The Power of Ruchok
May 4, 2012
For all those who are interested in placing precious items into the Vajrayogini stupa, below is a must read. It describes the blessing that will be done for the items, how the blessing works, the benefits involved and how to send your items to be placed into the stupa.
Tsem Rinpoche
[Note: Submissions closed – 31 March 2014]
The power of Ruchok
In preparation for the Kechara Forest Retreat, we are planning to build many big stupas, which will bless the area and form pivotal points for circumambulation around the land. People can also make offerings at the stupas, to generate a lot of merit or to pray for their loved ones.
We can put many precious items inside stupas or statues as an offering and to generate continuous merit and good karma. So people can send in photos of their loved ones, personal precious items like jewellery or heirlooms, or anything you like. You can also sponsor blessed items like Dharma texts, wealth vases, chakras etc. to be placed inside the stupa. This is considered an offering and will create a lot of merit, continuously.
Before we place items into the stupa, Tsem Rinpoche will be doing a ruchok ritual and everyone is invited to submit their personal items (hair and nails) for blessing in this ritual. (please see details for submission of these items below).
Ruchok is a special ritual that directly blesses personal hairs, nails, bones or ashes of a being (“ru” meaning bones/ashes). The items are then considered consecrated and put into a stupa or Buddha statue. For as long as that stupa or statue is around and benefiting beings, blessings and merit will continue to be generated for every single person or animal whose items are contained within. It is a way for us to create a very strong connection with the Buddhas, for ourselves and loved ones, which is a connection that will continue even far into our future lives.
How does a Ruchok blessing work?
This ruchok ritual is based upon the Vajrayogini tantra – this means that the person(s) who the ritual is being done for will be blessed by Vajrayogini. More importantly, the blessing creates a connection for the person(s) to receive the sacred practice of Vajrayogini and achieve her same enlightened state in the future.
Through the course of the ritual, the personal hair and nails of the person are blessed. They become not just the hair and nails of an ordinary being but are generated as Vajrayogini herself. Therefore, when we put the items into the Vajrayogini stupa, they are not just hair and nails, but should be regarded as actual Vajrayoginis. This is very powerful – when people make prayers, offerings, prostrations or circumambulations towards this stupa, they are doing this towards thousands of Vajrayoginis. It is a collection of merit for the person who had the ritual done for them, and for future people who will make offerings and prayers towards the stupa.
It is possible to do the ruchok for a living person or for one who has passed away. We can also do ruchok for ourselves, but we must have initiation into either Yamantaka or Vajrayogini tantras and have permission from a qualified Lama to do the practice.
If we are doing ruchok for someone who has passed away, we use their ashes or a part of their body e.g. teeth / hair / bones, to bless their remains before making tsa tsas to put into a stupa. Or, we can put these items directly into the stupa as they are.
If we are doing ruchok for someone who is alive, we use their nails or hair. The purpose of the ruchok, in this case, is to purify their karma.
There are many vast benefits of this ritual, some of which are outlined below. Mainly, it helps us to purify a lot of negative karmas, to generate merit to support our spiritual journey and worldly endeavours, and to create a very profound connection to the Buddhas into the future.
The benefits of ruchok, for beings who are living:
1) Powerful purification
2) Generation of continuous merit
3) Releasing powerful negative karma before they die e.g. karma accumulated through actions like killing
The benefits of ruchok, for deceased beings:
1) Powerful purification
2) Lessening of karma for next life (for example, if they are in bardo)
3) A good rebirth
4) Generation of continuous good karma
5) Generation of continuous merits, with the body
Tsem Rinpoche invites everyone to submit their hair/nails for the ruchok ritual. You can also submit for your family, friends and loved ones, and even for your pets. This will be very powerful healing and blessings for our pets and their future lives. The hair and nails can be from people who are alive or deceased.
How to send items for the Ruchok ritual and Vajrayogini stupa
Please send only hair from the head and fingernails (not toenails). For animals, the hair can be from their head or body.
