The Indian sage Sai Baba has passed away

The popular and highly revered Indian sage Sathya Sai Baba passed away yesterday at age 84. He has a huge following among the Hindus and millions of devotees all over the world. The miracle-man and revered as God by his followers, Sathya Sai Baba had the rich, famous and powerful from the world of politics, business, films and sport flocking to his doorstep in Puttaparthi, the small Andhra Pradesh village that he made internationally famous.

I have never met Sai Baba before and I am not familiar with him in this lifetime. Perhaps the only mere connection with him was from a dream I had of him a few years ago. It was a very short, clear and vivid dream. Sathya Sai Baba was standing just a few metres away from me, in a bright and long flowing white robe and omniscent afro hair. He was smiling widely at me. Then his hand beckoned me towards him. When I went up to him, he blessed my head with his both hands. Exactly the same way which my gurus, the high lamas would have done. And then I woke up. It was about 3am.

I felt so mystified. I know nothing more about Sai Baba beyond recognising his face. I am only aware that he was a certain God or sage whom many Hindus worship. I wondered about the meaning of this dream. Why him? I don't know him. I am a Buddhist. He was from a "different" religion. I only recognised him as Sai Baba because many years back, when I visited a client's office, I saw a photo of a man with afro hair and was wearing an orange robe. I asked my client who is an Indian, who that man was. He told me it was his guru, Sai Baba. After that dream, at 3am, I immediately scrambled online to find out more about him.

I learnt that Sathya Sai Baba was a popular, controversial Indian guru who has millions of followers in many countries. He was an incarnation and an embodiment of love with divine powers such as omniscience and omnipotence. He was said to manifest vibuthi (white holy ash) from his palm and materialise small objects like rings and watches daily. Even his pictures could manifest holy ash. His followers reported many spectacular miracles of many kinds that they attributed to Sai Baba. He preached the unity of all major world religions.

Sai Baba manifesting vibhuti holy white ash, even on his photos.

I also read that we can only dream of Sai Baba only if he willed it. Someone had told me then: "You are very blessed, my dear. Buddha can come to you in any Form. You get the meaning?"

A few weeks after that dream of Sai Baba, I chanced upon a Sai Baba devotee. I asked her on what occasion would Sai Baba be wearing a white robe She said usually Sai Baba wore a saffron orange robe. Only for special occasions then he would be in white, for example, on his birthdays. In my dream, he was indeed in white robe. I was given some of his vibhuti holy ash.

In this lifetime, although I did not get to meet Sathya Sai Baba in person, I believe I might have a connection with him from a previous lifetime. And I have always believe I might have been an Indian in one of my past lifetimes. Perhaps we would meet again, in another lifetime, in another realm.

Activists save Chinese dogs from cooking pot

I read with disgust this below article and it is just so sickening.  The Chinese government has no animal welfare standards whatsoever.  The complete lack of compassion towards other living beings, apparent in the general treatment of animals in China, not just those in the illegal wildlife trade but in the legal market. Cats and dogs are being captured and slaughtered by opportunists. Some of these animals were stolen. Kudos to the animal activists and animal lovers who saved these animals. I hope they will gather a bigger voice to fight this old culture of killing, serving and devouring dogs and cats as an exotic dish.

A Chinese animal lover rescues a sick dog after a convoy of trucks carrying some 500 dogs to be sold as meat, were stopped along a highway in Beijing. Photo: AFP

HUNDREDS of dogs being trucked to Chinese restaurants were spared a culinary fate after about 200 animal lovers mobilised to stop them ending up on dinner tables.

A truck crammed with the dogs was forced to stop on a highway in eastern Beijing by a motorist who swerved his car in front of the vehicle then used his microblog to alert animal rights activists, reports said.

The dogs, many apparently stolen from their owners, were being transported from the central Chinese province of Henan to restaurants in Jilin province in the northeast, the China Daily said. It said 430 dogs were rescued, while the Global Times put the number at 520.

