Ribur Rinpoche

[DSFriend]

Ribur Rinpoche is another lama who has brought much inspiration and I wish to share it here in this forum. We all go through difficulties. Despite the indescribable difficulties Ribur Rinpoche went through, he practiced perfectly.

Life is full of SUFFERINGS! So often my deluded mind cannot see the "light at the end of the tunnel"...but reading biographies of lamas such as Ribur Rinpoche gives much strength. I  pray that lamas and all who wishes to bring benefit to others quickly accomplish their wishes...and continuously turn the wheel of Dharma.



Source for this article : http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=1884
Ribur Rinpoche was born in the Kham region of Tibet in 1923, and at aged 5, was recognized by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the head lama of Ribur Monastery, the sixth incarnation of Lama Kunga Osel. This Lama was famed for being a great scholar and teacher who spent the last twelve years of his life in strict solitary retreat. All five of the previous incarnations were principal teachers at Ribur Monastery in Kham.

When Ribur Rinpoche was fourteen he entered Sera Mey monastery, one of the great Gelug monastic-universities in Lhasa, to begin intensive studies in Buddhist philosophy. During his stay at Sera Monastery, Rinpoche also attended many teachings and initiations given by his root guru, Pabongka Rinpoche, the greatest Gelug lama of the time.

After studying at Sera Mey Monastery, Rinpoche received his Geshe degree in 1948 at the age of 25. Rinpoche returned to Kham where he spent many years doing retreat in a small hut he had built in the forest. But after the Chinese Communist invasion in 1950, the situation in Kham became increasingly dangerous, and in 1955 he was advised by one of his gurus, Trijang Rinpoche, to return to Lhasa, where he continued to take teachings and do retreats.

But Lhasa itself soon became unsafe. From 1959 (the year of the Tibetan people’s uprising) to 1976, Rinpoche was confined in Lhasa, during which time he experienced relentless interrogation and torture during 35 of the infamous struggle sessions. “If I told you what happened on a regular basis, you would find it hard to believe.”

Rinpoche experienced numerous hardships and difficulties such as imprisonment and physical abuse, and being a helpless observer of the terrible destruction of the Cultural Revolution. However, during this time he was able to keep his mind peaceful and even happy by practising the teachings he had learned. As Rinpoche described his experiences, “I didn’t really experience the slightest difficulty during those adverse conditions. This was due to the kindness of Lama Dorje Chang [Pabongka Rinpoche]. From him I had somehow learned some mental training, and in those difficult times, my mind was immediately able to recognise the nature of cyclic existence, the nature of afflictive emotions, and the nature of karma and so forth. So my mind was really at ease.”

At the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, Ribur Rinpoche spent more than 10 years in Chinese labor camps and was given a job with the Religious Affairs Office in Tibet.

On one of his trips to China, he worked with the Panchen Lama to restore as many of the lost spiritual treasures of Tibet as they could. His main accomplishment was recovering the two most precious statues of Shakyamuni Buddha: the Jowo Chenpo and the Ramo Chenpo. These two statues, originally brought to Tibet by the Chinese and Nepalese wives of King Songsten Gampo (ca 617-698), were taken to Beijing during the Cultural Revolution and kept in various warehouses along with thousands of other statues for 17 years, until Rinpoche found them and returned them to their respective temples in Lhasa. He also re-established the destroyed stupa of Lama Tsongkhapa, which contained some of Lama Tsongkhapa’s bodily relics.

In 1987 Rinpoche left Tibet and travelled to Dharamsala, India, to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Since then he has lived at Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, where, at the request of His Holiness, he wrote a number of biographies of great lamas, such as that of the 13th Dalai Lama, and an extensive religious history of Tibet, which includes his autobiography.

Ribur Rinpoche spent many years living in northern California where he gave teachings and led retreats. Rinpoche also visited and taught in several foreign countries – Australia, New Zealand, America, and around Europe – before returning to India, where he passed away in 2006.

Tenzin Pasang Rinpoche, Ribur Rinpoche's current incarnation is back!

Tenzin Pasang, a young Tibetan boy living near Sera Me Monastery, has been recognised by His Holiness Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of Ribur Rinpoche. When they met in Bodhgaya in early 2010, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered the young tulku an enthronement ceremony attended by senior Sangha, and family members and close students of the late Ribur Rinpoche. It is expected that Tenzin Pasang Rinpoche will study at Sera Me when he is older.

