Black Manjushri (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Black Manjushri and Dorje Shugden Deity: Black Manjushri (English) Alternative names: Jampel Nagpo (Tibetan); Krishna Manjushri (Sanskrit) According to the Charya and Yoga Tantras, Manjushri first emanated in this form as a retinue deity in the mandala of the Buddha Vairochana. A popular meditational deity, the practice...
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Lama Tsongkhapa (Five Visions – Riding a Snowlion) (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden Lama: Lama Tsongkhapa (Tibetan) Alternative names: Sumati Kirti (Sanskrit); Lobsang Drakpa (Tibetan) It is said that after Lama Tsongkhapa entered clear light, Khedrub Je often made requests to him for guidance and inspiration. On five different...
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Lama Tsongkhapa (Five Visions – Riding a Tiger) (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden Lama: Lama Tsongkhapa (Tibetan) Alternative names: Sumati Kirti (Sanskrit); Lobsang Drakpa (Tibetan) It is said that after Lama Tsongkhapa entered clear light, Khedrub Je often made requests to him for guidance and inspiration. On five different...
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Lama Tsongkhapa (Five Visions – Sitting on an Elephant) (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden Lama: Lama Tsongkhapa (Tibetan) Alternative names: Sumati Kirti (Sanskrit); Lobsang Drakpa (Tibetan) It is said that after Lama Tsongkhapa entered clear light, Khedrub Je often made requests to him for guidance and inspiration. On five...
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Lama Tsongkhapa (Five Visions – Throne held by Youthful Gods) (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden Lama: Lama Tsongkhapa (Tibetan) Alternative names: Sumati Kirti (Sanskrit); Lobsang Drakpa (Tibetan) It is said that after Lama Tsongkhapa entered clear light, Khedrub Je often made requests to him for guidance and inspiration. On...
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Lama Tsongkhapa (Five Visions – Sitting on a Lotus) (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden Lama: Lama Tsongkhapa (Tibetan) Alternative names: Sumati Kirti (Sanskrit); Lobsang Drakpa (Tibetan) It is said that after Lama Tsongkhapa entered clear light, Khedrub Je often made requests to him for guidance and inspiration. On five...
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Semnyi Ngalso Chenrezig (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Semnyi Ngalso Chenrezig and Dorje Shugden Deity: Semnyi Ngalso Chenrezig (Tibetan) Alternative name: Avalokita Chittavishramana (Sanskrit) Chenrezig’s sacred name literally means the ‘All-Seeing Lord’. He is regarded as the embodiment of compassion and his divine presence is invoked through his well-known six-syllable mantra, OM MANI PADME...
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The 16th Karmapa (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje and Dorje Shugden Lama: The 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje was the 16th incarnation of the famous meditation master who heads the Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. He was also highly regarded by other High Lamas of...
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Kuan Yin (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Kuan Yin, Wei Tuo and Dorje Shugden. Deity: Kuan Yin (Chinese) Alternative names: Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit); Chenrezig (Tibetan) Kuan Yin is a popular archetypal Bodhisattva in the Sutras, in which she strives towards complete enlightenment. She is famously considered one of the Eight Great Bodhisattva Disciples of Buddha...
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Ganapati (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Ganapati and Dorje Shugden Deity: Ganapati (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Tsodag (Tibetan) In the Tibetan tradition, Ganapati is the Sanskrit name normally used to describe this elephant-headed deity. However, his Indian epithet ‘Ganesha’ carries the same meaning ‘Lord of the Followers of the God Shiva’. Ganapati’s primary function is...
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The 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu (Main figure) (Top to bottom): 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu and Dorje Shugden Lama: The 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu (Tibetan) The 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu (1869–1924), also known as the Bogd Khan, became the de facto leader of Outer Mongolia in 1911, when Outer Mongolia declared independence from the Qing Dynasty of China after...
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Buddha Shakyamuni Under the Bodhi Tree (Main figure) (Top to bottom): Buddha Shakyamuni and Dorje Shugden Deity: Buddha Shakyamuni (Sanskrit) Alternative name: Sangye Shakya Tubpa (Tibetan) Shakyamuni is the historical Buddha who founded Buddhism in ancient India about 2,500 years ago. After an exhaustive search, he finally attained perfect and complete enlightenment under the...
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Having had the fortune of meeting Rinpoche when she was just 11 years old, the ‘Growing up with Rinpoche’ series captures Pastor Jean Ai’s growth under Rinpoche’s guidance. In this series, she recounts some of Rinpoche’s myriad Dharma activities to benefit sentient beings. Rinpoche had a different kind of relationship with Dorje...
Posted in Behind The Scenes, Guest Contributors | 3 Comments »
Having had the fortune of meeting Rinpoche when she was just 11 years old, the ‘Growing up with Rinpoche’ series captures Pastor Jean Ai’s growth under Rinpoche’s guidance. In this series, she recounts some of Rinpoche’s myriad Dharma activities to benefit sentient beings. This past week, I had the honour of hosting...
Posted in Behind The Scenes, Guest Contributors | 3 Comments »
Having had the fortune of meeting Rinpoche when she was just 11 years old, the ‘Growing up with Rinpoche’ series captures Pastor Jean Ai’s growth under Rinpoche’s guidance. In this series, she recounts some of Rinpoche’s myriad Dharma activities to benefit sentient beings. One afternoon, Rinpoche called a group of us over....
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A ‘chela’ is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘student’. In particular this word refers to the student of a spiritual teacher. Within this series of short posts, I will be sharing stories about His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche. Hopefully through these stories, you will get a glimpse of how Tsem Rinpoche and the Dharma...
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The purpose of a teaching or instruction given by the teacher, no matter how simple or profound, is for us to put into practice. Some people take the teachings merely as an intellectual pursuit, or as something to be contemplated upon while on the meditation cushion. Sometimes, students are selective with what they want...
Posted in Great Lamas & Masters, Guest Contributors, H.H. Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche | 7 Comments »
A ‘chela’ is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘student’. In particular this word refers to the student of a spiritual teacher. Within this series of short posts, I will be sharing stories about His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche. Hopefully through these stories, you will get a glimpse of how Tsem Rinpoche and the Dharma...
Posted in Behind The Scenes, Guest Contributors | 5 Comments »
A ‘chela’ is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘student’. In particular this word refers to the student of a spiritual teacher. Within this series of short posts, I will be sharing stories about His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche. Hopefully through these stories, you will get a glimpse of how Tsem Rinpoche and the Dharma...
Posted in Guest Contributors | 10 Comments »
Having had the fortune of meeting Rinpoche when she was just 11 years old, the ‘Growing up with Rinpoche’ series captures Pastor Jean Ai’s growth under Rinpoche’s guidance. In this series, she recounts some of Rinpoche’s myriad Dharma activities to benefit sentient beings. These sessions were always very important and precious for...
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