Please note that the hair/nails of each person/pet should be packed individually into separate bags (something like a Ziplock bag is good), and labelled clearly with the name of the person. i.e. don’t put 10 people’s items into the same bag, but pack them into 10 separate bags. Please also state if the “owner” is human or a dog/cat etc.
Apart from sending nails or hair of yourself and family/friends/pets, you can also send other personal items pix, clothes, precious items, jewellery, photos, heirlooms etc. for insertion into the Vajrayogini stupa.
However, only hair / nails / ashes will be used for the ruchok ritual. If the person is already deceased and it is not possible to get nails/hair, then a picture or a piece of their clothing is also fine. This, and all other precious items will be placed into the Vajrayogini stupa as an offering, which will generate great merit and blessings for the person. Read more about the Vajrayogini stupa that will be in Kechara Forest Retreat here.
Submission is now closed. Follow us on Facebook to be in the know about future Ruchok pujas and other events.
More posts on KFR:
107 at Kechara Forest Retreat!
Condensed Tsongkapa practice for Happiness & clear mind
Being there for kids the right way
Get involved with Vajrayogini Stupa at KFR
Two powerful items for Kechara Forest Retreat
I found a place for Kechara Village!
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Ruchok is a ceremony during which tremendous amounts of karma will be purified and, through the power of the Buddha. Its a meritorious ceremony to bless the person, for deceased beings and even animal as well. Wow it is blessed with a positive rebirth in their future lives too. But its more importantly, the blessing creates a connection for one to receive the sacred practice of Vajrayogini. We are indeed very fortunate having the Vajrayogini stupa at Kechara Forest Retreat, we could circumambulate, gaining vast of merits and get connected to the Buddhas into the future. Its simply amazing getting blessings from this powerful ritual.
Thank you Rinpoche with folded hands.
Very clear and good explanation of these powerful Rucok ritual.
Wow….we can even send items ..nails and hair for the Ruchok ritual and Vajrayogini stupa which will benefits living beings as well as deceased.This will be very powerful healing and blessing.We are so fortunate to have a Vajrayogini stupa in Kechara Forest Retreat as we can circumambulate to gain merits and get connected closer to the Buddhas into the future. It helps us to purify a lot of negative karmas, to generate merit to support our spiritual journey.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this wonderful teachings.
Ruchok ritual is really benefits to those beings are living or deceased(who offered their precious items to be put in vajrayogini stupa). We are so lucky and blessed to have a Vajrayogini stupa in Kechara Forest Retreat. I still remembered Rinpoche said that we should visit holy sites like Vajrayogini stupa to trigger our previous life imprint in order for us to practice dharma consistently.
I do advice people to circumambulation Vajrayogini stupa to gain merits and connection to Vajrayogini trantra practices which will bring us to enlighten in singer lifetime.
Thanks Rinpoche fir sharing such a wonderful and informative write up.
Jason
Dear Rinpoche,
It is very fortunate for us to have this opportunity to get blessings from this powerful ritual. Rinpoche always tried many different ways for us to make connection with this supreme mother , Vajrayogini. As Rinpoche always said, her practice is the best anyone can get at this age. It is the most suitable and powerful and certainly sacred practice. I pray to be able to get her practice from Rinpoche.
Humbly,
Chris Chong
Thank you Rinpoche, for allowing us to place our hair and nails into such holy stupa and have the ruchok done for us. Thank you for lessening our negative karma through such ritual and allowing us to generate continuous merits.
Ruchok can purify people’s karma and help us to collect tons of merits.
Dear Rinpoche,
It is very fortunate for us to have this opportunity to get blessings from this powerful ritual. Rinpoche always tried many different ways for us to make connection with this supreme mother , Vajrayogini. As Rinpoche always said, her practice is the best anyone can get at this age. It is the most suitable and powerful and certainly sacred practice. I pray to be able to get her practice from Rinpoche.
Humbly,
Chris Chong
This is interesting! Thanks for sharing. I hope to be able to offer a picture of my late mother for items to be included in the vajrayogini stupa at Kechara Forest Retreat.
