Photos from Chatring - DS on a mountainside and a family altar

[WisdomBeing]

A friend shared these couple of photos of Chatring which I would like to share with the forum. The first is a glorious thangka of Dorje Shugden on a mountainside, and the second is a picture of a family altar in Chatring.

The photographs on the family altar show the tremendous respect the household has for the Dorje Shugden lineage lamas of HH Trijang Rinpoche and HE Laka Rinpoche. I was told that in Chatring, the three main Masters whom people hold dear are HH Trijang Rinpoche, HH Laka Rinpoche and HH Pabongkha Rinpoche. See also the picture and statue of Dorje Shugden on this altar.

Just for reference, Laka Rinpoche is also seen here:
Gonsar Rinpoche builds new Monastery in Nepal!!!
http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=1023.0

Enjoy the photos!

[Ensapa]

The devotion of the Chatring people to these Lamas are incredible...even though the Lama is not with them physically, they still have intense devotion and faith to their Lamas as well as to Dorje Shugden. This is proof that Dorje Shugden has gone huge in Tibet after the ban and it will just continue to grow from here, whether or not  CTA and the rest of the Dalai Lama's crusaders like it or not. There is for sure a lot more Tibetans in Tibet than in Dharamsala and well, the Dalai Lama's ban isnt reaching Tibet or Chatring. I am sure that there are many more places like this within Tibet, where Dorje Shugden is widely and openly practiced by both the monastics and laity without much problems or discrimination.

[Big Uncle]

Ohhh Laka Rinpoche is very familiar. I think Laka Rinpoche is the young lama's picture on the right side that's not wearing a hat. I don't hear much about him although he is as famous as Trijang Rinpoche in Chatreng. Apparently, he is highly, highly attained like Trijang Rinpoche. In this life, Laka Rinpoche has not manifested much as his previous life because seemed to be stricken with epileptic fits and seizures.

It was constant and so bad that it interrupted his studies. They had to perform many Chabtroo purification rituals on him to lessen the seizures but they were unable to cure him. According to divination, the negative karma of the livelihood of the parents have prevented the Rinpoche from manifesting. The parents own a very famous restaurant that slaughter chickens at the back, cooked it and served people in the front. Even to this day, he would occasionally shiver and jerk about and despite his condition, he was still highly clairvoyant and have been known to give the most accurate predictions between fits. Some people believe that Laka Rinpoche is very kind because he is actually absorbing the negative karma of his parents so they would be alright later.

[beggar]

I have heard (and also read on this website) that Buddhist institutions and monasteries in Chatreng are extremely successful and growing very huge. If I'm not mistaken, they even receive support from the government of China.  There are some beautiful videos here about the monasteries and practitioners of the area: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/the-controversy/four-important-videos/

The devotion of the people is incredible especially when you consider that they haven't seen their guru (Trijang Rinpoche) is over 6 decades. Nor have they seen the incarnation of their Guru, and there is no promise that they will see him any time soon. This faith has also been maintained in the face of what must have been very difficult times during the Chinese takeover of Tibet. So what is it that keeps their faith going so strongly and for so many years?

Things seem to be looking up now though. I have also heard whisperings that in fact fewer and fewer monks are leaving Tibet to the monastery in India / Nepal, as conditions are improving very much in Tibet / China and more are preferring to remain there, studying and practising in the monasteries there. With the rise of wonderful lamas such as Lama Jampa Ngodrup who are teaching throughout Tibet and China, it seems that the teachings are also very much in tact and continuing to be shared and preserved.

[Ensapa]

I have heard (and also read on this website) that Buddhist institutions and monasteries in Chatreng are extremely successful and growing very huge. If I'm not mistaken, they even receive support from the government of China.  There are some beautiful videos here about the monasteries and practitioners of the area: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/the-controversy/four-important-videos/

The devotion of the people is incredible especially when you consider that they haven't seen their guru (Trijang Rinpoche) is over 6 decades. Nor have they seen the incarnation of their Guru, and there is no promise that they will see him any time soon. This faith has also been maintained in the face of what must have been very difficult times during the Chinese takeover of Tibet. So what is it that keeps their faith going so strongly and for so many years?

Things seem to be looking up now though. I have also heard whisperings that in fact fewer and fewer monks are leaving Tibet to the monastery in India / Nepal, as conditions are improving very much in Tibet / China and more are preferring to remain there, studying and practising in the monasteries there. With the rise of wonderful lamas such as Lama Jampa Ngodrup who are teaching throughout Tibet and China, it seems that the teachings are also very much in tact and continuing to be shared and preserved.