[beggar]

Wow, thanks for this. Even the photos of Ribur Rinpoche always humble me to a silence. What kindness in his very eyes. So much happiness and peace.

That's a strong point you made there DSFriend about how much he had suffered under the hands of the Chinese and yet how he kept right on at it and maintained a peaceful, happy mind. see, even in the face of such blatant torture and invasion and cruelty, the lamas did not retaliate or speak badly against their "enemies." They remain happy throughout.

Just look at how all these lamas of this generation had to go through so much suffering and difficulty - their whole country invaded and their people brutally tortured. Even then they did not take to the streets, protest, cause any harm back to anyone. Even with destruction on such a big scale, they remain peaceful.

If we respect, revere and pray to dorje shugden then look at the esteemed old practitioners who also pray to him and see their example. Even to China they do not retaliate or say or do anything harmful. And now, with the Dorje Shugden conflict, they still do not speak a bad word against His Holiness or any of the people who attack them. This is incredible practice. It is only my little hope I can achieve that same equal, all-loving state of mind.

humbly yours, beggar

[triesa]

Ven Ribur Rinpoche's life story is a Dharma teaching in itself. It totally demonstrated the power of mind transformation.

And I would like to share the following beautiful "Eight Verses of Mind Transformation" composed by Geshe Langri Thangpa Dorje Senge 1054-1123, it is said that if one can practise according to these eight verses, realizations and attainments can come very fast.

With the thought of attaning Englightenment
For the welfare of all beings
who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel
I will constantly practise holding them dear

Whenever I am with others, I will practise
seeing myself as the lowest of all
and from the very depths of my heart
I will respectfully hold others as supreme

In all actions I will examine my mind
and the moment a disturbing attitude arises
endangering myself and others
I will firmly confront and avert it

Whenever I meet a person of bad nature
overwhelmed by negative energy and intense suffering
I will hold such a rare one dear
as if I've found a precious treasure

When others out of jealousy
mistreat me with abuse, slander and so on
I will practise accepting defect
and offering the victory to them

When someone I have benefited and in whom
I have placed great trust hurts me very badly
I will practise seeing that person
as my supreme teacher

In short, I will offer directly and indirectly
every benefit and happiness to all beings, my mothers
I'll practise in secret taking upon myself
all their harmful actions and sufferings

Without these practises being defiled
by the stains of the eight worldly concerns
by preceiving all phenomena as illusory
I will practise without grasping to release all beings
from the bondage of the unsubdued mind and karma

[WisdomBeing]

Thank you for posting this. I love reading about Lamas and this short bio about Ribur Rinpoche is very touching and inspirational. To me, it's testament to the mental training of Buddhism and Ribur Rinpoche is really a living example of the Dharma. Here are a couple of lovely pictures of Ribur Rinpoche and his new incarnation, Tenzin Pasang Rinpoche.

[thor]

That's a strong point you made there DSFriend about how much he had suffered under the hands of the Chinese and yet how he kept right on at it and maintained a peaceful, happy mind. see, even in the face of such blatant torture and invasion and cruelty, the lamas did not retaliate or speak badly against their "enemies." They remain happy throughout.

Just look at how all these lamas of this generation had to go through so much suffering and difficulty - their whole country invaded and their people brutally tortured. Even then they did not take to the streets, protest, cause any harm back to anyone. Even with destruction on such a big scale, they remain peaceful.

Apart from his great deeds of restoring the holy images in Lhasa, Ribur Rinpoche has accomplished a great many other notable deeds. Most inspiring for me still is how he happily accepted his imprisonment and torture under the hands of the Chinese. After his release, he remained serene, smiling beautifully, and always patient. Looking at him, you would never guess he had endured what he did. I supposed 'endured' is the wrong word in this instance. Rinpoche actually welcomed his treatment at the hands of the Chinese, visualising that he was accepting the suffering and obstacles of Drepung Sera and Ganden. Thus Rinpoche's stay in prison became a huge collection of merit due to his pure practice. Rinpoche had to practice in secret, reciting his mantras and sadhanas from memory under his breath.

