Dagyab Rinpoche is coming and Grand Puja at MBS 28 Feb & 1 Mar 2015

My dearest teacher is coming to Singapore again!  After one whole year, the popular Grand Puja @ MBS which everyone is waiting for is here again, happening this coming weekend!  Exciting weekend ahead! 

White Umbrella Goddess Demon-Subduing Grand Puja

Pacify major obstacles, demonic forces & supernatural harassment. Those who own the White Umbrella Goddess khorlos may bring it along for recharge of blessings.

28/2/15 (Sat) 10:00am to 12:30pm

This grand puja is a ritual based on the practice of the White Umbrella Goddess, and is one of the most powerful and sacred puja amongst various Buddhist rituals.  One procedure of this ritual is to consecrate and offer tormas (ritual cakes) to counterattack negative forces such as illnesses, mental disturbances, disputes, enmities, defilements, misfortune, premature death, factors against congenial surroundings and 84,000 bad forces. Hence, this puja is named DUKAR TORTHOG in Tibetan, literally meaning - counterattacking negativities through torma offerings.

By this ritual, we drive away all harms and evils by the blessings of the White Umbrella Goddess and her surrounding deities in the form of tormas (one big torma in the middle representing the Goddess, and surrounded by 33 white flags representing the deities). More than 30 different kinds of ingredients are required for this puja - whereby it serves to offer to specific deities, and seek their protection for different kinds of obstacles. By participating in this puja, one gains the protection from dangers of fire, water, weapons, poisons, malediction, untoward accidents and untimely death. It also pacifies the chances of epidemics, harmful spells, contagious diseases, conflicts and wars. In addition, we also receive the benefit and protective care of a myriad of divine guardians and goddesses.

During the puja, visualize all your obstacles & negativity of your past & present lives are being taken away by the substitute figurine. Throw away your shirt （symbolic of obstacle-clearing, and generate in your mind infinite food and money offerings to offer to all your debtors. Once the substitute is being sent out, think you have no more relationship with all these supernatural beings, and all your obstacles are ceased.

Cittamani Tara Grand Cleansing Puja of Immediate Rescue from Poor Health & Danger

28/2/15 (Sat) 3:00pm to 5:00pm

Cittamani Tara Blessing Initiation

28/2/15 (Sat) 7:30pm to 9:30pm

The Cittamani Tara practice is a special method of Tibetan Buddhism to dissipate interferences and to liberate all living beings from any form of fear or danger. And this grand puja is the most extensive ritual amongst all healing pujas, to alleviate the sufferings and bestow blessings to aid recovery of all patients.

This Cittamani Tara Grand Cleansing Puja is especially conducted for people whose force of bad karma is very great. When bad karma ripens, many obstacles arise and we face various problems in our career, family, things do not go smoothly for us in various aspects, and the most disturbing of all is none other than that of our health problems. When the negative karma is heavy and strong, then the obstacle that manifests from its ripening is greater. We require the huge merit and blessings of our daily practice and pujas to overcome all our hindrances.

This puja is especially beneficial towards the purification of the 4 types of obstacles mentioned below:

1. Serious illnesses, including prolonged medical conditions and strange diseases which doctors are unable to treat / diagnose
2. Curses and other unorthodox methods / negative actions to instill harm done onto you
3. Black magic, witchcraft, evil spells
4. Offended nagas, Landlord Gods and other worldly gods or protectors

The merit and power of this grand puja is inconceivable. It helps us to avoid all sufferings of the health, stay peaceful, auspicious and healthy; and even for patients on the verge of dying, this puja can instantly bring you to safety – just like how a miraculous force of power saves you from falling to your death from a cliff. Unless all conditions for death has fully ripened, otherwise under other circumstances of death due to exhaustion of merit, or premature death, this puja is certain to aid significantly in recovery and redeem back one’s life. In case where the person cannot be saved, especially those who have committed heavy bad karma to be reborn in the animal realm, this puja can help save them from the lower realm rebirths.

This puja text is a ritual from Tantric practice and requires an elaborate set of torma (ritual cakes), human effigies made from dough, special puja offerings and other necessary items to be used during the ritual. And together with chanting of secret mantras and performing mudras, this puja is very powerful.