[…] The Power of Ruchok […]
i’m reading only now this post, and i wish to send something to put inside the Vajrayogini stupa.. is it still possible? how can i do?
Thank you Rinpoche for giving this powerful teaching on Ruchok.
Through the kindness of our Lama, Vajrayogini stupa will be built in Kechara Forest Retreat for us to purify our negative karma and collect merits and to have good rebirth and also to create a profound connection to the Buddhas into the future. May all sentient beings will be blessed by the most powerful Lady Buddha in the universe!
This will be the first Vajrayogini stupa in this region. We are indeed very blessed to have this opportunity to create strong affinity with Vajrayogini.Her practice is one of the best to help us out of samsara, to help us instead to be reborn in the Kechara Paradise ! Thank you dear Rinpoche !
Thanks rinpoche for the Ruchok explanation, feeling grateful and thankful to able to read and listen each and every topics you are giving. This is one of rinpoche dream, I wonder how’s the progress so far? I had also sent in collected hair and nails sometimes ago. Has anyone compiled and confirmed received safely, keeping rightly? Thank you. May I work hard enough to collect merits to join this virtuous project. Have a nice day everyone.
Thank you for sharing the Ruchok practice and it’s various benefits. I feel very honoured and humble to learn of these teachings as I believe that they are extremely sacred. Thank you, Rinpoche and everyone who compiled and researched for this article.
I’m now keying in the names of people who have submitted their hair and nails for the Ruchok as well as items to insert in the Stupa! We are currently at 575 submissions and still counting…
For those who would like to submit your hair and nails..remember you can always drop it off at Kechara House or contact me at carmen.koo@kechara.com
I just send today my hair and the hair of my partner I hope I have time 🙂
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hi paris
may i know when is the next ruchok ritual be held on?
hi paris,
may i know when will be the next ruchok ritual held??? thks.
Thank you Rinpoche for teaching us this knowledge on Ruchok. Now after anyone has passed… there is still another chance and a way to help them through this powerful VY blessing! How meritorious it is for the deceased that they can be in a stupa with holy precious Buddha and High Lama’s relics where daily there will be so many circumambulating.. even though they have passed on, daily they still generate such powerful purification and merits. Amazing… I wanna be in this stupa too… but for now I wanna help built this stupa 🙂
Every action of Rinpoche’s body , speech and mind is focused on how to benefit people. Even with those who have passed on and did not have the opportunity to receive direct teachings or walk on the path, Rinpoche thinks of the stupa project to bless and leave positive imprints on them.
On Wesak Day 2012, Rinpoche gave another awakening call to all of us. He taught on how to be a true Buddhist , Christian or practitioner of other faiths. After which, he announced the stupa project of KFR. H.E.’s students are working hard to carry out this vision. Do contact us at retreat@kechara.com, if you wish to be a part of this exciting project.
Dear Jamie
I am interested in Buddhistm and been learning a lot from Tsem Blog and YouTube. I have a question, if I want to sent my personal item (hair and nail) Do I must have initiation into either Yamantaka or Vajrayogini tantras
How about if I send my family member hair and nail, they are not Buddhist?
Is it too late to send in items for this?
How lucky we are and such great fortune to be connected to Vajrayogini through our Guru. How else will we ever get the chance? Thank you for your kindness Rinpoche and benefitting us and so many beings through every action. Rinpoche’s help and care for us totally outweighs everything we have ever done for the Three Jewels. How can we ever finish repaying?
I’ve always wanted to do something for family members who are not in the Dharma. Through this Ruchok ritual, I hope to help them collect some merits and purify their negative karma.
[…] 克切拉邀请大家把心爱的人和宠物的毛发或指甲给我们，并把这些毛发和指甲植入金刚瑜伽母的舍利塔中加持。 […]
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing with us about Ruchok and its benefits. Rinpoche is very kind and compassionate. Always think of ways to help the living being and deceased. Will spread the news and hopefully many people will benefits from this.
