give it to the birds or you can clear it out in a clean place. Dorje Shugden is the emanation of Manjushri. Therefore, Dorje Shugden himself is label-less and has no labels. Who can practice Dorje Shugden? Some people say it is only Gelugpas and it is only for Gelugpas but I would like to respectfully refute that, because that would mean only the Nyingmas can pray to Guru Rinpoche and only the Gelugpas can pray to Tsongkhapa and that is totally illogical. From the side of Guru Rinpoche, Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden they are fully enlightened Buddhas, so who can and cannot pray to them has no limitations. And if there are limitations, they are made up by people of ignorance. Therefore Dorje Shugden will help anyone, any gender, any background. Whether they are Buddhist or not, it does not matter.

Dorje Shugden does not harm anyone because the very nature of a Buddha has no inclination to harm. Therefore, it is impossible to harm anyone. Then, Dorje Shugden will bless and help and assist anyone from any culture, any background who sincerely asks for help. What is important is to ask for help but do not command which way you need to be helped. We do not have the foresight, knowledge, wisdom and clairvoyance to say it should be done this way so that long-term, it will turn out well. We should request help and however the help comes, accept because sometimes the help does not come the way we want, because the way we want may not be beneficial long-term although short-term it might look pretty good. Therefore, to trust and rely on Manjushri’s wisdom, to pray, and then let it go.

So, Dorje Shugden’s practice can be done by anyone, any place, any time, and there are no limitations or restrictions. There is absolutely no harm and it only can benefit. Most important is consistency – consistency in doing the practice. What pleases Dorje Shugden the most according to what he says through the oracles and through the writings of the great Lamas and through many, many people’s experience with him? It is not your offerings, it is not your mantra, it is not your elaborate altar to him. What pleases Dorje Shugden the most is the transformation of our minds from that of a self-centered person to that of a person who focuses out and brings benefit to others and sees the faults of samsara. Why does that please him? Because a Dharma Protector protects us from samsara to reach the Dharma. And when he protects us, he or she protects us from samsara to achieve Dharma… that person becomes an enlightened being and free from samsara.

The ultimate protection of a Dharma Protector is to protect us from ourselves. How does he do that? By blessing our path, our lives, our environment with what we need to achieve enlightenment. So… we need to be poor, by doing his practice we will remain poor. For some of us, we’ll think, “Oh, that’s so scary. You know, that’s not what I want.” What you want and what you need are two different things. If you are going to rely on the Buddha’s wisdom to get what you want, you are not going to get what you want… you are going to get what you need. For some people who do Dorje Shugden’s practice, all the resources come. For some people who do Dorje Shugden’s practice, they become sicker… for some they become more healthy. Why? It is not Dorje Shugden making you sick, poor, rich or healthy. It is Dorje Shugden opening up the karma that you need to experience to purify you of those karmas so that you can go to the next step.

So therefore, when we do Dorje Shugden’s practice, you have to understand… he blesses us with the situation that we need to become attained, to leave samsara, to understand the Dharma, to realize and practice the Dharma. He doesn’t give us what we want and need to increase our greed, increase our self-centeredness, increase our selfishness. That would defeat the purpose of a Dharma Protector. So therefore, what pleases Dorje Shugden? Kindness, compassion, generosity, meditative stabilization, effort, consistency, respect and gaining Bodhicitta and realization of shunyata. This is what pleases him. Why does this please him? Because his whole purpose to arise as a Dharma Protector is to protect us from samsara to achieve Dharma. Hence, he is a Dharma Protector. Ok?

So, the liturgies that you see in Dorje Shugden’s practice are the same as in most Dharma Protectors’ practice, which is you see a lot of graphic, violent types of requests, which is tantric symbology. There is nothing in the Dharma Protector’s practice that will harm another being. Again it is impossible that Dharma Protectors of an enlightened nature could harm another sentient being because they have no karma to harm, they have no inclination to harm… hence, they are enlightened. Therefore the graphic nature of some of the prayers you see in the Dharma Protector practices, such as in Dorje Shugden, will seem very violent but all the violence is directed symbolically to our inner ego and self-centeredness.

So therefore, this Protector practice, in short, has been compiled by myself from traditional sources. I have watered it down to a very simple form, to a very easy form, easy to follow. And there are lots of rituals and rites and meditations and recitations that I have deleted, not because I don’t think you are qualified to do it, but because I do not think you will have the time to do it. So therefore, you do not need initiation, you do not need permission or oral transmission to do the practice that I have here. I have provided it for you to do at your convenience so that you can gain the protection of a great Dharma Protector such as Dorje Shugden.

I wish everyone good luck in their Dharma practice and in order to enter the practice of Dorje Shugden, make a good motivation to achieve the highest attainments to become a fully enlightened being. Whether you pray to Tsongkhapa, Buddha, God, Krishna, Earth Spirits, Devas, Fairies, Gnomes… it does not matter. Dorje Shugden is a fully enlightened being. You can be who you are, as you are, and whatever religion you are in, whatever lineage or sect or practice you are in and still contact Dorje Shugden. I would like to stress very, very strongly: Dorje Shugden is not for one group of people, one school of Buddhism or one sect of people. That is absolutely impossible. Dorje Shugden is for anyone who wishes help, assistance, blessings, wisdom and clarity. Dorje Shugden is a World Peace Buddha and Protector. Therefore I wish everyone good luck.

All of us here are very happy to revive all this information and write-ups and compilations for all of you. And I would like to stress again that the compilation of the short retreat sadhana as well as the longer one is from traditional sources to suit people of today’s temperament. Now, if you take the short retreat manual and the long one that I have provided, they are different from the actual traditional ones done in the monasteries or done by traditional practitioners because they will allocate time and energy and place to do it. All of us may not have the time or the energy or the help to do it. So, I have done it in such a way that it is simple, short and easy. So, if you compare to the traditional manuals you will say, “There are a lot of things missing.” There are not a lot of things missing; it has been purposely omitted so that the remaining compilation will be the gist yet it will still bring you great blessings.

So, I have done this with the motivation of saving everyone out there time. You have to work, you have to pay your bills, you have to take care of your family, you have to even take care of your attachments. So in between, we can allocate some time to do Protector practice. The short retreat manual can be done every day, and during retreats you can do an extended version, which is to do three/four sessions a day. Or you can just do the prayer that I have composed to Dorje Shugden every single day and the retreat sadhana you can do on special allocated times. And then, the very, very long one, if you have any issues or questions, you can contact any of our qualified pastors. On my blog, you will see a section on the homepage to the right: “Questions to the Pastors“. You may ask them, there are many qualified pastors and students who can explain more, who have done the longer retreats, and who are well-versed in the longer retreats for any questions. Ok?

I wish everyone good luck. Sarva mangalam!

Tsem Rinpoche

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H.E. Telo Rinpoche (left), H.H. Khutughtu Khalkha Jetsun Dampa (center) and
H.E. Tsem Rinpoche (right).

Yes, you may turn it on now. You. All rituals, all practices, things of Tantric nature are not allowed to be recorded unless they have my permission. If they are recorded without my permission or in any case, the Lama’s permission, those transmissions have no power and they will be a downfall on your Tantric vows. A downfall.

So, do not take it very lightly, do not put your things away sarcastically or slowly because the Lama has told you to put it away. You put it away immediately because it will be a downfall on your Tantric commitments if you were to record or to write or do anything without permission. And as usual, some of you will not believe me. You look at any Tantric text at the front… English: “You read at your own risk”. So, by doing that, you create a downfall in your own vows. So, be very alert and very aware for Tantric teachings.

I am very strict on Tantra, very strict and I don’t play the fool. And those of you who know me more than one day or one year, you should know that also. So, do not play the fool with Tantra with me. Any recording, any type of writing, any type of… anything you want, even video, you must have my explicit permission – explicit. Do not assume. Do not record and say, “Oh, we can erase it later.” No, it’s a Tantric infraction. Remember that.

Alright now, can I have the list of things I want to talk about? I’m sure you wrote nicely for me and you know, to present it. I’m sure it’s not your little ‘scribbley’, ugly notes because you know, you like me? Oh, you did. You can get lost now. Erm, could you rewrite it neatly real fast? Oh my, my. With the students like that, we’re going to move fast. Alright, quick, quick, quick, quick, quick. I saw that. Did everybody see Joe having a drink without my permission? Take a look at him, David. Give him a dirty, evil, I-am-holier-than-thou-looks, like I didn’t drink without permission and you did. Come on, give him one of those looks. Quick! Hurry up! Oh my, my, my!

They do that at some of the Dharma retreats we had in America. I had this lady – I don’t want to say her name because I got yelled at by Zong Rinpoche last time for gossiping – anyway, she was extremely wealthy and she was extremely devoted to Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa. She still is, as far as I know. I don’t know, she’s works somewhere in America and she’s this Jewish lady, very, very nice. She became Buddhist and [Inaudible]… Anyway, she’s everywhere, she’s in every teaching, she’s in every place, every Dharma talk, and she’s very devoted. She’s not there to show off, she’s really devoted.

And what happens is this, is that she’s very particular… Everything you do must be perfect, everything must be correct and she’s was very uptight, she was very stiff and very hard. She was extremely smart. You know, she can do mandalas, she can do everything like a real Tibetan, you know, Lama, and she did it perfectly; she did the rituals, she did the sadhana… everything she did perfectly. But she was very uptight and a lot of anger. So, if you didn’t do something right, she would shout, she would scream, and she would throw her bitch fit at you. So, in the center, it was very strange because here you are attending Dharma talks, and doing mantras and serving your Lama, and behind, you are shouting and screaming away. So, I thought… weird. I thought it was weird but I was like 18, 17… I dare not say anything, I didn’t want to be shouted at… but then I grew out of that…

Anyway, she didn’t say much to me because I was the personal attendant to His Holiness Zong Rinpoche. So, she wanted to see him, she had to go through me. You know, one time I was washing dishes in the kitchen and to go to Zong Rinpoche’s room, you have to go past me… There was one German lady, very rich, she’d come in to teachings with helicopters. So, we’d be in some part of LA or we’d be in some part of like, yeah, LA county. She’d actually fly in on a helicopter, land, come for teachings and then she’d fly off. She’d do that all the time. I don’t know, she was a big, whatever, superstar; her name was Ingrid. Nice lady actually.

So, one day, big rich Ingrid, beautiful, ex-model, German, spoke five to six languages, very intelligent lady, very I mean, VERY… and anyway, one day I was washing dishes and little runaway Burcha was washing dishes in the kitchen… [Inaudible]… And I saw this, I swear to God, through the corner of my peripheral vision, you know, I saw Ingrid at the back with her heels… she had all these fabulous clothes on, she had these heels, and she’s rich, and jewellery, and I saw her behind me like this… [Laughter] I was like, “What?” And she was like, trying to go behind me, and I was like

“Where you going, Ingrid?”

She was like, “Argh!” Then she became very indignant. She said to me, “I am going to go see Zong Rinpoche and you can’t stop me.”

I said, “I’m not going to stop you. I just want to make sure there’s nobody up there so they don’t listen to your secret conversation.”

She goes, “Oh!” And then she said, “Anyway, you people in the center always want power.”

She speaks very good English with a slight German accent and she’ll be like, “And you know, I’m tired of all these games. I’m a sponsor of Rinpoche and I can go in and see him when I want and some more, I flew all the way from Germany.”

So I was rolling my eyes washing the dishes, I was like, “Mmhmm, uh huh, mmhmm, yeah, mmhmm.” I’ve heard it all, they’ve tried all kinds of… and she was like, “I need to see Rinpoche NOW!”

And I said, “Look…” And she was screaming at me you know, very indignant. And I said to her, “Look, you don’t have to scream at me. I’m a slave. I’ll go up and I’ll take a look. If Rinpoche is free, I’ll ask him and if he’s not, I can’t just let you go run up and down.” I said, “Why? Number one, you are a woman…”

“What’s this thing about being a woman? Am I trying to sleep with Rinpoche?”

I said, “No, that’s not the point.” I said, “It’s Tibetan etiquette, women don’t go into Rinpoche’s room ALONE. It’s not that you’ll jump on Zong Rinpoche and rape him.”

She goes, “Oh, this woman thing, it is unfair! Women don’t have the same opportunities in Tibetan Buddhism as men!”

H.H. Zong Dorje Chang and H.E. Tsem Rinpoche in Los Angeles

I was like, “Oh God, would you save it with the feminist crap?” And she went on and on and on. And she was very passionate. She didn’t say this to get me, she was very passionate. She was very, very passionate. And you know what, I forgot to tell you, she speaks perfect Tibetan, and reads and writes perfectly in Tibetan. Perfectly. She memorized the language just like that [Snap fingers], perfectly. She would go up to see Zong Rinpoche, and go through the sadhanas with him and questions and all that stuff, and commentaries and read to her [Inaudible]Yeah, that’s how intelligent this lady was. Anyway, so I said, “I’m very sorry, I don’t mean any disrespect. I know you’re a great sponsor, I know you’re a great help, a great devotee. I’ll go find out.”

I went upstairs to ask Zong Rinpoche and then, Tenzin Wangchuk came down, the assistant… and blah blah blah blah blah… and she went up there to have an audience with him for about 45 minutes. She was very happy, she came down, she goes, “Thank you very much.” And she went on and on and on. I was like, “Urgh.” I wanted to throw a banana peel but never mind about that… be nice… And she left. And after that, we became friends and then she liked me a lot, she said, “I think you can be a model.”

So one day, she came and slapped on a whole bunch of makeup on me and took pictures of me outside… like that, like that, like that. She drove me around in her little two-seater Mercedes and you know, I was like, “Oh, now she likes me.” And then we became ok friends. Not bad at all and that’s after I caught her sneaking by. Can you believe that? Sneaking by, I caught her. And I have this karma, I always get into situations with people like that. You know, I’m not the one that, you know, it’s just, you know, I don’t see it or they can do this… Always I get caught. It’s not the first time; all the time. All the time.

Very, very, very uptight and very, very intelligent, extremely angersome, extremely volatile and oh my God! She will shout at the top of her lungs at the people that she likes, and that’s the people she likes by the way, because I got it a few times. And she told me… Actually I know she likes me… After a while, I shouted back but I put up with it. Oh god, she would shout and scream, shout and scream at the most petty, stupid, ridiculous things. And then, we became very good friends. She never shouted again, I don’t know what happened. We became very good friends. I’ll always remember her.

She’s very, very good in… ritually, you know… inward, I don’t know… Tantric practices, she was very good. Can you imagine this German lady, back in the 80’s, can speak perfectly, and read and write in Tibetan. Just imagine that. She’ll sit in teachings, she’ll listen to Zong Rinpoche, it just gets absorbed. And she understands it perfectly in Tibetan; she doesn’t have to wait for the translator. Perfectly. She didn’t stay in the monastery to study; she just said I want to. She said to me, “I learned this so that I can get Dharma directly, so that I don’t have to go to translators because you know, it’s not authentic.” Can you imagine that? Do you know how she did it? Oh, she translated for the UN also, now I remember. She worked with the United Nations. I wonder where she is? I’m sure she’s in Germany or somewhere. In any case, she just got books – Tibetan books – and she’s got to study on her own. That’s how she did it. She didn’t wait for anybody, she didn’t look, nothing. She’s the type that just does it. Very powerful Vajrayogini lady, very powerful Vajrayogini energy, very, very powerful. Actually, you know, she was a great Vajrayogini practitioner as far as I can remember. Something like that.

Anyway, ok. Alright… We’ve reached a stage where our organization needs to grow. The obstacles for it to grow are over, so whether we do business, whether we expand the center, whether we expand the temple, whether we expand our retreats, whether we expand our personal work for the Dharma, it will definitely grow. The ingredients are consistency – stable consistency – and knowledge, behaviour, outlook.

There is no reason why our organization will not grow now. There’s no reason. It will grow. Five years, I was given by the great Protector who told me, literally all of us to lie low. And now it’s all the way. So those of us who are still sleepy, those of us who still are not alert, those of us who are not pushing ourselves to move ahead, well, you’re not going to be able to collect so much merit, you’re not going to be able to be involved directly until you wake up and you become alert. What we need to do is, very important is the way we dress, very important. The way we talk, the way we act and the example we give other people.

Karmically, there’s no reason why we will not expand and grow. Karmically no reason. The only reason it will be delayed is by our own actions and by the way we behave. And the most important is how we behave with each other. How we behave with each other is going to make us grow. Why? We can be… I’m not talking about just other Dharma students. A) It starts with people, with our families, with our wives and husbands, with our brothers and sisters, with our kids, with our partners, with our co-workers. How we behave with each other is very, very important. And when I say behave, I don’t mean that you’re little kids who are nasty and you’re fighting. I don’t mean it that way. I mean, to break the habituation of the way we usually talk. I’ll tell you why.

If we don’t break this habituation of the way we usually talk, we’re being hypocritical. Hypocrisy. Why? If we don’t talk nice to the people that are sitting right next to us, living in our own house – our wives and husbands – and we don’t transform that, how do we expect to transform on the outside? So, if we cannot talk nicely with our own people, if we start talking to outside people, it’s hypocrisy. And that will not add to our practice. As I said many times, practice Dharma at home. Dharma starts at home. Home meaning where? Ourselves and the people around us. Then we expand.

So, you’re saying what does that have to do with the organization growing? Everything. Everything. Why everything? Because if we don’t talk correctly with the people around us and we don’t start training with the people around us, when do we expect to start training? With people that we see once in a blue moon? With the people that we see once in a while? No. We have to start talking very nicely and very kindly and very respectfully. And we have to change our habituation of the way we’ve been talking to the people who are very close to us, that we’ve been talking to for the last one year, five years, 20 years, 50 years, whatever. We have to. If we don’t do that, that awareness will not be there.

When that awareness is not there, the minute something goes wrong, we’re going to throw a ‘BF’, and that sets a very bad image on the outside. That’s a bad image for you as a Yidam – those of you who are doing Tantric practice – that the Yidam is very bad. You know why? You are denying who you really are. Each time you sink down into the low depths, you deny who you are. So each time you do that, the other person that you’re trying to get, immediately gets it and you feel satisfied. But in the end, you get it because you deny who you are. So… you are “Yamantaka” and you act un-Yamantaka, then you bring yourself down on the lowest level. You will never be able to bring your family members and people close to you into the Dharma. Never. Never. Why? Because you’re only acting. You’re only acting.

People who are not acting… even people they just meet on the streets, they can bring to the Dharma. Oh yes. You see, you can eat dinner with the person, you can shout at the person, you can have sex with the person, you can fight with the person, you can punch the person, you can slap the person, you can tell the person off – if your motivation is Dharma, those people will come to the Dharma. Why? Listen carefully. It is not the action, it is the intent. Then, if it’s the intent, it must be intent that has been practiced for many years, many, many lifetimes. So, some people shout, they bring people to the Dharma; some people shout, people run. Why is that? Because it’s with intent that’s been built up for many lifetimes and the power behind it.

So, what you do with a person doesn’t really matter. I’m not saying throw caution to the wind. I’m not saying there’s no vows. No! No, no, no, no, no. Example, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was famous for shouting and beating and screaming. Famous! Not once or twice. If you did something wrong – you’re the Abbot, you’re the head of the monastery, you’re anyone – you’ll be called into Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s room and he will slap you and beat you. And you know what, he’ll have his attendants lock the door from the outside, to make sure you can’t run some more. Because he’s older, he can’t chase you. He will beat you and slap the crap out of you. But you will become MUCH better after that.

Of course, those kinds of wrathful Tantric actions, we cannot do in countries such as Malaysia or America – outside of Tibet. People don’t have that kind of understanding. They don’t have the merits to understand and to purify their karma so quickly. But there are lamas who have wrathful Tantric actions, who can shout at you and purify your karma, and who can slap you and beat you – literally punch you or slap you – and make your mind clear. Why? Because of their intention. But in outside countries, we can’t do things like that. I’ll tell you why – people don’t accept.

People don’t know and they don’t have the merits to purify quickly. It will be faster… from a high Tantric practitioner to get a slap very hard than to do a Vajrasattva retreat. So, if your Lama is so kind that he would put himself in a position to slap you very hard, and then you accept and you have no… you don’t have any kind of negative thoughts and you, in fact, submit, your karma will be purified. It will be like staying in a Vajrasattva retreat. Imagine Vajrasattva 100,000, how long that takes? But people don’t have the merits to receive that. Why? They don’t believe, they don’t trust, and they don’t push.

How do they know? Because if the Lama tells you to do something, you will do it whether he’s watching or not. If the Lama tells you, “Be nice. Don’t shout. Don’t fight.” and you keep doing that, you don’t create the karma for the Lama to purify your karma. You don’t do. So, you do a retreat instead… The next step and the next step and the next step. Why? It becomes longer.

Why is wrathful tantric action able to do that? Because of your connection to the Lama. And if you have created pain for someone, the pain comes back to you any way, but the Lama can make it manifest very fast. Very, very fast and very, very quickly. Why? Many lifetimes of absorbing people’s pain. You see, when we absorb people’s pain, it isn’t that their problems come to you and then you just suffer it. When you absorb people’s pain on the most highest absolute level, you are patient with them, you accept their faults and even though they disappoint you and break their promises, samayas and they always lie to you and they are hypocritical and no matter how many times you tell them – don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t, you still patiently teach them, and help them, and be kind to them and have patience with them. On the highest absolute level, that is accepting other people’s pain.

Why? Normal people, 1, 2, 3 strikes, you’re out. You’re out! Nobody will put up with lies. In business, if you lie, you get a bad reputation. Immediately, they’ll spread that in the market. “She’s a liar.” “He’s a liar.” “He doesn’t pay.” “He doesn’t do this.” Immediately, it will spread in the market. In a relationship, when you cheat on your relationship, everybody will know. “He’s a cheater.” “He’s a womanizer.” “She’s a prostitute.” “She’s a slut.” “She sleeps around.” Immediate! Then, if you don’t take care of your kids, in other countries they call people in to check on you. So, any place… in the village, if you do something wrong – you steal – you’ll have a reputation. Not only you, your whole family, down. “That’s the parents of the stealer.”

So in business we cannot lie, we cannot break our commitments, we cannot break our promises. Why? Then, you don’t get money. In relationships, you can’t do that. Why? Then you don’t get a beautiful wife, a beautiful husband that will love you and give you support and [Inaudible]. You cannot cheat. For your kids, they lose respect and when they grow up, they become monsters, and they don’t care about you. In life, if you break your commitments and you break your samaya – what’s a commitment? What’s samaya? Samaya is a promise you made – nobody respects you. When you don’t have people’s respect, what happens? You can’t move on in life. Whatever you do will have more obstacles. Why? People don’t believe you. People don’t trust you. Why? Because you keep breaking your promises.

So, if in life, just for one short life, we can’t keep our commitments to our friends, to our parents, to our children, to our wives or husbands, to ourselves – even a commitment to ourselves we cannot keep – how to do spiritual practice? Because your commitments that you keep in one life is just for this life. It’s for your happiness of this life. What about commitments to Dharma? All future lives. All future lives. This life and future lives. And not only that, remember something: Dharma commitments and samaya – ‘Damtsig‘ – is also affecting everybody around you directly.

When you break your commitment to your Guru, you think, “Oh my God, I have this, I have that, I shouldn’t have done that.” You see, you have to understand something. You have to understand something very clearly. When you go to Genting Highlands and you take 1 million dollars to gamble, you can win 10 million dollars back, or you can lose it all; that’s a gamble. But you don’t blame Genting Highlands if you lose money.

So, you don’t blame your Guru if you’ve taken commitments because no one twisted your arm around to take commitments, no one put the gun to your head to go get initiation; you yourself went to get initiation. Some of us got Yamantaka, some of us got Vajrayogini, some of us got Heruka, some of us got Manjushri, some of us got refuge, some of us got Bodhisattva vows, some of us got Kalachakra… No one twisted your arm! In fact, we run around advertising to people, “Oh, I was very lucky I got this initiation, I got that practice.” Right? No one twisted your.. no one forced you to go into the Dharma.

So don’t say, “Oh, Dharma commitments are difficult.” Don’t talk about “Guru Devotion is difficult.” Don’t talk about “50 Stanzas are difficult.” Don’t talk about all of that. You see, in life if you don’t keep your commitments, you don’t move ahead. Why? Your bad reputation, whatever your motivation. Because people say, “I didn’t mean it that way.” It doesn’t matter if you mean it that way or not. You see, you don’t go through the rest of your life telling people “I didn’t mean it that way”, “I didn’t mean that”, “Why am I misunderstood?”, “Why don’t they understand what I am trying to do?”, “Why? Why? Why?” Don’t talk about all that. Your actions become worse. You see, five billion people on this planet don’t have time to check you out and see what kind of person you are inside. So they just look on the outside. Very simple.

So, if you break a commitment in business, you will lose. You will lose your reputation, you will lose your name, you will lose your fortune, you will lose your fame. And you know what? If people are not nice to you, they’ll turn around and get you back. You know why they get you back? Because you broke your commitment and they’re angry. And you may have broken your commitment because your grandmother was in the hospital, your father was in the hospital, your mother, your wife, your kids – everybody is in the hospital. And you know, you have to take 1 billion dollars out and pay for their medical bills. And you know, it is like that if you… Some places… Singapore? Oh god… America? You lose a fingernail, it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg. My point? Nobody cares. Nobody thinks about that. And it’s unfortunate. And you don’t keep blaming the world. Why? You have to understand that it is YOU.

So, when you break a commitment – when you promise to do something, and you make that commitment and you don’t do it – ‘damtsig nyamba‘: your commitment and your samaya goes… is going to go down. And in all the spiritual practices, especially in the Protector practice, ‘damtsig nyamba‘ is at the beginning of the practice, because the sadhana is very long. And we have to actually do practices to purify, meditations to purify.

Ven. Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen

And let me tell you something. When our broken commitments are very big and very strong, this is what happens, alright? It becomes… one Geshe explained it to me from the commentary of Lord Dorje Shugden – and this applies to all deities – written by His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang… that when we break our commitments… By the way, in the sadhana of Dorje Shugden, there’s not one, there’s two places for confession. Two. That’s how important it is. When you break your commitment, you bind the hands of your Protector, and you cover his face, and you put some kind of… something strong over him; he cannot move. It’ll have that kind of effect when you break your commitment. Ok?

“Rinpoche, can I write?” He’s recording everything. Yes, you can write it. And next time, raise your hand. We’re in a classroom, I’m the teacher. So you go, “Excuse me.” You get that all the time, raise your hand and ask… Oh! Yellow shirt. I don’t know what his name is. Anyway, I just remember “yellow shirt.” Huh? The name is JP? We got AP, we got JT and we got TC. Yeah, Tashi is TC, Tashi Caduff. TC. I didn’t make it up, that’s her name. TC. What? AU? Andee Uetz. The first time I said it, “You’re not saying it right.” I was like, “I don’t care, I’m not German, I’m sorry.” I don’t speak German. Too bad! And you’re going to get other names I say right. But he’s used to that now.

[Inaudible] Yes, which part should I tell ya? A lot of this is not allowed. You guys are not allowed…

The practices that please any Dharma Protector and especially Dorje Shugden… and you listen very carefully, alright… [Tibetan phrase] Although I have had many Gurus who have shown the path of Sutra and Tantra, I am impure in thought, in action. That is explained exactly in the Vinaya, the Abhidharma and the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion. And thus, and so by a rain of downfalls which I tearfully regret. And I purify now. That’s how you confess. How do you confess your vows? In relations to the Vinaya, if you’re a Sangha; in relations to the Abhidharma, if you’re a layperson; in relations to the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion. And the word here is doengoe lamrim lama ngachupa… Lama is Guru, Ngachupa means 50 Verses. Alright?

So, what I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry, there are three confessional bases. Three. Then, 2nd confession is here but it’s quite secret so, never mind. The third one… Then you guys might think, “Oh what’s so secret about that, I can go buy the book and read it.” Yeah, you can go read it but the meaning behind, you’ll never understand because it’s orally transmitted. You’ll never understand. So you just read it, what you see is nice… It’s secret. Why is it secret? Because if you don’t have the mind and the merit to understand, even if you read it, you won’t understand. You just simply won’t understand. And if you understand, if you think you understand, it won’t go in, you can’t practice. That’s how it’s secret. It’s not secret because you can’t see it or get it. It’s secret because you have to have the necessities to understand it.

Ok then… “Venerable Lobsang Drakpa, Lama Tsongkhapa, peaceful and wrathful Manjushris all, root and lineage Gurus, and host of deities and assembly, and especially the Dharmapala, mighty wrathful Vajra Dorje Shugden, please listen to me in your great compassion.” So, you’re invoking Lama Tsongkhapa, all the fierce and peaceful Manjushris and your Guru and the host of meditational deities and especially Dorje Shugden himself.

“Please listen to me in your great compassion. Completely oppressed by my obscuring ignorance and thus powerless, my mind stood up by violent attachment, aversion and thus unconscientious, each of my massive sins and downfalls and faults, I confess them from my heart, quickly cleanse them please. Torn asunder the limits of my Pratimoksha vows, received before the eyes of Abbots and masters and the Sangha.” These are vows that we receive, before our masters, before the Sangha and the meditational deities. When the Lama gives you vows, you have to understand something. They don’t just give you vows, they are in the form of the meditational deity and the Three Jewels are surrounding them completely, especially for refuge. So when you take these vows, by the power of the Lama’s meditation, you are taking in front of the Three Jewels.

Close

The Tulkus of Pukhang Khangtsen

So, when you break a commitment to your Lama, you break it to all the Three Jewels. Why is that? It’s that if you keep your commitment, you make merit in reference to all the Three Jewels. Imagine that. You please all the Buddhas by keeping your vows. So, it’s not a blackmail kind of thing, it’s trying to help you. It is trying to help you.

“Transgressed, torn asunder the lineage of Pratimoksha vows received before the eyes of the Abbots, masters, and…” ‘Abbots’ doesn’t necessarily mean the Abbot of a monastery, Abbot also means one who is a preceptor, one who holds the vows, and gives you the vows. Ok? “Transgressed the precepts of Bodhicitta…” The minute we yell at someone that’s been kind to us, we break our Bodhicitta vows. We can apologize the next day, the next hour – the vow is broken. You take yourself away from who you are and that’s in modern terms. Who you are is the Buddha nature, that’s who you are. “Vows taken before the eyes of the Gurus, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, thrown away the close bond of our commitments received which were witnessed by the Gurus and deities of the mandala, a whole assembly of such proscribed and naturally evil sins, downfalls and faults, I confess from my heart and I cleanse them, please.”

Let me read it again, together. Don’t write all this down, I will pass this all to you. Please pay attention, it’s more important, alright? All this is not to be written down [Inaudible]…

Torn asunder the lineage of the Pratimoksha vows, received before the eyes of the Abbots, Masters and Sangha, transgressed the precepts of Bodhicitta, vows taken before the eyes of the Gurus, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, thrown away the close bond of our commitments received, which were witnessed by the Gurus and deities of the mandala, the whole mass of proscribed and naturally evil downfalls and faults, I confess from my heart, quickly cleanse them please.

This is what you’re confessing to Dorje Shugden, Lama Tsongkhapa, Manjushri, Yamantaka, Kalarupa. This is what you’re confessing. I’ll tell you why you confess that. Let me tell you why. When you break your vows, when you break your samaya, you throw away the closeness you have with the Three Jewels. The first sign is you’ll go away from your Lama. You’re afraid to see your Lama, you avoid your lama, or you’re shy to see your Lama, or you have negative thoughts about your Lama. You just go away. That’s the first sign.

Then when you try to do Dharma work, you want to, you intend to, and you like to but you can’t. Every time you try to do Dharma work, there’s some obstacles – a meeting comes up, a friend gets sick, you know, your mother calls you, someone throws a ‘BF’, your cat dies, something happens. You can’t do it. And then, negative things that kill your time… Not negative things, normal things that kill your time, you get distracted away very easily. Go see a movie, go to sleep, cannot stay home, cannot relax, cannot read… even when you want to read, you fall asleep. That’s the second, it will come very, very strong. Why? Everything is to prevent you.

And then, even if you’re able to do that, no result. Why? You can see yourself not advancing in your practice. Why? These vows are not meant to hurt you but when you swear your vow to the Three Jewels and when you break it, every single day that you break it – every day, it’s not a one-time break thing, you know – every day that it remains broken, it feeds your negative karma. Every single day. So, if you’ve broken your commitments to your Guru and you’ve broken your promise, you don’t confess it, you don’t talk, you don’t make up for it, every single day [Tibetan phrase] every day, you collect the negative karma.

So that means, if you’re not supposed to fight or shout, and you shout… or let’s say, you made a promise to your Lama, “Oh, I will attend, to do a 100,000 dollar retreat.” Ok? The Buddha’s name is 100,000 dollars… [Inaudible]… attend this retreat, and you don’t, and the reason is very flimsy, every day that you don’t, and every time you avoid it, you collect negative karma.

So, don’t think it’s a one-time thing, once you break the cup, the cup’s broken. Oh no. Every day, it is broken again and again and again. And you know what happens? When you have Vinaya vows, Bodhicitta vows and Tantric vows, let me also tell you, not only is it broken for that day, the vow that you broke yesterday becomes double. Oh yes. So, what happens? You become sick, you become sleepy, you become frustrated, you get… everything that you’re bad in, everything you’re not good in, becomes more. So, if you have a hot temper, it becomes more. Why? It’s the best way your karma can come back and make you go down to the three lower realms.

Let me tell you something. About one third of the people in our center, after they die, will go to the three lower realms. That is confirmed. Don’t look at this person. Don’t look at that… Don’t look at people whom you think they’ll go. It could be the most innocent person you think, the nicest person. One third of the people in our center will go to the three lower realms. I guarantee and I promise you. You go ask the Protectors, you go ask the Dalai Lama, you ask someone high. “Rinpoche said that.” Check divination. Go check. I have no fears. I will not say things [Snap fingers] like that. One third.

And within that one third, there are a few who are actually Tantric practitioners. They will go to the three lower realms when they die. Immediately. They will go. And they will be there for a long time and they’ll stay there and they’ll take rebirth again – another three lower realms – and again. It won’t be like you go there once, you come out… It will be again and again and again and again. Oh yes. One. Two. Yes, that’s right. Three. Again and again.

About five to six people in this room, when they die, they will go to the lower realms. They will go. I’m not talking about bad rebirths as humans, I’m talking about three lower realms. Five to six people in this room, when they die. I guarantee you. And there’s nothing I can do, there’s nothing I can say. When they’re alive and they don’t listen to me, if they’re dead, how are they going to listen to me? Five or six people in this room, when they’re dead, they will go to the three lower realms. And the people who go to the three lower realms are the ones I keep very close to me. And I give them gifts and I help and I talk and I’m patient. Why? To lessen the time they’ll be there. Why is that? How can that be? Because if they’re not around me, they’ll do more negative karma, more negativities. Very negative.

You see, sitting there and doing nothing and feeling sorry for yourself is negative karma. Why? You let that ego grow. It’s ego. You don’t have to go and kill, you don’t have to go to the Iraqi war and shoot people. You don’t have to do that. You can sit in your room and feel sorry for yourself and be complacent and do absolutely nothing. And outwardly, to people who don’t have wisdom, you’re not doing anything bad. But because you’re re-habituating who you’re not – an Enlightened being – [Inaudible] you collect negative karma.

Sitting in a room with attachment, you collect negative karma on a very subtle… [Tibetan phrase]… means very subtle karma. Subtle. ‘raka gyi lay‘ means very rough karma; ‘traley‘ is very subtle karma, which is the most powerful. Why? Listen carefully. When you just sit there, “I have money. It’s mine, I’m not going to use it”, “It’s my wife”, “It’s my lover”, “It’s my house”… me. Me. Me. “I want to do this.” Me! “I don’t want to do this.” Me! And you don’t say anything. You don’t go and hit people, you don’t yell, you don’t scream, you don’t shout, you don’t do anything! You don’t do anything but sitting there, eating, watching TV and just shitting and you know, cleaning yourself, washing, you know, cooking, you collect negative karma. And that negative karma is very subtle. Do you know why? Because you’re not existing with freedom from samsara. You’re existing within samsara, increasing your samsara because everything you think and everything you operate comes out of your projected, dualistic, self-grasping mind. Everything comes out of me, me, me.

So you may be a very nice housewife. You may be a very nice househusband. You may be a nice son, daughter, whatever. But to all outer appearances, you have the reputation you’re nice. You are, according to the world. But on a very universal, absolute level, it’s not that you’re nice or not nice; this type of action will bring you to the three lower realms. So, don’t talk about nice. Don’t talk about not nice. There’s no definition on the absolute realm. On the absolute realm, on the absolute level, on the absolute, feeding your self-cherishing mind can only bring one action, one result – more circumstances for your self-cherishing mind to act upon itself. Simple.

So you may think… [Inaudible]… I don’t eat meat, you know, I don’t yell at anybody. I fight with my wife and girlfriend or I fight with my boyfriend and husband once in a while. You know, I’m a good citizen. Yeah, yeah wonderful, you are. But you see, those are good and bad made by culture and people who are not with wisdom. That’s not absolute. On an absolute level, on a level that Buddha’s talking about – now listen carefully – you collect negative karma just by existing. Just like this. Why? You come from ignorance. You come from desire. And you come from attachment, and you live within it, and you create it. And that’s the cycle of rebirth. That’s the cycle.

So, you may think, well, I take care of my family, you know, and I’m responsible and you know, I do this, you know, I work and I support and I’m doing Dharma work and you know, I clean up for my Guru and, you know, I cook and, you know, I work, and I don’t kill, I don’t steal, I don’t lie, I’m a good person. You know, I’ve got tantric initiation and I’ve got vows and I go to the center and I ring my bell once in a while, you know… And I’m a good person. You are! You are a good person but that is just on a very basic, basic level.

But on an absolute level – absolute means what? Where there’s no time, space, projection, color and form – on an absolute level, where there’s only mind, we are collecting karma that increases this type of existence. People don’t understand that. You see, people say they want high teachings; they’re not ready. People say they want advanced teachings. How, when you can’t even do the basics, you don’t even hold commitments. When you break your commitments, when you break your samaya – now listen carefully – when you break your Guru Devotion, when you break your samaya, you break the tantric vows, you break the Bodhicitta vows, you break the refuge vows, when you break all these, it indirectly affects the absolute. Why? The little bit of merits you collect, by the time it gets over here, it’s just dispersing.

If we have water, we have a cup of water… a ladle, we have a ladle of water and I want to hit Maple and I go like that… because she’s so far away, by the time, you know, a few drops will hit her, but most will hit people around here. But if she’s very nearby, can hit. Similarly, because we have collected so much karma from previous lives, and our previous lives are so huge, it’s like throwing our positive karma – the little bit of 35 confessional practices we do, the little bit of sadhanas and mantras, the little bit of discipline we hold; when you go back to the absolute and you combine and dedicate, it’s almost, like, just splattered… almost not reach there.

And hence, that’s why people who do Dharma practice over a long period of time, a lot of people – you see them – no results. No difference. Why? They don’t hold their vows. And the saddest thing is this… the saddest thing is, that they actually can justify to themselves and other people that they’re good and they’re holding their vows. Why? They get away with, “Oh! I have to work.”, “Oh! You know, they said this to me!”, “Oh! I want to do this and I can’t do this.”

