Interesting Stories and Tidbits

His Holiness the 11th Panchen Lama

His Holiness the 11th Panchen Lama

The 11th Panchen Lama Gyancain Norbu was recognized and enthroned in China and was also approved by the Chinese government. This led many to believe he is a Chinese puppet put in place by the Chinese government to manipulate the Tibetan populace. However, not many people know that very stringent procedures and protocols were put into place during the search for this Panchen Lama and this by far is the most accurate in pinpointing the unmistaken incarnation.

Jowo Rinpoche is considered by Tibetans to be the most sacred image of Buddha Shakyamuni brought to Tibet by Princess Wencheng in AD 641.

In fact, the Golden Urn was the last deciding factor to confirm the incarnation. The Golden Urn was a tradition established by the Chinese Qianlong Emperor in the wake of the Nepali invasion of Tibet during the 18th century to determine the incarnation of the Dalai Lamas, Panchen Lamas and Khutugtus. This new method was based on an ancient Chinese divination technique. A search party that was tasked with looking for the incarnation would identify several candidates according to traditional methods of observing dreams, visions, consulting with oracles and other High Lamas. The names of these candidates would be written on ivory slips in Tibetan, Chinese and Manchu, and then placed into the Golden Urn. In front of the Jowo Shakyamuni statue in Lhasa, widely considered by Tibetans to be the holiest image in Tibet, special prayers would be recited and then the urn would be shaken. The candidate whose name was on the slip that first falls out of the urn would be proclaimed the unmistaken incarnation. Many prayers, pujas and rituals would be performed for days by qualified senior monks and then requesting the blessings of Jowo Rinpoche, the correct name will fall out from the Golden Urn. It is believed the blessings of Jowo Rinpoche will bless the name that falls.

Geshe Yeshe Wangchuk played a pivotal role in the discovery of the current 11th Panchen Lama

However, several of the incarnations of the Dalai Lamas were not confirmed using this method, which for certain parties, casts doubts over the authenticity of the current incarnation of the Dalai Lama. Furthermore, the whole process of looking for the current Panchen Lama has been recorded and disseminated all over the world thus adding more weight to the selection of the Panchen Lama. In addition to that, the famous Geshe Yeshe Wangchuk played a very important role in the search and he risked his life travelling across the border. He stayed back and laid low in China for many years to facilitate the search.

However just before the rightful candidate of the Panchen Lama was announced, HH the Dalai Lama decided to announce his selection of the Panchen Lama. This created many obstacles as it created a lot of doubts in the authenticity of the current Panchen Lama and made it more difficult for him to accomplish what he needed to do in this life. On the other hand, the current 11th Panchen Lama is practicing Dorje Shugden as his teacher, Yongzin Gen Tsultrim has initiated him into the practice. In fact, the Panchen Lama has received life entrustment initiation (sogtae) from this lama.

The golden urn used for hundreds of years to determine the correct incarnation of the highest lamas of Tibet. The power to divine is not the golden urn as it’s just a receptacle, but from Jowo Rinpoche Himself, the most sacred image of Lord Buddha in Tibet.

Samdhong Rinpoche

A picture of the Dalai Lama being assisted by Samdhong Rinpoche.

Samdhong Rinpoche was the former prime minister of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and a former Dorje Shugden practitioner. However, during his tenure as prime minister, he was instrumental in the implementation of the Shugden ban.

Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche had originally intended for Samdhong Rinpoche to be a High Lama who bestows initiations, oral transmissions and teachings. Since young, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche had lovingly taught and nurtured Samdhong Rinpoche down to the level of how he should wear his robes and how to eat with proper manners as befitting his rank so that he would come to be revered as a High Lama that upholds the teachings.

However, upon hearing the news that Samdhong Rinpoche was elected to be an official of the Tibetan Government in Exile (the predecessor of the current Central Tibetan Administration), Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche became disappointed. Then, he revealed to Samdhong Rinpoche of his original intention and said that since he had chosen another path, he should follow the advice of HH the Dalai Lama instead.

On the first occasion of a public talk, Samdhong Rinpoche proclaimed to everyone that he does not care about the Tibetan cause, he does not care about the Tibetan people or the government, all he cares about is carrying out his Guru’s instructions. At this point, it was not clear who his Guru was because he seems to be very close and devoted to HH the Dalai Lama. On the second occasion in another public talk, Samdhong Rinpoche repeated the same statements but this time, he proclaimed that his Guru is Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche who told him to carry out the Dalai Lama’s instructions.