When he was in the West, he gathered many students and became affiliated with FPMT as a resident teacher. Towards the end of his life, Rinpoche said the following:

“Sometimes I am worried about Maitreya Project and as much as I can, I do prayers according to my health. I think it would be very good if students could recite Maitreya Buddha’s mantra for the success of the Maitreya Buddha statue. I’m requesting Lama Zopa Rinpoche to please live a long life. I really admire Rinpoche’s tolerance and courage to help sentient beings. I admire and am very grateful for Rinpoche’s help with my health and his work for sentient beings. I really rejoice from the depth of my heart. I don’t have any particular advice for Rinpoche, whatever Lama Zopa Rinpoche is doing is enormous benefit, like the sky. I pray all Rinpoche’s wishes succeed and be elaborate like the sky. My wish is whatever Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s wishes are – may they become true. Sometimes I worry about Rinpoche’s health, so please take care of your health, Rinpoche. I am feeling much better now and can even walk up and down stairs. I was very, very happy Lama Zopa Rinpoche came to meet me. At that time I had an unusual feeling."

For me, Rinpoche's life is an example of absorbing the suffering of others, and his teachings on this subject can be heard here. http://www.lamrim.com/riburrinpoche/

Such is the power of Dorje Shugden's practice - the development of selflessness, wisdom and compassion.

[DharmaDefender]

Such serenity is inspiring when viewed next to the extreme anger, sadness and dissatisfaction with life that leads to people committing torture, abuse, etc. What I find disturbing is that these soldiers, etc were so close to the Dharma, and saw it being practised right in front of them. Despite this, they were blind to its benefits and saw it as negative instead. How horrible to have a human rebirth where you are trained and intent on using your intact mental and physical faculties to do harm.

When I read the biographies of lamas, all I get is how humble they are, and devoted they are to their gurus. Every benefit and happiness stems from their guru; all of their good qualities stem from their guru. They use their gurus as a practice of selflessness. When they can do this, they stop suffering because they don't wallow in self-pity and depression anymore. Best medicine, and it's lasting because it comes from yourself.

Lovely jubbly really.

[Helena]

This is one amazing deeply moving real life story.

Duldzin, you are so right in what you wrote - Rilbur Rinpoche truly devoted all his life to absorb all the suffering of others and he endured them happily.

Indeed, such is the power of Dorje Shugden's practice - from self-preservation/selfishness to selflessness.

Even on a daily basis, I can't say that I can control my emotions or tempers well. So, I cannot imagine being tortured for over a decade. I guess, if our mind set is focussed on compassion, then even our suffering can become a collection of merit and an act of selflessness.

Hence, if we can all do the same during this difficult time, when Dorje Shugden is being banned - then, I guess, whatever suffering we endure happily will also become something that can transform us completely and we will be collecting merits for it as well.

Instead of being angry, hateful and depressed - we can choose to act and think like how Rilbur Rinpoche has chosen to be.

Incredibly inspiring!

Rinpoche actually welcomed his treatment at the hands of the Chinese, visualising that he was accepting the suffering and obstacles of Drepung Sera and Ganden. Thus Rinpoche's stay in prison became a huge collection of merit due to his pure practice. Rinpoche had to practice in secret, reciting his mantras and sadhanas from memory under his breath.

For me, Rinpoche's life is an example of absorbing the suffering of others, and his teachings on this subject can be heard here. http://www.lamrim.com/riburrinpoche/

Such is the power of Dorje Shugden's practice - the development of selflessness, wisdom and compassion.

[triesa]

If only we can apply such antidoes in  our practice, visualising we are absorbing the sufferings and obstacles of difficult situations for others, then we would be able to complain less and yet move on with grace which will be such an inspiration  to others.

Contemplating on the life of Ribur Rinpoche reinforces my determination to complain less and do more for others.

 

[shugdenprotect]

Yes, it is sad to return as humans and act with cruelty that is even more inhuman than animals. However, there are also many inspiring examples of humans. One of the ultimate examples is that of Buddha Shakyamuni who achieved enlightenment in the form of a human being.

Therefore, although humans are still susceptible to many risks of causing negative karma, the human form is the best form to take because we are able to comprehend and practice the Dharma as shown by example by Lord Buddha himself. With this knowledge, we must not waste our precious and rare human life by striving towards achieving enlightenment so that we will free ourselves from rebirth in any of the 6 realms in samsara.

[jessicajameson]

@DSFriend Thank you for sharing the short bio. When I first scrolled through the Great Masters section of this website and saw his photo, I felt really drawn to him. There was something about him that was so pleasing to the eye, it made me just want to look at him more. I love reading short bios on any Rinpoche's...sad to say to that I did tear when I read Ribur Rinpoche's one.

It's amazing how undisturbed his mind was throughout the ordeal. Not so surprising that he devoted his life and absorbed all the suffering of others, enduring them indifferently, considering his level of attainment.