You know, they make all kinds of excuses. But you have to understand something. These are good for us, but our karma and existence is not on this level, it is on an absolute level. Existing creates negative karma. That’s why Buddha says, the minute you’re born, collection of negative karma starts. The very fact that a baby gives pain to its mother by suckling her breast is already a sign of its nature. “Me.” You may say it’s instinct. It’s not instinct, it is the habitual mind – me. How much pain we give our mothers, we don’t care… as long as we get. And for some of us, our whole lives we suckle our mother.

H.E. Domo Geshe Chocktrul Rinpoche

And you may think it is their responsibility… [Inaudible]… understand something: That’s a very rough, overview of negative karma. But on an absolute level, each time we break our vows – and what are vows? Vows are not something you swear in front of Buddha and then you never do it again, or you swear on the Bible. It is not that. Vows are things that help us, guidelines that help us to go away from the self-cherishing mind, that is absolute and universal, that on every universe and every planet and every existence – ‘Kamsum Tamche‘, all three realms, form, formless and desire – is acceptable as something that will take you away from the self-cherishing mind.

So vows are not, “I can do” and “I cannot do”, “Oh, I broke my vow.” No! That’s on a very relative, very basic childish level. That’s why Mahasiddhas like Chogyam Trungpa, they can do everything backwards. They can drink sake all day, they can be drunk all day, they can have sex with two women openly. They can do anything they want and they don’t collect any negative karma. It’s not because they are Mahasiddhas; they’re operating from the absolute level. What’s the absolute level? That these rules don’t apply anymore. Why does it not apply anymore? Because it doesn’t arise from the self-cherishing mind. That’s the difference. That’s why this type of thought is the highest esoteric teachings. Why? Only a few people can understand that. That’s why if you teach Tantra, very small groups can understand. Very secret. For basic Hinayana and Mahayana, if you talk about this, you can’t.

“Gasp! Oh, a lama? A lama drinks? How can?” “Gasp! Oh, a lama disrobed. How can?” “Oh, a monk! Oh, a master uses money and buys furniture. Oh, cannot!” “Oh! I saw the master in Ikea! Oh!” Everybody freaks out. “Gasp! Oh, I saw Lama in a disco! Uh oh!” Cannot. Why? These people don’t operate on that level.

So, what I’m trying to say is, action is not the point. But at our level, action is the point, which leads to no action. Why? The absolute level is beyond us right now. Right now! But you see, if we cannot achieve that level, the Buddha wouldn’t have even taught about it. It’s because we can achieve it, so the Buddha taught.

So, every day that we exist… never mind the vows and all that stuff, let’s say you never heard about Buddhism, let’s say you never heard about Dharma, let’s say you never heard about anything. Nothing at all! You know nothing about Dharma or Buddhism at all. You’re still not exempt from negative karma. And every day you exist, the three lower realms exist, the three higher realms exist, the formless realms exist, the desire realms exist… ‘du jay gyi kam‘ – desire realm, ‘suk may gyi kam‘ – formless realm, ‘suk kam‘ – form realm… All exist, whether you are Buddhist, or whether you accept or not, or whether you’re a wild animal, whether you’re an insect, whether you’re an amoeba, they all exist because it’s absolute.

What is absolute? Absolute means things that exist on its own accord without us having to put rules on it, or projections or barriers and borders and colors. You see, in our world we say, “You’re yellow, you’re black, you cannot do this.” “You’re female, you cannot.” “You’re male, you cannot.” We make up these rules. You have to marry at this age. If you’re a man, you’re supposed to do this. If you’re a boy, you’re supposed to do this. If you’re a Dharma student, you’re supposed to do this. If you’re a housewife, you’re supposed to do this. You’re supposed to, you’re supposed to…

These are rules made on a very basic, fundamental level by people who are blind – us and our forefathers. These are all blind rules. Follow. That’s supposed to bring us happiness; that’s why no one’s happy. In the world, no one’s happy when they follow these rules. But if you don’t follow these rules, there are no rules so you’re not happy. Why? In samsara, there’s no this way, there’s no that way. There is no happiness in samsara – none. None at all.

So, each time we break our vows – happily – and then we immediately, “Oh I’m sorry.” You see, your “sorry” has no effect. And in fact, it increases your vows – your breakage. I’ll tell you why. Every time you break your vow and you say “I’m sorry”, then it seals it. Why? You let yourself know “I can do it again.” That’s why people who say “I’m sorry” very fast, they don’t make a change in themselves, they seal the action. What is the seal? “I can do it again.” On a relative level, the person’s ok with you. On an absolute level – “Oh, I’m purifying my karma.” “I’m allowed to slip.” Oh no, oh no. Very dangerous.

One third – maybe a little bit more – of the people in our center will go to the three lower realms. Some places is in hell. Oh, definitely. Oh, definitely. I don’t need clairvoyance to see that. I know the scriptures so I can look at their actions and I can see how they operate. When I watch people’s outer actions, I basically know their mind and how they operate, what they do – how aware they are, how they move, how they talk, what’s their focus, their clarity – I can tell you basically how their mind is and what their level is.

In this room, I can point to the people who are going to go to the three lower realms , very clearly. And you know what? If you ask someone with power, [Tibetan phrase] with clairvoyance, or one of the Dharma Protectors who takes trance, they will not say I’m wrong. I guarantee you. That’s how accurate I am in knowing the scriptures, and looking at the person. Just like someone who knows cars very well. When they go look at cars, they just open the hood, they say, ” Yeah, yeah. Ok.” Why is that? Because they trained themselves for years. Trained themselves. So, it’s like they have clairvoyance. It’s like, oh, they opened the hood, they said, you know, they come, they tell you “like that, like that, like that” and you listen, you go, “Wow! How did you know that? How did you know that? How did you know that? Wow!” They can even trick you and say, “You know, I got some powers. And my psychic tells you that blah, blah, blah the carburetor’s off, whatever.” Because they know… because they’re so quick, they’ve seen it.

So, some lamas, they trick you and pretend they have clairvoyance. Because they’re very quick and sharp, so it looks like clairvoyance. So they tell you things, “Like that. Like that.” You say, “Oh god, he’s so uncanny. You know, he calls me at the right time, he does this at the right time, he does everything just like, wow!” And like, “You know what? Maybe Tsem Rinpoche’s actually Mukpo, maybe he’s Chogyam Trungpa number two.” You think that. “Maybe he’s enlightened.” But you know what, if you know the scriptures well, it’s like the car salesman looking at the engine, just like that [Snap fingers]. It’s like clairvoyance.

I can look at a person, hang around with them, talk with them for a little while; I know what’s going to happen to them. Oh, I know. Do not think it’s a joke when I tell you that five to six people in this room will go to the three lower realms. Do not underestimate me. And the rest of you, don’t think “Who, who, who?” because the rest of you may take rebirth in the human realm. Don’t think it’ll be a pleasant rebirth. There’ll be very few of us in this room who actually take another rebirth in a pleasant place. I promise you. Very few. You can even take rebirth in horrible places… [Inaudible]… horrible. You can enjoy yourselves now, you can be as nasty as you want, or you can be as nice as you want. You can be as hypocritical as you want. You can keep fooling yourselves and fooling who you really are. Live it up for a little while, be happy for a little while. Every single day you live will be one day closer to that next existence.

Trust me, if in your previous lives, you had seen this existence, you would’ve been scared. You would’ve been scared. Don’t think what you have right now is fabulous. It’s not. It’s not fabulous. It’s not the worst, it’s not the worst. The good part about our existence is that, our suffering is to the point where we can still rise above it – a little bit for a short time – to do Dharma work, Dharma actions.

So, my point is this is, don’t sit there comfortable with your jewellery and your house and your rings and your wife and your husband. Don’t. Time is of the essence for some of us now. Time is of the essence. You can think, “Oh, but I’m young.” You’re young but the people you love are not. Time is of the essence. Many of us will take negative rebirths. And you think, “Why like that? Then what are you doing, Rinpoche?” Well, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche before Yamantaka teachings told us, he told us this, “I give you Yamantaka not because I expect you to be enlightened.” Oh, he’s very direct. “I give you Yamantaka because most of you will go to the Hell realms.” He said ‘hell realms’. “But when you come up here, you’ll have the imprints of Yamantaka in your mind. So, during the age of Maitreya, it will open.” Imagine, the age of Maitreya; you know how many aeons away that is? [Tibetan phrase] “When the great Maitreya appears, hopefully your karma will open… His Holiness said, “It’s on tape. He didn’t give us initiation hoping we’d be something now, because he looked at us. Oh no! Don’t shake your head. Shake it to yourself. Shake it to yourself.

Each time you’re selfish and you don’t want to give money, help… Each time – and even when you don’t get asked – and you say “No” or “Yes”, doesn’t matter, just having that mind, “I will not give, I will not give, I will not give” will create causes for you to go to the three lower realms. Just living well… Even if nobody asked you, “Can you give me some money? Can you give me some food? Can you give me a house? Can you give me this? Can you give me that? Can you give me…” And you don’t have to say “No.” No one asked you. You’re just living there and holding, every day… On an absolute level, it makes you closer to the self-cherishing mind. Oh yes. Oh yes.

So, don’t think you get off scot-free. And then, if we think that we’re holding Tantric vows and we know how to do some rituals, and we know how to do some pujas, and we can do this and we can do that… You know, if we think that we can do this and this and this and that and that… Yeah, you can do rituals, you can do pujas, you can translate, you can write, you can read, you can do Dharma sales, you know… You can do all these things. It’s wonderful. But remember something: it’s like throwing a glass of water at the absolute.

A complete thangka featuring the lama – H.H. Zong Rinpoche – the Yidam – Vajrayogini – the Protector – Dorje Shugden

Let me give you another example. Our previous lives and the karma we have accumulated is like the Pacific Ocean – from California all the way to China; from the North, all the way from the North Arctic to the South, Antarctica – that huge body of water. And in the center, this water is so deep and so much that people have not penetrated its depths yet because the pressure is too much and it’s very dark and deep. That kind of karma – and that’s just very basic ok – is what we have accumulated, our negative karma from previous lives. And I’ll tell you why.

How you can check is, you check your mind. How often does it abide in self-cherishing on the very absolute level, and on a fundamental level? Our negative thoughts? “They’re wrong; I’m right.” You check. So, if your thoughts are more towards the negative, you’re more selfish, you’re more greedy, you’re calculative, you know, you’re angersome. And you can’t control your negative body, speech and mind, you can’t control. That proves to you that your ocean maybe is double or triple. And then you do a little bit of sadhana – just a little bit of sadhana, a little bit of writing for Rinpoche – little bit, and even that little bit took so much coaxing, and your little bit of prayers, your little bit of cheap retreats, and your little bit of cheap mantras, and then once a year, maybe you do your sadhana because your Guru is nice to you and you decided to do it. That is just one little cup of merit and you pour it into the black ocean. How do you expect to become enlightened?

And that’s what we do every day. So, if you live for, you know, sixty-seventy years… every single day, that’s maybe you know, 1 million cups of water. I don’t know, it’s just an estimation, you know. You think that’s going to make the ocean white? No, that’s how much we do. And even what we do for the Dharma is stained by the eight worldly faults of pride, recognition – the Eight Worldly Dharmas. So, what do you think will happen to all of us? You think.

A lama or a guru is likened to a butterlamp in the dark, in a windy room. Paul, please stay awake. One more time, I’ll ask you to go sleep. It’s very bad karma for you, very bad. Don’t increase it. Stay awake. A lama is like a butterlamp – ‘chi may‘ – in a room that’s very, very windy, a candle in the wind. That’s how a lama is for us. For some of us who have 50 Verses of Guru Devotion, a lama is like a blowtorch in a room with wind. For a person who actually surrenders himself to the Lama – surrender means what? They give their body… I just do anything you want… You know, you can kill me, whatever… But they don’t let go of their ego, that’s not surrender. That’s not surrender.

Living near the lama, you can even live in the lama’s house and you can give everything and do everything, you can give all your money to him, you can give your body, you can give… Everything. But if you don’t surrender the self-cherishing mind, you have not surrendered to your lama at all. Surrendering to the lama is on many levels but on a fundamental level is you see immediate improvement in yourself when you surrender. When you haven’t surrendered, you just go down, down, down, down, down. One.

Two, on the absolute level, when you surrender to the lama… on the absolute level – listen carefully – you surrender to the real lama inside your self-cherishing mind. Why? The vows become effortless for you. You see, you don’t live by the vows; you live breaking the vows, to people’s eyes. Why? You see, Lama Yeshe says in Heruka Vajrasattva, you break the vows not by action and not by object. By intent. Can you please get that book? You saw it just now… Heruka Vajrasattva on my desk by Lama Yeshe. I don’t know if you know it or not. Oh yes! Breaking a vow… that’s why breaking a vow is not action or object, it is intent. So, monks can wear beautiful clothes, you know, robes… action, wonderful, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah… and everything is perfect from the outside. But if they steal and their intent is to steal, everything is perfect but they’re not a monk anymore. They’re not a monk.

A monk can steal. They run and… you know, during a war, they go and steal money and bread and bring it back to the community to eat. But their intent is not to steal; it doesn’t harm people. They didn’t disrobe. It is not the object, it is NOT the object. It is not the action, it is the intent. It is very important to know.

Close

Gen Nyima Rinpoche (left), a great Geshe of Gaden Jangtse Gowo Khangtsen and H.E. Tsem Rinpoche.

So, on an absolute level, people like Mahasiddhas – and I’m giving you an idea – they do everything opposite of conventions. Not because they are there to break conventions or flout them; it’s that WE are not operating on an absolute level; we are the ones who are wrong and not right; we are the ones who don’t do things correctly. So to us, they look wrong. Why? There are very few people who operate from the absolute. Heruka Vajrasattva by Lama Yeshe… by the way, all of Lama Yeshe’s books are in transcript form. It’s the way he talks and then lightly edited by Nick Ribush for the last three years. All.

Now, it says here, I was reading through it… Now, some of you might be wondering, what does this have to do with Dharma Protector practice? Oh my, my! The way that the Dharma Protector can help you is by samaya alone. That is all. If you break your samaya, the Dharma Protector will be 100 percent ineffective for you – for your business, for your family, for protection, for your attainments, for retreat, for money. Anything you want, it will be ineffective. You can do all the black teas you want. You can take the statue and drown them in black tea, nothing will happen. It is totally on your commitments alone. Oh yeah.

So, don’t run around and steal from people and then go do your Dharma Protector practice. No effect, very little. Don’t sleep at Dharma teachings and then nothing goes in, you don’t understand anything, you do Dharma Protector practice – it’s just a game. Don’t have fights with your lover and your boyfriend and your girlfriend and just fight and fight incessantly and then you do black tea. Do you know why? Very little effect. You may be pouring an ocean of black tea but it becomes like one or two drops. Why? You’re hypocritical. You’re a hypocrite. You are an absolute hypocrite. Why? You’re not even helping all sentient beings, and you don’t think about all sentient beings. And if you don’t think about all sentient beings, how can you check that? Because you can’t even think about one or two beings around you. How come?

I’m not saying this to criticize any of you. You see, some of you have been with me for many years. Some of you have been with me for many lifetimes. Some of you have been with me for a few years but many lifetimes. So, when I teach you these things, it is in hopes of helping, assisting, and knowledge. So, if you have the merits to be here, it is 100% merits. If after today’s teachings, you go and you keep doing what you’re doing, I did my job because I was advised by my Protector in Nepal to advise. [Tibetan phrase] He was a witness. Many times, the Dharma Protector said: “Advise your students. Advise.” Many times. Advise. I advised until I cough blood.

So… isn’t it horrible, I am incessantly looking for a page. Don’t you guys hate it? [Inaudible]… “Oh no, he’s going to look for a page.” It’s ok. And I even marked it… isn’t that ridiculous? I wrote a notation… [Inaudible]… Page 176, Heruka Vajrasattva Practice. “Even in the Theravadan Vinaya…” this is not even Tantrayana, Mahayana, this is in the Theravadan countries ok? Lama Yeshe says, “Even in the Theravadan Vinaya, it is explained that whether or not a monk or a nun has broken a vow depends primarily on the mind, not on the object or the external action. All four components of the action – motivation, object, action and completion – must be present for breaking the vows to be complete. The key component is the motivation, how much you are grasping.” Listen carefully! “The key component is the motivation, how much you are grasping.” Very clear. This is Lama Yeshe alright, this is not Tsem-stupid-Rinpoche. Lama Yeshe is a Mahasiddha, a real Gelugpa Mahasiddha. A real one.

How much you grasp… What is grasping? “Me, me, me, me, me.” People who are not aware – very clear sign that self-grasping is very strong. “Me, me, me, me, me.” They always make mistakes, they lose things, they forget things, they make you repeat things, they make you say things over, they burden you, they make problems for you. When you live with them, they burden you. What is that? Self-grasping mind, so strong. It is so strong. And then people who know things very well, you know, they’re very quick, they’re very sharp but they don’t share and they don’t give and they don’t let go. It’s equal to the other person, equal. You may be very sharp and your partner’s very stupid but if you put your partner down because they’re stupid and you’re sharp; and it comes from the self-grasping mind, you go to hell, not them. Going to hell or living in hell or being in hell or the three lower realms is totally from grasping, not the action.

So, as I’ve said, a nun, a monk can have sex, can steal, can run around and do all the things you think that a monk can’t do and not break the vows. It’s dependent on the motivation. But that’s not to say outer action is not important. It is important. But I’m telling you on the absolute level. And what makes you break the vow is grasping. From grasping arises the four motivations – intent (motivation), action, object and completion. Very simple.

So, when Mukpo or Chogyam Trungpa drinks sake all day, if he’s drinking sake from self-grasping mind… You don’t simply say, “Oh, he’s drinking sake for the benefit of all beings.” “Maybe he’s collecting the bad karma from his students” and blah, blah, blah… “Maybe he has great energy and then he can purify…” No. No. No. No. No. No. No. It’s not that. That’s a very small part. What it is, is Mukpo, Chogyam Trungpa in this case… you know, Trijang Dorje Chang, Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang, His Holiness, H.H Kyabje Ling Dorje Chang… These masters, it’s not what they do and that they can control their winds, like Drigung Kyabgon Rinpoche, it’s not that.

What it is, is they exist on an absolute level. Their self-grasping mind has been eradicated. So therefore, whatever they do is just doing. There is no good or bad, it’s just doing. It’s like a theatrical play. You know, when we make a movie, it looks very real. The people get killed, blood, gore, their head gets cut off, men make money, they lose money… And you know, in the movie, you know, actually when we watch good movies, we cry and then when you know, “Cut!” “Lights on!” Everybody’s like, “Oh! The actor’s so bad, they’re bitchy, they’re whatever, you know, blah, blah, blah” One minute, this woman – “Oh, poor them, they got run over by a truck, you know, poor them” – and you’re crying but then, when they cut the lights and cut the action, the woman gets up, goes to her room, she may be really bitchy. But when you watch the movie, you’re so into it and you’re so attached and you actually cry. And we idolize all this. We idolize people who can bring these emotions to us. Why? Because we can relate to that. How can we relate? Self-grasping, self-grasping.

Similarly, when we’re on this level, when we’re on this level, we’re just like someone watching a movie. It’s very real, very, very real. Totally. So, when we cry or when we laugh, it’s grasping. Why? When we regret, it’s grasping. Even when we regret the wrong way, it’s grasping. Do you know why? You’re afraid for yourself, not for the harm you gave. You’re afraid for yourself. Even regret and doing actions to purify what you’ve done wrong is not destroying self-grasping. Do you know why? It’s only the lowest scope of practice, fear for yourself.

A beautiful painting of Wu Tai Shan, also known as the holy abode of Manjushri.

So, when we regret what we did to our boyfriend and girlfriend, and husbands and wives and children; maybe we didn’t take care of our children, they grew up to be monsters; maybe we didn’t take care of our parents and you know, we’re monsters… It could be anything. When we regret and we cry and we want to do something about it and we’re scared, it is still negative action. I’ll tell you why: because you’re scared for yourself.

It’s not for anyone, it’s for yourself. It’s you and that’s what Tantra explains to us. The real Yamantaka, the real Vajrayogini is on an absolute level – no form, no taste, no touch, no sound, no tangibility… yet existence from non-grasping. Dharmakaya ‘Choegu‘. People don’t understand that. So, as long as we keep regretting, crying for the things we did wrong, it’s self-grasping. Happy about the good things we do, it’s self-grasping. Why are we happy? “Oh! I did a good thing!” “I’m going to be ok in my next life!” “I’m going to be alright.” “I’m going to be fine.” Me, me, me, me, me again!

You see, when we do Dharma action and we rejoice, we’re not rejoicing about you having a good life. It’s rejoicing that we can bring all sentient beings closer to out of grasping. So when we break our vows and when we keep our vows, either way with the wrong motivation, it can lead to grasping and that’s the secret. Because some people are very high and mighty, “I don’t do anything bad.” They’re already bad the minute they say that! The minute they think that, they’re already bad. Like I told you about that lady earlier in the Dharma talk, she goes everywhere, she knows everything, she does everything right. But you know what? During a Dharma talk… Mamie told me, it was so funny. Mamie’s a very dramatic person.

I talked to Mamie the other day for two hours. A brand new Dharma student came for teachings. Mamie was there and she had a beautiful… well, everybody had these cheapskate little bead mandalas, you know. But she was rich, in America 20 years ago. She had a silver mandala, not three layers but four. She had all these jewels and all of it, wow. And she did it perfectly, the mandala, perfectly. We were all like… Huh? I was thinking, “Wow! Mandala! Give it to me.” It’s my grasping mind, thinking I can make more merits than her. She doesn’t need more merit, she’s rich. I was thinking like that. Oh, rich! Rich!

I got another piece of information; David is a signatory to a big whatever but never mind, we’ll talk about that another day. He’s rich too, in theory. Boy, do I mean that in theory, I wouldn’t rest on that one… That’s what… [Inaudible]… I don’t want to go closer to home because it’s very rude and abusive and you know, I might be recorded and they say, “Look! Look! Look! The family breaker.” But, in theory, David’s rich. You listen to him when he says his ‘ch’ – Lunchhh. Richhhh. He emphasizes especially when he says ‘richhhhh’… You know, if I was you I would sit in the back. It will be less disruptive to the planet because you know, you’re cold, you move this way, Andee and you are rubbing his knee, Tashi. There’s issues here, you know. I would sit at the back so you have more compassion because I have quite a loud voice… fold your hands to the planet around you.

Anyway, she turned around. Oh yeah. So David and then this lady alright… [Inaudible]… simultaneous stories along with Dharma so we’re weaving three stories into one and I’ll weave that back into Dharmapala. Isn’t that fabulous? That’s fabulous. Why? Don’t make borders on your mind. Your mind is like space, Shantideva says. When I heard that, my memory became fabulous. I don’t know why. All of a sudden, I realized that there are no borders to my mind. Ok, everyone?

David is rich but it’s a label, it’s a name. It’s just projection because if the supporting factors, when they’re not there, it’s only a theory. But he’s been warned. And next time you guys listen to him say the words ‘rich’ and ‘lunch’, listen – he accentuates the last sound very much. You just listen to him say “richhhhh” or “lunchhhh”. I don’t know… Henry, you’re evil. You’re trying not to laugh. You’re so good you know, you even respect the little pipsqueak like that. [Inaudible]He’s just a little pipsqueak anyway. Henry’s like… Henry is wonderful. He’s quite handsome so you can [Inaudible]… He’s so politically correct. Look, he bought one of those for the Pakistanis. [Tibetan phrase] The Bodhisattva man.

In Japan, I bought one almost everyday and I wore it everywhere. You know why? I want to tell people how politically correct that was. Another action that brought me to the three lower realms – another self-grasping action. Anyway, there was 1% “Oh let me help them…” [Inaudible]… put the money in. But nevermind. So, what happens was this is, but then if you keep it, you show people, it is good too. It’s your the motivation, it’s not the action. Isn’t that what I was talking about? Not the action, but about the motivation. [Inaudible]I’m slightly hypocritical, not fully.

Anyway, we talked about lunchhhh and David and richhhh. [Inaudible]I wish your name was like richhhh, like Richie Richhhh or you know, like old richhhh. “Hi, what’s your name?” “Old Richhhh. And I’m richhhh.” Oh, don’t you love that? “And do you want to have lunchhhh with me?” “What was your name?” “Old Richhhh.” “What do you want to do?” “Lunchhhh.” “Why?” “Because I’m richhhh.” No… [Inaudible]… Alright, now. You know what? Paul’s not laughing, not moving, not upset, not happy. Paul is just doing meditation on violin. He’s good. I’m telling you, he’s controlling himself. He’s like… Not even one eyelash is closing. He doesn’t blink anymore since I clapped, he’s like… he hasn’t blinked once. I’ve been watching him. Oh, he blinked! Alright. Haha! When I said that, he went like this… Evil… I love it. Anyway… Hi Daddy, how are you? This is my daddy.

This new Dharma student came along to the new course, you know, all blah, blah, blah, blah, you know, Dharma students are wonderful, they’re fabulous, they’re beautiful, they’re compassionate, they’re kind, they have Bodhichitta, it’s Buddhism, it’s Zong Rinpoche, it’s a great initiation, we’re offering a mandala… And this lady was behind asking questions, “What’s that?” “It’s a mandala, blah, blah, blah, blah.” This lady was sitting there with her mandala right, and she was doing it and all that stuff. And you know what? In the middle of the mandala, she got flustered and she was upset.

After, I don’t know, 15 years of practice, she turned around to the lady, she put her mandala down, she turned around to the lady and went like this, “Shhhhhhhhhhh!” The lady never came back again. That’s all it took. Yeah. Because it was not only subtly hypocritical… That’s all she did, she didn’t say anything, she just went and she looked at her in the eye… She turned around and looked at her squarely and she just went, “Shhhhhhhhhhh!” The lady never, ever came back. That one action threw her off the Dharma. You may think it’s her bad karma; yeah, it’s her bad karma but you don’t have to add to it. You know, if someone’s sitting there, you know, there’s a beam… there’s one ledge here, one ledge here and there’s one beam here. And they are standing there… and you don’t, “Hey, catch”! You don’t do that, they fall off completely. Oh yes.

That one action, they never came back again. And that action didn’t help, do you know why? It came out of the self-grasping mind… because it didn’t help that lady. Because, some can do that and the other person doesn’t get affected. Do you know why some people can do it, they get affected, and some people can’t? Because of their habituation of self-grasping. Oh yes. Does everybody understand that? That’s all. I mean you know, don’t think the politics just go on here because, you know, we’re a bunch of political people. Every Dharma center, every place, every church, every synagogue, every mosque, every community, every family, every… even you yourself have politics. You know, you yourself make politics. “I can’t do this. I can’t do this.” You know, you protest with yourself.

So, I’ve got to like… you know, because if we pray to the Buddha, we’re against Tibet. Why? I don’t know. Nothing on this planet can ever hurt His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I’ll give you one reason. You don’t believe he’s a Bodhisattva, never mind. He’s a monk. Nothing more. I’m a monk. That’s all. Let’s not talk at a higher level. He’s a monk and he’s a real monk.

Second, nothing can bring Tibet back or make Tibet lose. It has its own karma. That’s it. We can do all the prayers but nothing will happen. So, there’s nothing I can do against Tibet; there’s nothing I can do for Tibet; I can only wish. And there’s nothing I can do to harm His Holiness the Dalai Lama, nothing, even if I want to. Nothing. How can I harm a holy monk? Where there’s no harm, you can’t harm them. You know, if I want to go and beat up the Buddha, you think I can? He doesn’t have the karma to be beaten up. Cannot.

So, I want to give this message to the assassins and all these people who carry guns to the Kalachakra. Yeah, His Holiness caught people with guns in the Kalachakra. Forget it, ain’t going to work. You don’t have karma to be shot, you won’t be shot. Things like that. Not this recent one, don’t get all excited… Tashi’s like… and Angel’s like, “Gasp!” Not the recent one. Don’t get so… When I talk about self-grasping and all that, everybody’s like [snoring]… Let’s get to the real issue here. Dalai Lama cannot be harmed. The end. Don’t… Never mind. You can put a torpedo on him, nothing will happen. You know like, nothing. Nothing.

H.H. Zong Dorje Chang

Because that happened in Tibet. When they threw bombs, they shelled Gaden, Zong Rinpoche sat there in meditation and did puja to Dorje Shugden until the monks all escaped out of Gaden. You can read his biography. It’s all over. All three walls fell, the wall behind him stood… Everything fell. And he did Dorje Shugden puja until the monks were safely out of Gaden Monastery. And the fumes from the shells – the toxic fumes – Rinpoche breathed in, he accepted it and his voice became hoarse. And his voice has been hoarse his whole life although it’s still beautiful… I didn’t even know it was hoarse but that was considered hoarse. He breathed in the fumes. But Kyabje Zong Rinpoche single-handedly stayed in Gaden and did the repulsion puja of Dorje Shugden to hold back harm until the monks finished. That is well documented. He accepted the harm, he accepted everything with his Tantric powers. Oh, yes. You can read it in his biography.

The great Thubten Trinley, Jetsun Lobsang Tsondru – his holy monk name – His Holiness Kyabje Jetsun Lobsang Tsondru, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. And it’s incredible because, do you know where Zong Rinpoche is? Whenever his incarnation is alive, there’s a lake near his home where his original incarnation is in Kham, Nangsang in Tibet. Whenever his incarnation’s alive, the lake will be full. When the incarnation’s passed, the lake will dry up. Always. Every incarnation.

Some lamas, trees will blossom. Bodhi trees, wherever the lama is, the Bodhi tree will just grow and blossom. Some lamas, you hear beings, you hear sounds. So wherever there’s a real lama, they have real intention and the incarnation’s there, some sign that the reincarnation will be around always. Trees are very common, I don’t know why. Bodhi trees will appear, very very common. Wherever the lama is, naturally a Bodhi tree will grow on its own, always. That’s very well documented, even in Lama Tsongkhapa’s case, but it was a white sandalwood Bodhi tree.

See, what I do is, wherever I go, I just get a little Bodhi tree and plant it. See I’m a lama! I am, I am a lama. See, it grew! But nobody knows that I go out there every night and weed it, you know, put manure, I pee on it myself. I do all kinds of things… [Inaudible]… I pee on it you know, just the right amount, not too much…

Then, it grows big, I document it, I tell people, “See, I’m a lama” and I could give them leaves. The Bodhi tree from Tsem Rinpoche’s house. I love it! Leaves from Tsem Rinpoche’s house because you know… little did they know, God, it was a lot of work making that tree grow… weeding it, manuring it and flowering it… Oh my god, every night I’m talking to it. You know, they say when you talk to plants, it grows? “Please grow, please grow. You don’t grow, I’m finished. And if I’m finished, I move out of here, you’re dead. Because the next people won’t like Bodhi trees, you know, they like banana trees here. So, you better grow.” Sometimes you threaten them and you call it love. When you show a lot of love, they grow. Just ask the rainbow girl Tashi, you know, she talks to everything except Andee. But anyways… that’s what I’m going to do, I’m going to give leaves to people. Don’t you love it? It’s proof that I’m a ‘Lima’. “Hi, I’m a Lima.” Or you can call the other way, a schmama. Cause lama, schmama.. a smuru lah! A smuru!

Anyway… [Inaudible]… So, what happens? If on an absolute level, no karma is to be made; on a relative level, plenty to purify. But even when we purify, are we REALLY purifying… because of our attitude? And are we really changing our attitude because of our habituation? So every time this habituation is measured or helped kept in check for ourselves from an absolute level to a relative level, it manifests in vows.

Vows are a manifestation of the absolute. Let me explain why. It’s a manifestation of the absolute because these are things universally on the three realms that if we do, it helps the self-grasping mind to increase; if we don’t do, it makes the self-grasping mind decrease. ‘Nga Da‘ – self decrease and increase. So, it’s absolute. Why? These rules are applicable anywhere, any planet, any universe. So that’s why it’s absolute. Absolute means [Tibetan phrase] – all-pervading. All-pervading. So that’s why it’s absolute. There is no maybe. The word ‘absolute’ means “That’s it. No ‘ands’, ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’”.

So, the vows are a manifestation or a taste of the absolute. And when we hold our vows and commitments and samaya, we get a taste of the absolute because we hold our vows – listen carefully – we hold our vows in order that we don’t have to have to hold our vows. Isn’t that fabulous? Rinpoche always comes up with these lines, one-liners that are absolutely, totally contradictory yet totally meaningful. And he’s dying to go back there and write that down, and email everybody and SMS and say, “You’re fabulous! So gimme another praise.” I get all these SMSes, “I’m fabulous”, “I come from a lotus”, “I’ve got…” according to him, I’ve got lotuses growing out of my ass. I’m so holy and pure, I fart, it’s a lotus! I don’t shit manure or shit. I shit lotuses according to him. He has this view about me.

But anyways, Maple of course, oh my goodness. You ask her, is Rinpoche a Buddha? “He’s not a Buddha, he’s 10 Buddhas.” [Inaudible]Yes, JP, “He’s not a Buddha… He’s Buddha’s Guru.” What? “Shakyamuna’s shmuru”, you know. He’s Shakya’s shmuru, you know. You mean higher than Shakyamunu got? Got. You wanna go higher? Shakyamuna’s schmuru’s schmuru… Yes, Angel? “Definitely Rinpoche is TakaYama. Yama Schmaka, Yamayogini. Anyway, he’s Buddha la.” Definitely. And Tashi, “I believe, I believe that Rinpoche is not Tsongkhapa at all. He is Guru Rinpoche.” Nyingma lah! And then you ask Mr. Khong, “Is Rinpoche a Buddha?” He doesn’t talk, you know why? Because he’s very compassionate. I ask him what he’s doing, he’s calculating how much he can make… [Inaudible]… pretty absolute. And then Chia, you’ve got to wake him up first… and then Paul wakes up. Is he a Buddha? “Yeah, yeah, yeah! Can I go back to sleep yet?”

And Irene, of course! If she’s allowed in my house, into the ladrang, and she can prostrate to Jenny, I’m a Buddha; if she’s not, I’m not a Buddha lah. Because you know, she’s absolute, I’m relative. Not related but just a relative. Not a relative but relative. You know, let’s not get mixed up here. No, I’m not related to Irene, thank you very much. She likes to run around, “My previous life and Rinpoche’s previous life are related.” Previous life darling! Previous life, not this life! Not this life! I mean, last life, you know, Jenny Wong and JT here were lovers, doesn’t mean they’re lovers in this life. Exactly! In his last life, David Lai was some kind of monk that hung around, you know, and held his vows a little bit and studied but didn’t do any meditation, doesn’t mean in this life he is, right? No, it doesn’t.

So, vows are a taste of the absolute and it leads you to the absolute and it is manifested in the absolute. What is the absolute? I don’t like to use big new age words here. The absolute is the workings of cause and effect in the universe that is dependent on self-grasping mind and how much… How much the self-grasping mind is existent within us and not purified creates the workings of cause and effect in the universe for us, and then each is related because we’re interconnected… On the second watch of the night, Lord Buddha realized our interconnectedness. You guys all know that from previous teachings. See, when we listen to Dharma talks, we can listen to more Dharma talks. It’s better.

And then, and then, on the absolute level, how much self-grasping is how much negative karma we create even when we do nothing. And you think, oh my god, why’s it so severe? It’s not severe. Buddha didn’t make these rules up. Buddha perceived these rules through his enlightenment on the last watch of the night and explained it to us. Isn’t that incredible? So, the vows are a glimpse of the absolute. You take vows in order that you don’t have to hold vows anymore. Why? When you hold your vows so well, you become absolute.

So everything is just, everything is just a show for people… [Inaudible]… and whether they can see the show or not, is if they bought the ticket. Don’t you love it? Oh yes, some people don’t buy the ticket – the ticket of the Six Paramitas, the ticket of Guru Devotion, the ticket of practice. Some people don’t even buy the ticket. Some people buy the ticket and fall asleep at the theatre. Some people lose their ticket. Some people arrive at the theatre late. Some people go to the show, and they look at it, they don’t understand what’s going on. Well, only if it’s Madame Butterfly, somebody will understand that. Oh yeah. Isn’t that incredible?

So, when we talk about esoteric practices, the absolute, very few people will attend, very few people can attend, very few people will make it. And the few people who make it, very few will understand and very few within that will be able to practice. And that is the rarity of enlightenment and the Buddha. And that’s why we… so revere the Buddha… in Buddha. So when we look back at our lives now, how much are we actually practicing? Don’t look at the retreats you’ve done. Don’t look at, you know, the mantras you’ve done, and whatever you’ve given, the money, all that… don’t look at that. Look at how much your self-grasping mind has reduced. Very simple.

So, I’m not telling you something to criticize you; I’m telling you the truth. I’m not telling something for you to feel bad and guilty about; I’m telling you real practice. I’m not telling you anything that is to hurt you but it is to help. Because somebody has to be in your firing line. Somebody has to put themselves in your firing line to tell you there’s something more, that actually we’re not very good people. I’ve got to be the Jesus Christ of Buddhism here, you know, like.. Get the cross out. I’ll carry it across Bandar Utama and you can pin me up in 1Utama near the gym. Make sure my love handles are gone. Don’t you love it? The Jesus Christ of Buddhism. And then, you know, just before I pop off, “Oh Absolute, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.” Isn’t that fabulous? I love it. Everything has got to be dramatic with me. I don’t know, I’m a reincarnation of a Tibetan Kabuki actor or something like that. That’s what I feel. Tibetan Kabuki. You know, I used to… ‘Hlamo‘. ‘Hlamo‘ in Tibetan is something like one of those guys who wear those masks, you know Mahakala masks… comes out with a knife, and I chop… [Inaudible]… up by accident. They say, “Oh, poor thing, you know, his winds went off.”

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Ven. Geshe Rabten (left) and his student Ven. Lama Yeshe (right)

In Tibet, you know, you don’t die when your winds go off. They just forgive you. Then I do Vajrasattva retreat with bad motivation, right? Isn’t that fabulous? Hlamo Tulku. Any questions on the absolute? There are absolutely none. Joseph, any questions on the absolute? You like in-depth teachings. You do. You’re educated. You can think deep. You, Mr. Khong, Seng Piow, Paul… Paul, hmmm, if it’s in Mandarin, maybe he’ll be … [Inaudible]. When Andee doesn’t have a question and he shuts up, Rinpoche did well. That’s my relative level example but I checked on the absolute. Kunga… [Inaudible]… He’s just wondering if his hair looks good. He does. Andee, any questions? Oh, come, come! We’ve got to speak up. Make one up! Pretend. Pretend you don’t know something. Just pretend. For the sake of sentient beings, pretend you don’t know.

“Rinpoche, you were talking just now about the lady who went Shhhhhh. Her motivation was… The action was wrong but if she did not shut the speaker from behind and the speaker will… the person behind will continue talking and will be disruptive so… [Inaudible]… her action was wrong but…”

My point was this, do it in a way that’s very nice.

“But we’re talking about motivation.”