Eventually, about 200 animal lovers and activists gathered around the truck in eastern Beijing during Friday's drama - and after a 15-hour standoff that jammed traffic the dogs were freed early on Saturday when an animal protection group purchased them for 115,000 yuan ($17,600), the Global Times said.

A volunteer helps to clean a temporary shelter at Dongyuhe village in Changping district. Some 430 rescued dogs are being kept in the shelter. - Photo: China Daily

Chinese animal lovers release the rescued dogs at the China Animal Protection Association.  
Photo: AFP

The interception of the dogs was the latest bold action by pet-lovers in China, where growing awareness of animal rights is colliding with centuries-old culinary practices.

There have been regular reports in recent years of citizens attempting to block trucks carrying hundreds or even thousands of cats to meat markets in southern China, where cat meat is particularly popular.

The China Daily quoted activists saying many of the dogs still had collars with bells and name tags, indicating they had been stolen from their owners and that the trucking company transported a load of dogs to Jilin each week.

The consumption of dog and cat meat, both of which are believed to promote bodily warmth and are thus popular in winter, remains widespread in China despite a surge in popularity as pets.

However, earlier press reports have said authorities were looking into drafting a law that could outlaw the practice.

The reports on the dog rescue suggested the truck company was unlikely to face legal action as it had all the necessary permits to transport the animals.

The healthy dogs without identifying collars would be available for adoption in one month while the sick ones, suffering variously from dehydration and infectious diseases, were sent to pet hospitals in Beijing.

 

Chinese animal lovers gather to stop a convoy of trucks carrying some 500 dogs to be sold as meat, along a highway in Beijing. Photo: AFP

Some Chinese still consider man's best friend a delicious main course, with dark-coloured pups tasting best.  Here, at a Cantonese market, a customer shops for dog food for dinner.

 

May all the dogs and cats who were victims of slaughter and abuse previously have a good rebirth. May the people in China awaken and may they develop compassion in their conscience to stop harm towards animals and to immediately stop committing and accumulating further negative karma. 

An accidental shot - what is this?!

I am very mystified by this photo. Found it in my iphone Photos folder. I think I might have accidentally pressed the button and snapped this somewhere.

The thing is, I just could not make out what this photo is and where from. The photo seemed to be split into 2 different portions.  The bottom part looks like an arrow from the road, and the above portion I just could not determine what it is! And the scary part is, there seemed to be a shadow of a human on the right.  Can any kind soul tell me what this is and solve the mystery?? 

Here is another photo I found in my folder. Another accidental shot from me of myself walking. I thought it was quite artistically done! Haha!  

My stalker!

One early morning, I was having a cuppa piping hot Latte in McDonalds. I was also engrossed reading the PDF file in my iphone, doing my sadhanas quietly. There was an Indian guy sitting at the next table, directly facing me, having his breakfast.

After his breakfast, at some point, from the corner of my eye, I saw him held up his iphone and pointed it at me.  Notice the ring on his finger on the left hand? 

I did not think anything unusual of it, until I felt a flash light. When I looked up, he turned his head sideway to look away, but the iphone camera still pointing at me. Then there were a couple more of flashes in the next few minutes. There was no one behind me (only the wall). So I was very sure he was shooting me! 

I decided to retaliate, and snapped these few shots of him stalking me. LOL! So hilarious!

TGIF, everyone!

树大招风？

Please come back soon, Lati Rinpoche!

Lati Rinpoche's final photo taken 2 weeks before his Nirvana

Today 12 April 2011, is the first year anniversary of His Holiness Kyabje Lati Rinpoche's passing into Nirvana. Below is a video clip from Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling, recorded Lati Rinpoche's last visit to Singapore in 2008 for the Grand Puja. During that Grand Puja, Lati Rinpoche gave us the initiation of the Coming Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, so that we could plant the seed of affinity with Maitreya Buddha, in order that we could meet the future Buddha and to receive his teachings. Another memorable grand puja for me would be a few years ago when Lati Rinpoche gave the powerful initiation of Shakyamuni Buddha.

