Event Calendar of The His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche

July 3, 2010

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave enlightenment to 99 believers with Buddhism and helped them to relieve all kinds of suffering in the world at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taipei.

July 4, 2010

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious regular puja at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taipei.

Prior to the beginning of the puja, with the agreement of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, a new disciple publicly made her repentance at the venue. About a month ago, she went to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and implored for two dharma texts: “The Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas” and “The dharma text of A-Chi dharma protector.” Upon her imploration, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche didn’t say a word and turn away. At the moment, she was at a loss. After returning home, at the first a couple of days, she kept thinking why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche replied nothing. What has she been doing wrong? All of a sudden, an evil thought emerged: Why did Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche embarrass her in front of her friends and family? Although the thought only arose for a few seconds, for the following days, she felt angry, anxious, irritable and suffering because of the regrets. She knew she has committed a terrible evildoing because of her hatred thought toward Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche who has been of great kindness to her. She was beyond evil. Even a dog would protect its master. She, as a human, instead took revenge to her guru.

Before joining this Buddhist center, she had two abortions. After the second abortion, she became seriously ill. The disease was only hyperthyroidism. For most people, the treatment was easy, but her illness was so serious that she had to lie in bed for several months. Because of her inability to get up, her two young children always got no food to eat. Later, she switched to take Chinese medicine which helped her to recover and could begin to move about freely. Yet, the arrhythmia became more frequent, from several minutes once to about twenty minutes. During every episode, she felt as if someone had squeezed her heart and couldn’t breathe easily. After taking refuge this January, she suddenly realized that, during the three months of her being a believer, the situation of angina did not occur. Such a difference in her health stems from the help of merciful and compassionate Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. For an evil person like her who had committed killings and should fall into hells after passing, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been willing to help, granting her more time to learn Buddhism. She should have died before the age of forty. She now has the opportunity to listen to the teachings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and realized that her feelings of suffering and anxious were the feelings of the two aborted fetuses and all the sentient beings that she had consumed and killed in the present and past lifetimes. If death can pay back her karmic debts, she would be happy to die. If falling into hells after passing can redeem her karmic retributions, she would as well be happy. She prays to follow Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for the lifetimes to come.

Due to her feeling of worthless and unfit as a disciple of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, she was planning to leave the center. She felt she no longer should receive help from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and was unqualified to join the merit ocean of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Fortunately, the group head advised her face up the problem courageously. She should go to the center every Saturday to make repentance to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and shouldn’t avoid the situation. In such way, her turbulent mind eventually calmed down.

When she made repentance every Saturday afternoon at the center, memories since her childhood till now manifested with no reasons. She was not a filial daughter, rarely helping her mother with chores and letting her mother always be exhausted. Her mother had worked arduously in her whole life. She was not able to help her mother’s eye problems or even bring her mother to meet with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in order to ease her mother’s complex. As a teenager, she’d talk back to her father to the extent that her enraged father had to whack her on the street. At that time, she even wanted to strike back and hated him. Her father never hit children before. She must have deeply hurt her father’s feeling. When she got married, she continued to hurt her parents-in-law. After giving birth to her child, her mother-in-law prepared a lot of dishes for her but she didn’t even take a bite. Her mother-in-law is the most open-minded and most generous mother in the world. She, however, has been willfully disobedient to her. Today is the first time her mother-in-law attend the regular puja. She, therefore, was grateful to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for giving her the opportunity to make repentance before Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. When her father-in-law reprimanded her before, she’d turn around and leave without any respect to him. Her husband has been very considerate and tender to her. Although he was still not ready to meet Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, he’d give her money for her to make offering to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. She, however, always blamed her husband for all kinds of dissatisfaction in life and showed him a stink face, making him nervous. When this disciple was young, she always argued with neighbors and gave them a hard time and troubles. She was jealous of others’ better life and their beauty. This was indeed very stupid. Yesterday, she figured that the most handsome people in the world is Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche because of Rinpoche’s selfless, compassion and sublimity.

As Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s teaching, she has become more selfish and arrogant after her learning Buddhism. Before she learned Buddhism, when she witnessed suffering of people or animals, she’d be so influenced and felt heartbroken and sorrowful with tears when at home. But now, she’d use the law of cause and effect as an excuse for not being compassionate. In addition, she’d beat her dogs because they couldn’t achieve what was asked. In the eyes of her dogs, she saw the horror of dogs’ seeing the greatest bully in history. She has been living her life with a hateful heart, exchanging other’s bitterness for her own happiness. She felt she deserved to have hyperthyroidism that should be an easy case in Western medicine. For her, hyperthyroidism is a serious problem and taking the prescription had caused her constant high fever. Her average heartbeat is about 90. No matter what the temperature is, she always feels very warm. She is like a fire ball, as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has instructed that this is a sign to fall into the fire hell.

Yesterday over-hearing Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche talk about recently excruciatingly hot weather to believers reminded her that she saw a dog joyfully walk into a 7-11 convenient store. She was thinking that the dog should have felt so hot and be short of breath. It must be happy to sneak into an air-conditioned store. After learning Buddhism, she has become more selfish, forgetting all those sentient beings who have to bear such a hot weather. She simply cared for herself without giving a thought about those elderly, stray dogs, farm animals and countless insects, birds and wild animals.

In front of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, she wished to make repentance to the two doctors who had assisted with her abortions. With her evildoings, she had dragged them into her common evil karma. She also wished to make repentance to those sentient beings that she had hurt and those butchers who had killed animals for her to eat. She hoped they would accept the teachings of Buddha Dhrama and break off reincarnation of birth and death.

If Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would have granted her the dharma texts earlier, she’d not awake in her whole life, thinking that she had already been transformed to clear and clean karma. In actually, there is only evil karma left. The most horrifying thing is that every vicious deed she had done had already imprinted in her mind. When she made repentance, all the evildoings would surge to pain her and make her regretful. She was grateful to His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for Rinpoche’s simple action, truing away Rinpoche’s head, and allowing her to reflect on her numerous mistakes. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once instructed that great Buddhist practitioners’ laughter, smiles, anger, and scolding are the Buddha Dharma! Now she finally can grasp the meaning and sincerely thank Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. The teachings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche are the most rare and auspicious in the mundane world. She once again thanks Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

Another female disciple walked up to the front to share how Most Venerable Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche helped to transfer her father’s consciousness at the Chod puja on June 25th.

In the end of 2008, the disciple went to seek an audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in a hope that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could bestow a blessing to her father who had become weaker. She also prayed that her father could die peacefully. After finishing talking about her father’s illness, her brain went blank and she began to cry. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately instructed: all humans have to die. Because of your crying, your father had received the blessing. Another disciple reminded her that she was lack of unwavering faith so she had to pray to A-chi, the dharma protector. She, therefore, prayed to A-chi every day at home for helping her father to accumulate more merits. Additionally, she also prayed for the conditions and opportunities that some honorable person could help her father that at the end of his life he could obtain the Phowa rituals bestowed by Most Venerable Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

About one month later, her father collapsed at home, fell down and hit his head, causing a shock. His body became cold and had involuntary bowel movements. The family sent him to the emergency room and then into the intensive care unit. When the disciple went to seek an audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Rinpoche inquired how come her brothers did not come along. She then returned home and asked them to go with her. They, however, replied that she was a married daughter who was in no position to mind this matter. They could take care of it. Later, when her father was discharged from the hospital, she went to make offering to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and Rinpoche compassionately asked her father’s condition. She was grateful to the blessings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche because her father was already at home recuperating.

At the end of 2009, her father was sent to the hospital because his belly felt extreme pain. Being examined with gastroscopy, her father was diagnosed with stomach cancer of last stage. They decided not to undergo any operation so they sent the father home. The family dared to inform him the disease and he didn’t believe it, either. He still had a strong will to live. After the New Year holidays, her father was sent to the hospital again and they told him about his illness, he still couldn’t accept it even though he could no longer eat anything. At this time, she went to seek an audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, saying that, about two months ago, her father was diagnosed with stomach cancer and now he was lying in bed at home and couldn’t eat anything. Compassionate Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche granted her an opportunity to make 200 prostrations. She was very grateful for this.

Once more she went again to seek audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and it was because the thought of imploring Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for conducting Phowa ritual for her father came into her mind when she was doing full prostrations. Therefore she had the courage to pray for it when she was received by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Her father had never seen Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and he attended the grand puja only one time. All of her brothers had never attended the grand puja. She was the first one who took refuge. That day after taking refuge and going home to inform her parents that she had sought refuge under Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and her father said congratulations to her. For around seven or eight times she had sought audience with Rinchen dorjee Rinpoche to beseech Phowa ritual for her father, and every time she got response from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in saying that “This time I do not promise you,”or “Come to implore next time.” A week prior to her father’s death, she went to pray again. Yet she still had not gotten Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s consent, or the reception of her offering by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. However, when her daughter and she got up from prostration, they heard Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s voice of reciting mantras for bestowing blessings. In the morning 4th, June, her father passed away, with a sallow face, looking in peace, but with mouth open. The previous day she just fed him a nectar pill. Now her daughter gave her another one so as to put the nectar pill into her grandfather’s month. It should have been a simple action, but she lost the pill with her trembling hands though. Thanks for that dharma brother had given her several ones. She made it in the second time. Later on, she gave a call to the Glorious Jewel Antique Company and left a message on the machine to implore Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for transferring her father’s consciousness.

In that afternoon, a dharma brother informed her via a phone call that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would receive believers on Saturday afternoon, so that she was reminded to go to implore. Hearing that, so surprised and joyful, as she originally supposed it would be a while for her to have the opportunity to implore since His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche arrived Taiwan on Thursday and on the coming Sunday, 6th June, there would be the grand puja held by His Holiness. To her joyful surprise, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche still would receive believers even when being so busy. She went to see Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, imploring for transferring for her father’s spirit. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche bestowed blessings and told her that her father’s consciousness had already been protected, and it would be transferred during Chod puja. That day the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche even led disciples to practice Achi ritual. Although disciples made errors, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche still gave them the chance. Not until she left the Buddhist center did she find that she got relived. In fact, during that period, she had been upset without self-notice. Her daughter did find something abnormal, but she was unable to speak it out. Her daughter just thought it was that she did not well-behaved so her parents got unhappy. As for the female disciple herself, she did not notice it at all.

In the Chod puja held on 25th June, her father’s consciousness obtained transference by Vajra Guru the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. 26th June was the day when the funeral procession was held for her father. That day he saw her father, who appeared a very joyful smile on his face, with his eyes and month curl like a half moon. Her father was not a risible person, and she’d never seen him smiling as brilliantly as this time he did. When she was picking up her father’s bones after the cremation, due to the bones were in shatters, she was not able to recognize which the skull was at the first time. Later on, she saw there was a piece of bone with a very special round hole on it. Proved by the undertaker, it was the skull. On that spot she directly thought it was the auspicious sign of obtaining the surpassing Phowa ritual conducted by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Immediately she took a picture of it, and told the present family members that the hole on the skull is just the auspicious sign of her father being transferred through Phowa ritual conducted by Vajra Guru, the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

The undertaker asked her who her guru was. She told him her guru was Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche of Tibetan Buddhism, Drikung Kagyu Lineage, Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center; Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche helped transfer her father’s spirit during the Chod puja in yesterday evening; And it was the auspicious sign for it. Hearing about it, the undertaker right away took out his camera to take a picture of it. Due to that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche helped transfer her father’s consciousness, all the family members just cherished the memory of their father, without grief and sorrow. She had immense gratitude to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for not abandoning sentient beings, with his light as the Buddha and Bodhisattvas’ shining upon disciples at all time. In previous years, this female disciple’s mother-in-law passed away, and her consciousness was also transferred by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Her daughter had ever gotten severely terrified when she was a little girl, and it was also Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche who said: “She would be all right!” and then her daughter really got all right. The female herself life was also secured by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. She was deeply thankful to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche as well as many dharma brothers’ help.

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the dharma throne and bestowed enlightenment: Last week it was mentioned that Buddhist practitioners need to be protected by the two armors, namely the external and internal armors, based on the enlightenment of Milarepa. The part of internal armors was taught last week. Today the teachings of external armors will be bestowed for you. Many people, in terms of Buddhism cultivation, would like to listen much or explain much. They may think in thus way they could “deeply enter the sutra treasury.” The so-called “deeply enter the sutra treasury” is actually referring to that you can profoundly realize the meaning of Buddha-Dharma, and you truly practice the Buddha’s teachings into your daily life. It does not refer to how much Dharma you hear or how many Buddhist nouns you know . Even if you hear a lot, without realistic practice, it would still be in vain. The “external armors” mentioned by Milarepa refers to that: No matter how terrible difficulties one meets, even if one’s life may be endangered, one should not do evil. Here Milarepa adopted very simple and short phrases to give enlightenment on its implications. And it was because the dharma receiver is his disciple Gampopa. For the gifted disciples, it does not need too much explanation and they would get comprehension.

These days the temperature in Taiwan has been very high. If one stands under the sun for one hour, he is believed to die from the hot weather. Taiwan’s temperature goes up the fastest in the world. In addition to the global warming issue that scientists discuss, the main reason is people’s non-virtuous mind. It is because people in this island are mostly with a heavy hatred heart. Hatred arises into them when they hear the things they don’t like to hear, or see the things they don’t like to see. When you turn on the television, there are full of programs with bad languages: People on one side blame the other side; Or, in the series, men blame women, and women blame men. When you are watching it, you will blame accordingly. So does the news report. Almost the events of robbery and killing are reported. Good events are hardly reported. It seldom happens even to broadcast a piece of virtuous news out of ten reported news. In Chinese, that “Chi” is for climate’s first character is just because it is affected by human atmosphere. When people are getting heavier hatred, the climate is getting hotter. People would be like in a fire hell. It does not need to wait until death to fall into the fire hell, the hell may just manifest in one’s life. Even some disciples get angry when Guru does not transmit dharma or family members do not act as they wish. They may even detest their neighbors. The problems between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law come from that the mother-in-law regards she treats the daughter-in-law very well without gaining a thankful word, or from that the daughter-in-law considers she has done a lot for her mother-in-law but getting no appreciation from her. Thereafter, they start to have hatred thoughts to each other.

In a recent news story about Easter Island, it was reported that many wealthy people had once dwelled on the island. Nevertheless, they became discontented with their comfortable life and cut all the trees down to build fishing boats and to make and transport statues of deities. Eventually, all the trees were gone and the residents were left without any tools for production. They even ended up eating each other and the island became deserted. As of today, the island is still covered only by grasses and no trees are found. The island serves as the best proof that human hearts have the ability to influence the environment. If people do not correct their hearts properly, Earth will soon deteriorate to the point of extinction. Nowadays, many environmental protection groups have reminded everyone that the environment on Earth is degenerating. Do not think that you would have been dead by the time the changes occur. If you fail to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death through practice in your current life, you will be reborn to this world. When you come again, you would suffer a lot from living in such a condition. If a group of people begin to conduct virtuous deeds, whatever is done now may affect the development of Earth and thereby enable the planet to go in a more virtuous direction.

Another recent news story mentioned that a famous U.S. large supermarket franchise was established and many chain stores were set up around the country. Therefore, smaller local shops were unable to survive and all got out of business. Because the large chain stores monopolized the business, the previous owners of the local shops had to work for the large chain stores instead. However, they had to bear with wages which were lower than the minimum wages in the United States. Westerners place emphasis on economic interests and disregard other peoples’ living condition while trying to gain more. Such a deed would eventually bring harm to others. However, take a look back at our oriental traditions. In Hong Kong or Taiwan, the strategy of collective marketing used to be adopted. In the past, fabric stores and miscellaneous stores could be found on Di Hua Street in Taiwan. As many similar stores were located on the same street, positive competition would be triggered and products would improve. The stores did their bests and were able to survive with their business income. No one thought about gaining monopoly power or kicking others out of business. Apart from being related to the Chinese Confucian –inspired culture and the Doctrine of the Mean, such thinking is under the influence of the Buddhist teachings. If only one store dominates the whole market, its business can be bipolar, either great or very poor. Due to the impact of Western culture, the strategy of collective marketing was abandoned and advertising companies are thriving. Because the customers have no idea where the stores are located, the stores have to attract their customers through advertisements.

Many westerners believe in God and Jesus, but none of them have ever seen God themselves. Nevertheless, they consider easterners superstitious with their belief in Buddhism. Although many thought the law of cause and effects from Buddhism is superstitious, the western people live in according with the law of cause and effect in their daily life too. For example, those smokers’ lungs and hearts must be under bad condition, and this is the law of cause and effect. Confucianism is the mainstream in oriental culture and proposes to instruct all while selecting none. In Buddhism, the concepts of equality and universal salvation are also stressed. Regardless of one’s race, background, culture or economic status, he will be helped as long as he has karmic connection with the Buddhist teachings. On the other hand, individualism is emphasized in western cultures, in which the idea of “I” serves as the starting point for every single thought. Strictly speaking, warfare during the past centuries was caused by the western view. A monopoly can be in extreme conditions, enjoying great prosperity or suffering from immense losses. In the United States and Australia, for example, in order to reduce the costs by means of economies of scale, one particular crop is grown on a large scale. Nonetheless, as the climate changes, the local economy would then collapse. In Europe, they used to plant one particular tree species in order to gain economic interest. However, when pests and plant diseases appeared, all the trees died at the same time. As a result, they learned not to plant single but more tree species afterwards. In Buddhism, we are taught about causes and conditions, i.e. the Nature, and we should carry out our actions without violating the rule of cause and effect.

The United States had been trying to lay their hands on oil resources in other countries by force. Recently, an oil leak in American marine territory was found and ruined the coastline of a state. It was cause and effect. If you want it, it should be given to you. Nevertheless, you would not be able to use it anyway. Besides, the whole incident was cause by the British, the ancestors of the Americans!

Some people said that the prices of the end products of coffee are much higher than their production costs. They thought that the service wholesalers earned too much and thereby made the coffee farmers suffer. As a result, they promoted direct selling of produce from its origin. If a coffee farmer had a profit of 0.5 dollar, he would be able to earn 2 dollars when selling their produce directly to the consumers. However, it also means that the wholesalers would lose their jobs and the marketing channel would be cut off. Maybe the business would seem prosperous for a while. Nonetheless, as the sales of coffee bean drop for these farmers in a few years, they will still have to go to those advertising companies as no marketing channel would be available then. They will still have to give their money to the advertising companies, anyway. In fact, if these coffee farmers have the merits to earn so much money, they would have started their business long ago. Therefore, from the Buddhist perspective, nature has to be considered. In the mean time, one has to contemplate whether any evil cause would be created while carrying out a virtuous deed. For example, in order to help the coffee farmers, all the job opportunities in between would all be gone. Wouldn’t such a deed be considered an evil one by those working in between? Besides, as the service wholesalers were able to save a lot of transportation costs with their experiences, more costs would be needed now. All these deeds should have been examined with the Buddhist teachings in terms of their cause and effect prior to their conduction.

Apart from refraining from doing any evil deeds, one ought to successively and unceasingly practice white and pure virtuous dharma. The so-called white and pure is divided into two meanings: Those brining harm to oneself as well as others are black karma. The things that can benefit sentient beings are white karma. “Pure” is for the mindset of clean and pure without self-seeking. Doing many good things is not necessarily practicing virtuous dharma purely, as many people practice virtuous things for fame, looking forward to others’ praise, being known by other people, and gaining complements. The so-called clean and pure virtuous dharma refers to the silent acts of virtuous deeds without seeking for fame and rewards. “Hidden virtues”, talked about since ancient time, should be done unceasingly and continuously. If you regard that other people should praise you for some things you do, thus you are pursuing fame. Actually, the reputation of a person with merits would naturally spread out. There are many achieved practitioners who are unknown in whole life. There was a thief in Taiwan who gained the title of “king of the bandit” and wildly known, while others thieves are nameless. Although they practice evil, it is also their merits; When their merits are consumed out, it will be the time to get corresponding retribution.

The reason that Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center organizes grand pujas every year is in order to develop virtuous karmic relationship with sentient beings and accumulate virtuous karma. Like this time Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led disciples of Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center to successfully coordinate the grand puja for Drikung Kagyu Order, it is due to having gotten experienced from arrangement of the previous grand pujas. You usually do things for yourselves. Only under Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s guide and blessings for the grand puja can you achieve contributing money and energy without seeking rewards in return. You have done your best for the grand puja, maybe it was out of the fear of the possibility of being scolded by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, but you were dealing with the affairs of grand puja not for yourselves. Therefore, that would be the rare opportunity for you to practice virtuous deeds. Do not feel pressure as you have to donate money and strength to the grand puja, as well as ask many people to attend it while you feel you only have few friends. As long as you do it wholeheartedly, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would help you. Some people who have karmic connection to you, to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would initiatively appear in front of you.

In fact, to initiate virtuous conditions is not to give people Sutras, Buddha statues, or prayer beads. How many prayer beads can you give? To the end you will feel yourself lack of economic capacity and stop doing it. Perhaps you think you can print out a lot of Sutras. However, you are also aware of that very few people would truly read the Sutras printed. The true initiation of virtuous conditions is to let people have the opportunity to reach Buddha-Dharma. Holding grand puja is the only way! And it must be a large-scaled puja rather than normal small-scaled pujas. A guru would like to continuously create the causes and conditions for disciples to accumulate merits, like His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche often asks Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to do many these and those. Nowadays, in Taiwan, it is really rare for a Guru who is able to preside over this kind of grand puja. Even if there are some, the scene may be in a mess. The grand pujas held by Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center for years have been very pure, without raising fund from outside people. The whole process of puja is also in well-ordered. Because of it, the attendees can feel about the sublimity and their complaints can be reduced too. It is certain that we should be criticize, but, with well-organized preparation, the evil karma by their criticizing would be reduced. You may not know the grand pujas help your relatives and friends. It may not be seen at present. However, as long as they ever attend grand puja, they would certainly get help in Buddhism cultivation in the future or even in future lives. The wheel of Buddha-Dharma needs sentient beings’ altogether strength to pray to turn. In the year when Buddha Sakyamuni just became enlightened, it also needed the sentient beings’ imploring for bestowing Buddhism and turning dharma wheel.

As stated in the Avatamsaka Sutra, the heavenly beings do not like those who scheme in their minds. Many people do calculation in everything they do, i.e. scheming in their minds. For example, according to the disciple’s account, she had reduced her medical expenses significantly because of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s blessings. Nevertheless, ordinary people do not think that they can make offerings or donations to those in need with the money and merely want to put it into their savings account. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enabled the disciples to have the opportunity to accumulate their merits by allowing them to sponsor the grand puja financially. Some people are reluctant to spend their money. They fail to think that the money might be wasted on other matters such as treating their illnesses. To have such thinking is to scheme in one’s mind. As to the reason why it is the heavenly beings that show disproval instead of the Buddhas, it is because the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would never punish the sentient beings. As the Buddhist sutra says that human beings on Earth came from the Light-sound Heaven, the heavenly beings are actually our ancestors. When they see their offspring commit evil deeds, they would sure be displeased.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been advising everyone to adopt a vegetarian diet and to refrain from committing wrongdoings. Therefore, everyone would be enabled to refrain from conducting evil deeds and cultivate their virtuous thoughts. It takes courage to refrain from committing evil deeds and to carry out virtuous deeds. Some people would not listen and refuse to carry out virtuous deeds, so their diseases recurred. It doesn’t mean that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would make you sick again. In fact, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not have the ability to make you sick, nor do the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. It is your own cause and effect and you yourselves have to take on the responsibility. As one has been reincarnated many hundred times, the sentient beings were once our parents. Several years ago, a TV program reported that a set of skeleton was found in Scotland, Great Britain, which could be dated back to 9000 years ago. At the same village, several villagers were found to have the same DNA as that of the skeleton.

In the Avatamsaka Sutra, it is said that Earth is blue. As no space shuttles or astronauts existed three thousands of years ago, the Buddha knew that Earth is blue even without riding on any scientific equipment to observe from outer space. In fact, human beings once had the ability to made predictions. For example, Australian aborigines used to have the ability to predict weather conditions because they lived a very simple life. On the contrary, modern people are too busy, so their minds were gradually clouded and lost such an ability. Modern people are busy with work every day and watch TV after work. Recently, many people have been crazy about soccer, for example. They stayed up to watch the matches and therefore did not want to go to work the next day. In fact, the winning or losing of a particular team has nothing to do with our lives. However, as one thinks much about such irrelevant matters, his nature of mind would be hidden even much deeper.

Maybe some people would think that they need entertainment in their lives. However, a true practitioner lives a different life and his real happiness is to practice Buddhism. In 2007, the venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did a retreat in the snowy mountains of Lapchi, Nepal, at 4,500 meters of altitude. Unlike those conducting meditative retreats for 7 or 3 days with mosquito nets and air-conditioned rooms, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche stayed in a wooden cabin and did not bring anything with him, not even his cell phone or computer, and remained in the retreat hut for three months. It was extremely cold and the dinner was served at 6:30 pm every day. The meal was always the same: a bowl of noodle in the clear water with two pieces of vegetable on top. Sometimes, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche’s attendant prepared the dinner earlier, the noodles would then become smushy and there would be insufficient soup. If he cooked it later, there would be too much soup. Sometimes, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would give him a note telling him to put in more or less soup. Therefore, when eating noodles afterwards, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche would bid the attendant to prepare more soup and laugh about it. It can be seen that one needs to have merits even during his retreat so that someone helpful would be there. One has to form virtuous connections with vast population in ordinary times so as to get such merits. Otherwise, it would be like what happened to a disciple during his retreat conducted in 2009, which was also the first time for the venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to lead the disciples to do retreat practice. The toilet in the disciple’s retreat room was clogged. As he was unable to find help during the retreat, he then suffered from the smell for several days. It was because the disciple did not have the merits, so he would be in a room with an out-of-order toilet even during his retreat practice. Nevertheless, on the other hand, maybe the disciple had to fall into the Hell of Feces originally. As he had been through his retreat under such a condition, he would then be freed from the suffering of Hell of Feces. What you do not know is that one can repay some karmic debts during a retreat practice.

On Saturday, two believers came to the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center to see Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche told them that they had prayed to the Empress of the West. Therefore, she sent them to listen to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s advice. They hesitated and then agreed. In fact, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is able to connect with the deities in Taoism and Jesus Christ in Christianity, except for a deity in another religion because it does not exist at all.