Cittamani Tara, the Wish Fulfilling Mother, is the embodiment of the heart-jewel wisdom and energy of the Buddha. Of the various types of Tara practice, Cittamani Tara is a unique practice of the Highest Yoga Tantra class, which possesses the heart-jewel method of developing the five deep awareness, or Buddha-Wisdoms. It has a special efficacy for developing the wisdoms of accomplishing activities and overcoming outer and inner obstacles in one's lifespan, clearing obstructions in the path to enlightenment. We are fortunate that H.E. Dagyab Rinpoche has compassionately agreed to bestow upon us the blessing jenang initiation of this practice to all of us.

The Elements Cleansing Healing Grand Puja is ranked second class amongst all healing pujas in Tibetan Buddhism, and Cittamani Tara Grand Cleansing Puja belongs to the first class of healing rituals. These two grand pujas are considered to be the two most beneficial pujas effective and most helpful for the masses, especially the ill. Cleansing pujas are very beneficial as it aids in quick recovery of illnesses. The more cleansing pujas one attend, the greater the benefit towards recovery.

Note:   All participants must attend the puja personally to receive the blessings and effectiveness of the puja. All are required to bring along a small amount of bathed water (water from your own shower) on that day for participation of the puja. There are also specific items that are required for this ritual and this can be invited at an offering of $10 per set at the puja.

Leng Chag Torma Puja to Repay Karmic Debts

Specially to repay karmic debts of past lifetimes, preventing/resolving supernatural harassment.

1/3/15 (Sun) 10:30am to 12:30pm

Since beginningless time, we have been trapped in this uncontrolled cyclic existence of samsara, and have undergone countless reincarnations. Although we are unable to recall what we did in our previous lives, it is certain that we must have committed many acts of greed and hatred out of our ignorance - which explains why we are still unable to be liberated from samsara. It is also certain that we must have accumulated many debts in all these lifetimes, ie. we could have owed someone a sum of money, or even a mere sack of rice, or in serious cases, we could have harmed others or caused their deaths.

When we do not repay such debts and they accumulate, these creditors may one day return to seek revenge against us, especially during times when we are experiencing low luck. They can cause us various obstacles, from illnesses to problems at work, sleepless nights, nothing seems to go smooth, or in worse scenarios, could be even fatal. Through the performance of this Leng Chag Torma Puja - by offering torma (ritual cake offerings) to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Protectors, and together with the immaculate blessings by the Holy Speech of the Buddha’s texts, we purify the negative karma that we have accumulated over the reincarnations and pay off these incurred debts.

Note: Interested participants may invite the dough offering (to repay karmic debts) at $2 per set at the puja. You may also like to offer on behalf of your family or friends.

Five Dzambalas Wealth Congregating and Fortune Blessing Puja

Invoke wealth blessings of all directions for increase of positive conditions in work and dharma practice

1/3/15 (Sun) 3:00pm to 5:00pm

Five Dzambalas Blessing Initiation

1/3/15 (Sun) 7:30pm to 9:30pm

The five Dzambalas are the manifestations of the compassion of Buddha and Bodhisattvas to guide sentient beings along the path to enlightenment. They have the essence of generosity and represent the activities of increasing benefit.

In Buddhism, fortune and wealth refers to ‘merit’ - because everything good that we possess is established from merit. Every form of success, every piece of happiness, every kind of enjoyment can only be materialized should there be enough merit to support it. To have merit means to have wealth and assets; if there is no or insufficient merit, then one encounters many negative conditions and obstacles. Even in the Buddhist path, you also need to practise and fulfill both merit accumulation as well as karma purification to be able to attain Bodhicitta.

This wealth grand puja summons immense positive wealth energies upon the puja participants, and is a very effective method to invoke positive wealth energy of the universe and its inhabitants. Though getting rich is a result of one’s past actions, participating in such wealth-congregating pujas play a significant role in its own way to change the course of one’s financial situation. With a sincere motivation to accumulate merit, purify our negative karma, as well as make prayers for all sentient beings to be freed from all poverty and all sufferings, without doubt - one will certainly receive the vast blessings and protection of the five Dzambalas.

Note:   Interested participants, please feel welcome to bring along your wealth vases, fortune wands and amulets for recharge of wealth blessings and energies during the puja. Interested participants can invite the Namtose Wealth Incense.

Green Dzambala: Will enable all endeavors to be perfectly accomplished and purify all bad luck and obstacles, prevent theft, bad debts and loss of wealth.

White Dzambala: The compassionate manifestation of the Bodhisattva Chenrezig (Kuan Yin). By practising White Dzambala one can remove the suffering of poverty and sickness, purify non-virtuous karma and karmic obstacles.