After my personal prayers at midnight, as I watched this video clip, I am moved to tears again, in seeing Rinpoche and hearing his voice again. Rinpoche was 88 years old when he passed into Nirvana. His movements were slow as he moved up the stage, and did prostrations, and by the time he climbed onto his throne seat, he was already panting. We were so very lucky to have had Lati Rinpoche visited Singapore so many times in the past despite his old age, to receive his teachings, initiations and blessings. May Lati Rinpoche's reincarnation return swiftly to us soon. _/|\_

Join in this evening's Guru Puja & Tsog Offering at 7:30pm on 12th April (Tue) @Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling.

Soponla Ngawang Tsultrim, personal attendant of Lati Rinpoche for 50 years, said, "It has been one year since Lati Rinpoche has passed away, today is the first year anniversary. Rinpoche's stupa is ready and it's constructed in a really special way. For this, we have many people to thank and Dro-Phen Ling is the biggest benefactor. We thank everyone in DPL for making this happen and please for today, chant as many prayers as you can & do as much virtuous deeds as possible. May all virtues be dedicated towards the swift return of Lati Rinpoche."

Below are the prayer for the quick return of Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, composed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama:

O peerless savior and supreme Teacher, Shuddhodhana’s son,
O the seventeen masters and adepts, Nagarjuna and Asanga, and so on,
O Dipamkara as well as sovereign father Tsongkhapa,
Gloriously appear here today to grant auspiciousness.
On the great path leading to the heart of Enlightenment,
You’ve traversed by means of the perfect threefold discipline,
And have enhanced ever higher the realizations of enlightened qualities –
O glorious Guru, we offer our supplications at your feet.
Pray return gloriously to propagate the teaching of Lobsang,
By tying well the sash of monastic disciplinary precepts,
And, generating the altruistic intention to free all beings,
Engage in the tantric yogas of the two stages.
Think of the unbearable pain of the sentient beings
Who’re enveloped in the forces of five degenerations;
And to open wide the lotus grove of the Buddha’s teaching,
May your reincarnation appear soon as a source of merit for us.

The man who thinks women are trouble

I walked past this old man wearing a checked shirt and shorts, sitting on the steps of the MRT station entrance. He was napping, nodding his head, oblivious to the noisy people around him. He was barefooted and his pair of slippers were carelessly strewn on the stairs. An unkempt appearance.

I had a glimpse of him and noticed both his arms were tattooed. I was amused by what caught my eyes. On the old man's right arm, the tattoo on the inner arm was these Chinese characters "女人祸水", which means literally women are nothing but trouble/disaster. It got me really curious wondering what had happened to him. He got cheated by a woman/women? Harmed? Sabotaged? His wife left him? His daughter abandoned him? By merely 4 Chinese characters, one could feel his hatred towards women. Perhaps he had them tattooed as a reminder to himself not to be fooled by women ever again. Otherwise, I believe no man in his right mind would have done such a tattoo!

Nonetheless, I could not help but sympathize with him. May whatever pain/hatred/anger he is suffering from disappear. Nothing is worse than having a physical reminder of a past that hurts. Is he planting the seed of sorrow and hatred in his mental continuum - in this life and next? May he have a chance of finding new hope and happiness in his life.

As I passed by the train station again 2 hours later, I saw the old man again, sitting on the floor of the entrance of a 4D shop. He was still sleeping and nodding his head.

I dreamt of Geshe-la!

Last night I had a brief dream.  Everywhere seemed blur in the dream, I saw nothing except misty surroundings as I was walking slowly and wearily along.  Then all of a sudden, I saw 80-year-old Geshe Ngawang Longtho from Gaden Shartse Monastery, appeared.  He was 2-3 metres away from me, both palms pressed together, walking slowly.  I was quite happy to see him as I gasped in surprise. "Geshe-la!", I called out to him.  In actual fact, Geshe-la just left Singapore a month ago to return to the monastery. In the dream,  I went forward to greet him with both palms as well, bending my head lower.  Geshe-la saw me, smiled and cupped my cheeks. Then he put both hands on my head to bless me for a few seconds.  As he lifted his hands, he was just about to walk off, he suddenly stopped on his tracks, hesitated, and turned back towards me again. Then he blessed me again with both hands firmly on my head, as my head remained bent in respect.  For the next few minutes, he was chanting prayers as he was blessing me, tapping my head again and again many times.