You should not have any default expectation when praying to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Do not think that if you pray to Buddha Amitabha, it will certainly be Buddha Amitabha who comes to help you. Sometimes when you pray to Avalokiteshvara, it may be Ksitigarbha who actually comes to help. It all depends on each person’s causes and conditions. Like Dharma protector Archie, she has four Dharma protectors herself, including sisters of longevity. These Dharma protectors also have external Dharma protectors who have their own Dharma protectors as well. So there are many and many Dharma protectors. In 2007, when conducting a retreat on Mt. Lapchi in Nepal, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saw a female Dharma protector who was riding on a kylin and hovering continuously in the valley. When leaving the retreat room, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang about this. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang said that the protector should be one of Achi’s Dharma protectors. Later, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang brought Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to climb up 700 more meters to reach a cave where Venerable Milarepa had conducted retreats before. According to legend, Venerable Milarepa’s footprints had been left on top of the ceiling of the cave. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had to stand on a table for Rinpoche’s head to touch Milarepa’s footprints. Nearby the cave, there was a Buddhist temple. And His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang held a puja there. During the puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche sit next to His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and participated in the puja attentively without paying attention to the surrounding objects. It was only after the completion of the puja, when eating tea time snacks, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then turned his head and saw a thangka of Dharma protector Achi next to him. The Dharma protector Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had seen during the retreat was painted on that thangka. Then, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche consulted His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang again whether what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had seen during the retreat was this Dharma protector. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang said yes and enlightened Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that this Dharma protector was also one of the Dharma protectors of the Yidam whom Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche practiced in this retreat.

Yesterday, there was a couple who sought audience with the venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, because their two-year-old child had had a high fever one day on the morning and had died very quickly in the afternoon; even doctors could not find the reason. The venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked them whether the wife had been frightened during her pregnancy. At first, they said no. The venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then asked about their professions. They replied that they were selling tofu skins in a traditional market. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then enlightened them, “Your next stand was selling fish while the stand diagonally opposite of yours was selling pork. Is this correct?” They said, “Yes”. Sometimes, when the person selling the fishes was absent, this believer would also help out. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened them, “You saw the killings of those fishes every day; the unborn fetus in your body also heard the killings, so he was frightened, thinking that why there was so much suffering. So, he did not want to live either. This is prenatal education.” Do you think it is all right to just look? You think it does not matter to see others killing fishes or fishing, saying, “Wow! This fish is big. It is a nice kill! This fish is big. It is a good catch!” All of these are following the evils! Why did Buddha Sakyamuni have a headache? It is because in one past life, the people of Sakya clan had lived in the same village; one day the village head had gathered all of the villagers, drained the water in a pond, and killed all of the fishes inside for cooking to eat. At the time, Buddha Sakyamuni who had still been a child had only stood to watch. Although he had not killed the fishes, he had still used a stick to knock the head of a big fish several times. Therefore, he had the karmic retribution of headache.

Many years ago, there was a young man whose waist suffered pains and the doctors could not find the reason. After he sought audience with the venerable Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saw, under a meditative state, that there was a wild boar which was hitting his waist constantly. However, this man wore a suit and did not look like a person living in the country, and this man’s family did not keep pigs either. So Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked him whether he had accompanied his uncle to hunt wild boars and acclaimed the successful hunt on the side. This man nodded and said yes. Obviously, following the evils will also have karmic retributions. Do not think that I have not killed living beings, so I am fine. Even if you did not kill personally, as long as you have seen others killing living beings, it counts. This is “following the evils”. If you had seen the killing of big pigs and applauded the killing ritual on the side, this was a kind of “following the evils”. You should repent as soon as possible.

Last week, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had enlightened us about transforming an illness to the use of walking on the Buddhist path. Although Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had had this book long time ago, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had not seen the content of this section before. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s method of reading Buddhist scriptures is different than yours; Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not read a book from the beginning, but randomly pick a section. When recently reading the content of this section, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche just discovered that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had already done what mentioned in the book about transforming illnesses to the use of walking on the Buddhist path. So Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche can use the personal experience of painful diseases of skin cancer and cervical vertebra displacement to enlighten all of us, because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has passed through this stage. If Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had read this book before and then accomplished it, you might suspect this. However, because of having cultivations from past generations of lives, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche can naturally accomplish the truth taught by the Buddha. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not speak theory, but used actual experiences to verify the truth. If Buddha dharma had not been verified on Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s body, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not dare to teach Buddha dharma; Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could accomplish what the Buddha had said, and you can certainly attain achievements. Buddha Sakyamuni had once said that all sentient beings can attain Buddhahood, especially for the sentient beings in the human realm. The pure and clean nature carried by human beings was masked; through the teachings and learning of Buddha dharma, human beings can then restore the original pure and clean nature.

Many illnesses basically come from killing sentient beings. So last week Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened us how to transform our illnesses into the use of walking on the Buddhist path. After knowing the origination and development of an illness, we can realize that in fact everything is under the law of cause and effect. Why do we have illnesses? In fact, a person’s body has illnesses because the person’s mind has illnesses. If a person’s mind does not have illnesses, even if his body has diseases, he will not feel the pains of the diseases. The suffering of physical body is still endurable; however, the most suffering is the illness of the mind. And Buddha dharma is here to treat your illnesses from your mind. After Buddha dharma helps you to eliminate your karma, your mind will naturally have no illness and the body’s illness will not hinder you from practicing Buddha dharma. Because of illness, you therefore would realize what causes your problems, and you are able to treat this illness as the means of practice Buddhism. Drikung Kagyu’s Mahamudra is most auspicious as it is not used to subdue what our nature have but is used to transform the illness into the means of practicing Buddhism. Buddha Sakyamuni discovered that an illness can actually help a person’s practice. If you had not had any disease or pain, you would not have attended the puja today. If you had had a complete family, successful career, and carefree financial condition, when being asked to learn Buddhism, you would not have felt that practicing Buddha dharma could help you. Therefore, your illnesses actually helped you and gave you the opportunity to hear Buddha dharma. Like many Europeans who live in privileged environments, they, however, do not have any opportunity to listen to Buddha dharma. Now the weather is so hot; it will become hotter and hotter in the future. If you do not practice Buddha dharma diligently in this life, when being reborn later, you will have the chance to be reborn in a place where Buddha dharma does not exist.

When getting a little sick, many of you will yell nervously and painfully. In fact, this illness is nothing, like the phrase in English, a piece of cake. Your little illness, unsmooth career, and divorce are not real suffering, just like a piece of biscuit in an afternoon tea. Although Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s body has serious spinal S-type scoliosis, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s mind does not feel the pain of the disease, does not exclude and reject the disease. So the body’s disease does not affect Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s daily life. After sitting cross-legged for hours on the Dharma throne, when descending the Dharma throne, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche can walk freely right away. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche can also go to promote Buddha dharma and benefit sentient beings everywhere.

At the time, there was a doctor disciple who wanted Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to have chiropractic, using machines to manipulate the neck and spine, and so on. To satisfy this disciple’s wish, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche went to see the chiropractor once and has never gone again afterwards. This disease is, like what the doctor disciple has said, impossible to cure and will certainly recur again. Like a cancer patient, after the patient had the surgery and chemotherapy, the doctor would told him that at most his life could only be sustained for about five or six years. After five or six years when the cancer recurs, the patient will be very painful. In this period of time, you may live in fear all day long, worrying whether the cancer will recur, and so on. Like the chiropractic therapy for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, if Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has to be pulled every day and spends all of the time on this illness, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will not have time to do other things. Rather than spending time on these issues and suffering recurrence a few years later, it is better to leave it as is. At the time of getting the skin cancer, both sides of the face and the forehead of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had black spots. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knew that he would become very ugly. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche still truly and continuously practiced Buddha dharma. Now the black spots have already disappeared and the skin has turned white, without relying on laser therapy. But this is not asking you not to see a doctor. When you get ill, you still have to see a doctor. But your mentality towards the illness has to change.

For a disease, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not have any resentment, does not hope to get better soon, and does not have any wish about the disease. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche only worries that he does not have enough practices such that his karma cannot get help. When facing the skin cancer and the serious spinal S-type scoliosis, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not think like you did to ignore them, to accept them, or to have a feeling of coexisting with them, or to hope that they can be liberated. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche just thought that they are causes and conditions. Since they had happened and had not yet been cured, just let them be there. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knows that these are the karmic retributions of the evil karma done by him himself from past generations of lives. If Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche can repay them in this life, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will let them do whatever they like to do, even that means dying. This is also what Buddhist scriptures have stated. It is not that you should suppress the diseases to prevent them from happening, like what ordinary none-Buddhist religions have mentioned. However, we should let the diseases be expanded and happen in this life as much as possible. We should not wait to repay them until the next life. There is no permanent illness. When a person dies, the disease will also end. It is not like what ordinary people have thought that if you have a lung disease and die, you will become a ghost which has a lung disease. Some psychics lied to you and said that certain person had had a lung disease before he died and now he was a ghost who still coughed in front of you. How do ghosts have lungs? A ghost only has its consciousness. If a person had a lung disease before he dies, when he becomes a ghost, he will still has certain attachments to the lung disease.

Several years ago, a female disciple’s husband was diagnosed with so–called “gradual freezing disease.” This illness would cause stiffness of the body. Beginning with extremities, his whole body would gradually become rigid, unable to move. At last, only his eyelids could move. When his heart stopped beating and he ceased to breathe, he’d die. It’s a very painful process. His wife took refuge first and he didn’t believe at the beginning. But when he also took refuge, he was better in practicing Buddhism than his wife. It’s because he completely accepted this disease, no more refusal, let go of everything and opened up his mind to the Buddha Dharma. A few months before he died, even he couldn’t move any longer and could only open his mouth to recite the Six-syllable Mani Mantra, not giving up his own dharma body and wisdom life. He had achieved the level of knowing when the death would come. He arranged everything before he died and also informed his family when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would perform the precious Phowa Dharma and transferred his consciousness to the Pure Land.

This is another good example of how to transform one’s illness into the use of practicing Buddhism. He had obtained his accomplishment in his death bed. You are still healthy, which is very different from his case. His wife, however, left the center after his husband died. One thing interesting occurred when she still belonged to the center. Another disciple on a bus saw her going into a church. Thus, this incident suggests the omniscience of the dharma protector.

Everybody has the experience to have sick; therefore Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened that the way of practice by transforming the illness to the passage of the Buddhist path. Last Friday, on the Chod Puja, Rinpoche also asked you when you went home to think what the definition of the life is. If your life is just only for practicing charity and enjoying your life, those things can be done by animals as well. There was a TV program reported that a child fell into the fence of animal. Everyone thought that the orangutan would hurt the child, but this child was rescued by the orangutan. An long as the beings are sentient who realize to practice charity as well. Even if those people never touch Buddhism, In Orient, they are also advised to practice the charity by the effect of the Confucianism. Therefore we have realized the purpose of our life, we can realize why we need to learn and practice Buddhism.

We can see from those medical reports that some of the patients took a lot of money and time to fight with the diseases. At last those patients are not died from the cancer diseases. On the contrary, they could not bear and die from the suffering during the process of surgery or chemotherapy. The illness can be recovered not by the effect of medicine, but by the virtue the ones have. According to Buddhist sutras, there was a King got an acute disease; the illness was suppressed by taking the medicine. But the king was belligerent and doing evil deeds. One night, he had a dream that two toes was talking about the illness. One said “Our power was suppressed!” Another one said “Don’t worry, the King is warlike, it will be useless to take medicine when his merits will be exhausted soon.” Soon after, the King was died of relapse.
Other examples from the Buddhist sutras, Buddha Sakyamuni became ill to present the appearance in his old age. Layman Vimalakirti ever had the ill to have the cause to enlighten the dharma when Buddha Sakyamuni asked Manjushri Bodhisattva to visit him. Those are the examples by transforming the illness to the passage of the Buddhist path.

Birth, age, illness and death are the process of a human’s life. You feel suffering when you are ill; you fell happy when you are recovered. But you think it carefully, if there is one thing is happy forever in the world? There is no permanent suffering and happiness in the world, those are the change of your mind and cling to define whether those are happiness or suffering. Everybody agrees that the happiness is less than suffering in one’s life. In fact, the happiness and suffering is the dualism. When it is conflict with your benefit, you will feel suffering; when your desire is satisfied, you will feel happy. The time of bearing suffering seems to be last longer when you dislike the suffering; the happy time is passed so fast. The same like your childhood: You would feel why one second was so long when you got punishment by your parents. You felt one second passed so fast when you were praised by giving the candy. The different feeling for the same period of time because of the reaction to the external environment, depending on your subjective consciousness. Just like eating, working and sleeping, you have to accept then because those are the processes of your life. As to what the processes are, you may add the different sauce in your dish to have a different taste; finally you have to eat them all. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not have the discrimination, seeing things only from the law of cause and effect.

Someone is not ill for his physical body. But the mental illness lets him emaciated. There was one divorced and lost so much weight. What’s the reason he would be? The first reason is that he could not give it up. The second is he could not to take it simply. The third is he could not to be unwilling to lose it. There was no cause and effect which is forever. When there is no karma connection, you have to accept it. When the one doesn’t like you, naturally there will be other one to like you. It doesn’t mean that Rinpoche advises you must be divorced; everything must be according with conditions. There was someone to be skinny after divorce; however after joining the puja, his/her metal illness was recovered, he or she is back to normal and would like to have the relationship with others. It does not mean that if you are the couple in this life which will be a forever couple in your next life. Especially those who are affectionate couples or unhappily married couples who would like to bite each other. It would not be necessarily correct to be a couple for the next life, maybe you will become a parasite to be staying in his or her belly. It was not real for a couples to be together with for seven generations. That is because of the body of karmic retribution which will not be the same for each life.

Most of you think that your couple and the family is the whole life, that is because of seeing the TV program too much and effective by the content of TV program. Thinking the love is all of this. In fact, those are the karma connections and not to last forever.

Last Friday, on the Chod Puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened you that you had to think what the definition of the life is. If your life is just only for making money for live. What is the different with animal? There are only four things for a human life: To chase one’s debt, to pay one’s debt, to repay another’s kindness, to revenge for someone. When those four things are over, you will leave with the relationship of the worldly karma connection. The Buddhist disciples would only have two things: to pay one’s debt, to repay another’s kindness. Someone thought if we did not chase one’s debt, whether we will let ones to have lots of debts in his next life?  It would be considered that it is correct by a worldly aspect. But it is actually not for being a real practitioner. Suppose it was that all of you in the venue should owe the debt to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche: Your life was almost saved by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and those who ever had the blessings by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, those who ever joined the Great Puja and those sentient beings heard the Buddhism teaching from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Whether Rinpoche would like to chase the debt to you?

With regard to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, those things rise and fall with their causes and conditions. Therefore Rinpoche would not particularly remember who was helped before. Just like a mention in the Diamond Sutra,” Generate the thought without having any attachment”. It is not Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche get the Alzheimer’s disease, on the contrary, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was very clear in his mind. There were believers mentioned that they met Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche several months ago, but Rinpoche did not keep in memory indeed. When His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang asked Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to support the Drikung Kagyu Order by the huge amount of donation, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not tell you what he had done for each of those things. Because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not keep in mind as well. Therefore Rinpoche could be hardly to remember how many sentient beings had be helped by him and Rinpoche will not to chase the debt from you. Those things are considered by the aspect of the causes of effects.

Next weekend of the puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will enlighten the way of the concentration of Zen. Someone thought that the concentration is the still mind or there is no thought at all. Those are incorrect. When you are alive, your mind will not be still unless you are died. As long as your heart is beating and you are breathing, there must be thoughts in your mind. If you don’t want to have those thoughts and wish to acquire the peace of your mind, there will be a serial thoughts in your mind:”Raising the thought” ”Don’t have the thought” ”The thought is disappeared”. Those who ever practice to sit in meditation by the way of Exoteric Buddhism, the more they sit in meditation, the more disordered in their mind. Some of the disciples would ask their Master. The Master would suggest them trying to overwhelm the raising of thought by thinking about one word or a sentence. Someone said “to be empty”. What is empty? To have a hole inside of a body is empty? If someone thought that it should be quiet and immoveable, how come to be considered a “concentration” when a desk has been fixed for more than several ten years. As one has the breath and heartbeat, one definitely has thoughts.

Entering into the state of concentration is not being quiet or uploading, nor is it to be thoughtless. Being concentrated is the state in an interval from one thought to another. A Buddhist practitioner is able to extend the time of the interval. When one enters into the concentrative state, fifteen minutes would be like one second for him. When one is not able enter into that state, three minutes would be like thirty-minute long for him. A real practitioner is able to attain the state of concentration for all time, including when having meals, doing jobs, or sleeping. Sometimes when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche helps sentient beings, he temporarily has his eyeballs fixed. The standstill is also concentration, which is for cease your speaking words for a while. There was a disciple who had been an ordained monk and resumed regular life expressed that he had never heard before about this kind of teachings of the concentration bestowed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Nor has he had the real practice experience on it. He ever read in the Sutra that an experienced Guru with true practices is able to transmit his practice experiences to disciples, and it saves them from spending time on reading Sutras and brings about much effectiveness. He had ever learned to push down the inappropriate thoughts by reciting Buddha’s names. But for the enlightenment bestowed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche about the concentration, the disciple has not had the real practice experience.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche further enlightened the audience that Buddha Dharma is especially distinguished by its spontaneous nature; Buddha Dharma would not stipulate how the believers have to think or have to act. Buddha Dharma does not come to existence through creation; it differs from non-Buddhist theories that have otherwise imposed a thinking model on you. Regardless how you think, the whole life of yours is according to the law of causes and effects. Buddha Dharma teachings are based on truth to teach you how to deal with your lifetime. For example, in today’s teaching, Rinpoche elaborated how to make use of an illness; it’s a practice through which the Dharma could become part of your daily life.

The teachings from Buddhas can be achieved definitely; no matter how much you hear or whatever you watch, it would be useless until you do it. And, never classify the outcome into good or bad ones; in teachings of Buddha Dharma, the conception of good or bad is an illusion, a technique to separate things. According to sutras, nothing can be considered as “good” except the enlightenment that you could not attain in your present lifetime. The conception of Dharma comprehension is also not appropriate; whenever you feel that you don’t understand its meaning, the reality is that you have not completely surrendered yourself to the Dharma and there would be something in conflict with your own interest. With body, speech and mind, do surrender yourself to the Triple Gem. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche furthermore explained that one’s true practice is to benefit sentient beings with the Buddha Dharma that he has learned, and also, after listening to the Buddhist teachings, to correct himself and obtain liberation from birth and death, and so to help other sentient beings.

You may have observed that His Holiness Chetsang speaks Tibetan in the ceremonies. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not understand Tibetan at all, nor does Rinpoche quite understand the oral translation given with an ascent of northern India. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could fully use the Dharma disseminated by His Holiness Chetsang. If you have ever attended those ceremonies, you would also have observed that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was always sitting upright during the ceremony, even lasting for many hours. Furthermore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also understand all of His Holiness’ teachings and applies these effectively.

One disciple cited one of verses of a Sutra text to describe Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s concentration. That is, sitting beneath His Holiness’s Dharma throne, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche looks at His Holiness reverently and listening to His Holiness’s dharma talks and teachings with joy and concentration as he is drinking the wonderful nectar.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche listens to the dharma talks by complete meditative concentration without expectation of understand all of teachings. What comes up with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is only his belief that His Holiness’ teachings will benefit sentient beings marvelously. By doing this way, the power of His Holiness’ mind could be received too, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would surely achieve what His Holiness taught and what the Sutra text said as well. Learning Buddhism is not by languages but by heart. If it was by language, there would not have been the story about Kasyapa’s smile by Buddha’s holding a flower.

During the period while His Holiness Chetsang is staying here in Taiwan, each time when an idea, about the activity to take for His Holiness Chetsang, arose in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s heart, it turns out the Rinpoche would receive a request via phone call; the request reflects what Rinpoche has thought of. The hearts of Rinpoche and his guru are inter-connected because of the power in their minds. Think about why your hearts are not inter-connected with Rinpoche’s heart; it’s because you have not completely surrendered to the Triple Gem.

Not long ago it is heard that a teacher of Exoteric Buddhism carried a bottle of water and tried to spray the water of nectar onto some living beings. It’s an example of misunderstanding Buddha Dharma. In fact, even a tiny drop of nectar can be equivalent to an ocean of water, through the practitioner’s blessing; Buddha sutras have stated that the other world could be found within a world as tiny as a dust. Buddha Dharma is not pertaining to any particular substance nor pertaining to any particular quantity; it is pervasive in the whole universe. For example, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could successfully perform a Phowa ritual for a deceased at Taiwan, even at thousands of kilometers distance far from Japan or India. In such cases, Rinpoche are not at the near side of the deceased, yet the top crown of the deceased would then have a round hole; it’s an evidence of timelessness and spacelessness! Because space and time are still subject to reaction of the mind. In seeing such power from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, you ought to discard your doubts. Furthermore, though Buddha Sakyamuni had a prophecy about the ultimate destiny of beings on the earth, the situation and conditions can still be changed. Similarly, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is able to visualize your present lifetime. Through the power of a true practitioner, the surrounding area or the country can be changed as long as the believers can follow his teachings. It would be in vain if you do not follow the teachings or do not practice.

Several years ago, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed a couple who both are disciples to work for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s company. These two disciples refuse this offer by many excuses. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not force them to change their mind, just following their karmic connections. After a few years, the one who is the wife contracted a tumor and experienced lots of sufferings. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s teachings are against your benefit, you thought Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is an ordinary person. But it is not until when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saves your life you realize Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is a Rinpoche indeed. Maybe some will question why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not say it clearly at that moment. It is because the phenomenon is always changing, so are the human beings’ karmic connections, which are not certainly always the same. Buddha Sakyamuni will say those karmas that are unchangeable. Otherwise, the beings’ causes and conditions are changing unceasingly.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche helps sentient beings with regret and complains. Recently His Holiness said to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that Rinpoche’s health is quite good to promote the Buddhism for ten more years before starting his retire. His Holiness also commented Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could find a place to build a monastery in Taiwan. Because it is the instruction from guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will start doing it although he has no idea where the place will be, nor where the financial funds will come from. All of the attendees applaud this great message with happiness.

Today’s teachings are very important to change the values of your future life, regardless if you continue coming to learn Buddhism. Time is changing. If we promote Western culture only, we will do only our own benefit. If we promote Asian culture only, some people have difficulties in accepting its background. Therefore, we should merge these two cultures by selecting the goods and filtering out the bads. It will definitely do positive helps to this whole world.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche acts himself as an example of true practice of Buddha Dharma. If Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could not achieve these teachings, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is not qualified to impart these teachings to you. If Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could achieve them, you could do it as well. You should not practice Buddhism by your own preconceived thoughts. You should surrender to your guru and correct yourself in accordance with Buddha’s teachings. It does not matter if you do well or not. The point is if you start doing this way or not. There is no good or bad from the view point of Buddhism. You do not need to think when you could achieve them. It is better to start doing rather than not doing it. To cultivate and practice Buddhism is to learn to control, correct, and change oneself. It would be impossible for someone who hears many lessons without taking the action to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, being a Chinese practitioner, could receive dharma and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism? Many don’t understand why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could achieve attainments of accomplishment in just 10 and more years? That is because of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s loyalty towards Drikung Kagyu Order and his guru, his constant reverence towards Three Jewels, and his helping sentient beings abstaining from grievance. That’s why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has the capability of benefitting sentient beings by his accomplishment of practices.

July 11, 2010

At the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taipei, the disciples and believers of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche reverently listened to the dharma teachings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche recorded on February 1st, 2004. The teachings were about oral transmission of the Four Preliminary Practices.

Prior to the start of the puja, a female disciple shared her story how Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche helped me with the attendees. She had been already amazed before when her daughter told her several true stories about how Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche helped beings. It was to accompany her daughter to Glorious Jewelry Company to ask the grant for naming her daughter’s new born baby when she met Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche first time. Feeling so joyful when seeing Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s compassionate look, she immediately asked the permission for attending pujas. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked her if she had started adopting vegetarian food? She said “yes”. Then Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately granted her ask and said “you may go enrolling it”.

It was her first attending weekly puja in that following Sunday. After hearing of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s dharma talks, she felt she had been making faults for more than 60 years, and doing evil deeds for more than 60 years since she had been living for more than 60 years.

After that puja, she sought an audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche again before she went back to Shanghai. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche granted her applying for the audio recording of dharma talks about “repentance”, and the dharma photo of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Moreover, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also blessed her and gave her a vajra knot, and advised her not to take off the vajra knot from her even taking shower. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said the vajra knot would not break although its color would fade.

In one morning of fall 2008, her right eye could not catch the normal image. What she could see was a circle of whiteness in size of dumplings with a few flying black dots. She was so frightened and went to see a doctor at once. The doctor diagnosed that her right eye had suffered macular hole lesions and her left eye sight had became poor due to it. This doctor prescribed a bottle of imported drug which cost around 3000 NTD for her. She took many bottles of it but the condition was not improved. After 2 or 3 months, she found her left eye sight did really become poor, from 1.2 to 0.6. She was frustrated and worried. What would it be if she can’t see? How could she live if she lost sight. She felt that life is so impermanent.

Last September (of 2009), she came to Taipei again to see au audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. She also was granted to attend the weekly puja for listening to the auspicious dharma teachings. Someday when she returned home after the puja finished, she found the whiteness on her right eye disappeared. She could see objects with her eyes as usual before. She was so excited to scream for it. Such an improvement was also marvelous to her husband, who was away in Shanghai. This female was moved so deeply to feel gratitude towards Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for his blessings to solve her eye problem. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche often taught us that do virtues and go out of your way not to be known. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche himself is the example of this. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave blessings upon this female disciple without letting her know it. She felt so much gratitude for it.

After a few days, she was accompanied with her daughter to see an eye-doctor, who is an expert in that field. The doctor said that, from medical point of view, such a problem could not be recovered and it would become worse yet. I believe why I can recover from the disease must be due to the power of Buddha Dharma and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

In Feb of 2009, the disciple came to Taipei and asked Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche if she could take refuge to the Rinpoche. Rinpoche had granted her wish. The disciple, however, did not have generated firm belief at Rinpoche and thus she missed the refuge ceremony held on the July of 2009. In the coming September, she came to Taipei and again got an opportunity from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to take refuge. On Jan 30, 2010, when she personally received the Refuge Certificate, she was completely stroked when she had observed Rinpoche’s hand script of her Dharma name. There is a point somewhere in the hand script, which looks like revealing her eye-disease. She felt so amazing, so great. The disciple said, being unwilling to be left behind others and not prone to tears, she cannot stop her tears in that day. She felt immense gratefulness toward the Rinpoche and the Buddha Dharma as well. She was aspired after learning Buddhism.

