Amazing Ganden Khenpa
Ganden Monastery in Tibet where this incense still grows
Found some more info on that special Ganden incense: Ganden Khenpa (Tibetan Sage Incense) It is believed that, Ganden Khenpa (Tibetan Sage) was originally grown in the Ganden Monastery (30 km outside Lhasa, Tibet). During the time of The Great Tsong Khapa, there was a wide-spread chicken pox virus in Tibet. To eliminate the outbreak of chicken pox, The Great Tsong Khapa cut his hair, he cut and scattered his hair on the ground of the Ganden Monastery. From the hair grew a special type of grass and it was known as Ganden Grass. The Great TsongKhapa then instructed his followers to cut the grass and burn them as incense to purify the air in the monastery.
Subsequently, this miracle grass was distributed to every household for burning. The epidemic was contained as a result. Since then, the grass was named Ganden Khenpa, also known as Tibetan Sage. Since then, Tibetans firmly believe that as this grass original grew around the consecrated ground, it is supposed to possess remarkable blessing power, and special virtues for curing various kinds of sickness, relaxing one’s pulse and getting rid of inanity to make one wiser.
Almost every Tibetan household burns the Ganden Khenpa incense every day, perhaps this explains how Tibet, during its olden days, lack of hygiene and medical amenities, was free of epidemic diseases. Advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche – “It is very beneficial to burn incense from Ganden in Tibet and very beneficial for the person with SARS to smell and breathe in this incense deeply” Other benefits : rheumatism, arthritis, swelling, when soaked in hot bath, it reduces swelling in joints, and promotes blood circulation.
Might I add a slight amendment this is also some of the info I found Ganden Incense. GANDEN GRASS, also named “Obstacles Clearing Grass” or called Khenpa in Tibetan, originates from Ganden Monastery in Tibet.It is believed that Je Tsongkapa, Founder of Gelug Sect, wanted to eliminate the suffering and sicknesses of all sentient beings. So he cut and scattered his hair on the ground. From the hair grew a special type of grass and it was known as Ganden Grass.Ganden Grass’s taste is dry and bitter. It has been used as a Tibetan Medicinal herb to cure various sicknesses for many generations. It is good for clearing obstacles and can be used for putting into holy statues and stupas. Many sages of all Tibetan Sects praised the distinguished benefits and uses of this herb.The ganden herbal incense is made from an herb which grows at an altitude of 15,000 feet near Ganden Monastic University outside of Lhasa, Tibet, According to H.H. the Dalai Lama’s physician, it is good as a preventative against colds and flu, and for purifying polluted atmosphere. These natural herbs and spices are pressed together in a masala preparation and shaped into the Tibetan style sticks. Ganden incense has a unique aroma.
– from Bradley Kassian
(Bradley kindly shared this information where he participates in blog chat on www.tsemrinpoche.com quite often. I am so happy to see him sharing information of blog chat. He is a kindly person who shares dharma with everyone on the blog chat. He makes great effort to share dharma and what he shares is really from reading, research and it’s all from his heart and passion for benefitting others with information. I was happy to read this and thought I’d share this wonderful information he posted. Bradley is very accurate with his information on the holy incense derived from Lord Tsongkapa. And everyone should try to obtain this wonderful incense and burn daily. www.vajrasecrets.com. But most important, bring the blessings of Lord Tsongkapa into your home, life and environment. Thank you Bradley! Tsem Rinpoche)
Tsongkapa had performed many feats of miracles for the benefit of others during his lifetime.
Ganden Khenpa Incense
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Wow ….truly amazing how this incredible incense powder name Ganden Khenpa. Well it is named after the first monastery founded by the great Lama Tsongkhapa. These powder incense is made from pure Tibetan sage. These Ganden Grass is only grown naturally around the sacred monastery. Interesting story behind this incense . It is believed that Lama TsongKhapa, had his hair cut and scattered on the ground of the Ganden Monastery. It seem that these herb grass miraculously grew. The area of Ganden was plagued with an infectious diseases at that time. The local people burn it which then cleared the epidemic disease from the area. From then on it has been highly valued as an obstacle-clearing and disease counter agent. Every Tibetan household burns the Ganden Khenpa incense every day.