We are, but is she so advanced that she can just do anything she wants because her motivation’s so pure? So, my point is this – what you do doesn’t matter. Some people shout and people benefit. Some people shout and they lose. Why? It’s the habituation of their motivation. So, if you go, “Shhhhhh” to someone and you’ve been always doing that for many lifetimes or many years purely, purely, purely… So, what I’m saying is yes, it is the motivation but how long have you been practicing that motivation to activate that in such a fierce way? Understand? Very good question. Henry spoke up. Let it be written in the Akashic thick records, Henry spoke up during a Dharma talk. First time in six years. Thank you Henry. We want more. Yes, we want more.

Any questions on the absolute? Don’t ask just to be smart.

“You know, but I… this is what I always ask myself, this is maybe very stupid..” Then, you just ask me and let’s make it quick without a lot of explanation.

“So how to resolve the relative and different notions… How did it all get started? Why did it all get activated? And then, and self and the notion of self?”

That’s a very good question. What it says in Buddha’s teachings at our level is that, there’s no beginning but there’s an end. Meaning that it is so distant and so far that we’ve been living like this, it’s as if there’s no beginning. So, he’s telling us like this – don’t deal with that at this point. Deal with the fact that there is an end. That’s what he’s saying. Good question. A lot of people can’t accept that yet. Never mind. Questions?

Very distant, very far. It’s like telling the atoms that exist in the ocean. Tell me, do you think anybody on this planet can calculate? Beyond… it’s beyond mathematics. Tell me the amount of atoms that exist in all of the universe and I’ll tell you when your first life is… it’s beyond comprehension. Beyond. Only a fully enlightened Buddha can talk to another fully enlightened Buddha and converse and understand. We’re not at that level yet. That’s a small mystery in Buddhism. So, if you want to talk about that, you have to have that mind to comprehend. If you want to talk about physics with me, I have to be a physics professor. Otherwise, there’s no level, no grounding… Questions?

Alright. When you go upstairs to the second level, there’s a gym room there… and inside there’s a toilet. You may use that. Don’t look at the lights; the lights are red in my gym room. The reason the lights are red is that I can’t see myself well when I’m working out so I have the illusion that I’m skinny. Well, it’s true. You can ask David. He’s helped me work out many times. It’s called the red room, or the red light district. And the toilet there you can use. And if you go straight to the back, in the drying area – be careful of the newspapers for the dogs to leave gifts – there’s another toilet. And then, for some of us who are very devoted to the Three Jewels, body, speech and mind, offer some incense outside.

And for the rest of us, please do not chitter and chatter, stay quiet with yourself. Be happy with quiet and concentrate. Get a glass of water or whatever like that. There’re no slaves in the house so help yourself. One slave is doing a retreat. Another slave has never come out of retreat and then that’s all the slaves I have. You see, what I do is I hire myself as a maid and I pay myself. But I pay myself with American wages. Isn’t that better? Fabulous. So, let’s all stand up, take a break and I’ll come back. I’m glad to be able to talk about the vows. We talked about the absolute and how they relate. Because the actual practice of the Dharmapala, the short sadhana and the retreat is very easy. But you see, to do it, you have to have that understanding. To not have understanding and just chant, very little benefits… [Tibetan phrase]… Very small and I didn’t get into it fully. I just told you a little part, what I’m allowed to tell you.

You know, all the Tibetan esoteric, secret mantric teachings of Tantrayana from the land of Shambhala, Shangrila, whatever lah… Oh, it’s just a trick to get money. Don’t you love it? Throw me an angpao and I’ll plant the seeds for you to get initiation in the future. Not this life, next life, whatever but definitely in the future. Just throw an angpao. The thicker, the heavier, the harder it sounds on my table, the stronger your imprint. Don’t you love that?

And then David’s like, “How about if I throw a rock in the angpao?” Doesn’t count because you’re attached. If you weren’t attached, if you don’t have the self-grasping mind, then you can visualize the rock as gold… [Inaudible]… you throw it on my table… [Inaudible]… Oh, you’ll get initiation. See, it’s not the rock; it’s the self-grasping mind. Some people can offer a million dollars to the lama and gain very little attainments; some people can simply hold their anger, and not get angry, and not abuse people, and offer that to the lama, and they’ll gain attainments and not create more obstacles for their practice.

You see, when people want to do Dharma work but they do work that is opposite, it creates a lot of obstacles for their Dharma work. A lot. Broken vows create obstacles. And they say, “Well, I’m doing this for the Dharma”, “I’m doing this for this person”, “I’m doing this for that person”, “I’m doing this for this group.” They are and they’re sincere. Everybody’s sincere. Everybody likes to help especially, you know, we’re nice people but you can’t fulfil your work because your broken samayas don’t allow you to collect that much merit. Because if you can help, you don’t be such a big hero or a knight in shining armor. You know, “If I make this amount of money”, “If I do this kind of writing”, “If I do this kind of, you know, assistant”, “If I’m assistant to Rinpoche, I can collect all this merit and then I can dedicate it to all sentient beings.”

“And if I don’t do it, it’s the sentient beings who don’t have the merits to receive it.” Don’t be so stupid. Don’t be so stupid. Don’t be so illiterate. That is incorrect and if I debate with you, you will lose immediately. But very simply said, if you’re doing Dharma work and whether beings can receive it or not, it would mean you have some level of attainments. You’re operating on some level of the absolute. If you’re not operating from the absolute and you say that, you are presupposing and you’re giving the message to other people that “Oh, they don’t have the karma to receive it, that’s why I can’t get it to give it to them.” Oh no, no, no.

Then, what about the Dalai Lama? Why does he even bother to give teachings? You think everybody who attends the Kalachakra, 400,000 people will practice to become Buddha? No. Far from it. In fact, there are people at Kalachakra in the back, drinking tea and doing dancing… [Inaudible]… in Bodhgaya and they’re in the back playing Mahjong. Yeah, Tibetan Mahjong. And this is during the Kalachakra. His Holiness is tirelessly teaching and they sit there gambling, playing, dancing, taking a nap, you know, because you know why? The strings, and the microphone, everything, they just hear it. [Tibetan phrase] They get a blessing. That’s what Tibetans believe but that’s ignorance. [Tibetan phrase] Yes, you can ask him, he knows. Tibetans aren’t the holiest people on the Earth but they have holy people.

So, my point is this… is that, if we do Dharma work and we do anything with the intent of helping Dharma, you have to have merit yourself in order to HAVE THE MERIT to serve others, so that you can create more merit and that they can create merit. If you don’t even have merit to do that, how do you create the opportunity for other people to do Dharma? You can’t. Why? To serve Gaden Monastery. That’s how I think. That’s what the Protector told me in person. Oh no, no, no. It’s not… I didn’t channel and I talk to myself:

“Oh, Hello?”

“Hi.”

“How are you?”

“How are you? Did you have a cup of coffee, DS?”

“No, I didn’t… [Inaudible]”

No, no, no, no, not that. In the monastery with a proper oracle, he told me. He told me. “Do your retreats and do your sadhanas [Tibetan phrase]. Out of the four classes of Tantra, you should take one Dharma Yidam and practice that intensely. By doing that, you will be able to serve Gaden.” I said, “Oh.” I understood now. What is that? Hold my commitments. “Dorje Pundroop” he said. The vajra command of your Guru. “Dorje Pundroop.” ‘Pundroop’ is the eternal knot, no end, no beginning. ‘Dorje’ is vajra. Meaning: the lama’s word has no beginning and no end. But if you make an end, you lose. So what the Protector told me – because I was overwhelmed with sadhanas, you know, I still am. I was trying to go to him and I was crying wolf. And I was like, “Oh, poor me, I have so many sadhanas. I want to do… [Inaudible]…” He told me, “No.” He told me himself, “I am a Dharma Protector but I have no authority to override the command of your lama. Dorje Pundroop.” And he said, “If you do your sadhanas daily, your Dharma work will grow, you’ll collect the merits, and you’ll keep your samaya, you’ll be a good example to many beings in the future. Do your sadhana.”

So I went home… went home to do my 50-hour sadhanas again. Oh yeah, that’s after I tried to get out of it. And you know, I even used evidence. I found books, in this commentary and that commentary, they said you can combine all your Yidams into one and do that sadhana and that means you’re doing all. Actually, I did research! I did research. I’m not kidding. And it was accurate. And you know, listen to this, I asked Lati Rinpoche, he was so confounded. I did such good research, he was so confounded, he couldn’t say yes or no. Can you imagine that? Lati Rinpoche. Little stupid pipsqueak here, like a little mouse going to the lion. [Mouse squeaks] and the lion is like, “Roar!” And says, “I’m not sure about that, so you better keep doing because I’m not sure.”

And I went to the other lion, the great senior of Gaden Shartse, His Holiness Kensur Rinpoche. I asked him. Kensur Rinpoche is like, “That sounds very good.” He couldn’t say yes or no. He said, “But, since I cannot say yes or no, you have to still continue to do your sadhanas.” I was like, “Ohhh.” But they weren’t even trying to humor me, they really said very good research, because I researched everywhere. You can combine all the meditational deities – and it says that in Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s Vajrayogini commentary. It says that directly in English! It says that directly and I found it. After I did all that research, I said, “Look, look…”

And then I went there with all this ‘evidencia‘ you know, because I’m Spanish… I went there with all this evidencia to Lati Rinpoche and he said to me, “Very good.” He says, “But I can’t say you don’t have to do it.” And then I asked Kensur Rinpoche, and he also said… [Inaudible]… “Oh ok, let me go to Manjushri lah.”

So, I went to Manjushri, which was really wrong because they are Manjushri. And then, I went to the Protector, he took trance and he told me, “Yeah, it’s very good but I cannot override the vajra command of your lamas.” And I was like… And he cut all my research away. Weeks! Weeks of research, meditating, thinking of how to formulate it… And you have to understand this, these are debate masters. So, I went back and did my sadhana – all 55 of them, all 100 and whatever, I can’t remember all the Yidams I have. There’s just too many. And I said to them, you know what? Some of the Yidams, I don’t even know what they look like, because there are like a hundred plus every day. Can you imagine doing a hundred plus Yidams every single day because some schmuck or some Joe might come up and say, “Hey! You know, I need this practice.” And if you’re not doing it, you can’t give it to them… Oh god… And sometimes, at the end of your life, you think to yourself, “Nobody even asked me for that practice. Why did I even do it?” But on the absolute, it’s different, isn’t it?

So, anyway, in my own example, it was like that. And I’m still trying to figure a way how. Because I have one practice that’s very long from the Dalai Lama and I was thinking, actually I was thinking for a few months now… Hmmm… How… Make a lot of offerings? Bribe His Holiness you know? Then I was thinking…. Hmmm… Not going to work. How ah? Maybe get His Holiness in a really good mood, you know… and so, you know, “How’s the Tibetan situation? And can I stop doing that sadhana?” “Sure!” Fantasy you know. Fantasy…

Make His Holiness a nice cup of Tibetan tea, you know… and I don’t know, wear this shirt when I go see him? I don’t know, you know. Just… and then slip it in you know, “Do you think I can stop doing… [Inaudible]… sadhana?” He’ll be like, “Yeah, it’s ok and by the way, the Tibetan situation is like you know…” Oh no, I can’t. [Gasps] Trying to trick a ‘Tamche Khyenpa‘, an all-knowing like him… trick a Bodhisattva… and here I am still plotting, how to get rid of this one sadhana that’s very long… that I’m doing for the last 20 years. And I think, “Why don’t I just let go and say ‘just do it lah’.” And I’ve been… you know, I learned speed-reading so I can do it real quick… I do it real quick, real fast. It takes the monastery hours to recite it; I can do it really fast. I’m not kidding you, speed reading… [Inaudible]… And they’re like, “You’re done??” I’m like, “Yeah.”

Anyway, that’s the truth. So, when we do our sadhanas, it’s on a very basic fundamental level. It’s a reminder for us to keep our vows. Six-Session Guru Yoga – especially if you have Tantric initiation – when we do our Six-Session Guru Yoga, we’re reminded of our vows. And when we keep our vows and we hold that every single day, and if you do nothing else, do you know how much merit we collect? Do you know why we collect so much merit? Because when we hold our vows, it takes us away from the self-grasping mind. When we take ourselves away from the self-grasping mind, that ‘taking away’ collects oceans of merits.

So, holding vows, holding samaya and commitments, holding it and doing nothing else and living in the vows collects oceans of merits, effortlessly. Why? Because that is one day you have restricted yourself from the self-grasping mind. And if you’re not holding your vows perfectly, you slip, at least it’s neutral. That day, you don’t collect negative actions. That’s why, reading the vows is so important, following is so important, and practicing the vows with the very people who live with us is instrumental. Practicing the vows with the very people we live with EVERY DAY is instrumental. Do you know why? It will show you whether you’re really taking refuge in Buddhism. Think, very simple.

And if we hold our vows daily, we really are – not physically, effortlessly – then the people around us will enter the Dharma. So, no point to wish, to pray and want people to enter the Dharma. Even if you know, they’re our closest people that live with us… they can live with us for 10-15-20 years, they will not go near the Dharma or practice. Why? We are that person who… they’re on the balancing beam, like in the circus, they have a balancing rope you know, they’re holding it – and we just tip the scale the wrong way. We are like that.

So, we live in a family and we can’t bring people to Dharma, that reflects our mind clearly. Yes, there are circumstantial things such as their own karma, blah, blah, blah. But usually, let’s put it this way… I know me, by hook or crook, somehow we get into the Dharma in many ways. I’m not trying to show off to you, I’m trying to tell you that I put my energy towards that, that’s all. I can yell at a person, they’ll come to Dharma. I can slap a person and they’ll go into Dharma deeply. I’ll tell you why. Because I’m a Mahasiddha? No, no, no. Because I put my energy towards that my whole life. I can collect merit by doing exercises upstairs and when it gets hard – when the weights get very hard or when the diet gets hard – I just think about Gaden and why I’m keeping my … [Inaudible]… why. Immediately, my mind becomes strong.

Am I trying to tell you that I’m some kind of Mahasiddha? No, I’m trying to tell you that I did my best to live Dharma because there’s nothing else to live for. Nothing else. I’m very suicidal. I would kill myself if it wasn’t for Dharma. What else is there to do? Sit here and watch Andee pick his nose? No, thank you. Watch Irene find different objects? You know, she’s got five objects of refuge. Namo Guru Beh, Namo Buddha Ya, Namo Dharma Ya, Namo Sangha Ya, Namo Jenny Ya. I don’t have time to watch, you know, people look for extra objects of refuge. And of course, Jenny, being the wonderful Bodhisattva that she is, instead of standing there accepting it, OM MANI PADME HUM, she runs all over the whole place, you know… I don’t know, some kind of drag race… Hmmm…

So don’t do anything that will bring you away from the absolute and closer to the self-grasping mind because the three lower realms are even worse for tantric practitioners. There’s a special hell realm, it’s called ‘Dorje Tinga‘, Vajra hell. Very scary – Zong Rinpoche described to us in detail – very scary. And there are Yamantaka practitioners who are born again in the form of Yamantaka but … [Inaudible]… tricking them and disturbing them, and hurting them. His Holiness Zong Rinpoche told us. Imagine taking on the form of Yamantaka but you’re a spirit, and you deceive people, and you talk to them, and you lead them wrongly because of your negative grasping mind. Imagine that. “But he is a Buddha.” “Yeah! But you’re not.” Very scary.

So, if we don’t hold our vows and commitments, 50 Verses of Guru Devotion, our Tantric and our Bodhisattva vows, and we don’t keep our basic commitments and basic promises, things that we want to achieve, worldly and for Dharma – very difficult. If we want to achieve just for worldly, strictly for worldly, you will achieve it. I’ll tell you why. Negative karma helps negative karma. Very simple. And you will never get anywhere… [Inaudible]… Never… never.

And if our lives… when we try to do things for Dharma and we fail or something doesn’t happen, let me tell you something directly: it’s a blessing because if you continue, it will be the three lower realms. It’s a blessing. It’s a wake up call to do Dharma, to practice the Dharma. It’s a wake up call from your Protector who actually loves you and that’s why they protect you. Hold your commitments, hold your vows, hold your samayas. Read about them, learn about them and don’t be chauvinistic, and don’t be boisterous, and don’t be holier-than-thou about it. In your body, in your speech, in your mind, it can be a direct way of holding your vows.

Start with the people that live right with you. Be aware, be kind, forgive, accept and don’t demand. If we harm the people that are close to us and they stop practicing the Dharma in any way, we collect the downfall. We are the cause. And if we want to do Dharma work – any type, big or small – obstacles will always come or we won’t be allowed to do it or we can’t do it because of our obstacles coming back to us. So, we want to do… if we feel we’re very qualified – and most of us are – and we want to do Dharma work, and we’re not doing it and we can’t do it, we’re not allowed to do it, we have obstacles to do it, it is our broken vows. And simply confessing them will not go away. Why? Confessing is recognizing them, but the effects are still there.

And for those of us who want to do big Dharma work and we find obstacles in doing it, breaking commitments is a very big, big issue. So remember, it’s not just Dharma commitments, it’s also commitments to our family, to our parents, to our wives, to our husbands; those commitments that we break, they have karma too. Do you know why? It’s not as strong as Dharma commitments because Dharma commitments benefit all sentient beings. Commitments to our family members or people that are close to us are not as strong because it’s in relations to one person. And hence, object – motivation, action, object and completion – object. So, if we make a promise to our wife and we break that promise, it’s very bad karma – it is – but it’s not as bad as if we break it to our Guru or to the Buddhas. Why? Because it’s to our wife – one; one is to all sentient beings. So the effects are very great.

So, every time we break our karma to our Guru, break our commitments to our Guru… [Inaudible]… “Oh God!” You know, “Why?” Yeah, but you see, you wanted the benefits. When you were in trouble, you wanted the Guru, you wanted the practice. But when you’re out of trouble, you don’t want it. But you have to understand, trouble comes and goes so you have to be prepared. If you hold your vows, you’ll be prepared. Stinginess must be let go. Miserliness and attachment to money must be let go on a very fundamental basis. Must be. If we don’t do anything about it, we hold onto it, it’ll be the three lower realms. This is not a joke.

Anger from projections and expectations to people around us and how we expect them to be – not anger from compassion and none of us here is that qualified – anger, expectation and projections will take us directly to ‘narak‘, the hell of unending pain. Correct. Or we will be born in our next life with dark, ugly, unhappy complexion – complexion doesn’t mean skin, our energy – and our appearance will be unhappy, displeasing and we will have defects and we will have short limbs and we will have bodies that are not pleasing to others. It will be a direct result of anger. Direct.

And for anger that’s continuous – … [Inaudible]… people and hurt them – whether it’s manifested or not, we’ll be born in war-torn areas, difficult-to-get-food areas, difficult-to-live areas, places that don’t support life, places that you’re born as barbarians or in forests, deep. Again and again and again. It’ll be the result of our anger that we do not control that arises from expectations and projections, which arise from the self-grasping mind. It’s horrible. Whether you express it or not, the anger is there.

Living is already dangerous. Not living is already dangerous. You say, “I’ll kill myself, it’s so hard.” You can. You can kill your body; you can’t kill yourself. Because killing yourself is a sign of your Self. Killing yourself is a sign of attachment to the Self. Very clear. And how do you kill your ‘Self’? Yamantaka can’t kill your ‘Self’; he’s so fierce with so many weapons, 34 weapons. Yamantaka can’t kill your ‘Self’. How can you? But he can show you the way. And hence, all his weapons… this side is all weapons to destroy obstacles, this side is all weapons to increase and enhance practice… oh yes, there are different meanings to it. It’s incredible. Sixteen to cut, sixteen to increase. Lord Yamantaka. But we can’t talk about that too much because you’re not initiated. Nee, nee, nee, nee, nee! Love it.

Where there’s no Dharma, let there be the Dharma. Where there’s Dharma, let it become stronger. Where there’s misunderstanding of Dharma, let it become clear. Where there’s no Dharma, let there be the Dharma. Where there is Dharma, let it become clear. Where there’s a misunderstanding of Dharma, may it become understood. Again. Where there’s no Dharma, let there be the Dharma. Where there is Dharma, let it become stronger. Where there’s a misunderstanding of Dharma, let it become clear. Where there’s no Dharma, let there be the Dharma, where there is Dharma, let it become stronger. Where there’s a misunderstanding of Dharma, may it become understood and clear.

Close

H.E. Kensur Lati Rinpoche (left) and H.E. Tsem Rinpoche

(Dedication prayers)

Ok, take a break.

Learning? What about you, Henry? Learning?

“Yes.”

Because I’m learning. Don’t ask me anything because I’m learning. What about you, David? What… Oh my god, this is going to be scary and I’m asking for it… What struck-chhh you the most?

“Oh God!”

Just because you look beautiful doesn’t mean you can laugh at people who are downtrodden and wannabe richies. There’s a will, you know… Later, he’s going to come and laugh at you. David’s like, “Just you wait!” Well, what struck ya, David?

“The workings of…”

Can you be a little more specific?

“Absolute.”

The workings of absolute. And how did that strike you? Please explain.

“How…”

How do you say ‘please explain’ in Spanish?

“Explicar por favor. Puede explicar por favor.”

Puede explicar por favor. Alright, go ahead…

“The workings of the absolute level where…”

Can you put the volume louder? Like you know, when you go to… when you don’t have any work and you get money… and, you know, the sound that you make when you get back. Go ahead.

“Where the intent becomes paramount, and…”

You mean you just found that out today? How paramount. And?

“And…”

Come on. Come on. Spit it out. Don’t try to be all poetic, just say it.

“And the action becomes secondary in the sense that…”

You just realized that today?

“No, it’s just that… [Inaudible]… affirmation.”

Affirmation…

“Yes. Re-affirmation…”

You know, when you die, please be sent to a Tibetan cemetery. I’ll be waiting. I just can’t wait and it won’t even be bad karma. That’s it? Two and a half hours, that’s all I get out of you. That’s it? What’s the absolute?

“Lessening of the self-cherishing mind.”

No, absence of self-cherishing mind.

“Absence.”

Absence of self-cherishing mind is the absolute. That’s it? That’s all you know? You’re going to write, aren’t you? Joseph, what struck you, if anything?

“Hmm… The purpose or the result of taking vows is to…”

The purpose or the result or both? Be clear. This will help you to translate later. Be clear.

“Both.”

Ok, the purpose and the result of taking vows…

“Is to eventually reach a stage where you don’t… you’re not actually taking vows. You don’t follow this strict code of taking vows because you’ve already reached a stage where you don’t…”

Ok, by taking and holding vows… By taking and holding vows, how do you reach a stage of no vows?

“Eventually your mind practices to a stage where you are completely aware of what you’re doing. At that stage, you don’t have… you’re not having this…”

So, it comes from habituation already. Ok, that’s one. Second? Anybody else. Second?

“Therefore, it was spontaneous, and therefore one doesn’t have to…”

He already said that. Second? Next?

“Each time we hold the vows, we gain merits.”

We gain merits. Third is the self-grasping mind becomes less. When your self-grasping mind becomes less, that’s called spontaneity. When it’s absent, it’s totally spontaneous. Mr. Khong, what struck you? You got to put up your volume because the dog’s scratching himself.

“Mindfulness is the essence of tantric teachings…”

Very good.

“Relying on the teachings, the Gurus, where initially at the beginning level, it’s all through commitments, observation of vows, and then we further develop to a certain stage of absolute level. That’s where you become… [Inaudible]…”

Why is reliance on the Guru, on a relative level or in the beginning, tantamount to reaching absolute in the case of Tantra?

“It is because we do not have the merits and we cannot fully understand… [Inaudible]…”

… [Inaudible]… Very simple. We do not have the merits directly to receive teachings from a direct Buddha. For some, the teacher is a living person; for some, it’s a Bodhisattva; for some, it’s an Arhat; for some, it’s a living Buddha. So, the perception of the being is different; the object is different. So, very simple. You cannot receive teachings directly from the Buddha. Ok, what else struck ya?

“It gives a very clear path, a very direct, simple way to enlightenment. Even though, it looks simple… [Inaudible]… because of mindfulness, perseverance, determination and the absolute surrendering of the self-cherishing mind…”

That’s right. Guru Devotion is surrendering of the self-cherishing mind. When you surrender to your Guru, you surrender self-cherishing mind. So therefore, when you surrender your self-cherishing mind, whatever your Guru asks you to do, no matter how incredibly *gasp* cannot do, you will do it. And the Guru will use that back to you in a positive way. So, he’ll make you do things that you normally would dare not do or never do. Or it’s against… or you think it’s bad, to make you… [Inaudible]… And the more you fight, the more you’re telling directly, you don’t need your Guru.

When your Guru gives you instructions, “Do that”, and you fight, you tell the Dharma students “I can’t do that”, “I can do better”, “I shouldn’t do that”, “That’s not me”, blah, blah, blah and you fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, you’re indirectly giving a message your Guru’s wrong. So, why are you even here? Anything strike you, Paul? Don’t try to look for big words and big subjects. Anything strike you?

“It’s about the guru devotion…”

You’re cheating, you’re following Khong.

“It’s like, when you said the Guru…”

When you said what?

“In the beginning you were very, very clear… If we don’t hold our vows… If we don’t hold our vows to the Guru well, even though we do a lot of black tea and we do a lot of practice and we do… [Inaudible]… so, I think back to… everything is back to Guru Devotion and holding vows, and then that’s the root of all the attainments.”

Irene?

“The right intention is the absolute. Achieving the right intention will…”

Right intention is not the absolute. Right intention leads to the absolute. If you’re operating from the absolute, there is no right intention, it’s spontaneous. Right intention insinuates… right intention gives you a feeling that you’re not doing something right and you have to make it right. So, if you have right intention – if you have to correct or you have to have right intention – it doesn’t come from the spontaneous. It’s not spontaneous, therefore it cannot be absolute. If it is absolute, it must be not with intention, it’s spontaneous. So, therefore, absolute means spontaneous. Spontaneous means no effort, no intention. Everything leads back to the absolute. What is the absolute? You are not operated or caused or diverted or controlled by the law of cause and effect anymore. Ok? Anything else strike you, Irene?

“The guru devotion is the most important in leading us out…”

No, that’s too basic and general; that we heard 10-15 years ago. Come on, out of this, you must have grasped more. Come on, come on, come on. You said you want to spread Dharma, you want your family to go into the Dharma, you have to know Dharma. Come on, think, think, think. Push yourself to think. Think higher.

“The fundamental is holding the vows…”

Why?

“Because that will lead us to the absolute.”

Ok, why do the vows lead you to the absolute?

“Because that will… that will gain us merits.”

Think carefully, it’s very logical. Don’t be right. Think carefully because you know what? When you die, you’re on your own. Alright? Think carefully. This is not about… who cares what people think, you’re stupid or right. When you die, you’re on your own.

“By holding vows, you gain the merits to…”

Ok, number one. Number two, any other things?

“Holding vows is guru devotion.”

No, holding vows leads to the absolute. Fine. Next, what else leads to the absolute?

“Strike off the ego grasping…”

No, you didn’t understand. You’re using a lot of big words. You’re using a lot of big words that doesn’t meld together, doesn’t meld. Very difficult to teach in-depth teachings. Very, very difficult. Very difficult. No one has grasped it. No one. Very, very difficult. We haven’t done retreats. We haven’t practiced the fundamentals. We haven’t held our vows. The Guru Devotion is not strong. Very difficult to teach it. And you talk and talk and talk and afterwards, people go “What?” I’m not criticizing anyone. This is what I mean. Not ready our group. Not ready. Far from ready.

Anyway, [Tibetan phrase] means we planted seeds today. When it’ll ripen, I don’t know. In Nyingma and Kagyu, you call it Dzogchen, Mahamudra. In Gelugpa, you call it Emptiness, Shunyata. Very, very difficult for people who don’t hold their vows and who don’t do their preliminary practices. They don’t keep their samaya. You know, it’s not a matter of how much you do preliminaries, it’s keeping samaya. Very important. Dromtonpa achieved what I talked about just by study, offering butterlamps to the Guru every single night. The cook also achieved it at the same time by serving the Guru, Lama Atisha. By serving Lama Atisha.

The cook, every single day, had to go to the river, walk for miles to get the water. He had to walk for miles to the forest to bring wood. And he had to cook because, you see, they didn’t have buildings and stuff, they lived in tents, they were nomads at that time… and provide fodder, provide food, provide… And then he had to actually get the food, he had to cook it out, he had to walk for miles to go clean it. And every day, breakfast, lunch and dinner for Lama Atisha was a very big production. It’s not like now, you just turn on the oven. And this great cook did it every single day, believing that Lama Atisha is a fully enlightened Being. And he offered food every day.

And great Dromtonpa, a lay practitioner of Lama Atisha, didn’t do any of the physical work but he really studied, he held his vows, he practiced Bodhichitta. And every single night, he would not make any offerings to the Buddha or any jewels or any Three Jewels. No one. Every single night, one butterlamp he would make – and butter was a very big commodity, very expensive in Tibet – every night, he would have one butterlamp, he’d fill it up, clean it and when Lama Atisha went to sleep, he would offer the butterlamp in front of Lama Atisha and make three prostrations. When he was asked why, he said, “There’s no other Buddha but my Guru. Why make offerings to statues and thangkas, when the Buddha’s in front of me giving teachings every single day?” And then one day, when Lama Atisha gave teachings on Emptiness, the cook and Dromtonpa achieved realization at that moment together, simultaneously – one by effort and faith and merit, one by study and collection of merit through study – achieved simultaneously. That is historical by the way. You can read that in Atisha’s and Dromtonpa’s biography.

I was so impressed with that. When I read that along with a few other things, I decided Guru Devotion is the right way. But not that type of Guru Devotion you Malaysians think about – just serve and cook and do what he wants. No. The Guru Devotion of holding vows, the Guru Devotion of being nice to people that live with us, the Guru Devotion of doing our practice and keeping commitments. Real Guru Devotion is not sitting next to your Guru and massaging him all day. That’s wonderful if you can do that; if that’s all you can do, that’s wonderful. Real Guru Devotion is keeping your samaya and vows. Real Guru Devotion is being nice to the people who live with you. Nice – not one day or two days, not when you’re in a good mood, not when things go right; every day, when things go wrong. Real Guru Devotion is doing one’s practice. Real Guru Devotion is doing one’s retreat. Real Guru Devotion is anything, any action that takes you away from the self-grasping mind. Any action that takes you away from the self-grasping mind is Guru Devotion. So, if we practice Guru Devotion correctly, you’ll become very attained. But, physical Guru Devotion leads to the real one.

For some people, they can go directly to Guru Devotion. Some, it depends. A cave in the snow, Anila Tenzin Palmo, you guys read it. She practiced real Guru Devotion without even being near her Guru and the Guru died. She practiced real Guru Devotion, she still does. Because he told her to build a nunnery, she’s doing it, even he’s dead. See, some of us, even when the Guru is around, tells us what to do and he’s watching and scolding us, we don’t do it. People like Tenzin Palmo, even when the Guru has passed away, she still does it, keeps her promise.

Real Guru Devotion is not hanging around the Guru and trying to be a superstar, hanging around the Guru trying to be the main attendant. Real Guru Devotion is holding your vows. Real Guru Devotion is the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation. Real Guru Devotion is being nice to the person right in front of your face every single day. If you want Guru Devotion, if you can’t even do that, what advanced teachings are we going to get? Real Guru Devotion is generosity, letting go of miserliness. Real Guru Devotion – real Guru Devotion – is keeping our commitments to our Tantric lamas. Real Guru Devotion, that’s real. If we do that, the merits will accumulate. It will explode. And you know, we hear a little bit, we understand, we hear a little bit, we understand. People want advanced teachings, they intellectually can grasp it but it stops there. And for some people who hear advanced teachings, it becomes an object for them to go to the three lower realms. Why? They puff up with pride and knowledge, but no action.

During Drukpa Kunley’s time, a Tibetan Mahasiddha, who ran around farting and having sex with everything and shitting and peeing everywhere but he was a Mahasiddha… debated with a Geshe. And after debating with the Geshe, the Geshe was puffed up with pride and arrogance because he was extremely learned, much more learned than Drukpa Kunley. And then the Geshe told him, “You’re going to go to hell. You don’t hold your vows, what kind of monk are you?” So Drukpa Kunley told him, “I can’t go to hell, there’s no room for me. It’s filled with Geshes.” And he walked away.

Around monks who held their vows, he smelled sweet. Around monks who didn’t hold their vows, he smelled like poop. And the monks… some monks would go, “Oh god, you’re smelly, take a bath!” He goes, “It’s not me that’s smelly.” Some other monks said, “Oh, that Drukpa Kunley smells so good!” He would manifest things like that. He’s very well known, a Tibetan Mahasiddha. Like a Chai Kung in Chinese, just like a Chai Kung. He was obnoxious. He would lay on the street with no clothes on and his ‘thing’ standing up when it’s time to subdue people.

They’d say, “What kind of monk is that?”

He’d say, “What kind of Buddhist are you?”

They’d say, “What are you talking about?”

“Well, you’re looking at it, not me.” They’d go away.

And some people would look and say, “Oh look! Look, how scandalous…”

He’d say, “I’m not scandalous. It’s part of my body. I was born with it. It’s a male reaction, like that. What to do?”

“But, but, but…”

“But what? You’re the one having lust in it.”

And everybody would run because they got caught. Yeah, he would do things like that. Shocking, shocking Tibetan society. Can you imagine? Gee, I wish I was a reincarnation of his, that’d be fabulous. I’d like to do that but not in Malaysia lah. I don’t want to be shocking in Pudu jail with… watching David be famous *sniff* because he’s small and I’m not. I don’t want to go to jail, I’d be jealous of David. Everybody would be knocking on his cell, not me. I’ll be like, “Not fair! I’m fair and beautiful and fabulous.” And David’s like, “But you’re not small.” I’ll be like, “Oh! Break my cup!” The advantages of being small, you know, you get popular in some places. Do you like that?

Khong understands that but he has this Bodhisattva I-understand-but-it-doesn’t-affect-me-and-non-attached look. But then, he has that non-attached look for everything within life. Isn’t Henry evil? He’s laughing at you, Khong, he made you lose face. All the times that you lost face, you shouldn’t have any face left, you should walk around with just a neck. And Maple’s looking at Tiki thinking, “Why not? It’s been 10 minutes, no signal. What happened? Am I losing him?” Tiki thinks, “No signal. It’s Dharma talk. Have your own little, you know, whatever. This is Dharma talk. No signal. This is in about 15 minutes of no signal. I still love you even though there’s no signal. And if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to punish you – no signal for another 15.” They have their own little signals, you know. Isn’t that wonderful? And Maple’s still thinking about that Balinese chest. Should I give that signal or get that out? Just with the signal, she… [Inaudible]… I love it!

Alright, so… Now, when I say practice Guru Devotion – listen carefully – when I say practice Guru Devotion, I’m not saying for you to serve me like a slave. I’m not telling you that I am without fault. I am not telling you that you have to do everything I say. That’s not what I’m talking about. When I say Guru Devotion, it is holding your vows – Refuge, Bodhicitta, Tantric – all three or whatever you have. When I say Guru Devotion, it is doing your sadhana and practice every day with meditation and offerings. When I say Guru Devotion, it is practicing the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation with the very people that live with you first – not the planet, not all sentient beings, the very people in your house. Every time you break any of those, you’re going away from who you are – absolute enlightenment.

So if you’re happy suffering, keep doing that. If you want to be devoted to your Guru, you do those three. Giving your Guru lots of money is wonderful. Giving a massage to your Guru is wonderful. But that’s not Guru Devotion. Guru Devotion is holding your vows, doing your practices and commitments and Eight Verses of Thought Transformation immediately with the very people that are near you – every day, all day. And if you fail, don’t simply say, “I’m sorry” because you’re a hypocrite and you’re lying and you’ll create obstacles for your Dharma work. That is Guru Devotion, real Guru Devotion. [Tibetan phrase]

Milarepa practiced Guru Devotion by staying in a cave and becoming enlightened. That was his real Guru Devotion. Him for 30 years serving Marpa, watching his kids, massaging him, being kicked out, building buildings, and cleaning and cooking and taking care… All that was not Guru Devotion, it was preliminary practice to Guru Devotion. Milarepa. Real Guru Devotion is when he went to the cave and he applied the teachings for destroying the self-grasping mind. All that was preparation.

Do we need to do that? Depends on who we are. Some people need to do physical Guru Devotion, some people don’t. What’s physical Guru Devotion? What IS physical Guru Devotion? Being aware of the other person’s needs. The Guru trains you up to be aware. How he wants his house, how he wants his things, how sensitive you are to it is Guru Devotion. Why? You’re creating awareness in your mind. So, if you’re blur, if you’re stupid, if you’re sleepy, if you always forget, you don’t listen, you always forget, you have to be told again and again, you have no Guru Devotion. Not because you’re making your Guru scream but because you’re not creating AWARENESS. That’s real Guru Devotion.

Physical Guru Devotion – massaging, cleaning, putting things away, all that for the house of the Guru; physical Guru Devotion – whether he lives in a hut in the forest, getting wood for him from far away, cooking, or in a big ladrang, in the Potala Palace like the Dalai Lama – physical Guru Devotion is awareness. Real Guru Devotion is practices that destroy the self-grasping mind. Example: vows, practices and commitments and samaya kept, and the Eight Verses with just the people with you now.

Why? Why do I stress that? Why? Because those are the hardest people to practice with. Because they’re used to us being bitchy, they’re used to us being lazy, they’re used to us using them, they’re used to us like that, and we’re used to them being used to it, and we’re used to them like that. It’s all vice-versa. It is the hardest people to practice with. So, you can check how far your practice is, is with the very people you love and you live with. Oh yes. How deep, yet so simple.

So, if we can’t be generous with the people we love, if we can’t let go of anger with the people we love and we still hurt them, what kind of practice are we doing? That person can be our mother and father. That person can be our daughter and son. That person can be our husband and wife. That person can be our lover, our friend, our partner, our flat mate, whatever lah. The very people we have – our workmate – that we live with every day or we see every day is where we start our Dharma practice! And if we keep failing at that, we’re not a failure, but hey, you’re digging your grave deeper and deeper – escape, drugs, music, whatever – cannot escape from it at all, ever.

Real Guru Devotion level one – awareness, level two – practices that cut the self-grasping mind. But then they’re related, aren’t they? In-depth? So, let’s stick to those subjects for the next few years. Anybody requests me for higher teachings, be ready. Anybody wants higher teachings, be ready. Anybody who wants to just write down the higher teachings, be ready. Because if you don’t know what you’re writing, you will misinterpret and you will damage. Be ready. Let’s stick to the teachings that are very high but they look simple and basic. Oh, they’re not.

As I said, His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang Dechen Nyingpo was known as the Lamrim Lama and he was criticized for many years by Sera, Gaden and Drepung during his lifetime for not knowing any Dharma, but only knowing Lamrim. No attainments, he doesn’t know anything. And then, plus in Sera Mey Monastery, he didn’t reach the highest Geshe, he didn’t study much, he was not a very good, you know… in his tests, nothing. He kind of flunked. You can read that in Geshe Lobsang Tharchin’s book by the way. What’s that book called? What’s that book called?