Samdhong Rinpoche gave this surprising statement in a speech as he was coming to the end of his term as Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile)

Emergency trance for Khejok Rinpoche

His Eminence Khejok Rinpoche

When Khejok Rinpoche was terminally ill, Khejok Ladrang requested the Panglung oracle to take emergency trance to seek advice from Dorje Shugden. The Panglung oracle belongs to an illustrious line of oracles that takes trance of Dorje Shugden.

In the earlier days, Khejok Rinpoche used to come and stay with the Panglung oracle in his Taiwan center for a week at a time. But when Khejok Rinpoche decided to go underground with his Shugden practice, he did not maintain contact with the oracle. Khejok Rinpoche and Sermey Khensur Rinpoche were well known to be very good friends.

This is the famous Panglung oracle taking full trance of Dorje Shugden in Tibet 2014

On day, Khejok Rinpoche suddenly decided to send a letter to the Panglung oracle through another party accompanied by a kuyong (monetary offering) and khata. In the letter, Khejok Rinpoche wrote cryptically, “In difficult times like these, I have never stopped praying to the protector.” The oracle knew immediately that Khejok Rinpoche was referring to the fact that he had never forsaken his Shugden practice.

Nechung makes a blunder

His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche is the senior tutor of the current Dalai Lama.

When Kyabje Ling Rinpoche was seriously ill, Ling Ladrang (household) Changtzos (assistants) and the Sera Mey Abbot at that time requested for an emergency trance with the Nechung oracle in order to consult the Dharma Protector of a way to heal Ling Rinpoche’s illness.

The monks reciting invocation for the oracle to take trance of Nechung.

The paper containing the questions was presented to Nechung in trance, who took it and crumpled it into a ball and put it under his buttocks. Nechung then proclaimed that if Ling Rinpoche gets better after 3 days, there would be no harm to Ling Rinpoche’s life. Nechung further commented that this is “Obstacles from the big (interpreted to be the Dalai Lama) is put on the head of the small. (Interpreted to be Ling Rinpoche)”

This got the old Changtso worked up in confusion and anger. “How can the Guru be considered small and the student considered big?” the Changtso said.

Choyang Dulzin Kuten oracle who takes trance of Dorje Shugden from Gaden monastery

Then Ling Ladrang Changtso grabbed Nechung in trance by his clothes and scolded Nechung in the face, “Every day we offer you liquor, tea and pray to you and in difficult times like this you say such things and never help!!!” Nechung left the body of the oracle and never took trance in the presence of the Changtso again.

On the other hand, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche had been consulting Dorje Shugden via the oracle for many years. Whenever Dorje Shugden’s divination answers from the Choyang Kuten (another famous oracle that took trance of Dorje Shugden) returned, the changtso would present the letter containing the answers to Kyabje Ling Rinpoche. The lama would first place the letter on top of his head as mark of deep respect and then pass it back to the Changtso in order to read the answers out loud to Rinpoche. When the Changtso was done reading, he would wrap the letter with a khata and present it back to Kyabje Ling Rinpoche who would again put it on top of his head in reverence before keeping it away. The Shimla Kuten who is a student of Ling Ladrang and who served in the Ladrang for 15 years witnessed this.

How Pelden Lhamo came to Gaden Jangtse Monastery

A thangka painting of the Dharma Protector Pelden Lhamo

Born from cells of the father, King of Obstructers,
And the supreme mother, Queen of Existence,

These lines are from Dagpo Dorje Chang’s Praise of Dorje Shugden called Infinite Aeon. The two lines refer to Dorje Shugden as having arisen from Ganapati, which is referred to as the King of Obstructers and Machig or the Queen of Existence refers to Pelden Lhamo. Pelden Lhamo was the main protectress of Gyume Tantric College. Gyu Sherab Senggey, a student of Lama Tsongkhapa established Gyume Tantric College in order to spread the Tantric teachings as he had promised to his Guru.

One day, Gyume monks had to go to a faraway district for a debate session and it was snowing heavily when they returned. On the journey back, they had to cross a torrential river. In following with tradition, the ordinary monks decided to cross over first, leaving the Abbot, Lead Chanter (Umze) and Disciplinarian to be last ones to cross over. As the monks were crossing the river, the boat capsized leaving some monks drowned and the strong currents carried a few monks away. Monks with psychic powers were able to use their monk seat covers or dingwas to ferry themselves over while those who were able bodied swam to the shore.