Thank you Rinpoche for the Kindness to do the powerful Ruchok Ritual to purify our negative karma and helping us in generating merits for our sprituality path.It do really give us a chance to share with family member and friends, especially who have passed away so that they can have connection with Varja Yogini.how fortunate we are to have this rare opportunity ….don’t miss it..
We are really fortunate that we have Rinpoche to do Ruchok here and now. We don’t need to invite someone from far away just to do this. How can anyone miss this GREAT opportunity? I am going to send my family’s fingernails for the powerful ritual!
This a millionth of a chance to help us to purify a lot of our negative karma to generate merit to support our spiritual journey and wordly endeavours and to create a very profound connection to the Buddhas into the future. Like Paris said, Rinpoche is so extremely kind to offer us the chance to just submit our items of which he will do for all participants’ behalf the rituals. To our Rinpoche, his compassion is Universial, and, irrespective be it an animal or human, like a Buddha, he is the most noblest and compassionate of all! Thanks a million Rinpoche.
Thank you, Jamie, for this clear and detailed explanation of the Ruchok ritual and blessing. Here is yet another example of Rinpoche’s great love and care for us and our loved ones, both alive and departed.
The Ruchok brings such an abundance of benefits to the blessed items placed in the stupa- collection of merits, purification of negative karma, good rebirth and connection with the Buddhas into future lifetimes as long as the stupa endures! These benefits continue to flow as people prostrate, circumambulate, pray and make offerings before the stupa.
Wow, how lucky we are to get this close to the divine Goddess – Vajrayogini.
Thank you, Rinpoche for giving us this precious gift. Thanks to Paris for making all the arrangements of handling various “body parts” from all over the world. May many people realize the pricelessness of this opportunity.
I remember Rinpoche told the story about the first time Rinpoche laid eyes on Vajrayogini: how precious such a moment was because, traditionally, the very chance just to lay eyes of Her is most sacred and rare. Today, due to the kindness and generosity of Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, we get to see the beautiful form of Vajrayogini as well as have the opportuntiy to put parts of us into Her stupa.
The Power of Ruchok
Thanks Rinpoche for the sharing on Ruchok. Another new learning today on the meaning and benefits of Ruchok.
It was really a very simple yet powerful way of generating continuous merits and purification for all sentients beings.
This opportunity is hard to come by, and must not be miss. Thanks.
Thanks for Rinpoche article posted, very interesting topic. After read it, I feel fortunate to able doing something or helping people we love. Thanks.
Thank you Rinpoche for always tirelessly taking care of all sentient beings,
May many more people gain benefits from Kechara and Rinpoche’s teachings.
Really touched by Rinpoche generousity and at the same time feel guilty with own selfishness. This is one area that I need to work on day and night.
感谢仁波切又再一次给于我们那么方便的方式，让我们能够有这么殊胜的机会把我们无始以来的业障得以消除，并且为了大众的利益，不惜花上很多的人力，物力以及财力来利益所有的六道众生，他在我心目中是世界上最伟大的上师。所以，在此我呼吁大家，能把自己以及亲人，朋友的头发和指甲，甚至于宠物以及往生者的照片也可以放在此一佛塔内，你们将会受到金刚瑜伽母的加持。
我们有机会在马来西亚建立一个舍利塔与金刚瑜伽母佛塔,可以净化与加持。带来了和平的意义和平息一切干扰，将会为许多人，动物大大受益。
我们所有的家人和朋友的头有机会把头发或指甲，放进此佛塔内是非常好的。
Thanks to Rinpoche for giving us a chance to gain Merits for our beloved in a lifetimes and lifetimes.
Thanks again to Rinpoche for your kindness..!!
Best Regards : Erickksiow
We are very blessed to be connected to Tsem Rinpoche in so many ways, whether directly or indirectly. The talk Rinpoche gave on Wesak Day about Taking Refuge was a reminder for us to do better and push beyond our limits. Many people who listened to the talk was moved.