I can't imagine the amount of bad karma accumulated from his torturers though...honestly shudder at the thought. Incredible realization of emptiness and selflessness to have your mind undisturbed after years of physical torturing..

I read the other comments on this thread and agree that he did absorb the suffering of others, like all other compassionate high lamas, but could it also be seen as the result of their karma..accumulated from their past or present life?

[Ensapa]

I found a very incredible account of how Ribur Rinpoche found the Jowo statue in China and how he restored it, alongside with many precious Tibetan items. I really do find his story inspiring in many ways, and I hope it inspires you too when you read about it

Ribur Rinpocheis no more, His Story Remains with Us
Office of Tibet, New York[Saturday, January 21, 2006 07:34]

Ribur Rinpoche, a Tibetan lama responsible for salvaging and bringing back some of Tibet's holiest spiritual treasures from China, passed away January 16 in India.

Born 1923 in the eastern Tibetan region of Kham, Rinpoche was recognized by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama as reincarnation of a well-known spiritual master.

In 1959 the invading Chinese army imprisoned him in Lhasa. For the next 20 years, Rinpoche suffered "relentless interrogation and torture".

Following Deng Xiaoping's liberalization policy of 1979, Rinpoche was released from prison and rehabilitated with a job at the Religious Bureau of Tibet.

In his capacity as a member of the Religious Bureau, Rinpoche went to China and brought back a large number of Tibetan spiritual treasures.

Following is Rinpoche's story of that journey, written in 1987, some time after his escape to India:

In the wake of China's liberalization policy towards Tibet, a meeting on religious affairs was held in Beijing in 1981. At the meeting, the Tibetan delegates (including me) pleaded vigorously for the repatriation of Tibet's religious treasures, plundered during the Cultural Revolution and now gathering dust in China's storehouses. Unfortunately, nothing came of our request in that year.

However, in late 1982 the Religious Bureau of the Tibet Autonomous Region summoned a meeting in Lhasa—attended by representatives from the Religious Association of `TAR', the Department for the Preservation of National Treasures, and several other official bodies. During the meeting, Baba Kalsang Namgyal, an official from the Cultural Bureau of `TAR', announced that the authorities in Beijing had ordered the reinstatement of Tibetan religious artifacts to their places of origin.

Phuntsok Yonten from the Religious Bureau of `TAR', staff member of the Norbulingka, Karma, and I were to journey to Chengdu, Taiyuan, and Beijing to track down such items as remained. I was appointed to lead the team and we were to be assisted by Demo Rinpoche's daughter, Yangdon, as our interpreter.

This decision was the result of numerous factors: our appeal during the 1981 meeting, a series of concerted requests from the Panchen Lama and several other high lamas of Amdo, Beijing's desire to lend credibility to their professed policy of liberalization and religious freedom in Tibet, etc.

Right from the time I was told to go to China, I had made up my mind on the focus of our mission: the upper half of Jowo Mikyoe Dorjee.

The statues of Jowo Sakyamuni and Jowa Mikyoe Dorjee have been revered as the nation's most sacred religious treasures since their arrival in Tibet in the early seventh century.

Although the image of Sakyamuni remained almost intact at the Jokhang in Lhasa, that of Mikyoe Dorjee had been hacked in two, and the gold and jewel-encased torso carted away to China. The recovery of the upper half of this national treasure would be of immeasurable significance and joy to all Tibetans.

Immediately after the meeting, I went to the Jokhang, Lhasa's seventh century central cathedral, to trace the lower half of Jowo Mikyoe Dorjee. I found it with the help of the Jokhang's caretaker Lobsang Phuntsok.

I inspected it carefully, measuring the diameter at the severed arms and waist, examining the metal components and contours, and texture of the precious ash which filled the statue as relics so that I would make no mistake in identifying the torso in China, even if it was badly disfigured.

Baba Kalsang Namgyal approached us just before our departure to China to announce that the Chinese authorities had decreed that we were to bring back only those items that were serviceable, and that we should not bring anything from the city of Chengdu.

So it was that on December 19, 1982 we left Lhasa and reached Beijing via Chengdu. On reaching Beijing, we were received by a kindly Chinese official from the Religious Bureau of China: he was to be our guide in the Chinese capital.

On December 30 we were led to a crumbling and historic building called the Gu Gong. Around the time of Emperor Ch'ien Lung, this building had been an imperial guest house: this was told to us later by an elderly Chinese woman, Tang Lin Fang.