“Fundamental… no… basic…”

What’s that book called? Anybody know? Ok, wonderful. I suggest that reading to people. Ok. Now, he was known for that and he had that criticism about him for years that he was not a scholar, he didn’t know much, all he taught was Lamrim. And you know what? People actually complained about his teachings; they didn’t want to go. And they requested for higher teachings, initiations, all that stuff. And you know what, when he finally gave it, all the Geshes, all the masters, everybody but His Holiness came for his teachings. And everybody who was anybody became his disciple. The very great imperial tutors themselves – His Holiness Lingtrul Dorje Chang, His Holiness Trijang Dorje Chang – both of them are his direct disciples.

The knowledge His Holiness has today comes from these two great masters and this comes from Pabongka, who was known as a nobody – the Lamrim Lama. And they didn’t call him Lamrim Lama as a ‘Topa‘ means, to put him up; to put him down. And when he gave Heruka initiation, Geshe-la told me – in America, Geshe-la told me – people would see a third eye open on him or people would shake, their bodies would shake. Their bodies would shake from the presence – his presence – of the initiation deities. Because why? There are certain rituals where you dissolve the deities into you to plant the seeds. People would shake in the audience, Geshe-la told me. Oh yes. But he didn’t manifest that for many years. And what he actually said was, “I can’t teach you anything higher because you haven’t accomplished anything of the basic fundamentals, which is higher in itself. How can I?” Very simple explanation.

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H.H. Pabongka Chocktrul Rinpoche (right) with H.E. Tsem Rinpoche

His Holiness Pabongka Rinpoche was one day summoned to talk about the Southern Lineage of Lamrim, summoned by the 13th Dalai Lama. Of course, the 13th Dalai Lama knows he has a lineage, of course the 13th Dalai Lama knows everything. But there were people in Tibet who was critical of Pabongka Rinpoche and they wanted to put him down. So, the Dalai Lama quelled them, summoned him and he wasn’t prepared with the text, he wasn’t prepared with anything. So, he was summoned in, the officials came saying, “You must come, Pabongka Lama, you must come now!” Because he lived in Lhasa, the Dalai Lama ordered him to come.

That is in Gelek Rinpoche’s commentary by the way, you can read that. And when he went to the 13th Dalai Lama’s office, before he went into the inner chambers, he was outside with the ministers. They said, “Where’s your papers? Where is… You are here to prove the Southern Lineage. You are here to prove the Lamrim that you have been teaching, that it has a basis and it has a real lineage and where you received it from all that. You can’t just tell us… your Lama from Dakpo, taught you that. (because his Lama was Dakpo Rinpoche.) You can’t tell that, because you are spreading all over the place. It might be fictitious. It might be made up. It might be your own little agenda.” Because they are very strict in Tibet about teachings being authentic especially within the Gelugpa lineage, very, very, very strict.

In the Gelugpas, they don’t look down on Termas but they don’t focus on it because they need authenticity that goes back to Buddha. See, Termas are authentic but only in certain people who can perceive them. But people who can perceive them, we can’t check if they can perceive them or not. We have to just assume. Gelugpas don’t go after that, they don’t deny because they need things that fit. So what happens is His Holiness Pabongka says, “Oh! I don’t, I didn’t bring anything with me. You know, I didn’t have time to get ready. Some is in the hermitage, some is over here and it is scattered.” They said, “Nope, you have to have it” because they didn’t like him. But he said, “His Holiness has it in his room.” They said, “What? How dare you say that.” He said, “Yes, all my sources come from this book, this book, that book, that book and His Holiness has all in his room.”

And then they said, “Where?” Pabongka was forced to use his clairvoyance for the first time. Forced. You read it in the commentary. He says, “On this shelf, in this book, on this chapter, that page. On the Dalai Lama’s shelf on this side, on this book, this chapter, this page and on this shelf, this, this, this, this.” They wrote it all down. Pabongka Rinpoche’s attendant was shaking already, he said, “We are going to get it now.” Because why? The Dalai Lama can ban you. They went inside. The minister reported to His Holiness and he said, “Hmm… How did Pabongka Lama know I have all these books and on this shelf and what page and where? How? Let the Lama come in.” So Pabongka offered his case to His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama. After they were finished, the 13th Dalai Lama says, “Let him teach his lineage, go…” After that in Tibet, the Southern Lineage of Lamrim, the one we are reading right now, the one that… if you didn’t buy it from me, you buy it! Alright, that’s the tagline. He became famous.

How kind of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to put Pabongka down. How kind of the Dalai Lama to step on Pabongka. How kind of the Dalai Lama to “scare” Pabongka. How kind that these high Lamas work in such a way that it looks like conflict. There is no conflict between the Dalai Lama and Pabongka or any Lamas [Inaudible] – absolutely impossible! His Holiness the Dalai Lama is perfect. His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka is perfect but we who are not perfect, they must manifest [Inaudible]. You can read that in Gelek Rinpoche’s commentary of Vajrayogini. I have it. Oh! You can’t read it. Who has tantric can read it… Oh! That part, you can read it. Anybody can read. Anybody interested, you let me know. I will pass it to our friendly neighborhood secretary here and when she’s in a good mood, we will Xerox and you guys can get it. Don’t you love it, look at her face, no ego at all. No ego at all, you are fabulous, I tell you. David’s like, “That’s what you think. You weren’t junior secretary for two years.” It’s ok, when you retire, you can have lunch with her to show her how much you don’t hate her. How’s that? And then, when the merit… Oh, never mind. Let’s not be too bitchy.

Now, Guru Devotion – real Guru Devotion, holding the vows in the absolute is totally connected. Absolute is what? Emptiness. Shunyata. Dzogchen. Mahamudra. Whatever you want to call it. Actually, there’s no name. How can you name something that you can’t even perceive and that you don’t have the level to perceive? And if you name something that you cannot perceive… something I see in China that doesn’t exist here, I come and give you a name and I tell you about it, You’re not going to… you can’t picture it.

Even something as fine… that is so thramo… subtle. Very good. Tsem Rinpoche will continue teaching the fundamentals, the preliminaries and basic practices. Why? Because Tsem Rinpoche himself needs to remind himself. One. Two, Tsem Rinpoche didn’t study at all in the monastery. He didn’t debate at all, and that’s the truth. He doesn’t know anything but it’s ok. Now, we will stick to those and it will be very powerful for us. Why? If we can achieve the fundamentals and basics, we can achieve great attainments because if you can’t, then there is no higher level monks in Thailand or Cambodia or Burma and there are many high level monks there who go through only Sutra, no Tantra.

So if you say, “Oh! I am bored with Sutra, I’m bored with Lamrim, I’m bored with Three Principal Paths. I just… I want Tantra”, you are crazy. Why are you crazy? Then you are saying that everybody in the South, the Southern tradition of Buddhism… Another Southern tradition of Lamrim – the Southern tradition – has no attainments. Nope! There are many [Tibetan phrase] arhats – self-realized beings. Once-returners, twice-returners, and those are many, many. If you see a Thai, Burmese or whatever Southern tradition monk, prostrate. Get on your knees and make offerings. You never know who is an arhat. You never know. Whenever I go Thailand, I do it. I prostrate to them or I go on my knees and I make offerings.

Yeah, I am a Rinpoche. So what? So what? A Rinpoche can still collect merit. Oh yes. Let me give you an example. If you are an ordained person, you have your ordination vows but you have no attainments but you hold your vows simply and as best as you can as a monk. And you have a fully achieved 10th level Bodhisattva who’s a layperson. If the Bodhisattva prostrates to that monk, he will still… he will still gain merits. That’s how holy the vows are. It says that in the Vinaya, so don’t doubt the fundamental teachings. Isn’t that incredible?

His Holiness Ling Dorje Chang who is Yamantaka, His Holiness Sakya Trizin who is Manjushri attended teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They had great thrones made for them, very great thrones. His Holiness Sakya Trizin was supposed to be the king of Tibet. Before the Dalai Lamas took over, the Sakya patriarchs were all the kings of Tibet. So, they had very high status in Tibet, very high. So they actually sit on very high thrones to show respect and also, Sakya Trizin himself is Manjushri… So when… The current one. So, when they attended teachings, they had two thrones, the one Dalai Lama facing here and then one here and one here, very high. When His Holiness Ling Rinpoche came in, Sakya Trizin came, they had a little argument. Who would sit on the throne closer to the Dalai Lama, that is higher rank? His Holiness Ling Rinpoche said, “You must sit there because you are Manjushri and also you are the king to Tibet, you are the lineage… you are very high.” Sakya Trizin says, “No, I am just a useless layman. You are a monk. Please sit there.”

And they argued back and forth. In the end, Ling Rinpoche lost and he had to sit in the front, above Sakya Trizin. This is a very well-known story because although Sakya Trizin is so high in rank and so enlightened – you know, really he is the Patriarch of Tibet – Ling Rinpoche, being a monk, still sits above him. But Ling Rinpoche, I mean he’s not, you know… he’s not, you know, some guy you picked off the streets, you know in Zurich or something. No, he’s not. Or Taipei, if you want a smirk. Oh no! But it shows you their nature. And can you imagine, Sakya Trizin telling His Holiness Ling Rinpoche, “I am just a useless layman.” I wished I was as useless of a layman as he was! Can you imagine, Sakya Trizin is a useless layman?

Here, Chinese, they just look at you wrong. “You make me lose face what!” Can you imagine, Sakya Trizin being so high, tells everybody he is a useless layman? He’s not being humble, he’s telling you the truth. He feels that. Let me tell you, I met His Holiness Sakya Trizin, I walked around Gaden with him. I was looking at his hair, his earrings and all that stuff you know? I was thinking, “Cool earrings.” I walked around, and he walked around the whole Gaden, circumambulating. I followed right behind because we had to be an entourage, you know? When he comes to Gaden, the Lamas have to come receive him.

Yeah, and he himself goes to Trijang Rinpoche’s house, sits on Trijang Rinpoche’s throne and Trijang Rinpoche makes offerings to him. Can you imagine that? Sakya Trizin, that’s how high he is. He is so beautiful, he comes to Sera, Drepung, Gaden, he gives offerings to all. When he gives initiation, even the oracle of Dorje Shugden, all the High Lamas, everybody goes to the initiation of Sakya Trizin. He is Manjushri. I have received his blessing many times and he definitely has clairvoyance. He has shown it to me directly. I will tell you that story another time. Directly, because I went to have personal audience with him.

The Vajrayogini I have upstairs, that I have offered to the center but you guys are not ready yet… You know, that one I want to auction off to the center. That one is blessed by him. Remember? Fabulous. Maple is like, “Really? Can I have that for the dindin?” If I get a percentage, yes! Hold on… but you know what, I am going to make 10 of those replicas. So, you pick out the one you think. Well, you know, when you rub each other, blessings rub off what. So, they are all blessed by Sakya Trizin, so I count 10 dindins. Isn’t that wonderful? It’s a great idea. Tiki is like, “Hmmm. 10 dindins, let me calculate that.” He’s writing it all down. He’s got this big… he’s got a recorder this big, stuck inside his ears because he is from you-know-where. It’s smaller than Andee’s tape recorder.

Chia is awake, can you believe that? More prostrations! More! He has done 6000 already. He is doing 500 a day, he told me. He said it’s getting easier, he’s going to go up to 800. That’s good. Then, you go up to 1500 but every two weeks… two weeks, increase 100-200, 100-200 increase. You don’t do it like that. Two weeks, 100. Two weeks, 100 till you reach 1500 and you do that up till about 60,000, 70,000, then you taper off. When you reach about 60,000, then you start doing 700, 700, then you do 600, 600, down to 500, 500 like that, like that. Slowly, go like that. Understand? Good. 35 Confessionals and concentrate and focus. Chia is doing 500 a day. Isn’t that wonderful? He’s going to finish 100,000. Wonderful! Maybe, we will have one Mahasiddha around here.

If you don’t hold your vows, if you don’t hold your samaya… Vows are gateways. You know, when you go up to Genting Highlands, they make the road markers on the side very bright so you don’t fall off the hill, drive off the hill, you know? Those little white things, what’s that called? The white lights, very bright, isn’t it? And if you reflect on it, it reflects back. So, vows are kinda like that, so you don’t go off the hill. You don’t drive off. What is that called in Chinese? [Inaudible answer] I don’t know, you tell them in Chinese. Fan what? Fan Kwang? “Fan Kwang”? How about fat kwa? No? God, you are evil Tiki! You guys know what I am talking about, right? They are like that. So, when you hold your commitments by knowing your vows and adjusting yourself to the vows, then the Dharma Protector is very easy to act for you. The whole Dharma Protector path of practice, listen carefully! The whole Dharma Protector practice and how fast, how quick you…

Remember that. The Dharma Protectors are literally the lapdogs of the Lamas. That is what it says in the scriptures. What the Lama tells the Protector to do, the Protector – he or she – will do. If someone is so bold to tell the Lama, “I told the Protector to check you or you, or give sign or do something to you”, very dangerous. Very, very dangerous for that person. I will tell you why.

The Lama has a relationship with the Protector for many, many, many years, sometimes, many lifetimes. You come, you start practicing one, two years, you think you are boss ah? Petaling Street, all those types of bosses, you just come one, two years, say I am the boss? You will get it! What am I trying to say? No one receives signs, no one receives powers, no one the Protector talks to just like that. You have to hold your vows. Someone who doesn’t hold their vows and they say they see the Protector, they receive signs? Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Impossible! Impossible! Impossible! I gave you logic, two hours of logic. And for the Dharma Protector to help you, if you break your vows and commitments to your Guru… What are those? Your commitments, your tsok, your practices, all these are your commitments, your samaya.

When you ask the Dharma Protector to help you, it is as if his hands are tied and his legs are tied and he is blocked… he says literally like something is blocking him. He cannot help. That is the truth. When you do Protector practices or you do Protector black tea, how effective it is, is dependent on your Guru Devotion. And Guru Devotion doesn’t mean serving your Lama, it means holding your vows, practicing awareness, keeping your commitments and doing your practices and the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation. If you do that, you don’t even need to make black tea, you just talk to the Protector, he will do what you want. But for show and display to other people, you make black tea to show them an example of what they should do. Why? Although he is a Protector or she is a Protector – in the case of Palden Lhamo – you can still collect merits if they are Buddhas. But because they have manifested in the form of a Protector, their function is to do your bidding on the basis of you holding your vows.

H.E. Domo Geshe Chocktrul Rinpoche

A Lama will order a Protector to do something. A disciple or a student who is not attained will request. There’s a difference and there’s a reason for that. I will go deeper. There’s a reason, it is not simply one… “Oh, he’s a Rinpoche then he’s in charge.” No! No! A Rinpoche has to be attained in the absolute. A Rinpoche has to be attained or have a taste of the absolute. How much absolute he has attained will give him that much power over a Dharma Protector. You can order [Inaudible] Order local deities, order spirits [Inaudible] And whether the Lama is not around or around, the Protector, the local deities will prostrate to the throne of the Lama or show respect. Why? Simply he has a name? No! They know his attainments, and they praise and they prostrate. Why? He overpowers them and they are scared. Some prostrate because they are scared, like a big boss. Some, out of respect. Many, many reasons.

So therefore, a student who has the realization of absolute or some sort of it or holds their vows, the Protector is very close to you. Why? Whatever you ask him to do, he doesn’t need to check, he knows your motive. If you do black tea, you do offerings, you check to accuse, to find out because of your ego, you are using the Protector in the wrong way. Very dangerous. Why is it dangerous? He won’t harm you; you create the karma he can’t help you anymore. You yourself created that karma. Why? You are so arrogant, you think you know so much, is it? You think you hold your vows so good, ah? No, no, no! No, no, no! The Dharma Protector can be a wish-fulfilling jewel or nothing. He can be a wish-fulfilling jewel. You must give, you must practice the six paramitas. You must give, give, give. You must be patient, patient, patient. Effort, effort, effort. Wisdom, wisdom, wisdom.

You have to practice the six paramitas and then hold your commitments and then, when you do business, when you do practice, when you do retreats, when you are looking for money, sponsorship – ask for sponsorship, it will come. Why? Very easy. A very good child of a rich family, a very good boy of a rich family – very good – don’t waste money, smart, don’t get tricked, you know, he’s independent, he’s smart; he goes and asks daddy for money, very easy. A boy that goes running around drinking, smoking, running around with girls, not responsible, wasting money, smashing up the car; ask for money from daddy, difficult what, very difficult… what are the vows?

So the secret today to Dharma Protector practice is commitment but I don’t want to just tell you guys because you are smart. Oh commitments… that’s why I gave you a whole Dharma talk on the real practice of Dharma Protectors. Commitments based on vows, vows that you put into practice. I gave you a talk on how to do Dharma Protector practice. NOT A, you recite this. B, you recite this. 3, you do this mantra. 4, you do it these times. 5, you do it these numbers. 6, you dedicate. No! That’s not Dharma Protector practice, this is not Dharma Protector practice, no! Just A, B, C, D, E and then you do a little bit of retreat… [Recitation murmur] Stupid! Stupid! You think you are so smart, just do a retreat. No! No!

All of you here are my good friends. Some of you come from very far. Some of you have worked very hard. Some of you will work very hard. Some of you have put so much effort at something and it has been wasted and it’s gone, produced no results, disappointed and sad. Some of you love the Dharma so much. I owe it to all of you to tell you what real Dharma Protector practice is because Dharma Protector practice is relevant for you. Do you know why it is relevant for you? Do you know why? Because we have so many obstacles in our daily lives, for our kids, for our family, for our survival, for our travel, for our visa, for legalities, for court cases, for everything! So that we are not reduced to bumbling idiots that beg for money and beg for help from people. Dharma Protector practice, you all need. I have been promoting it for years, not because that’s what I like. I love it. Because you need it!

Malaysia needs it. I will tell you why. Because Malaysian people do not have a culture of strong philosophical Dharma yet. So, for us to give them strong philosophical Dharma in this Southern region, it is impossible to go all the way like this and then give them Dharma and then say, “Like that, like that.” Nobody will last that long. So, you need to give them practice now to help them now, to assist people now. When you assist them now and you tell them how, they get some results, then from that, they will do Dharma practice. You see, Dharma Protector practice is going backwards, but we have to go backwards here, not because you are backwards. Because time, place, situation, samsara, have already become very violent. So, you need it. Maple’s family needs it. Khong needs it. Andee needs it. Jenny needs it. Irene, Chia, David, Paul, I, Joseph, we need it. Henry, we need it.

We need it because we are not Bodhisattvas. We need it because we have so many obstacles. We need it because every single day, we are making more and more bad karma and that’s how it’s coming back upon us and it’s hell – it’s giving us hell! We need it because we need it. That’s why I am teaching it to you. Aren’t you tired of being disappointed? Aren’t you tired of working so hard and not getting the results? Aren’t you tired of being scared? Aren’t you tired of being insecure? Aren’t you tired of watching your kids, your family, your people and they don’t know how, not sure? Aren’t you tired? I would be.

Dharma Protector practice is your answer and I have been teaching some of you for many years. For those who do it correctly, there will be results. Correctly means what? The necessary that the Protector needs to help you. He’s always ready to help. Always. I am here to teach you. I stay up to 3, 4, 5am, apologizing to you but actually, there’s no apology necessary because these teachings will change your lives. And if you guys write this down and record it and you study it, and you make this into a pamphlet that you study within the group with my permission, it will benefit many other people. Many, many people. Why? The Protector practice will be very powerful in the future. It will grow. It will spread. It will become very big. It will be number one in this world. It starts here.

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H.E. Yongyal Rinpoche (center) with H.E. Tsem Rinpoche

Why does it start here? Because I am giving you knowledge. Do you know why it is going to be powerful? Let me tell you why, let me tell you. Because everybody out there who needs it is just like you and me. We need protection. They love their family. They have obstacles. They have difficulties. They need money. They need help. Everybody needs that and they need it in such a way that they don’t owe it. Because when you pray to gods, you need to pay something back. Sacrifice animals, you need to give money, something. You don’t offend them. For Protector practice, you don’t need to give anything back except the practice of kindness. The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation and holding the vows, which actually helps you. You are not helping the Protector. You are helping you, yourself. You are helping yourself. Doesn’t that make sense? So, I am teaching you all of these and I am taking the time to push and teach all of you because you need it, and it will spread. It will spread because people need it. It will spread because people need it. It will spread very big. That’s why I talk about it. That’s why I talk about it.

Actually, I’d rather not talk about Dharma Protectors. I’d rather talk about one of the Yidams, for example Tara, the meditations on Lama Tsongkhapa… I would like to go more extensive on that because that actually brings us to full enlightenment. Protector doesn’t bring us to enlightenment directly. It is indirect. His function is not to take us to full enlightenment. His function is to guide us to beings who can take us to full enlightenment. So, I have talked about that for that and you guys want to know how to do Protector practice. Please, don’t just make me teach you procedures. A, the technicalities, B, C. Let me teach you how to really do it and that’s what I just did tonight. Because I care and when I told some of you that I will absorb your sufferings, and I will absorb your pain and problems, I mean it. One of the ways I absorb it, one of the ways is right now. What I have been sharing with you for the last four hours to give you the secrets of this practice.

No offence intended, but do you know how difficult and disappointing it is to give two-three hours of teachings, and you ask them and they don’t know what you’ve said? They don’t really understand? Because for some people, you have been talking about it for years, they still look at you… they can’t… they mumble, they don’t know… they don’t know what’s going on. Do you know how disappointing that is to a teacher? That’s absorbing. That’s absorbing. Why? If you understand it, you will be released. Your sufferings will decrease tremendously. If you don’t, the teachers have to work much harder. Push themselves harder, and keep going and keep doing it and find other ways and find other methods. And help you and be patient. It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of work… and listen to you create trouble. Listen to you fight, show your anger. Listen to you break your vows. Watch you lie to yourselves. Do you know how difficult that is? It’s very difficult. I am not a Bodhisattva but I have Guru Devotion. I won’t be here if I didn’t. I was ordered by my Gurus to be here. Ordered… and my Protector.

So my point to you is not criticism. You want Dharma Protector… you want something that helps you and that’s why I am here. Dorje Shugden will be the number one practice in this world. Jigten Sumden Gyi Gyalpo Japorez – he will be the king of the worldly beings in the worldly form. He will be and it will all manifest, and how will he help people? If they hold their vows, if they practice the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation and if they do that and commitments. If they do that, do you know what happens? They create the karma for their Dharma work to just grow. Some people complain, ‘Things don’t move fast enough.” Don’t move, it’s that person’s… It’s not. It’s you not holding your vows. That’s why things don’t move.

If anything moves, if I may say the truth, it is the merits of the Lama. If anything moves at all, it is the merits of the Lama, not the students. The students are the ones that make the Lama slow down. So, if any student has any audacity and arrogance to say “I am working for the spread of Dharma” but not do any Dharma and not listen to the Lama, that student is extremely arrogant and ignorant. Anything that works is the Lama, it is not the student. And anything that goes backward and doesn’t work, and anything that slows down is not the Lama. You can read that in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s works about Lama Yeshe and what he said about how things grow. You can read about it. That’s not something I said; you read, you read.

So, if there’s any setbacks in the center, if there’s any setbacks anywhere in any center around the world, it is not the Lama. It is not. How could it be? How can the Lama want his work to be set back? How can? How can the Lama show anger and throw Bitch Fits and make mistakes and make things go back? Unless the students are the cause of it. Think about all that. So, if one student shows disrespect to another student, he goes the wrong way. When one student breaks a vow, he goes the wrong way. When one student doesn’t hold the commitments, makes up lame excuses, it slows down all the work. You say, “Oh, let me run away.” You can run away but you can’t run away from yourself.

But you see, the important thing here is this: it is not the lama or the Dharma work, all that is just a given. The important issue here is, you all need help, just like me, because we have so much negative karma from many previous lifetimes that keep coming down and we need help. [Tibetan phrase] We have a lot of obstacles so we need a Dharma Protector that is skillful, that is quick and efficient, and that has manifested for us, NOW. And that is Dorje Shugden and that’s the only reason I talk about him. There’s no other reason. There could be no other reason.

Oh yes. It certainly couldn’t be because of fame. I mean, Madonna’s famous but she’s not famous for being a nice girl. It couldn’t be for fame I am doing it. It couldn’t be for money – trust me, there’s no money! Well, actually a little bit but not enough. And it couldn’t be for recognition. Oh no, it must be for a different reason. We all need it and it is going to grow big because everybody out there is just like you and me. It will be the biggest in the world, this world. You will see it manifesting within our lifetime. You will see it, you will see it grow in the East, all over the world. It will definitely. Why? Because people need help. People are overwhelmed by obstacles and the Dharma Protectors manifest, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest again and again and again to fulfill their vows and promises.

Lama Tsongkhapa fulfills his vows by manifesting as a very powerful Dharma Protector. And Lama Tsongkhapa has many emanations all over. Many. He will emanate as women, as men, prostitutes, as gods, demons, as devils, as the lusty, as the idiots. That’s what it says in the Dharma Protector’s text. He will manifest in many ways. He will manifest as your sex partner. He will manifest as a retarded person, as a piece of fruit. If you want to do Dharma Protector practice, you must… you must practice the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation. You must, not just by mouth. Now! You must hold your vows and your commitments, 50 Verses and your promises. You must if you want to practice Dharma Protector practice. You must do your practices, your actual sadhanic practice, your tsok practices if you have. Those three, then when you invoke your Dharma Protector, it will be swift; it will be quick and you will have results.

Mundane results, mundane – listen carefully – mundane. Your family, your children, money, business, protection, help, avoidance of untimely death and supramundane, he will push you back to do the practice. If you do this practice, you will meet this lama again and again. If you do this meditation, you do this… you will gain realizations on two levels… two ways. If you believe in Dorje Shugden, don’t think about the guy who is sitting there like this. [Inaudible]… Don’t believe that, that’s a picture. If you believe in Dorje Shugden, believe in the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, holding your vows – dombak ngasum sumdrup – you got to hold your three types of vows.

And your practices. Don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t hurt, don’t fight, don’t shout, don’t scream, don’t criticize. Then you do black tea, you do your Dharma work, your Dharma work will grow. When your Dharma work doesn’t move, don’t blame others, it is you. Either the Dharma Protector is a fake or you do black tea, it has no effect. Which one is it? You think to yourself. Oh yes. Now, does anybody have questions about that?

[Long pause] Does anybody have any questions?

Now, I will go over A, B, C, D which is very easy. 10-15 minutes and we are done. I am not here to teach you mantras and little prayers. If you want that, you can buy your own book. You can get it off the Net. Dharma Protector practice is all over the world, alright? This is from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s group, do you want that? Just look through this and you can do whatever you want lah. It’s all here. This is the small, mini version that people can do without initiation. You want to do it, go ahead. You do that, what’s the effect? Just [mumbling] don’t waste your time. I teach you a quick method and I teach you a double-edged method. One is to cut your delusion and self-grasping, and one is to fulfill your worldly aims. I teach you that. Think about that. What do you want? Happiness in just this life, or future lives and this life? Your Dharma Protector can do that.

All Dharma Protector practices will be based on what I taught. All, but even more so within our lineage because our lineage is very new – meaning fresh – like a young, fresh, new athlete.

[Long pause] Any questions? Be devoted to your Dharma Protector not by body, speech and mind. Be devoted by holding your vows. Outer actions of devotion are empty. Any questions?

No questions? What is the basics, the fundamental or the principle, or the pillar or the necessity, or the absolute to make Dharma Protector practice successful? Name one, Paul?

“Holding your vows.”

Name another one, Maple?

“Changing our mind.”

Very good. Name another one, Mr Khong?

“Guru devotion.”

Very good. Name another one, Joseph?

“Keeping our promises.”

Very good. Name the last one. Not the only last one but the last one that I had explained, Henry?

[Inaudible answer]

That’s too general. Specific.

[Inaudible answer]

No, specific. The purpose is that. Specific. Andee?

“Eight Verses of Thought Transformation with the people closest.”

Eight Verses of Thought Transformation starting with the people closest to us. Starting! Alright, I don’t want, “Oh, you know, cut the self-cherishing mind.” That’s a given. Alright, specific. Again, the pillar of Dharma Protector practice of any… Palden Lhamo, Mahakala, Kalarupa, any… in fact, if you practice that, you really don’t need a Dharma Protector actually. A real Dharma Protector is the Dharma itself. That’s the real Dharma Protector. It protects us. So, the fundamental or the basic, the principle, the real core to Dharma Protector practice again is…? Give me one, Angel?

“Eight Verses of Thought Transformation.”

Very good. Give me another one, Jenny?

[Inaudible answer]

I can’t hear you.

“Guru Devotion.”

Very good. What kind of Guru Devotion, David? Come in and schlep around the house, bring him hamburgers, SMS him nice messages, give him little cheap gifts when you’ve disturbed his mind? What kind of Guru Devotion?

“Holding vows.”

What kind of Guru Devotion? Give me one general word.

“Awareness.”

What kind of Guru Devotion? Tashi?

[Inaudible answer]

Nope! You are giving me the method, you are not giving me the general. Chia? Ruby? Jenny?

“Keeping up with the practice.”

Inner. Real Guru Devotion is inner practices. I am not playing with words. That’s why I gave you a hint just now, David. Schlepping around, giving him gifts, bringing him McDonald’s hamburgers. That’s outer what. Real is inner and then, the Eight Verses and all that. It’s all connected. We are just repeating the same things over and over a hundred thousand times here. There are no tricks. Don’t be scared. Don’t be scared of Dharma questions. Do you know why? You will learn. Don’t have phobias and don’t be scared. Why? Rinpoche is your friend. Dharma is your method and questions are to make sure you understand. Don’t be afraid. No trick questions here for anyone. No! I don’t believe in that. Why should I? Again, what is real Guru Devotion? Physical, outside service or inner development based on the vows, Eight Verses, practices, samaya? What is real Guru Devotion? What is real, real Guru Devotion, Joanne Tan?

“Inner.”

That’s right and then that is what the Dharma Protector needs. Inner Guru Devotion, not sit around your Guru and just massage him 24 hours a day. If you do that and you do that with clear mind, that’s fine. But you see, there are many ways to serve a Guru but the real way is practice, practice. Do you know why? What happens if your Guru dies? Then how do you serve your Guru and what’s Guru Devotion? Think carefully. This is not a cult where you follow a personality. This is not a cult where you follow someone that speaks well. This is not a cult, this is Dharma. Dharma is here, developing the mind. [Tsengopa Yugaris – Tibetan phrase] means we have to transform our mind.

So, real Dharma Protector practice, real that brings us protection and help and happiness and the Dharma Protector will listen to us, real is… give me one, Irene?

“Inner development.”

Too general. When I tell you to give me one. I am not telling you to give me general. Listen carefully. Listen to what I say, not what you think. I will let you think. Give me one.

“Holding your vows.”

Very good. Seng Piow, give me another one please.

“Keeping samaya.”

Very good. What’s the difference between samaya and vows? What’s the difference between samaya and vows, Tiki? What you think?

“They are both similar.”

What do you think is the differentiation? Because I didn’t mention it. Those are tricky words, I know. I didn’t explain. Does anybody know? Yes.

“The vows seem to regard myself. Samaya seems to regard my spiritual teacher.”

That’s very good but let me be a little more specific. Vows are the vows you have taken during your refuge, the 10 non-virtues to be avoided. Then some of you with initiation, some of you have taken Manjushri or Vajrapani, those are the Bodhisattva vows. And for those that have taken highest Yoga Tantra such as Yamantaka, those are the Tantric, Bodhisattva / Bodhicitta and the Refuge Vows – those specific ones who hold those. Samaya is your pure view and your good view and your good relationship with your Lama. That’s your samaya based on your pure view, and you can have pure view and a good relationship if you hold your vows. Why? The merits are great and your Lama doesn’t have to be alive or dead for you to have good samaya. Good samaya is if you hold your vows. Automatically, you will be very close to your Guru. Automatically, whether your Guru is alive or dead. Why? How do you know you are close to your Guru? When the work you do is dedicated towards benefiting others, you are close to your Guru. So, samaya is the good relationship that you have with your Guru, not by giving him money, taking him to eat and serving him and like that. That’s not a good relationship. It’s based on you doing your practice, holding your vows, doing your commitments. Whatever promises you made to your Guru, you do it. That’s your samaya.

Samaya is damtsig. You can have samaya with your Protector, with your Guru. Samaya is the good relationship you have. What? Not a worldly relationship. It is a relationship based on pure view, based on service, based on practice, based on holding your vows. So, if your Lama says, “Do this” and you do it, you have a good relationship. If your Lama says, “Do this” and then you make your excuses and just stop, you don’t make a good relationship. If you don’t make a good relationship on a normal level, it is very hard to go any higher. Don’t say, “Oh my Lama is high, he understands.” Yes, he understands but does your karma understand?

Don’t make excuses. Hiding, avoiding, criticizing, covering or saying anything that contradicts your Lama is breaking samaya. So, even if your Lama says, “The sky is black and there’s no sun”, you say, “Ok.” You agree or not doesn’t matter. You don’t run around the world saying, “Oh! My lama is wrong” or try to go around the bush saying, “Oh well, there is a sun. I saw it!” but you don’t actually say your Lama is wrong. Same what. Samaya is a good relationship you keep with your Guru and the best way you can keep that relationship – the best way – is by your practice and the transformation of your mind. The more you do that, the closer you will become to your Lama, all Lamas and the real Lama. The real Lama – yourself. That’s the real Lama.

Outer Guru Devotion leads to the inner Guru. The inner Guru is yourself. Transformation. Transforming. Understand that? Understand that? Ok, you know the difference between samaya, damtsig domba. Damtsig is samaya, domba is vows. There is a difference. Do you understand? So, what’s the difference between vows and samaya? Ruby, what is a vow?

“A vow is like a guideline whereby when you take refuge vows, you have all these guidelines that if you follow and that will create… that will lead to a good samaya with your Guru.”

Not bad or cut your habituations. Very good. What is a samaya, Joanne Tan? And by the way, I love your bag. Let me see it. Can you flash it around? Why are you so shy? Hurry up. Why you put it down? Your bag behind you, you go there. Whose bag is that? Fabulous! Give me that bag. Your bag sucks. Oh wow! This is the best bag on the planet. Gashar Monastery. Does anybody know what this is? Paul – don’t talk – Paul, do you know? Don’t know ah?

Who you working for? Tashi, do you know? My, my… Do you know, Joseph? David? Jenny? Irene? Hurry up!

“Don’t know.”

My, my, you don’t know Gashar Monastery ah? Ruby?

“Gaden Shartse.”

That’s right. You guys don’t even know who you work for! Paul! Even so simple thing don’t know ah? ‘Gashar’ is Gaden Shartse Monastery. Why, you think [Inaudible] around Paul Yap Monastery? Paul Yap, Paul Yap, Paul Yap Monastery, what for? ‘Ga’ is Gaden, ‘Shar’ is Shartse. Gaden Shartse Monastery. We spread the Dharma to the world like the victory conch shell. My, my, only one person knew, who Ga… did you know? Tiki, did you know that? He wouldn’t be carrying around a purse that he didn’t know what it was about, a Dharma purse. Gaden Shartse, abbreviated form, Gashar Monastery. The most fabulous monastery in the world. Do you know why? I have one simple little teeny reason – Lama Tsongkhapa started it. So, he was kinda saintly. We canonized him after he died because he manifested enlightenment in Bardo but never mind, let’s not get into that. So, what’s Gashar Monastery, Paul?

“Gaden Shartse…”

Gaden Dhartse?

“Shartse.”

Tashi?

Where? Where got Gaden Tashi? You don’t even know who you work for ah? It’s time to learn who you work for, Paul! [Inaudible] Who is this, Joanne?

“Gaden Shartse…”

Gaden Sexy?

“Shartse.”

Shartsy? Gaden Shartsy Monastery. Shartsy. You’re fabulous! You don’t even know what monastery you work for. Where we are from? Where we are going to? Where we bought land? Gaden Shartsy ah? That one Gaden Sexy. You are Gaden Shartsy. Irene?

“Gaden Shartse.”

Irene is like, “Gaden Shartse” with her “David” lips. Joseph?

“Gaden Shartse.”

Very good. Now, you know who you work for, huh? You don’t work for Tsem Rinpoche, I’m so sorry. You work for Gaden Shartse because Tsem Rinpoche will die. Gaden will not. Why work for something that is going to drop dead? I am just an ambassador. That’s all I am and I am honored to be. I am a servant. Alright. Who do you work for Jenny?

“Gaden Shartse.”

Very good. Now, who do we all work for? One, two, three… wait… wait. Wait! Tashi?

“Gaden Shartse.”

Wow! Miss Nyingma here. Ms Nyingma. You work for Gaden Shartse or only part-time lah? She works part-time for Nyingma and part-time for Gaden, is it? Full-time or part-time?

“Full-time.”

Good. Full-time because Gaden is Nyingma, is Sakya, is Kagyu. What’s the difference, stupid! On the count of three, who do we work for? One, two, three.

“Gaden Shartse!”

Not Gaden Sexy. Not Gaden Schmexy. Paul, who do we work for?

“Gaden Shartse.”

Gaden Shartse. ‘Shartse’ means East Point. Gaden has North Point – ‘Jangtse’. ‘Jang’ is north, ‘Shar’ is east. Gaden means what? ‘Ga’ means happy, ‘den’ means place. Ga dey gyi den or ‘Gaden’ means Tushita. Do you know what Tushita is? The heaven of Maitreya Buddha. So, Gaden Shartse – ‘Gaden’ means Tushita. Tsongkhapa said people who enter this monastery, they plant the seeds to go to Tushita Heaven. So, when we work for Gaden, we are working for Maitreya Buddha. Isn’t that fabulous? The next Buddha to come. Gyalwa Jampa Chenpo.

So, you work for Gaden Shartse Monastery like what we are doing now, this is work. Good work. You are planting seeds to go to Maitreya’s Heaven. You say, “What is this Tsem Rinpoche talking about Kechara?” I already told you, you can rent a cloud. You go to Gaden, Gaden and here. You go to Kechara, you can rent a cloud and drive there. Couldn’t you see Paul in the Kembara cloud?

“Oh, where is this. Kechara? Yeah!”

Can’t you see Tiki in… I don’t know what he drives… Can’t you see Chia on his motorbike? A motorbike cloud? If you collect the merits to go to Tushita or Gaden Heaven, it is the same as going to Kechara. No difference. In fact, halfway up, you can say, “Can I change my ticket? I want to go there.” Maitreya will say, “Sure, no problem.” You think Maitreya and Vajrayogini fight? No lah! They are lovers. They are one. You are working for Gaden Shartse. It is Lama Tsongkhapa named that, and he named that because people who enter, study, stay there go to Gaden Heaven. Tushita, the next Buddha to come. And those of us who are not practicing during this Buddha, hopefully when the next Buddha comes, we won’t be on the beach waiting for our mother to give us money. Right? Then when you work for Gaden Monastery, you are making direct connection to Tushita Heaven, which is Maitreya. So, you know what you are doing? Let me make it simple, you are buying an insurance policy. That’s right.