Then somehow, all of a sudden, as Geshe-la was chanting, I saw a gulf of black smoke, more like a swarm of black bees or black flies, emerged from my chest and surged forth outwards and disappeared into thin air. In the dream, I was absolutely stunned, the first time in my life to witness such a force escaping from my body.  Then Geshe-la stopped. He told me I should chant a particular Buddha's mantra many times (which I shall not reveal here). I did not know why I understood what Geshe-la said as he was speaking in Tibetan. He paused, then he added, that I should also do 5 times of that particular Buddha's sadhana as well.  Then Geshe-la smiled and walked away. I was momentarily stunned as his words sank in and I suddenly woke up. Everything felt so ethereal and so calm as I laid on bed recalling what had happened. Wow, I think Geshe-la just did some healing on me. Hope to see him again real soon. Thank you, Geshe-la!  

Transforming hardships into realizations

I am extremely pleased to announce that one day after the pujas, my itch on the entire body has been 90% cured.  So I hope my friends do not avoid me as though I am a leper. Haha! I was doing some reading earlier. I am always thankful that whenever I encounter a problem or a difficult situation or have some weary queries which no one can answer, by a stroke of karmic luck, I will find the answer through some articles or books or teachings which just happened to appear timely.  It is just like every time I want to ask my guru a question, somehow the answer will present itself within a very short time (sometimes immediately!). Sometimes, my guru, through his teachings, gave the exact answer to the question I had wanted to ask but did not dare to. I did not even need to ask him face to face!

Here are some excerpts taken from Mandala Publications, of a long interview with two retreatants which I found is quite relevant for the rest of us in practice. Do read the entire article there if you have time.

The main reason we need to experience hardships is because that’s when we get to practice Dharma. When life is easy you don’t think about transforming a problem because you don’t have any. But when your life is full of problems (whether you’re in retreat or not), every minute is a chance to change your mind. The more problems you have, the faster your path to enlightenment. If you want to learn to ride a bicycle, you keep getting on, no matter how many times you fall off. You fall off, get back on. An easy life doesn’t give you much opportunity to transform your mind.

You don’t practice hardships because you want to punish yourself or you’re bad and someone wants to punish you – it’s just a very nuts and bolts issue of time and space in one’s life. When you’re working solely for the happiness of this life and all the comforts and securities of this life, the life is taken up with those activities and very little time is left to actually practice in any meaningful kind of way. You have to give up wanting health insurance, always having the right automobile, always having the right kind of food, having the kind of house you want – not that these things aren’t important, but at the end of the life your mind will be full of regret because you have to leave all those things behind. It’s just a very practical matter of how much time we have left in this life and what it is you want to take with you at the end of this life into a future life. You just can’t take the material things. If you spend this life on the material world and all its comforts and securities, at the end of it your mind is empty of virtue. You travel on from this life with no supply of virtue in the mind.

We have an incredible backlog of negative karma and the ways we experience the purification of that is by undergoing hardships. The negative karma doesn’t just go away; when you do Vajrasattva retreat the karma doesn’t disappear. You still have to experience the karma ripening, but maybe you experience it not in the hell realms but as some sort of sickness, or maybe your husband leaving you, or something like that. If we’re really intent on purifying negative karma and accumulating merit, then we’re constantly experiencing hardships due to constant purification. We have to want the hardships. If we’re doing the practice of the four opponent powers with faith and we’re sincerely purifying, the hardships are the outcome of pure practice. Then we have to learn to rejoice and feel happy when they come!

How can you tell the difference between purification and “normal” suffering?  From the outside it’s impossible to tell. I think only an individual practitioner can tell by looking back over the years and seeing if they’ve changed after going through the hardships.