On April of 2010, on her way to a hospital to see her nephew, she slipped on stairs of a toilet at an MRT stop when she would like to walk around a wet area. She fell down and her rear head severely collided with the ground, her neck and spinal were also in collision with the stairs; at a sudden, her body became lying on the ground. At that moment, the people nearby were all startled and shouted. She felt as if her head had been heavily hit, then. She cannot stand up until a few minutes had past. Through the accident, she believed that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and the Protector had saved her live, and also learnt a notion about karmic retribution. She felt gratefulness toward compassionate Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, for she might pay back a heavy karmic debt.

In addition to the aforementioned accident, the disciple had also fell down a couple of times at her home, because during her bath she took off the Vajra knot that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had instructed her to wear it at all times. The disciple knew that her falling down is karmic retribution for the killing. But, thanks to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, her karmic retribution had been not that severe.

The disciple came to confess her deeds at this public gathering. She spoke of her bad deeds accumulated through lifetimes, including greediness, hatred, ignorance, arrogant, doubt, unwilling to lose anything, stubborn, negligent and careless, bad speeches and so forth. Further, she has not practiced Buddha Dharma in daily life, and at all times she has made same mistakes repeatedly and shamelessly.

At last, the disciple vowed and said that she want to follow the teachings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and want to do best in learning Buddhism, to refrain from breaking her vows, to practice the Dharma in daily life, to correct her own bad deeds and to escape from cyclic reincarnations. She aspired to have rebirth in Amitabha’s pure land. And, she prayed that the Vajra guru Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will live long in the world!

Then the audio recording of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s teachings is as followed. Cultivating one’s merits by rejoicing about others’ virtuous deeds is a very important dharma method in practicing Buddhism. Your habit of feeling jealous of others will be gradually eliminated if you can use this method to cultivate your merits in daily life. Our evildoings of mind, speech and body are often caused by our jealousy. Thus, when we witness any minor virtuous deeds, we should feel joyful. The meaning of feeling joyful doesn’t apply to the occasion when you’d randomly give any amount of money in a red envelope to make offering or do charities. It is that you’d feel admiration and joyful when you see people who have carried out kind deeds.

In your workplace, if you see your colleagues be willing to word hard for the company and therefore have some achievement, you shouldn’t feel suspicious or jealous. Rather, you should feel rejoicing. In schools, families, or workplaces, if you can cultivate such mindset, the feeling of pain, pressure, or injustice will be slowly decreased. It is the same in conducting business.

Many businessmen would think if they can defeat their opponents they would obtain all the opportunities for their business. They believe it’s the right way to conducting business. Actually, it’s incorrect. No single one businessman can monopolize a market. Even one can, he must pay a great deal to maintain his control of a market. Thus, in Chinese history or in modern time Taipei (such as De-Hua business district), there exists an entire street of stores in which similar commodities (such as groceries from northern and southern China) are sold by different businessmen. They open similar stores in one area, but in different advantageous ways they sell their products. Do you think whether they are able to crush their competitors? They may be able to. But why do they choose to gather in one area? That’s because they have obtained different causes and conditions to conduct business. Some customers prefer this store, but others don’t. When these stores are established in one area, the atmosphere would be soaring up.

In the Buddha Dharma, you shouldn’t think that reciting dharma texts and making prostrations are the same as practicing Buddhism. At the beginning of the puja, you’d recite the Four Immeasurables and the Four Refuges. After reciting them, you need to quietly contemplate what you’ve recite. This is a method to cultivate your Bodhichitta. Why are you always reprimanded by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche? It’s because you are still very selfish. Many of you wouldn’t agree with this statement, thinking you are not selfish and feeling that you have been thinking for others and doing things for others’ sake. A person with genuine Bodhichitta is the one with the mind of equality. When all sentient beings are still sufferings, he’d feel equally sorrowful for all.

When presiding over the Chod puja last week, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed that seeing so many chickens and ducks be slaughtered greatly saddened Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Have you felt sad? You didn’t. You were only afraid of being infected by bird flu. Have you ever recite mantras for them? No! However, when your friends or families get ill, you’d immediately go to beseech Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Have you come to implore help of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for those animals’ sake? So you don’t have Bodhichitta at all. Without it, how can you learn Vajrayana?

You only wish you, your families and friends won’t be upset. At most, you might wish humans wouldn’t be upset. But you don’t think animals are your business. The reason you’d accumulate so much evil karma and illness lies in the fact that you don’t care about animals. Nor have you made repentance or cultivated Bodhichitta. Additionally, you have been committing evildoings. Till now, many people have told Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that they only had killed one or two chickens. Many of you have excused yourselves to do animal farming. You kept saying that you have no choice because you have to raise your families. These excuses are indicative of your lack of repentant hearts and Bodhichitta.

Why has Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche proceeded so slowly when transmitting the Four Uncommon Preliminary Practices this time? It’s because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has observed that many of you have not changed even when finished the practices. It’s clearly suggested if one has genuinely and perfectly finished the practices, there would be auspicious signs. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is an example. As soon as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche finished the Uncommon Preliminary Practices, Rinpoche was completely transformed. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has personally witnessed many Rinpoches, lamas and believers who had finished the practices and some of them even had practiced three or four rounds. But they still had problems. It’s because they only formally carried out the formalities during the practices .

Those who have learned Tibetan Buddhism know that without finishing the Four Preliminary Practices, no Tantras will be taught. That’s why they would rush to finish the practices. They think one hundred thousand times of making prostrations, reciting the one-hundred-syllable Vajrasattva mantra, mandala offering, and the Four-Session Guru Yoga would be enough. And then they can learn Tantras. In fact, the Four Preliminary Practices are the most important foundation. If you can truly understand the meaning of taking refuges, the Four Immeasurables, and the Seven Branches of Prayers, you’d have a solid base in learning Buddhism.

When one wants to build a house but without a solid foundation, no matter how beautiful the house is, it’ll fall down one day. Constructing a foundation would be much more slowly than building a house itself. The investment of constructing a foundation would be the most. People in construction business know that it’ll cost more to build a house, if without a solid foundation. The cost to build a house is actually less. Learning the Buddha Dharma is the same as building a house. If the foundation of learning the Buddha Dharma is not firm enough, no matter how you make prostrations, recite mantras, or burn incenses, it won’t work.

The way many other masters transmit the Four Preliminary Practices is quite simplistic. As soon as finishing reading the texts, they’d instruct to make prostrations. Whether you can truly practice accordingly may not be in their mind. The reason Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche chose to transmit the texts unhurriedly is that Rinpoche would like to grant you a chance to profoundly contemplate the importance of the Four Preliminary Practices. If you, again, don’t strive to understand the meaning and simply recite the words, it’s impossible for you to understand the compassion of the Buddha. Nor would you genuinely understand how the Buddha care about us.

The most fundamental meaning of the Four Preliminary Practices lies in the Four Refuges, the Four Immeasurables, and the Seven Branches of Prayers. If you can truly achieve all these, it would be quick for you to achieve the Buddhahood. If you still can’t follow all these, just use your mouths to casually read the words and then make prostrations, such prostrations are simply a kind of exercise for you. It’s no use. Till now many of you still can’t quit eating meat. Some of you don’t practice A-Chi dharma protector every day, either. Some think reciting one thousand mani mantras is good enough. All such exercises and thoughts can’t transform your karma.

We often talk about transforming our karma. But how? Our karma can’t be transformed by simply reciting a bit of mantras. You need to vow Bodhichitta and transform your mind of ordinary humans. Originally, our minds are the same as the Buddha’s, clear and clean without being polluted. After the cycles of reincarnation, however, we have planted many contaminated seeds in the field of the eighth consciousness. These contaminated seeds would have chances to germinate and grow. In order to help us, the Buddha had abbreviated the most important elements in leaning Buddhism. In fact, what the twelve classics contain is within the scope of the Four Refuge, the Four Immeasurables, and the Seven Branches of Prayers. When learning Buddhism, Taiwanese often have a problem. You like to listen to a lot of classics as if they are stories. But can you practice the teachings accordingly? You actually can’t. Why? It’s because you don’t understand the original problems. The Four Refuges and the Four Immeasurables focus on ordinary people’s problems: selfishness and self-righteousness.

Speaking of self-righteousness, many of you are the same. You think you are carrying out virtuous deeds all the time, but rarely follow what your guru has taught you. Take the grand puja as an example. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had instructed that you could use meal tickets to exchange for meal boxes. But a disciple would rather listen to the person who sold the meal boxes and got rid of the meal tickets for convenience. As a result, there were two hundred meal boxes left. This is a case of self-righteousness. She thought she was a kind person who could sympathize with the hardship of that businessman. She wanted to help the businessman without considering how to help out with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

The reason Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would instruct that disciples must use meal tickets was that Rinpoche knew the businessman wouldn’t just bring exactly 1500 meal boxes as ordered. He would bring more. How’d he think of the extras? With meal tickets, he couldn’t take any advantages. He could only receive payment according to how many meal tickets he collected. That female disciple thought she was carrying out a compassionate deed, being a nice person and telling disciples not to use meal tickets. Her conduct has violated Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s instruction and certainly a mistake would follow. Another female disciple even helped her to sell those meal boxes. These are self-righteous persons. You are all the same. As your guru, what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said must have a reason behind. This time when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed on using meal tickets, it was to avoid later problems. The businessman could only collect the money in accordance with meal tickets. These two disciples self-righteously thought they were doing kind deeds, helping with the businessman. As a result, all disciples spent extra 200 NTD to buy meal boxes for no reason.

You are always like this, thinking you are doing good things. In actuality, you are doing evil things. Your helping this businessman would lead to his deceiving on other customers. From a surface level, he seemed to be hard working to bring so many meal boxes. That’s why you wanted to help him. But the strange thing was that these two disciples didn’t think of helping the guru who has been working very hard. Why? It’s because they didn’t grasp the meaning of the Four Refuges and the Four Immeasurables taught in the Four Preliminary Practices. When practicing the Buddha Dharma, they didn’t follow the teachings of the guru.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then reminded another disciple that he has not publicly made repentance for his mistakes and instructed him to do so immediately.

The disciple at once publicly reported what he had done seriously wrong. Prior to the New Year, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed him to take in charge of constructing the air conditioning system for the new center. In addition, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed him to use the method of competitive tendering to find a supplier. He, however, didn’t follow the instruction of the guru and used the method of comparison of prices. Thus, he was punished not to attend pujas.

Two mistakes were committed by this disciple. Firstly, he didn’t follow the teachings of the Buddha Dharma, without following what the guru has instructed. Secondly, he didn’t consider the conditions for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had instructed that every penny donated by disciples must have a clear and public statement. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave the order to use the method of competitive tendering, the disciple instead used a private comparison of prices. This is not considering for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche or other disciples. It is the compassion of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche who immediately corrected his errors, which allowed him a chance to alter the mistakes. He, therefore, would not make more mistakes. He was grateful to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. If he doesn’t follow the guru’s words, it means he doesn’t care for the guru. If he doesn’t care for the guru, he doesn’t have to attend pujas any more. There exists no Buddha Dharma without a guru. He expressed deep repentance and sincere regret to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and all attendees.

The reason that you have so much dispute and argument with other people in your office, family, and even school is that you have been self-righteous and considered yourself be doing good things. However, instead of giving it a thought from all aspects, you only thought from a self-aspect. Therefore, companies have their rules, countries have their laws, and Buddhism has its precepts. Those are not originally needed, but for that people are used to be self-righteous, regarding themselves smart, talented, of great ability, and haggling over every ounce.

As for the mistake made by the disciple who made repentance, other dharma gurus may not consider it a big deal, as they may think it would be all right to get the cheapest among the items from a process of price queries. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had instructed him to invite bids, and he did not follow guru’s instruction. From that he disobeyed even this kind of worldly thing, it could be certainly told that he could not completely follow guru’s teachings of Buddhism. If he cannot attain, it is meaningless for him to attend pujas.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche often enlightened that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not have needed to propagate Buddhism in thus way if Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche liked to live good days. Being clearly aware of his ability, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could live in comfortableness and so would you if Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche changed his current methods and did as others do, addressing some teachings and then asking you to practice by yourselves, not minding if you practice well or not. But Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche sits on the Dharma Throne not for fame and wealth. His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche has instructed Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to on behalf of Drikung Kagyu Order propagate the orthodox Buddhism, that is, to push you to practice and attain it after teaching you. After Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche speaks to you, if you still do not achieve, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will keep on pushing you by any various means to change and correct you. The evil habitual patterns brought from our previous lives are very hard to change. And this is why the Buddha has developed so many practice methods for us to correct ourselves.

Those people made mistakes due to their being egocentric, not well practicing rejoicing in the welfare of others. If they did not want to take the credits, be regarded as smart by others, they would not have blundered and could have acted out the instruction of the management. Due to the jealous heart, people start to do evil. Holding this kind of mindset, people, no matter the lay or the ordained, would continuously be reincarnated, not able to get liberated from the cycle of birth and death.

The Seven Branch Prayer seems to be for us to make offering to Buddhas, but in fact it is for us to correct ourselves and change our mindset of self-righteous and selfish. The main reason for staff having arguments with each other in a company usually has nothing to do with their comparing individual salary, but it has something to do with that they are ill-affected. Lower level staffs are discontented as toward authority, thinking they are not qualified to give instructions. Those at same level are also malcontent to one another, considering themselves smarter than the others.

Even before starting to learn and practice Buddhism, wherever Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche worked for, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not compare himself to another. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche just tries his best to get things done well, and never feels angry at others who exceed him. Nor does Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche consider him better than others while he does better. It is because, from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s thought, the boss has already provided the salary to him, he should be worthy of it, rather than trying to showing oneself off. The reason those people erred is that they liked to show themselves, as they thought if they acted it well, they would have the chance to stand out. The truth is that whether or not one has the opportunity to stand out depends on his own merits and causal conditions, not on displaying one’s ability. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche took himself who has been in Drikung Kagyu Order for more than a decade as an example. Having not liked to show himself off, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been behind the screen but attained higher and higher positions instead.

Rejoicing others’ merits and virtues is most important to the lay and the ordained people. The Buddha has also said that if you can learn to rejoice others’ merits and virtues, you will gain great merits and virtues. It is because when one has no jealous heart, one attains the third practice of the six Paramitas – endurance. Endurance refers to not only getting no angry at others’ blaming, but also no envy – which is the most difficult part to endure. Other things may be easy to endure. For example, you can turn away your head when you are scolded by others. However, it is very hard for you to endure when seeing others better than you. The three former ones of the Six Paramitas, endurance in particular, are the practices that develop merits.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s mother cannot read, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche dares not say how many merits his mother has. However, for these years, his mother has been good conditions, and it is just because she has been able to endure, speaking no ill of others, and being a wife as she has to be. Many women of the present do not cook and even ask their husbands to serve her, who are not qualified to be a wife. They want their husband to serve them because they think they are wife and if husband does love her, he is not a good husband. Even some people ask their husband to feed them while having a meal. She could do this in the future life, being a dog and fed by others. It is just because they do not practice endurance.

Rejoicing with merits and virtues is the antidote to our envious heart. If you can attain it, the merits will be soon increased. Nowadays, there are many disputes in the world, and its main reason is due to envy, of course greed as well. However, only people who are of ability could be greedy. As for the envious heart, it would arise to those who are not of ability. Especially for women, when they see other well-dressed women, they may think those people are too old to be dressed in that way, by which is just the envious heart. Also, blaming their husband when seeing others’ husband are rich is also the envious heart.

Therefore, do not think little of rejoice others’ merits and virtues. The Buddha teaches us that we ought to praise when seeing others doing anything good. Besides, we should not follow the evils while many people easily do it. That is, to go with and agree with others who do evildoing. You may say you do not. But if you say in agreement when being asked about your comments on other people’s criticism, it is just following the evils. To avoid conflicts with others, you consent to his saying first, by which is following the evils and speaking ill. For a Buddhist disciple, it is wrong with him as long as he speaks ill of others. Being afraid of getting refused by others to make friend with you, you may say that other people are too over. All of you may say that words.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked the present to raise their hand if they have never said that words. As a result, one person raised his hand. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then enlightened that this person may not say the exact words, but he dares not to assert that he never agree with people who are speaking ill of others. If he had not, he would have been greater than Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and could have assented to the Dharma Throne. Raising his hand implicates that the one is self-righteous. If he had not broken a precept, he would have seated himself on the Dharma Throne already. Do not consider it is easy to sit on the Dharma Throne. One who has not sufficient merits and sits on the Dharma Throne will fall ill or even die.

In previous time in Qinghai, a person claimed his son was an incarnated Rinpoche and placed his son on the dharma throne. Thereafter, his son died immediately. For the one who just raised his hand, he did not think about he had ever agreed with his mother when speaking about his father. This person found faulty wording of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, by thinking that he did not say those words as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche spoke, so he did not speak of it. In thus way the person was self-pride and arrogant. The reason you cannot practice repentance is just being self-righteous.

If you wish not to get hostile attitude in your family, working place, or in a group, you should attain the practice of rejoicing others’ merits and virtues. It is not necessarily for you to tell people in person, but you ought to praise in your heart. When you do praise in mind, your face will appear to look better. When people see your kind and joyful appearance, they will come to make friends with you. One’s appearance changes as his heart. One’s facial appearance reflects to his heart. When the envious mind arises in you, you have to immediately perceive it and correct it. Whether a person does well or not, if he achieve to a certain position, there will definitely be some previous causes which may come from previous lives or just in this life. He obtained the effect resulted from its cause. Not everyone can achieve a high position. When you praise, you are in the shared merits with him. In the Sutra, it is stated that the Buddhas has mentioned many times about rejoicing others’ merits and virtues. In so doing, it can be the antidote to our many various bad habits.

As for the phrase “ Pray for the guru to live on”, there are two explanations on live on: one is praying that Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Gurus live long in the world and propagate Buddhism. Without Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Gurus’s teachings, even if one has the Sutras or dharma texts, it will also not take effect. Without the teachings of oral transmission from an authentic guru, one is not possible to learn Buddha-Dharma. It is to pray that Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Gurus could constantly bestow teachings to sentient beings, rather than pray for live to a certain age in this life.

In the ancient Sutras, such as the Agama Sutra, the Twelve Nidanas, and the Four Noble Truths, it is not mentioned about to pray for the guru to live on. In those years prior to the Buddha’s nirvana, the Buddha started to teach disciples to pray for it. It is not that the Buddha hoped to live another years. It is recorded in tantric texts, rather than in exoteric sutras, that when the Buddha attains Buddhahood and speaks about teachings of the Bodhisattva-yana sutras, the Devil transformed himself into a human and came to pray for the Buddha. The devil talked to the Buddha, if the Buddha’s disciples have all attained Buddhahood, his devil children and grandchildren could no longer survive. So he prayed for the Buddha not to live long in the world. The Buddha consented. You may feel strange why the Buddha promised even the devil’s request of leaving earlier. The difference between the Buddha and an ordinary person lies in that, as long as you pray, the Buddha will fulfill your wish.

As the Buddha has attained Buddhahood, the Buddha should not only live to the age of seventy-nine. Those who practice tantric dharma could be clearly know that a practitioner is able to prolong his longevity. Drubwang Rinpoche would have passed away several years ago. All people of the order prayed for Drubwang Rinpoche to abide in the world. Thereafter, he practiced dharma by himself to live till now. So does Tendzin Nyima Rinpoche. Yunga Rinpoche, another Rinpoche of Drikung Kagyu Order, would have passed away a few years ago. However, in order to wait to see Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Yunga Rinpoche is still alive now. Rinpoche is certainly able to prolong the lifetime of his Rupakaya, namely the flesh body. This kind of life prolonging is for handing Buddha-Dharma onto a right person, but not for people who want their friend to return to life.

Hence, the Buddha promised the devil that the Buddha would merely live to the age of seventy-nine. Several years prior to the Buddha’s nirvana, the Buddha asked disciples to recite sutras and conduct rituals for praying for Buddha-Dharma to abide in world. Pray before others, and the Buddha would keep the first promised one. Just like for many things you come to seek audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to beseech, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will definitely keep his promise. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche may not do if Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not promise. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will absolutely do if Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does promise. This is a special criterion for a Buddhist practitioner. Therefore, praying for the guru live on is the thing that all disciples should do. As long as each of disciples pray for Buddhas to live on, the period of Buddhism abiding on the earth would be prolonged.

According to Yunga Rinpoche, tantras would remain in this world only for another 700 years. It is hoped that every Buddhist shall pray the Buddhas to stay in the world. Apart from making verbal requests, the most important thing for you to do in order to let the gurus and the Buddhist teachings remain longer in the world is to practice in accord with the teachings. Even if there is only one person who still wants to practice and attain Buddhahood on this planet, the Buddhist teachings would stay for him. Nonetheless, if everyone in this world learns Buddhism superficially, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the gurus will leave even with all the recitations of the prayer because no one really wants to learn or practice. To learn Buddhism is not to light lamps, do prostrations to 1000 Buddhas, or recite repentance prayer, just like what people do in major Buddhist monasteries during the Chinese New Year. All such deeds can only be considered religious rituals. To learn Buddhism genuinely is like what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does to his disciples, finding faults in them all the time until they eventually have a clear understanding. If the disciples still refuse to learn even with all the admonishment, the guru will disappear. So far, a lot of your faults have been found. If you still remain who you are, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will leave in 1 or 2 years. When the Buddhist teachings are not heard or learned here, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will leave for a place with favorable karmic connections.

As stated in the Buddhist sutras, the Buddhist teachings are difficult to hear and a guru is difficult to meet. However, to a guru, it is of utmost difficulty to find a good disciple. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche has been propagating Buddhism in Taiwan for tens of years, and has only got one disciple, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, who can ascend the Dharma throne. The reason does not lie in that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is exceptionally capable, but in that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been able to practice in accord with the teachings without being self-opinionated. If you still fail to kick your bad habits, the Buddhas, who do not have to look at you and merely have to move their hearts a bit, will know that you people are not qualified and will leave you. To the Buddhas, life is nothing but a drama. However, you think your life as a very important matter. Therefore, you always do your calculations, fearing that others might take any advantage of you. If you do so, you have failed to pay attention to the Four Immeasurables and the Fourfold Refuge prayers recited in the beginning. You have failed to experience the teachings bestowed by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

When one prays the Buddhas to stay, his action should be louder than his words. If one truly learns the Buddhism, the Buddhist teachings, and Bodhichitta, and really benefits the sentient beings, the Buddhas will then remain in this world. In this degenerate age, people committing evil deeds are everywhere. It is almost impossible to find someone who conducts virtuous deeds. If you aspire with Bodhichitta, want to learn Buddhism well so as to attain Buddhism for the benefit of the sentient beings, and abide by the guru’s teachings, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will protect you because it is very difficult and rare to find someone like you. As to why the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas refuse to protect you now, the reason lies in that you are not obedient and wouldn’t follow the guru’s instructions. You think that the guru only bestows the Buddhist teachings during his Dharma lecture and does not give the Buddhist teachings in his usual utterances. Just like the aforementioned disciple, he thought it impossible for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to understand bidding and price comparison. Nevertheless, whether it is a mundane or ultramundane affair, whatever the guru speaks of is a Buddhist teaching. As the Buddhist teachings do not separate themselves from the mundane affairs, if you make distinction between the two and think that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not employ the Buddhist teachings when conducting business, you would be quite wrong.

Many people have doubts about Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche conducting businesses. Firstly, a lay guru can do businesses. Secondly, as the Drikung Kagyu Lineage is thriving nowadays, a lot of money is needed. You have the money to purchase a car, a house, or an insurance for your child, but lack the money for making offerings. The underlying principle in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s business practice is not to deceive. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche even befriends those in the same business. Some disciples complained about the high prices of group tours organized by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s travel agency. Nevertheless, they never thought that their guru needs to eat and give salaries to his employees. If they want something cheap, does it mean that they want the guru to deceive them? Why do some people make differentiation? Because they will do careful calculations when they feel themselves wronged. Previously, some people wanted to travel overseas and asked the travel agency to tell lies to the airlines so as to get cheaper tickets. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not want to violate the Buddhist teachings even when doing business and therefore rejected their offer. It is improper to tell lies. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would rather give up on the deal than violate the Buddhist teachings. You should have the same intention without making any differentiation when doing your business, learning Buddhism, staying at home, or attending the puja. In this way, your natural mind will take effect. You should not pretend that you are not a Buddhist in your workplace so that you could scold people or be bureaucratic. If you do so, you would never be able to attain Bodhichitta.

Many people say that they have faith in Buddhism. However, there are two basic requirements to meet for a Buddhist believer. Firstly, he has to believe in the law of cause and effect. Secondly, he has to practice in accord with the Buddhist teachings. If one fails to meet both requirements, it would all be in vain. The key in one’s praying the Buddhas to remain in the world is whether he himself has practiced in accord with the teachings. If one merely listens to the teachings during every puja without taking any action, it will not be helpful for his future at all and he will still be reincarnated with his karmic forces. In ancient times, when a tutor was employed to teach a child at the child’s home, the tutor would leave for another home if the child would not listen to the teachings. Nowadays, young people actually think that the teachers have to teach as they have paid their tuitions. The Buddhas and gurus will act similarly. If you do not follow the teachings, the guru will leave. Therefore, you have to examine your action, speech, and thoughts with the Four Immeasurables, the Fourfold Refuge, and the Sevenfold Offering every second to see if you measure up. Only when you achieve will you be qualified to conduct the Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas.

The positive force in “By whatever positive force I’ve built up through all of these that I’ve done like that” does not refer to any immediate grand gesture of virtues. Everything starts from scratch, just as many a little makes a mickle. As virtuous karma starts small, evil karma starts small, too. If a disciple tries to find excuses when his guru teaches him, he would never listen to his superior, either, and would eventually be fired someday. When learning Exoteric Buddhism, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche only learned about making offerings and practicing generosity. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s guru asked Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to do something, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would do what had been told without having a second thought. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not go to his guru and asked about sutra recitation or other practices. If a disciple is qualified, his guru will tell him on his initiative. What Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did was to do exactly what the guru said without asking at all.

As to you, you would even think about how much Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would earn from your oversea trip. You even think a lot and make comparison when purchasing flight tickets. As long as money is involved, you people do not consider yourselves having parents or guru. What you have been doing for the guru is superficial and fake. You only come to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche when something happens to you. In fact, you know perfectly that all the money of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would be donated. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s annual donation amounted to tens of millions of NTD, let alone other expenses.