Yellow Dzambala: By practising Yellow Dzambala, can remove poverty within the six realms, increasing virtues, life span and wisdom. All material and spiritual needs shall be met.

Red Dzambala: By practisng Red Dzambala, one can attract people, wealth and fame. One will enjoy wealth in abundance and shall be well respected and supported by people.

Black Dzambala benefits the poor and those in solitary retreat. If a person’s mind is always virtuous, Black Dzambala will always take care of him/her.

Wealth Deity Practice with the Correct Motivation

It is a common misconception to believe that one could obtain wealth by making offerings and reciting the mantras of wealth deities. The wealth deities in Buddhism have manifested as Protectors driven by the bodhicitta mind to benefit all beings. Hence should we wish to achieve success and wealth by engaging in their wealth practices, one should be driven by the positive motivation to benefit others, uphold the dharma, make offerings to the three jewels and the like. If it is solely for one’s own self benefit, we shall not be able to receive the blessings of the wealth deities despite extensive effort of practice. With pure motivation to benefit others, dharma practitioners shall receive boundless blessings and protection to achieve both material and ultimate prosperity.

Recently in Dec 2014, during the Jangchup Lamrim teachings bestowed by His Holiness Dalai Lama in Gaden Monastery, Dagyab Rinpoche and the people of Dagyab offered a long life offering to His Holiness.  It was an auspicious and joyous occasion. Here is the context. 

In memories of a great practitioner - Geshe Ngawang Longtho

In memories of 84-year-old Geshe Ngawang Longtho, who passed away this evening. Geshe la was from Gaden Shartse Monastery and visited Singapore Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling numerous times.  Geshe-la was a great practitioner and adept in conducting powerful pujas. 

Message from Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling: 

"Currently Geshe Ngawang Longtho remains in clear light meditation (thugdam) after clinical death. Thugdam is an honorific term for meditative practice during the period following the death of a great master, during which time they are absorbed in clear light. 

A realized practitioner may remain in that meditative state for a number of days. Geshe-la manifests extraordinary practice as there is still a certain color of glow in his face, his skin remains soft and flexible, his body does not become stiff, and there is still warmth at his heart."

Way even before I became aware of Geshe Ngawang Longtho's qualities as a great practitioner, I somehow knew he possessed certain special skills and power. And this was because of a dream I had once. 

In that brief dream, I was walking along a dark, empty and misty road, with no one in sight. Then Geshe-la appeared all of a sudden and was walking towards me. Relieved and happy to see him, I put both palms together to greet him. Geshe-la smiled and blessed me by putting both his hands on my head and chanting prayers. Then he turned to leave. However, he paused and turned back to me again and decided to continue his chanting, both hands on my head again. After a few minutes, to my amazement, I saw a gulf of black air, like droves of bees, coming out of my chest and escaped in rapid speed, which then disappeared into thin air. I believe that was somewhat a purification and healing ritual! When Geshe-la finished, he instructed me to adopt a certain deity practice on a daily basis. End of dream. 

It was kind of a special dream. Even though I have never chatted with Geshe-la in real life before (because he was  quite serious looking and did not smile much, plus we would have been a chicken and a duck talking), the dream convinced me to have faith in Geshe-la's abilities and powers during pujas.  Geshe-la was among the group of highly respected old geshes in Gaden Shartse Monastery who are really skilful in conducting pujas which are so effective in clearing obstacles. 

I last saw Geshe Ngawang Longtho in 2012 when we visited him. At that time, he was already quite thin, frail and weak. He gave us heartfelt advice and told us to keep His Holiness the Dalai Lama's precious teachings in mind. Inside his small room where almost 50 of us tried to huddle together, there were no dry eyes for most of us that day. Understandably, I knew it would be my last time seeing him. 

May Geshe-la continue to benefit many beings in all lifetimes wherever he chooses to take rebirth. He will be dearly missed. 

Good bye and see you soon, Geshe-la! 

“I am Karmapa, remember?”

I read a wonderful sharing below of the previous His Holiness 16th Karmapa from "Intimate Encounters with the Buddha Karmapa" by Trinley Gyatso.  

"We were in Lahina in Maui, browsing around the shops right before a big Vajra Crown ceremony at a Japanese Buddhist temple. I mentioned that we were going to be late and I urged His Holiness to get going. As the driver, I felt it was my duty to get to the next event on time. He just looked at me with astonishment and said, “I am Karmapa. Remember? I know when it’s time to go.” 