You don’t make it with Shakyamuni Buddha? You got Maitreya to back you up. Doesn’t that sound good, Paul? Tiki? Insurance policy lah. Why is it insurance policy Paul? The depth of your knowledge and understanding and grasping is incredible. I am going to call you “Jushri” without the “Man”. Yes? Why is it an insurance policy, Paul? Tiki?

“You get to go to Tushita.”

Why is that an insurance policy?

“You are guaranteed to leave…”

That’s not exactly it but halfway. What about you, Chia? Oh! I haven’t said that name in a long time. There’s the blink-blink, play-play, move-things-around and scratch-scratch. Yes? Things I don’t miss.

[Inaudible answer]

Mr Khong?

“Plant seed?”

Nope.

Ruby?

“Because if we don’t make it in this time. You have another chance.”

Close

H.E. Denma Locho Rinpoche (center), H.E. Kensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche (left) and H.E. Tsem Rinpoche (right) in Bodhgaya.

Looks like Ruby is the star pupil today! Because we are living during the time of Shakyamuni so if you mess up now, you got insurance. Why? At least when Maitreya comes, you plant the seeds to be there in the future. Then you say, well Paul is thinking, “What happens if I become a Buddha now during Shakyamuni’s time?” No problem. When Maitreya shows up, you sit next to him, say, “Move over, sister.” You get it? You get it now? Life insurance policy, Paul? Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings, 5000 years, when that’s gone, how? After that, how? When Maitreya shows up, where are you going to be? Phuket? Kajang?

Could you see? Maitreya shows up, Paul is in Kajang by himself hanging out. Evil Tiki! Tiki is laughing at Tiki junior. Aiyoh! Where got like that? Laugh at Tiki junior. No wonder you are worried about Tiki, Tiki Junior and Maple. Why don’t they call you “Cherry Blossom”? Maple ah? [Laughing] Why is it insurance policy, Paul? Why?

“In this lifetime, then we…”

Hmm… If you mess up?

“Now this lifetime…”

No! Not this lifetime?

“When we mess up during Shakyamuni’s time…”

That’s right.

“You still Maitreya… [Inaudible answer]”

Something like that, Paul. You get it Maple? Can you please tell Paul why it is an insurance policy because you have understood?

“If we don’t make it during Shakymuni’s period, we still got a chance with Maitreya.”

That’s right. Why? Because you are serving Dharma, planting seeds. Something that Lama Tsongkhapa specifically… his purpose to make Gaden Monastery. That’s his purpose. Very good. So, who do we work for?

“Gaden Shartse.”

That’s right. What does ‘Gaden’ mean?

“A happy place.”

Happy place, referring to what?

“Tushita.”

That’s right. Tushita is the heaven of where?

“Maitreya.”

And, that was the heaven of Shakyamuni. Before Shakyamuni came down, he resided in Tushita. Now, I don’t know where he is. Now, he is on the beach at Phuket waiting for Paul. No, no… Shakyamuni is in Kajang lah, make him happy. So, we work for Gaden Shartse. Don’t forget that. That’s our monastery. You don’t work for Tsem Rinpoche. You work for Gaden. Kechara House, Kechara Mystical Treasures, Kechara Paradise, Dzambala Mystical Treasures, Kechara Media and Publications, all are for Gaden Monastery. Remember that. Tsem Rinpoche dies. Gaden does not. Don’t follow Tsem Rinpoche. Follow Gaden.

Don’t worship Tsem Rinpoche, worship Lama Tsongkhapa. Lama Tsongkhapa doesn’t die. Tsem Rinpoche dies. Don’t listen to what Tsem Rinpoche says. Listen to what Lord Buddha says, the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation and holding your vows. Don’t follow Tsem Rinpoche, it’s not a cult. Remember what I said – you work for Gaden Monastery. And if we help Gaden, it will bless and help Sera and Drepung, Gyuto, Gyume, His Holiness, all. Why? One less responsibility for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. One less. [Lengkin Chimores – Tibetan phrase] Remember that and if you help Gaden Monastery, it is the object for you to collect so much merit. Why not, the Sangha? If you can’t be a monk, the next best thing is to support the monks. Right? Right Henry? Do you want to be a monk or support them?

“Support.”

Bad, bad answer! You should say, “I want to be a monk but right now I will support them until I become a monk.” You should have said that. Is it because JT is so sexy that you are looking at her, you cannot give up ah? “May I be a monk every single life”, I pray for that all the time. That’s what Lama Tsongkhapa prayed. I copied him because I am a copycat. So, you cannot be a monk Andee, what’s the next best thing?

“Support the monks.”

Why? Irene, why?

“By supporting the monks, we will be gaining merits to become a monk.”

I think I will put you in Paul’s category and you will [Inaudible] perfectly? Khong, why?

“Maintain the teachings.”

Why Jenny?

“So that we are able to help the monks and…”

Why do we want to help the monks? Why? We have already established that. Why?

“Take away the responsibility from His Holiness.”

That’s wonderful. Why do you want to help His Holiness? Who is he to you? No lah! Not exactly that. Think, it is not a trick question. Maple, what do you think? Why do you want to help the monks?

“Keep Dharma going.”

[Applause] That’s it. Because we can’t practice like the monks. We can’t study like them. We can’t take vows like them. We can’t hold morality. We can’t live there with no hair. We can’t live in India. We can’t live with no electricity, shitty environment. We can’t. We don’t want to, we are too lazy. We are too attached. Whatever the reason, you know, we are too unattached. I don’t know. We are Mahasiddhas. We pretend to be Mahasiddhas. Whatever. Because where there are monks, according to the Buddha, four Sangha or more, the Dharma will grow. So then if Gaden survives, the Dharma will grow. That’s all. It is as simple as that.

So you collect merit by supporting Gaden because you make the Dharma grow. It’s so simple. So, if you can’t be a monk to practice the Dharma deeply and 100% at this point, you don’t have to be but that’s a good method. The next best thing is to support a monk. Why? To make sure the Dharma is kept alive for yourself and others to practice, always. Doesn’t that make sense? Please remember that, you don’t work for Tsem Rinpoche. You work for Gaden. Tsem Rinpoche dies, Lama Tsongkhapa does not. Tsem Rinpoche didn’t build Gaden, Lama Tsongkhapa did. And Lama Tsongkhapa was prophesied by Lord Buddha to spread the teachings into the world by logic, by debate, by understanding, by pure lineage, by ethics and vows. Predicted. And Guru Rinpoche himself said, “During the degeneration of the teachings, I will manifest in the future as a shaven-head monk to spread the teachings of the Mahayana.” Guru Rinpoche himself predicted. No difference, whatever view you want to take.

You don’t work for Kechara House. You work for Gaden because Kechara, all is for Gaden. It is all for Gaden, what else is it for? So when you are lazy, you are unaware, you don’t push yourself, you fight with each other, you fight with your lovers, you fight with your friends, you don’t hold your vows, you are not serving Gaden. When you break your commitments, you break your samaya, you are not helping Gaden. Don’t just talk about money. Talk about your vows because when you are good people and you walk around and then you carry this, they will say, “What’s that?”

“Gaden Shartse.”

“Why?”

And you explain they say, “Oh. I want to be involved.” Alright? Any questions on Protector practice? Any questions?

The real Dharma Protector retreat, I can’t give you. The real Dharma Protector retreat, I can’t share with you and you can’t do all the way because it will take you months. I will give you a very short, easy, abbreviated version. By right, if you are going to do any Dharma Protector practice, you must do Guru Yoga first.

[NOTE: Listen to Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga practice commentary here]

In the Gelugpa tradition, you do Lama Tsongkhapa 100,000 times first but I will make an exception, alright? I don’t make an exception because I am a High Guru. I am making an exception because we are all lazy and the Buddha will understand, I hope. So what we do is this, during retreat, alright? Listen very carefully. I have assigned a few people to do retreat at KH. Those people doing retreat at KH, you will set your cushions down in front of Setrap, comfortably and nice. Once you set your cushion down, do not move the cushion or remove it till the retreat is finished.

So, the people in charge of KH should be aware of that and the people who are doing retreat should be aware of that. So, you set your cushions down. You can put your little name on it, put a little tag on it or whatever, or put “Don’t Touch”. But that will be up to the administrators there, the Liaisons there because if the cushions get moved, somebody is going to get it. Maple is like, “I am a Liaison of appreciation, I know nothing.” Ok? So you got to put a cushion there. Under your cushion, I want you to do this – this is to get ready for the future – I want you to put a Kusha grass. Does anybody know what a Kusha grass is? Do you know or not?

“I know.”

Then say it. Quick! Say it in Chinese. Ok, we buy the broom and we need to get the Kusha grass, we need a short one and a longer one. So, you just pull it out from the broom lah. You pull it out from the broom, you bring it here, Rinpoche will do a little bit of a blessing, alright? Why? Kusha grass was what Lord Buddha sat on when he became enlightened. So that is for you to plant seeds for you guys to do real retreats in the future. Alright? So I want you to get Kusha grass, the long one – look here – put like this. So, if you are like this, you put the long one like that. The short one like that, like a cross. So, the long one, vertical. The short one, horizontal. And then you will be sitting on that. Everybody understand that? I don’t want questions, it’s very simple after this. Any questions? Ok. So, you will make also on a piece of paper a swastika. A Buddhist swastika, you draw one yourself, ok? You make a Buddhist swastika, you put that under your cushion facing up. So this is your swastika – [tungdrak. Gyatrum, gyatrum – Tibetan phrase]. Sorry. And then you put like that and then on top of that, you put your kusha grass, the long one, facing this way. The stem – look here – the stem facing backwards, the actual grass facing forward. And then the smaller kusha grass, this way or this way doesn’t matter, on top of the swastika. On top of that, you put your cushion. Questions about cushions? Questions about cushions? Make sure the Setrap area is very clean and very well and very… you now, no dust. And then you put down that and then the kusha grass, and then you put the cushion on top. Alright? Any questions on the cushion and place?

“Rinpoche, the swastika is drawn on a piece of paper…”

And then you can take a…

“Any color, no problem?”

Any color, any piece of paper, no problem and maybe you take double-sided tape and just stick it down to the ground so it doesn’t move. Hey, your cushion should not move. Of course, move little bit here and there, never mind lah. It’s just to get the system going. Ok? Then… yes?

“The swastika. That must… must that be on a specific direction, facing any direction?”

No, you draw a Buddhist swastika and just put it down like that and put it on the ground like that and the cushion on top. That’s it. There’s no direction. The swastika has no direction. It is perfectly square. Like that, like that all the same. No direction.

“I think what she meant was whether the paper is facing… [Inaudible]”

No, there’s no way to face it. Any direction is the same. Which way faces the Protector? Tell me about this. How? That’s why I say, no confusion. Why make confusion? What does a swastika look like? Does anybody know? That’s it. Does the swastika have one point longer? No. Do you put it face down or face up, Chia? Face down or face up? Face down or face up?

“Face down.”

No. Face up. Why do you draw a swastika and put it upside down like that? Why? [Kugpa ra – Tibetan phrase]. Very simple! Why do you guys make such simple things so big? Draw a swastika, put it like that, put the grass on top, put the cushion on top. The end. Why so complicated? So easy. Aiyoh! [Cheegeh Rangrik – Tibetan phrase]. Boy, I know a lot of teachers, they just, “la, la, la,” that’s it. You figure it out yourself. Oh my god! So simple. Why would you draw a picture of the swastika, put it upside down like that? What for? Where’s the logic in that? Unless you are going to sit upside down, you know? I don’t know, you dig a hole in the ground and sit upside down like some kind of bat? You get it, Chia?

“Yes.”

[Ninje – Tibetan phrase] Alright, then you will make a land god offering. Ok? And I have already compiled that. Correct? Does anybody have that? The land god offering that I compiled? Nobody has. I have to repeat myself. You got, right? Good. I compiled a land god offering and I passed it around. It’s on my computer but of course, nobody knows as usual. I have to repeat myself hundreds of times. I hate that. I hate repeating. So, you are going to do a land god offering. How? You make a plate and you put biscuits and tormas and all that stuff. No alcohol. No meat. Because we don’t know whether the God is Malay, Chinese, Indian. We don’t know. So, we respect – vegetarian, no alcohol. Make a nice one. What do you ask the land gods? You ask the land gods to make no obstacles for you during the retreat by the environment. Ok? You just follow the sheet and then make sure you take that torma out. Ok, just like during tsog we have done that so many hundreds of times when we attend tsog. Ok? Questions on land god offering? Gegtor gyi torma. Gegtor, Geg gyi – Obstacle torma. Yeah? Then?

[Inaudible question]

Yeah, I just said. What did we talk just now? I compiled what? You got? Tell her. Ok? Then? That’s why I said, the procedure is very easy. It’s just mechanical what. Procedures, just write down, that’s it. If that was what you wanted to learn, we would have finished five hours ago. Then, you don’t get much benefit, ok? Then, have you guys finished? Ok. In front of your Protector offering, in front of Setrap – of course this is before the cushion ok – you have an extra table. Who’s doing the retreat? Raise your hands. Keep your hands raised.

Ok now, for auspicious reasons, four sets of sensory offerings; two for your Yidam and two for the Dharma Protector. One set of the Dharma Protector’s offerings should be the wrathful sensory offering, which I have already taught how to do. Chia should know that, Tashi should know that, right Tashi? Yes. So, you have four sensory offerings. The two is for the Yidam. In this case, all of you have different Yidams, some of you don’t have initiation so we make it a general Yidam, which is Lama Tsongkhapa. So two sensory offerings for Lama Tsongkhapa. Peaceful. Ok? Hello. One this way and one this way. That’s for Lama Tsongkhapa and then the next set – look here – is for the Protector. Normal sensory offerings – peaceful – this way and the wrathful one this way.

Ok? You can borrow my wrathful flower from here. You understand Tashi? Ok? Understood about the sensory offerings? Good. Now, you are going to make for your retreat, one beautiful torma for Lama Tsongkhapa. You can do it like this. You can get a plastic jar and the people doing retreat put your money together to do it. You get a plastic jar and you fill it with biscuits and you use that for the duration of your retreat. Ok, now. This is your jar. I am doing this for insect prevention. You get a plastic jar, you fill it with biscuits, then you cut out the paper, the round one and then, the cylindrical, like the pyramid one and you stick it on ok? Then you put it on the plate in front of Setrap, and you put fresh biscuits everyday. When you are finished with your retreat, remove the fresh biscuits. Do not move the torma. The torma cannot be moved until after the retreat is finished. Cannot move the torma. Do you understand? We are going to do it semi-official. No movement of torma during the whole retreat. There are reasons for that but let’s not get into that right now because it is a little early. Excuse me in many ways, it is early. Henry is like, “Yeah, very early. Early in the morning.” But isn’t it fun? You can sleep when Rinpoche’s dead alright.

David, any regrets? Of course not. For the Dharma, this is worth it right? So you will be a little tired tomorrow but do you know what? You are always tired. Very! Are you tired or not? Tell us.

“Yes.”

Very tired. You are right. Alright. Do you have to get permission from anybody to do this? Oh! You are a free m-m-m-man. Alright. Isn’t this exciting and for the people not doing retreats, I would listen up and write notes because in the future, you will be called upon to do retreats. I am doing it half / half now; half is official, half not official, alright? Now, the sensory offerings are done. The torma is done – I am sorry – the torma, that one is for the Protector. Then, you have another one, same thing as the first one except a smaller jar. Not too teeny lah! It is for the entourage. The entourage has 32 fellas so, you know, put a little more because if they have to share, how? Everybody gets one crumb ah? Ok? Then around that you also put loose torma… loose biscuits so now you have two. One here for the Protector. One here for the entourage and then you put around here. You put three, alright? Don’t move it. So maybe you want to put biscuits that are packaged so every day you can clean it. Leave it like that. It is not empty because it still has that one. Ok? That is for lama… that is for the Protector and his entourage. Then, you also will have another bigger torma. Maybe you can get two jars for Lama Tsongkhapa himself. Isn’t that beautiful? And then…

“Will they be bigger than the…”

Well, if big laopan (boss) comes, do you want to give a bigger portion or a smaller portion? Who’s the laopan? Tsongkhapa or Protector?

“Tsongkhapa.”

You got that right. See, when you come along, we give you a big one. When Angel comes along, we give a bigger one. She’s telling everybody she’s laopan what. Gasp! She’s giving him that evil look. “Somebody leaked information.” Rinpoche is psychic. He’s Tsongkhapa’s sidekick. Don’t you love that? That’s right. Now, for Lama Tsongkhapa, you have a bigger one. For Protector, you can have a slightly smaller one or even if it’s the same size, when you actually make the biscuit, you make it less. But out of respect, you make it slightly smaller because it’s like that right? But it doesn’t really matter so, now you have three. One for Lama Tsongkhapa or the Protector and then entourage. The Lama Tsongkhapa one, you can make… Protector and Lama Tsongkhapa same, look here! But here, you can put more and here a little bit less every day. Same thing what. Do you understand? The point is to show who is the Guru. Who is the actual Buddha, alright? To make a distinction. Actually, there is no distinction but it is for our mind’s sake. Develop awareness. Ok?

So, you have a Lama Tsongkhapa torma and you offer biscuits every day. Then you have a Protector one – torma – and you offer biscuits everyday. And then you have the entourage. Ok?

“Rinpoche, do you place the Tsongkhapa torma in the middle or does the Protector… [Inaudible]”

And then… actually we should make it like in Tiki’s house but in Malaysia’s hot weather, it won’t last three to four days. It will smell. Actually, we should make a real one but it doesn’t matter, we do biscuits. Zong Rinpoche said it’s ok. Yes, he said we should offer what we like to eat because we are not in Tibet. Because in Tibet, they like to eat tormas you know. [Pa – Tibetan phrase] barley flour they like to eat. Here, don’t like so we offer what we like. Ok? And then you make one more for Lama Tsongkhapa’s entourage. He’s got two, you know two fellows that follow him everywhere, for free food. They are parasites. Kedrup Rinpoche, Gyaltsab Rinpoche, they are parasites. All lamas have parasites that hang around them. Ahem! Sure is evil. But they do… they do work hard too.

Just think, if people painted a thangka of me, who would be my two little parasites? The Neon Lama and the two parasites. Who? Oh JT would be on the left side because she’s sexy. She looks good what? [Tibetan phrase] We put JT here on this side, let me see… hmm… Irene’s like, “Me.” Jenny’s like, “No, me…” Irene said, “I will prostrate.” Alright, you win, you lah. Everybody understand? So now, how many tormas do we have… Paul?

“Four.”

Very good.

Close

H.E. Gangchen Rinpoche (left) and H.E. Tsem Rinpoche

One torma is for who?

“One for Protector. One for Protector’s entourage. One for Tsongkhapa. One for Tsongkhapa’s entourage.”

See, for technical, Paul remembers perfectly. Perfectly. Philosophy, we got to make Paul think a little. He’s smart. I told ya. You are not as dumb as you look. I told you so many times, you just look stupid but you are not. Technically, you remember perfectly. Alright. Then, how many sets… how many sets of sensory offerings… how many sets of sensory offerings? Mr David?

“Four sets of sensory offerings.”

Name them please. Name them please… JT? One set is for who?

“Hmm… Yidam.”

Ok, who is the Yidam?

“Lama Tsongkhapa.”

Good. The second set is for whom? Henry?

“Yidam.”

No, the two sets are for the Yidam, Lama Tsongkhapa and the two sets for the Protector remember? So the first set is for who, Joanne Tan?

“First two sets for Lama Tsongkhapa.”

Good.

“The other two sets…”

Say a little louder, a little louder. Wrong, wrong, never mind lah. Learn. Second?

“The second set is for the Protector.”

No, the third and fourth set is for the Protector. 1, 2, 3, 4.

“The balance.”

Alright, you are smart. Say “The balance”. That’s how you won Angel over. See? You got the balance. What are you looking at? You got to stop making German music, I can hear you, it’s opera. We understand but nobody else does. Don’t worry, you won’t lose any ass. I dunno. Here you say “face” what. In the West, “ass”. “Kiss my ass.” Don’t you love it? Alright. Be a nice girl. I will ask you more questions next time. If you are a bad girl, I won’t ask you anything.

Alright, now what was I talking about? Yeah, ok. Tormas, everybody understands? Sensory offerings, everybody understands? Good, very good. On top of that, during your retreat, you can add these. The 8 Auspicious Signs; they can be drawn, they can be physical, they can be statues. If you can’t get anything, they can be imagined. Ok? The 7 Royal Emblems. Isn’t that wonderful? And then, offer as much milk, tea, yoghurt as possible. Try to avoid alcohol in the Buddhist center because it is a Tibetan Buddhist center but we are in Malaysia, so we don’t want to create wrong thought. Alright? So avoid alcohol and beer in the center. Put milk, put yoghurt. Yeah, alright? [Tibetan phrase] Milk, yoghurt, tea, ok? And please get permission from the Liaison of Operations there to use the items and make sure it’s all given back correctly. We start the system. None of you will damage, break, steal; even if you break, it is ok. The point is that to start that system that the Liaison knows what’s going on. You give it back to them because then they can be responsible. Alright? Let’s start that system. Then you should have someone here everyday offer incense to the Protector during your retreat. Alright? So, you should ask someone… yes? Are you signaling or are you scratching yourself? Oh, I thought you are going like that. Someone here must… because we should do it in the center but don’t have property there to do. If we start doing that, all the neighbors will call the fire department – bomba. Anyways, we do here. Ok? And then, how many candles are we offering every day? Minimum, Andee?

“A hundred.”

Jenny? Joseph? Huh?

“One hundred.”

David?

“A hundred.”

Paul?

“One hundred.”

Henry?

“One hundred.”

Four. You have four sets of sensory offerings, you offer four candles minimum. There are no tricks here. I said ‘minimum’. Don’t the sensory offerings have candles? How many sensory offerings do you have?

“Four sets”

So, how many candles?

“Four.”

Four lah. So, you want to offer an extra hundred, a hundred lah. Why hundred? Who came out with that number? She comes out [with it] and all the clowns follow along ah?

“Yes.”

Be careful, you might be working there till 9.30. Do you understand? There are four sensory offerings, four candles. Then on top of that, you want to offer more, offer more lah. There are no tricks here. Just listen carefully. Please don’t be scared. I ask you to make you think. I don’t ask you to challenge you or to put you out of whack. I am really trying to help you to think. It’s very logical. There’s no magic – I am sorry – there’s no mystery here. What are the basic candles that you need to offer during your retreat, Paul?

“Four candles.”

Why?

“Four set of sensory offerings.”

That’s right. That’s it. So can we offer more if we want? Can we offer a hundred candles every day, Irene?

“Yes.”

Can we offer, Jenny?

“Yes.”

Yes but you don’t offer at the center, we don’t have space. You can offer in Dame Khang. You can offer in my house. You can ask someone to do it. Don’t just… What’s so funny? I want to know or I throw a book. Hurry up. I want to know. Quick!

“I kind of like said something…”

You said something, what? Stupid and everybody followed you, you feel proud. You are a leader. You are a big [Inaudible]. We will call you “big tired”. Alright now, does everybody understand that? What did I say last before I was interrupted by b- b- b- big tired? Yes?

“Can we offer…?”

“As many candles as sensory offerings.”

Ok, as many offerings as…?

“As many candles as sensory offerings.”

No, that’s not what I said. You can offer as much as you like.

“Or more.”

And then, if you want to offer here, don’t assume that Tashi will do it just because she’s here. Ok? You guys think of someone. Someone run here to do it, whatever, up to you. You want to do it in my house, don’t put things in my house that you’ve got to go in-out, in-out, in-out, [like a] train station. I am nice enough to let you use my front yard, not a train station. Ok? Don’t make your retreat a burden for other people, very important. A retreat is to create awareness. You retreat from yourself and you retreat to yourself. Don’t you love it? Never mind. Maybe in previous lives, I wrote one or two books. Ok. Now, you can put yours on, you can turn yours off. Now, any questions on any of that so far? Very easy, very easy. Don’t make life hard. It’s not hard at all. Then, one main black tea for the Protector and each one of you should have a black tea to pour. Alright?

I want you guys to learn how to do it yourself, not just wait. Alright? Everybody should have one. It doesn’t have to be silver, like this is fabulous. You can bring one from your house or wherever lah. Then, offer incense here. Of course, offer incense at the center and offer candles, as much as you like. Basic four, the four sensory offerings. Then, the wrathful sensory offerings are very powerful because the wrathful one is offered for confessions. Because the wrathful sensory offerings that are offered up, actually it’s your negative karma sliced as a human being, offered up to the deities to absorb. So, it’s very powerful to offer the wrathful ones, alright?

And can we offer more water offerings and more sensory offerings if we want to? Can we do that, Joseph? Of course we can. So, four is the minimum. You can do 10, you can do 12. There’s no limit. Four is the minimum. Ok? Very, very simple and when you offer with awareness, make sure this one is for Lama Tsongkhapa. This one is for the Protector. So, the first two is for Lama Tsongkhapa. One is this way, one is that way; there’s a reason, I won’t explain today. Alright? So, left to right and right to left. Simple. And then you have your tormas and you change not the tormas in the bottle every day, just change the ones around it. Because the torma… can we move the bottle? Can we move the bottle, Paul? No, when can we move it?

“After complete the retreat.”

That’s right, very good. Can we move our cushions, David?

“No.”

When can we move it? When we sweep the floor, after the session?

“After completing the retreat.”

Very good. See, you are NOT as ridiculously stupid as you look. Isn’t that fabulous? Don’t you feel proud? Say that, “I am not as ridiculously stupid as I look. I look ridiculously stupid but I am not.” Come on, say it, quick. It is a compliment what…

“I look ridiculously stupid but I am not ridiculously stupid…”

That was a tongue twister? I would have said it much easier but never mind. The way you said it is a little more humble. “I look ridiculously stupid but I am not ridiculously stupid.” How beautiful. Thank you. That’s like a mantra, like a poem. Maybe we ask Andee how the poem is. Never mind! Alright. But what? I didn’t say anything! Why can’t I look at you? What’s wrong? What’s that woman? Why can’t I look at you? I just look at you, you go, “No, no, no, no.” No what? What can I say? I didn’t say anything. It’s your own guilt feelings about David being ridiculously stupid. God, defensive! Poor Angel, now I know what you go through. She just like, “I don’t understand but he’s on my side for once.” Alright, now. Make it in front of Setrap. Make it in front of Setrap. Take a picture of the Protector – our Protector – into the center. It is the first time we are taking it there and I want you to take a picture and I want you to cover it, not to be seen and to be put in front of Lord Setrap.

Actually, you make it Setrap or Dorje Shugden, it makes no difference. Do you know why? They live in one palace. One palace. Isn’t that fabulous? What do you think about that, Tiki? One palace. Dorje Shugden is at the bottom of the palace, the main. The second-story on top is Setrap, the third-story is Amitabha. They are in one palace. Isn’t that glorious? So when you invite Setrap, he brings his flatmate. When you invite Dorje Shugden, he brings his flatmate and then they both bring their Guru, Lord Amitabha. Isn’t that fabulous? Who thinks this is fabulous, raise your hand? That’s right. So, if you have Setrap there, don’t you think his flatmate is hanging around somewhere? Maybe they are sitting on the horse together you know, like, “Let’s go, Idaho Silver.” I dunno…

Now, so when I give Setrap, it’s the same thing. Alright, any questions about the offerings and the setup? Anything? What’s so funny David? I want to know. You have this smirk on your face. What is it before I expose something secret like your lips are not natural, it’s Botoxed! Oh god, I slipped really bad on that one! I will never forget that one with Botox. Can you imagine David’s lips never move again, it would be pretty heavy right? They will look almost like Irene’s. Everybody dare not laugh at that one. You know why? [Inaudible] Evil! Alright? Any questions on that?

“Excuse me.”

Yes sir.

“We were talking about the two sets of sensory offerings for Protector and Yidam. The Protector offerings should be done from left to right and right to left? Or the Yidam?”

Can someone explain to Mr Tiki? This is his first time. David? Joseph?

“One set is from the left to right. Second set is from right to left.”

Very good and that two sets are peaceful or wrathful?

“Wrathful.”

Come on, you guys. Talk. Don’t wait for me.

“Peaceful.”

Who is that for?

“Yidam.” “Tsongkhapa.”

Who is that for, Paul?

“Tsongkhapa.”

Very good. So the first two sets, left to right and right to left are peaceful and they are for who, Paul?

“Tsongkhapa.”

Very good. And what is Tsongkhapa?

“The Yidam.”

Very good. So in the future, that will be for Yamantaka, Vajrayogini. I am getting you guys ready. Ok, I am getting you guys ready and there is a reason. Is that ok, Tiki?

“Yes.”

The second set, the second two sets. The first two sets are for the Yidam, the second two sets – the remainder – is it peaceful or wrathful, Paul?

“Wrathful.”

Both?

“Both are wrathful.”

JT, both wrathful?

“Yes.”

Both wrathful, Joseph?

“Both.”

Both wrathful, Ruby?

“Yes.”

Both wrathful, Jenny? Andee?

“One peaceful, one wrathful.”

Correct, Andee. Very simple, the second set to the Protector, one is peaceful and one is wrathful. Not both wrathful. No. Please write things down. Please pay attention. It is very simple. Let’s not get stuck on these, please. So, you have four sets of offerings – three are peaceful and one is wrathful. The first one and two are peaceful for Tsongkhapa and the second – third and fourth, the second set – third and fourth one is peaceful, one is wrathful. Right, Ruby?

“Yes.”

JT, how many sets of sensory offerings?

“Four sets.”

The first two is for who?

“To our Yidam.”

Is it peaceful or wrathful?

“Peaceful.”

Ok, the second two is for who, Paul?

“For the Protector…”

Ok and Tashi, the second two are what?

“One peaceful and one wrathful.”

Very good. Very logical. Actually there’s no logic, it’s just very 1, 2, 3 lah. Ok? Then, how many tormas do we have in total, Mr Khong?

[Inaudible]

How many?

“Four.”

Very good. Please name what the four are for?

“The first one is for the Yidam Tsongkhapa. The second is Tsongkhapa’s entourage. The third one is for the Protector. The fourth one is for the Protector’s entourage.”

Very good. Because when you do Yamantaka in the future, it will be Yamantaka and entourage. Same. I am getting you ready. And the tormas, can they be moved every day and the area cleaned so that it’s nice and clean and fresh, Joseph?

“No.”

Very good. You didn’t get caught in the trick, huh? See! You may look like and resemble David Lai but you are not. Oh, David’s fun. He’s a nice boy. Let’s hope he remains nice and sweet and doesn’t get defiled. Why are you giving me that expression, it is a little too late for that? [Laughter] You should have been his father, you love him a lot, I can tell. Anything you say, he looks at you with this kind of love. He even laughs at you but not at you. He laughs, I dunno, it’s just very nice. Should have been your father. Maybe you change his surname to ‘Lai’ or you change your surname to ‘Ooi’. You want to be Ooi? In your case, we will put O-o-o-i. Oooi! No, we call Aiyoh! Your surname A-i-y-o-h. People go, “Why?” “Aiyoh lah, look at him.” “What’s your name?” “David Aiyoh.” “Aiyoh!” You are not smiling, big ego trip. Come on, go back to the absolute, very good. Alright. Yes sir?

“Sorry…”

You should be.

“The Protector’s two sets of sensory offerings, are they in the same direction as the two for the Yidams?”

Left to right. Left to right. There are no opposites. There’s a reason for that but we won’t be talking about that today. Questions? So do we drag the 5-ft statue of DS (Dorje Shugden) that I have to the center so that we can let the whole world know who our secret Protector is? Because you know, we are supposed to tell everybody our Yidam and protector what? Should we do that or should we get a nice teeny little picture, cover it up and not let everybody see? Why? Yidams and Protectors are not to be seen actually. So, is it A or B, KB?

“A.”

Drag the big statue to the center ah? Seng Piow, don’t laugh at KB. Seng Piow is evil. A or B?

“B.”

Very good. See, Kunga Namgyal looks like an ignorant Tibetan yak but he is not. [Yabo Shubudu ah? – Tibetan phrase] You’re evil! You are not sleepy. You are evil.

“Rinpoche, can I use a 14-in statue?”

At the center? No, definitely not. Center is public. A nice picture, you can buy from me. Oh I love it, it’s time for business. That’s the whole motive here. To buy that picture to do that retreat and it ain’t going to be cheap. David is like, “Don’t worry, I can get mine from Seng Piow lah. Free.” Alright? I am not afraid but when we do retreats, especially if it’s public, it’s closed. We are not, you know, people are not allowed to enter or look at your Yidam. If you want to know the truth, they are not even allowed to look at your tormas, nothing. Not your mala. I am not keeping it there because I am afraid. No, I am following procedures so in the future when you do strict, real, full-time retreats, you have some idea. Do you understand? You are not allowed to show your retreat space, people are not allowed to enter and look at the deities and look at your altar. Not allowed. Not allowed. Especially public…

In your own room, never mind. Nobody comes, you lock the door what. I am following retreat procedures, not DS procedures. Do you understand? Ok. I want to do this so the next time we do Yamantaka, Heruka and Vajrayogini retreats in our retreat center, we will be like, “Eh! I remember”. So then Rinpoche doesn’t have to explain because I am like… I am like Joseph, explain till I am… never mind. Henry’s laughing at you, are you going to take it? Good for you. Are you going to tell him off or are you going to give him a kiss? Eight Verses lah, give him a kiss lor. I like Joseph. He’s handsome what. He’s quite handsome. I have a few people who have mentioned you are handsome. Yeah, they did. I have a few girls mentioned you are handsome and a guy but never mind.

What are you looking at me for, David? David is like… To the edge. I don’t know if you have realized but I kind of like to go like that, to the edge where it’s almost falling. I tried to be the model man but Ming says I couldn’t do it. She said I wouldn’t be good but see what I’ve done. Bad karma. I don’t think it is bad karma at all. Look at Henry. He offers incense to the Three Jewels, I can too what. Ok now, any questions on the offerings? Very good. Now, listen very carefully. You make offerings every day, you don’t step on people’s cushion. You don’t step on other people’s cushions so if Irene’s doing retreat, she doesn’t step on Andee’s cushion. You step on your own, you don’t step on other people’s cushions. Very important!

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H.H. Zong Rinpoche (standing, left), H.E. Zemey Rinpoche (standing, right) with H.H. Trijang Rinpoche (seated).

Then when you sweep and clean, you clean around the cushions. Alright? You clean around. You don’t move it. You don’t touch it. Do you understand? Ok. Then [Tibetan phrase] even the grass, you can tape it on to the swastika. Ok? Now, you made your offerings, you can make extra. It’s your privilege, it’s your honor. Alright? Anything else you want to offer? Fine. For this retreat, [chaju – Tibetan phrase], we call it Lower Tantra retreat because of Lama Tsongkhapa. Lower not as in hierarchy, meaning the method. No meat, no alcohol. During this retreat, all of you no meat, no alcohol. Alright, smoking can lah. No meat, no alcohol. No sex, no lying. Ok? So hold your ethics. So during retreat, give me one no-no, Henry?

“No meat.”

Very good. Give me another no-no…

“No alcohol.”

That’s right. Give me another no-no, David?

“No lying.”

Give me one more, Paul?

“No sex.”

Oh! Those are the main ones, ok? The Higher Tantric retreat is different. No meat, no alcohol. Also avoid eggs, avoid garlic and onions. The five black foods, ok? That is just for your retreat. If you eat it by accident… don’t stick an omelette in your mouth and say, “Oh! It was an accident lah.” Sometimes, you go downstairs to eat nasi kandar, they stick in some onions and garlic. Oh yeah, it’s an accident. Why? Again, action is committed by perception. Right?

Ok? No onion. No garlic. No eggs. No meat. No alcohol. No boobali [intercourse]. No lying. Understand? We do more strict because you guys are ready. Isn’t that beautiful? Wonderful. And then, when you start, you think, “How lucky I am to avoid the negativities. How lucky I am.” Ok? During your retreat, you can drink, not eat. So during your session, when you are sitting there doing mantras, you are thirsty, you can drink water. You know, don’t start bringing your Thermos, bringing your this, bringing your that and you know, like kitchen, bringing your cooler. Don’t bring all that stuff. Bring one water, be simple. Don’t disturb other people alright? Don’t walk back and forth to the chicken, I mean kitchen… kitchen, bring your drink here.

Then you… “Excuse me. I go downstairs to the nasi kandar. I buy myself Coca-Cola. Come back.” You want to drink Coca-Cola, you bring it to your retreat. You don’t walk back and forth, back and forth. But during retreat, if you have to pee really bad and crossing your legs and shaking doesn’t work anymore, then you may put your mala down quietly and go to the toilet. Pee pee, poo poo [defecate] and then wash your hands and rinse your mouth. Gargle, rinse your mouth clean without talking, and come back to your seat and resume where you have stopped. So if you have to do 1,000 mantras… if you did 900 mantras and you have to do a thousand, you resume at 900, you finish off a thousand.

If you fall asleep, you start the whole thing over. Falling asleep is very bad for meditation. It is the worst enemy. So people who always fall asleep during Dharma talks, they are the worst for retreats. Why? Their mind is not even at the level they can stay awake. If you fall asleep during retreat, you have to do the mantra over. Not the whole thing, the mantra. So that session, let’s say that you have to do in retreat, 5 days, 10 days right? Everyday, you have to do 2,000 mantras for example, huh. So that day, if you fall asleep during the mantra, if you did 500, you have to do 500 over. You can’t fall asleep. Why? The whole point of retreat is to create awareness. So if you sit there snoring, what kind of awareness is that? Alright? Chia and Paul will be the only ones who become enlightened by sleep mediation. Fabulous. No sleeping.

If you cough, if you fart, if you burp, you also have to go back three, five, seven but I won’t be so strict. Actually, you cough, you burp, you release wind, it is interruption to your meditation so you are supposed to go back a certain number. But I won’t go that deep because that is for Higher Tantra. Just to let you know. There is strictness in retreat. Excuse me. Ok? So, can you get up and pee during retreat, Paul?

“Yes.”

Can you talk? After you pee, then what do you do, David? You come straight back?

“Wash hands, rinse mouth.”

That’s right. You come back quietly. So if you want, can you drink Coca-Cola and 7-Up during your retreat?

“Yes.”

Can you have a cup of coffee during your retreat? You go to the kitchen and make it, and you come back and forth?

“No.”

That’s right. You have it ready. What should we avoid during retreat, Mr Khong? One?

[Inaudible answer]

That’s right. What should we avoid, number two. Jenny? Jenny?

“No sleeping.”

That’s a given.

[Inaudible answer]

No what? No what?

“Alcohol.”

No alcohol, correct. No meat, no alcohol. What’s another thing we cannot have? Angel?

“No sex.”

Gasp! How can like that one ah? And I thought you had your two kids with immaculate conception. Maple, what’s another thing you avoid during retreat?

“No lying.”

Very good. Tiki?

“Avoid eating eggs and onion and garlic.”

Very good. No, no. One at a time. Don’t be so greedy. Just because you are smart, you have to show off. What a big show-off. What’s another one you cannot eat during retreat, KB?

“Onion.”

Very good. Onion and another one, Joseph?

“Garlic.”