The Buddhas teach us to make offerings and practice generosity with one fourth of our income. In the past, there was a disciple who had nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche taught him to donate his money to patients in need. Afterwards, he made a donation to an aborigine who did not have the money for medical care. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not ask him to make an offering with his money to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche so as to perform a practice to help him recover. Instead, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche merely taught the disciples how to practice generosity and make offerings. Had it been a greedy guru, such a guru would ask you to make donations to the guru so that he could perform practices for you. Any guru can perform practices. There would be no problem for a guru to perform practices. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not do so.

A disciple’s maternal grandmother had uremia and was in a coma. Uremia is a symptom of multiple organ failure and would cause numerous pathological changes. It was almost impossible for her to live on for her coma was indicative of the occurrence of brain lesion. The disciple quietly made an offering to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche during a puja. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not ask her to do so, but performed two practices for her grandmother afterwards. Originally, her grandmother was supposed to die in the previous year. Instead, she woke up and has been living well ever since. This is because the disciple knew how to make an offering. When something needs to be done, one does not have to wait until the guru speaks. Someone even came to the guru to ask about ways to make an offering. Why would he ask, then? It was because he would be reluctant to give too much and worry about giving too little. Money is everything to you, but it is merely a tool for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, a tool that should be employed to serve its purpose.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche started from the small positive force and talked so much on making offerings because all the virtuous karma of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche began with small offerings, which got larger and larger over time. All the gurus and great Rinpoches know that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche benefits the sentient beings without making any calculation or pursuing power and fame. For example, in the great Qinghai teachings held in 2003, thousands of lamas and over 100 Rinpoches were present, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was the major sponsor to cover all the costs. Logically, being the major sponsor who donated millions of NTD, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche should be able to take part in the event. If you had been Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, you would have attended the event. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not. In 2003, 250 lamas recited the Six Syllable Mantra for 45 consecutive days at the Drikung Thil Monastery in Tibet. The event was exclusively sponsored by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, but Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche never went to the occasion, either. In 1997, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chungtsang Rinpoche went to Yunnan. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would rather starve than fail to sponsor His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chungtsang Rinpoche’s trip. As a result, over 10,000 people got to see His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chungtsang Rinpoche. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not take the trip, either. Such conduct was meaningful in terms of making offerings, indeed.

Why can Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche achieve more and more Dharma activities? It is not because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is wealthy. It is because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche thinks that carrying out virtuous deeds for the benefit of the sentient beings is something more important than having meals to eat. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would rather starve to death than stop carrying out virtuous deeds. Such virtuous deeds are not conducted for self benefits, but for the whole lineage and the sentient beings, instead. Some people might ask: why not help the Exoteric Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan? In fact, in Qinghai and Tibet, particularly in the pasturing area, people rely on their monasteries regarding the matters of birth, aging, illness, and death. If there is not a single monastery in an area, the local people would not survive and would become pitiful. Upon contacting Tibetan Buddhism, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche took a great vow. As Tibetan and Han people had a lot of conflicts in the history, Tibetan people try to avoid Han people for they think Han people are too powerful. Therefore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche hoped to make personal efforts in changing such a misunderstanding between Tibetan and Han people. In fact, Tibetan tantras would not be transmitted under six conditions and one of them is when the receiver is of Han lineage. Do not think that you are able to learn any tantras as long as you receive empowerments from a Rinpoche or follow a Rinpoche closely. It is impossible. They will never tell you the pith instructions in the practices.

One does not need to become a major sponsor to carry out virtuous deeds. Virtuous deeds are not merely the things you do for His Holinesses. Virtuous deeds must start small. The hundreds of NTD you offer during each puja would be accumulated and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would donate all the money. That was how the 2003 great Qinghai teachings could be held. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche always gives his promise to do a task before knowing where the fund is.

The accumulation of these virtuous karmas is neither for the enjoyment of a happy life, nor for the hope that others will praise us; it is for the reason that one cannot be liberated from the cyclic existence without virtues. Do not think that listening to Buddha dharma every week will let you liberate from the cyclic existence. Attending pujas every week can accumulate your virtues; however, if you cannot really make offerings and give alms, it is impossible for you to be liberated from the cyclic existence. When doing virtues, you should not distinguish whether the virtue is big or small. When practicing Buddha dharma and doing virtues in this life, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche fully obeyed His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and the gurus, has never actively requested to do certain virtues, and completely believed in what His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang had said. Whatever His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang asked Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to do, no matter having money or not, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would definitely do it. In 2003, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang asked Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to go to Qinghai province; Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche simply did not know how much money was required at the time, but Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche just followed the instruction definitely. All of you have committed a mistake; as long as a charity foundation comes to ask you for donations, you will just give it a little money; this kind of virtues has no effect at all.

The best ways to do virtues are, first, Ksitigarbha sutra has taught us how to do virtues, and second, just let the guru do it for us. It is not the guru wants your money; it is that a guru will have many opportunities to do great things. You do not have these chances because you do not have such a heart. There are many wealthy people in Taiwan as well as in Drikung Kagyu order. With Taiwanese people’s financial ability, it should be very easy to find Taiwanese benefactors to support Qinghai’s great pujs which cost just a few million dollars. But why was the opportunity given to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche? It was just like His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chungtsang had publicly mentioned that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is the most important and trustworthy disciple as well as the most important big contributor in Drikung Kagyu lineage. Tibetan Buddhism is different from exoteric Buddhism that there are two or three very important benefactors in each school. These benefactors are directly related to the prosperity of the school and have very profound causes and conditions with the school from past generations of their lives.

Things are all started from small steps, step by step. So we have to know how to do virtues. The first is that Ksitigarbha sutra has the instructions; the second is to protect and support our lineage. Now you are the disciples of Drikung Kagyu order. You have the rights to practice Buddha dharma while you also have the obligations to protect and support the Buddhist center and the Drikung Kagyu lineage. Among the four major orders of Tibetan Buddhism, Drikung Kagyu puts great focus on the aspect of teachings, that is, the aspect of practices. Nyingma school puts more emphasis on conducting dharma. Gelug (yellow) school puts more emphasis on monks and nuns. Sakya (flower school) pays attention to its own heritage. In other lineages, there are not so many nectar pills like Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has given you. Why did Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche always have good things given to the disciples? Those are the things coming back based on Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s past offerings. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has given all of those things to the disciples without caring for any returns

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had given the disciples a small piece of cloth (the robe of a statue of Buddha Sakyamuni) free of charge in a Chinese New Year. If Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche wanted to collect money, you would give money to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, because you thought this piece of cloth has the power of blessing and protection as well as the ability to make you rich, and was glittering. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not collect money from the disciples, but gave the cloth to the disciples such that the disciples could have a joyful New Year holidays. Hence, a guru will not haggle over these things with the disciples. This is the same that our Buddhist center did not come up with any item such as lighting lamps or eliminating karmas to collect the disciple’s money. The guru just held pujas to help the disciples continuously every Sunday and every month.

After the previous few things have been done, our final aim is “to always dedicate our merits for perfecting the Bodhi”. What is Bodhi? Bodhi is to attain Buddhahood. However, the most important thing is dedication. When learning Buddhism, many people will say, “When your husband is not obedient, when your son is not obedient or does not study well, if you recite more of Buddhist scriptures and dedicate the merits to them, they will be obedient and will study well.” This is not true. This kind of statement is witchcraft and incantation, and using conjuration to let others be obedient. The real meaning of dedication is to tell you that a person’s power is limited for attaining Buddhahood; it is still limited even if you have the virtues accumulated from past generations of lives. We often read in Buddhist scriptures the descriptions of Buddha Sakyamuni or Avalokiteshvara making offerings to hundreds of millions of Buddha in their past generations of lives. Do you have the ability to make offerings to ten thousand Buddhas? Even making offerings to one guru cannot be done. They could attain Buddhahood because their virtues from making offerings were extremely thick; their virtues were enough, so their path of practicing Buddha dharma had no hindrance and was very smooth; hence, they have attained Buddhahood. What Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has just done, when comparing to those done by us, an ordinary single individual, is more than several ten thousand times in power. Since you are reluctant to make offerings, how could you let your Bodhi become perfect?

Buddha taught us to make dedications. We can accumulate the slightest virtuous karma and dedicate all virtuous karma of even the smallest scale to the ocean of merits of all practitioners. This is like a drop of water; if the drop of water is dripping to the ground, the drop of water will dry out immediately and disappear. If this drop of water is dripping into the ocean, it will become the same as the sea and be united with the ocean of merits. Hence, this is the meaning of dedication. If you do not make dedications, you have a distinguished mind and think that the merits are yours. Your merits will turn into a little bit, the so-called a shred of merit. Do not think you have recited mantras every day, you have made offerings to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and you have done all of them. These are just a little bit of merit. Because this is too small in the void, even smaller than a molecule or an atom, making dedication is the only Dharma. For example, if we want to be reborn in the Pure Land, we should dedicate our daily merits to the Pure Land; then the merits in the Pure Land will have your part and you can go there. If you do not make dedications, think that the merits are for your own use, and worry that what will happen if the merits were dedicated, it means that you are still an ordinary person. Whether we make dedications to all sentient beings in the Dharma realm, all sentient beings in the six realms, or the western Pure Land, there must be many practitioners in the sentient beings. As long as our mind moves, such merits will be linked with them.

If you are an enlightened person, you will be very clear that sentient beings and I are one without distinction originally; it is us who distinguish. Therefore, when we are making distinctions, our merit will be very small. Buddha said that all sentient beings can attain Buddhahood because the essence and mind of the sentient beings are the same as those of a Buddha. Why can Buddha attain Buddhahood, but an ordinary person cannot? This is because Buddha’s mind has gone back to the original appearance and been purified, but an ordinary person’s mind has not been purified and still has many ideas, has many requests to himself and others, and has many self-righteous thoughts. We have too many wild thoughts, so we forget our original appearances and distinguish among him, you, and me. So it is stated in the Diamond sutra that those who practice Bodhisattva’s path must break the four appearances, namely, my appearance, sentient beings’ appearances, an elder’s appearance, and a human being’s appearance, that is, breaking the distinguished mind.

Recently, several millions of chickens and ducks have died in Asia. Have you shed a tear drop for them? If one of your family members is sick, you will immediately cry. This is the distinguished heart and indicates that you did not make dedications well regularly. Who has come to implore Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for conducting dharmas? This is because people have not gotten such disease now. If it were SARS which is a kind of deadly disease, everyone would have knelt down immediately and implored Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to conduct dharmas so that Taiwan would not have SARS. Are you doing this really for the wellness of Taiwan? It is actually for the benefits of yourselves. You are afraid that the disease will be spread in Taiwan and afraid that you will get the disease. So you implore Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to conduct dharmas such that SARS will not come. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has enlightened us that people kill several millions of chickens now and there absolutely will have things to happen in the future; even if there will be no man-made disaster, there must be certain natural disasters.

Why did Buddha teach us so many dharmas? Buddha wanted not only you to attain Buddhahood, but hoped as well that all sentient beings can liberate from the pains of cyclic existence. Today these sentient beings, because of their evils done in the past, do not have chances to listen to Buddha dharma; but you, because of your little virtues planted from past generations of your lives, have the opportunities to listen to Buddha dharma in this life; so we need to pray to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and practice Buddha dharma on behalf of them. If you have such thoughts, you begins to have bodhicitta. If your thought is that I am practicing or I want to practice well for myself, this is an ordinary person’s idea which cannot even compare to the minds of Arhat, Sravaka, and Pratyekabuddha. We should not fear that we are doing certain things on behalf of others, because we are part of all sentient beings and all sentient beings and I were united originally. So Buddhist scriptures had never described that why there were sentient beings in the six realms; the scriptures had only stated the dependent origination and had not talked about evolution like the scientists on earth said.

A few days ago, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saw the TV show of certain religious group. The TV show said that human beings appear because of evolution. However, Buddhist scriptures have clearly stated that human beings were from the heaven realm of light and sound. The human beings could fly before; but because they had eaten a kind of food, earth fat, on earth, their bodies became heavier and could not fly anymore, so they became the human beings on earth. Hence, the human beings were not come from evolution. The TV show of this religious group talked about evolution, so it has nothing to do with Buddha dharma.

Dedication is very important. Even when we burn incense or offer a Buddha a flower and a cup of water, we have to make dedications. Do not be conceited because of your virtues and merits from making offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; do not think your will become rich and have better business; or do not think that doing virtuous deeds will let your serious illness get healed. Because when you think that you are doing virtuous deeds, you will be drawn back by the virtuous karma in your next life and still inside the cyclic existence. There was a rich lay practitioner who had practiced well in China before. One day, he heard some talking voices at his home in the place where cattle and horses were raised. He ran to check but did not see any person. The next day, he still heard someone talking. He then went to listen secretly. He found out that the cattle and the horse he raised were in conversation. The cattle asked the horse why it became the horse in this practitioner’s home; the horse answered that it was because the practitioner had given him money in past lives so he came back to repay the practitioner in this life. The horse asked the cattle the same question. The cattle also said the same thing. After listening to these, this person was very afraid and threw all of his jewelry and property into a river. Why would these cattle and horse come? This was because when doing virtuous deeds in his past life, this person had not made dedications. So when he was born in this life, these people who had received his help became cattle and horse to repay him. On the superficial level, one should repay the debt of gratitude. However, the owner usually would inadvertently or deliberately hit or kick the cattle or horse he raised; this was like those who were raising dogs; those dog owners would still hit their dogs occasionally even for the most favorable dogs. The Buddhist scriptures had stated that if hitting horses and cattle, one would come back to repay the debts in one’s next life. So after listening to the conversion between the cattle and the horse, this lay practitioner was afraid and understood the serious problem in it; so he threw his property out. Therefore, having the thoughts of “doing virtuous things” is also wrong. To avoid such error, we have to make dedications.

Don’t be afraid to devote ones merits to the salvations to others and the virtues will not be existed. The more merits to the salvations to others you devote, the more you get return. There are some religious groups to make donation to everywhere. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said amusedly, it will cause that there will be a lot of “rich man” re-birthed in Taiwan in the future. Because they were devoting the merits of human and god, which are not relative to the ways of practicing and learning Buddhism. To be as a rich man or a government aga who must be a practitioners or made the offerings to others in their previous life. But they did not devote ones merits to the salvations to others, they only get the merits of human and god. Like a singer, who are supported by many fanatics, the reason which is not relative to the singer sing very well, the fanatics pay the return to him because the singer used to be a practitioner who ever spoke or recited the sutra to those fanatics in their previous life. So it must be done sincerely and fearlessly and don’t retrospect what you have done. Even someone would like to thank you, trying not to see him which will be the consummate merits and virtues.

When the sentient beings are apart from the suffering, you are naturally apart from the suffering as well. When you would like to benefit others, which is the time to raise the Boddhicitta. According to the sutra, the karma will be eradicated when you have raised the Boddhicitta even if you did not make repentance before. The Boddhicitta is to benefit others and not to care oneself. That is not the most important thing to have money in your life. Because the money which cannot save your life or your security. the Boddhicitta is very important. Therefore the first three things before the four preliminaries: the Four Refuges, the Four Immeasurables and Seven Branch Prayer, must be done actually. No matter what you have done whether it was good or bad, too much or too less. You must do it indeed. Most of time, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not speak directly, that doesn’t mean that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was not powerful or unable to predict something without the supernatural powers. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche realized that the cause and effect, those hetupratyaya will be uncertain.

There was a story mentioned, an old Master who realized that the shramenera had only few days to live. So he told him to go back to visit his parents without mention other things. Several days later, the shramenera returned. The old Master was very surprised to see him alive and his physiognomy had undergone a change as well. He asked the shramenera what he done on his way to home. The shramenera said that he made a dike to save many ants that were surrounded by flood from a stream. Then the Master told him” It saved your life by doing this thing!” Therefore the gurus would not tell the result because there will be changed during the time. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would give the opportunity to ask you do something, if you don’t want to follow up, which will be in vain and toward to the way by your destiny. The story of the shramenera which was a hint, the change does not lie in the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas or guru, but in your mind.

The disciples are under the strict guidance of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, because your minds are uncertain and inclined to become worst. Here is an example, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked a disciple to be a team leader of a group. The male disciple was frown instantaneously. The first thing, he was afraid that he could not be qualified. The second, he would not be willing to take responsibility. The third, he was afraid that he would be in an unfavorable situation because he would like to take care with his pregnant wife. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knew everything once the male disciple was only frown. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not be qualified to be seated in the dharma seat if he could not realize what you thought. If you don’t have the basis of the requirement, you are unable to learn and practice the Tantra even if the Tantra was transmitted to you.

The Tantra is the method to become the stage of Buddha. Without the Boddhicitta,you will not be qualified as a Bodhisattvas. Not to mention to be a Buddha! You are often mentioned you are the followers of Buddha, Actually you are only the believers,who  not the followers of Buddha because you disbelieve the cause and effect ,the hetupratyaya and the ways of Buddha which were mentioned by Buddha. If you followed the method in according to Buddha, there is no any problem which could not be solved. There was a male disciple who took refuge under Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for many years; however his health was still not getting well. The reason is that he could not listen to the guru indeed. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche made big donation to restore the golden roofs of Drikung Thil Monastery, the main monastery of Drikung Kagyu lineage in Tibet, he also bought a table from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. In order to let him have the opportunity to do such a good deed, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche made the donation including the money he spent. He would be possible to be without his life like the present if he did not buy this table before.

The Seven Branch Prayer, the Four Refuges and the Four Immeasurables are the basis of Mahayana. If you did not achieve this stage, you are not qualified to practice the Vajrayana, even if you have received the empowerment by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, or Rinpoche very like you and give you lots of gifts. Those are the most basic criteria which are not hard to achieve it. But why you could not achieve it? Because you are selfish, afraid of death, afraid of suffering, afraid of lost or get your fingers burned, not willing to listen to guru. Get your fingers burned is the most effective medicine to be the best man. Why Buddha could be as a Buddha? Because he did not care whether it would got his fingers burned or not in his life. He gave everything what you want. Just as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche mentioned, Rinpoche got his fingers burned. But you are not willing to do it. When you consider the money, you forget everything, only haggle over every ounce.

Every day, when we complete the Four Refuges, the Four Immeasurables and the Seven Branch Prayer, we have to meditate for a while before we practice the Four preliminaries. No matter the time is only 1 minute or 3 minutes. That doesn’t mean that you have to think the meaning of meditation. Thinking is a marvelous thing, not when we are thinking the meaning of the word, we will understand the meaning totally. The thinking is a way to let our mind in the stage of peace and to focus a sentence or a word. When you keep to doing with it for a long period, one day you will realize the whole intention or connotation.  That is not necessary to treat with worldly perspective, to compare with your knowledge or the meaning of language you used. Those are the wrong methods for cultivation. We must retrieve the natural character by the pure thinking. It is not artificial or comparable which is the real knack for Buddhism. Therefore it does not mean whether you know it or not, or it is another kind of knowledge. Do not judge from the meaning only by the appearance of the word. There was story coming from the sutra, a monk made a poem to describe the actions for “Push” or “Knock” the door. But he could not deliberate on the sentence for a long time. He was struggling to decide between two things when neither seems to have a downside. After someone advise that it was just only a motion, he was completely realized. Now you are the same as the monk to make things complicated. So we have to meditate these sentences with peaceful mind after we recite those sutras. The seed of your eighth consciousness, also known as the alaya consciousness will be stored inside gradually by a long-term influence. The seed will be blossomed and borne fruit after the seed being irrigated, which is the way of practicing the virtues.

From the Buddhist perspective, gradual influence is needed, for it is impossible to get instant results from one’s practice in Buddhism. The evil karma we accumulated in our previous lifetimes cannot be eliminated within a short period of time. You will be under gradual influence. When we commit evil-doings, our heart will turn evil under gradual negative influence. On the other hand, our heart will turn virtuous under gradual positive influence, too. The Buddhist study, mantra recitation, and prostrations to the Buddhas serve as means of irrigation, but the seed needs to be planted first. Therefore, you shall contemplate on this. When you eventually achieve it one day, it means that the seed has been watered so as to begin its sprouting and flowering process. When the Buddhahood is attained, it is indicative of your fruit, too. Hence, you have to create the causes first. You should recite, contemplate, and even achieve these three causes, which lead to Buddhahood, every single day. Without these three causes, you shall never attain Buddhahood.

Learning and practicing Buddhism is not speaking of Buddhist terms or a lot of theories all the time. The complete essence of Mahayana Buddhism is in these three practices. When you are able to achieve them, you will begin to practice the Bodhisattva path. The Fourfold Refuge, the Four Immeasurables, and the Sevenfold Offering are all included in every practice means we conduct with. It can be seen that they are really important. There would be no Buddhist teachings without these three practices. In other religions, these three practices are not mentioned. Buddhism is more than teaching people to conduct virtuous deeds.

Without these three fundamental practices, the Six Paramitas and the Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas can never be accomplished. They are all closely linked. Over time, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has bestowed so many Buddhist teachings, all of which correspond to these three fundamentals. As to how to upgrade an ordinary person to the level of a Bodhisattva, step-by-step practice is definitely needed. One has to eradicate all his evil habitual patterns as an ordinary human being so as to achieve the attainment of a Bodhisattva. Therefore, every word and statement in these three fundamentals is of profound meanings.

We are dying as years pass by. If we do not have the heart to practice the Buddhist teachings, the ruthless time will not wait for us. We might begin our Buddhist study with superstition or particular desires, but we cannot let ourselves remain in this phase forever. We should upgrade our status as a believer to a Buddhist. It does take efforts to become a Buddhist. Learning and training are essential. Never be self-opinionated. Your Buddhist study would never interfere with your daily life. In fact, if you can achieve it, the quality of your daily life will even improve. You will feel carefree and unrestrained. The reason why you feel restrained in life lies in that you have failed to employ the Buddhist teachings.

These three fundamentals must serve as the basis of your practices of doing full prostrations, mantra recitation, and sutra recitation.

July 17, 2010

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave enlightenment to 110 believers with Buddhism and helped them to relieve all kinds of suffering in the world at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taipei.

July 18, 2010

At the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taipei, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious regular puja, including the refuge ceremony for 50 believers as well as cutting a lock of their hair.

Prior to the puja, a female disciple took the podium to share her experience about how Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has helped her.

She is grateful for the opportunity to take refuge under such an accomplished and venerable Vajra guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Learning the Buddha Dharma from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had granted her a new life. She took refuge in November of 2007. At that time, she was quite self-righteous due to several years of experiences with Tibetan Buddhism. She thought she knew a great deal about Tibetan Buddhism. She, however, was that kind of practitioners who simply frequently went to different Buddhist centers, seeking for empowerments and security in life. After regularly listening to the Buddha Dharma taught by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, she deeply realized how naive, ignorant, and self-righteous she had been. Upon reflecting on her conducts of past almost three years, she has not fulfilled her responsibilities as a disciple. Even so, she has continuously been blessed by the Vajra guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

Her mother had attended two Great Indiscriminate Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousnesses. Receiving blessings from Venerable guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, has twice saved her 76-year-old mother from broken bones in accidents in two consecutive years. In two years, her mother was on a bicycle and hit by motor cyclists in high speed. But her mother was simply cut and bruised. How come an elderly woman nearly 80 years of age didn’t break her bones in such serious accidents? It’s impossible. Although her mother was so greatly blessed, she was not grateful and confident enough to continuously participate in the great puja. This disciple made her repentance that it’s because she has not sufficiently paid her respects to the merits of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Therefore, her mother was not able to realize that it was the blessings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and her mother’s twice attendances to the great pujas that had saved her from seriously being injured. Her mother’s grievous karmic retributions were actually paid back in lightly way. Because of the disciple’s inability to pay her respects, her mother stopped attending the great pujas afterwards. The disciple was regretful that she has not practiced what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche taught in every minute, every second of her daily life.

In the teachings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, one has to change one’s conducts before one’s family can believe in the Buddha Dharma. Before taking refuge, she was very suspicious to her husband because he had been working in mainland China for several years. Like many wives whose husbands are away and working in China now, she’d call her husband every day and question him what he had been doing. Marital relationship was quite aloof then. During the first year she took refuge, she told her husband that Most Venerable Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, is a rare master in this world. Her husband was climbing up his career ladder, lacking the conditions to learn the Buddha Dharma from the Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. After taking refuge, however, she bore in mind what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has taught about marital relationship. The implying meaning of husband encoded in the Chinese characters (丈夫) is that as he is away a yard from you, he is no longer your husband. Rinpoche also has taught that a wife should be appreciative to those who took care of her husband. When the disciple told her husband these teachings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, her husband responded the following: “How special your guru is. Rinpoche is a great guru.” Her husband would complain about her or throw tantrums when he was in Taiwan. The disciple would ponder upon what she was doing wrong, apologized to him, or even corrected her mistakes. All these changes surprised her husband. At that time, a female worker of her husband’s factory jumped from a building to suicide. This disciple suggested her husband to implore for the attendance of a Chod puja conducted by the Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, so that the consciousness of the worker might be transferred. Nonetheless, her husband didn’t have sufficient respect, not being granted a chance to the puja. Last year (2009), his company forced him to retire. This incident caused him emotional insecurity, fearing about his future. The disciple suggested him to read the traces of liberation and event calendar of the Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, on the website. As a result, her husband has generated more faith in the Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. He quit smoking, the habit of many years and began to adopt a vegetarian diet.

This disciple has also bore in mind what the Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, has taught that Buddhas would let those who learn Buddhism die from hunger. If this does happen, it is this person’s destiny. So she told her husband that he could retire and come home. Her salary was enough if they could live a life of saving their pockets. She used to be a person who seriously spent every cent. If she still were the person she used to be, she’d have given pressure to her husband and asked him to bring salary home. They’d have argued all the time. She, however, believed in teachings of the Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Thus, she first had to change herself. When her husband returned to Taiwan, he went immediately to seek an audience with the Venerable Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. As the second time he went, he implored for a chance to attend the Chod pujas. The third time wished to take refuge. But the Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said to him “you still have a job in the mainland, how would you take refuge?” Rinpoche only granted him the opportunity to take part in the pujas. After attending to the puja, he went to work for another job but he already made up his mind to follow the Venerable Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Later on, when she called long distance to inform her husband that there would be a refuge-taking ceremony the next day, he quit his job at once and flew back to Taiwan to attend the ceremony.