Our curiosity was aroused by a Chinese sign over the portal of the main hall. We asked Madam Tang, a staff member of the Gu Gong and our guide in this building, to explain what it said. She explained that it read "Imperial Chapel for Long Life", and that the Tibetan statues inside it had been transferred from a foundry in 1972. Tang good-heartedly expressed her happiness that the religious treasures stored for so long in the Gu Gong would finally be restored to their original homes.

On entering the spacious main hall of the Gu Gong, we were confronted by the incredible sight of hundreds of statues of all sizes, piled until they almost touched the ceiling. The doors on either side of this hall opened on to two smaller rooms that were also filled to bursting with Tibetan religious objects. In the hall, my eyes immediately fell upon large, mutilated statues amongst the heap. Could the torso of the Jowo be one of them? It was heart-renting to see them mutilated, coated in the dust of a decade of negligence and disrespect.

As we entered the building my colleagues and I stood frozen, our faces fallen and our emotions welling. With tears streaming down my cheeks, I reached for one statue at random. And there in my hand lay a beautiful, most sacred and historically significant image of Green Tara. I took it as a good omen for our mission.

For the next few days the Gu Gong was locked for the New Year celebration. In the meanwhile, we went to a fabric mill to buy huge quantities of rags to use as padding, and also commissioned appropriate wooden crates.

On January 6, 1983, when the Gu Gong was opened again, we employed ten elderly Chinese to help and went once more to the storerooms. All this time, there had been only one thing on my mind: the missing half of the Jowo. Was it in one of these dusty heaps? Or had it been melted into bullion in one of China's foundries? Or was it right now languishing in some other part of China?

Watching the old Chinese at work, removing the piles, piece by piece and dusting them, I spotted what looked like a lifesize torso lying under a twisted heap. I shouted for my colleagues, and together we prised it out. We took it outside to the courtyard. It was so heavy that three strong men could barely lift it.

Once outside, I sent the colleagues back to their work. I sat alone with the bust and examined it meticulously. There was thick gold plating left under the armpits. But the gold plating from the rest of the statue was missing—parted from it at some stage during the journey from Lhasa to Beijing. The chest, navel, nose and right eye all bore the scars of hammering. But a fair amount of precious ash relic was still inside. (Translator: Precious ash is produced through a complicated process of alchemy by which gold, silver and various precious stones and other metals are burned in airtight pans for a prolonged period. It is primarily used for the Tibetan medicine, but also as relics for very, very holy statues.) The iron bars fortifying the inside of the torso were also there. When I moved the vertical bar, I could feel the horizontal bar across the shoulders move. The famous face was unmistakable. And the type of metal, the texture of the precious ash as well as the diameter at severed edges of the arms and waist all matched perfectly with the statue's lower portion in Lhasa. The goal of my mission was accomplished.

Remembering the Panchen Lama's instruction to ring him up immediately if I found anything important, I dialed Beijing 554464, the number he had given me. He asked me emphatically if I was sure that there was no mistake. I assured him, explaining all the matching details. Soon after, the Panchen Lama came and inspected the torso thoroughly. He was delighted with what he saw and pronounced that we could be ninety five percent sure that it was indeed the Jowo's missing half. When they heard about the Panchen Lama's impromptu visit, some Chinese officials of the Beijing Cultural Bureau and several other related departments rushed to the Gu Gong, joined by some staff members of the building itself.

The Panchen Lama then explained to the Chinese that in the past Tibet had two venerated Jowos, reduced to one later. Now there would again be two Jowos in Tibet, he said. He went on to say that the genuineness of China's new religious policy would be judged by their attitude to our mission, and that, therefore, they must help us. Then, turning to me, he complimented us on the find and urged us to continue to work hard. That evening he sent us tea, butter, meat, cheese, tsampa—a variety of Tibetan food in quantities to sustain us during our entire stay in Beijing.

Sonam Norbu, originally from Derge region in Kham, and one of the foremost Tibetan officials in Beijing, visited us often and helped us enormously. He showed great empathy for the Tibetan people and religion, despite the fact that he was working for the Chinese.

Later, during our stay, the Panchen Lama donated fresh gold plating for the Jowo and conducted a brief consecration ceremony. He had also ordered for a special packing crate for the precious statue.

From the Gu Gong alone, we packed over twenty six tonnes of religious treasures in over four hundred and sixty three wooden crates. The Jowo was carried to another room where we placed it facing Tibet, and prayed to it.