He went on shopping, fascinated by all the red coral in Hawaii. Finally we got into the car near the Pioneer Inn. As I was turning the car around, a straggly old hippie came up to our brand new shiny Cadillac. It was the best car you could get in 1975, and this old hippie guy was knocking on my window. “Hey, I hear there’s some dude up the road, giving some kind of religious ceremony. I’d like a ride."  I said, “Excuse me, sir” and motioned him to go away. 

As Karmapa’s clean-shaven, short-haired driver wearing the new suit he had bought for me, I felt embarrassed by the incident. I rolled up the window and drove on. Karmapa asked me what the man wanted. I said he wanted a ride. Karmapa said, “Let’s give him a ride then.” Karmapa and Jamgön Kongtrul were in the back seat and Joel Wiley and I were in the front. I turned the Cadillac around and the hippie got in the front seat between Joel and I. As soon as he got in, he seemed a bit stunned perhaps from being in the same small space with Karmapa.   

Then as we were starting to drive to the temple for the Crown Ceremony, Karmapa touched him on the shoulder and said, 'om mani padme hung'. Joel turned to him and said, “I think Karmapa wants you to say, 'om mani padme hung'.” So he started to try to say it, but he could barely get it out. Karmapa asked him what he did for a living. I felt he was a little embarrassed to say he worked at MacDonald’s or somewhere like that. 

Karmapa told him to go on saying 'om mani padme hung'. By that time, we had almost reached the Japanese Buddhist temple where the Vajra Crown was to be held. We arrived as the jalings were sounding. This was the biggest event the Karmapa ever did in Maui, the Vajra Crown ceremony by the ocean with hundreds of people present. His Holiness Karmapa got out. Then the hitch-hiker got out. Karmapa turned to him and said, “As a result of getting into the car with us today, all your bad karma from your previous lives has been erased.”

While the horns were blasting that deep eerie sound and throngs of people were bowing to Karmapa, he made his way through the masses. The hippie stood there completely awestruck by the entire experience, like someone experiencing a total mind transformation. I was also overwhelmed by the realization that Karmapa had the power to alter an individual’s karma and assist them to wake up instantly to a higher purpose."

We are often impressed by miraculous deeds of the great masters. We love to hear of miracles, or testimonies of wonderful stories, perhaps to strengthen our faith in our spiritual beliefs. Indeed, can we erase our bad karma? From the Buddhist point of view, we have to account for our own good deeds or the bad actions, we have to face the results when the cause and conditions ripen and we 'reap' or 'suffer' the effect of whatever we have done since many lifetimes before. Yes, we can try to purify our negative karma through engaging in various meritorious deeds, but ultimately, when the right conditions ripen, we still have to face the music, whether we like it or not. We cannot erase our bad karma. Only the Buddha and the enlightened ones can help us.

This story reminds me of one special initiation which Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave a few years ago. After the 2 days empowerment, at the end of it, Rinpoche told those who were present, that by the blessing and having taken the initiation and teachings, our negative karma since beginningless times have been purified and exhausted. I was awestruck. However, I felt how much we had benefited from this, depends purely on our mental development and how well we had understood and visualised during the initiation. While we are responsible for our karma, I fervently believe that only the Buddha and great masters have the power to help lessen or erase. But, moving forward, we still have to be mindful of creating and committing new karma, and we are still responsible for our own mind transformation. To be liberated and enlightened, only we can help ourselves. Not even the Buddha can. 

Om mani padme hung. 

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche - The golden mountain and its radiance

I was particularly touched when I watched this footage of His Holiness Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910 - 1991) who was a great Vajrayana master, scholar, poet, teacher and head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism from 1987 to 1991. He was also one of His Holiness Dalai Lama's main gurus. 

In fact, every time I watch videos of him, I would start to tear.  I did not have the affinity to meet the previous Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in this lifetime. I wish I did. His teachings have some how touched me. Perhaps I find him endearing because of the way he gave brilliant analogies in his teachings as well as coupled with beautiful poetic flair. 

Below are some random excerpts of his teachings I picked: 

On true spiritual friends

"Spending your time with true spiritual friends will fill you with love for all beings and help you to see how negative attachments and hatred are. Being with such friends and following their example will naturally imbue you with their good qualities just as all the birds flying around the golden mountain are bathed in its golden radiance."