Very good. That’s it. Isn’t that simple? Yes… See, these are procedural. These are very easy. Anybody with two brain cells can write it down and just follow what. There’s nothing to talk about. These are what I was taught. It took days. Anyways, I am giving it to you fresh. Any questions about any of that so far? So how many days your retreat is, no alcohol, no meat, no boobali, no lying, no stealing. Of course, stealing and all that kiddies, don’t even talk about it. “Oh but Rinpoche didn’t say we can’t kill,” and you kill a chicken. “No, can.” Come on. Ok, you kill a bug by accident, did you break your retreat or it’s an accident? Seng Piow?

“Accident.”

Did you break your retreat or it’s just an accident?

“Ahh…”

Angel?

“Accident.”

Very good. Seng Piow, why are you so unsure about that? Of course, we kill insects everyday, we step by accident. What for, you’re so worried… Incredible. The fear. Yeah?

“A question. It is no lying, it is…”

It’s a given. It’s a given. I am highlighting the things you need the most, that we should avoid.

“That’s to emphasize right?”

Yes, yes. Can we scream at people during retreat? Can we? Do I need to emphasize that? It’s a given. Should we… even out of retreat, can we do that? Can we lie out of retreat? It’s a given. Just like when we went to Kopan, it says “These are the things we avoid”, remember they wrote it on the side? It’s a given. Alright? Questions on the procedures? Questions on the procedures? Good.

The day you are going to start the retreat, you can do a short session, offer the new clothes to Setrap. Ok, if you guys can offer it up on the day, it’s very nice. If you cannot offer it up, at least put it in front of him and offer it nearby to begin the retreat. It’s very auspicious for the New Year. Ok? Hmmm… Pom-pom should be on the top also. A stick should be better though, anyway, auspicious if you can leave it up there. It is very nicely done though. Ok, any questions on that? The technicalities. Any questions please? Ok… yes? Oh, there’s another Irene thing, scratch yourself huh? Can you scratch yourself like, you know clearly like… Aiyar.

Ok, now to begin your actual retreat, you will recite first Refuge. Number 2, the Four Immeasurables. Number 3, the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa, you will do Migtsema one round, why? We should have done 100,000 already before we can do this but to substitute, we do Migtsema one round. In the part – I am not going to give you the actual torma offering of Lama Tsongkhapa because it is too long for you – but when it says like this in the Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga YIH-WONG TCHO-YON NA-TSOG ME-TOG DANG / DRI-JEM DUG-PO NANG-SAL DRID-CHAB SOG / NGO-SHAM YIH TUL TCHO-TIN GYA-TSO DI / SO-NAM SHING-CHOG CHE-LA CHO-PA BUL. There’s a part of Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga that talks about “I offer you, I present you beautiful offerings of fragrant flowers, incense…” right?

That is the part where you offer the sensory offerings and the tormas to Lama Tsongkhapa. So when you recite that line out: “I present to you beautiful offerings of incense, flowers blah, blah, blah, blah, blah” in your Guru Yoga, right? You think about that and you hold your hands like that, and you offer to Lama Tsongkhapa who is on the altar in front of you. Pause for a minute and you think about it. Does everybody understand that? Questions on that, David? Quickly. Quickly. Don’t hold court. Ok. Yes?

“Do we do it in English or Tibetan?”

Up to you. Maybe one day English, one day Tibetan. So one day, when Tibetan lama comes, they will be impressed. How’s that? Or we can do it along with them. So, number four is, “I present to you great merit field, Tsongkhapa. Beautiful offerings, water, a display of flowers, fragrant incense, butterlamps, perfumes and more both physical and mentally… mentally… mental offerings, vast as clouds and wide as the ocean.” Then that is what you offer to Lama Tsongkhapa. Isn’t that beautiful? Yes, very beautiful. Ok? Then just before you get to Migtsema, you offer a mandala. You should recite the long mandala every single day. If you don’t know how to do the real mandala, you offer with your hands but you recite the long mandala. After you finish the long mandala, then you do Migtsema one round. After you finish Migtsema one round, you do Tara one round. After you finish OM TARE TUTTARE TORE SOHA – beautiful because Tara is a very holy Yidam of… That’s our special practice of Kechara House, Tara and Lama Tsongkhapa… After you finish one round of Tara, then you do the dissolution of the Guru Yoga. Alright? After you finish that, then you start the Protector prayer. Exciting. Please write this down. I will give you the page numbers and I will give to the group doing retreat, and you guys Xerox and or whatever lah.

Ok then in your Guru puja books, for those people in Tantra… ok no, let’s not do like that. It will be too complicated for you guys. Ok, backtrack. Refuge, Four Immeasurables. Right after the Four Immeasurables, recite this mantra – OM AH HUM three times – visualizing that all the offerings including the black tea is purified. It is in the nature of indestructible bliss and wisdom. Bliss and wisdom. Ok? Just think like that. The black tea is purified, the tormas are purified and then the sensory offerings are all purified. Just think everything is clean and no… nothing dirty at all. Alright? Then after Migtsema, you do dissolution. After dissolution, you will do this – Page 29.

Page 29, the top says – Listen carefully – “OM AH KANDAROHI HUM HUM PHET. OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM. Everything becomes emptiness…” Forget that, skip that, do not recite. Not allowed. You start immediately from here. “From the state of clear light”, “From the state of clear light”, Page 29, you start. No no, don’t touch. Just look. Just from there ok? So Page 29, “From the state of clear light”, you recite up to Page 34. At the end of the recitation – all of you don’t have damaru – listen carefully, all of you don’t have damaru, have a vajra and bell. At the end of the recitation, the last word on Page 34 will be HUM – I am sorry – BENZA SAMAYA DZA DZA. Ring your bell. Ok? Then, stop. [Chamsha – Tibetan phrase] so [Ringing bell] SAMAYA DZA DZA… [Bell stops ringing] Stop. Then you go to the next one, Page 34 bottom. “Inviting the wisdom beings”, “Inviting the wisdom beings”, the mudra would be like this – look here carefully. Make sure there’s an incense offered. This is the actual one that you use to invite the Protector to come forth. Alright. If there’s an oracle, it will enter the oracle if it’s appropriate. You invite forth. You recite this, right?

Page 34 bottom to Page 42 middle: That will be invitation and making offerings to the Protector, ok? Then, Page 42 is special confession. From special confession, the mantra here is OM BENZA HERUKA SAMAYA MANUPALAYA. You do not recite that. You recite OM BENZASATTVA HUM. Repeat. OM BENZASATTVA HUM. OM BENZASATTVA HUM. OM BENZASATTVA HUM. One rosary (mala) and remember your broken samaya, remember your broken deeds, remember your broken vows, remember your broken promises to your Guru, remember your broken practices. When you recite that, you think about confessing to Dorje Shugden, Lama Tsongkhapa, Manjushri, Yamantaka, all the wisdom lineage and to forgive you and you will not do it again. Very important – OM BENZASATTVA HUM. And then after OM BENZASATTVA HUM on Page 43 to Page 44 top – look here please – 43 to Page 44 top is the confession. You will recite that seven times from your heart. Ok? I show you, Henry, it’s very simple. 43 and right here, 44 top and then stop. Alright, everybody got that clear? Now, then you will go to Page 75. Praise to the Five Lineages of Dorje Shugden and you will pray up to the end of Page 77. Stop. Then, you will recite the Protector’s mantra. Listen to me carefully.

Think: Your lama now giving you Dharma teachings has transformed himself into Lama Yamantaka. Do not see your Lama as an ordinary being. Think that your Lama is Yamantaka. [Rinpoche recites something in Tibetan] Think in Yamantaka’s heart is the Protector’s mantra. From Yamantaka’s heart, the Protector – listen carefully – the mantra comes out from his mouth – I am sorry – from his heart, one string. The original is here, one string comes out from Yamantaka’s heart, up, out his mouth, enters your mouth and enters your heart. Then you think your heart has a sun… has a moon disk. Yeah, moon disk better, moon disk. The first time, it comes to you; the second time, it stays; the third time, it’s firm. Alright, think like that. In order to receive the oral transmission of Protector, you should offer a universal offering at this time. Please prepare… Make three prostrations at this time and offer a mandala. Quickly. To Lama Yamantaka. Think.

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H.E. Dagom Rinpoche (left) with H.E. Tsem Rinpoche

…going to get tonight will change your whole life. Turn around your obstacles and really, it will change your whole life. It changed my life when I received it.

We are a friendly group and we are a nice group. We are one of… I don’t want to be biased here, but I am going to say something that sounds biased, but I think we are the nicest Dharma center in KL because I have taught in many of the Dharma centers and I have taught in many places and I know that we are the nicest. We have our own little politics, we have our little power games, we have our little ‘likes’ and ‘don’t likes’ but that’s everywhere. Example, there’s a Dharma center… I just got news today, it was quite sad that… their teacher, what they are teaching is a little too advanced, and the students and some of the main people there are not very happy and they don’t want to learn because it’s too advanced, too fast for them. So, they want to come to our place and learn. And if we don’t let them come to our place and learn, then they are going to go to another place and learn. But the bottom line is they are not going to be learning in their own place.

And I thought to myself, hmmm… I thought, that sounds familiar. So what I am going to do is, I have already made prayers, then I am going to help this center. Because if these new people, six people, leave their center, when they go to another center, they are going to disparage their teacher, they are going to disparage their center, and their lineage and their practice… everything they have been doing. Because, in order to get accepted, in order to have “face” to go to another center, they will say, “Oh well, that wasn’t good, this wasn’t good, that wasn’t good.” How can a Dharma teacher and Dharma-anything be not good? So, if they leave to another center and other centers absorb them in, it is very, very bad. It is very, very bad, Why? We should in fact, encourage them to become ok again.

So, what I am going to do is, I have already sent messages through Jenny – she’s very kind – to mediate for them and talk for them. Not between their teacher but the students themselves and give good advice. And I have done that before for centers and kinda kept them together. So, I am going to do that and I am not going to allow them to join our center. I am going to allow them to join in on the talks and stuff but not join our center. Why? There’s nothing wrong with theirs. There’s nothing wrong with their practice. So, if they are praying to Shakyamuni that way, then they come here and say, “That’s not good, I am going to pray this way”, there won’t be any effect. You see, when we leave our teacher and when we leave our center and we leave our lineage and we go to another one, I am so sorry… if it’s left in a negative way, there won’t be any effects. There won’t be any results. There can’t be… and this is not a game where our center has the most people or we take pride that, “Oh, you know, other centers come to us… See, we are the best.” That’s horrible.

So what I am going to do is, in order to make the holy Dharma grow in this beautiful country, I am going to create harmony among all the centers and I am going to make the centers stay together and independent but friendly with each other. So, I want to be friendly. In fact, it’s very funny because, this center… I have been having feelings about for a few weeks now that I need to contact their leader, or whatever… I have been having feelings for weeks… I don’t know what, but we need to do something, need to do something, need to do something. I have been rushing my assistants but nothing was done. In any case, for a while, I also wanted to order a 4-and-a-half, 5-ft Lama Tsongkhapa from Delhi like the one we have, our old Lama Tsongkhapa in our center but without the disciples and I wanted to offer to them. I wanted to offer to them in order to increase Dharma, create harmony and increase students to go to their center. Once Lama Tsongkhapa is there, people will go, and people who go there will be quality people.

So, I have been thinking about that, over and over and over, to order a statue but I don’t know how to do it because, well, I don’t want to insult their leader and I don’t want to… like, you know, what’s this all about, you know, what’s inside? And… so I’ve been trying to think of a very skillful way to do that, to offer to them because I want their center to grow. And I have done that for many centers in the past, offer things, statues, whatever, money and help many, many times because I don’t… As long as a Dharma center grows, Dharma grows. It doesn’t have to be our Dharma center. It doesn’t have to be our lineage or our practice. It can be any Dharma center, any practice, anywhere.

Every Dharma center in this country must grow and we must contribute to it growing. How? By not creating schism. When they ask us for help, advise them back. If they have any problems, you know, say wonderful and positive things about their teacher and about Guru Devotion and also not encourage them to come to our center, not encourage. Why? When we encourage, we may have good intentions, but indirectly, we might break them up and that’s not very good. So, I hope that I can do something for them and help because I really want Dharma in this country to grow. So, the way to grow is not to be happy when their Dharma center is like that or absorb their students. No. To make it grow is to make their center stronger, make their people understand what’s going on and that’s very important to me. So that’s what we are going to do. That’s why I feel our center is the best because we have a kind of very open, accepting view, unbiased and we all practice our lineage very devotedly and we all do our practice very devotedly and we all follow our own personal deities devotedly and I think that’s why our group is the nicest.

And you know, you have this Dharma Protector called Vajra Tsem because if you are not nice, he throws a BF. He’s better than a Protector. So there are advantages, there are many, many advantages… and I don’t mean myself but it comes out that way… many, many advantages of having a teacher present, having your lama present. There are many, many advantages than when there’s not… You see, it is not about having a big center. Because a few centers here, they don’t have lamas; they have great presidents and they have great committees and it’s wonderful… And they can raise great funds and they can open up big retreat centers and all that, and that’s wonderful and we need more.

But what we need is not just the buildings but what we need is the Dharma to grow. How does the Dharma grow? Let me tell you. This is my version, alright? For Malaysians. My version is, on the initial level, husbands and wives become closer. Partners become closer. Brothers and sisters become closer. Children and parents become closer. Relatives become closer. Friends become closer. So, my way of teaching Dharma is to make the family unit, or loved ones, or people we care about, closer, respected and loved. Because the foundation of a nation is a family, and a family can be just, you know, a man and a woman together, or whatever. So, the foundation of a family is this harmony that brings up the kids beautifully. And if the husband has been wrong in the past, the wife forgives… teach, forgive… because it’s karma. If the wife has been wrong, the husband forgives; if the kids have been naughty, forgive; if the parents have done things that kids think they don’t like or something, forgive.

But the important thing is to look at the big picture that there are more benefits to be together… and harmoniously. So, my purpose in Malaysia, to spread Dharma, is to make families close and loving. And I am a very, very big speaker and promoter of family values, respect for parents and children and… Very, very big. Very, very big because if we break families apart or we don’t encourage and they… not us… if the family breaks apart and we don’t encourage it, the kids grow up very different. It is very, very not good.

So, I have come across hundreds of cases where the husbands were errant, the wives are saints and vice versa. And what I do is instead of… You know, there are rare cases where I say, “Cannot.” But in most cases, I say, “No, must be together.” Why? Everybody needs company. Everybody needs a family. Everybody needs the respect. You see, if we can’t respect our husband and wife, how can we respect all sentient beings? If we can’t respect our own father and mother, how can we respect anyone in our lives? We have to start somewhere. We have to show respect and concern and love somewhere. Once we show that, it grows everywhere else.

So, my main concern in Malaysia… in the Southern region, Malaysia and our surrounding countries… is to make the family safe, protected, loved, harmonious and to get along better. And that would be the first step of Dharma practice. You know, I don’t want people to run away from their families and go and become a nun and hang out in a cave. That’s very nice you know, but we are not strong enough for that and the people here are not strong enough for that. They’re not ready for that. I did that. I ran away when I was 15 to go and meditate in a cave and I am 40 now. I ran away at 15 – that’s 25 years ago – and I never went back home again. And I lived on my own, I supported myself and I took care of myself.

You see, but not everybody is me. My determination to practice the Dharma was… is 100 percent. I’d rather die than to grow up, get married, have kids, go to college, get a degree, make money, get old and die. And I used to not be able to sleep when I was very young, thinking about all that and not wanting to get into that cycle. Because I looked at my parents, my stepparents, I looked at my neighbors, I looked at my friends’ parents, I looked all around me, I looked at the TV and I thought, “Nobody is really happy doing that. They are just doing that because there is nothing else to do.” I am not putting it down but that’s not what I wanted to do and I used to have nightmares about that.

I used to dread going to college, you know why? I dreaded going to college because I thought, “I’ll have to spend five to six to seven years wasting my time, studying something that doesn’t help me at death.” This is what I used to think as a kid and I told that to my parents. They just told me I am insane and I used to get beaten up for it. They told me that the church or the temple is telling me all kinds of nasty things and they are brainwashing me. But what they don’t understand is I had this thought before I went to the temple. I had this thought before I went to meet my Guru. It was in me all the time as a young child. And I always have longings to go to the mountains, to the caves, somewhere that has a small lake nearby, green… and I will be in a cave, or I will be somewhere there doing my practice. I always have that kind of vision, not “vision” (pointing to the eyes) but like “wish” since I was a kid. Always some cave, some forest, green… not a jungle, not an ocean… and there’s a lake nearby. Always. Always I have this longing and wish to find this place.

So, I lived in New Jersey so I used to run to New York City; from New York City, I’d run to Upstate New York or North Jersey where there’s the Appalachian Mountains and try to find a cave. And I was caught by the police many times and sent back home because I was a juvenile, under 18 cannot. But anyway, I ran away many, many times and I did practices and I did meditations every night. It was very evil… I used to get Vajrayogini’s meditation and… I found it a book, Evans-Wenz’s Tibetan Secret Doctrines and Yogas… I used to get that and meditate every night. Maybe that’s why my winds are a little off now because I didn’t get initiation that time.

Yeah, I found Vajrayogini’s manual, the Kagyupa form, and every night I would do the meditations. There’s a wind meditation that I used to do everyday, and I would recite Palden Lhamo’s mantra about a thousand, and I would recite Manjushri every day one thousand. OM MANI PADME HUM, at least two – three thousand a night. If I was free, I would do about thirty to forty thousand OM MANI PADME HUM‘s per night, and that would be hiding under a blanket quietly because if I got caught, it would be severe.

And I had one picture, a postcard of Manjushri… One postcard of Manjushri because you couldn’t get pictures, you couldn’t get anything. And I found a picture of Trijang Rinpoche, I don’t know how, I can’t remember… I just remember I borrowed it and I xeroxed it and I pasted that on a piece of paper. I had Trijang Rinpoche and I had His Holiness of course, and I had Manjushri and I used to do this practice all the time. And that went on for years and years and years. I had to… and then my mother would go into different fits. Sometimes she’d let me have a little picture in the room, sometimes she wouldn’t, sometimes she’d raid my room to see if I had Dharma books and if I did, the penalty was very severe. There would be very, very severe beatings… very, very severe beatings and severe punishment. Maybe three, four months of grounding… I can’t go outside except school. And it was very difficult for me to practice the Dharma – physical Dharma – because my parents didn’t allow it. See, they adopted me to grow up to have kids and carry on their lineage. They gave me their adopted name. Burcha Bugayeff – that’s their surname, Bugayeff. And to them, it’s a very big deal.

So, I didn’t fulfill that wish and I disappointed them but I thought… I don’t want to disappoint them, you know, I am not here to hurt them and disappoint them but I thought, “If I do what they want”… When I was a kid, I thought, “If I do what they want, then many people in the future, I can’t do Dharma practice and help. So, one or two people happy, I can’t help. If one or two people unhappy – my stepparents – then I can help a lot of people.” So, I thought of it that way. I do not encourage the kids or people here to do that to their parents because it’s a different society, it’s a different culture and your determination has to be very strong… that you have to go all the way with it so that you end up benefiting others. It’s not just, you know, another trick or ploy.

So when I was a kid, I went through quite a lot in order to be here to expound the Dharma and I was very lucky because I met very holy, illustrious teachers in America, the cream of the crop from Tibet. I was very, very lucky. And I got sponsors to go to India when I was eighteen and I gave up everything. I gave up my job. I gave up my… everything I had, which wasn’t much but you know, to somebody who doesn’t have much, even small things are much. I gave up everything and went to India in 1987. 1987 I went to India, I never went back to America. This is now 2006. ’87 till now, I never went back to America. I never wanted to go back to America.

I want to be in the mountains, near a lake to do my practices. Nyenchen Chenpo means great retreat. That’s always been my wish but that hasn’t been fulfilled but as the Protector used to tell me through the oracle, “If you benefit people, what’s the difference? If your motive is really that?” Can you turn that off? “If your motive is really that, what’s the difference?” And I thought, “Yeah, that’s true.” So I kind of accepted what I am doing, that I have to teach the Dharma and I have to make Dharma centers grow and I have to take care of many people. And on our last trip when I went, when we met our Dharma Protector through the oracle there in Nepal, he told me many, many times to advise my students and friends, and teach the Dharma and benefit and help them. Always he tells me. And the things you need, he says, “I am here with you.” So, I have been doing that for the last… since I was, I mean, very young.

So, my point is this, is that coming from a family background that was very difficult, you know, because I was adopted twice over and all that stuff. I encourage family relations because growing up without parents, it really makes a big difference in your mind. You grow up insecure. You grow up unhappy. You grow up with your mind empty. That’s how I felt for years.

You grow up always looking and searching and lonely, and anything that reminds you of a parent, a father or a mother – holidays, birthdays – is very hard to take. And as a boy, you don’t cry. You know, you are not supposed to cry as a boy so I didn’t cry in public. But for many years, I suffered deep, deep loneliness. It didn’t affect me, it didn’t… I mean, I was depressed, I was unhappy but I didn’t… it didn’t stop me from doing what I was doing. And I used to wonder to myself, you know… and when I come to Malaysia, being of Asian background here, the parents here really treasure their children and take care of their children so well. You know, they really watch them and love them. And I was thinking about that even today, that I didn’t even get an ounce of that, even a fraction of that – that care and that love.

And then some people, I see that their parents encourage their kids to do Dharma – they support them, they help them, they love it because they want their lives to be full and protected. And I thought, “Boy, if I had that chance, that my parents supported me and that, I don’t know, I didn’t have to run away, I didn’t have to sleep outside, I didn’t have to suffer crime, assaults on me, I didn’t have to travel so far… that I can have nice parents and be supported too.” And I thought how lucky everybody here is and I thought, well, there’s two ways to go about it. One is to be bitter and create harm out of hurt or the other one is to create happiness out of hurt and therefore, your hurt heals. So what I have decided to do is that, my brand of Dharma is not just attainments and Vajrayogini Heaven and Protectors, but more about giving the logical reasons of why we need each other, that we are all interdependent, that families are interdependent within each other, and that we need to take care of each other.

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H.E. Tsem Rinpoche making offerings of body, speech and mind to H.E. Kensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche during a long life puja.

You know, our parents don’t live forever. Our kids don’t live forever. Our aunties and uncles, we don’t live forever. And, you know, we have to serve them. We have to help them. We need to do what we need to do, BUT we need to do what we need to do WITH a compromise. A compromise. So what I like to promote in this country, and that’s what I have been doing for years is anybody who goes near me, anybody who hangs around me long enough, you will see that you become closer to your family, that you become closer to your husbands, closer to your wives because that’s what I encourage and I will do that again and again. And I will do everything I can to protect the family unit. Why? It’s good for the parents, it’s excellent for the children. It’s a good example for others.

And if we can’t love our own spouse, if we can’t love our own parents, if we can’t love our own children, if we can’t respect them, we can’t do this and we can’t do that, how are we going to save the world? Because the prayers say, “For the sake of all sentient beings, I will do this prayer, I will do this meditation.” How can we save the whole world if we don’t… can’t even save our own parents, our own children, you know? Doesn’t make sense to me. So we have to start somewhere.

So, I thought about that. That’s my brand of Dharma… is that I encourage parent-children relationships no matter what. And I encourage very much husband and wife relationships. And if I continue to have the assistance that I have and the people to back me up and everything, the foundation to back me up, that’s what I am going to use my body and my speech for. I am going to use it to bring the family unit in this country and around closer, and stronger, and loving, and not close to me but close to them. Because when you are close to each other, you are already close to me. That’s my purpose.

You see, I don’t want to run a cult where it’s based on my personality. I want to run Buddhism where I give you the practice; you practice whether I am alive or dead, or here or not, you can do it on your own. I don’t want something cult because when it is cult, it doesn’t help you, it doesn’t help me and when I die, where do you end up? In fact, I have used you and I am not into things like that. I don’t like things like that. I have been used and I don’t like it and I wouldn’t want anybody to be used. So if I make you all worship me and make me feel like a big deal, whatever, no.

If you promote me and do things for me, you help me, you give me a platform to speak more to others. So, that’s why my brand of Buddhism will fall anywhere in the world, anywhere in this country. Why? I am not here to change anyone on the outside. I am not here to change who you are, your background, your culture, your Malaysian-ness, whatever, your European-ness, your Taiwanese-ness. Whatever you are, I am not here to change you. I am here to give you a different perspective.

So if I am supported and helped and I am pushed and propelled, I will use that for that. And you know, for many people, that itself is already quite good. Higher than that, I will give you the steps and paths from my limited knowledge to enlightenment, the Sutra path and engage in retreats and practices. And then, when the time is right, confer on you the highest Mother Tantra Yoga initiations and to guide you through that.

You see, whether you practice the higher tantras one year, seven years, twenty years or thirty years is not the point. It’s that when you practice, it’s quality and then the attainments are very fast. But if preparation is not there, the attainments won’t be there. So, even if you have initiations, you hold the vajra and bell, and you can do tsok, you will still be insane, you will still be having a lot of anger and ego, and you want attention, and you are not happy with this and that, why? Having initiation doesn’t change anything. Having initiation prematurely is actually a downfall, why? You are a very bad example for people.

If you have initiation, you are holding your vajra and bell, you should already be vajra meaning compassion, bell meaning wisdom. So when you are holding that vajra and bell, and outside of that, you act funny, you know, power games and all that, it is a detriment to Dharma. It is a detriment to the Tantra that you practice. It is a detriment to the higher Tantras. And in fact, people look and say, “Oh, practice Tantra, ring bell like that ah?” And especially in this country where Dharma is not fertile yet – very fertile – we have to be extra compassionate and show a good view.

So, the first part of Dharma is family, that’s very, very important to me. And as I said, whoever comes near me, whoever receives teachings from me, whoever has any friendship with me or any closeness, you will see you get closer to your family. I will make sure of it. That would be my result. Why? That is my immediate aim. And close doesn’t mean you sit on top of your mother’s head all day long. Close means from the heart, the care, the respect and the concern. Because before we met Buddha, our parents are the object of our offerings. When we meet the Buddha, it is the Buddha and then our parents. But before that it’s our parents. Very, very important.

Ok, so I have searched and searched and searched and searched and looked and looked and I couldn’t figure it out. Anyway, I would like to present this picture to DMT. This is my personal picture of His Holiness that I’ve had for awhile and I thought the framing and the picture and everything is nice. And I thought it is perfect, and it is very modern. I’d like to present this to DMT and put it there nicely. And it’s blessed and I’ll just get another one for myself. Because you know, my house… I believe in impermanence. Yes, I believe in impermanence very, very much. Isn’t that nice?

So, for auspicious reasons before I even start teachings, I would like to start with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is the greatest monk on this planet. And I hope one day, I can be just like him and benefit. So I thought this will be beautiful. So everybody who goes there and sees it, they are going to know… “Is he your king?” “No.” “Is he your saviour?” “No.” “Who is he?” “He is the pope of the Buddhist religion and we respect him and his values.” And one day, we are going to go up there and meet him, and all of us are going to be around him and you know… and you, I’m going to say “move over”, you know, I’m going to be standing right there. And then if I see anybody going like that (victory sign), they get a slap. So, this will be an offering to DMT from me but it’s ridiculous because it’s like… it’s mine, I offer to mine, no… You see, DMT is not mine, it’s all of ours. It’s under my name, but it’s all of ours because we spread Dharma. So this is for DMT and isn’t it beautiful? Fabulous, isn’t it? May all who see this picture have great Guru devotion and meet great Lamas and great teachers that will guide them. May all who see this picture be protected by the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. May His Holiness’ life and all great masters of all lineages and all religions have long life. May they always have assistance and help and sponsors that will promote their work. And may we, by putting this picture there and seeing it every day, create the link that we may become Dharma servants of His Holiness in the future.

GANG RI RAWE… (Long Life Prayer of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama)

Hmmm… That’s very good. Ok. I would very much like, in the near future, to have a team who, under my direction, will compile the teachings, the lineage, the background, the prayers of this holy Protector Dorje Shugden and I need it written well. And then, once I get the compilation to the quality that I want, then I want to have a bigger class of people who practice, who NEED to practice because not everybody needs to practice, it’s their affinity… and I would like to give a more extensive Dharma talk on this. So without the compilations, it’s very hard because it’s too much for you all to memorize. So if you have the compilation, pictures, maps, you know what’s going on, evidence, it’s very easy to flip through, write notes, flip through, write notes, why? Because this will change your life. And sometimes in the future, you need to pray to this holy Protector to save your parents, to help your friend, to help a loved one. So, we need to get a compilation out. I don’t have anybody assigned right now and it’s not done right now. I am short of very professional people to do this… And it is very, very important because it will benefit a lot of people.

And at the same time, the original text of this Protector is written in the 70s by His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang. Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang is a very eminent lama, a reincarnated lama who is of Gaden Shartse Monastery. He lives right in front of my house in fact. You know, we have one gate, I see him sometimes. And he is the root Guru… Dalai Lama has two Gurus, he is the second root Guru, the junior tutor of His Holiness. And he has been the junior tutor of His Holiness for over 50 years until his death. Now his reincarnation came back, recognized by His Holiness again. He’s 24-25 and His Holiness has encouraged him to do this practice, we know that in Gaden very much.

And he wrote a whole commentary on the lineage, the practice, fire pujas, mantras, the different forms, the effects, what we use it for, when, to control the weather, to control the spirits… He wrote a whole volume under the blessings of His Holiness and that comes in a five-volume work. That five-volume work I have gotten, finally I have gotten my paws on it and I have taken it and xeroxed it. Now, that one is written by Trijang Rinpoche and that… there’s no higher authority than His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche. He is the Guru of the Dalai Lama so if he writes anything wrong, the Dalai Lama is wrong too because, you know, we’re talking about the source here. If the top of the mountain is polluted, then all the rivers would be polluted. This mountain is, trust me, is ice… beautiful clean water… sorry, pure.

H.H. Trijang Dorje Chang

So, in any case, I received this practice, first introduction, from Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen. Because I was sixteen, I didn’t have parents and I was a runaway and in America, if you are not 18, you have to get someone to sign for you. So, I was looking for a job, and I needed to work in Los Angeles because I ran away from New Jersey to Los Angeles, I stayed in the Dharma Center and I needed a job very badly. So, I was going after a job that I’m not qualified for and… but I needed it so badly and it was nearby the center and there were a lot of people interviewing. So I went to Geshe-la, I said, “Oh God, I need this job. I need this job, Geshe-la.” Because you know, I have to pay rental at the center and I have to support myself. It was very hard… and I did get the job. I made about $350 – $380 dollars a month at that time US. My first job is 15/16 and rental was $150 so I have to survive on the rest. And it was hard but I was happy because I was at the center.

So what happened was, I went to Geshe-la and told him that. And Geshe-la had a thangka of this Dharma Protector. And he just said to me like this, “If you believe from your heart and trust me and you pray, you will get your job.” I said, “Really?” That was my first experience. So immediately in front of Geshe-la, I prostrated 3 times to that thangka. The next day, I got the job. And that job helped me a lot because when Zong Rinpoche came, that job sustained me all the way through and it was very nearby. In fact, I did so well in that job, I got other better jobs from that job. That was my first experience but that was it.

And then they would do pujas in the Dharma center in Los Angeles every month. Once a month, you have to do Dharmapala puja. Dharmapala means Dharma Protector. I wasn’t allowed because I didn’t have initiation but I was very sneaky so I would look through the keyhole. During the puja time, I’d look through the keyhole the whole time. Of course, I didn’t want to get caught but it is so secret and so sacred. It is secret not because of anything, because it’s a Tantric practice. Those unqualified – not allowed. Just like Vajrayogini, Heruka, Yamantaka – not allowed. Even in old times, cannot even see the image and statue.

Lama Zopa with H.E. Tsem Rinpoche

This Dharma Protector is one of the most practiced Dharma Protectors in Tibet and in the world now. In the WORLD. The MOST practiced. And… although you don’t see it because it’s kept very secret and the main reason is it’s a Tantric practice. And so therefore, every successful Dharma center you see out there especially of the Yellow Hat tradition, some Sakya, trust me, this one’s behind it. Because I’ve been to all of them. And I’m sneaky… you know, when they’re not around, I go and investigate their altar, I open this up, open that up, open this, you know, pick their padlocks and I look at everything and I give that little poor me innocent look and they open up. “Oh, I know, how nice!” I’ve seen it all. I go everywhere and I find out. Because I’ve seen it… I like it. I don’t do it because I’m a spy, I do it because I love it. I love Dharma. I love to see statues and I want to see what’s going on because I am interested.

And like Lama Zopa Rinpoche himself, who is one of the greatest Lamas of this world, the head of Kopan and over 150 centers around the world, that is their main practice because I have done puja with Lama Zopa together myself. Many times. In fact, every time Lama Zopa does a puja, I show up. He said that to me, “Something strange about you, when I do this Protector puja, you show up. Why ah?” “I don’t know.” He said, “Join me.” I said, “Sure, sure, sure.” Oh, I didn’t say sure, I said, “Yes, of course” you know, and I joined him. And the biggest, the most popular Dharma centers in the world is this Dharma Protector. Why? This Dharma Protector is a Dharma Protector not a worldly god. He’s not interested in worldly crappy little prayers.

So actually, what we need to do is this, in order to do this Protector, we need to take refuge, take our refuge vows and hold it and have very good Guru Samaya. The second prerequisite is we need to have Yamantaka, Heruka, Guhyasamaja, Kalachakra initiation – one of the higher Tantras. We MUST have one of those initiations. Having had that initiation, if we have done the retreat, it’s ok; if we didn’t do the retreat, it’s alright. Then, we go and get initiation of this Protector. When we get the initiation of this Protector, in Tibetan, we call it Sogtae. ‘Sog’ is life, it’s called ‘life entrustment’. I will be conferring that initiation in the future. I will not do it now because you need to get higher tantric initiations and you need to have proper Guru Devotion. So, that is the proper procedure of getting this. And then you do the retreat of this Protector and the minimum retreat you need to do is 1 million, which will take you a couple of months. I’ve completed it all. I’ve done it all. I’ve done the Yamantaka retreats, I’ve done the Protector retreats, I’ve done it all with my Gurus. It wasn’t easy. I did it in North India – no water. Not easy at all but I loved it. Many signs appeared.

So, I’ve received this Sogtae from His Holiness. Then, when His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche arrived in America, I said to him, “I’m attracted to Palden Lhamo, because that’s previous life and this one.” I said, “Which one do you think I should do?” And then Zong Rinpoche said to me, “If you like” – very nonchalant – “I’ll give you my Protector.” I got on my knees, I prostrated to him, and I said, “Please, I would like to have yours.” So, he gave me the initiation. And the initiation of this Protector can be only three people at a time, not a whole group. But he is very compassionate; he gave it over and over to hundreds of people in America. Even High Lamas came to get it from him. I was there because I’m the assistant.

So, I received it from His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche when I was around 17-18 and the commitment is to do puja every single month, have good Guru devotion, study the Lamrim, hold my vows and to not have inferior motivations and then this Protector will help a lot. You may think, what does this have to do with you? Listen, it has everything to do with you because you won’t stay at this level. As you get older, as you go year… you’ll need to know more and more and more things, it will help you. It will help you a lot. So, now the time has come, I feel. There are some indications and signs that it’s time for me to give more of my students this Dharma Protector. I don’t give all, it’s very rare.

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H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche (right) and H.E. Tsem Rinpoche

Maybe once a year, I give one person. I don’t give everybody. But there are some special cases – people – that I will give it to. One is people who are afflicted with a lot of problems and difficulties. No matter what they do, they are always afflicted with problems and difficulties. Two is people who want to do spiritual practice and meditations and they always have obstacles: No money, no house, maybe people scream at them, you know, they have crime, they cannot get a job. Three is for people going into a very difficult situation and their sustenance, their life, maybe their families depend on it. So, they’re going into a difficult situation, which they can handle but to make it more smooth and easy so that they can protect their family and themselves, so they can protect their Dharma practice. And then, listen very carefully, in very extreme cases of possession, exorcism, spirits… and spirits that don’t just come and scare you and tickle you and do things to you but spirits that actually want to take your life away. There’s no one more superior than him.

There’s a few reasons that I’ll explain, that’s why I need you guys to listen. Today isn’t just blah, blah, blah, take your statue home. I want to give you information so that when you take your statue home, when you put it in your home, you know what you have. And you know how to pray and you know how to maintain so that every year, your relationship with the Protector becomes stronger. And I promise you, it will come to the point where you just ask something, it’s like that (snaps fingers). And you will receive signs. For some of you, you will receive dreams and visions of him. I promise you. Why? He’s very potent. Why? Because he’s very new. There are some Dharma Protectors within the Tibetan tradition that we don’t use anymore. Why? Their time and their karma and their relationship is finished, so they re-emanate.

So, and people who have extreme cases of spirits – and we may think we don’t have but we may have friends – that will take their life away, that will create accidents for them, that will create situations where they might die and suffer, this Protector is the most ferocious out of the whole pantheon that is very quick to act and very protective.

So, tonight you are very lucky. Without initiation, without refuge, without giving you the whole sadhana – the whole sadhana is very long – I’m going to give you a very condensed form of the prayer. I will pass you the oral transmission, which I received from my Gurus and I will teach you to do the mantra. Tiki is going to be a little… There are five main mantras of this Protector. I will teach you one main one to do and how to invoke him, I will teach you tonight. But I wish all of you to pay attention and focus. Like I said, it’s a little late, never mind. We can sleep tomorrow and the next day. But this one will change your lives.

So those of you here today are very fortunate, not to listen to me but to hear about this Protector. Very fortunate. I do not openly talk about it. I do not openly give it and I have never done it in my life. I do not openly even display it like this. This is the first time ever. This is kind of historic for me. And I do not give it to anyone and everyone. I am very careful. Why? Why give a child matches to play with? No. So, for people who are in extreme danger, very dangerous jobs – mining and you know… I don’t know, people who disarm bombs – that are life threatening or jobs that you to go to a situation where the people are very difficult and they create a lot of problems for you. This is the guy… this is the Protector.

Or spirits, and you know, spirits exist. Not all of us can see them. They exist and they’re quite frightening. For people who don’t know about them and what they are, they are quite frightening. And even if they are not frightening, they can disturb you to the point where they can create problems for you and accidents that will bring you harm. And if we let the spirit problem continue, if we don’t know how to control it, it will get bigger and bigger and bigger because the doorway opens and they can come in. And then we might have friends. So we need to listen. Why? For ourselves and for others and to protect our livelihood and to make our Dharma practice grow.

And this Protector – let me tell you something – is the quickest for giving you wealth directly. People talk about wealth deity Dzambala, I am very sorry, this one is much quicker than Dzambala. Much faster, much, much faster, much quicker and there are a lot of reasons for that. I’m not going to go into the extensive thing but I’m going to give you a little bit because you guys have made the effort, you’re here and you want it. So, I have the responsibility to educate you and let you know how so that when you go home, you know how to do it. Very important.

So, I’m going to teach you a little bit about the background, how to do the prayer, how to bring him home, how to become close to him. Very short but effective and in the future, I will give extensively.

