Sakyamuni Buddha's Footprint on Karimum Island of Indonesia

On 28^th August 2016, a group of forty plus of us joined Acho Rinpoche on a visit to Karimum Island of Indonesia situated about 30km from the southern part of Singapore, in search of a Sakyamuni Buddha’s footprint. There is a Sanskrit inscription believed to be written in the 10^th CE bearing the following translated message: “This is a holy footprint of the most revered Sakyamuni Buddha. ~~ A Mahayanist from Bengal.”

We boarded a ferry from Singapore’s Cruise Centre early in the morning. The whole journey took us about one and half hours. After arriving at Karimum Island, we had our breakfast somewhere in town before heading towards the northern part of the island. It took us about 45 minutes to drive from town to our destination, Pasir Panjang. The location is just next to a lovely beach; it is actually a granite quarry. About 100 meters from the main entrance of the quarry, there stood a small pavilion painted in yellow. The Sanskrit inscription was actually done on a boulder enshrined within the pavilion, with the words clearly visible still. We saw a few pictures of Hindu saints placed above the inscription and some used incense sticks. Just a few meters away from the pavilion, lied the Buddha’s footprint. It was a very huge foot print indeed, obviously Buddha was huge in size. Buddha left his footprint on the rock as a form of blessing, hinting the flourishing of Buddhism in this land in future. According to the locals, there are several similar footprints in this area which can be rediscovered gradually. There is a much smaller footprint next to the big one. There is a spring behind the footprints, on top of a rock. According to the locals, the spring never runs dry. Someone even tasted the spring water and found it sweet; so it cannot be just rain water collected overtime nor sea water. Acho Rinpoche led a group prayer at the Pavilion. After which, he blessed the footprints and the spring, liberating the spiritual beings and consecrating this land, wishing that Buddhism may flourish again in future like how it did in the 8^th CE.

Actually, between the 8^th and 12^th CE, Indonesia was a Buddhist country (with Vajrayana being the mainstream Buddhism); it was called “Srivijaya” then, with Palembang being its capital city in the Sumatra Island. Srivijaya was a huge empire in the south east Asia during the said period, with its territory covering the current Sumatra Island, Java Island, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, and the southern parts of Thailand and Cambodia. Srivijaya was located at a very strategic location, at the entrance to the Malacca Strait which is an important sea route for merchants plying between India and China. Srivijaya was in control of the Malacca Strait and built its wealth from collecting taxes from the merchants.  During the same period, there was another strong empire emerging in the north eastern part of India - Pala. Pala dominated the current Bihar Province and Bangladesh (called Bengal then). Vajrayana Buddhism also flourished in this kingdom during this time. Pala and Srivijaya established a strong diplomatic tie then which facilitated the exchange of Buddhism teachings between the two countries too.

Buddhism was flouring in the Sumatra Island then. A Sumatran prince was sent to study Buddhism in Pala as the renowned Buddhist institutions such as Nalanda, Vikramshila and the-likes were mainly within the region of Pala then. The prince spent eleven years in Pala studying Buddhism. When he returned to his homeland in Sumatra, he became a renowned Buddhist teacher and propagated the teachings actively, which contributed much to the flourishing of Buddhism in Srivijaya. He was Dharmakirti - the teacher of the renowned Atisha. As Pala and Srivijaya became the strongholds of Buddhism in the region then, both countries had established their own renowned Buddhist Institutions attracting many Buddhist scholars. Atisha from Bengal went to Sumatra to study under Dharmakirti for twelve years. Atisha was in Srivijaya around the time when the Sanskrit inscription was done, which made him the likely candidate who did the inscription found in Karimum Island. According to our tour guide, the history about this Sanskrit inscription and the Buddha’s footprint could be found in the British Museum. We will need a volunteer to study the historical artefact kept in the British Museum to confirm the fact then. When Atisha finally returned to India, he was invited by a Tibetan King to help rebuild the Buddhadharma in the snow-capped Himalayan region, which is yet another beautiful story to be told on its own.

 Sakyamuni Buddha's Footprint

  

Reported by Sun-moon KFS

Inauguration of a New Nyingma Dzogchen Centre in Rawang, KL, Malaysia on 25 Jun 2016

On 15 Jun 2016, Acho Rinpoche, Konde Rinpoche and Konchok Sangpo Khenpo from Namdroling of South India jointly inaugurated the opening of a new Nyingma Dzogchen Centre in Rawang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - "Sangchen Woesel Dzogpachenpo Centre". A prayer was conducted including feast offering, lamp offering, soul deliverance and empowerment of Guru Rinpoche. After that, we went to Port Klang to offer the dragon vases by dropping them into the sea. We witnessed a sun halo appearing then, which was an auspicious sign celebrating the meritorious event. Hompage to the Most Supreme Naga King Buddha.

Reported by Sun-Moon-KFS on 25-6-2016

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