On devotion

"Devotion is as precious as having a skilled hand that can accomplish all crafts. It is like a great treasure which fulfills all needs, the panacea which cures all illness. Entrust your heart and mind to the Three Jewels like throwing a stone into deep water." 

On practising Dharma

"If you truly put the teachings into practice, as the Dharma takes birth and grows in your mindstream, all your faults will naturally diminish and all your positive qualities will spontaneously blossom, just as the sun, as it rises higher in the morning, gradually spreads increasing light throughout the world." 

On practising Dharma

"Do not waste a single moment, like a warrior who, pierced to the heart by an arrow, knows he has only few minutes to live. It is now, while we are in good health and in possession of all our physical and mental faculties, that we should practice Dharma."

On faith and devotion

"Without being concentrated by a magnifying glass, dry grass cannot be set alight by the rays of the sun, even though they bathe the whole earth evenly in their warmth. In the same way, it is only when focused through the magnifying glass of your faith and devotion that the all- pervading warm rays of the buddhas’ compassion can make blessings blaze up in your being, like dry grass on fire."

On abandoning attachments

"If we cease to have strong clinging to our body, possessions, and relatives, we will naturally stop feeling aggression toward those we consider as our enemies and compulsive attraction toward those we consider as friends. A true bodhisattva makes no distinction between a person touching one side of his body with a silken scarf and someone cutting his flesh on the other side."

On the absolute truth

"When your realization of emptiness becomes as vast as the sky, you will gain an even greater conviction about the law of cause and effect, and you will see just how important your conduct really is. Relative truth functions inexorably within absolute truth." 

On renunciation

"A prisoner locked in jail thinks all the time about different ways of getting free - how he might climb over the walls, ask powerful people to intervene, or raise money to bribe someone. So, too, seeing the suffering and imperfection of samsara, never stop thinking about how to gain liberation, with a deep feeling of renunciation." 

On renunciation

"A bedridden patient only thinks about getting well again. He or she has no wish to remain sick forever. Likewise, a practitioner who yearns to leave the miseries of samsara behind will make use of all the ways in which that can be done, such as taking refuge, generating the mind set on attaining enlightenment for the sake of others, undertaking positive actions and so on, with a firm determination to get out of samsara constantly in mind." 

On death

"Mindfulness of death is a nectarlike medicine that restores you to health and a sentinel that watches over the discipline of your practice, never letting it stray into distractions." 

On emptiness

"Once you have understood the union of emptiness and the dependent arising of phenomena, you will see clearly how deluded and deceiving the ways of the world really are, and, like an old man forced to play children’s games, you will find them very tiresome." 

On emptiness

"When sunlight falls on a crystal, lights of all colours of the rainbow appear; yet they have no substance that you can grasp. Likewise, all thoughts in their infinite variety - devotion, compassion, harmfulness, desire - are utterly without substance. This is the mind of the Buddha. There is no thought that is something other than emptiness; if you recognize the void nature of thoughts at the very moment they arise, they will dissolve. Attachment and hatred will never be able to disturb the mind. Deluded emotions will collapse by themselves. No negative actions will be accumulated, so no suffering will follow."

The Boudanath Stupa in Nepal was continuously lighted with 100,000 butter lamp offerings near Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's monastery during the 49 days of his parinirvana in 1991. _(i)_ 

HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991)

Month of March

Here's how my month of March went.

My guru Dagyab Rinpoche left Singapore after a month of teachings and initiations and CNY celebrations with us. I'm really grateful this time, Rinpoche taught something which I had wanted to ask and which he clarified through his teaching. I'm also blessed to have received from him a particular initiation I've been waiting for for a long time. 

A blessed long life puja offered to Dagyab Rinpoche. 

A new lease of new life after shifting to new office with a view. 

This period I particularly miss Lhamo very much. 

Celebrated my father's birthday after more than one month of being hospitalised. Hope he will recuperate well to be normal again. 

I have a liking for big breakfast set. Found a small joint selling hot dogs selling a whole day breakfast Big Brekky set for about $10. 

My cousin in Thailand got married with a beautiful grand wedding. May she and her hubby have a blissful marriage filled with love, happiness, and kindness. 

I'm beginning to like interesting pants. Here is a chequered one, haha. 

My all time favourite supper - Seng Kee kidney mee sua. I love to have supper with friends for a midnight chit chat over the weekend. 

