Lobsang Garden 洛桑园 has posted a special advice from His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche on Long Life Practice on Dec 22 .
Rinpoche requests the worldwide sangha to recite long-life mantras on December 22 as much as our personal circumstance permits. In 2008 in the northern hemisphere, December 21 is the shortest day of the year in terms of daylight, and Rinpoche says that the next day, "when daylight and warmth begin to increase again," is a most powerful time for reciting long-life mantras.
He said we may recite the mantras of any of the three long-life deities, who are the same for all the Buddhist lineages—White Tara, Amitayus, and Namgyalma—but that it is sufficient to recite White Tara's mantra. He said she protects us from the eight great fears and from rebirth in the lower realms and that the benefit of practicing her mantra is immense, since she protects us in this and future lifetimes.
His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche is a Drikung Kagyu lama who was known in the 13th century as the Siddha Gar Chodingpa, a heart disciple of Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. In ancient India, he had incarnated as Mahasiddha Aryadeva, the lotus-born disciple of the great Nagarjuna. In the 7th century, he was known as Lonpo Gar, the minister of the Tibetan Dharma King Songsten Gampo.
Rinpoche was imprisoned for 20 years during the political turmoil of China's Cultural Revolution Enduring hardship and practicing secretly, Garchen Rinpoche attained realization of the lama's wisdom mind. Garchen Rinpoche is known for his vast realization, as well as for his great kindness.
Rinpoche is one of the greatest masters whom I respect, and whom I have the fortune of receiving his teachings a few times before when he visited Singapore. He is always holding his signature prayer wheels. Even when he is giving teachings or meditating, or praying, he is always turning the prayer wheels. And Rinpoche is a very jovial and kind master who is always laughing and is very warm to everyone. Rinpoche will be arriving in Singapore next April for teachings.
Please say your prayers on 22 Dec as it is also the Winter Solstice (in chinese it is "dong zhi"), where in Chinese customs, it is a day for thanksgiving to the gods, and protectors for taking care of you for this past year. In Chinese beliefs, it is also the day marking the start of the coming new year (although the Chinese Lunar New Year is officially on 26 Jan 2009), it is believed each of us has grown a year older after 22 Dec, and it signifies the year of the Ox has already arrived, technically speaking.
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