That sounds like improvement in Tibet proper and that China is really taking care of them and there is religious freedom unlike what CTA claims (just that they are not allowed to pray to the Dalai Lama) so everything's good. What is more important than the Dalai Lama is for the people to receive the pure lineage and teachings from the masters of the old so that the lineage will be preserved. And then when they actually practice these teachings, they will gain results and they will have attainments. Perhaps, soon, there is not even a need for the Tibetans to go to Dharamsala anymore.

[DharmaSpace]

Wow it would be splendid to put a Dorje Shugden thangka on a mountainside how interesting, and so many can be blessed by seeing Dorje Shugden on a hill side. Something to really think about.

[samayakeeper]

Many thanks, WisdomBeing.

More and more images of Dorje Shugden are seen in public places, more collaterals and materials being circulated to the public, more new monasteries dedicated to The King are sprouting, more lamas are giving initiation for the practice.....This proves that Dorje Shugden is accepted by more people globally.

Maybe next would be prayer flags with Dorje Shugden's image.

[Manjushri]

Wow it would be splendid to put a Dorje Shugden thangka on a mountainside how interesting, and so many can be blessed by seeing Dorje Shugden on a hill side. Something to really think about.

Reminds me of the post where a huge thangka is unveiled at the Labrang Monastery yearly on Monlam. The huge thangka is on the hillside, where many many passerbys would be able to see from a distance away. Kinda like this Dorje Shugden thangka.

Read here for more on the huge thangka at Labrang Monastery: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=3208.0

Okay, on another note, the monks at Chatreng Monastery and many many older geshes and monks have devotion that are beyond words. Although they may not ever have the chance to see the current incarnation of Trijang Rinpoche in this life, they still never give up on their practise, on their devotion and on their vows. Attainments arises from one's devotion to the guru..bless these monks, nuns and geshes whose devotion carry them through thick and thin, who will never forsake their guru for anything in the world.

Not only the ordained have this kind of devotion, I remember reading a story of a lay man whose devotion to Trijang Rinpoche is so great that he single handedly raised all the funds, got the volunteers etc. to do work for the monastery. And he would bring his own food to the monastery, and not take one cent from the monastery. Wow. 

[Galen]

Wow it would be splendid to put a Dorje Shugden thangka on a mountainside how interesting, and so many can be blessed by seeing Dorje Shugden on a hill side. Something to really think about.

Reminds me of the post where a huge thangka is unveiled at the Labrang Monastery yearly on Monlam. The huge thangka is on the hillside, where many many passerbys would be able to see from a distance away. Kinda like this Dorje Shugden thangka.

Read here for more on the huge thangka at Labrang Monastery: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=3208.0

Okay, on another note, the monks at Chatreng Monastery and many many older geshes and monks have devotion that are beyond words. Although they may not ever have the chance to see the current incarnation of Trijang Rinpoche in this life, they still never give up on their practise, on their devotion and on their vows. Attainments arises from one's devotion to the guru..bless these monks, nuns and geshes whose devotion carry them through thick and thin, who will never forsake their guru for anything in the world.

Not only the ordained have this kind of devotion, I remember reading a story of a lay man whose devotion to Trijang Rinpoche is so great that he single handedly raised all the funds, got the volunteers etc. to do work for the monastery. And he would bring his own food to the monastery, and not take one cent from the monastery. Wow.

I do agree with Manjushri that attainments arises from devotion to one's guru. The Sangha in Chatring are the very people who practices guru devotion. Eventhough Trijang Rinpoche has entered into clear light years ago, they continued to practice their practice and do not give up when their teacher leaves. They continued even they have not met the new Trijang Rinpoche. This is true guru devotion.

Oh, love the huge DS thanka on the mountain side. Must be a big feat to get it up there. Another example of true devotion to the protector and also believe that any beings who comes across this huge thanka would be blessed and dharma seeds planted into their mind stream.

[Ensapa]

Okay, on another note, the monks at Chatreng Monastery and many many older geshes and monks have devotion that are beyond words. Although they may not ever have the chance to see the current incarnation of Trijang Rinpoche in this life, they still never give up on their practise, on their devotion and on their vows. Attainments arises from one's devotion to the guru..bless these monks, nuns and geshes whose devotion carry them through thick and thin, who will never forsake their guru for anything in the world.

Not only the ordained have this kind of devotion, I remember reading a story of a lay man whose devotion to Trijang Rinpoche is so great that he single handedly raised all the funds, got the volunteers etc. to do work for the monastery. And he would bring his own food to the monastery, and not take one cent from the monastery. Wow.

That is a very rare thing to have nowadays: devotion to the Guru no matter what happens. Ever since the Dalai Lama has imposed the ban, we can see many westerners who quickly abandon their Dorje Shugden Gurus for more "safe" Gurus. Some even switched traditions from Gelug to other traditions due to the 'complications' that arise from the ban which is nothing more than their self cherishing mind and fear that prevents them from doing real Dharma practice. That is why many people say that Buddhism is still on its infancy in the west, because many westerners jump ship when they're too afraid. They gotta learn from these monks.