Sometimes it seems as if the sufferings increase and life gets worse when you wholeheartedly submit to the guidance of a qualified vajra master. But that’s what you want, that’s what you’re looking for. It’s like when you’re sweeping a house, you’re looking for the dirt and you want to get it out of the house. It’s very simple: When you practice Dharma you look for the negativities and you try to get them out through the doors of your body, speech and mind, the only places they can exit. That’s how you create the space in the mind for Dharma realizations to take root. Before it was overcrowded with the weeds of hatred, ignorance and greed. Nothing of virtue could grow there. You have to pull those weeds out and that’s always painful.

What part do courage and willingness to face hardships play? Once we find the powerful motivation needed to do something, then doing it is easy. You can call it courage, but you can also call it a mind that’s going to push through the hardships, knowing there’s something much greater. Everyone goes through hardships to achieve what they want, not just spiritual people. Even rich people go through the hardships of dealing with family and the pressures society places on them; everyone has hardships, no matter what. Actually, the courage to practice Dharma doesn’t seem like much at all because the results are so great; the hardships that are experienced are so miniscule in relation to the blissful outcome of enlightenment.

Another difficulty people face in truly entering the path is that we have to start Dharma from wherever we are; if you’re an independently wealthy heir to some kind of fortune and you meet the Dharma, you start from there. You can afford to do this or that, take teachings, pay for your own education in that way. But if you’re a very poor person with no material resources, you have to accept that’s where you start your practice. You can’t think, “Oh, one day I’ll create the ideal circumstances to practice,” and start from there, because that’s the kind of life where no Dharma is practiced. You figure out what your resources are, where you want to go, what you want to do, and you start from that point.

Should even the environment and the beings therein

be filled with the fruits of their karmic debts and

unwished-for sufferings pour down like rain, 

please bless me to see miserable conditions 

as the path by seeing them as causes 

to exhaust the results of our negative karma.

- A verse from Guru Puja

My 三菜一汤 kitchen: It's time for Teochew Porridge

Today in My 三菜一汤 Kitchen series, let's talk about Teochew Muay ("muay" is Teochew for Porridge). It is different from Jook, the Cantonese name for porridge or congee. Jook is like a thick soup with ingredients like minced meat, century egg served in the porridge making it a one-dish meal. Unlike Jook, the Teochew Muay is plain and more watery when cooked (more like rice in a watery gruel) and we eat the muay together with many separate simple dishes.  Teochew Muay has its roots in China where in the old days, which was served with food more like peasant's fare, with cheap dishes like boiled peanuts, salted eggs, preserved cai xin etc. The cooking style is simple, usually boiled, blanched with soya sauce as the basic seasoning condiment. 

I'm half Teochew, so in my household, we do not mind having Teochew Porridge sometimes, especially during a weekend lunch or on a rainy day. So what dishes do we usually have with our Teochew Muay?  There are 1001 simple dishes which can accompany the plain teochew muay perfectly. I will introduce 4 dishes below.

Cai Por Egg. Cai Por means preserved radish.  This dish is basically adding fried Cai Por in the beaten eggs, and fry them. The Cai Por gives the fried egg a little fragrant savoury taste to this simple dish.

Stir-Fry Beanprouts with Cuttlefish. I am personally not a fan of beansprouts, especially when it is cooked in noodles soup.  It is more palatable when it is stir fried.  We usually stir fry the beansprouts with cuttlefish, and fresh tomatoes. However, in this instance, I did not have tomatoes. I found this unusual plum in the fridge which was way too sour to eat raw. So I decided to use it here instead - it added a tangy taste to the dish!

Fried Ikan Kuning (Small Fish). The ikan kuning is simply marinated lightly with salt and fried. My mom told us that in the old days, when my grandma had 9 kids to feed, she could not afford big fishes at each meal. So the kids only got to eat little fried fish like this. However, in these modern days, my sis and myself actually LIKE to eat these fried ikan kuning to go with our porridge! Each of us can finish at least 2 fishes at one go.

