One of Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche’s Gurus, Mahasiddha Tagpu Pemavajra had the miraculous ability to astral travel to pure lands of the Buddhas, such as Tushita Heaven. On one occasion, Tagpu Pemavajra ‘travelled’ to Tushita and had an audience with Lama Tsongkhapa and his Eight Great Disciples. There, he specifically requested Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen to expound the teachings on Dorje Shugden.
In response, rainbow lights streamed forth from Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen’s heart to Lama Tsongkhapa’s heart. From Lama Tsongkhapa’s heart, the lights shone back to Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen. Then another ray of rainbow light shone down from Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen to underneath Lama Tsongkhapa’s throne.
From under the throne, Dorje Shugden manifested with his full 32-deity Mandala. Dorje Shugden himself expounded the practice and gave the oral transmission directly to Tagpu Pemavajra. Upon completion, the mandala was dissolved back under the throne.
When Tagpu Pemavajra’s consciousness returned back to his body, he quickly penned everything down. He also composed a praise of Dorje Shugden that he called ‘Infinite Aeons’.
Tagphu Pemavajra
Tagpu Pemavajra passed this practice, along with many other practices, down to Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche. Later, Pabongka Rinpoche began to promote the Vajrayogini Tantra and Dorje Shugden extensively throughout all his teachings.
He explained that these practices would be highly effective in our degenerate era, when people had lower merit and were surrounded by stronger distractions. Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche then composed the fulfillment ritual called ‘The Melodious Drum Victorious In All Directions’ that is frequently used by practitioners all over the world to this day.
The master Ganden Jangtse Serkong Dorje Chang also wrote another fulfillment ritual which is still in use, called ‘Extensive Fulfillment Ritual for the Dharmapala Dorje Shugden’. According to the colophon, the Dorje Shugden oracle of Trode Khangsar had requested for this text to be written.
It is also explained that the ritual text contains parts written by Morchen Dorje Chang of the Sakya School and Dre’u Lhas, the fourth incarnation of Drukpa Kunleg, the great Mahasiddha of the Drukpa Kagyu School.
Later, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, the heart student of Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, composed ‘Music Delighting The Ocean Of Protectors’, the most definitive commentary to Tagpu Pemavajra’s praise, ‘Infinite Aeons’. In this commentary, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche gives very detailed explanations and teachings about the practice of Dorje Shugden, the rituals and how to perform them.
He also writes extensively about the lives of Dorje Shugden’s illustrious previous incarnations, which include highly revered Lamas such as Sakya Pandita, Buton Rinchen Drub, Panchen Sonam Drakpa and Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen.
English
Indonesia
Tibetan
chokyi dorje
May 2, 2015
Tagpu Pemavajra is NOT the author of Infinite Aeons, the poem that Trijang Dorjechang wrote commentary to.
There is a slight misunderstanding about this subject of the 2 Dagpo Rinpoche’s, Tagpu Pemavajra, who the author of Infinite Aeons is, and who went to Tushita and returned with the close lineage instructions on Dorje Shugden. People are confusing the following people – Dagpo Kelsang Khedrup, Dagpo Jampel Lhundrup, Tagpu Pemavajra.
Trijang Rinpoche’s commentary is to the poem called Infinite Aeons, and the author of that poem is Dagpo Kelsang Khedrup, NOT Tagpu Pemavajra, and NOT Dagpo Jampel Lhundrup.
Dagpo Kelsang Khedrup was the Guru of Dagpo Jampel Lhundrup who was the Guru of Je Pabongkhapa.
Tagpu Pemavajra was the Guru of Pabongkha Rinpoche who went to Tushita and brought back the special close lineage teachings on Dorje Shugden.
There are several reasons for the misunderstanding:
1) The names sound very similar, and it is easy to mix up if there is an abbreviated reference such as ‘Dagpo Rinpoche’ for instance.
2) Admin of this website made a mistake in the English translation of Trijang Rinpoche’s commentary to Infinite Aeons by putting a picture of Dagpo Jampel Lhundrup instead of Dagpo Kelsang Khedrup who is the actual author of Infinite Aeons.
Pema
July 12, 2016
Tushita is Lama Tsongkhapa’s heaven and the teachings we receive today come directly from Dorje Shugden. The lineage is unbroken as Mahasiddha Tagpu Pemavajra received the teaching when he astro travelled to Tushita. He passed them to his student Pabongka Rinpoche, who passed it to Trijang Rinpoche.