Rinpoche was so kind to offer us the Ruchok blessing of our nails and hair to benefit us on our spiritual journey and be connected to Vajrayogini. Let us pay him back in kind by working hard on the building of these stupas to make it happen.
Rinpoche always very compassion and full of wisdom.
By building Stupas and through Ruchok prayer, Rinpoche is trying to save as much people as possible. To helps us in increasing our merits, plant Dharma seeds or to create imprint for people.
Thank you Rinpoche
Thank you Rinpoche for giving us so many chances and ways to be connected to Dharma. How many of us (Malaysians) would have the opportunity to be involved in or actually build a stupa from planning to completion? This is a very rare and meritorious chance indeed. Now Rinpoche out of great compassion is inviting not just Kecharians, but everyone from the public who may not have even heard of Kechara before to submit their personal items to put into the stupa, so they can get blessings, even for those who are no longer with us. He knows we need all the blessings we can get now because (like what David recalled from the 5 May 2012 Wesak Day teaching) many of us would not practice Dharma sincerely in this life.
Thank you Jamie for further highlighting the kindness of Rinpoche. This can’t be highlighted in bright pink neon lights enough!
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the article to us, What is Ruchok and how is Ruchok can benefit us, especial Vajrayogini‘s Stupa.
Ruchok can purification, continuous merit, lessening of karma for next life, have a good rebirth and continuous good karma, and many more , now the Ruchok will put in Vajrayogini stupa!! that mean power + power=mean very powerful !!!!
I very much look forward to KFR, for retreat, butter lamp, Vajrayogini stupa, Gompa and many many more.
Thank you Rinpoche
Finally we have the opportunity to build a stupa here in Malaysia at Kechara Forest Retreat. Many people, animals and beings surrounding this area will be benefited greatly.
Stupa will blessed the surrounding area, bring a sense of peace and calm down all disturbances. We should get all our family and friends’s hair or finger nails and put inside this stupa.
Thank you Rinpoche for your compassion in blessing us with the opportunity to participate in the Ruchok. For so many of us, attachments are strong and the break this bonds require much effort and discipline or else we fall back into the trap again. Rinpoche is helping us by giving us a little boost of purification and merit generation by participating in Ruchok. I am glad to meet Rinpoche in this lifetime and hope to do so in future lifetimes. The wesak day talk was also a great reminder on the meaning of refuge taking being the only first step, there is a lot more to go and yours truly here am guilty of inconsistent practice, nevertheless i shall practice as instructed by rinpoche on guru yoga, migstema, om arapa cha dhih, dhih only and serkym daily. With folded hands, thank you Rinpoche
How kind of Rinpoche for allowing us to be blessed thru the power Ruchok ritual. The merits gained would allow our Dharma practicing grows. Also thanks Jamie for the easy to understand writeup. 🙂
It is such a rare chance! Don’t miss this!!
Thank you Rinpoche and the team who work wo hard to make this available to everyone!!
Those who are aware of this golden opportunity of being blessed this way must have done something extremely meritorious in their previous lives. I thanked my previous reincarnations to create the karma for me to ‘harvest’ the benefit in this life…
Also dont forget to repay the kindness of our Guru for being with us here and now!
Isn’t it so wonderful that rinpoche has made this available for everyone to participate. Thank you rinpoche for allowing us and those who are not around anymore to collect merits for themselves to do so.
Thank you very much for the clear explanation of Ruchok Rinpoche.
How compassionate is our Lama to do this for us just because of our laziness on our spiritual paths. sometimes i feel a shame that our Lama always think of way to help us to gain more merits yet we do so little. Is time for all of us to be serious on our spiritual practice. Thank you very much Rinpoche with ll my heart.
With folded hand,
Helena
Thank you very much Rinpoche for doing so many things for us and our family members to purify our negative karma, collect merits and generate positive imprint with the Buddha.
Sincerely confess all of my wrongdoings and I will hold my refuge’s vows strongly to stop creating more bad karma from now onward then I can fully utilize my energy and time to focus on doing things that can benefit others which eventually transform me to be a better person.