I will not promote this Protector because he’s the Yellow Hat lineage. I will not promote it because it’s my Protector. Because he is not a Yellow Hat protector. He is a protector of the Buddhadharma. His Guru happens to be Tsongkhapa. He protects and helps anyone, Buddhist and non-Buddhist, anywhere. So, if anybody thinks he’s a Gelugpa Protector, let me strike that out, you’re wrong. Number two, people say he’s Manjushri. Some people say he’s a High Lama who’s become one with Guhyasamaja, Heruka. They are wrong. He is a direct emanation of Lama Tsongkhapa himself. He is Lama Tsongkhapa in a fierce form. He has 32 deities, which fits the 32 different components of Lama Tsongkhapa’s body. And there are many statements written by H.H. Pabongka Rinpoche to support that.

So what you’re looking at is Lama Tsongkhapa in the most fierce form. I said in the past, “Manjushri, Manjushri”, just make you guys happy, easier lah! But he’s actually Lama Tsongkhapa in a very fierce form. A direct emanation. Not an incarnation, an emanation. There’s a difference. He is Lama Tsongkhapa. So, therefore you think, “Why pray to Lama Tsongkhapa? Why pray?” Because, let’s say, your father is a policeman but if he doesn’t have his badge, he can’t arrest or protect or do anything for you. But if he has his badge, then he can do it. Similarly, Lama Tsongkhapa’s “badge”… he emanates as a Dharma Protector. As a Dharma Protector. His whole lineage derives from Lama Tsongkhapa. His whole lineage comes from Lama Tsongkhapa. His whole lineage arises from Lama Tsongkhapa and leads you back to Lama Tsongkhapa. Why? Wisdom… wisdom!

So, his first life, his name was Dulzin Drakpa Gyeltsen. Dulzin Drakpa Gyeltsen is his first life. He was a very erudite master and scholar, very, very erudite and he lived during the time of Lama Tsongkhapa. He was one of the five principle students of Lama Tsongkhapa and what’s incredible about him is, it says that his attainments and his power was that of … equal to Lama Tsongkhapa, but being his student, he always remained humble to Lama Tsongkhapa and sat on the floor. And he was the one, among many Dharma works, that built Gaden Monastery. So he raised the funds, he talked to the sponsors, he maintained a good relationship with the sponsors because you can’t leave that to Lama Tsongkhapa. Lama Tsongkhapa can’t keep making all the sponsors happy, it will be too many, too much, you know, take away from Dharma work. He made the sponsors happy, he talked to them, he got the funds, he got the statue makers, he got the wood makers, he got the masonry, he got all that together… And he organized and supervised the whole building of Gaden Monastery in Tibet. Can you imagine? One little fella, he did all of Gaden Monastery.

And Dulzin Drakpa Gyeltsen’s main activity was to help the teachings of Je Tsongkhapa to flourish. He worked to remove the obstacles and gather favorable conditions for the dissemination of the precious teachings during his lifetime. It was Je Tsongkhapa’s wish that the special Dharma derived from Manjushri’s wisdom should spread far and wide. And Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, as his devoted disciple, worked tirelessly for his Guru. Because Lama Tsongkhapa’s Dharma was all coming from Manjushri, so Lama Tsongkhapa didn’t want this lost. Lama Tsongkhapa wasn’t thinking about himself, he was thinking, “Manjushri’s words will be lost”, so he told that to Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen.

Dulzin Drakpa Gyeltsen spent his whole life tirelessly working to preserve Lord Tsongkhapa’s works and to spread it far and wide. Tirelessly. Je Tsongkhapa travelled extensively in response to invitations to give teachings. He also engaged in profound retreats for the purposes of writing and meditating. And while he was away, he would leave Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen in charge of all of his affairs. So he was actually the changtzo or the Liaison of Lama Tsongkhapa.

You see, to be a liaison is not a lowly position; it’s a very high position. It means, you disseminate the Lama’s works out into the world. That’s what a liaison does. It was Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, for example, who organized the building of Gaden Monastery. Rather than demonstrating miraculous powers, Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen demonstrated how to practice pure Dharma by relying sincerely upon a spiritual Guru, Guru Devotion, maintaining pure moral discipline and so forth. Like Je Tsongkhapa, he showed that there is no contradiction between the external practices of Vinaya, the internal practices of the Bodhisattva path and the highest inner practices of Secret Yoga Tantra. Je Tsongkhapa’s disciples believed that Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen and Je Tsongkhapa were equal in their realizations, abilities and wisdom.

When Je Tsongkhapa passed away, his throne was offered first to Dulzin. When Tsongkhapa passed away, the throne, by all the illustrious students, was offered to him to sit on, to take over as Tsongkhapa’s successor. But Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen declined and offered to Gyaltsab Rinpoche. So, on Lama Tsongkhapa’s statue you see two figures, you see Gyaltsab, the older one… he offered to Gyaltsab. He wanted to go into retreat. So Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, he went into retreat and passed away.

And during that time, he would attend all of Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings, happily, wide awake and focused and he would learn and listen. And during one of these many, many talks during Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings, there was a white dove, flying above Lama Tsongkhapa, circling his head. So Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen was in the audience and after the teaching was finished, Lord Tsongkhapa was escorted back to his chambers and everybody left… and Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen has clairvoyance and said to the bird, “While the Lord is giving Dharma teachings, why are you so disturbing?”

So, the little bird emanated in the form of a young white boy – white not as in Caucasian, a young fair boy wearing white clothes – and he said,

“I am Nechung. I am the Protector of Tibet. I have been entrusted by Guru Padmasambhava to protect Tibet and the general welfare of Tibet. I am Nechung. But Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings, I have attended just now… They are superior in their thought on Madhyamika and the teachings of emptiness. The teachings are very high and in the future, for people who suffer tremendously, Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings will be relevant in the world.”

Why? In the future, the world will be based on logic and study and education, not magic and mysticism. Therefore, Lama Tsongkhapa’s way will be more… reach more people to reach the Dharma because you’re dealing with educated people. You need to give Dharma, not show miracles.

“So, we need a special Dharma Protector to make sure Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings do not degenerate or disintegrate before its time, and many people can get it, and the sponsors and the funds and the building and the artisans and the craftsmen that we need to build temples to spread Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings… We need a special Protector to do that job. Will you do it?” Nechung himself asked.

And then Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen said, “No, you’re a Protector. You can do it.”

He said, “No, I’m a general Dharma Protector but I need something specific.”

It’s like, Nechung is like a multi-vitamin but he needs an extra dose of C now. So then, he said, “You should do it, since you’re so devoted to Lama Tsongkhapa, and you want to spread the teachings of Manjushri, and you want to help, and you want to be of great help. You should do it.”

And then Dulzin said, “But I’m a Lama. You know, I’m a monk.” He said, “No, you should do it. Will you do it?” So because Duldzin was so, so dedicated to Lama Tsongkhapa, his Guru devotion was so strong, he said, “I will.”

Then Nechung said to him, “Don’t forget your promise. Don’t forget.” (snaps fingers) Nechung disappeared. He’s a Dharma Protector who resides in Samye in Tibet. He’s the one that takes trance and Dalai Lama convenes and talks with him all the time. He’s the state oracle. Then, Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen went into meditation after Lama Tsongkhapa passed, and passed away. He built Gaden Monastery. I mean, this is just a short thing.

Then he took rebirth in Central Tibet as a great Lama called Panchen Sonam Drakpa. Like Dulzin, he worked very hard to remove the obstacles of Je Tsongkhapa and he was the first Lama in the history of Tibet, listen very carefully, to become the Abbot of Gyuto Monastery, Gaden Monastery, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and to become the 15th Golden Throne Holder of Lama Tsongkhapa. So, he became Gaden Tripa. So this great Lama, his next incarnation was the Abbot of Gaden, Sera, Drepung, Gyuto AND the Gaden Tripa. No one in the history of Tibet has held all these positions simultaneously in one lifetime. No one! Impossible, even today. No one has achieved that feat. His erudite scholarliness, his meditational powers and his presence were so incredible that he became that.

And you have to understand that time, Sera was 6,000 monks, Drepung was 8,000. When he became their Abbot, he was in charge of all these fellas. And then, Gyuto Tantric College, that’s the college to teach Tantra and disseminate Tantra to make sure Tantra is not degenerated, he was in charge. On top of that, he sat on Lama Tsongkhapa’s throne as the 15th patriarch. Now, we’re on the 101st. The current Gaden Tripa is His Eminence Lungrik Namgyal Rinpoche, he’s from Gaden Shartse Monastery. He’s the 101st patriarch, from Lama Tsongkhapa till now, unbroken. And Panchen Sonam Drakpa made many commentaries and sutras – he wrote 40 volumes of works where today, Gaden Shartse and Drepung use eleven volumes of Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s works to study to become a Geshe.

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H.E. Khensur Jampa Yeshe (left), H.E. Gangchen Rinpoche (center) and H.E. Tsem Rinpoche (right)

If you go to Gaden Shartse Monastery, you go to Drepung Loseling, two of the biggest, all the Geshes there must study his writings to become a Geshe. If you don’t study that, you can’t be a Geshe. Simple. And when you go for debate, you debate his writings, that’s written by him. Throughout his life, Panchen Sonam Drakpa worked to further Je Tsongkhapa’s doctrine. When he became holder of Je Tsongkhapa’s throne, he composed the following prayer:

Since the tradition of Je Tsongkhapa,
The King of Dharma may flourish,
May all obstacles be pacified
May all favorable conditions abound.

So, the CHO KHI GYAL PO TSONG KHA PA, CHO TSUL NAM PAR PHEL WA LA – written by him when he was the Gaden Throneholder. Incredible. Even that prayer he wrote. And that simple prayer that we recite, spread all through Tibet. Even a simple 2-line prayer he wrote, everybody uses it because it’s so effective. These prayers are recited every day after teachings and pujas in all Gelugpa monasteries and Dharma centers, indicating that Panchen Sonam Drakpa’s activities were the same as Dorje Shugden’s – working to cause Je Tsongkhapa’s doctrine to flourish.

Later in life, Panchen Sonam Drakpa became the spiritual guide of the reincarnation of the First Dalai Lama. So, his second incarnation became the Guru of [the reincarnation of] His Holiness Je Gendun Drub, His Holiness the first Dalai Lama. Then, it was because of his teachings that the Third Dalai Lama became very erudite and converted all of Mongolia to Buddhism because of him… again.

When Panchen Sonam Drakpa passed away, he died and remained in single-pointed meditation – clear light of death – for 15 days. He sat for 15 days, not moving, not breathing, nothing… 15 days. And from his body, it didn’t rot, you smell beautiful flowers and you hear singing. Then his body shrunk to the size of a forearm, like that. And from his body, many relics fell out. Even today, we can see Lamas do that. It’s not a joke. I’ve seen it. Many thousands of relic pills came from his body for people to eat to clear their minds, burn to chase away spirits and to heal their bodies. From his manner of dying, we have realized, he’s not an ordinary being.

Then his next incarnation was Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. Now, this is very important, you guys listen carefully. Some of you, I will give you this book, so don’t worry about notes. Ngatrul Drakpa Gyeltsen, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen was the reincarnation of Panchen Sonam Drakpa – erudite, as great, as fabulous. He lived during the time of the great Fifth Dalai Lama, His Holiness Gyalwa Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso. He lived in Drepung Monastery and both these Lamas were disciples of the First Panchen Lama. The First Panchen Lama, which you see up there, the upper left, was his disciple. And both Dalai Lama and him were disciples of the First Panchen Lama. The first Panchen Lama wrote our Lama Chopa books that we recite every Tsok. And there’s a further connection because Panchen Sonam Drakpa had been the main Guru of the Third Dalai Lama and the Fifth Dalai Lama was in the same mental continuum of the Third Dalai Lama. Both Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen and the Fifth Dalai Lama were highly respected and considered very pure and precious teachers.

Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen studied both Sutra and Tantra mainly under the First Panchen Lama and became a great scholar and meditator. He went to over a hundred caves to meditate and received many direct visions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. So, this incarnation likes to hang out in caves, likes to stay in caves and likes to meditate. He made a number of predictions including the one that he would become Dorje Shugden in the future. So, his fame in Tibet became very big and Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen had many illustrious students and patrons and sponsors. You see, Lamas can’t do anything without sponsors. With sponsors, they can spread and do more work. So, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen’s sponsor was the King of Mongolia. He had immense wealth. He would come and pay respects to him and offer gold bars and silver, brocade, whatever he needed. The minute the Lama opened his mouth, (snaps fingers) he would just do it. He would just build it for him. The King of Mongolia, the Queen also and their subjects. So, his whole country, the King, are the students of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen.

Then, because of his fame, the Dalai Lama just took power. It’s the first time the Dalai Lama took power in Tibet. He became king. The assistants of the Dalai Lama were very jealous, they were very unhappy. Very, very unhappy. And you know why? More people were going over to see Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. More were making offerings to him, so the assistants were jealous. The assistants were normal people; the Dalai Lama didn’t care, didn’t know anything. So, what happened was too many people were going to him and the assistants felt it was very bad for the Dalai Lama. So they plotted to kill him, to get rid of him. There was no other way… so the Dalai Lama could rise.

A painting of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen

So what happened was, then Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen had an audience with Nechung. Nechung took trance inside the oracle, the Nechung oracle. And he took trance and the oracle, through the oracle, Nechung said to Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, “Do you remember the promise you made two lifetimes ago?”

Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen said, “No. I don’t remember at all.”

“Are you sure?”

“No, I don’t remember.”

Then Nechung took some rice, (blew into it) blessed it with mantra and gave it to him.

“Eat it.”

So Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen took it, ate it… (snaps fingers) immediately he recalled his promise. When he recalled his promise, Nechung said to him, “Now it’s time for you to rise as a Dharma Protector. Now it’s time. Keep your promise.”

And Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen said, “But I can’t. I don’t have any anger.” But he scolds students, he shouts, he screams. I mean he was a very, very, very fierce teacher but he didn’t have any anger.

He said, “But I don’t have any anger. I can’t, you know, I can’t generate that anger to become that kind of Protector.”

But Nechung said, “I will create the causes for you. I will make it happen for you. I will generate the causes for you to become ‘angry’.”

I’m reciting this from Trijang Rinpoche’s own commentary, by the way. I received this 20 years ago from Geshe-la. I’m not making this up, this is from Trijang Rinpoche’s commentary that I memorized. Because we were told once, I just memorized it. For me, Dharma is very easy to memorize so I don’t forget details. It’s not from here either. Ok, this is from the commentary of Trijang Rinpoche.

In any case, then the Dalai Lama’s assistants plotted, and they said, “Oh, we’re going to have audience with him and while we are having audience, we kill him lah.” So, because he was highly attained, there were many ways that he couldn’t be killed. They tried to stab him, cannot; they tried to kill him by magic, cannot. No way to kill him by magic… no way because, I mean, you know, they sent ‘hantus‘ [Note: ghosts/spirits] and stuff, he himself is Lama Tsongkhapa… well, ‘hantus‘ are going to run when they see Tsongkhapa. You know, so, there’re only two people that ‘hantus‘ are afraid of, Tsongkhapa and Sio Chian. Sio Chian is the lady with the funny hair on the chair. Only these two, the ‘hantus‘ are afraid of. They love Raymond. They love David. David’s got a ‘hantu‘ in his room, that’s why he’s moving out. Yeah, every night, harasses him, touches him, molests him, he hates it. Sometimes he likes it though. Yeah, sometimes he likes it. Most of the time, he hates it because he doesn’t want to be molested every day.

So anyway, they came with khatas and offerings to see Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen and they went inside the audience room. They strangled him with a khata. So you see, khatas were used for other reasons and for killing too. Remember, I gave a khata teaching yesterday, you can see on [Inaudible]. They took the khata and they strangled him. So, as he was being strangled, he generated the mind of enlightenment and he thought about Lama Tsongkhapa and he thought he will offer his life up to Lama Tsongkhapa and to the lineage and to all the people in the future who will practice Buddha’s teachings. And all the people who have faith in Lama Tsongkhapa, he will take the responsibility to protect, to nurture, to help them, to clear their obstacles, to keep away their difficulties and to help them with finances. He will be the one. He generated that mind, “For those who have faith in Lama Tsongkhapa, I will take the responsibility to back them, guide them, nurture them” and he died with that last thought.

When he died, of course his attendants were… they threw, you know helter-skelter and it was a very big thing at that time in Tibet because he’s a very high Lama, very, very high. It’s like here in Malaysia, if you have a minister killed like that… oh my god! It’s major investigation time. Same in Tibet at that time.

So, what happened was the attendants were very angry. They were very pissed off. They found out about the plot and so, they put him on a funeral pyre. They built a very big funeral pyre for him in Lhasa and thousands of disciples came, and the King of Mongolia and all the high Lamas, all came to pay their last respects to Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. And they just could not light the funeral pyre. No matter how much they tried to burn it, it just would not light. It just would not light; it just could not light. So, his assistant was very angry. His assistant is not enlightened, you know. He took his zen, this is called a zen and he hit it like that, and he said, “Some kind of lama you are. You’re supposed to be a high lama and you don’t even get revenge and you don’t show any signs. You don’t do… They just simply kill you and that’s it!” And he was very angry, he did that.

And then, the Dalai Lama found out what happened. “What’s the big procession in Lhasa? What’s going on?” Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So, his assistants, the good assistants told him; the bad ones: “Umm, I don’t know.” And His Holiness was very disturbed. His Holiness immediately composed a poem, which is still available now, in apology to Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, knowing what happened. His Holiness was very unhappy, very, very, very distraught and very unhappy. Remember, this is the reincarnation of his own teacher. So, the good assistants brought the letter down and it was read to the assembly. The minute it was read, the fire caught, the pyre caught fire.

From the fire, a tornado appeared – a round swirling black wind, very powerful. If you think Katrina is big, you should see this one. And it swirled and swirled and swirled. This was him transforming into a Dharma Protector. His mind didn’t leave just quietly. Tumultuous wind, fire, very strong gusts and earthquakes shook Lhasa. So, he left the body in a huge tornado-like wind… just left into the sky and people could see immediately negative omens in the sky. The crops failed. Many, many animals died. Monasteries lost sponsors. Earthquakes. People became sick. Why? Such a High Lama would have benefited so many. The karma to kill such a high Lama is very, very heavy.

So, many, many negative signs came and His Holiness the Dalai Lama invited very powerful Lamas such as Mindrolling Rinpoche – Mindrolling is a very high Nyingma Rinpoche and his incarnation is still here with us – and Tantrikas – the Highest Tantrikas, the biggest practitioners in Tibet – to do fire puja because people thought, people thought he became angry and became an evil spirit. But the Dalai Lama knew what he became but the Dalai Lama needs to prove to the people. Why? If he’s not an evil spirit, he cannot be killed!

So they did fire puja, Jinsek, they arranged grand offerings, fire and they had the highest Lamas who had attained siddhi on the ladle. And the point is, they invite his mind onto the ladle and with the mantras, they’d throw it inside the fire. What is that? That is a ritual to “kill” an evil spirit that is very powerful so that when they die, their consciousness takes rebirth in Vajra Heaven – Yamantaka’s heaven. So, the funny thing about this fella was when he was caught onto the ladle, every time they put it in the fire, he would come up again and he would appear as Yamantaka. So they were like… go like that, Yamantaka… go like that, Yamantaka. The Lama said, “Forget it, I’m not burning Yamantaka. This is crazy.” He said, “Number one, I can’t burn it. Number two, I’m not burning Yamantaka.” Because, in that kind of ritual and type of meditation, if you’re a spirit, you’re going to appear as you are. You know, if you’ve got your Halloween mask on, it’s going to melt with all that fire. Right? So what happened was, he kept appearing as Yamantaka. The Lama freaked out. The Lama freaked out, he said, “Oh my god!”

So immediately, the jinsek was disturbed and stopped, the report was given to Dalai Lama. Of course, Dalai Lama was very happy. He knows. The Dharma Protector Setrap immediately came from Sakya, riding on his horse like the wind, red and galloping with his fabulous five wisdom flags flurrying. And you can hear his sounds, “Tss tss tss tss tss tss” and the bells, because he has bells on top… [Inaudible] and asking Dorje Shugden to come. Why? To enthrone him. Immediately, they went to Tashi Lhunpo. From Tashi Lhunpo, there were some Dharma Protectors who stood at the gates and said, “No, you can’t enter. Who are you? I don’t know who you are.” So he said, “Ok, see you later!” He went to Sakya.

So in Sakya, along with the Dalai Lama, the Regent of Tibet and the King of China at that time. So, we have to find out who’s the king of China during that time. Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. It says the Emperor of China… the Emperor of China, the Dalai Lama and the Regent at that time all wrote edicts recognizing him and enthroning him as a Dharma Protector. So, he was not only recognized in Tibet; he was recognized in China but it takes time for it to grow. It will grow now. So, the King of Tibet – Dalai Lama, the Regent and the King of China on an ordinary base enthroned him. On a supernormal base, Setrap immediately came and grabbed him and said, “Let’s go!” and introduced him, I mean this is how we say in worldly terms, ‘introduced’ him to the other Dharma Protectors, “Hey, this is the new kid on the block and I am authorizing who he is. I am Setrap.” So the other guys kinda kept quiet, you know, because Setrap is a pretty big tough guy.

So, he became very close to Setrap and he became the brother or the confidante. So whenever there’s a Setrap oracle in Tibet, Dorje Shugden will enter; whenever there is a Dorje Shugden oracle, Setrap will enter. And usually if Dorje Shugden talks, Setrap will come and say, “I have nothing to say. Whatever he says is good enough.” Always, because in Gaden, Sera, we have oracles blessed by Trijang Rinpoche that take trance of Setrap and Dorje Shugden. And when one talks, the other one says, “Oh, exactly the same.” No conflicts, all the time. And the way they come, their mannerisms, the way they move, you know they’re different. You know who they are. They can tell immediately. Usually when they come, their hand implements and the way they hold their hands will indicate who they are – who’s entered the being. If you ask them directly, they will tell you who it is.

And so, he became enthroned and he resided in Sakya because, that time, Gelugpas didn’t really pray to him much. The Sakyas prayed to him. The Sakyas kept him there. He rode on a horse. As time went on, his mount changed to that of a lion. Why? Because it is predicted in his Tantra: he will be the fifteenth Buddha to manifest on this planet to give teachings in Bodhgaya. He will be the fifteenth. Kunga Nyingpo, alright? And the current Buddha is the fourth – Shakyamuni. He will manifest as the fifteenth. That’s one.

Two, when he became a Protector, his time has come but it’s not yet there. Now the time has come, according to Trijang Rinpoche, where his precedence, his fame, his name, his power will grow into the world. It will completely grow. Grow and grow and grow, now now now now now. Bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. And therefore, the Dalai Lama again played a very pivotal role.

Let me explain to you. The Dalai Lama says that he’s a bad Protector and we shouldn’t pray. Everybody cannot pray to him except Trijang Rinpoche. I was like, “Huh?”… Like, if he’s evil why can Trijang Rinpoche pray and we can’t? And if Trijang Rinpoche can pray, Trijang Rinpoche needs assistants to make the tormas, to do the pujas, just like I need assistants. I mean, they need to pray too. Then he needs someone to make the statues and thangkas. And then, he has students, he’s going to pass it to them, so it’s going to grow. And that was the announcement in Gaden. “Nobody is allowed to pray to him except Trijang Rinpoche.” I was like, “Huh? Why only Trijang Rinpoche gets to pray to a demon ah?” That was his edict, the Dalai Lama, this Dalai Lama.

And what’s incredible is that the minute the Chinese in China heard that this Protector the Dalai Lama doesn’t like, and “hurts” the Dalai Lama, they promote it all over Tibet and China. They’re building temples and they’re building images all over to promote him. You can read that in books now by Glenn Mullin that the Chinese are furiously promoting him because the Chinese government hear, “Oh you know, this hurts the Dalai Lama. We want to get rid of Dalai Lama, we hate him.” And so, the Dalai Lama does so many things that are excellent but why does he make a “mistake”?

You know, forget religious people. It’s like, in Catholic church, you say we can’t pray to Mother Mary anymore; it’s that equivalency. All human rights around the world, if you check the Internet, are talking against His Holiness on that one point. So he’s a man of peace, he’s wonderful but why that? How can you suppress religion or… Even in America, you can pray to devils and Satan, whatever you want… You can pray to anything you want. So, the human rights groups all over America are condemning His Holiness for this and we’re thinking to ourselves, I mean the smart people are thinking, “Why would His Holiness put his neck out like that?” Because he’s the Yellow Hat, he himself is a Lama Tsongkhapa student, so he can’t openly promote it. Therefore, he puts it down so China promotes it. When China promotes it, it’s already been predicted very clearly: China will be a very strong force in the world. Economic influence, just like America. You know, today McDonald’s is wonderful. Why? It’s not wonderful. Because America’s wonderful, so we believe everything from America is wonderful.

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Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

But in our lifetime, China’s going to reach that precedence. China’s going to be very big and it’s going to control the East. But everything from China is going to grow. So therefore, China is Buddhism. China’s Yidam is Lama Tsongkhapa. Go to Yong He Gong, you see in the heart of Beijing, the King of China has built a huge Tsongkhapa there. Yong He Gong, I’ve seen it myself. And he’s already been established by the Chinese Emperors of the past as a Dharma Protector. And his temple now is being built in the Five Peaks of Manjushri by the way. Wu Tai Shan. Yeah, his temple is being built there now to protect the place.

So, his practice in China will grow and grow and from China, all the Asian countries will say, “Hey, China likes it, we like it too.” So you see, the Dalai Lama is so kind, he said that in order to promote it. Because in Trijang Rinpoche’s text, it says “In the future, the Dalai Lama and Dorje Shugden will work hand-in-hand to promote each other.” Outwardly, it looks like a conflict; inwardly it’s to promote. Why? A. How can two Bodhisattvas fight? B. If this Dharma Protector is evil, do you not think Dalai Lama cannot do a ritual and get rid of him? Do you think that Dalai Lama cannot just do a fire puja and say bye-bye? Why does Dalai Lama let this “evil” Protector run all over the place and do all kinds of funny things?. It’s very simple, he can get rid of it what? Some more people say, if you practice the Protector, it cuts the Dalai Lama’s life. What? You mean one little evil spirit can cut the Dalai Lama’s life?. Then, you know, what about the rest of us schmucks?.

If you’re so attained, 14 lifetimes and you are Avalokiteshvara, and the spirit can bother you, then I think I’ll convert, you know, be an Atheist or something. See, all that doesn’t make sense. Doesn’t make sense. So the truth is as Trijang Rinpoche has said, the Dalai Lama is promoting him all over the world indirectly. The biggest Dharma centers all over practice. So what am I telling to you guys? That doesn’t concern you, Tibet doesn’t concern you, China doesn’t concern you, nothing concerns you. What concerns you is this: Those evil little spirits running around following you all the time disturbing the crap out of you, you having to earn a living, obstacles, being free from difficulties and problems – this is the guy. This is the guy. And, going into a slight bit of detail and I am going to, Pabongka said the aggregates, elements, sources and limbs of Lama Lobsang Tubwang Dorje Chang, Lama Tsongkhapa, appear in the aspect of the five lineages of Dorje Shugden and their retinue.

Realizing that in reality, I am practicing yoga of the 32 deities of the body mandala,
I offer this practice to you,
O five lineages of Dorje Shugden,
Please accept it with delight.
You are inseparable from Lama Tsongkhapa.

Inseparable. Then he has five main emanations. This is the principle one, which is fine. Then he has a peaceful one on an elephant, he has a control one on a dragon, he has an increase one that gives us money on a horse – yellow palomino horse – and then he has the very fierce scary one riding on a Garuda, dripping with blood.

And Vairochana Dorje Shugden, the peaceful one is the manifestation of the form aggregate of Lama Tsongkhapa.

Ratna Shugden is increase, Ratna is giving wealth, is the manifestation of the aggregate of feeling of Lama Tsongkhapa, tactile feeling.

Padma Shugden, control, red one, is the manifestation of the aggregate of discrimination of Lama Tsongkhapa.

And Karma Shugden, Trakpo meaning the fierce one on a Garuda, is the manifestation of the compositional factors of Lama Tsongkhapa.

Some people believe that Dorje Shugden is the emanation of Manjushri who shows a worldly aspect but that is incorrect. He is not in a worldly aspect. He is Lama Tsongkhapa. His form reveals… his whole body teaches you the Dharma. He’s a fully ordained monk which shows you ‘hold your vows, hold moral discipline’.

In his left hand, he holds a heart of an enemy. This one means destroy ignorance, destroy self-grasping mind. That is the heart of Samsara, that is the heart of your suffering and holding it here means his principal way is to guide you to destroy self-cherishing mind. He wears a yellow golden hat that represents Nagarjuna’s pure Middle Way view, Madhyamika, which is prevalent in Tibet. And if we meditate and study that, we achieve emptiness. We can fly, we can walk through walls. Principle. Nagarjuna. His right hand holds a wisdom sword and that wisdom sword is curved and it’s on flames. Why? Like a pointy sword that can penetrate and kill something, with Nagarjuna’s view of emptiness, you can kill and penetrate your Samsara. And the sword, at the same time, represents he will remove your obstacles.

His lion is the symbol of the Four Fearlessnesses or the Four Noble Truths of Lord Buddha, that he has realized the Four Noble Truths. So on the basis of the Four Noble Truths, he acts as a Dharma Protector. So sitting on the lion is not that he went to the forest and caught a lion. Sitting on the lion – fearlessness, the king of animals – means he has become the King of Beings, a Buddha. So therefore, the lion has four legs representing the Four Types of Fearlessnesses or the Four Noble Truths of Lord Buddha. He is sitting on those attainments firmly.

And this is very good for us – he has a jewel-spitting mongoose perched on his left arm. See in India, mongooses represent wealth and good luck. You know, it’s a good portent. So, he has a mongoose here spitting jewels and then incorrect, on the bottom, he has a bowl where jewels fall down. This represents that he is a wealth deity. See, not all Dharma Protectors can help you get wealth. If you practice Dorje Shugden well, he will secure your wealth, he will help you get wealth and he will maintain your finances and help you. Oh definitely. If you devote yourself to him with correct motivation, wealth will come to you. Unbelievable. Unbelievable. And so the mongoose represents that, very simple, no more deeper than that. He’s a wealth God. Sio Chian’s like, “Why didn’t you tell me this before I bought Dzambala?” It’s ok, Dzambala is a Buddha, you collect merit. Now you can buy a big one of him. I have a 30-inch one coming, which you can sponsor. Yes, you’ll love it… for me of course lah.

The single eye on his forehead, the single eye represents he sees the past, the present and the future at the same time and things that ordinary eyes cannot see, he can see. So therefore, he can see what’s good for you and not good for you. So if you pray to him and you don’t get your wish, don’t get pissed off and throw the milk at him. Sometimes, the wishes we have can lead to something worse in the future. So, he doesn’t always grant us what we want, the way we want it. So, if we really trust, we surrender. We pray and we surrender – “I would like it this way but you do it even better for me.” Example, if you say, “Hey, you know, I want that airplane. I want… blah, blah, blah…” Then you do his mantra… Maybe you won’t get it because if you get the airplane, you might have an accident and die. You don’t know that.

Maybe you say, “May I have a safe trip. You know, I’m going to go to Japan and may I have a safe trip”, and you do black tea to him and then, on the way, you lose your airticket. You know, like, “Oh my god, what kind of Dharma Protector is this? You can’t even protect my air ticket!” But maybe you hear later that something happened to the airplane or there was an earthquake. It will manifest like that. Let me tell you, with my own eyes, I’ve seen it, how he manifests. Sometimes with a few students, when we are doing… we’re sitting in front of his chapel in my house and we’re just doing… we’re just talking. If I mention something that I want to do that is good, immediately, the water in the front will overflow. Who was with me when that happened? Anybody here? Yeah David, tell us about that. He was standing there. We got a shock, right? David for the first time said, “Oh, Buddhas do exist.” VVTC. Tell us what happened. He was with me. What were we talking about? [Inaudible] And right at that cue, what happened? Water overflowed. Right in front of our eyes… and he gives that kind of sign all the time.

H.H. Trijang Rinpoche’s personal Dorje Shugden thangka

Let me tell you, he’s very affectionate too. Trijang Rinpoche has been practicing him every single lifetime. Trijang Rinpoche’s previous life, when he was young he was a little naughty… High Lamas are usually naughty. So he doesn’t want to do his studies, he’s hanging around in his room playing with his toys, you know. And when his tutor comes, the tutor’s going to beat him. So the protector didn’t want his little Trijang Rinpoche to be beaten, so he’ll make crackling sounds near him so Trijang Rinpoche will go, “Oh, I’d better pretend I’m studying.” Many, many times. That, Trijang Rinpoche wrote in his own biography, “Even to protect me from my tutor’s bamboo stick, he will make sounds and protect me.”

Yeah. And when the Dalai Lama, when Tibet was seized by Mao Tse Tung’s guards that time, seized and they were shelling Lhasa, shelling, bombing… 1959… the Dalai Lama asked Trijang Rinpoche to ask the famous oracle, Khangsar Kuten – Khangsar is the famous Dorje Shugden oracle in Tibet. And then the oracle went into trance. Trijang Rinpoche couldn’t go because he’s too high, so he sent his assistant, another Rinpoche, his student to have audience to ask, “Should the Tamche Khyenpa – all-knowing holder of the lotus – leave Tibet or stay?” Incredible. The Protector immediately… Dorje Shugden entered immediately and did a dance, did a very powerful dance and he took his sword and he threw it and it landed on the ground with a khata. And he said, “Hold this sword at your entourage. Tell His Holiness: Leave now. I will be with him. Nothing will come. Leave NOW.”

So, in the middle of the night because of Dorje Shugden’s instructions, Trijang Rinpoche… all of them had to wear lay clothes for the first time in their lives and assist His Holiness, the royal mother (the mother of His Holiness), and his brothers and sisters, and the High Lamas, Ling Rinpoche, all that and a few monks from Gaden, Sera, Drepung… onto the entourage of His Holiness… and there are 100,000 you know… escape into the night. Even Dorje Shugden told them how to go, where to go and why? We have monks living today who were there, who witnessed this. This is written in Trijang Rinpoche’s own biography and the Dalai Lama told him to write it, by the way. You’ll read at the beginning of the biography, “The Dalai Lama asked me to write. I am not interested.”

From Tibet, Lhasa to India, all the way, it was Dorje Shugden who guided and they were in an area near India that was very white, you’ll see in the biography… Kundun, you’ll see in the movie, a white snow-blanketed area. I mean, they stick out like sore thumbs. The Chinese… immediately airplanes above, looking for Dalai Lama because… you know what?… right after Dalai Lama escaped, they bombed, they shelled. And they went one by one, looking for the Dalai Lama to check if he’s dead or not in Lhasa but he escaped. And on the way, immediately, when he was escaping in the open area, a huge cloud… this the Dalai Lama said himself, “A huge cloud covered the whole entourage and the planes flew over, couldn’t see anything, and went off.” That was the biggest danger they had. That was him.

And every single day, the Khampa, one section of Tibet, very tough guys who’ve sworn their lives to the devotion of Dalai Lama, right… carry swords and rifles. They don’t care about Buddhism. You want to say anything about Dalai Lama, they’ll kill you. The end. Not everybody in Tibet was holy. Anyway, they’re called Chushi Gangdruk – Four Rivers Six Mountains. They’re the association that protects the Dalai Lama, bodyguards. Their Protector was Dorje Shugden. Every day in the morning, they make sang offerings, juniper, like we do outside here. Juniper every day and black tea. “Guide us.” Every single day and it took, what, 20 days, 15-20 days, one month for His Holiness to traverse across the long way to India. And if it wasn’t for His Holiness escaping from Tibet, we wouldn’t be here right now. We wouldn’t be here and the one that took them out was Dorje Shugden. Again, the Protector of the Dharma.

Oh, this one you can read in Trijang Rinpoche’s biography. You can go on the Internet… Schettini site, S-C-H-E-T-T-I-N-I. You will hear about monks from Sera – Oh, I have it burned actually, you can get it – who talk about it, that they were there, they were one of the armed forces, they were there to protect His Holiness, and the oracle, everything. So, if the Protector can take care of someone like His Holiness and help him escape from Tibet, and High Lamas, I think he can take care of us. I think that wouldn’t be a problem.

Now, the secret. Listen to this… Listen to this very carefully, we are near the end. If we can understand well the nature and functions of Dorje Shugden, we can understand the benefits of relying upon him. Dorje Shugden always helps, guides and protects pure and faithful practitioners by granting blessings, increasing their wisdom, fulfilling their wishes and bestowing success on all their virtuous activities. Dorje Shugden does not help only Gelugpas because he is a Buddha and he helps all living beings including non-Buddhists. The sun benefits even those born blind, giving them warmth and ripening the crops that become their food. But if they should gain their sight, how much more obvious its benefit would be.

Listen very carefully. In a similar way, although Dorje Shugden protects even those who do not make an effort to rely upon him, when our eyes of faith in him open and we rely upon him sincerely, we will gradually become more and more aware of the help that we receive from him and his presence. Oh, you will feel it. Sometimes, you will feel him near you. I promise you. If we sincerely wish to experience the benefits of relying on Dorje Shugden, we must rely upon him constantly over a long period of time, steadily improving our connection with him. In this way, we will begin to notice his beneficial influence in our lives and future lives. We should understand that the principal function of a Dharma Protector is to protect our Dharma practice, not to help our mundane affairs alone. Bearing this in mind, we should not become discouraged if we do not suddenly become very wealthy, for wealth does not necessarily help spiritual practice and can be a distraction.

If we sincerely rely upon Dorje Shugden, he will arrange the conditions that are most conducive for our Dharma practice and this will not necessarily be the ones that we ourselves have chosen! Dorje Shugden will bless our minds to help us transform difficult situations into the spiritual path and he will open the wisdom eye of his faithful followers, enabling them to always make the right decisions although physically they may find themselves alone. Although physically, they may find themselves alone. Inwardly, those who put their trust in him will never be apart from a very powerful ally and a wise and compassionate guide.

One lama called Gyara Tulku Rinpoche, whose incarnation now is in Drepung, wrote a prayer to Dorje Shugden expressing his gratitude. He was sent to a very distant part of Tibet, no meds, no food, nothing. “First, you gave me a highly qualified spiritual guide whom I studied under and practised Dharma. When through following misleading advice, I came close to entering the wrong paths, you immediately hooked me back into the correct path.” This lama spent many years in a country where he did not even know the language and where conditions were very difficult. However, he became highly respected and many people sought his wise counsel. He realized that all his spiritual practice, happiness, health and success came from Dorje Shugden and not from himself. In the same prayer, he wrote,

Oh Duldzin, King of Dharma,
I thank you for your kindness,
Your body is the synthesis of all Sangha Jewels,
Your speech is the synthesis of all Dharma Jewels,
And your mind is the synthesis of all Buddha Jewels,

Now, that would conclude the little bit of explanation I wanted to give you on his background and how he came into being. The last part is his practice. The Gelugpas started practicing him more, only a few generations ago. My Guru is Zong Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche’s Guru is Trijang Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche’s Guru is Pabongka. Pabongka’s is Tagpu Dorje Chang. So before that, there was not really any systemised practice within Gelugpas for 600 years to him. So, he’s not really a Gelugpa. Tagpu Dorje Chang went into meditation. This is Tagpu Dorje Chang… A great master. Tagpu Dorje Chang, Pabongka Dorje Chang. Trijang Dorje Chang. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. I made that here, it will benefit all of you. I put that up. So, Tagpu Dorje Chang went into meditation, and he was… He can literally travel astral body. He left his body, went to Gaden Heaven. In front of Lama Tsongkhapa, Lama Tsongkhapa, Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen’s sitting there…

“Please expound the Tantras of Dorje Shugden so that I may reveal it now. It’s the time.”