Thank you Rinpoche and Bradley Kassian for this wonderful sharing.
As concerns about the environment and global warming grow, I was thinking if uses of incense has to be eliminate to ease pollution. Since many years ago, whenever I visit any temple, instead of offer incense to the deities and god, what I did was just pray sincere from the heart and hope they would understand my intention.
Later on I involve more in Tibetan Buddhism. Sometimes I see Pastor take the incense burner and walk around inside our office building, I would do like the others, energetically “grab” the negative energies from body then throw towards to the incense burner. Then I inhaled the smoke, it smells so good and pleasant. I feel the healing from various herbs. Pastor said there was resins and Protector rice too. When burned, the smoke is like a vehicle that carry energies of Protector, it permeates the area, so everyone in the space could get this powerful and beneficial energies into their body.
From the dawn of human history, human found burning different woods, plants gave off certain aromas that could affect the mood. Our body dont lie, like Ganden grass, it has been used as a Tibetan Medicinal herb to cure various sicknesses for many generations. Thus when the herb made into incense, its like green treasures from Mother Earth, we get healing in a nature way. It has a purifying nature. I feel that somehow we need to first understand what incense is made of. Try our best by choosing incense made from natural, plant-based ingredients without the addition of harmful chemicals. When we get the benefits from the herbs incense, we would be able to decrease the amount of air pollutants released in the smoke too.
Amazing ……incense. It is believed that, Ganden Khenpa incense was originally grown naturally around the sacred Ganden Monastery in Tibet. Almost every Tibetan household burns these Ganden Khenpa incense as it has a slightly bitter aroma, with a hint of mint. Burning this incense will somehow bringing the blessings of Lord Tsongkapa into your home, life and environment. It was founded by the great master Tsongkhapa and is an effective remedy for colds and flu and to purify polluted atmosphere.Wow…. it also beneficial remedies for rheumatism, arthritis, swelling, when soaked in hot bath, it reduces swelling in joints, and promotes blood circulation.
Thank you Rinpoche and Bradley Kassian for this wonderful sharing.
Interesting information about Ganden Khenpa (Tibetan Sage Incense) It is believed that, Ganden Khenpa (Tibetan Sage) was originally grown in the Ganden Monastery (30 km outside Lhasa, Tibet). During the time of The Great Tsong Khapa, there was a wide-spread chicken pox virus in Tibet. To eliminate the outbreak of chicken pox, The Great Tsong Khapa cut his hair, he cut and scattered his hair on the ground of the Ganden Monastery. From the hair grew a special type of grass and it was known as Ganden Grass. The Great TsongKhapa then instructed his followers to cut the grass and burn them as incense to purify the air in the monastery. Thank you Rinpoche and Bradley for sharing this article. Do keep up with your good write up Bradley bro!?????
Amazing what the holy Ganden Khenpa incense originated from Lord Tsongkapa did for the benefit of others.Interesting article ,to know how these incense was originated from Tsongkapa’s hair scattered on to the grass.From there the plants grew and thats where the incense came from.
For many generations these incense was used as herbs to cure various disease.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing amazing information from Bradley.
Ganden Khenpa is a holy and blessed grass which is grown from Lama Tsongkhapa’s hair. It is Tsongkhapa’s compassion that this grass can heal many types of sicknesses and to calm the mind. Great sharing from Bradley.
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing, before that I did not know great Tsongkhapa done this miracle to save Tibetans’s life. I guess this Ganden Grass can only plant in Tibet due to the environmental condition, hope to see this import to Malaysia one day so we can burn it and will be free of epidemic diseases. Lord Tsongkhapa is almighty, I praise to Him, I wish I will not be separated from Lord Tsongkhapa and Rinpoche’s teaching till I get enlightenment.
Je Tsongkhapa’s birth and deeds are a benefit to the world then and at this time. If he had more time Je Tsongkhapa could have shown even more medical skills to heal others.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article. Holy incense that grown from cut-hair of Great Tsongkapa that blessed the environment.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing ,Indeed a well written article, this is really something you can’t find else where.
Thanks Rinpoche for the sharing.
Incense is an offering to Buddha. And i never thought that some incense has special healing power.