Braised Pig Trotters. I have not mastered this dish compared to my mom. The method of braising pork trotters with dark and light soya sauce for a few hours results in a flavourful dish of melt-in-the-mouth skin, tendon, cartilage and meat (it is collagen-rich). This dish with its gravy goes very well with plain porridge. Sometimes together with the pig trotters, we add hard boiled eggs or tau pok (fried brown beancurd).

Lati Rinpoche (1922-2010) - First anniversary passing into Nirvana, Remembering a great saint-teacher

How time flies. Next week on the 12th April (Tuesday), will be the 1st year anniversary of our great teacher, His Holiness Kyabje Lati Rinpoche's passing into Nirvana.  The 3 great monasteries of Gaden, Drepung and Sera, with a total of 10,000 monks, will be conducting a grand guru puja and tsog offering ceremony to mark this occasion. 

Gaden Shartse Monastery has completed the building of Lati Rinpoche's statues and stupa. I caught a glimpse of a photo of Rinpoche's statue a couple of nights ago. The resemblance was uncanny. There will be 3 statues of Lati Rinpoche to be erected, one to be placed in the main hall of the monastery, the second one in Lati Ladrang in the monastery and the third one will be brought over to Singapore, to Dro-Phen Ling!  Earlier last year, after Rinpoche's cremation, DPL was deeply honoured to have received Rinpoche's holy relics from Gaden Shartse Monastery.  The Monastery has maintained that no other centre in the world was given Rinpoche's holy relics.  Again this time, DPL is very fortunate and privileged to be able to receive Lati Rinpoche's statue in Singapore.  Lati Rinpoche was very close to his students in Singapore, having spent most of his latter years coming to Singapore for teachings and initiations.

In Singapore, Gaden Shartse  Dro-Phen Ling will also be conducting a Guru Puja & Tsog Offering at 7:30pm on 12th April (Tue) to mark this occasion.  It will be a get-together to dedicate prayers for the swift return of Lati Rinpoche as well as to be reunited with Rinpoche's reincarnation as soon as possible.

If you would like to plant the seed of affinity to meet with Lati Rinpoche again, you may wish to contribute to this puja, and/or to the building fund of Lati Rinpoche's stupa and statue, please do so as soon as possible, preferably before 9 April 2011.  You can contact DPL at  65-63449521 for more information. 

If you have noticed on the right column of this blog, there is a link dedicated to the Loving Memory of Lati Rinpoche.  It is a compilation of my entries during Lati Rinpoche's passing into Nirvana last year.  

Let me recap....

Lati Rinpoche was recognized as a reincarnation of a great practitioner and became a monk at the age of 10.  He was the Spiritual Advisor to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, as well as the Abbot Emeritus of Gaden Shartse Monastery in Mundgod, South India.  In early April 2010, Lati Rinpoche was staying in Dharamsala at that time and he made a request to His Holiness the Dalai Lama that he would like to personally conduct a long life puja for His Holiness.  His Holiness at first refused but accepted on the condition that Lati Rinpoche sit side by side with him for the long life puja together. On 12 April 2010 early morning, Lati Rinpoche woke up, did his prayers and circumambulated His Holiness the Dalai Lama's monastery.  Then he requested for a bath, after which he told his personal attendant, Sopon-la, to leave his room, "It's time for me to go". With that, at about 5.30am, Rinpoche entered into clear light meditation sitting in the lotus position, with his hand in the Vitarka Mudra (which is the mudra of teaching gesture). His attendants noted that at this time, an Unisha had appeared on top of Rinpoche's head (an Unisha is a flesh protuberance on the crown of the head. This was clearly one of the 32 distinctive and auspicious signs of a Buddha).

News of Lati Rinpoche's passing into Nirvana spread rapidly all over the world. In the meantime, His Holiness the Dalai Lama did a divination and advised that Lati Rinpoche's body be brought back to Gaden Shartse Monastery in Mundgod for cremation.  Lati Rinpoche remained in thugdam (clear-light meditation) for 56 hours until 14 April, with his body still warm. Throughout the 8 days until his cremation, Rinpoche's body remained intact in its natural state with no sign of decomposition nor smell. His holy body was placed in coffin without sealing the top, which was simply just covered by cloth.