Really grateful to this batch of monks from Gaden Shartse Monastery for being here this time. They were very hardworking, dedicated and very skilful in their pujas. 

Singapore is really beautiful in a different light at Marina Bay Sands. Recently in Huffnington Post,  MBS was listed by them to be one of the 19 places in Southeast Asia that will actually change your life. Haha! I laughed at this incredible claim but nonetheless we are so lucky to live in a clean city in Singapore. 

How else should the rest of us behave?

I was from Christian schools from primary school all through secondary school and junior college.  So I am not unfamiliar with stories of lepers in the Bible and how Jesus healed them. This was one of the miracles Jesus performed to instill faith in the followers. Leprosy was very foreign to me, even in those days.  

So when I read news of His Holiness the Dalai Lama visiting leprosy patients in New Delhi a few days ago, I did not realise that leprosy, being one of the oldest known diseases to mankind, is still quite prevalent in India.  The purpose of his visit was to boost the morale of the leprosy patients and their families and to help people overcome their prejudice against the affrected. It was so touching seeing His Holiness getting close and personal with the patients, bowing low, touching them, blessing them and healing them too.  (I must say they are so so so fortunate to be touched and blessed by His Holiness, the Living Compassion Buddha, 1000-Armed Chenrezig/Guan Yin).

His Holiness Dalai Lama said, "People who spend money on luxury are foolish. They should spend money for the needy. If you believe in God or Buddhism and spend your money on the needy you will accumulate good Karma."

Another thought came to me .... 

"Even the highest of all teachers shows such humility, compassion and equanimity towards anyone, everyone. How else should the rest of us behave?"
   

Day of Miracles

Yesterday was a very special day, Chotrul Duchen, the ‘Day of Miracles’ which commemorates one of the four great deeds of the Buddha. It occurs on the full moon (the fifteenth day) of the first Tibetan month. The first fifteen days of the New Year (Losar) celebrate the fifteen days on which, in order to increase the merit and the devotion of future disciples, Buddha Shakyamuni displayed a different miracle.

I share here some of the photos posted on the Day Of Miracles by friends in Facebook. 

Long life prayers and offering a special statue for His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.

Fog in Margate, England. 

Baby deer finds warmth in a bird nest. 

A great shot by a friend Esther holidaying in Norway. Here she was dining by the wharf Fiskekompaniet, Tromso.

The 23 year old McDonald's in King Albert Park closed at 11.59pm. It was a place with many fond memories for many Singaporeans. Here is one photo with my classmates umpteen years ago. 

On this auspicious full moon day, children painted their faces and for the adults taking a yoga meditation course in Pokhara Buddhist Meditation Centre, Nepal. 

A rare but beautiful photo depicting the harsh life in Afghanistan. 

It is even more incredible when you realise this was taken in light-polluted Singapore.

The whole world awaits news of the missing MH370, amidst bomohs, coconuts, conspiracy theories, conflicting stories and much astonishment and disbelief. 

End of Losar celebration in Kopan Monastery, Nepal. Here is the school building where the monks study. 

Full house during puja in Dro Phen-Ling, obstacle-clearing, empowered blessings for many during Losar period. 

The little miracle... welcomed heavy rain across the island after 60 days of 'drought' and haze in Singapore on this Day of Miracles. 

PM Lee Hsien Loong urged Singaporeans to be more gracious and kind in his post yesterday. Indeed, as Bob Ferrey puts it, "Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and the most underrated agent of human change". 

Last but not least, me with the late His Holiness Kyabje Trijiang Dorje Chang on this Day of Miracles. 

Dagyab Kyabgon Rinpoche dispels rumours about Dro-Phen Ling regarding Dorje Shugden

My guru, His Eminence Dagyab Kyabgon Loden Sherab Rinpoche, is here in Singapore for precious Dharma teachings and events again. During his teachings on the 6 Paramitas over the weekend, Dagyab Rinpoche mentioned and made clear his stand (read below) the rumours about Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling (DPL) in Singapore, regarding Dorje Shugden. 

I am very happy that Dagyab Rinpoche put to rest this matter by openly sharing with his students/devotees who attended the teaching, whether they are from DPL centre or from other Buddhist centres. I feel this is a very significant statement, and necessary in order to stop the unhealthy and misleading information which has been circulating by people both online and within the Tibetan Buddhist community in Singapore. It is an important message to all Dharma practitioners, to be mindful of their speech and conduct, to maintain religious harmony between Buddhist centres, as well as to preserve the pure teachings of the Buddha Dharma.