Last week Pastor Yek Yee just went to my house to do outcall puja. And one of the ritual performed is sang offering.
After the sang offering, Pastor Yek Yee said that my house is brighter.
I do believe in the power of incense now.
Thanks
Wow, this grass is amazing. I believe some herbs or grass do contain healing power when burnt and inhale. Like in the West, people in ancient time used Sage to purify the environment or as a remedy for sickness.
When our Pastors go to house to do House Blessing, one of the rituals they will do is to purify the whole house with incense.
The amazing ganden khenpa – a tibetan sage incense used to heal various types of ilnesses, clear and purify obstacles and to bring blessings into homes, lives and environments if used frequently. It is believed to be manifested out of Lord Tsongkhapa,s hair being scattered on the ground of Ganden Khenpa out of his great compassion! Through the centuries, it was written that Tibet has produced an extraordinary number of Buddhist saints and scholars. Certainly, another exception was this matchless Je Tsongkhapa, who has held a unique position in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, a well-knowned greatest writter and the most successful organiser of Buddhism who ever lived in this land! In accordance to the “Principal teachings of Buddhism”, he was said to have mastered the entire open and secret teachings of Buddhism, as well as the various classical sciences.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing on the Ganden Khenpa.We are so fortunate to have the merits to be introduced to Lord Tsongkhapa and the practice.The Ganden Khenpa is a living proof of his compassion for humanity for many eons to come.
We certainly hope that the potency of this sacred herb could bring more comfort those who are in need for internal and external cure and solace. Je Tsongkhapa legacy would be remembered forever.
The power and blessings of Lord Tsong Kapa is manifested through this amazing feat. With his huge compassion, Lord Tsong Kapa reduced and contained the then epidemic.
Thank you for making the Ganden Khenpa available for us, Rinpoche.
Thank you to Bradley for this article. Thank you to Rinpoche shared this article with us.
This article is very informative. Now I knew that the Ganden grass is so powerful and amazing. It is not just to purify the air, it is also used as medical herb to cure various sickness from many generations. The Great Tsongkhapa is showed his great compassion to all sentient beings from many generations until today and to future. _/\_
I found this article very easy to read and it has a lot of interesting information. Ganden Khenpa is truly amazing Rinpoche. I am glad that Rinpoche has decided to share this with us, and i hope that more people agree that Ganden Khenpa is amazing.
Wow, it is nice article that I got fortune to read out it. Very informative. The grass used to make as a type of medical incense, can benefit so many. The compassion of Enlightened Being can pass by generation by generation.
Thank you for this amazing story, Bradley. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this story on this blog. Tsongkhapa’s great works and deeds have made him renowned as the father of the renaissance of Tibetan Buddhism. However, Je Tsongkhapa had always been very modest and also quite determined not to show off his clairvoyance and ability to perform miracles.
Nevertheless, compassion overwrote all. In this case it was his great compassion for all beings that prompted him to scatter his hair on the ground of Ganden Monastery. Out of that grew the Ganden Khempa – a herb to heal various types of illnesses and also to clear obstacles.
Besides the write up above I did find other info on the incense
Ganden Incense
GANDEN GRASS,also named “Obstacles Clearing Grass” or calledKhenpa in Tibetan, originates from Ganden Monastery in Tibet.
It is believed that Je Tsongkapa, Founder of Gelug Sect, wanted to eliminate the suffering and sicknesses of all sentient beings. So he cut and scattered his hair on the ground. From the hair grew a special type of grass and it was known as Ganden Grass.
Ganden Grass’s taste is dry and bitter. It has been used as a Tibetan Medicinal herb to cure various sicknesses for many generations. It is good for clearing obstacles and can be used for putting into holy statues and stupas. Many sages of all Tibetan Sects praised the distinguished benefits and uses of this herb.
The ganden herbal incense is made from an herb which grows at an altitude of 15,000 feet near Ganden Monastic University outside of Lhasa, Tibet, According to H.H. the Dalai Lama’s physician, it is good as a preventative against colds and flu, and for purifying polluted atmosphere. These natural herbs and spices are pressed together in a masala preparation and shaped into the Tibetan style sticks. Ganden incense has a unique aroma.