On 15 April, Lati Rinpoche's holy body was flown back to Mundgod accompanied by his entourage of attendants, lamas and students, returning to Gaden Shartse Monastery. It was an emotional home-coming as thousands of monks lined the streets leading to the monastery, to pay their respect to Rinpoche, each offering karta as Rinpoche's body passed them.  Around the clock pujas were conducted by the thousands of monks everyday as they built the fire pyra and prepared for Rinpoche's cremation. 

On 19 April at 7am was the cremation day of Rinpoche. It was a grand send-off from Lati Ladrang all the way to the cremation grounds, with thousands of monks from the 3 great monasteries of Gaden, Drepung and Sera, lining the streets. Led by His Holiness Zong Rinpoche, there were many high lamas present; His Holiness Ling Rinpoche, Kensur Rinpoche Dakpa Tenzin, Khen Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden (Abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery), Kyabje Shartul Rinpoche Tenzin Kunkhen,  Kensur Rinpoche Kunchok Tsering, Kensur Rinpoche Jampa Yeshe with many old Geshes were all present. Before Rinpoche's holy body was offered to the fire pyre, the monks and members of Dro-Phen Ling circumambulated the stupa 3 times, before making their prayers and offering of karta.

The guru puja and tsog offering continued for the following 3 days and 3 nights. On the evening after Lati Rinpoche's cremation, a dharma sister snapped some photos when the puja was on-going.  She shared with me some of these photos which captured several mystical orbs. Simply amazing.

 

 

 

On  23 April 2010, Lati Rinpoche's fire puja pyre was uncovered and many amazing relics were discovered. Lati Rinpoche's heart relic was left behind unburnt and there was a small Vajrayogini deity seen in his heart (Rinpoche's main practice deity).

It was also revealed a little footprint has been discovered pointing towards the East direction, the same direction of the first smokes during the cremation.  This is indicative of the direction of the place of Rinpoche's rebirth. The size of the footprint also has a significant meaning. Since it is small, this indicates that Rinpoche's reincarnation will arrive very soon. This means that Rinpoche will return to us very soon.

Heart relics of Lati Rinpoche with Vajrayogini in his heart

Precious relics of the Heart, Tongue, Eyeballs, Bones remained intact

 

 

A little footprint pointing to the East

HH Zong Rinpoche and entourage led the procession of Lati Rinpoche's relics

Thus we witnessed the story of a real practitioner, a great master and teacher, who has  attained Nirvana within one lifetime. If you would like to read about my previous posts and see more photos, below are the links of my wonderful guru.

12 April 2010 - Rinpoche Passes Away

13 April 2010 - In Clear Light Meditation

14 April 2010 - Rinpoche Out Of Thugdam

15 April 2010 - Ongoing Guru Pujas

16 April 2010 - Rinpoche's Holy Body Leaving Dharamsala

17 April 2010 - Rinpoche's Homecoming Back Mundgod

18 April 2010 - Preparing For Cremation

19 April 2010 - Paying Last Respects

19 April 2010 - Rinpoche's Fire Puja Ceremony (Cremation)

23 April 2010 - Discovering Rinpoche's Relics

24 April 2010 - Relics & Auspicious Signs

Lati Rinpoche, A Great Lama, The Perfect Guru

HH Dalai Lama's Prayer For The Quick Return of Lati Rinpoche

I have also received many comments and replies to this series of posts, many of whom are Lati Rinpoche's students all over the world.  Below I share some of their comments: 

Rodney Stevenson said...
No reason to be sad. He chose the best time to pass to a new life to best help his students et al. What a joy for those who met and received teachings from him. May he soon return. May we be among his students. And a really nice blog/set of pictures! Thank you.  