[WisdomBeing]

Ohhh Laka Rinpoche is very familiar. I think Laka Rinpoche is the young lama's picture on the right side that's not wearing a hat. I don't hear much about him although he is as famous as Trijang Rinpoche in Chatreng. Apparently, he is highly, highly attained like Trijang Rinpoche. In this life, Laka Rinpoche has not manifested much as his previous life because seemed to be stricken with epileptic fits and seizures.

It was constant and so bad that it interrupted his studies. They had to perform many Chabtroo purification rituals on him to lessen the seizures but they were unable to cure him. According to divination, the negative karma of the livelihood of the parents have prevented the Rinpoche from manifesting. The parents own a very famous restaurant that slaughter chickens at the back, cooked it and served people in the front. Even to this day, he would occasionally shiver and jerk about and despite his condition, he was still highly clairvoyant and have been known to give the most accurate predictions between fits. Some people believe that Laka Rinpoche is very kind because he is actually absorbing the negative karma of his parents so they would be alright later.

Dear Big Uncle,

I think that HH Laka Rinpoche, who is highly attained, no doubt, chose his current incarnation's parents. As such, the epileptic fits must have manifested for a reason - whether to clear the negative karma of his parents or for any other reasons. I have also heard that HH Laka Rinpoche is indeed very special, even though we don't hear about him as much as HH Trijang Rinpoche. I am sure that whatever Laka Rinpoche is meant to achieve in this life, he will achieve it, in the same way as all the other great Dorje Shugden masters. I look forward to hearing more about Laka Rinpoche in time.

[Ensapa]

Dear Big Uncle,

I think that HH Laka Rinpoche, who is highly attained, no doubt, chose his current incarnation's parents. As such, the epileptic fits must have manifested for a reason - whether to clear the negative karma of his parents or for any other reasons. I have also heard that HH Laka Rinpoche is indeed very special, even though we don't hear about him as much as HH Trijang Rinpoche. I am sure that whatever Laka Rinpoche is meant to achieve in this life, he will achieve it, in the same way as all the other great Dorje Shugden masters. I look forward to hearing more about Laka Rinpoche in time.

Perhaps, the epilepsy was manifested in order to clear obstacles for the flourishing of Buddhadharma in the region. I hope that the epileptic fits would not disrupt his monastic studies in any way and that he can still benefit people the way he has been doing in many previous lives. If he was on par with Trijang Rinpoche, then I am sure that there are good reasons behind him manifesting epilepsy. I really hope that he will manifest his great activities once more and that the area of Chatring will flourish even more than it is already doing right now.

[kris]

Galen, Ensapa and Begger talked about Guru devotion which is one of the most important aspect in gaining attainments especially in Vajrayana school of Buddhism.

From where I grow up where it is encouraged to "follow" Dharma text rather than teachers or Guru. I think partly because there are many "fake" teachers in our region. It took me quite awhile to embrace guru devotion, thanks to the Lamrim teacher who gave me the logic explanation why Guru is necessary and fast track to attainments provided the guru is genuine.

There are so many great lamas who have strong Guru devotion and they are highly attained. I too have heard and read that Chatring's huge success is because of the strong guru devotion.

May the practice of strong guru devotion be strong in this degenerated age...

[Ensapa]

Galen, Ensapa and Begger talked about Guru devotion which is one of the most important aspect in gaining attainments especially in Vajrayana school of Buddhism.

From where I grow up where it is encouraged to "follow" Dharma text rather than teachers or Guru. I think partly because there are many "fake" teachers in our region. It took me quite awhile to embrace guru devotion, thanks to the Lamrim teacher who gave me the logic explanation why Guru is necessary and fast track to attainments provided the guru is genuine.

There are so many great lamas who have strong Guru devotion and they are highly attained. I too have heard and read that Chatring's huge success is because of the strong guru devotion.

May the practice of strong guru devotion be strong in this degenerated age...

The reason why in some regions where people are afraid of following the Guru is because they are too scared of following the wrong Guru and that if they are misled, they will never be able to go back to the 'correct' path. Here in the west, Guru devotion is strongly discouraged and many Dharma centers here tend to avoid or skirt around this topic. The main reason why is because none of these centers are brave enough to teach on the traditional texts on Guru devotion such as the 9 attitudes and the 50  verses, and also a contemporary explanation on why Guru devotion is important. Fear of cults can be easily erased by educating the masses, or at least, the Buddhists.

[Dondrup Shugden]

Besides the information on Chatring and the citizens' guru devotion, the beauty of DS image on the mountainside is awesone.

Hope that one day I may have the merits to see this picture.