When the Abbot crossed the river and learnt of what had happened, he became very angry and asked the monks which protector did they propitiate that morning. The monks replied that they offered Serkyem or golden drink offering to Pelden Lhamo in the morning before setting off on a journey back to the monastery. The Abbot in rage took a Pelden Lhamo thangka, rolled it up and threw it into the river while declaring that they would no longer practice her again. Along with Pelden Lhamo, the monks who used psychic powers to save themselves were also expelled from the monastery. The Abbot was serious about upholding the purity of Tantra undefiled by practitioners who used powers attained through their practice only to save themselves.

Further downstream was a Gaden Jangtse monk who discovered the Pelden Lhamo thangka floating in the river. He thought that it was an auspicious omen so he sought audience with the Gaden Jangtse Abbot and presented the thangka to him. This was the advent of how Jangtse started practicing Pelden Lhamo as their main protector.

Kyabje Zong Rinpoche who manifested as a tailor

A portrait of the erudite master and scholar, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche

Many years ago, the famous Panglung oracle was visiting Trijang Ladrang (household) of Gaden Monastery. He was there to take trance and answer some questions pertaining to the passing of the late Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. This line of Panglung oracles was made famous for taking very clear trances of Dorje Shugden. In fact, the previous Panglung oracle took trance of Dorje Shugden and led the Dalai Lama out of Tibet safely during the tumultuous years of the Chinese takeover of Tibet.

During the visit to Gaden, the oracle decided to pay a visit to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche as well. During the audience, Zong Rinpoche asked if he had brought along the complete oracle clothes that he would wear during trance and he replied that he did. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche then borrowed the ritual clothes for the next few days.

The official oracle monk of Sera Monastery, Panglung Kuten. He was put into full training by Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche until completion. He is able to take full trance of over seven powerful dharma protectors such as Dorje Shugden, Dorje Setrapa, Jowo Kinkara, Shidak Gyenye, Kache Marpo, etc. He has been taking official trance for thousands of supplicants in the last 30 years. He is highly regarded and respected among the millions of Shugden practitioners.

When the oracle came to visit Zong Ladrang the next day, the entire hall was filled with bolts of fabric and brocades. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was cutting cloth and was in the midst of sewing up an exact copy of the oracle’s clothes. At that time, there were very few that had the means and skills to make such elaborate ceremonial clothes. Therefore, tailors with the traditional skills needed to make such an elaborate clothes was hard to come by.

Therefore, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche took matters into his own hands and made one set for the Dorje Shugden oracle Choijin Lama known as the ‘Ari Kuten’, which means the American oracle. It was Kyabje Zong Rinpoche who discovered and trained this oracle. Recently, Ari Kuten opened a big center in Bloomington, Indiana and the center named Gaden Kachoe Shing by Dorje Shugden in trance.

It seems that Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was not only an erudite scholar but he was also very skilled with his hands. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche had innumerable artistic abilities besides being an undefeated and unparalleled debater, scholar and master of the Buddha’s teachings. He was able to sew intricate ceremonial robes, paint statues, thangkas, mandalas and other ritual artwork.

A close up of the hat worn by Simla oracle who is taking trance of Dorje Shugden in Switzerland with the young Trijang Rinpoche sitting on throne (behind right)

In fact, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche fashioned the elaborate oracle hat that the Ari Kuten would later wear during his trances. The hat is fashioned out of copper or silver with carvings of the 5 ritual skulls and festooned with the emblem of Manjushri’s wisdom sword and book that is adorned with peacock feathers and the 5 brocaded victory banners. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche clearly has put in a lot of effort into the creation of a Dorje Shugden oracle because the oracle would be beneficial for those seeking advice and blessings from Dorje Shugden who is none other than Manjushri himself.

The current Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche (left) and the Ari Kuten (right) at the opening of his center Gaden Kachoe Shing in Indiana. Ari Kuten is a student of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. When Ari Kuten was in his early teens, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche predicted he would be a Dorje Shugden oracle when he reached maturity. As Kyabje Zong Rinpoche predicted, it came to be. He was officially recognized as the Dorje Shugden oracle of Gaden Monastery just before the ban against Shugden took full effect.

These true short stories were told by the famous Panglung Kuten and we thank him for sharing with DorjeShugden.com.

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