Statues and ritual objects made of bell and other semi-precious metals were found tossed in the basement of another derelict building known as Kongzi Miao, Confucian temple. From there we packed six tonnes of crafted metals in about another hundred crates. Although we had been ordered in Lhasa not to bring back "unserviceable" items, we did not leave even a scrap behind.

Now we were ready to return to Tibet. We decided to spend a few days in Beijing. During the time, I remembered that as a young man I had lamented the brevity of the story concerning the itinerary of Phagpa Lugu Shree's statue. This statue, the chief image in the Potala, had been taken by the Mongols, and had remained in some area near Amdo for some time until the Fifth Dalai Lama brought it back to the Potala. Unfortunately, the story was not recorded extensively enough to give us clear information, which, I used to think, was a great loss to the future generations of Tibetans like me.

Therefore, I decided to document the odyssey of the Jowo as comprehensively as possible so as not to let our posterity feel the way I did about the record of the statue of Phagpa Lugu Shree. The first Chinese we consulted did not seem interested in helping us. Then we turned to our old source: Madam Tang Lin Fang. She promised to introduce us to a Chinese official who, she said, could have the information we sought. A few days later we were led to a genial, old Chinese man.

He told us that during the Cultural Revolution, most of the Tibetan cultural artifacts were carted to China and destroyed. The statues and ritual objects of pure gold and silver were never seen again. Those of gilded copper, bell-metal, red copper, brass, etc., were ferried to Luyen, from where they were eventually sold to foundries in Shanghai, Sichuan, Taiyun, Beijing, etc. A Precious Metal Foundry, situated about five kilometres to the cast of Beijing city, alone purchased about six hundred tonnes of Tibetan crafted metals.

"However", he continued, "in 1973 it came to the notice of Li Xiannian and Ulanfu that Tibet's religious objects were being melted down into bullion in many Chinese foundries. They ordered this to stop immediately. In July of the same year, a committee of twenty people was formed to look into this: I had been one of this group. We then visited this to discover that out of the six hundred tonnes, only about fifty tonnes were left by then. They were also dumped most carelessly in the open air, barricaded by barbed wire. From the fifty tonnes, we salvaged only twenty tonnes since the rest of the objects were beyond repair.

"Then another consignment of thirty tonnes arrived from Tibet to the same foundry -- most of the artifacts were ruined in the transit. We rescued only six tonnes from this lot and those were the ones you found this time at the Confusion temple. I cannot tell you anything about the objects sent to foundries in other areas like Shanghai, Tianjin, Taiyun, Sichuan, etc. since I did not go there."

We were still in Beijing in the spring of 1983 when the Tibetan Water Hog New Year arrived. On the third day of the celebration, the Panchen Lama hosted a party in our honour to which several Chinese officials were invited. During the party, the Panchen Lama urged us to make sure that the statues retrieved from the storage in China were made accessible to the faithful in Tibet and that they did not end up in yet another storage.

The Chinese Religious Association also gave us a party, during which the president of the association presented us two thousand yuans for the renovation of the Jowo. Almost all the Tibetans in Beijing—students and officials—visited us frequently and helped us tremendously.

We were able to send about six hundred crates containing 13,537 statues on a train bound for Chengdu. Phuntsok Yonten was to go to Taiyuan to check on the quantity of Tibet's religious artifacts in storage there, while the remaining three of us were to fly with the precious Jowo. On the seventeenth day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar, which fell that year on March 2, 1983, we went to the Gu Gong for the last time and packed the statue of the Jowo.

It was 9.00 a.m. when we laid the Jowo in its special crate. As we drove off with the statue, it started raining. This was the first rain of the year in Beijing. The rain stopped as soon as we pulled up at the airport. Such timely rainfall is considered very auspicious in our religious tradition.

There were two hours to wait before the plane took off. We spent the time buying snacks and exchanging happy conversation, in the course of which I told my colleagues to remember to speak about these auspicious natural signs when were back in Tibet. "Who knows, all the deities of Tibet must be waiting for the arrival of the Jowo", I said light-heartedly. Phuntsok Yonten speculated on what his own local deity would produce for the reception. "Perhaps some strong Tibetan chang for you," I teased. While all these small talks were going on, Panchen Lama paid us a surprise visit. He was happy with the mood of jubilance. He had come to bid farewell to the Jowo. He asked us where we had placed it. We showed him. He made offerings and prayed to Tibet's revered and historic statue.