This disciple is grateful to the Venerable Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for granting her husband the opportunity to take refuge on January 30th, 2010. She also made repentance to the Venerable Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, that she has been a flunkey and feared that others disliked her. She is a member of torma group. She not only didn’t change her evildoings, but also followed others’ wrong decisions. Additionally, she has not applied the Buddha Dharma in her daily life to change herself, being sluggish in practicing the Buddha Dharma. She has made repentance, but kept making the same mistakes daily. Nor did she correct her errors at once. She didn’t take the example set by the Venerable Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche whose mind has been unwavering. Everyday, she is passionately blessed by the Venerable Vajra Guru, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, A-chi the Dharma Protector, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. What she can do is being grateful, striving to change her vicious behaviors accumulated through past lifetimes and being able to break off the cycle of reincarnation.

After the puja began, the His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche bestowed enlightenment: You disciples have been advised for several times that you must carry out the instructions that Guru gives you, and never do the things against Guru’s teachings. However, you still do not listen. His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche has ever enlightened during a television interview that the so-called heart son means that the one does whatever his Guru says, and never does the things that Guru asks not to do. But you are not acting according to Guru’s teachings of Buddhism. As Guru has said, in Buddhism, one shall not be a creator. You still like to invent something by yourselves, in this way you cannot be counted as a Buddhist disciple but a believer at most.

The reason why some new disciples who recently took refuge have not obtained the transmission of dharma nor given the Achi’s dharma picture is that some of them show irreverence to Guru and their mindset of learning Buddhism is not appropriate! Before you, the disciple on her knees is just the case. She thought she practiced with a outcome of magic power after she listened to Guru’s enlightenment of Buddhism. With a little bit ability, she became self-righteous, regarded herself practicing virtuous deeds, and even thought she could get correspondence with Dharma Protectress Achi! She even tossed “Jiao”before the dharma picture of Achi. Guru never says that there is the practice of tossing Jiao in Buddha-Dharma. That thing you may learn is about the Taoism and you just mistakenly take it as Buddhism. Achi Chokyi Drolma has her own divination, but it needs some specific rituals and rules to learn the divination system. The learner has to obtain empowerment from Guru, perform retreat practice and wherein conducts some particular practices. It is not until the practitioner achieve the symptoms same as recorded in the Dharma text will his divining take effect. Furthermore, if the practitioner does not take retreat, his divining will take no effect. Besides, His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche has clearly told that divination is not a Buddhist practice. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche seldom adopts the method, either. Divination is based on the law of cause and effect to tell you what is going to happen. In fact, all phenomena in the world follow the law of cause and effect. And it is not going to say that what the divination symbols tell will surely happen. The law of cause and effect as well as causes and conditions are very complicated, and they also differ with people’s mind.

There are many ways to solve problems. In other religions there are a lot of immediately effective methods to solve problems, such as drawing charms to stop bleeding. However, this kind of methods cannot thoroughly solves problems, as they just transfer the problems to other places and thus the problems are still there. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s deceased father had helped many people with other religions’ methods in his life. After he passed away, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche just packed those things and no more used them. It was because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche deeply realized that those things cannot solve the most suffering and sorrow in mankind, namely the death. There is nothing but Buddha-Dharma can solve.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked the female disciple how many years she had already taken refuge. The disciple said she took refuge in 2006. Hearing it, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said with sincere words: the reason that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche last time refused to receive your offering and accented Dharma Throne is just because of those kind of disciples who have sought refuge for years but never listened to Guru’s teachings of Buddhism. This female disciple did not at all attentively think about others disciples making repentance last time. She may think Guru was punishing those disciples who made mistakes and in which she was not involved! This is also the reason for that the two Mahasiddha, Yunga Rinpoche and Ten’dzin Nyima Rinpoche, in the later period did not receive offering, except made by their disciples and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. They even did not receive the hada offered by you. It is because sentient beings are very hard to liberate! Therefore they only took Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche as their disciple and personally bestowed empowerment and teachings. Not only through holding pujas, propagating Buddhism and reaching beings can one liberate sentient beings. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche really hopes to liberate beings through retreat, like Yunga Rinpoche and Ten’dzin Nyima Rinpoche. Were it not for His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche’s instruction, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche may have been too tired to keep on teaching you Buddhism, as you always do not take the advices. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has already told you that Dharma Protectress Achi is of great capability and you ought to attentively practice Achi ritual. Yet, as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knows, some of disciple still do not practice the ritual everyday! If you do not learn Buddhism attentively after you take refuge, Dharma Protectress Achi will find you. No need pay attention in particular, when conditions ripened, they will make some mistakes and let Guru naturally know.

Yesterday, the disciple took her boyfriend to see Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in hopes that her boyfriend might attend the Chod puja so as to transfer his maternal uncle. She said that she had gone to see her boyfriend’s deceased uncle. After the visit, she felt his uncle had not been transferred and was following him back home. Therefore, she cast divination blocks in front of the photo of Dharma Protector Achi in the presence of her boyfriend, telling him that Achi wanted him to pray for transference for his uncle. So, her boyfriend came with her to make the request. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said that the disciple, who had sought refuge for years, did not realize that she had violated all the precepts. She considered herself having the power to connect with the Dharma Protector Achi. However, you have already learned from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that the Dharma Protector Achi attained Buddhahood and would only protect the lineage holder and those Drikung heart sons with right faith. How could Achi possibly listen to you? The disciple looked down on her guru. She cast the divination blocks in front of the Dharma photo and others might thereby have the misunderstanding that divination blocks were used to make inquiries in both Buddhism and Taoism. She even tried to threaten her boyfriend to listen to her by saying that his maternal uncle had not been transferred so he had to come to make the request. This could not be the first time for the disciple to use divination blocks in such a way. In fact, some of you must have adopted the same means as she did. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not take the uniform vest from the disciple, who had violated her precepts, because she actually had a virtuous thought and knew that she should take her boyfriend to see Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to help transfer his uncle. Hence, she was still granted an opportunity! Nevertheless, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said that this female disciple would not be able to receive empowerments or any Vajrayana teachings.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had learned Taoism with his father ever since childhood. Every Taoist disciple who has opened and entered the shrine has a set of divination blocks, which cannot be touched by people other than his master and himself. Additionally, the blocks would not be used casually and can only be employed after being blessed with mantras during particular rituals. It is unlike that people would share the same blocks with other people in various places and that anyone could cast the blocks. When one touches the blocks, his qi would be left on them and mess everything up. As the qi from the deities would vanish, how could the blocks be efficacious? Real heavenly beings like cleanness. In the past, when one wanted to ask questions of a deity, the deity would refrain from coming simply because someone was wearing a leather belt. Nowadays, many Taiwanese worship ghosts. Oftentimes, naughty and mischievous ghosts rather than deities would possess the divination blocks. If you desire to see a “Yes” answer, the ghosts would then make it happen for you. If you want an indecisive answer, you would get one. Such results were determined by the mischievous ghosts. In addition, adopting coins as divination tools in front of the deceased coffin would not work, either. You have seen people put the blocks on a stack of paper money and cast them upwards so that their hands might not interfere with the results. However, when one practices long enough, he would still be able to control the blocks. Even if he does not have direct contact with the blocks, he will still be able to control with specific handling and will power. Anyway, it can still be controlled. Besides, things might not go in the same direction as the results shows, for everything follows the law of cause and effect. The only way to understand the course of a matter’s cause and effect is to learn Buddhism. This is the ultimate way.

A disciple’s family member went to a Taoist temple of a city ruling deity and wanted to bring a piece of incantation home to stabilize the condition of her residence. However, she cast the divination blocks many times without seeing a “yes” answer. Then, it occurred to her that a Dharma photo of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was placed in her house, so she asked if the Dharma photo of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would suffice. Then, a “yes” was shown. Even a city ruling deity knows that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has great powers. You already have an easy life without realizing how easy it is. Refrain from being discontented!

After seeking refuge in Buddhism, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knew that the suffering of one’s death cannot be relieved despite his previous learned Taoist powers. Such powers would not be able to help one attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death, either. Therefore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche renounced Taoism ever since. Even though the disciple has sought refuge for many years, she has failed to take in her guru’s teachings and actually continued to cast divination blocks. Do not be self-opinionated and think that you can be the guru as you are able to connect to the Dharma Protector Achi! If the Buddhist sutras or the guru does not make the statements, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would never do so. Why can’t you follow the teachings of the guru even though you have been taught over and over again? Why do all of you want to be an inventor and create various gimmicks?

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has given everyone constant warnings and always teaches how to express reverence to one’s guru by his own example. Regarding anything about the Buddhist teachings, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would ask His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang for advice. For instance, the Great Indiscriminated Amitabha Puja for Transferring Consciousness will be held on October 3rd, 2010. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche already asked for His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche’s permission in advance before actually commencing the preparation. Even now, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would consult His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche about many matters related to the Buddhist teachings. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would never invent things even with his attainment of a Rinpoche and would definitely abide by the teachings of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and his guru. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is not self-opinionated and merely practices in accord with the teachings. Such conduct is also the revelation of his total reverence to the guru. One who does not show reverence to his guru or the Three Jewels would not be able to accumulate his merits.

Recently, there is a piece of news that a mother slapped her daughter because her daughter walked on a beach wearing exposed clothes. However, this daughter not only refused to acknowledge her mistake and to accept her mother’s teachings, but surprisingly also filed a law suit against her mother in the court for domestic violence. And thejudge adjudicated the mother losing the lawsuit. Now, teachers do not dare to teach students strictly either, because it is every easy to be sued. These social phenomena make people less and less know how to respect the teachers and their teachings.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then referred to a young male disciple. On June 13th, when His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang had visited the tea party in the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, this disciple had asked His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang a question and mentioned that, just like him, many young disciples in this center would like to go out to play and did not want to practice Buddha dharma diligently. This disciple had thought that His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang would agree with his idea and would question why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not let the young disciples go out for fun. As a result, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s answer was the same as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s regular enlightenment that only Buddha dharma is important. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked this disciple that which young disciples here had the same idea as his. This disciple did not answer. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then asked the young disciples in the puja that who had the same idea as that disciple’s; no one raised their hands. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened us that this kind of mentality was very evil; it was obvious that he himself would like to go out to play, but still mentioned others without specifically referring to who had such thoughts. All of the young disciples here can sue him for slandering their reputations due to his baseless statement. A disciple who understands law also mentioned that this young disciple as being a member, his phrase of “many young people” had referred to a nonspecific group; it was equivalent to generally referring that all of the young people in the Buddhist center had had such thoughts. Since other young disciples did not have such thought, we could be sure that this disciple had slandered all of the young people in the center and all of them could definitely sue him.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened us that the founder Jigten Sumgon had said that after sentient beings receive the help from Buddha dharma, they will slacken in their minds. This disciple is like this. At the time when this disciple implored Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for refuge, he cried aloud in front of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche; and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche let him take refuge. Even he clearly did not know martial arts, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche still let him be Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s security guard during the trip to India. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche not only taught him Buddha dharma, but also instructed him martial arts and other skills. What is the result? Now he suddenly said that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s teachings let him feel pressure and have conflicts between practicing Buddha dharma and the funs in life. There are no words that will be blurted out; if you never thought about something, you will not be able to say it. After a few years, the mentality of this disciple had changed; he did not want to practice Buddha dharma, but he did not tell his mother or ask the guru; he also wanted other young disciples to get involved. When asking a question to His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang during the tea party, on the surface, he bravely asked the question on behalf of the young disciples, in fact, he would like to take the chance to implore His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang to put pressure on Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. He thought His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang looked friendly and he will be able to get a different answer such that he can play first and practice Buddha dharma later. As the result, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang did not compromise on this matter of Buddha dharma and still enlightened that practicing Buddha dharma is the most important. He did not expect that His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang understood very much about Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s actions and would not be used by him. Doing so is slandering. Buddhist scriptures have stated that those who slander will fall into the hell realm. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had previously given the disciples chances to repent; however, he did not come out to repent and really did not feel he had been wrong. The disciple’s such mind was really evil. Since he did not want to practice Buddha dharma, he was not qualified to be a disciple. So Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed on the spot to take back his vest and to cancel his qualification as a disciple. He can only be a follower now.

When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed the young male disciple to leave the seat and move to the back of the venue, the female disciple in the front row thought she was the one being instructed. So she then prepared to get up. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche immediately reminded her that she was not the one being instructed to leave. We could see from this that this female disciple had never paid attention to listen. That was why after taking refuge for so many years she had still not listened to the Buddha dharma enlightened by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. She must not listen to her parents at home and must not have filial piety.

In fact, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had never interfered with the disciples’ private life and had never asked about the personal relationships between the disciples. Actually, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knows that these are the disciples’ private life and does not care about them. However, if a disciple does not keep the precepts and does not use Buddha dharma in his/her life, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will discipline the disciple.

Many people have the incorrect concepts:”Don’t leave blank in the age of youth!” which is a inappropriate slogan for youth. Frankly speaking, those behaviors are merely going to singing at KTV, drinking, having a love affair, which will consume the good fortune in the old age. Today there are two days off per week, everyone go out for fun and the good fortune as a reward will be consumed much faster.  The Western people think that there is only today, therefore they grasp the time and enjoy for fun. The Eastern people will worry the life in their old ages; therefore they would not spend extravagantly when they are young in order to have the good fortune in the old age. Why those modern young people, being an Eastern people, but to learn the Western thinking?

Several years ago, a female Rinpoche, of the Drikung Kagyu Order, was passed away with age of 120 years old. There was one day when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche visited her. She talked to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche directly: Normally the good fortune as a reward will decrease after the age of 50; On the contrary, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is getting the good fortune more and more. You also have seen that lots of people are on the downgrade in their career and health. Even those who look like coming into one`s kingdom, they are just merely keeping up appearances. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was grateful for his parents’ education. His family sought refuge in Hong Kong when he was a child. Therefore Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche understood that he could not complete the education of college by the family financial situation. He had to work and live without any holiday since he was 18 years old. He enriched his life and perhaps accumulated the good fortune as reward to have the opportunity for learning the Buddhism. When he was in the age of 36, started to learn and practice Buddhism for benefiting all beings. Being the stage of being the position of Rinpoche, there is no rest to benefit sentient beings for every day of 365 days, even if in the dream of sleeping, Rinpoche still benefit sentient beings as well. Yesterday Rinpoche met those believers from PM4:00 to PM9:00, without going toilet or taking a rest, solved the sentient beings’ problem by blaming, knocking, laughing and giving blessings. All of you have the time to take rest, but Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche doesn’t.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche never said that the lay disciples are not allowed to have a love affair with others, have a marriage with others or see the movies. We are the lay practitioners, not the ordained practitioners, so it is also normal that we have sexual desire. We are not necessary to cut off those emotions and sensory pleasures, which are the methods by ordained practitioners. Being a ordained practitioner have to cut off those emotions and sensory pleasures for practicing the Hinayana. For practicing Buddhism on the Bodhisattva path, you have to help sentient beings to have a correct concept for desires. For practicing Vajrayana, you have to transfer the desires of sentient beings as a tool to benefit sentient beings with a convenient and skillful way.

There is a tantra called “Couple Preactice Tanta” in the Vajrayana, which is not like as you think to have the sex. If it was so, the cats and dogs could achieve as a Buddha as well. There is special methods to practice “ Couple Preactice Tanta” with a deep meaning inside. You are not qualified to listen and learn. Therefore Rinpoche will not talk it today. So-called” Pure Practices” can be explained by two ways, one is to aim at the ordained people to follow the pure precepts, and another one is that all of the behaviors have to think for others.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued the way by transforming the diseases into the methods of practicing Buddhism. Layman Vimalakirti ever had the ill to have the cause enlightening the Mahayana when Buddha Sakyamuni asked Manjushri Bodhisattva with two Bodhisattvas to visit him. It is the examples by transforming the illness to the passage of the Buddhist path.

“Transform the diseases into the methods of practicing Buddhism.” When contract a disease, find the cause first and transform it into the methods of practicing Buddhism. Do not be attached that you are suffering from the disease. The more you are attached, the more effects from the disease you would have.

You don’t have to eliminate the disease or think the disease is not a good thing. Here is an example of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, at the age of 36 years old, Rinpoche endeavored to learn Buddhism, taking more than 3 hours to recite sutra, meditation and penitential rites every day. He joined every puja from beginning to end. Therefore there was no absence for each time of donation or making offering. Rinpoche thought himself practicing well for those things. Until he got skin cancer, realized that it was useless to fight with the karma retribution accumulated in previous lives by doing the little of good deeds. The only way to change the karma accumulated from previous lifetimes is to completely follow guru’s teachings and practice them diligently, and furthermore to develop great compassion so as to benefit sentient beings. Without cultivation of compassion, it is impossible to eliminate your karma of previous lifetimes. Facing to skin cancer, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not ask His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, because it was the karma retribution. Facing to Buddhism and guru, Rinpoche fully believes with ten thousand percent, not like the disciples to respect your guru with only 0.000001 percent. Therefore Rinpoche has been over 60 years old without asking and recovering the illness. As well as the skin cancer, moreover, it urges that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could endeavor to learn Buddhism.

If you can solidly practice the method of transforming an illness to the use of walking on the Buddhist path, it’ll be critical when your time is approaching. You’ll not be tortured by any illness. As a matter of fact, our illness is our karma. It’s because our mind was sick in past lifetime so we’d be physically ill. The essence of illness is also the void of nature, arising and ending from the conditions. It’s not eternal. Human beings’ disease is physical or psychologic, just like that male disciple whose psychology is ill. He thought he should suppress his desires but actually he has no idea how to face them. Your desires are indeed an illness of mind. Therefore, we can transform our desires to the use of walking on the Buddhist path. Desires are our karma that existed when we were born. As long as you are sentient beings, you were born with desires. Take the female displace who just publicly made repentance as an example. She wanted her husband to be nice to her, so she changed her conducts. Eventually, her husband had experienced how great the Buddha Dharma is because the Buddha Dharma has changed his wife. He decided to take refuge under Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. All the changes started from desires. She transformed her desires to the use of walking on the Buddhist path and then benefited other sentient beings. When Guru Padmasambhava first went to Tibet, Tibetans still had a custom to burn pine trees’ branches to pray for heavenly gods. Tibetan traditional culture was remained so that they could accept the Buddha Dharma. But the mantras and prayers were transformed to the teachings of the Buddha Dharma. It has become the smoke offering we can see now. This is another example of transforming worldly desires to the use of walking on the Buddhist path.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has kept instructing that you have to daily ponder and examine whether your have committed any mistakes in your body, speech and mind and whether you have carried out your guru’s teachings of the Buddha Dharma in your life. But you either couldn’t do as taught or thought you haven’t done anything wrong. You always said it’s impossible for you to accomplish what is depicted in the scriptures. You are unwilling to make up your mind and, thus, always searching for excuses for your errors! All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were once humans. The Buddhist sutras were written for humans and words of the Buddha are also for humans to listen to. As long as you are human beings, you surely can follow those dharma methods. If humans can’t carry out those methods, the Buddha wouldn’t say so. The accomplishment of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has not been accumulated in this lifetime. If Richen Dorjee Rinpoche has not achieved anything, Rinpoche would not dare to teach you. If Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche can obtain any accomplishment, you would. The difference arises in the fact that you have different root capacities and the time needed is different. The Buddha Dharma taught by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche wasn’t invented by Rinpoche. It entirely stems from Rinpoche’s sincere eagerness to learn the Buddha Dharma and Rinpoche’s respect for the Buddha Dharma and Rinpoche’s guru. The teachings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche have completely followed Buddhist sutras and the teachings of Rinpoche’s guru. Additionally, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would also give enlightenment according to Rinpoche’s spontaneous and natural experience of continuously practicing the Buddha Dharma.

To please believers, many Buddhist groups wouldn’t truly require believers to practice the Buddha Dharma. They simply wish believers to keep coming and make offerings. Some may think what they are doing is to connect the conditions, like planting seeds of practicing the Buddha Dharma. Actually, genuinely connecting the conditions would instruct, after listening to the Buddha Dharma, believers to accept and practice it. Without watering and fertilizing, no seeds can grow and they would be simply stuck there and become useless. An authentic guru would definitely and seriously call for the disciples to practice the Buddha Dharma in daily life. That’s why one must take refuge under an authentic guru to learn the Buddha Dharma. By the same token, if a disciple simple listens to the teaching without practicing, he won’t ever understand and accomplish the Buddha Dharma.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche proceeded to give enlightenment about the thought. It is through meditation practice. Today’s teachings merely slightly let you know the meaning of meditation, for the future when you will be taught on mediation, you will more easily get it. As for the believers who do not take refuge, even they hear it today, it will not take effect to them but merely lay the basis.

Some people who had ever learned meditation in other centers might have learned about the method of counting the breathing for meditation. But it is not possible for people to hold the breath while counting from one to ten. Many people say they are unable except for those who had ever learned diving would hold their breath for a longer time. As long as one breathes, one has thought. If one is unable to finish counting within a breath, he will have more thoughts instead while counting. Actually, the method of counting the breathing is also a tantric dharma. It is not the problem of Buddhism for you to fail from it. It is because the method for one to counting from one to ten within a breath has already lost nowadays. What is left for the counting the breathing is nothing but the frame. And its real essential have not been transmitted. The meditation is the thoughtless state between the interval of exhaling and inhaling. If one is not able to finish counting within a breath, one cannot achieve through the practice.

The method of counting the breathing is for ordained people, while it is not that appropriate for lay people to practice. One without good health also cannot enter the state of concentration through that method. In some temples, they learn calisthenics, running and so forth to train their chi’s reconciliation, in hope of improving their health conditions. But it is totally different with the chi of meditation. Therefore, they will not gain the effect. In previous time there was a believer who sought audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, saying that he would like to find someone to treat his wife’s illness with a system of deep breathing exercises. He was just unaware that before him, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is the very master of qigong. The tantric practices is talking about chi, which is not the same one as breathing that you normally consider.

Nowadays, meditation have been very popular in western countries. The people may think that without thought, their mind will become calm and then they will be happy. But such a meditation has met a bottleneck of the development. Sit quietly is different from meditation. In non-Buddhist path such as Catholic, Christianity, and Islam, there are also the practice of meditation. Even for some religions, through the practice, their practitioners are able to see the operative pulses of their abodominal organs, feel their blood flowing, and even view that they only have a skeleton without flesh. However, all the above are not related to the practice of Buddhist meditation that is the practice for the wisdom.

Since starting to learn the Exoteric Buddhism at the age of thirty-six, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche sat in meditation one to two hours per day, like most people. At that time, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not adopt the method of counting breathing. As for thoughts, he did not think that he wants thoughts or not. Very soon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche naturally entered the state of concentration. And it is because Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had ever practiced Mahamudra in past lives. Once Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had experience for twice that his heart sunk after he entered into the state of concentration. This is very dangerous. Therefore, you should never learn others to sit in meditation at home. Without an authentic Guru’s teachings, it will be very dangerous for you to sit in meditation by yourselves.

One time in meditation, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche blurted out phrases of mantras. At that time Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche sought for answers everywhere including the masters of every famous centers. It was not until meeting with His Holiness Drikung Chetsang Rinpoche that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche got the answer. Why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would spoke out the mantras was because that the consciousness of past lives would be driven out while being in meditation. Later, when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche learned Mahamudra, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche realized that the meditative practice he conducted before is not the ultimate one. It is not saying that Zen school is not good, as without Zen school, Buddhism in China would not have been transmitted until now. The essential has not been passed on, thought. The Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng once said that a flower blooms to five leaves, which predicted that blooming without bearing fruits. All of you can see what is stated in the history record that Bodhidharma transmitted his mental dharma to the Second Patriarch one to one and so on. The tantric dharma must be transmitted heart to heart, and one to one. Also the Fifth Patriarch transmitted the dharma of mind to the Sixth Patriarch one to one. However, it was to the Sixth Patriarch the mental dharma was lost. Therefore, it cannot to attain Buddhahood depending on meditation of Zen Buddhism alone. The meditation practice is very important for us to face the moment of dying. If one does not learn meditation, one’s heart will be in disorder when dying. The concentration of Mahamudra is to practice in the nature of emptiness. Therefore, the practitioner’s heart will not be in disorder.

According to the Great Gampopa, the idea of abandoning all the thoughts is unnecessary. Instead, one should consider his thoughts as given grace and kindness.

Tangled by the habitual patterns and karmic forces from one’s past lifetimes, one who has a body would generate thoughts. From the Exoteric Buddhist perspective in regard to thoughts, you would be taught to empty every thought you have, to refrain from having any thoughts, to treat your thoughts as your enemies, and to terminate all your thoughts during your 7 days in meditative retreat. In fact, when one constantly wants to empty his mind and be thought-free, such thinking is actually a thought, too. It would be impossible for any person to be thought-free, for one’s thoughts come along with his breathing. As we have the body, we would feel hungry and get a chill on the back after sitting in meditation for a while. All these are thoughts. The so-called empting is to merely suppress your thoughts, just like a large boulder on top of the wild grasses so as to subdue them temporarily. If the boulder is lifted, the wild grasses would then thrive. Such is the same as one being put under a condition. Besides, empting is a thought itself. When you try to empting your mind, you are actually generating a thought. When thoughts occur, you would then ask yourself to be empty, another thought will thereby occur. Even if one is thought-free, it does not mean that he is practicing. Wood does not have any thoughts, either. Does it mean that wood is practicing?

To practice meditative meditation is not to be thought-free. Even a great practitioner would have thoughts during his meditative concentration. While facing to a wall for 9 years, waiting for his disciple to show up, Bodhidharma still had a thought of waiting for a disciple. The noble Mahakasyapa is still in his meditative concentration in Mount Kukkutapada, Yunnan. With his thought fixed upon passing the lineage of Buddha Sakyamuni onto Bodhisattva Maitreya when Bodhisattva Maitreya comes, Mahakasyapa still has a thought of waiting.

Without thoughts, one would not be able to practice. If you do not have the thought to gain liberation from reincarnation, why would you want to learn Buddhism? If you do not have the thought of examining your evil-doings, how could you be willing to practice and correct your conduct then? Without thoughts, one would not be able to examine his own problems. Because of such thoughts, we would then be able to learn Buddhism and practice. Therefore, we should regard our thoughts as given grace and kindeness.

According to Great Gampopa, in addition, we should consider the thoughts indispensible, necessary, and beloved. Such thinking is completely different from commonly-heard practice means for meditative concentration.