A reader said... 
Your compilation on the previous entries of Lati Rinpoche is really good, it keeps people reminded of Rinpoche and how great He is as a master. Though Rinpoche has left us, we should always keep Rinpoche in our heart :) 

A reader said.. 
A true master, he gave me long life blessing and initiation in Toronto in the eighties. Even though he was very sick with a terrible cold he still held the teaching and taught many things by example, not just on an intellectual level but on a deeper spiritual level. A true Saint. 

Tenzin Phuntsok said....
Dear Lopsided8 Blogger, Thank you for posting the information with daily updates about Kensur Kyabje Lati Rinpoche. We really appreciate it, as we are praying in Calgary, Canada. Sincerely, Tenzin Phuntsok and Lobsang Rinchend...

S said....
I feel privileged to have met this excellent lama and received teachings from him. I hope he returns soon and that all of us as his disciples will follow his instructions and practice dharma to benefit others.

TMC said....
Seeing Rinpoche wrapped in pink and purple (blanket) made me smile. I constantly appreciate reminders that whether I perceive something as painful or whimsical, it's always a Dharma teaching. Thank you for sharing this series of posts re: Rinpoche.

Vajrayogini Devotee said.... 
Dear Lopsided 8, It's so wonderful and so nice of you to take the time to post and share with us to the latest of new developments regarding to Lati Rinpoche's funeral at Gaden. Without your kindness to share, we would not have the opportunity to see those precious photos, to witness the true and feel so fortunate that we actually connected with the Enlightened Beings in this life time Really appreciate you very much. Thank you and best wishes to you, C Bach (Lati Rinpoche's student at Thupten Dhargye Ling Long Beach C) 

Nancy Ho said... 
Dear Lopsided8, Stumpbo, thank you so very very much for your postings about Lati Rinpoche. I felt so sad on the first day of the News but now I feel so much better because I feel I am with so many others who treasure Rinpoche and pray for his speedy return. Without your postings, I would not have been able to feel so connected. I would have felt more alone and missed the opportunity to feel such loving connections around precious Lati Rinpoche. Thank you so so very much. I wish you all the best. Keep being your wonderful self.  Nancy Ho, student of Lati Rinpoche from Gaden Choling Toronto Canada  

A reader said...  
Ditto from a student of Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling in Long Beach, CA. He was here a number of times and gave us all great blessing. your wonderful blog and photos are such a treasure. thank you so much.

Bobby Ng from Shandong, China, said...  
Dear Lopsided8, I have follow and greatly respected Lati Rinpoche as one of my main masters. Memories of rinpoche's great compassion and teachings will always remain in my heart. Thanks for sharing all the precious photos and may the Triple Gems bless u always. 

Thubten Nyima said... 
Absolutely beautiful!! Thank you so much for posting and sharing this.

Thank you so much to everyone who wrote in to me. Lati Rinpoche's passing serves as a reminder to me the importance of practice, and to treasure all the gurus /masters who are still around, as well as to give full-fledged support to the Sangha. More importantly, Lati Rinpoche's passing into Nirvana taught me the lesson of impermanence, yet again. His expedient example only emphasized simply the benefit of expounding and practicing the Dharma. I witnessed The Buddha manifested through Lati Rinpoche (from his teachings, his practice, his followers, and the eventual evidence of his relics). I consider myself most fortunate to have the good karmic affinity to have met Lati Rinpoche in this lifetime, to have had received his teachings and empowerments as well as immense blessings. I would never forget the kindness of my guru.  _/|\_

May everyone who has met Rinpoche, talked to him, heard about him, remember him, received teachings from him and may all who are connected to Lati Rinpoche in any way be able to meet Lati Rinpoche very soon and in future lifetimes again and again until enlightenment. May the reincarnation of Lati Rinpoche return to us swiftly. May all be auspicious!

Join us for the Guru Puja & Tsog Offering at 7:30pm on 12th April (Tue)  @Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling.

                               This life as impermanent as a water bubble;

Remember how quickly it decays and death comes.

After death, just as a shadow follows the body,

The result of black and white karma follow.

May the gurus who show the noble path

And spiritual friends who practice it have long lives.

In all my lives, never separated from perfect gurus.