Immediately from Lama Tsongkhapa’s heart, lights went out to Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen. From Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen’s heart, lights went out to under the throne of Lama Tsongkhapa. From under the throne of Lama Tsongkhapa, Dorje Shugden, his five principle aspects and the 32 on his entourage – Nine Mothers, Eight Monks and Ten Youthful and Wrathful Assistants – appeared in a complete mandala in front of Tagpu Dorje Chang and conferred on him initiation, oral transmission, instruction and completely gave him the whole prayer. Tagpu Dorje Chang memorized it of course, instantly, came down in meditation and wrote it. He wrote it down upon waking from his trance.

And therefore, we have this prayer called “A Song of Melodious Drum Dispelling Obstacles In the Ten Directions.” It’s a very famous prayer that’s done all over Tibet and it’s this thick, alright? It’s been translated already. And then, that was passed down to Pabongka Rinpoche, Pabongka Rinpoche gave the initiation to Trijang Rinpoche, and from Trijang Rinpoche, it spread all over the world. Trijang Rinpoche all over. And that’s how the lineage came. Because the lineage is very new, (snaps fingers) very quick, very potent.

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The great geshe, Gen Nyima Rinpoche (left) with H.E. Tsem Rinpoche. Gen Nyima stayed in Yamantaka meditation for most of his life and achieved oneness with Yamantaka. He would bless people by blowing mantras on them through a long pipe.

So, in the future, I will definitely be conferring the initiation on you guys to become very close. You think, “Well, if you give me the statue and pray now, what’s the difference?” The difference is this, listen carefully. During initiation, I will give you his heart. And you will sign, not a paper, you will sign an allegiance to him. And you know what will happen? He will follow you every single lifetime until you become a Buddha, to protect you. That will be his vow. So, when you receive initiation, you will have that benefit. If you don’t receive, it’s just this life. So, that’s called sogtae.

So before that, I must prepare all of you on the Sutra practices, Lamrim, 50 Verses of Guru Devotion. Some of you, I’ll shout; some of you, I’ll scream. Get your mind ready. Those of you who cooperate very easily with me, you’ll receive the initiations and practices and get the benefits very quick. Those of you who always, whatever I tell you to do, you protest and fight, very difficult for me to give you anything in the future. If you always doubt me, it’s very difficult. So, then second is you will be conferred either Yamantaka or Heruka. After that, you will be conferred Vajrayogini. And then, we are going to do retreats. I am going to give you extensive teachings on that. After we receive that, we will receive this holy Protector’s initiation and then my job with all of you will be done. From here, it will spread. There are many lamas in the world spreading this now. Many, many. It’s all linked. Then my job will be done. Then up to you to do practice.

So, what we need to do is everything we do in our organization is to spread Buddha’s teachings, Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings. If we say, “Oh, I don’t want to do that”, “Oh, I’m too good for that”, “Oh, this is not good enough for me”, we bring Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings down, always. If we’re not harmonious with each other, we bring Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings down. From this Protector, sponsors, help, people, talent will all be attracted. And the only thing holding them back is our harmony and our example that we set out. Remember that. The example that we set out. So, if Rinpoche gives us instructions, we don’t do it… Ra ra ra ra… always make noise… You chase sponsors away, you chase people away. People will say, “I don’t want to be involved with all that mess.” Painful. But the only thing stopping us from all of that is harmony, trust and faith. We will never in our organization… I don’t know about other people… we will never do anything that harms others, that goes against the rule of the government, and we will always support His Holiness and all great lamas. If we do anything contrary to that, he will not be happy and he will not help you.

Then on a personal level… some people will say, “Oh, I am not interested in all that stuff”… On a personal level, we should respect our parents, we should respect our husbands and wives, and we should do our duty as good people, citizens, then he will be happy also. You do anything negative, he won’t. And if you say nicely… don’t think he’s stupid, he’s got the third eye, he can see… He will help.

He will be very powerful in places that are very poor, and very difficult, that suffer a lot, poverty-stricken. People should build chapels to him like in China. You told me the other day, you went to some villages, very poor right? Oh yes, you should ask them. Bring a statue like this, build a small chapel, have them pray. The village will grow. Definitely. When they need rain, it will rain. When they need to stop rain, it will stop. People who need wealth or crops, it will grow. You should build many chapels in China in the future to him. Oh yes, why not? It’s not very expensive. About 2,000 ringgit or something. I dunno. Definitely, it’s very, very beneficial. Alright?

So, I haven’t taught about it, I haven’t explained it in the past. Why? There are so many other things to explain. But now, the time has come and even though I have so many students, only a few of you are here. Why? You’re the ones that need it. You’re the ones that need it. Then, when you want to do his practice… Now, listen carefully. I’m not going to go into more details about his lineage and all that stuff, it’s enough. Because another time, I will give you more extensive, much more extensive. You guys will be really excited. But today, when you invite a Buddha home, you should have flowers ready, incense outside, you should have the table for him, or the altar, everything, ready and cleaned.

If you’re going to invite a very important guest… forget about a guest, even if we have a very pretty girlfriend, we do a lot of preparations for her, don’t we? For a Buddha, we have to do much more than a pretty girlfriend. So, we have a guest or a minister, we have someone big coming, we’re going to clean the house, make sure we’ve got good food, flowers and it smells nice. Outside, we’re waiting with respect… We need to do that. So, what we need to do is, we need to prepare a place for him on our altar. Best is this, best! This is the best altar if you can do it, fabulous. If you can’t do it, it’s ok.

You have a Lama Tsongkhapa statue because he’s a Lama Tsongkhapa fanatic. Fanatic. If you have a Lama Tsongkhapa statue on a higher level and below Lama Tsongkhapa, you put his statue. If you’re not able to afford that for any reason or it’s not possible, never mind. If you have, if you’re in the main chapel, it’s ok. If you have a room that’s a chapel and there’s your Yidam or Protector, that’s ok, then you can put him on the side. That’s ok. He must be covered and only the people of the house may open and look at him. Outsiders, no. Just… actually Vajrayogini is even more secret. We’re not supposed to show her to anybody but it’s ok. Times are different now. She’s more secret. You can’t even look. When I was young, my Guru wouldn’t let me look at her statue, would not allow. I would go like that when he wasn’t around. Not allowed to. If he recited her prayers, he told me to get out. Not allowed.

So, we should have our altar cleaned and ready and nice. We should have silver offering bowls. Why? He doesn’t need silver, he doesn’t need wealth, he doesn’t need jewels but you need to make offerings to Lama Tsongkhapa in a fierce form to collect merit. You need it. You should have beautiful offerings in the front and every single day, you can offer milk, you can offer tea, you can offer alcohol, you can offer beer, you can offer Coca-Cola, up to you. See, milk and tea in Tibet was a big thing. Tea came from China and was very expensive so to offer black tea was a big deal. To offer milk was a big deal because milk was scarce. So, now it’s like milk and tea is nothing. Maybe here, we offer Coca-Cola is ok also. We offer black tea. So what we should do is we set up offerings every day for him, and incense, and we put the offering bowls… We can just put eight bowls, seven bowls, seven or eight doesn’t matter, fresh clean water, a bowl of milk, black tea, there’s black tea, what we call black tea. Black tea is serkyem. Golden drink. So, it’s literally Ser-kyem, golden drink that brings you gold, and incense.

Making Serkyem Offerings

So, we should set that up beautifully. So, on the altar we should have Lama Tsongkhapa, a stupa and a Dharma book. And very excellent is a photo of our lama because it’s the kindness of our lama that we receive this. So, he’s one with our lama. And then below that, on the next level is Dorje Shugden. If that’s not possible, Lama Tsongkhapa left, put him on the right. Ok too. If that’s still not possible, then you can have him just in the center, you put Lama Tsongkhapa’s picture on the wall at the back. That’s ok too, not a problem. Everything is ok. Alright? And then you set it up. And if you’re sick and you can’t make the offerings, it’s ok. If you’re not able to do it because you’re in a rush, it’s ok. At least offer a cup of black tea or milk or something. Make a connection every day. You need to eat every day, so you make an offering to the Buddhas. If you don’t do, he won’t hate you. No. He won’t even, “Oh! He didn’t give me any offerings, I’m not going to help him today.” No, don’t think like that. He’s not a god. He’s a Buddha. If you make offerings, you make a connection.

Now, it would be very nice if we offer him jewels, pearls, turquoise, gold… And you hold it. Let’s say it’s our mother’s birthday. Of course, we get something for our mother and take her out to eat. Also, we can get some jewellery, some gold or silver or whatever we can afford, pearls and we think, “I love my mother so much. I don’t know what to do for her. May she always be safe. Protect her.” Then we recite our mother’s name, think about it and we offer to him. Then, when he wears that, every day he wears that, it’s dedicated for our beautiful mother. And we can do it every year.

And our birthdays, our own birthdays. What’s the best gift to give to ourselves? An offering to Dorje Shugden. We’re always thinking, birthday, me, give me, me, birthday boy. Give me. No, on your birthday, you offer to the real birthday boy and you will be fine. Anniversaries. And someone you loved died. Make an offering for them. Up to you, whatever you can. And offer fresh flowers, fresh milk, anything, potato chips and then you can leave the offerings overnight. Next day, you eat it. Don’t think, “Oh! I like to eat that, offer him then I take back, eat lah.” No, you think, “What I like to eat, I offer”, because you know, if you like to eat, you know, siew bao and you eat siew bao but you get him pretzels, you hate pretzels, what’s the point? You offer what you like but you leave it there. You can eat it the next day thinking it’s a blessing. Clean it everyday and you can move it any time you want. You know like, Chinese you know, only once a year you can move it otherwise it’s bad luck, you know, the gods are angry or whatever. Because once a year, the gods all go on vacation or something, they’re not inside the statue, so that day you can clean it. What’s that day called? Ah… Tang Jie. You know, the gods all go on vacation so they’re not inside.

Look! It’s true for the Taoist gods because they are gods. But for him, he’s never on vacation and you can move him around, you can kick him, you can knock him over, you can cut his head off, he won’t get upset if your motivation is good. Don’t think you can ever make him angry. Don’t ever think you can make him angry. He is beyond anger. If you accept him as your Dharma Protector from today on, all you need is this one. You say, “What, what, what, what, what is Setrap?” Setrap is his brother. Outer and inner. Setrap is general. Inner is yourself as Dorje Shugden.

And then, if you have friends who are in trouble, bring them, show them, have them pray. Have them pray. Don’t give them the mantra. Don’t give them the mantra unless you have your Guru’s permission. You use the mantra for them. For them, if they want to recite, ask them to recite Lama Tsongkhapa’s mantra. MIG-MEY TZE-WEY TER-CHEN CHENREZIG in front of him MIG-MEY TZE-WEY TER-CHEN CHENREZIG. DRI-MEY KHYEN-PI WANG-PO JAMPAL YANG… Recite Lama Tsongkhapa’s mantra to him, (snaps fingers) very effective, very effective.

And then you know what? I’ll make you guys ‘bomohs‘ ok? You can take a beautiful container and fill it with rice – clean rice – and cover it and keep it under him. Under means right in front, ok? And ask him to always bless it and leave it there. And in times of danger, someone’s going on a long trip, you can take the rice and throw it on the car or the vehicle or them or you can take some with you. Or, if someone’s possessed or has spirits, you can take the rice, recite his mantra, throw it or have them eat some. It will be very effective.

And if you have important letters, if you have important documents, something that you need to submit, what you do is you take the letter and you put it under his snow lion. Ok? So if it’s like this… I’ll show you. These are little tricks I’m going to teach you guys alright? And it’s for free so I better get a big, fat ang pao after this. Big, big fat ang pao and I’m talking about not those little teeny red Chinese ones you give me. I’m going to give you Western Manila A4-sized ang paos. And I’ll write “Ang pao”. Fill it up! Ok, letters like that, you have letters, documents, whatever. Put it right under. Excuse me. Put it right under him like this and keep it there for one, two days. Three days is the best, anything else is ok. Even one day is ok, keep it like that. And then, when you are done, make an offering to him, offer incense, take it out. Oh yes, this is very… this one Lati Rinpoche taught me. Yes, Lati Rinpoche. None of this I made up, I dare not, none of it. So, if you have a small statue, well, you can make something of a base for him and under the base, it can be hollow and you can put something under him. It’s symbolism. Very, very powerful, the energy just drips.

And then, I’m going to teach you the prayers now. Very short and very easy and very sweet. This one… now where’s the prayers? Ok, pass it out to the ones who don’t have please. I’m going to give you the prayer, then I will pass you the oral transmission of the mantra… The power of the mantra I give to you, which I received from Zong Rinpoche… and then I’ll do a small puja to generate this, to ask him to go to your place and then we’re done.

This prayer, do not reproduce and give to anyone. Do not show anyone. Keep it very private and keep it very secret. Maybe you can reduce it and make it small, keep it somewhere in your sadhana book. Do not show and do not reveal to anyone. Keep it completely secret. The more secret this practice is, the more effective it will be. Just like Heruka, Vajrayogini, Guhyasamaja and Yamantaka. Those practices, when you do the meditations, you should do it very secretly. It will be much more effective. Much, much more, faster. You can do his practice during the day, during the night.

If you can do this every day, oh, it’s wonderful. Very important is when you’re about to go for a job, you’re about to go for something important, you’re about to leave the house, just think like that, he said this himself (Tibetan phrase) which means, “Think that I am behind you. Think I am with you”, have confidence and do it. If you need to make a speech, you’re scared, think about him. If you need to bomoh a client for good reasons, think about him. If you only talk to him about money, money, money, money, money, money, money and the reason is your selfish desires, he’s not going to help you. Why? If you get the money, you’ll create more negative karma. He’s not stupid. He’s a Dharma Protector. He’s not a worldly Protector.

So, what you should do before this is, Oh, you didn’t put the Guru Yoga. Yeah, pass it out, pass it out, anything else to pass out? When I pass the lung, those who I think have the lung, get it. Fat Monk, not today. You didn’t finish your prostrations. When you finish your prostrations, you will get it. Will you finish? No, you won’t, you’ve been telling me eight years. Ok, can I have a copy? This can be your sadhana… for those who don’t have a sadhana, this can be your sadhana every single day. Sadhana is things that you invoke blessings with. Alright? So, every single day, you do the Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa, you can do it in English or you can do it in Tibetan. Now, you recite it through until you get to this point alright? When you get to Migtsema mantra on the fifth page here… it says number 5, I don’t know why 5. Here, number 5, Migtsema, everybody see that?

MIG-MEY TZE-WEY TER-CHEN CHENREZIG
DRI-MEY KHYEN-PI WANG-PO JAMPAL YANG
DU-PUNG MA-LU JOM-DZEY SANG-WEY DAG
GANG-CHEN KE-PEY TSUG-GYEN TSONGKHAPA
LO-SANG TRAG-PEY SHAB-LA SOL-WA DEB

You should recite that three, seven, 21, or one mala. Three, seven, 21, or one mala. Alright? After you finish that, zamsha means stop. Stop and go to the Dorje Shugden short prayer. His long one is very long. Short prayer then you recite this one. You recite this one, alright, until you get to the mantra part.

(Doing divination)

Close

H.E. Khensur Jampa Yeshe and H.E. Tsem Rinpoche

If you keep this Protector from today on as your heart Protector, your personal one, you will see a huge difference in your lives. Huge, huge difference. You will see it with time. For you, are you going to do it? Do you want to do it every day? Are you sure? Think about it. No force. Ok, now. You want to do every day? Are you sure? You commit every day? Alright. Then I give you the mantra, yours will be the increase aspect, Gyeba. Especially for people, villagers and people who have difficulties and poverty and problems and sickness, very, very effective, alright? Let me just make sure because these are very old.

If you have free time, you do the mantras more, even better. If you have some… certain situations, in your family or friends that’s very dangerous, or you need help, do more. And carefully listen, if you’re focusing on someone else, instead of the lights going to you, from him, you visualize the lights going to that person. And when the lights go to that person, you feel that their obscuration, their negative karma is cleared. You think like that very strongly. And then you put a protective egg over them, a red protective egg. You think that’s your visualization. It’s not your visualization. It will be your visualization which he works through. So concentrate.

If you do this practice well, you will receive dreams that are very vivid and clear. And for some of you, you will have visions of him. You will see him coming. I won’t tell you how he comes to you because if I tell you, then I am pre-programming your mind. I’m not going to do that. If any of you have any special dreams, write it down, do not share and tell other people. It’s private. Let me know and I will tell you what it means. Alright? So, I will not tell you how he comes in dreams. Like I said, I don’t want to pre-program you. So, whether it’s in Tibet or here, he gives the same dreams. That’s going to be unique and when you tell me, I’ll go, “Oh ok, good.” Alright?

You can make pearl skirt… make pearl skirt and make all pearls. You can do whatever you want, it’s from your heart. And make offerings and then make it grand and then it’s something that you keep forever. When you bring the statue home, you are bringing a very powerful, strong, very generous and protective ally. A very good ally. And he will show you signs and manifest things very fast to you. And you think, “Oh, but, but, but… I was praying to Setrap, am I a traitor?” Oh, trust me, if your best friend is Badawi, and then you happen to meet… what’s his name… the King of Thailand wants to be your friend too, are you a traitor? No, you have two good friends, why not? Why not? And these two good friends, they’re very good friends. Setrap is the one that enthroned him. Like I am a reincarnated a lama, I was enthroned by Kensur Rinpoche, a senior lama. I can’t just walk into a monastery – “Hi, I’m a Rinpoche. Enthrone me.” They’ve got to prove who I am. So you need a senior lama to enthrone you. Like that, he needs a senior Dharma Protector to enthrone him within the hierarchy. And Setrap is the one that enthroned him. They’re very, very close.

In Tibet, wherever you go, Gaden, Tashi Lhunpo, everywhere you go, you see his statue and Setrap together, always. Always. You got those emails saved? Of Setrap and Gaden and all that stuff? The pictures I sent you, you have it? You didn’t delete it, right? Of in Gaden, Tashi Lhunpo, all that right? Ok, send it to the new people. Send it to Maple and Tiki so they can take a look in Tibet right now. And what’s his name… and then, Raymond, send it to them. They will be very happy to see in Tibet. Alright?

Now, what I’m going to do is, I’m going to do a ritual. Oh no, I’m going to do an oral transmission with all of you. And when I do the oral transmission, you guys need to make three prostrations. And do not make prostrations to an ordinary being. Think that the person you’re making prostrations to is actually Yamantaka. Think it’s 34 arms, 9 faces, 16 legs, fierce Yamantaka. Yamantaka is that one up here. That is Manjushri again.

Think that you’re receiving this oral transmission from Lord Yamantaka himself. And in Lord Yamantaka’s heart is the letter HUM on a sun disk. And around there is the Protector’s mantra. And when you recite it once, it goes into your mouth, it enters your heart and it goes inside of you. Then the second time and the third time, it’s sealed. It stays with you. Alright? Think like that. Don’t just simply prostrate for the sake of prostrating like it’s a ritual. Prostrate from your heart because you are saying, “I really want this. I really need this. And I prostrate to Yamantaka. Please confer on me the holy practice of the Protector, which is one with your continuum. Lama is Manjushri, Tsongkhapa. Yidam is Manjushri, Yamantaka and Dharma Protector is Manjushri, Dorje Shugden. I want.” You should think like that very sincerely from your heart. From your heart, alright? Please make three prostrations to Lama Yamantaka.

I request you, my Lord. From today on, the people in this room who invoke upon you with sincere heart, samaya, would benefit… Grant their wishes. May I be your progenitor, may I be the one to again, begin carrying on my work to spread Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings. May I continue where I left off. And in this degenerate time when things are very difficult, violent and people have to go through immense problems, obstacles to even recite OM MANI PADME HUM, out of your great compassion, I invoke upon your power. Follow these people, be near them, take care of them, watch them, protect them. And as they recite your holy mantra which is so secret, protected by the highest sages of Tibet, may they get close to you, be watched, have visions of you.

May I spread your practice far and wide because it will be of tremendous benefit to many people, increase the lives of Lamas, their teachings and bring beneficial needs to others. And especially the land of China, may your holy practice pervade. May I be the one to make it pervade far and wide and from there to the world.

Please repeat after me, thinking you’re receiving it from Lama Yamantaka, very important:

OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA.
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA.
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA.

OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN RUDRA PENTSA KULA SARWA SHATRUM MARAYA HUM PHET.
OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN RUDRA PENTSA KULA SARWA SHATRUM MARAYA HUM PHET.
OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN RUDRA PENTSA KULA SARWA SHATRUM MARAYA HUM PHET.

Now, this one for Faye.

OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA TSESO PELJOR LONGCHO TAMCHE PUTRIM KURU OM.
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA TSESO PELJOR LONGCHO TAMCHE PUTRIM KURU OM.
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA TSESO PELJOR LONGCHO TAMCHE PUTRIM KURU OM.

OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN SAMAYA DZA HUNG HUNG RETNA SIDDHI DROOM DROOM DZA DZA DOO DOO SIDDHI PALA AYUKEY HUM AH.
OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN SAMAYA DZA HUNG HUNG RETNA SIDDHI DROOM DROOM DZA DZA DOO DOO SIDDHI PALA AYUKEY HUM AH.
OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN SAMAYA DZA HUNG HUNG RETNA SIDDHI DROOM DROOM DZA DZA DOO DOO SIDDHI PALA AYUKEY HUM AH.

Now, Raymond and Tiki, please repeat after me.

OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA WANGSHA GURU HUNG.
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA WANGSHA GURU HUNG.
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA WANGSHA GURU HUNG.

Ok, this is the second one, you’re going to repeat after me:

OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN KAMSUM NOCHO TAMCHE WASHAM GURU OM.
OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN KAMSUM NOCHO TAMCHE WASHAM GURU OM.
OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN KAMSUM NOCHO TAMCHE WASHAM GURU OM.

Now, for all of you, the main mantra you recite is OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA as much as possible. As much as possible. Any time. And then for Faye, it’s OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA TSESO PELJOR LONGCHO TAMCHE PUTRIM KURU OM… You do that one, alright. And for Tiki and Raymond, you do OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA WANGSHA GURU HUNG. So, you add the extra word because you’re invoking on a special aspect of his power. Ok? That one is your main one. When you are finished, the other one is OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN RUDRA PENTSA KULA SARWA SHATRUM MARAYA HUM PHET. That one is his entourage. That one is the four other emanations, that one is the Ten Youthful and Wrathful Assistants, Eight Guiding monks and Nine Beautiful Mothers. So, he has 32 deities on his entourage that helps him, so that’s their mantra.

So that one, when you finish, you can recite every day, seven times, 21 times up to you. But the main one is the central one, OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA or your case OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA WANGSHA GURU HUNG, then Faye’s case, OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA TSESO PELJOR LONGCHO TAMCHE PUTRIM KURU OM. That’s the one you recite. When you go to villages and you want to start something, you can build a chapel, put Lama Tsongkhapa and then put his statue there and then clean it and make it very well. And keep someone there to maintain, make offerings of tea and you ask him to recite Lama Tsongkhapa’s mantra. MIGMEY TZEWAY TERCHEN CHENREZIG… Don’t give this mantra, this one only for you. Give Lama Tsongkhapa’s mantra. Lama Tsongkhapa. If you recite Lama Tsongkhapa’s mantra, no difference. That’s his peaceful form.

And then whatever they need, whatever they want, ask them to pray and respect. And offer him vegetarian food. No meat. They offer meat, it’s ok but better it’s vegetarian because I don’t want people to start killing, you know, like Chinese weddings, killing pigs, and offer to him. No. Ok? So, vegetarian is very good. Anything but nothing killed. And the money that made offerings for him, the chapel, cannot come from dirty things. You know like prostitution, drugs and then we use that money. No, better not. Unless someone does that work, they regret very much and they don’t want anymore; they want to use this money to purify their karma, then they want to build, it’s ok. Ok? Then, wherever you go, you name the chapels ‘Wish-granting Jewel’. How to say that in Chinese? Wish-granting Jewel Chapels, ok? Yeshe Norbu Lhakang. That would be in China.

When you go to villages here, here, here, ask them to set up. Even if they build a small one, next time can make bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger… It’ll be very nice, huh? Yes, very nice. You can be a big guru. See, don’t need me already huh. Ok, now, please listen very carefully while I recite this prayer for you. Again you are receiving it from Lama Yamantaka.

HUM, RANG NYI YIDAM… (Dorje Shugden prayer)

Now I’ll empower the statues and the objects to be blessed here, and then you can take your new friend home. How lovely. Exciting. And when you bring him home, if you don’t have anything ready, stop by 7-Eleven, one of those 24-jam places, right, buy a whole bunch of things. Just like you’re bringing a friend home. And then, tomorrow you can buy some flowers and make offerings. Every day, your offerings don’t need to be elaborate unless you want it to be. Up to you. On special days, make it elaborate. Holidays, I am sorry, I mean like Buddha’s birthday and Tsongkhapa’s day, your birthday, you know, special things, your mother’s birthday, your father’s birthday. Something special like that.

But every day, do your best to make offerings. Make a connection and do the sadhana every single day. Then you will recite the sadhana from here to here and then you do the mantra, OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA. You do the mantra, OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN RUDRA PENTSA KULA SARWA SHATRUM MARAYA HUM PHET. Uh huh! And then you offer the black tea. This is the black tea. So in the future, some of you will say to me, “Oh!” I’ll say to you, “Oh, do some black tea and do a hundred times.” You say, “A hundred times, ok.” This is how you do a black tea a hundred times. You start here, alright… It says here, you bless it by saying

OM AH HUM, OM AH HUM, OM AH HUM.

Then…

HUM, To the Gurus who perform the two purposes
and send down a rain of excellent blessings
and to the Yidams who bestow all common and uncommon attainments.
I offer this drink of nectar, which bestows bliss
[Alright…] Please partake and swiftly and spontaneously fulfill all my wishes.

Then, the next one;

To the whole assembly of heroes and dakinis of the three places
And the assembly of powerful oath-bound Dharma Protectors,
I offer this drink of nectar, which bestows bliss,
Please partake and swiftly and spontaneously fulfill all my wishes.

Then here;

Especially to you, [this one specifically to him…]
Especially to you supreme, supermundane protector of the doctrine
Very powerful swift and wrathful Dorje Shugden
I offer this drink of nectar, which bestows bliss
Please partake and swiftly and spontaneously fulfill all my wishes.

This is the part you do a hundred. That line only. Alright? So if I say to you, “Oh, do a hundred, do 200, do 500.” Not the whole thing, just that part. So, when you recite that part, you are offering him a drink and asking him to do the action. And think what you want him to do for you. Think what you want. Think what you need. Think what you want and trust and recite that.

Especially to you supreme supermundane protector of the doctrine
[What doctrine? Buddha’s doctrine.]
Very powerful swift and wrathful Dorje Shugden
I offer this drink of nectar, which bestows bliss
Please partake and swiftly and spontaneously fulfill all my wishes.

That is the second time. Again…

Especially to you supreme supermundane protector of the doctrine

Etc, etc… So, you do that one, 50 times, 21… In times of danger, do that one 21 times. Ok? And if you have spirit problems and stuff like that, don’t ask him to chase them and scare them. Ask him to bless them. Ask him to bless them and you’ll see them being blessed. And if we’re in a village and they’re very poor, they have problems… Alright, Faye? This one, you recite one hundred times, if you have time. If not, twenty one. Alright? This one you can teach people to do, no problem. We have this in Chinese, you know. I’ve seen it. Oh yes, it’s in Chinese.

Yes, it is in Chinese. I have it in Chinese. Excited? Yes, you can teach people in China. Ok, so after you finish that, you recite the rest of the black tea. The black tea finishes here:

And may you, the whole assembly of dignified attendants
Ever mindful of solemn oaths to Venerable Duldzin. [Who’s Venerable Duldzin? That’s Dorje Shugden in his peaceful form. Same.]
Accomplish swiftly without wavering
Whatever actions we may request of you.

Close

H.E. Tsem Rinpoche makes a butterlamp offering to H.H. Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche

Finished: the black tea. Then you do the Request of the Fulfillment Wishes. You recite till the end. Ok? You recite till the end. And then… then you go back to Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga. What happened to the Guru Yoga? Oh! Then you go to Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga and you finish the last three lines. Ok? You finish the last three lines here. Palden Tsaway Lama Rinpoche… And then you do your dedication… You’re finished! That’s your daily Lama Tsongkhapa/Dorje Shugden sadhana. How beautiful. You don’t need a lot of things, you just need to do this one well. And once you memorize it or you know, when you get familiar, just 10 minutes. And when you’re free sometimes, do extra mantras. I promise you, it’ll become very addictive. It’s very nice… Very, very nice. Any questions on how to do this every day? Any questions?

[Inaudible question]

Oh, two ways. When you say the words… “I offer this drink of nectar, which bestows bliss” – then you pour. Or what I like to do is, I just put it full and I leave it there and I recite it. Because I don’t like dripping all over the place. No difference. And you don’t have to do this way, have to be like that, like that… No. You can just put it in a big bowl. As you like. You don’t have to do it Tibetan style. See, Tibetans put this, why? They have a silver container with one that’s higher, so that when you pour, it overflows. It means your wish is coming true, overflowing. It’s a symbolism. But you don’t have to do that. Just because it doesn’t overflow doesn’t mean your wishes won’t come true. Don’t think he’s thinking… “Oh, oh!” No. No lah! He’s not like that. Just imagine Raymond, he goes outside and buys himself a nice bowl you know, and it doesn’t overflow. Then he says, “Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nothing for you. It doesn’t overflow lah.” Raymond is like, “Oh God! Why so fussy?” No. You do any way you like. But that’s Tibetan style. We have black tea offerings and stuff. Everybody… you guys can get, it’s very nice. You should get.

All the things you offer to the Dharma Protector, offer the best that you can. And in time, make it more and more. I promise you, you will collect so much affinity with him. He will be so helpful. If I can feel safe for all of you is, if you do this practice, I will feel confident and safe for you. So, with people like Tiki, when you have to go for meetings, you have to go abroad, you have to do things, you can do it on the plane, you can do it anywhere. You don’t even have to have your mala, you can just do it. And then trust him, think about him and then go into your meeting, go in to talk to people. There’ll be a difference. And ask him to protect you and your work, and make sure it grows. And make the factory, everything, grow. If they grow, they’re happy with you, more salary. Yeah, why not? And then, Maple will be at home, the bomoh lady you know, doing the prayers for you too. Isn’t it fabulous? And do it together with Setrap. No problem at all. It will be fabulous. Alright? Any questions on any of this?

[Inaudible question]

Oh, that one shouldn’t be there. You’re right. That one’s part of Yamantaka. Ok, like this. That’s a very good point. It says here “All the attainments I desire arise from merely remembering you, wish-fulfilling Protector of the Dharma, please accomplish my wish.” Three times, right? Once you finish that, you don’t recite anything else, you go back to Lama Tsongkhapa. Alright? You don’t recite that part. It shouldn’t be there actually. It’s Yamantaka, it should not be there. That’s why we need to get a compilation out very fast. Isn’t this tired? We need it very badly. Any questions?

See, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s group in England, they made one like that. This is their sadhana book for Dorje Shugden – Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden. Here, very nice… and this is the whole sadhana book here. But this is quite long, you guys won’t like it. See, their Dharma centers… all 500 of their Dharma centers practice this throughout the world and they made their own little compilation. See, we can do that too, if we can get somebody who can write in English and type and then go to the printers… Very hard, huh? He has wonderful computer graphics of his mandala, what his mandala looks like, the monks, the nuns, the… How nice, that’s the sadhana. It’s condensed, it’s not the whole thing. Very nice, this whole Dorje Shugden sadhana. “Melodious Drum Victorious In All Directions.” Fabulous. Imagine we can get something out and this is where we put our thing.

I need people who can write and who can get it together and go to the printers and you know… I don’t know… We have huge obstacles for going to the printers. We don’t have anybody who knows how to go to a printer yet. Very big obstacles, but I hope that changes soon. Please? You want to be famous? Get me printers lah. Why me? You find yourself. He’s always throwing things at me. Aiyoh! Oh, don’t throw a bitch fit at me. It’s not going to work. He’s pissed off again. Look. He’s always pissed off. Yes, I’m nuts, I know. Now, I’ll make an offering and consecrate the statues, then we are done. Today, you’ve spent two to three hours… very good, because now you’ve got something very precious, something very holy and something excellent. How fabulous. Fabulous.

[Rinpoche starts chanting]

You can… Now you can start reciting his mantra, start memorizing it. For you, OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA, OM BENZA WIKI BITANA WANGSHA GURU HUNG. Start reciting the mantra. [Rinpoche continues chanting] No, how stupid of us, let’s do it together. How auspicious.

Let’s recite together – Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. How auspicious, instead of just me do, you watch.

[Recitation of Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga][Recitation of Migtsema mantra]

Now please go to his sadhana.

[Recitation of the Dorje Shugden prayers & mantra recitation]

OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA [mantra recitation continues]… OM DHARMAPALA MAHA RADZA BENZA BEGAWAN RUDRA PENTSA KULA SARWA SHATRUM MARAYA HUM PHET.

OM AH HUM, OM AH HUM, OM AH HUM, OM AH HUM.

Then you have your golden drink, in this case it’s black tea and also, JJ’s offered beer so it’s simultaneous, alright? May all of you have great success. May all of you have long life. May all of you have a life free of obstacles. May the needs of your lives, such as money, come easily; and when you’re sick, medicines come easily. May you be able to attract many, many people onto the Dharma. May you be able to repay the kindness of your parents and all beings that were helpful to you. May you always stay on Lama Tsongkhapa’s holy path of compassion and wisdom. And may you gain enlightenment from now in this life, from this forth on… Then, Lama Dorje Shugden is your principal Protector, is your secret Protector, which you will not talk about, reveal or show anyone. And you will practice daily and you will keep him in your heart and you will see him grow in your life. Think like that, alright?

[Serkyem recitation]

HUM, To the Gurus who perform the two purposes
and send down a rain of excellent blessings
and to the Yidams who bestow all common and uncommon attainments.
[Watch] I offer this drink of nectar which bestows bliss… [Yes, just like that ok? Watch.]

To the whole assembly of heroes and dakinis of the three places.
And to the assembly of powerful oath-bound Dharma Protectors
I offer… [Watch!] I offer this drink which bestows bliss. [Ok?]
Please partake and swiftly and spontaneously fulfill all my wishes. [Alright? Watch…]

Especially to you supreme supermundane protector of the doctrine
Very powerful swift and wrathful Dorje Shugden
I offer this drink of nectar, which bestows bliss
Please partake and swiftly and spontaneously fulfill all my wishes.

Alright? Three times is ok for normal. If you have something extra, you can do extra, it’s not a problem. Then you go to the next stanza. Each time you say the words, “I offer this drink”, you pour it. You can do it that way or like that way (fully poured on the altar). No problem.

To you manifestations of the five lineages bestowed without obstruction
Countless pacifying, increasing, controlling and wrathful actions
I offer this drink of nectar which bestows bliss
Please partake and swiftly and spontaneously fulfill all my wishes.

To the nine attractive mothers, the eight guiding monks and ten youthful and wrathful assistants and so forth.

[Inaudible recitation]

[Dorje Shugden prayers continue]

Alright, when you’re in a very big rush and you need to do this prayer, you can skip Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga. Just recite Migtsema for whatever number you like and go directly to the Protector prayer when you’re in a very big rush. Alright? When you’re in a… Every day, when just normal, you do your puja, you do your prayers, you do your meditations, you do the whole thing. It’s not very long. Alright? And then finally, the dedication. Very easy! If you’re in a rush, if you’re in a rush, then you just do… 1, 2, 3, 4. You just do number 5.

GE-WA DI-YI NYUR-DU DAK [Alright?]
By this virtue, may I quickly
Realize Guru-Buddhahood,
And transfer each sentient being
Into that Enlightened state.

You just do that and then you are finished. If you’re not in a rush, recite it because it is beautiful and it blesses. These words invoke the blessings of the Buddhas.

May the precious Bodhi-mind,
Where it is not born arise and grow
May that born have no decline
But increase forever more.

Let’s do this in Tibetan for auspicious reasons.

JANG-JUB SEM-CHOK RINPOCHE
MA-KYE PA-NAM KYE-GYUR CHIK
KYE-PA NYAM-PA ME-PA YANG
GONG-NA GONG-DU PEL-WAR SHUG

TONG-NI TONG-WA RINPOCHE
MA-KYE PA-NAM KYE-GYUR CHIK
KYE-PA NYAM-PA ME-PA YANG
GONG-NA GONG-DU PEL-WAR SHUG

DAG-SOG JIN-NYEH SAG-PA GE-WA DEE
TAN-DANG DRO-WA KUN-LA GANG-PHAN DANG
CHE-PAR JE-TSUN LO-ZANG DRAG-PA YI
TAN-PI NYING-PO RING-DU SAL-SHEH SHUG

KYE-WA KUN-TU YANG-DAK LA-MA DANG
DRAL-ME CHO-KYI PAL-LA LONG-CHO CHING
SA-DANG LAM-GYI YON-TEN RAP-DZOK NA
DORJE CHANG-GI GO-PANG NYUR-TO SHUG

GE-WA DI-YI NYUR-DU DAK
LA-MA SANG-GYE DRUP-GYUR NA
DRO-WA CHIK-KYANG MA-LU PA
DE-YI SA-LA GO-PAR SHUG

CHO KHI GYAL PO TSONG KHA PA
CHO TSUL NAM PAR PHEL WA LA
GEK KI TSHAN MA ZHI WA DANG
THUN KYIN MA LU TSHANG WAR SHOK

DA DANG SHEN GI DU SUM DANG
DRIL WA TSOK NYI LA TEN NAY
GYA WA LO ZANG DRAG PA YI
TAN PAR YUN RING VAR GYUR CHIG

NYIMO DELEK TSEN TELEK
NYIME GUNG YANG DELEK SHIN
NYITSEN TAKTU DELEK PEL
KON CHOK SUM GYI JIN GYI LOB
KON CHOK SUM GYI NGOR DRUL TSOL
KON CHOK SUM GYI TRA SHI SHOK

JETSUN LAMA KU TSE RABTEN CHING
NAMKAR TRINLEY CHOG CHUR GYE PA DANG
LOBSANG TENPE DRON ME SA SUM GYI
DRO WE MUNSEL TAKTUR NE GYUR CHIG

GANG RI RAWE KORWAI SHING KHAM DIR
PEN DANG DEWA MALU GYUNG WAI NE
CHENREZIG WANG TENZIN GYATSO YI
SHA PEI SITHAI BARDU DEN GYUR CHIG

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