Everyone has thoughts for sure. Millions of thoughts can occur in a split second. Normally, there are two circumstances when an ordinary person generates thoughts. One is to let the thoughts pass by and the other is to act in accordance with the thoughts. Many of us are not aware of this. The better ones would feel that they have so many thoughts and some people are able to put his thoughts under control by means of contemplation. Therefore, one can never produce thoughtless utterances. One must have a thought first before making the remark. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche once said that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche exercises great circumspection. To exercise circumspection is to completely concentrate on every thought, to know clearly where each thought comes from, and to generate every thought for the benefit of the sentient beings.

The fact that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was able to attain concentration quickly lies in the virtuous roots from his previous lifetimes. Through meditative practice, we will then be able to examine the origin of each thought so as to totally correct ourselves. The generation and completion stages in the Dzogchen teachings of the Nyingma lineage as well as the Mahamudra practice of Drikung Kagyu require thoughts to practice upon.

We human beings have nerves all over our bodies. We would feel the pain when being stung, would feel comfortable when touching something soft, and would feel hungry, cold or hot. Nerves are your karmic habital pattens accumulated from previous lifetimes. They are the habitual feeling from your attached discrimination of previous lifetimes to happiness and sufferings. If you reduce your discrimination to happiness and sufferings, even face them equally, the painful feeling will not bother you no more. Thought could be virtuous and evil, and all of thoughts will cause karma. Therefore, there are virtuous as well as evil karma. To eliminate karmic obstacles is not to make them disappear but to eliminate the obstruction to your Buddhist study. During your learning Buddhism this life, what guru teaches you is to handle your virtuous karma and evil karma equally, and not to create new karma any more. Everyone has different hobbies. Hobbies are your attachments, too. You can never ask everyone to share the same hobbies and resentment as you, unless another identical person is made. When you are able to treat things equally, you will not differentiate happiness from suffering. For example, everyone’s sensitivity to temperatures varies. When someone feels cold and wants to put more clothes on, those beside him might not feel cold at all. Same as the feeling of hunger, such feelings are personal and cannot be felt by others. Logically speaking, one should know his body best. Nevertheless, when you get sick, you would not know why you got sick and would need a doctor to diagnose your condition. Why is that? It is because your thoughts are too many and too complicated so that your pure and clean nature is covered. Your ability to perceive is gone!

You would say that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had not taught us meditation, then how could we know? Many people thought that meditation must be sitting meditatively for certain hours every day. But in fact meditation should be practiced in life every day. When teaching the Six Paramitas, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had taught us to be diligent; diligence is to focus constantly. It is also a dharma of meditation when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche teaches us to diligently examine every day at home if our body, speech, and mind have violated the Buddha dharma taught by the guru. The meditation of Mahamudra can be practiced anytime in your life. For example, when we were a child, our parents had taught us not to speak during eating and to concentrate on our meal. This is the concentration. We should focus on what we are doing without being distracted. Holding mantras and doing full-body prostrations can all practice meditation. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had taught us that when doing full-body prostration, we have to focus on every move of our body in our mind for every prostration. We should not pay attention to whether our hands or legs are straight or not, or whether the posture is correct. These are not important. If when doing full-body prostration our mind still thinks about whether our karma is eliminated, whether our body will become better, these are not concentration. It is also useless if one completes the full-body prostration in a very rapid speed.

When the second Zen patriarch implored the first patriarch Bodhidharma to settle his mind, the patriarch Bodhidharma asked back, “Where is your mind?” The second patriarch immediately became enlightened and knew that Bodhidharma was the guru he was seeking. The second patriarch could immediately know where was wrong in his thought; you cannot achieve this now. But you have to learn how to clearly examine your every thought in order to know further that what causes the thought to arise and how to correct it! Every day before going to bed, you should examine whether your body, speech, and mind had broken precepts or not today. Precept is not a tool for rewards or punishment. Why are you still full of evil thoughts? It is because you have not hold the precepts. If the body of precepts is pure and clean and you have kept the pure and clean precepts, your thoughts will naturally be changed to be virtuous on every thought. Through precepts, we should examine ourselves every day; when an evil thought arise, we should carefully understand the reason for the thought to arise and correct ourselves diligently.

However, there are also many people who were fine when not learning Buddhism; after they have learned Buddhism, there are a lot of problems instead. Those who have less problems will feel that they do not dare to do this or do that, full of fears. Those who have more serious problems will act crazily and think they have supernatural power. When doing meditation, some people may feel that they have left their bodies. These are the manifestations of the consciousness.

Buddha dharma cannot be separated from the worldly dharma. Practicing Buddha dharma will not impede your daily life. Your family and career are all due to your causes, conditions, and effects. Practicing Buddha dharma is a very happy thing. Practicing Buddha dharma can let you know the future, can let you control the future, and can eliminate, one after another, those matters which hinder you from learning Buddhism.

During the puja, when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened the attendees, a male disciple actually fell asleep in his seat and showed no reverence to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche at all. He thought Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s teachings have nothing to do with him. Since he did not listen, why not simply left the puja? Then, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately instructed him to do full-body prostrations in the venue on the spot.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had previously enlightened us the conditions a guru should have taught by Master Gampopa. A disciple said that as Ratnakuta Sutra has stated there are twenty kinds of dharmas of examining a guru. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche pointed out what Rinpoche meant was for Master Gampopa’s enlightenments, not Ratnakuta Sutra’s contents. Another disciple answered, “First, a guru should have a clear religious heritage; as Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is inherited from Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Second, a guru should have a clean and pure mind. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has attained enlightenment on void of nature and has a clean and pure mind and Bodhicitta.” Then there is no disciple to answer Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s question. So Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche named disciples to answer the question. Another disciple said he did not remember the methods of examining a guru, but remembered the four kinds of wisdom a disciple should have: first, to serve the guru, second, to respect the guru, third, to make the guru happy, and forth, to concentrate on what the guru said. But these are what a disciple should do, not the methods of examining a guru. These are not the answers Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche wanted. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then asked again. A disciple answered, “A guru will not abandon sentient beings and will tirelessly help to liberate sentient beings; a guru will hold completely pure and clean precepts and will never do anything related to fames and profits.” Another disciple answered, “A virtuous guru should have attained achievements on a compassionate mind of void of nature; a virtuous guru has great wisdom and has generated grand Bodhicitta and practices on the path of a bodhisattva. A guru comes to help sentient beings in this life and can help sentient beings escape from the cyclic existence.” One disciple replied, “A guru does not take fawningly and will not flatter the followers for gaining offerings.” Last, a disciple replied, “A guru should be in a heritage which has not been interrupted; a guru has less desire and always feels content; a guru has greater compassion and mercy.”

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche enlightened” Why did I ask you? It will let you know the qualifications of being a virtuous guru”. They had replied those criteria. There is one very important is to have the pure lineage. Just like the Drikung Kagyu Lineage, there is no breaking off from the beginning of Lord Jigten Sumgon, the founder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, till His Holiness the 37th Kyabgon Drikungpa Chetsang Rinpoche. If there was broken off, it means that there would be some problem for the teaching. Besides when a guru transmit the dharma, not merely teach you and give you the dharma text and ask you go home for reciting the mantras by yourself, no matter what you have done. A virtuous guru must teach the disciple with the dharma which can be liberated from the reincarnation. After teaching it and then strictly monitor the disciples in order to enhance their confidence and give them blessings without slacking, help them with all kinds of ways to let disciples can achieve it.

What you just said are the qualities to be a guru? What explain you these qualities? Many people who have learned Buddhism for a long time do not make their things changed. It is because the way they learn is wrong, or furthermore the guru they follow is not right. An authentic guru could help his disciples eliminating many obstacles of learning Buddhism as well as the karmic impact. Without the guru’s help and blessings, you even don’t know what your faults are. And how could you obtain the liberation from the cycle of reincarnation? It is definitely impossible that one could achieve accomplishment by reciting sutra and mandras and make prostration at home by himself with following any guru.

It is very important to follow a pure lineage. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang’s heart son and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche follow all H.H.’s teachings and practices them completely. That is also why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could achieve the accomplishment in such a short time. When His Holiness instructed Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to perform first retreat, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche response H.H. his positive promise right away, regardless of whether Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had time or could arrange things well in advance or not. Furthermore, when practicing the Four Preliminaries Practice, although having no money, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche still made several phone calls, trying to reach His Holiness for transmission of Guru Yoga, and eventually reached His Holiness, who was in the US at that moment. As you don’t pay reverence towards your own guru, how could you pay reverence towards sentient beings? How could you achieve the accomplishment of cultivation of mercy and compassion, so to obtain the liberation from birth and death?

The Dharma Protector Achi had said all the disciples of Drikung Kagyu would be protected. What are the criteria to become a true disciple of Drikung Kagyu? The true disciples are those who put the guru’s teachings in their mind, follow the teachings, practice and achieve them. Buddha Sakyamuni said that there are three facts that he could not alter. They are: a being having no proper karmic connections cannot be liberated; Buddha cannot liberate each and every single being; Buddha cannot change the karma of the beings. One may ask what does proper karmic connection refer to? It refers to whether one completely follows the teachings or not! The karmic connection can only be developed based on how much one could follow the teachings from the guru, the Bodhisattva, and the lineage. If one could faithfully practice the Dharma, learned from one’s guru, in daily life, the connection could be maintained accordingly. Therefore, it’s up to the disciple but not the guru. If one would like to help the other beings, one should bring them to have audience with a virtuous guru so that the karmic connection could be established with the guru. In turn, the guru would create certain opportunities for the beings to have karmic connection with Bodhisattvas. To further develop such karmic connection, one has to follow guru’s instructions and correct one’s deeds faithfully.

Among the recently converted disciples, some of them have not yet received a Dharma name from the Rinpoche. Because they do not revere the Triple Gem, and nor do they take learning Buddhism as the first priority. Some disciples mistake the Dharma in the direction that if the marital status becomes better, or if the children become better. Such matters, however, are not relevant with the motivation of the guru’s teaching. In fact, love between couples can become an obstacle when one of them is faced with death. For example, under such situation, some people would abort the Dharma and the guru’s teachings, but only cry.

Many of you, the disciples, have received nectar pills from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Frankly speaking, even a Tibetan is hard to have any nectar pills. You may remember while some disciples were receiving nectar pills as gift in visiting the monastery in Tibet, the lama simply rejected requests of nearby Tibetan. You received it because you are disciples of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, as a Han Chinese having achieved certain stage in the lineage and become a heart son of His Holiness Chetsang, has been constantly and completely following the teachings of his guru, the His Holiness. When mentioned the relationship with His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, Rinpoche chokes with sops, naturally expressing his immense gratitude towards his root guru of three graces..

Before the end of the puja, there is one believer who would take refuge under Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will return USA in the near future. Therefore Rinpoche held refuge ceremony before her leaving. Meanwhile Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also compassionately gave the opportunity for those believers who ever registered taking refuge before. When Rinpoche announced to hold the hold the refuge ceremony,not only the believers were grateful, but also the disciples were delighted and applauded.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche first introduced the photos on the Refuge Certificate, including Buddha Sakyamuni, the lineage founder Jigten Sumgon, the Rinpoche’s root guru His Holiness Chetsang, and the picture of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche as well. The Rinpoche gave oral transmission of the Aspiration of Refuge that the disciple has to recite three times every day.

The newly converted disciple need to listen the sound recording of the teaching about taking refuge, in which Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had elaborated the significance of taking refuge and what conducts a converted disciple should follow. However, due to the limited time of today, a full-length elaboration cannot be made. Nonetheless, a converted disciple ought to learn and follow the instructions as below:

Next, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche continued on performing the ritual, with chanting of the heart mantra of Vajrasattva. Every candidate stepped forward one by one and had Rinpoche cut a tuft of the hair. In Exoteric Buddhism, there is no hair-cutting ritual, while hair-cutting signifies one’s abandoning of the worldly home in which cyclic reincarnation happens. In seeing the ritual steps of taking refuge, one may consider the ceremony as an easy one. However, it does have much significance and deep influence. Today, these fifty believers have become disciples of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche; all of them felt gratefulness and joy towards the guru.

Following the ritual, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave oral transmission of the Five Vows for the new disciples: the First, refrain from killing any living beings; the Second, refrain from theft; the Third, refrain from improper sexual conducts; the Fourth, refrain from false speeches including harsh speech, telling lies, trivial speech, and divisive speech; the Fifth, refrain from having alcohol and toxic objects, including smoking. In next week, the practice of the Protector Achi would be transmitted to the newly converted disciples.

July 24, 2010

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave enlightenment to 230 believers with Buddhism and helped them to relieve all kinds of suffering in the world at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taipei.

July 25, 2010


Prior to the puja, a teenage male disciple took the podium to make public repentance due to his mistake of destroying the important identification card of the center. After the Chod puja of March, he freely and carelessly put the ID card into his pocket. Without taking it out, he threw his dirty laundry into the washing machine. The ID card, thus, was ruined by being washed. For this mistake, he wasn’t able to enter the center and listen to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s teachings of the Buddha Dharma for a long while. Yesterday, he went to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, revealing his error to Rinpoche, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately granted him a chance to make public repentance at the center today. In addition to his error of destroying the ID card, he also made repentance that he has not been studying hard and played too much of computer games. He has no filial piety, not listening to his parents, talking back to them and even physically fighting with others. He didn’t pay attention to the Buddha Dharma Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche taught, not to mention to use it in daily life. Moreover, he didn’t seriously practice the dharma methods transmitted by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. He implored for another chance to attend pujas and learn the Buddha Dharma with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

And then another disciple went to the front and shared his experience. He first made repentance to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for not having sufficient faith in the Buddha Dharma. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche taught us to believe in the truth of Buddhas’ and Bodhisattvas’ teachings. We also ought to believe in the methods our guru taught us, knowing that we certainly can obtain achievement. As soon as we begin to doubt whether we can do it, we in fact don’t believe anymore. This is the mistake he often committed. When he implored for taking refuge under Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in 2002, he felt it was difficult to quit eating meat and drinking alcohol. At that time when he went to make an audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche at the jewelry company at Yi-Xian Road, a dharma brother greeted him and explained to him the advantages of adopting a vegetarian diet and the harms of drinking alcohol. All the explanations made sense to him, but he still felt it was difficult to do it. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche cordially told him the advantages of becoming a vegetarian, he strangely felt no obstacles of practicing the precept. He felt that it could be so natural and simple. As a result, the question of how to stop drinking alcohol no longer existed. Directly he implored for taking refuge and was granted the opportunity. Afterwards, in retrospection, the explanations of the dharma brother had exactly copied from words of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche yet they had little effect on him. He suddenly realized that it was Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s great theopneusty that made the difference.

Several months after he took refuge, once in a puja, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said that someone had not taken a vegetarian diet. The stingy order emitted from that person had filled in the air of the center. At that time, he suspected whether someone had taken a vegetarian diet could be smelled. This was another act of disbelief. The strange thing was, after a few months, he was able to tell, by smelling, if someone was a vegetarian or not. Even in such an immense space like Xin-Zhuang Arena, he could smell it. One time when he mentioned this matter with a dharma brother, that dharma brother told him it’s not because he had taken a vegetarian diet so he could smell whether others did. It was due to the blessings and teachings of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. He once again made repentance to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for his ignorance and ungratefulness.

Once he was involved in a conservation project related to a landfill for industrial refuse at An-Keng and encountered with civil protestors who was examining the project. While the riot police and thousands of protestors were nearly in violent conflict, the industrialists had no intention to withdraw, and the committee members couldn’t do anything about it, he all of a sudden had a vision of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche on top of his head. Later on, the conflict event took a dramatic turn. The industrialists agreed to make a great compromise and the conservation project was approved in principle. All things eventually came to an end. He was grateful for the blessings and protections of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said the image was not Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche himself. He was startled because the image was so vivid, especially the color of the shawl was Rinpoche’s. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said it was the embodiment of ancient masters to save them. He felt it was strangely magic. Once again, he made public repentance for his disbelief then. Afterwards, he had realized that it should be the merits of An-Keng residents and Taiwanese to have the compassion, mercy and protection of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, which could call upon ancient masters to grant blessings. Thus, the problems were resolved.

For many times, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has given enlightenments that the phenomenon of the impermanence of life would often occur, especially to those who are your favorite. Although he has heard the teachings so many times, he’d feel it is abstract and remote to his own life. He even thought that his parents and sister were all dead, having no family members older than he. He would be the next one to die. If he could learn the Buddha Dharma from Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, he can hope to die without pain. It was a complete surprise when his son had a serious car accident in August of 2006. If not for the accident, he’d never thought his son is his favorite. He had upbrought his son as if his son were his pet. He was grateful for the compassion of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to rescue his son from dying. His son gradually awakened from the vegetative state and is able to consciously communicate. He was even grateful that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had granted the chance for his son to take refuge and listen to the Buddha Dharma.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche also has repeatedly taught that ghosts would not talk to you. He, nonetheless, was so self-righteous that he never thought he’d see ghosts. He even had suspected the existence of ghosts. In March of 2010, following Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to India, he went to learn how to perform a retreat. During which, he had experienced a kind of communication with ghosts who were from Da-Pingding of Miaoli County. He was extremely shocked by such an experience. Without visualizing the ghosts, by communicating with their consciousnesses, he could clearly sense their requests for help. It was even much more vivid than face-to-face conversations. He was equally surprised by his own horrified reply, without using any language. Till now, in retrospection, he still feels confused. How’d they communicate without even opening mouths? As long as we can truly believe in Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Rinpoche is able to lead us to accomplish unimaginable things.

He has believed that his karma must be profound. That’s why his profession and work have been related to disasters. Early on, he had involved in various professional committees of coal mine disasters, the collapse of Shou Mountain in Kao-Xiong, landslide of Lishan, the collapse of Lincoln Mansions, 921 earthquake, the destroying of Xiaolin Village, and the landslide of Freeway number 3 this year. During these involvements, though, his attitudes have been slightly changed. At the beginning, he would think what he could do. But now, he’d think whether he has really helped. For example, the recent accident of the landslide of Freeway number 3 has got him two calls from reporters. But he politely declined the interviews. It was because the purpose of the interviews was focused on finding for argument, rather than problem solving. But when the chairman of the investigation committee of the disaster of Freeway number 3 asked him to help, he agreed. In this committee, he thought his expertise might be helpful in the prevention of more landslides or even in clarification of the relations between major public construction and State Compensation Law.

Although he has not accumulated sufficient merits to believe in and practice 100% of what Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has taught, he wishes at least he wouldn’t reject the teachings because of his confusion. As long as he can follow what was taught, he believes some day in the future there will be some effects on him. He would strive to practice so that he won’t forget to say “Please save me, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche” as he’d pass away. Or, he can at least think of the image of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche on top of his head at the last moments of his life. If he is able to do so, he might have another chance to be reborn as human again next life. He is extremely grateful to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche.

Then, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the dharma throne to bestow enlightenments: Last week the enlightenments on mindset have been bestowed. Although in Zen School concentration is also practiced, namely the teachings of directly pointing to people’s mind, it is totally different from the Vajrayana practice way of concentration with mindset. The method of Zen practice is to be simple. During the time of Tong Dynasty, the Grand Hall in the temples of Zen School were not big, even no Buddhist statue would be placed but merely a hanging of a Chinese character “Zen” on the wall of the Meditation room. Concentration does not necessarily refer to sit still. The Vajrayana practice method is through thought inspection by observing your thought arisen. One must follow a Guru to learn it, act completely in accordance with Guru’s teachings. To cultivate Buddhism is not to abandon or change something in your life. Instead, you should be taught to make use of the inherited thing, that is, to transform thoughts to the use of walking on the Buddhist path, like the aforementioned, to transform an illness to the use of walking on the Buddhist path.

Yesterday a disciple came to pray Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for telling him the twenty-two dharmas of examining a Guru stated in the Ratnakuta Sutra. Just in last week a disciple talked about the conditions a guru should have taught by Master Gampopa. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had also clearly given the teachings. Unexpectedly there is still a disciple who did not believe Guru and wanted to ask for the dharma record to listen and inspect if Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is able to fulfill the conditions. The conditions of examining a Guru stated in the Ratnakuta Sutra are for a Guru to inspect if disciples are qualified to be a Guru, not for you to use to inspect! Definitely this disciple’s family members, seeing her uncorrected bad habitual patterns, doubt her Guru and worry that she might be cheated. So they may ask her to clearly examine her Guru. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has repeatedly advised disciples on the importance of Guru. Particularly for the disciples who learn Vajrayana, they have to truly act in accordance with Guru’s teachings. In last puja another disciple just plainly restated Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s teachings. However, the disciple did not listen at all.

As you have not practiced Four Extraordinary Preliminary Practices, you cannot inspect the Guru. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has told you many times that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s stage of practice is only needed to be confirmed by His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche rather than you. At the level Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has attained, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not need a center or disciples at all. Without those, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche still can liberate sentient beings. You really make Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche feel very tired, not of disciples, but in that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has repeatedly given advices for these years, however, till now you have not listened to it and not been clear about what Buddhism is talking about. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is really too tired and exhausted to teach you!

In Vajrayana, a particular feature different from others is that the conditions of being reincarnated will be one by one transformed to the tools of practice. Many people do not understand those practice tools but want to inspect their Guru. The one who just now shared his story with you has taken refuge for long time, but he still has not gotten the point what Buddhism talks about. What he told you was nothing but his own feeling and attitude toward doing jobs. Everyone even who does not cultivate Buddhism has his own feeling. As you are getting older, more experienced, or the environment’s change, the way you deal with jobs and your feeling would be different. It is not the matter of Buddhist cultivation. If one wants to correct his feeling and attitude toward his jobs, he can just make a change without learning Buddhism. The key point of Buddhist cultivation is to correct from your heart!

Some people may think cultivating Buddhism is to get better from the bad. Some people even think that they are reciting and doing the sessions, so they do the practices! They do not make evildoings and nor do harm to people. They think about others and have been law-abiding. However, all of these have nothing to do with Buddha-Dharma. In Buddhism, it is to talk about the reason why you are reincarnated in the world, to find out the causes of your being reincarnated, and furthermore, to help you cut off the reincarnation and get liberated from the cycle of birth of death. One who practices virtuous deeds can obtain rebirth in the God realm at most, wherein still in the Suffering Ocean of reincarnation. Taiwanese who learn Buddhism are getting more and more arrogant. If one does not really learn the Buddha-Dharma of liberating from the cycle of birth and death, one should not be called a Buddhist disciple. Only could he be considered a firm believer in Buddhism. The so-called firm believer is that he firmly believe the law of cause and effect, the impermanence, and that being reincarnated is suffering.

Yesterday an ordained disciple came to ask Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for instruction on the affairs of her mother’s funeral. Mostly what she asked had something to do with the folk custom rather than Buddhism. She only cared how to proceed to satisfy her relatives and friends. Having been ordained and practiced Buddhism, she still couldn’t abandon the folk custom and habits. What she minded was other people’s opinions. So she did not ask for the Buddha-dharma that can truly help her deceased mother, nor did she ask how to help mother accumulate merits! In the Sutra, it is never stated about the thing that to put the ashes of the dead on a pagoda. That kind of idea came out from businessmen and is not related to Buddhism at all. Although in ascent times, there was a thing of building a dagoba where the relics would be placed, the prerequisites were that it must be a practitioner, rather than an ordinary, who had contribution on propagating Buddhism and his relics could be placed in the dagoba. In Buddhism, only cremation is requested. Besides, as the saying goes “People with merits live in a lucky place.” People without merits cannot take advantage of the lucky place even if they make their abode there.

When Buddha Sakgyamuni attained Buddhahood, the Devil talked to the Buddha that as Buddhism would be flourishing in the future, he would instruct his devil children and devil grandchildren to transform themselves to Buddhist disciples, wearing the Buddhist dress, so as to destroy Buddhism. They would be like the louses on a lion, sticking to it and sucking its blood out until the lion dies. The Buddha heard it and could not help but tearing! Now take a look, isn’t it just like the situation stated in the Sutra that non-Buddhist paths but attached their teachings on Buddha-Dharma exist everywhere?

This ordained person has not practiced well and mixed the folk custom with Buddhism, by which devastating Buddhism. As the Buddha possesses great wisdom, if the Buddha thought it was necessary to build a pagoda, the Buddha would have made the prophecy. We cannot invent by ourselves on those things the Buddha has never said. In previous years, a temple in Taiwan spent a lot of money to welcome and receive the Buddha’s relics, where the situation was totally the same as what stated in part of the Ratnakuta Sutra Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche just red. At that time Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had already bestowed the teachings of that section to disciples. Buddha Sakyamuni has predicted that, which is detailed stated in the Sutra, five hundred years after the Buddha passed over to Nirvana, some people would welcome it as an activity, paving the way with flowers and hairs. In the Sutra, the Buddha also enlightened that the Buddha’s relics are for sentient beings to develop the relationship with Buddha, not to run a Buddhist activity business. If the receivers do not welcome it with a heart of praying for liberation from the cycle of birth and death, one would better go to an authentic Buddhist center to hear one sentence of Buddhist teaching bestowed by an authentic Guru. It helps you much more.

Most of you are lay people. A lay person has karmic connections with his relatives. It does not mean that he can practice at home and attain achievements simply by watching and listening to the Buddhist channels on TV. It is the advances in broadcasting industry that have distorted the Buddhist teachings. During Buddha Sakyamuni’s lifetime, 1200 Arhats constantly followed the Buddha to receive his teachings while the Dharma wheel was being turned. All these Arhats were practitioners capable of self-practice, but they still followed Buddha Sakyamuni at all times for his guidance. How can you attain achievements in practice simply by watching TV?

With the advanced modern technologies, it is easy for people to commit evil deeds. Last week, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche got an email from someone. The sender said that he had seen one His Holiness. But when he was asked who the His Holiness is, he could not speak it out. He also said  that His Holiness transmitted the practice of the Dharma Protector Achi to him, telling him to collect the various Dharma texts of the Dharma Protector Achi. Therefore, he wrote to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and requested a copy of the Dharma text. At seeing this email, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knew that the person’s account was untruthful. There are only two Kyabgon Rinpoches in the Drikung Kyabgon Order, one in Tibet and the other in India. Besides, as Achi is the special Dharma Protector for the Drikung Kagyu Lineage, other lineages, apart from the Nyingma lineage, do not practice or learn the practice of Achi. The practice method in the Nyingma lineage is different from that in the Drikung Kagyu, anyway. Therefore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche replied to the person and told him that he would need to seek refuge, receive transmission from the guru, complete the Ngondro practice, do retreats, and correspond to the Yidam in practice so as to get the Dharma text. Nevertheless, a week had passed and nothing had been heard from the person ever since. Nowadays, people hide behind the computer monitors and dare to say anything they want, thinking that no one would know about their identities. Even if they might be found responsible for the matter, it would take place several months later. Therefore, a lot of verbal karma has been created. Such deeds are not decent at all.

