Reported by Sun-Moon-KFS on 25-6-2016
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Inauguration of a New Nyingma Dzogchen Centre in Rawang, KL, Malaysia on 25 Jun 2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Guru Rinpoche Feast Offering, One Hundred Deities Soul Deliverance cum Life Liberation Prayers Held in Penang, Malaysia on 9 Jul 2016
On 8 Jul 2016, a group of 16 of us travelled from Singapore to Penang with Acho Rinpoche to take part in a public prayer organised by Konde Rinpoche on the following day. On our way to Penang, we saw an arc of rainbow appearing below our airplane, which was an auspicious sign.
On 9 Jul 2016, Konde
Rinpoche and Acho Rinpoche jointly presided over the public prayer at The Straits
Chinese Association of Penang. The prayer started from 10am and lasted till after
5pm. It was a long day packed with the various activities including a feast
offering to Guru Rinpoche, a soul deliverance prayer, release of birds, smoke
puja and the transmission of Tsa-lung Practice on Inner Heat Yoga. Someone took a photo using a smart phone, with
one of the photos showing beautiful rainbow lights appearing while Acho Rinpoche
was releasing the birds. We were standing outside the building but within a
shaded area at that juncture, with no possible light source of such nature. It
was indeed a clear sign of blessing from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
manifested in the form of rainbow light. Those present were indeed blessed for the
eradication of negative karma and increase in spiritual connection with the
Buddha Dharma, heading towards the path to enlightenment.
When we were
burning the enrolment forms for soul deliverance outdoor, beautiful clouds
appeared in the sky. One of which appeared in the form of a gigantic
triangular-shaped tooth, which is one of the unique features of Ekajati. Acho
Rinpoche affirmed the appearance of Ekajati and shared with the rest that she
actually manifested a very gigantic appearance in space. Ekajati is the greatest
protector of the Nyingma and also the manifestation of Samanthabdra Buddha. Not
only that, Ekajati was the root guru, personal deity and protector of Guru
Rinpoche. It was indeed a very rare occasion for Ekajati to grace an occasion like
this. Later, we also made smoke puja offering to the sentient beings stranded
in the lower realms which only feed on scent.
Finally, Konde
Rinpoche transmitted the Tsa-lung practice by showing a set of basic breathing
methods. He told the participants that one who masters the basic breathing
methods could already build a healthy body. There are 53 other steps that are much
more complex which have yet to be transmitted. A practitioner who could master
the full Tsa-lung practice well could fly without the aid of modern
technologies. He joked that those who could finally master the skill of flying
could save on air tickets. Later, he shared with Acho Rinpoche that he had, in
the past, witnessed some of the Tsa-lung practitioners who could leap from the
floor to air in full lotus posture and remained still in air for a few minutes.
Ani Dhammadina was
our host cum translator at the prayer. She did a beautiful translation of
speeches made by Konde Rinpoche and Acho Rinpoche on the spot. She became a nun
in Teravada Buddhism in Myanmar more than a decade ago. She practised the
tradition of Maharshi on Four Mindfulness with vigour all these years, but she
also helped in the propagation of Vajrayana Buddhism in Malaysia. Her spirit of
“ligme” (non-sectarianism) is indeed very admirable.
On 10 Jul 2016,
we flew back to Singapore. On our way home, we witnessed a rainbow circle
surrounding our airplane – we are again in the company of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas
and the Protectors. We are very grateful indeed!
10-7-2016 Reported by Sun-Moon-KFS
Quintessential Teaching and Avoidance of Wrong Path
Tonight Acho
Rinpoche shared with us the quintessential teaching of the Vajrayanaya – view
one’s teacher as a Buddha. This is a unique teaching of the Vajrayana, not
found in the Sutrayana nor the Hinanyana. Sutrayana has the view that a
practitioner must go through a long period of time (three eons) before
attaining Buddhahood, whereas Hinayana has the view that the highest level of
spiritual attainment is the Arahat. However, Vajrayana has the view that a
practitioner who views his teacher as a Buddha, can obtain inconceivable and
the most supreme form of blessing from the Buddha, which could help him swiftly
attain Buddhahood in the present life. Acho Rinpoche also observed that there
are more Sutrayana teachers who have started acknowledging the possibility of
attaining Buddhahood in the present life. A Vajrayanist who regards his teacher
as a Buddha will receive the blessing of a Buddha, regardless of whether his
teacher is yet to attain Buddhahood or has already attained Buddahood. This is a very profound teaching
incomprehensible by ordinary beings but the benefits of which can indeed be
reaped by one who truly embraces it in practice. The past patriarchs of the
Vajrayana repeated the same teaching generation by generation, including Guru
Padmasambhava, thus testifying the truth in the teaching. A Vajrayanist who
fails to personalise this teaching has indeed wasted a golden opportunity of
attaining Buddhahood through this means. Acho Rinpoche fully embraced this
teaching in his practice right from the beginning.
He also pointed
out that the most crucial segment of our daily sadhana (prayer) lies in the
middle segment, among the three stages of preliminary, middle and final
segments. The middle segment deals with Samadhi. A practitioner who aspires to
attain Buddhahood must master the skill of entering the state of Samadhi, which
is a state where one’s body, speech and mind are totally quiet. One’s body will
rest in a state of quietness by sitting in a Vairocana’s Seven Sitting
Postures. One’s speech will become silent when not reciting any sutra or
mantra. One’s mind will rest in a state of quietness when not doing
visualisation. It is most difficult to quiet one’s mind. In Vajrayana, there is
a practice called “trekcho” which can cut off one’s thoughts, allowing a
practitioner to attain the state of enlightenment – “togal”. Our thoughts are
the source of all anxieties. A practitioner should try to keep a simple mind free
of the numerous thoughts, which may appear “dump”, and try not to appear “smart”
with his mind constantly engaged in the numerous thoughts. Keeping a mind free
of thoughts for a long period of time will finally bring one to the ultimate
state of quietness – at this juncture, the greatest blessing power of the
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will naturally appear to help the practitioner swiftly
attain the state of “togal” – transforming his existence into light and helping
him to attain the state of ultimate freedom.
Some people asked,
“There seems to be 5 sects in Tibetan Buddhism nowadays, in addition to the usual
4 known in the past viz. Nyingma, Kagyud, Sakya and Gelug?” Reason being, there
is a new group of lamas donning green lama robes who called themselves the “New
Kadampa”. This group practises “Dorje Shugden”, which is forbidden by the Dalai
Lama and the rest of the Tibetan Buddhism sects. A practitioner of Dorje
Shugden will no doubt develop strong spiritual power but it is, however, a wrong path. Recently,
Sodargye Khenpo appeared on an Internet video footage, advising everyone not to
practise “Dorje Shugden”. There are indeed wrong teachers who can mislead the
practitioners onto the wrong path leading to hell; some of them could even have
tens of thousands of followers. Hence, choosing a right teacher is of paramount
importance to a practitioner who aspires to walk the true path to
enlightenment.
4-7-2016 Reported by Sun-Moon-KFS
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