Take good care and thanks Jamie for coordinating the items collection 🙂
With love,
VP
Thank You Rinpoche for sharing with us the power of RUCHOK and creating a course for us to collect merits and dedicate to our love ones. Through Rinpoche’s kindness and compassion, we have a chance to repay back the kindness of our deceased parents through the powerful Ruchok.
I can’t wait for the time to come and be involved in this project, to purify my karma and dedicate towards people who visit KFR in the near future.
i was thinking how compassionate Rinpoche is to do this ruchok ritual for those who cannot or will not change themselves for the better but then it is exactly Rinpoche’s compassion that drives Rinpoche everyday in Rinpoche’s every single endeavour – to find one way or another to help everyone. That is the Bodhisattva that Rinpoche is. And that is what Kechara is about. What the Kechara Forest Retreat (http://retreat.kechara.com) is about and ultimately what Kechara World Peace Centre is about. May i swiftly transform and become of greater help to Rinpoche in Rinpoche’s compassionate work.
With folded hands,
Sharon
Finally, there is another way of helping my parents, brother ,my loved one to collect bit more of merit in future life,I was extremely happy n not only me,the people who read this article, being told by tsem tulku rinpoche about ruchok. I felt touched actually when thinking at least I can do little help to my parents and people I loved. Thank you my respected Rinpoche about your generous sharing with every ppl and whoever benefits with it ,won’t ever forget your kindness and compassion sharing, I believed everyone deserve equal chance. I m here to say million thank you to u n owed u debt of gratitude, may your wish come true,n your dharma growth,thank u so much.
Today is Wesak Day here in Malaysia and Rinpoche gave a wonderful talk on Choices we make and about Stupas. The teaching on Choices was a powerful teaching for use to self-examine what really makes us happy and where should we place our priorities in life. Then Rinpoche went on to talk about Stupas and he plans to perform Ruchok consecration on the hairs and nails donated by the public so they can be placed within the Stupa.
What striked me most during his explanations of why he wants to do Ruchok. He said he was doing this because majority of people would not practice Dharma sincerely. Hence, he is performing the ritual so that he can help people purify their negative karma and help them to collect a little bit of merit for their future lives.
Thank you Jamie for the detailed explanation on Rucok and its benefits.
May many who have the karma to be connected with Rinpoche & KFR to have their negative causes purified and may they collect continuous merits through the Stupas to be constructed at KFR.
It’s really extremely rare for us to even be able to meet with and heart of such a ritual. This isn’t just another puja that can be done by the public. Being permitted to do this ritual requires initiation, extensive practice, daily commitments and completion of retreats – which of course, not just everyone can achieve. Rinpoche offering us this opportunity to partake in this ritual is a very precious opportunity because of what it creates for the receiver as well as for just how rare it is.
Rinpoche is being extremely kind to us, to offer us the chance to just submit our items for the ritual, which he will do on our behalf – expecting absolutely nothing back and getting nothing back from us.
Please don’t think that this is just another blessing. It is something extremely powerful. The items we give are regenerated as Vajrayogini herself – so we can imagine the merit that is generated by that! Be a part of it, not just by giving your items, but also by contributing, donating towards and being a part of building the actual stupa – that doubles the benefit and merit so much more. (more details about the stupa here: http://blog.tsemtulku.com/?p=30852)
I wish to add also that students of Rinpoche have also been further trained to prepare for and assist in this ritual by highly qualified monks from Gaden Monastery, so that we are able to perform the ritual in exactly the same way as the Sangha have for hundreds of years. (This doesn’t mean the students do the ritual, but because there are several components and aspects to the ceremony, which require extensive preparations beforehand and assistance during the ritual).
Before the ritual is done, the Lama also has to do extensive preparation himself, including Vajrayogini practices. So, there is a lot that Rinpoche himself will personally have to prepare and do for this ritual, which he is doing purely for the benefit of people everywhere, now and for their future lives.