Yesterday, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche received 230 believers from 4 pm to 10 pm without leaving the dharma seat. Such a deed was supported by his power of mercy and compassion. When a believer comes, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not think about himself, nor does Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche worry whether the person would come again and learn Buddhism or not. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche merely thinks about ways to benefit each of the believers. As the believers came with different cases and various scenarios, how could Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche make it? It was because of mercy and compassion, with which Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche one-pointedly hoped to find ways to help those who came. Do not think that it was not difficult for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to handle all those cases well, since Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had had a lot of experiences. In fact, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had not encountered many of the scenarios and had to help the sentient beings immediately upon knowing what was going on. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had to speak, laugh, scold, comfort, and give blessings to different people for several hours. Would you think that it was not tiring? Even so, some disciples would come to request the recording of previous Dharma talks and want to listen to ways to examine their guru. It would be hard to manage this for someone without great mercy and compassion.

You have to repent! You really do not understand what the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows says: “Every thought generated by an ordinary being is karma and crime.” Every thought of a Bodhisattva is about ways to help and benefit the sentient beings without being selfish at all. As to you, you always want to benefit yourselves. Even though Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been constantly telling you to repent repeatedly, some people still say that they do not know what to repent on and how to repent. Why would one fail to express his repentance? It is because all the thoughts from your previous lifetimes are full of greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt. You do everything to benefit yourselves and have gotten accustomed to such thinking without examining your thoughts properly. You do not feel that you have made mistakes or need repentance. Thoughts of human beings are as many as snow flakes. When one thought appears and disappears, another thought would appear. Are you able to be aware of the millions of thoughts you have in a second? All these are thoughts to let your mind go wild and be selfish. Some people are so evil as to tell the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that they can only begin to conduct virtuous deeds and learn Buddhism only when their physical health has improved. Such wording is actually threatening the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Does it mean that one does not have to conduct virtuous deeds or learn Buddhism when his physical health is not in a good condition? Those with such thoughts are truly evil.

Regarding the practice on thoughts, Exoteric Buddhism teaches people to stop their thoughts from arousing so as not to create karma. By doing that, it would be like pressing the grasses with a stone. Even though the grasses are not able to grow under such a condition, they will thrive as long as the stone is removed. Such a method cannot fundamentally solve the problem. In Vajrayana, a practitioner gets to know about what makes the grasses grow. Since grasses provide places for the sentient beings to reside on and some are beneficial to human health, would it be proper to stop their growing? In Vajrayana, the reason why the grasses grow would be contemplated. A Vajrayana practitioner practices upon these reasons, which reveal the cause and condition of your thoughts. Thoughts are not to be suppressed. Instead, one needs to get to know about what thoughts are and make them tools for his Buddhist study, just like casting wood into fire to make it soar.

You should not abandon your thoughts. It is commonly heard that people are asked to let go or let their minds go blank. However, such act cannot be achieved. How can you do that? Where would you put your thoughts? As Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said in the previous puja, Bodhidharma remained in a meditative state of concentration in front of a wall for 9 years with thoughts as well. As long as you can breathe, you would definitely have thoughts. Without having any thought, you would have been dead. As a table is placed here without having any thoughts, would you say that the table is in a state of concentration? In this life, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche practices Mahamudra rather than Zen. Even when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche sat in meditation during his Exoteric Buddhist study, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche wondered why the term “Da-zen” was used. As “Da” literally means to hit, how can one hit in Zen? If they do so, would they be able to conduct the recitation continuously without distraction? Some people attest that to let go would be enough. Actually, such a method is a practice means in Zen Buddhism. It is a practice means suitable for those who live in abundance. When Zen Buddhism thrived in the Tang Dynasty, people lived in wealth and did not have to worry about lacking food or clothing. Therefore, they were able to learn Buddhism in such a way. It can be seen that ancient people had greater merits than we do. Sentient beings in the degenerate age have got profound and heavy karmic obstacles. Whatever they eat, drink, and wear contain toxic materials. Take housing for an example, the houses built of cement are actually harmful to modern people’s health. Ancient people lived in wooden houses. When you came into an antique shop during a rainy day, you can smell the fragrant scents of the rosewood and sandalwood furniture, which are beneficial to human physical health.

For ordinary people, there are only two ways to handle their thoughts; one is suppression, the other is indulgence. Each of your thought is arising to benefit yourself, to protect yourself, and to prevent yourself from any harm. So you suppress or indulge your thoughts such that you hurt other people and yourself.

Whether you can understand the Buddha dharma enlightened in these recent two weeks depends on your root capacity. How did the root capacity come from? Other than being brought from past generations of lives, your root capacity depends on your reverence towards Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and your desires and cravings for Buddha dharma.

When you come in front of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, you are nowhere to hide. Do not think that you can use certain kind of statements to deceive Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Yesterday, there was a follower who sought audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. He partnered with others to do business; he is now charged with fraud. A week ago, when he and his wife came to seek audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche pointed out that he had given short weight first such that he was accused. At the time, he was unwilling to admit his mistake; but after a week, he came again and admitted he actually had done wrong. So Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed him to prostrate in front of the Buddha statues for one hundred times on the spot. And he completed the worship obediently. However, when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked him and his wife to have vegetarian diets, they turned around and left immediately. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche clearly knew that he did not truly repent. Even though he had admitted his mistake and prostrated in front of the Buddhas, he did not have a reverent and faithful mind towards Buddha dharma; he just wanted to protect himself by exchanging conditions to temporarily pass the current difficulty first. So when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche talked about having a vegetarian diet, he immediately showed his true appearance. If more and more people file law suit in a place, this place will be adversely affected.

Some people think they need to do business so they cannot be vegetarians. Actually, this is not true. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is also a vegetarian. When having a meal with friends, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ate vegetarian dishes while his friends ate their non-vegetarian food; there was no problem at all. This is the same with relatives. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s children do not have vegetarian diets or practice Buddha dharma. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche does not force them. Forcing them may make them further away. Having the condition of being relatives with your family members does not mean that you have the condition of practicing Buddha dharma together with them. Once before, in a non-vegetarian restaurant, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saw that a female legislator, who is a vegetarian and thought adopting vegetarian food could accumulate merits, was furious about the garlic in her food and scolded everyone from chef to waiters. Some people think that being a vegetarian does not mean anything great. In fact, being a vegetarian really has nothing great; cattle and sheep are also vegetarians. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche wants to see whether we respect Buddha dharma or not since Buddha has taught us to have compassion. There is no need to be angry with others for the careless mistakes of others. If you take half a catty from him, you will have to pay him back eight ounces.

Since Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s mother has an old age, she takes a lot of drugs. In fact, does she have to take these medicines? Not necessarily. She should be fine if not taking these drugs. However, her mind was dependent on the medicine. When the time comes, she has to take the medicine to feel peaceful. She thinks it is those drugs which help to maintain her physical condition; in fact, those drugs are the comfort of her mind. Why do some people eat sleeping pills when having insomnia? Why do some people take tranquilizer when having instability in emotions? These are all dependencies on drugs. Since childhood, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had never taken a sleeping pill and had taken the consequence of sleeplessness which at most was just drowsier the next day. In order to have a sense of sleeping, you take sleeping pills; but you are still drowsy the next day.

In fact, all illnesses have their causes and effects. Many of them are caused by karma, so a patient should repent by himself. However, modern people do not do so, but throw all illnesses to doctors. Some children were not idiots originally, even faked by some; but because their parents gave them western medicine, they really became idiots in the end. There was a follower who sought audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche last Saturday. Her two-year-old child suddenly had had fevers some day and had died within a day. The doctor could not find the reason. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saw that when she had been pregnant, the fetus had been frightened. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked about her job; the follower answered that she had been selling Tofu in a traditional market. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saw that the stall opposite of hers had been selling fish and the stall next to hers had been selling chicken. She would help them as well. The fetus in her belly had listened to the killings of fishes and chickens every day and had been frightened. When hearing long enough, the fetus did not want to live. Therefore, the child suddenly had a fever and died.

Why are there children who are hyperactive now? It is actually caused by prenatal care. When seeing their child hyperactive, some parents brought their child to seek treatment of western medicine and let the child take western drugs. In fact, taking drugs was just to suppress the child’s cranial nerve so as to slow the child’s actions. Having a hyperactive child was because the mother went around everywhere during pregnancy. It was stated in ancient times that a woman should stay in retreat during pregnancy. The situation is not like that now. Many pregnant women went around everywhere all day long, some even with a belly of nine-month pregnancy, thinking that they were really great. In addition, some ate nourishing food during pregnancy such as chicken and pig feet; chicken and pig are good at running; thus these mothers’ children were surely very active. During the postpartum period, because of C-section and fearing slow healing of the wound, some mothers ate eels. Eels are slippery; so their children, surely like the eels, were hard to catch.

Also yesterday, a mother brought her child to seek an audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche because her child who has already been in the second grade was frequently crying for no reason. From the doctor’s diagnosis, the child had a neurological problem. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche told her that this was because of prenatal care. During pregnancy, she had felt wronged, often crying, so the child had been affected. After listening to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s enlightenment, this mother still denied this; but the sister-in-law next to her was nodding and agreed with Rinpoche’s enlightenment.

Why one will be reborn as a bird, why one will be reborn as a dog, all of these have been recorded clearly in Buddhist scriptures. All of these are under the law of cause and effect. If you like to scream and are very persistent about things in this life, you will become a dog in your next life. Because we used to do these thing in our past lives, we will bring these habits to this life. Some scientists said that this is an animal instinct. After being born, an animal will actively find something to eat. In fact, this is there because of the thought of eating brought from past lives. Why fishes swim in the water while birds fly in the sky, these are caused by the karma brought by the past lives of all sentient beings. Buddhist scriptures have recorded that each animal was caused by certain karma done in its past lives.

When some people get sick, they pray to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that they do not want to be sick and want the illness to be cured quickly. Perhaps your illness is cured, but your life will be ended. Sometimes, your illness will not be cured so quickly such that you will have time to gradually practice Buddha dharma. Because of suffering of illness, one will then understand to practice Buddhism. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche did not pray to let his skin cancer be cured quickly. Don’t you think to pray to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to let you be sick quickly; you are not that great.

The first thing is to concern whether the customer can get the benefit or not. It is an evil deed when you do everything firstly to consider whether it is good for your benefit, or you will be hurt or not. It is a virtuous deed when you firstly consider whether others have the benefits or not. To know the meaning of burning one’s fingers, it will be difficult to accept it at the beginning of change, but you will realize that it will benefit a lot not only you but also others. The one who is arrogance and conceit, without the mercy and compassion, is impossible to have this concept. At work, you don’t haggle over the money when you are overtime for several hours, or thinking what I can get how much money before looking at the job. Those are the incorrect ideas.

Our body is the result of karmic retribution. Not only the evil karma will cause the reincarnation, but also the virtuous karma does. You may think, what is the purpose of doing virtuous deed? The Buddha told us, when we help others, we also have to devote ones merits and virtues to the salvation of others in order to avoid being entwined with reincarnation by the virtuous karma. It is an important dharma paryaya for devoting ones merits and virtues to the salvation of others. There are three parts for all dharma in Vajrayana, including Preliminary Practice, Main Practice, the Dedication. The Preliminary Practice is motivation and Four Immeasurables. The Main Practice is the power of vow by the Yidams in order to benefit the sentient beings with the merits and mercy and compassion. The Dedication is to devote ones merits and virtues to the salvation of sentient beings. Someone would consider: If all sentient beings devote the merits to all sentient beings, whether it is possible that we would be reincarnation by getting virtuous karma from others? It is a common thought. When Buddha Sakyamuni comes from the Tushita heaven, the pure land of Maitreya Bodhisattva, the purpose of his coming is to let sentient beings learn the methods how to be liberated from reincarnation and attains Buddhahood. In fact, if you have the mind to make the Dedication which will be conformed with the Buddha, you will be in the turning of the Dharma wheel with Buddha, therefore you will not be reincarnation when you are together with Buddha. When you are devoting your virtues deeds to sentient beings with a pure mind, others do the same as well. When the Dharma wheel is turning continuously, the entanglement of karma by the virtues deeds will be untied.

Several years ago, there was a male monk disciple followed with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to visit His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. He prepared lots of rituals and instructed other dharma brothers to follow up in order to show in a gesture of respect. At last, His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang asked everybody to be seated after making prostrate to His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, without having other rituals which he had prepared. It doesn’t mean that it will be get better for practicing the Vinaya School well by doing the rituals well. The Vinaya School are not relied on the performance of rituals, but the precepts are. You must tell from what is inside and outside. On the outside, there are a lot of rituals in Tibetan Buddhism. You may see the rituals during the puja, or making offerings to guru by a specific ritual. The purpose is that the attendees can see the solemnity of process during the rituals which can raise the mind to respect the Buddhism. On an occasion, it will not be so important for the rituals. The most important thing is one’s mind, without the reverential mind to make prostration as an act of obedience is meaningless.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche proceeded to enlighten the teaching of Mahamudra by Gampopa: For a Buddhist beginner, if you learn Buddhism with expected goals, practice Buddhism by contemplating the karmic conditions, or do ascetic practices, those methods could not realize the true meaning of Emptiness.

The meaning of “for the purpose of learning Buddhism” is that one is clinging to set-up a “target” when learning the Buddhism. Like some of you are taught by the teaching of making full prostration. Someone thought that the teaching of Phowa Dharma will be transmitted after practicing full prostration and the four preliminaries, then he/or she will achieve the dharma paryaya of liberating oneself from the cycle of birth and death. That is not the attitude of Vajrayana. Most of you have established the targets to learn the Buddhism, when you has achieved this target, another target will be creating, those are grasping and clinging. Many of you who took refuge for years did not realize the purpose of learning Buddhism, using your desire to leaning the Buddhism established with a target by yourself. The practice of Vajrayana is that: You must follow up the guidance by the guru to recite the sutra or to make prostration to Buddha. Do not think that your are following up the guidance of guru. If there is no refuge and the blessing of Drikung Kagyu Lineage and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, you will be lifeless, not to mention learning Buddhism.

Several years ago, a female disciple took refuge under Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, who was evicted by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for her bad temper. Afterward she sobbed out and ask His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang for allowing her to be a nun. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang promised her request and she thought that she seems to be a disciple of His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Many years passed, the nun told Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche she set-up the target to achieve what kind of stage by years. Nowadays she found it was wrong because it was for the purpose of learning Buddhism. She also made repentance to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and realized that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is her guru indeed.

When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche started to learn Buddhism, he did not think that one day he would become a guru or a Rinpoche to be seated in the Dharma seat and benefit all sentient beings. From the beginning of learning Buddhism, There is only one thing in his mind “It is a good thing to learn Buddhism”. There was one believer told Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche that he would like to learn Buddhism in order to benefit sentient beings! What the believer relied on that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche never thought before. When His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang instructed Rinpoche to do anything, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would follow up without asking anything. When His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang transmitted the Dharma to Rinpoche, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would not ask the Dharma whether there was any help for Rinpoche. He just learned it without any other thought. When His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang instructed Rinpoche to conducted a retreat. He just followed without thinking there was any result afterward. However the nun had the problem, In 2007, when Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche went to perform retreat at Lapchi where Jetsun Milarepa once performed retreats, too, She would like to follow. When Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said “If you are not afraid of death, you can go!” Then the nun got the same answer when she asked His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Look at the Buddhism history and you will find that all the masters such as Tilopa, Marpa, and Milarepa performed retreats only under their guru’s instructions. Guru will see if a disciple has the condition and enough merits to perform a retreat. Therefore, do not presume what you will achieve in following years. What are the Buddhism learning goals that a cultivator must have? It is simply to follow and practice those teachings from Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and guru, to gain liberation from birth and death. The reason why Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche could achieve accomplishment is he follows his guru’s instructions completely.

The way how to do the practices by contemplating the karmic conditions is that you practice in order to cut out all causes and conditions because you know all causes and conditions will generate karma. When turning wheel of dharma in the beginning, Buddha propagated “The Twelve Nidānas” first to talk about the relationship between causes and conditions and their effects. The causes and conditions are of emptiness, i.e. they arise and also cease. You could achieve at most the Arhat position by practicing “The Twelve Nidānas” even you could achieve cutting our all dependent originations by your practices, and thus having not been able to attain Buddhahood nor to attain the position of Bodhisattva. It is because, after your cut out all your karmic connections, your conditions of liberating beings will disappear and how to practice the Bodhisattva path with the karmic conditions.

Some people perform practice sedulously such as standing up through the night without sleeping in the retreat room. They recite the name of Buddha 24 hours uninterruptedly and lean against the wall for a while when they feel tired, and then continue reciting the name of Buddha until they could recite the name of Buddha naturally. But practitioners of Vajrajana do not need to practice in this way. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang ever said that we don’t need to do penance for practice Buddhism. It was also said so in the biography of Milarepa. But you might have question “Isn’t that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed retreat on the Lapchi Snow Mountain an ascetic practice?” The meaning of performing retreat is profound. You might think that the retreat practices by practitioners of Vajrayana are hard. But they don’t take those hardships on purpose for their practices. When performing the retreats, they have to face the changes of living environment and of habitual behaviors, to be solitary without contacting others, and to live in simplest way. Only with these conditions we could feel the changes and the arising of our thoughts, and perceive our mind and mercy and compassion. The way of practicing Buddhism in Vajrayana is to perceive our thoughts, verifying if your thoughts would hurt sentient beings or not. If no, these thoughts could be carried out. If yes, those thoughts must be stopped. Two years ago, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ever led disciples to perform retreat practices. They recited the mantras six sessions a day and could have meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These retreats were not hard at all.

Someone might think practicing the full prostration of the Four Preliminary Practices is not needed since ascetic practices are not must. Such a thought is not correct. Making full prostration is not hard at all. Why do you have to do the practice of making the full prostration? It is because you could contemplate your faults attentively during the prostration. We could not pay much attention on our subjective or objective thoughts as we could not perceive the changes of our thoughts as long as we live in the same place in the same way daily. The way we get up every morning is the same, but it would be different when we go abroad, for example for the purpose of pilgrimage, and live a room with the other one. Because of the change of living condition, those things that seems be unchangeable have the chances to be changed. Therefore, making the full prostration and performing retreats is to give us chances to contemplate our thoughts through the changes of living conditions, so to resume our walking life with compassionate and virtuous thoughts.

Making full prostration is not on purpose to let you take hardships, instead it is to let you have the chance of learning of concentration, to repent all of your faults through prostration. Repentance and regret are two issues. Making repentance is to acknowledge and accept your faults, and also realize what your faults are. Regret is to make determination of not committing the same mistake again. Your thoughts are too complicated that you are not able to be concentrated. As you are not able to make repented, your faults can’t be changed definitely. Why could not you make repented through making full prostration? First, you are not doing it with your own willing. Second, you never think to learn advance dharma to change yourself and help sentient beings through making prostration. Therefore, you don’t think you have faults and thus can’t make repented. Moreover, making full prostration is to improve your physical condition. Most of you have bad physical condition. Do not think you are healthy because you don’’ fall ill. Why your physical condition is bad? It is because of the meat you have eaten, in addition to the karma from previous lifetimes. Both of remaining seated meditation and reciting mantras need energy. You will not be able to learn advanced dharma without healthy condition. Therefore, making full prostration is to improve your physical energy. Without good health, you can’t take good care of yourself, let alone benefit sentient beings.

Some said that the ordained fall ill somehow as they are taking over karmas from beings. Such a saying is wrong. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon is an ordained practitioner too but his health is not bad at all. They are not eligible to take over others’ karmas either. Your bad health is from your bad physical conditions, and you don’t really practice Buddhism either.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has not taught you how to do seated meditation. However, some of you do the meditation 15 or 20 minutes a day. Do not do this anymore. Do not do what guru does not teach. Do not think you are right. Recently it becomes popular among a few entrepreneurs to do seated meditation. They thought they did not have any thought within the seated one hour. They felt comfortable and thought they were practicing Buddhism. In fact, they were thinking how to make more money tomorrow. These thinking are incorrect.

Gampopa gave enlightenment upon the beginners of learning Mahamudra to recognize all are the thoughts of discrimination. And you won’t achieve any accomplishment nor attain Buddhahood if you learn Buddhism with expected goals, practice Buddhism by contemplating the karmic conditions, or do ascetic practices. If the practitioners of middle capability achieve the accomplishment of realizing the emptiness, they should continue proceeding to contemplate the reality of true nature until the state of calm rest in the assurance of no birth. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said that these teachings is about dharma nature, or the Wisdom in Buddhism. Practice Buddhism is to practice wisdom. One’s learning Buddhism will be ineffective if he can’t achieve attainment of wisdom. To benefit beings starts from Bodhi vow, i.e. vow to cultivate the bodhicitta. Only by vowing bodhicitta you could your karma. Without it, your wisdom will not be able to be enlightened. With enlightened wisdom, you will not be able to obtain the liberation from the birth and death. One third of the extensive Buddhist Great Canons talks about the wisdom and it took Sakyamuni Buddha ten years to teach the wisdom. Therefore, you could know the importance of the wisdom. Without wisdom, you will not know the law of the universe and the true reality of phenomena, nor will you be able to benefit sentient beings with the way of cause and effect, and of the cause and condition.

The saying “Buddhism is boundless” does not mean how wonderful Buddhism is that it could reach as far as boundless. It is saying that sentient beings’ karma is so immense and boundless that only Buddhism could help them. As sentient beings receive the help from Buddhism according to the conditions, therefore, Buddhism is boundless too. Do not come to ask further explanation for today’s teachings. As long as you liten to them attentively, these pitch instructions from your guru will help you the correct attitude on your Buddhist path life after lives.

The saying “Do not abide” means that one should not stop and not be self-contented. He should proceed to practice more diligently. The practitioners of the middle stage, who have realized the impermanence, cause and effect, life being suffering, and other common teachings, should not be complacent and be full of themselves, and stop at their accomplished position without making further progress. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once said that one has to repent everyday before he attains Buddhahood. Why? It is because conducting such a deed is being ungrateful for the grace and kindness of the guru, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and the sentient beings. As the guru gives great efforts to teach you regardless of himself, how do you show your gratitude? As the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas take care of us around the clock, how do you show your gratitude? To put it simply, if the garbage in a certain region is not collected for three days, the smell would be unbearable. How could you stand that? Why have you been taught to repent while doing full prostrations? With your evil karma in this life, the hell would not be enough even if it had 36 levels. As Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche himself has to repent, how could you say that you do not need to repent?

His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang has once said that Buddha dharma is quite unrestrained. Those who practice Buddha dharma truly will not be neurotic or out of tune with others, but can get along with others in their lives. In outer appearance, a Buddhist will not be different than others, but his internal thoughts and actions will be different from other people due to Buddhist teachings. A Buddhist does not wear only a suit of clothes from young to old age, like what people have thought. Having only a suit of clothes was the way of life in the era of agriculture before, and does not apply to the modern business society. Many people live in the world by relying on everyone’s expenditure; if no one spends money, a lot of people will starve to death. In fact, if one really wears the same suit of clothes all day long, it will not be convenient for one to go to certain places. If a big boss wears the same suit each time when attending any public event, won’t other people feel strange about it? This kind of style also tend to be artificial.

Some of you, the ordained disciples, had ever conducted reciting 21 sutras in order to help the deceased be transmigrated to pure lands. But, the truth is that each individual has his or her own merits; some of the deceased would only need to hear one time of reciting the Buddha name, while some others might need hearing of more than one hundred times. For example, you may aware that each time during the Chod puja Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche recites the Mani Mantra in different tones, because the beings, who had gathered in the puja, have different merits and conditions. The Dharma is not fixed at all. Another example, in regular Saturday interview with the believers, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche uses many kinds of practices such as beating, scolding, amusing, or encouraging the believers in order to help them. When giving his blessings at request from the believer, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche actually bestows his blessings to the karmic creditors of the believer in order to exhort them to turn away from enmity.

Some people feel that they would have understood or mastered the Dharma practices after they learned something in basic Buddhism theories and the reality of impermanence. For example, the female disciple sharing her experiences today told you that her husband not only had stopped fighting with her but also had become a fellow disciple; thus, she felt content. If she feels that she has known what is Dharma and the other people cannot compare to her, she would stop her from further cultivation. Not long ago, disciples of the torma production team were penalized because they have mistaken that they mastered in how to make tormas, and they did not want to make improvement any more.

Yesterday, in the interview with believers, a female disciple brought a man to have audience with Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. She thought she can guide him to the direction of learning Buddhism. At the first glance, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche was aware that what the man wanted was to maintain their relationship and might not really want to learn Buddhism. If the man does not have the willing to learn Buddhism, one day he would give bad speech as a response to unhappy situation. Therefore, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked him to wait aside for five hours before the audience; if he could tolerate such a test, it seemed that he would be willing to learn Buddhism. Thus, even if they break up with each other, he would not give bad speech. The example tells us that only does a lay guru have the wisdom to deal with such beings, because a lay guru understands what love is and how to solve the associated problems. What is love? Indeed, it stands for exchanging the interests in between. So long as both sides agree on their respective interests, the relationship will be maintained. You may claim that you have no interest on his money; nonetheless, you would want the man. That is your interest. At the first time, when you hold his hands, have you request advices from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas? No. Never think that love can change your counterpart. Even Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s son has no willing to learn Buddhism, why you would think you could have them change?

Recently, news reported that a well-known figure that used to offer advices for celebrities of Hong Kong and Taiwan has been on intubation. Moreover, another well-known figure, a fortune teller, who can prophesy based on his looking at the client’s complexion. For example, if the client will encounter bad things in next month, the fortune teller will give certain advices for the client to avoid them. His prophesy is so accurate that many policemen and gangs had sought advice from him. However, the man contracted throat cancer suddenly. Tumors grew to block his throat completely and his throat had become sealed off. He could not speak any more, and passed away. What he had done is not revealing secrets, but rather he had violated the rule of causes and effects. He observed that the client would encounter bad luck, and then he offered advices to the client to avoid those things. Thus, how the karmic creditors could get their debt repaid? Therefore, the karmic creditors can only take vengeance on him; they would like to prevent him from telling prophesy any longer.