A two-hour flight took us to the Sichuan city of Chengdu. Due to some complications we could not catch the connecting flight that day. So the Jowo was housed in a temple belonging to the Religious Association of Chengdu. The monks of that temple made offerings and prayed to the Jowo in their traditional way. The next day a Chinese abbot of the Chengdu Religious Association visited us and asked to be told the story of the Jowo. I told the following:

"It is popularly believed that during the lifetime of the Buddha his image was made in the form of three or four statues. The Buddha himself blessed those statues. But only two statues survive to this day. One of these two statues depicts him as an eight-year-old and the other as a twelve-year-old. At some point in history, the statues were presented from India to the kings of Nepal and China, from where they eventually found their way to Tibet.

"The seventh century Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, married the Chinese and Nepalese princesses mainly, it is said, because he wanted to acquire these images as dowries for Tibet. This particular statue, Jowo Mikyoe Dorjee, is the eight-year-old image of the Buddha, and it came to Tibet with the dowry of Nepalese princess Bhrikuti Devi; the one still in Lhasa, Jowo Sakyamuni, is the twelve-year-old image, and it was brought by the Chinese bride, Wen Ch'eng."

The abbot was awe-struck by our story and asked to know how the torso of Jowo Mikyoe Dorjee had ended up in Beijing. Time permitted me to tell only a very brief story. The next day the abbot brought a large group of Chinese monks to pray to the Jowo, and so we opened the crate. The abbot sat facing the statue while the monks placed themselves in two rows on either side of the statue. We joined the prayer, although we could not pray in the Chinese language and tradition. In a melodious voice, their prayer leader started the chant.

The following morning we were visited by an official from the Religious Bureau of Sichuan, accompanied by a very reputed nun called Lung Nei, president of the Sichuan Religious Association, plus the secretary and the vice-secretary of the association and some elderly nuns. The nuns chanted in Tibetan! We were flabbergasted. We asked them if a Tibetan lama had ever taught them. Yes, the nuns were disciples of Reverend Yonten Gyatso, who, in turn, was a disciple of Khangsar Rinpoche. Reverend Yonten Gyatso, a monk of the Drepung Monastery, had preached in that border area. Although the nuns did not know Tibetan, they could read prayers from the Tibetan scriptures. They even gave us a photograph of Khangsar Rinpoche.

In Chengdu, Phuntsok Yonten caught up with us to give us the devastating news that out of the hundreds of tonnes of Tibetan statues and other objects in Taiyuan, less than one tonne had survived. The rest had been melted down. At the same time, we received a cable from Lhasa, instructing us to collect about two tonnes of Tibetan statues and other cultural items from the district of Meishan in Sichuan province to the south-west of Chengdu. These items, the cable instructed, were to be given over in Chamdo, eastern Tibet.

In Chengdu foundry's warehouse, there was five tonnes of Tibetan treasures, which we went to collect. In the beginning, the management refused to hand them over to us, claiming that they had paid the government for these items. But eventually we managed to retrieve them. We searched in this lot for historically significant, very sacred, or those with valuable ingredients. Sadly we found none. Picking out only about forty cymbals, we left the rest of the items in the care of Chengdu Religious Association.

At a party hosted in our honour by the Chengdu Religious Association, we met Lithang Sogdrung Tulku and several other Tibetan tulkus (Tulkus are reincarnated lamas) based in Chengdu. We told the tulkus that we had left some five tonnes of Tibetan religious items with the association for distribution to monasteries and temples in Tibet and that a particular big statue of the Buddha was to be given to the Lithang Monastery. The Tibetan lamas were delighted with these donations and thanked us. There were quite a number of Tibetans in Chengdu, some of them high-ranking officials in Chinese administration, and they did everything they could for us. Whether they had faith in religion or not, they certainly harbored strong feelings of Tibetan nationalism.

On March 29 we went to Chengdu airport and spent the night there. Next morning, at 6.00 a.m. (Beijing Standard Time) we took off. About half an hour later we were flying over Tibet. A great feeling of nostalgia engulfed us as we saw the familiar mountains of our homeland. Huge plumes of snow blowing from the summits of some mountains looked like the smoke from great incense offerings. Some cloud formations resembled mandalas while others looked like curling white scarves.