Dagyab Rinpoche belongs to a group of most outstanding and highest ranking lamas from the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the spiritual head of the Dagyab region in Eastern Tibet and carries the title Hothogthu Nomonhan meaning the "Noble King of Dharma"). He is a close associate of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who is also Rinpoche's guru, along with Kyabje Trijiang Rinpoche, as well as His Holiness Sakya Trizin. Dagyab Rinpoche left Lhasa Tibet in 1959 together with His Holiness Dalai Lama into exile in India. He is a rare living Master today who holds the most transmissions of the Gelug lineage as well as many transmissions of the Sakya and Kagyu schools. 

Below is Dagyab Rinpoche's message on 9 Feb 2014, which I have transcribed.

Some people are talking about Dro-Phen Ling... that Dro-Phen Ling might have, or should have, or would have a connection with a certain protector deity, which is Dorje Shugden. They warn others that they should not go to Dro-Phen Ling. All these rumours are actually nonsense. I guess the motivation of those who are talking about these things... they are jealous. Dro-Phen Ling has a very good study program for several years, and doing Dharma practice properly. Dro-Phen Ling is strongly connected with Gaden Shartse Monastery. Dro-Phen Ling is under the spiritual guidance of His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama. If they want to challenge Dro-Phen Ling, then they are challenging the 14^th Dalai Lama.

These people who spread rumours could not do anything. If they really know it to be true, they should prove it. I have known my students (in Dro-Phen Ling) for more than 13 years. I know my students very well. If you ask them who Dorje Shugden is, the most they can say is maybe it is some protector riding on a snow lion, wear monk robe, or hat..... and that’s their knowledge of Dorje Shugden. They also know nothing about Dorje Shugden. Without knowing anything, some people just spread rumours and blame them for doing this and for doing that, without reason. It is better to keep quiet. It is more merit-ful.

His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama

Or they might give a reason, maybe they think because I am giving teaching here (in Dro-Phen Ling) that I am involved with Dorje Shugden. That’s right. I was involved. So was the 14^th Dalai Lama. But after some time, he (His Holiness Dalai Lama) was knowledgeable enough to know that this (practice) is inaccurate and should be stopped. So do I. I am in the same position as His Holiness the Dalai Lama. If you want to blame me, then please blame the Dalai Lama too.

And you may also think that since Dro-Phen Ling is related to Gaden Shartse Monastery and Gaden Shartse is somehow related to Dorje Shugden. If it is so, how can the Dalai Lama visit Gaden Shartse and give teaching there? Others do not know what is going on in India. Those Sangha who did not wish to follow His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s advice have left the monastery. The (existing) Gaden Shartse monks are pure practitioners, ascertained by the Dalai Lama himself. They have nothing to do with Dorje Shugden. Those who blame or start the rumours, they themselves only assume from hearsay.

This is somehow a very sensitive issue about Dro-Phen Ling’s connection with Dorje Shugden. I am so sorry, I have nothing to do with the Dro-Phen Ling administration. I am just giving my Dharma talk and teaching here. If you think what you spread is true, you can challenge them (Dro-Phen Ling). If you need to go to court, please do so, it is your right. These people who spread rumours are also Buddhists. As a Buddhist practitioner, one needs to have certain responsibility. I am quite sure those people who are talking about this must have also taken Bodhicitta vows and Tantra vows. They need to think very carefully the result of committing such a downfall and samaya vows. Talking (spreading rumours) in this way, they must have certain intentions. I suspect they just want to separate Dharma brothers and sisters. This is really not nice. This is not the way to behave as Dharma practitioners.

I have known about these rumours for a few years, and I thought maybe they would disappear on its own but it is always going on. So therefore, I as a Dharma teacher, I need to explain. This is my responsibility to say whether this is correct or incorrect according to the Dharma. Actually, it will be great if these people come to see me and properly, openly, directly, we can discuss. We are all the same as human beings. We all would not want to suffer. We all want happiness. Hence, everyone, especially all Dharma practitioners should work together, and not separately.

- Dagyab Kyabgon Rinpoche, 9 Feb 2014. 

Rejoice! Om mani padme hum. 
May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes, 
May all sentient beings be free of suffering and its causes, 
May all sentient beings never be separated from bliss without suffering, 
May all sentient beings be in equanimity, free of bias, attachment and anger.

You can also read His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's message on Dorje Shugden here.