Geraldine Sarie
December 12, 2018
What a great lama like Mahasiddha Tagpu Pemavajra is, that he could able send his consciousness to Tushita and had audience with Lama Tsongkhapa to received teaching. I believe strong devotion and fidelity on Tagpu Pemavajra lead him there and much more beneficial teachings he received and passed it down to his students and us. 🙏🙏🙏
Tenzin
December 12, 2018
How amazing Mahasiddha Tagpu Pemavajra was! Because he requested for the teachings on Dorje Shugden that enable us to continue the practice because of its authenticity. Like what Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche said we def need the practice to boost our merits in order to receive more practices in this and future lives! How blessed are we to have these bodhisatvas’ wisdom and compassion.
Dondrup Shugden
December 12, 2018
It is quite amazing that so much controversy can arise from such pure and enlightened teachings on Dorje Shugden.
I have never heard of a deity giving direct teachings to a highly attained Lama Tagpu Pemavajra in Tushita and transmitted to us.
This is to show how enlightened and kind, Dorje Shugden is, to care so much to grant such teachings in Tushita, the heaven of Lama Tsongkhapa so that we here in samsara can be benefitted.
May the ban be lifted so that this pure enlightened practice of Dorje Shugden be propagated by all the attained Lamas to benefit many sentient beings.
Samayakeeper
December 12, 2018
It is very interesting to learn of such a spiritual lineage passed down by great masters of time long gone that continues to benefit countless people. Yet the CTA is bent on erasing Dorje Shugden history because of political reasons at the expense of everything else. Dharma is compromised by enemies within, not outside the gates.
Tenzin K
December 12, 2018
Interesting account of how Dorje Shugden practice come about. The authenticity of this practice showed clearly from this article and how can Dorje Shugden be evil spirit when so many calibre great master has been practicing since 400 years ago. Dorje Shugden not only been practice by the Gelug school but also by other lineages and this good enough to prove that Dorje Shugden practice is not sectarian but due to the benefit it doesn’t create any barrier for anyone to practice.
Ryan Tashi
December 12, 2018
For Highly respected Sanghas generations after generation to be praying to Dorje Shugden really says a lot about this practice. CTA is certainly guilty of smearing the good name of Dorje Shugden for ill motivations obviously.
Tianni
December 12, 2018
This short article really presented how authentic our practice of Dorje Shugden is. It is important that we can always trace back the origin of our practice and how many great masters practiced Dorje Shugden. All these lamas are Dorje Shugden Practitioners ~Pabongka Rinpoche,Trijang Rinpoche and Zong Rinpoche and more, they have such great achievements and contributions towards the growth of Dharma. In this regards, does this make sense to you Dorje Shugden practise was banned by CTA?
Roy
December 12, 2018
This is COOL , extremely interesting story!
There must be more stories regarding on such special event & supernatural ability of a religion practitioner👍
Bennie
December 12, 2018
Dorje Shugden practice is not orinarly practice. Look how Tagpu Pemavarja astral travel to Tushita and received this practice back to teach Pabongka Rinpoche. Many generation has pass down Dorje Shugden practice. It help tremandous to who doing his Dorje Shugden. What mistake will be? The only mistake will be people have misunderstand him and no merit receive his blessing.
Belinda Mae
December 13, 2018
It is always great to learn and know about the history of great lamas. Taphu Pemavajra is one of the great masters who passed down the practice of Dorje Shugden to Pabongka Rinpoche. It is also interesting to know that these great lamas can astral travel to get teachings from the various Buddhas.
Richard Tamlak
December 13, 2018
It’s always great to know more about the lineage. Again, it’s proven that Dorje Shugden practice is passed down from pure lineage and great masters, like Taphu Pemavajra. Such a pure practice that passed down by great masters, how can the CTA twisted the truth around and ban the practice? Does that mean that there’s problem in the whole lineage? If there’s a problem in the lineage, then where did H.H The Dalai Lama came from? A great question that CTA should open and discuss.
Jing Jing
December 17, 2018
It’s not possible that Dorje Shugden is an evil. Not possible for so many lineage lamas to practices for 350 years but no one realising his evil nature. Well, again if all these high lamas had no clairvoyant and no one know that Dorje Shugden is an evil, can u imagine what would happen to Gelug lineage by now?! You mean Dalai Lama is not the real Dalai Lama because he practiced Dorje Shugden in hkost of his precious lives, hence naturally he cannot return as the Dalai Lama anymore due to the evil of Dorje Shugden. Same goes to all the high lamas mentioned in this article, hence all their reincarnations are fake! They don’t exist! Then why Dalai Lama kept recognising the reincarnation lamas again and again?? So which is right and which is wrong? Its a very simple questions. Why make it so complicated?! Why people just believed what Dalai Lama said? Simply because you chose to follow without studying and find out the truth!