Being influenced by the karmic forces from your previous lifetimes, people would generate thoughts as long as they breathe. With your differentiating thoughts, karma is created as the nerves in your bodies would produce feelings of greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt. Karma, virtuous or evil, would let you fall into reincarnation. The karmic forces from our previous lifetimes have brought about our current life. Therefore, our bodies are bodies of karmic retribution.

The life will be accompanied with karma by the previous life, thus you have the different feeling and favorite things. A baby owns his thought when he is still in the womb. A mother has the experience to fell the baby’s movement during pregnancy. You don’t think that the baby is very vigorous to kick you, the actual reason is the baby would like to tell you by kicking you when he/or she does not like what you ate, or he/or she is uncomfortable due to your sleeping position.

The reincarnation will depend on the power of karma. You are unable to choice your next life to be re-birthed as a bird by only making a vow. That is not merely by making a vow to be re-birthed as a human being again in order to save others for next life, you would be able to re-birthed as a human, not to mention you can save others. What is called reborn human being must be a practitioner who has achieved the stage of Bodhisattva in his previous life, he can also practice and achieve the stage of Bodhisattva by this life to have the opportunity to transferring the sentient beings. You are unable to achieve it when you are not in the stage of Bodhisattva. Just like the education, it is step by step from a kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school and university. You should know that it is impossible to make it at one stroke. Even if a genius would skip a grade, the utmost is from the elementary school to the university, it is impossible to jump the grade from a kindergarten to be the academic degree of doctor. The same logic can be considered by learning the Buddhism; you are far less than a student in a kindergarten.

When you learn Buddhism, you should learn from the teachings of the Buddha and the guru. Do not try to be an inventor. If an unrealized guru leads his disciples in practice, it will be like a blind person trying to lead a group of blind people to touch an elephant and everyone would touch a different part. The one who touches the legs would say that an elephant is like a pillar. The one who touches the tail would say that it is like a stick. Regardless how hard they practice, they would never achieve any accomplishments. Why does one need a guru in his Buddhist practice? It is because that the guru is an experienced practitioner who is able to understand the problems you have and provide support for you. The complexity of the variables is beyond your human understanding.

Once, an ordained person vowed to help 1 million people to become a monk or a nun. How could this wish come true? If 1 million people did become a monk or a nun, there would be 1 million families short in Taiwan. How many families would be broken? Besides, it would affect the birth rate immensely and the future population in Taiwan would be extremely small. Lord Jigten Sumgon, the founder of Drikung Kagyu Lineage, only had 18 thousand ordained disciples in his prime time. Do not be such an arrogant person. It even took Buddha Amitabha 12 asamkhyeyas of eon to make sure his 48 vows would be fulfilled before verbalizing the aspirations. You should not take vows lightly.

Thoughts are not evil, nor are the diseases. As long as one is able to examine his thoughts and repent properly, he can transform these seemingly harmful matters into tools in his practice. In addition, some ordained people would regard themselves learning and practicing, but such thinking is an attachment to the Dharma as well. Although such an attachment to the Dharma only takes place in a later stage of one’s learning, one should have a correct understanding right from the beginning so as not to go astray. If you are able to truly practice in accordance with the Buddhist teachings, you will then bring joy to your guru indeed.

What has been bestowed during this and the previous pujas will bring positive changes to our thoughts on learning Buddhism throughout lifetimes. Whether you can understand the contents is not important at all. What is of most importance is for you to remember what has been said. Do not think that attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death is something easy to achieve. Although 60 billion people are currently on the earth, how many of them are able to learn Buddhism? Those who are able to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death are very rare. You are still unable to realize how important the Buddhist teachings are, but Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche knows perfectly that we would not live without the Buddhist teachings.

July 30, 2010

At the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taipei, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious Chod puja of Drikung Kagyu Order. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche first bestowed auspicious Dharma talk as followed: Many of you came to this Chod puja for the first time. His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang once taught that, in Vajrayana, there are eight auspicious Sadhana practices. By devoted practicing of one of them, practitioners could obtain liberation from the cycle of birth and death, and eventually attain Buddhahood. Chod dharma is one of the eight Sadhana practices.

1200 years ago, a Tibetan female lay yogi Machig Lapdron comprised the Chod dharma based on principles of Buddhism and Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra (Large Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom) enlightened by the Buddha Sakyamuni. There includes essence of Exoteric Buddhism and Tantra in the Chod. The importance of Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra can be inferred by the facts that one third of Great Treasury Scriptures is dedicated to it and the Buddha Sakyamuni had spent 12 years to teach the concept of “prajna.” The meanings of the term “prajna” sometimes are directly represented by the word “wisdom,” which is only a convenient way of explaining “prajna.” When Tang Sanzang translated Buddhist scriptures, there were three conditions in which he wouldn’t translate the original terms and would leave the original terms in the scriptures. One of them was when multiple meanings are embedded in a single term; the term “prajna” is an example.

The important essence of Chod is to giving charities and practicing generosity. Practitioners should abandon their desires, attachments, and afflictions and contemplate on devoting their fleshes to all sentient beings. In Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra, it is emphasized that life is impermanent. Nothing will last forever, including good and bad things. There are eight kinds of sufferings in life: birth, old age, illness, death, separation from what is pleasing, union with what is displeasing, not to get what one wants, and sufferings of form, sensation, perception, mental formation, and consciousness. It is not only you but also countless sentient beings would experience these pains.

Another aspect of the Chod lies in the meaning of termination, to cut off one’s afflictions. Why would you be remained in the cycle of reincarnation and feeling pains? It’s because your tendency to attach to someone or something, clinging to it and not letting go. Those who have been used to have profound attachments when alive would suffer from special pains at their deathbeds. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has never witnessed anyone without any attachment as Rinpoche has helped numerous dead people in past years. Even though you may claim that all your thoughts are dedicated to your companies or families, in fact, you actually are thinking of your own benefits. All your thoughts are indeed selfish. You simply don’t believe what is described in the Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows: All thoughts that ordinary people arise within themselves and all ideas they generate are karmas, are sins.

In Taiwan, no matter one has learned Buddhism or not, he must have heard of the term “salvation.” As a matter of fact, the “salvation” is one of special Buddhist terms. Although you might have seen some rituals of salvation in Taoism, such as stomping on and breaking tiles or holding a wooden tablet carved with names of one’s ancestors. These rituals, however, would only render comforts to the family of the dead, but can’t truly salvage the dead.

There exists no such concept of salvation in Taoism, although there are some rituals about it in Taiwan’s Taoism. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s late father had practiced Taoism, who had even achieved the ultimate sate that his spirit could separate from his body. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is very knowledgeable on Taoism because Rinpoche had learned Taoism with Rinpoche’s father and seen how Rinpoche’s father helped people with Taoism. Even so, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has not heard of any rituals related to salvation in Taoism. It has not mentioned about salvation in Lao-tzu, either.

In all religions, only Buddhism does have rituals of salvation. Nothing about salvation is discussed in Catholicism, Islam, Taoism and other religions. In Chinese, there are two characters encoded in the meaning of salvation; chao ( 超) and du (度). They refer to two actions and two different things. The character “chao” (超) refers to the meaning of liberating sentient beings from the ocean of suffering, whereas the character “du” (度) refers to the meaning of helping sentient beings reach the other side of the ocean of suffering, which is the Buddhas’ pure lands or at least the heaven realm.

You are mistaken to think that it is salvation if you hire people to recite sutras. It is also wrong to think that joining deathbed chanting groups would guarantee that there will be people to recite sutras for you when you are passing. Nor is it correct to think that folding paper lotuses or burning paper money will lead the dead to the pure land. If it is so easy to reach the pure land, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche would be the first one not to practice Buddhism. Actually, none of such things are mentioned in sutras. These are invented by modern time people. If doing so can truly achieve salvation, the Buddha Sakyamuni would definitely say so. The Buddha would not be oblivious to talk about these rituals. Things not described in sutras are all fakes.

The deceased cannot be salvaged merely through reciting sutra. But it would be better than not doing it. By doing so, at least the deceased could set his mind at ease without fear. It will be the best that the deceased’s family members personally recite sutras. Or it will be also appropriate that ordained monks/nuns do the recitation for the deceased without requiring for any reward of offering and not for self-profit. As for the salvation, it needs to implore a practitioner to perform dharma, and the deceased must have merits and the causal conditions too. To possess the causal conditions, it is not enough by merely hearing Buddhism in his previous lives. Actually he must adopt Buddha dharma in his daily life with what he learns from Buddhist teachings, and also ever makes offering to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Thus one would possess the causal conditions. Besides, the merits are a must, too. It is like that, to send a person to another place, you needs money to buy the ticket for him to pass the station ticket barrier. Secondly, it depends on the attendee’s heart, whether or not the attendee has faith to sincerely beseech for helping the deceased. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche benefits sentient beings with equality. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche offers help to beings without discrimination or selectivity. The reason why the help is effective on some people and is not on others is that the effectiveness depends totally on the attendees’ motivation. Thirdly, it also depends on whether or not the practitioner to perform salvation has the ability of benefiting sentient beings without asking for any return. You may wonder how to know if a practitioner is really of capability. An incapable one who performs the dharma of salvation will lead to falling ill, short longevity or even worse, death. Since 1997, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has performed Chod and now at the age of sixty-three, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche still keeps liberating beings in the world. Beside, more and more attendees come for this puja. It is because the practitioner who has attained the accomplishment of Mahamudra’s Simplicity Yoga is able to benefit more and more sentient beings.

Around 1250 people were enrolled for Today’s Chod Puja without any advertising. That is just because your karmic creditors know that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is able to help them so they let you come. Many people, after getting off work, hurried here even without having dinner. Particularly, pujas hosted by the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center are advertised through television propagation. Usually you do not easily believe other people. But once you heard the news of this puja from others, you believed it, smoothed away and difficulties, and came. It is all because your karmic creditors or your ancestors wanted you to come, as well as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas bestow blessings upon you.

Nowadays in the world, very few Rinpoches are able to conduct a Chod puja that is attended by more than 1000 people simultaneously. Apart from the hardship the practitioner would take, due to the extraordinary auspiciousness of Chod, if the practitioner’s heart is not auspicious, it would cause big harm to himself.

His Holiness has ever enlightened that in ancient times, all the practitioners of the Drikung Kagyu temples have to perform one session of Chod every day. But now they do not do it anymore, as it is very painstaking to perform Chod ritual. Moreover, one must be of somewhat specific capability and he must receive training for a long period of time in order to perform this Dharma. It is also because the dharma instrument of Chod is hard to find and obtain. The dharma instrument is made of a human tibia bone with many special qualifications. Those bones made for the Dharma instrument have been particularly selected according to specific criteria, such as for the form and features. After being made to a dharma instrument, it needs being used by a master of great accomplishment to be effective. The use of the human tibia bone also indicates the impermanence of human life. Do not say again “till the seas run dry and the rocks crumble”. When you are in love, you always like to say that phrase, in hope that your love can last until the seas run dry and the rocks crumble. In fact, nothing is permanent and unchangable. Even if it is not visible now, it may change finally. In this modern era, anything is possible to happen. For example, a stone would be exploded in a second by a bomb.

Normally before a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism performs dharma, he would make simabandha to protect the venue from any interference. But before performing Chod, the practitioner does not make the simabandha nor he wear any protective objects such as chakra for himself. Generally, a Rinpoche would wear some protective object to protect himself. But he would take those objects off when he is going to perform Chod. If he has any protective object with him, he will be able to perform Chod successfully as he has to give away all his belongings.

Apart from salvation, Chod puja is also helpful to the sickness. Originally to receive help from Chod, the patients of attendee need to lie down during the process. But due to the large gathering of attendees and the limited space, it is the same by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s visualizing the scene. Don’t think that visualization is of no avail.

Two weeks ago, a believer came to ask for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s advice on a lawsuit against him. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche particularly told him to do 100 prostrations towards the Buddhas so as to see if he truly felt repentant and was willing to correct his errors. He did what was told. However, when he was asked to adopt a vegetarian diet, he immediately turned around and left. Some people claimed that it would be much inconvenient for them to adopt a pure vegetarian diet, so they eat vegetables from meat dishes. You people are not Huinen, the Sixth Patriarch and are not qualified to eat vegetables from meat dishes. Nowadays in Taiwan, almost every restaurant provides pure vegetarian meals and it is very easy to be on a vegetarian diet. Do you think that you are the only one to have business deals or to receive foreign clients? Whether or not you are able to adopt a vegetarian diet lies in your determination. You could be firmly determined when you wanted to get married, why can’t you have such determination to be a vegetarian? You should not find any excuse and say that it is because your wife, husband, boyfriend, or girlfriend opposes this idea. If you two break up because of this, it will be a good thing, for you both are not the same kind. Women who want to look beautiful must adopt a vegetarian diet so as to obtain good skin condition. Many people’s bodies have odors when they become old. It is the smells from your meat-based diet. As of today, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has not got any odor from the aging process. You should not think that children adopting a vegetarian diet would not have enough nutrition. Many children in the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center are vegetarians, even from birth, and they grow better than those on a meat-based diet. Even the dog which Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once raised was vegetarian too, and it grew strong as well. When you cannot even manage to refrain from eating meat, you have no loving kindness or compassion at all and you are not virtuous human beings. Any of you who has eaten a piece of meat is a person who commits evil deeds.

To release lives is not to join a group of people who go reciting loads of mantras by the seashore and then dump the fish into the sea, and think that they are performing virtuous deeds. Besides, you are not sure if these fish can actually live after you dump them into the sea. Therefore, such conduct cannot be regarded as releasing lives. To truly release lives is to refrain from killing living beings and also from eating meat.

A spirit medium who used to have close relationship with celebrities got oral cancer and passed away not long ago. A fortune teller living in southeastern Asia, who is well-known in the Asian communities in Asia, recently got a cold and ended up having tubes inserted all over his body. Many people go to him for advice. If he really had miraculous powers as he claims he does, or had great capacities, how could he fail to know about his own cold? He should have foreseen this and adopted some preventive measures before finding himself inserted with tubes simply because of a cold. Hence, are you still superstitious? You still have to conduct the practice yourself!

Two weeks ago, a believer came to see Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche. Her 2-year-old child had a high fever all of a sudden and died within one day. The cause of the child’s death could not be found eventually. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked what job she had and she said that she sold tofu at a marketplace. Then, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche told her that a chicken stall was next to hers and a fish stall was across from the street. When she was pregnant, she heard sounds of killing chickens and fish and even helped with the killing occasionally. Therefore, her child was scared and did not want to live. Even though it was not her job, she rejoiced in evil deeds simply by watching at the side. When she said, “You business is good today, for more fish have been sold,” she was actually rejoicing in evil deeds. The karmic retribution of rejoicing in evil deeds is terrifying whereas rejoicing in virtuous deeds brings good outcome. Oftentimes, when a believer asks about the appropriate amount to offer, the disciples would tell the person to rejoice in virtuous deeds. Actually, this is not rejoicing in virtuous deeds but it is giving as much as the person pleases. So, do not use this term carelessly from now on. If you are incapable of benefiting the sentient beings and feel joyful upon seeing others make it, you will be rejoicing in virtuous deeds.

When some people have problems, they would try to find someone to perform rituals for them. Are rituals efficacious? They certainly are, especially by the rituals of Tantra. However, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche hardly performs such practices. The Chod puja, the practice being performed tonight, is held once a month only and other practices are performed in special occasions in a year. Empowerments are rarely held. Overall, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche provides help by giving advice. If you come to implore Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche by yourself, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche usually will not perform any practice. Only when you are able to help many people after being helped will Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche perform a practice for you. When you are willing to repent, correct your errors, and learn Buddhism, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche will perform a practice for you so as to help stop your karmic retribution from interfering you. Whether or not you have the karmic connections and merits count as well.

For example, there was a woman whose boyfriend made her pleased in various aspects but wouldn’t earn his living. He stayed with her all the time and she got tired of him. She came to implore Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to perform a practice for her several times, hoping to make her boyfriend leave. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saw her immense suffering and agreed to help her. However, the only condition was that she had to truly leave her boyfriend and could not meet with him at all from then on. Only when she gave her word could Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche help her. She agreed. After Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed a practice for the woman, her boyfriend would be woken up by another woman in the middle of the night every time when he slept beside his girlfriend. Such an incident took place repeatedly in one night. Therefore, he got freaked out, left the woman’s house at once, and stopped seeing her. Nevertheless, the woman who had made the imploration broke her promise and got together with the man again. Even though she was with him for once, misfortune occurred to her thereafter. It does not mean that the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or Dharma protectors punished her. Instead, it was she who did not keep her promise, so her past karma came back for her.

Then, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche began to perform the auspicious Chod dharma. After the completion of the first section of the ritual, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche suspended the ritual especially to bestow upon the attendees the enlightenment that the the ritual that is performed so far comprises many activities to help sentient beings, including performer’s generating Bodhicitta, making offerings, and contemplating the dharma performer himself being not different from all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the Yidam, and the guru.

This kind of Chod puja that is attended by more than a thousand people cannot be seen elsewhere. The dharma conductor must have attained achievements in the second stage of Mahamudra, simplicity yoga. The Mahamudra of Drikung Kagyu order has four stages; the first stage is one-pointedness yoga; the second stage is simplicity yoga; the third stage is one-taste yoga; and the fourth stage is non-meditation yoga. Every stage can be further divided into three levels. So, there are a total of twelve levels in Mahamudra. One-pointedness yoga is practiced to let one’s scattered mind come back to concentration again. The practitioner who has attained accomplishment of simplicity yoga will treat the world as a play and will not attach to anything since anything happened in this world is all operated under the law of cause and condition and the law of cause and effect and is the manifestation of karma and karmic retributions. As children play a game, when this game is finished, they will quickly move on to play the another one. So the world is not real and not eternal. “Simplicity” (or no elaboration) means that a practitioner does not have any attachment towards good and evil. And a practitioner who has not attain achievements of simplicity yoga cannot liberate sentient beings.

After the Chod conduction, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche then enlightened the attendees. There are more than 1200 attendees tonight. Everyone has just recited 1000 times of six-syllable Mani mantra. So, we together have recited the mantra a total of more than one million times tonight. Because the dharma talks before performing of dharma have made everyone’s mind of attending the puja in earnest, under the lead of the capable guru, everyone will all be in the ocean of virtuous merits. Seemingly everyone has only recited the mantra one thousand times; however, what everyone gains is the merits of reciting one million times, much more useful than reciting one hundred million times by oneself at home. Because when reciting at home, you recited with a scattered and unfocused mind, this kind of method of holding mantras cannot change the power of karma that affects you from the past generations of lives. But, reciting mantras is still better than not doing it. When holding mantras in the puja, under the blessings of the guru and the heritage from past generations, your mind will at least not be scattered. Your minds have been accustomed to disorders since past generations of lives; so you want to find many things to do; so there are some people who would feel boring. How would it be boring? That is because you are not used to quietness so that you have such feelings. You do not concentrate on studying, working, and even driving. All of you must agree, if you do not concentrate, you cannot do anything well. And the first stage of the Mahamudra of Drikung Kagyu order is one-pointedness yoga; it is to train our concentration on everything. When performing the Chod dharma, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche can benefit more and more sentient beings. There are many reasons. One of them is that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s power of meditative concentration is getting better and better.

What you usually recited was all recited casually. What really counts is that one has to have ten years of foundation on Exoteric Buddhism, has to complete the four uncommon preliminaries, namely making one hundred thousand times of full body prostration, reciting one hundred thousand times of one-hundred-syllable mantra, making one hundred thousand times of mandala offerings, and practicing one hundred thousand times of Guru Yoga; then the guru has to transmit dharmas and empowerments; after that, what one recited in retreats then can be counted as useful. For example, when conducting a retreat, one recites completely one million times of six-syllable Mani mantra.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche strongly opposed that one holds a string of prayer beads in one hand and a counter in the other hand when one recites mantras. The counter, which was then invented later by people, was not mentioned among Buddhist scriptures. Why should we use a string of prayer beads? Its meaning is very profound. Simply speaking, one can use the action of moving prayer beads to help the concentration of one’s mind. When your mouth recites mantras, your hand slides the beads one by one, and your body concentrates on the prayer beads, your mind can concentrate on reciting mantras further. However, if one uses a counter and the counter produces a sound when being pushed, then including the sound of the counter, the original six-syllable of “Namo Amitabha Buddha” will become a sound of eight-syllables.

Today, there were many invisible sentient beings who came to receive helps. They rushed into the venue one after another as the tidal waves do; the total number of them could not be counted. Under the lead and enlightenment of the capable guru, everyone’s mind of attending the puja became more sincere in helping sentient beings. So when we just recited mantras, the hell was at one time opened by shaking. If you have used your true heart to recite mantras, your ancestors or relatives in hell should leave the hell already. They still cannot go to the Pure Land right away. But they will first be reborn in the human realm. After practicing, they will have a chance to be reborn in the heaven realm or the Pure Land. If everyone can truly recite mantras with a repentant, pure and clean, and selfless mind, the number of sentient beings that can be benefited by this puja is immeasurable.

Do cherish the opportunity that you are able to attend the extraordinary puja; if there were some bad things happened after attending the puja, I would congratulate you because you are starting to repay a debt. You may encounter that your husband would blame you. That is not the fault due to this puja. Because you may be beaten by your husband originally, as result, you would only be blamed by husband. The karmic retribution will not extinguish or disappear. We can only change the serious consequence by changing the level of the result of the karmic retribution. Like the flavor of a fruit, it should be bitter originally, as result, it tastes acid which will be bitter no more. If you invariably thought that a good thing will happen and the bad thing will disappear after attending a puja. That is a incorrect concept. If the bad effect will disappear, thus there will be no good result by attending the puja in order to have the good deeds.

The weather is hotter more and more. The scientist infers that too much of CO2 may be the cause of the problems. That is just only one of the reasons. The root cause of the real reason is that human’s temper is hotter more and more, and their hatred is getting stronger, and they interact with each other. Just like the living environment of those whose disposition is a mess will be a mess too. There will not be only the change of weather for these years; the cosmos has changed a lot as well. Do not think that that is not your business for the global environment. Even if you make yourself neat and clean, it will be impossible not to be involved in when your family and neighbors are not amicability, the society and country is unstable, moreover for the variation of the earth. It called “Collective Karma”: the people will be interacted by the collective karma retribution. There are 60 hundred million populations in the earth. The karma retribution will not wait for your next life due to too many people in the world. You will see the karma retribution by this life; moreover you can immediately see the result by tomorrow. The retribution of evil deeds will be double in this Age. The rewards of good deeds will be double reversely.

Everyone wishes to have a harmonious family. It depends on whether your family’s members have already gotten rid of killing karma. To be a vegetarian is not only for you and your family’s health, but also helps reduce the global warming. Those who like to eat meat have a hotter temper in general. If your boy friend/girl friend will sever the relation with you due to you are a vegetarian, just let it be because he/she is not the same kind of you. Be a vegetarian does not mean that you will leave home and become a monk or nun. Have you ever heard that a cow or a sheep becomes ordained due to its eating vegetable as well. To be a vegetarian is not amount to much. The reason is just to stop having the evil karma with sentient beings when you are a vegetarian. You will serve the connection with the seeds of mercy and compassion when you are not a vegetarian. Do not think that it is hard to have the business with others when you are a vegetarian. It is very convenient to have vegetarian foods for each of restaurants in Taiwan. There are lots of Buddhist monasteries, lots of Rinpoche and His Holiness coming here to spread Dharma. Taiwan can consider as a place with merits. However the rewards as good fortune will consume out at last.

Several years ago, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche predicted that these years are not good years. Especially Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche predicted 2010 last year that there will be lots of volcanic eruption, conflagration and flood disasters, accidents as well. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche advises everyone not to go to those places where with water to have funs, such as the side of stream, river or sea. During summer time, the parents must be advised that there will be a bad result to have funs or BBQ going to those watersides. One fact is that there are lots of germs and pollution in the water due to the hot weather. It will be the liability to disease when touching those things. Another thing is that certain species of fish face extinction due to overfishing. They are trying to fight back for those species of fish. You can see lots of examples for drowning victims from the TV news, even a girl accessed the fish farm and fallen down and choked to death in the water. In year 2001, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche saved a child with an illness which would be not lived no longer than 14 days according to the medicine research. The root cause was that he went BBQ with his uncle by the side of stream. After that, his skins were with lots of bubbles which are likes the meat burning in a baking tray. There is only Taiwan to have a BBQ party during the Moon Festival for Chinese people in the world. Why they have skin problems and cancer? Those are the reasons by killing karma from eating fish and meat.

Don’t take it for granted that donating money is accumulating good deeds. Some certain charity groups are really wealthy. Such a group, having that much money, would definitely run into trouble if, one day, the group head would have passed away. Therefore, you might stop donating money to them. According to Buddhist sutras, if one would like to help the other, one ought to personally hand over the money to them. If one observes any people who have no money for going to a school, no money for seeing a doctor, or no money for buying a coffin, one ought to personally hand over the money to them. Do not shirk; do not think it suffices by donating money to those societies. Think about it: If you donate 2000 NT dollars, the amount given to people who really need help might have only 100 NT dollars. Why shall you personally hand over the money? It is not to tell them who you are, nor to hear thank-you from them, but rather you will learn that some people live more rough than you do. Instead, thanks to them, you will not only learn the mercy of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and your parents, but also obtain the opportunity to help the other beings. He who lacks of merits cannot find someone to give them his hands. There is a real example. Somebody who would like to help other people, those without money to see doctors, had been unable to find anyone for a whole week.

After performing the ritual, the voice of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had became much weaker. Nonetheless, the Rinpoche still advise earnestly and kindly. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will not force you to do anything, though they might urge and encourage you. They never lie; they would not be a Buddha or a Bodhisattva if they deceive people. What Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has been constantly doing is to urge everybody not to take meat any more. People who still take meat after attending the puja should not come to puja anymore; eventually they would regret if they commit the mistakes intentionally, because those harmed beings will retaliate. Furthermore, good deeds and bad deeds will never counteract each other. Only could you refrain from any bad deeds that your good deeds can be accumulated and your future could become brighter. Through the diligent efforts paid by Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, you shall no longer indulge yourself with desire, or slack up your mind. How you could be benefited from today’s speech depends on if you use it in your daily life. No more bad deeds; and always make good deeds. Only if you make good deeds as possible as you could and have no bad deeds, you could be safe for the years to come and would not be involved in the common karmic troubles.

July 31, 2010

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave enlightenment to 130 believers with Buddhism and helped them to relieve all kinds of suffering in the world at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, Taipei.

Updated on August 6, 2010