We were certain that several cars and a traditional reception with religious trumpets, white scarves, incense offerings, etc., would be waiting for the Jowo at Lhasa airport. We were wrong. Far from a splendid celebratory reception, there was not even a separate car for the Jowo. Tseling Rinpoche and Sengchen met us in the only car that had come for the reception. The statue of the Jowo and I crammed unceremoniously into their car.

My colleagues had to wait for public transport. They were puce with anger, and so was I. Actually there was an important political meeting going on in Lhasa at that time and all the official vehicles were requisitioned for that purpose.

When we reached the Jokhang there was a throng of thousands of devotees carrying scarves, smoldering incense, fresh flowers, etc., waiting to welcome the Jowo. Inside, I made straight for the altar of Jowo Sakyamuni and placed my offering of fresh flowers and fruits. A temporary throne facing the statue of Jowo Sakyamuni had been made, and on this we reverentially placed Jowo Mikyoe Dorjee. There was overwhelming joy and emotional relief at the reunion of both the Jowos in Tibet after such a prolonged separation.

Prayers were conducted for the spread of the Buddha dharma, for the happiness of all sentient beings, and for a long and successful life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During the prayers, ceremonial rice and tea were served. At the end of the ritual, I was presented with a congratulatory scarf and money by the chief caretaker; the rest of the staff members of the Jokhang then each offered me a scarf.

Rumours had been whispered from some quarters insinuating that this might not have been a real torso of the Jowo. But when the staff members of Jokhang put the two halves together, even the folds of the robe, as carved on the statue, matched perfectly, confirming without a slightest shred of doubt that there had been absolutely no mistake.

Now it was time for the renovation and relic-offering. The responsibility for offering relics was entrusted to the Religious Bureau of Lhasa city. We were called to attend a meeting to this effect. During the meeting, it was decided that, for the time being, simple relics would do. This is because all the Tibetans hoped that the ultimate relic-offering will be done by His Holiness the Dalai Lama when he returns to a free Tibet. The meeting also decided to build a new lotus seat for the Jowo. About fifteen kilos of silver and a sizeable quantity of other metals was donated by the religious institutes to whom we had distributed the statues and other objects repatriated from China.

The original jewel-encrusted crown and ear-rings of Mikyoe Dorjee were with the department in charge of Norbulingka treasure. We tried to recover them, but all our requests were turned down. Finally we had to make a new crown and ear rings from a mixture of gold and silver.

In 1985, when renovations to the Ramoche Cathedral, the original seat of Jowo Mikyoe Dorjee, were almost complete, the beloved national treasure was taken to preside, once more, over its home of thirteen centuries.

[lotus1]

Thank you for sharing Rilbur Rinpoche. He is so inspiring!
In the Lamrim – “Liberation in the Palm of your Hand”, he has written a memoir on Pabongka Rinpoche. He is a student of Pabongka Rinpoche and from his memoir, we can see how much devotion he has toward Pabongka Rinpoche!
We are also very fortunate to be able to receive the supreme teaching of Atisha’s Lamrim through Pabongka Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche.
Therefore,  I truly believe Lord Shugden are authentic as it is practiced by these great teachers and high lamas.

[Ensapa]

Thank you for sharing Rilbur Rinpoche. He is so inspiring!
In the Lamrim – “Liberation in the Palm of your Hand”, he has written a memoir on Pabongka Rinpoche. He is a student of Pabongka Rinpoche and from his memoir, we can see how much devotion he has toward Pabongka Rinpoche!
We are also very fortunate to be able to receive the supreme teaching of Atisha’s Lamrim through Pabongka Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche.
Therefore,  I truly believe Lord Shugden are authentic as it is practiced by these great teachers and high lamas.

If these lamas practiced Dorje Shugden and their teachings harmed people, then yes, Dorje Shugden is bad. But the truth is otherwise. their teachings benefitted so many people. So how can their teachings be harmful in any way? If they were many people would have been dead by now or misled and these masters would not been able to reincarnate at all. If these lamas practiced Dorje Shugden and they turned out okay, the obvious answer to the question is that yes, Dorje Shugden's practice is good and beneficial. that is the only natural conclusion to this question. Anyone who says otherwise would also have to say that these high lamas have made some sort of mistake..and well thats what the Dalai Lama said and i dont think so it would help ordinary people to see things that way. So my obvious conclusion is that the ban was created to find out who are the serious practitioners of Dharma and not just want to be near a famous person.

If Pabongkha Rinpoche or Trijang Rinpoche can be wrong, then is there any need for Gelug to exist? Lets just put it from that way.