Nyungne Lama Yeshe Zangpo (in the 1700s)
This great master became famous because of his long and intense fasting retreats to the 1000-armed Avalokiteshvara. Hence, he was bestowed the title Nyungne Lama and also sometimes known by his Sanskrit name, Jnanabhadra. At a young age, he was enrolled into the monastery and was ordained by one of the most influential Gelug masters…
The Centrality of the Practice in the Geluk during the 20th Century
Particularly in the early days of exile, a number of claims were made about the centrality of the practice of Dorje Shugden in Geluk practice, in particular, that the deity was the main protector of the Geluk. This claim seems to be strongly linked to a doctrine connected with the 19th and 20th century charismatic…
The Retinue of Dorje Shugden
Attending to Dorje Shugden five families are the nine mothers, eight guiding monks and ten youthful and wrathful deities. Appearing in various guises, these attendants emanate to perform specific functions in relations to the propitiation of Dorje Shugden. Eight Fully Ordained Monks First are the eight fully ordained monks, emanated from…
Mandala Offering – His Eminence Khejok Rinpoche
My root guru, His Eminence Tulku Khejok Rinpoche demonstrates how to offer a Mandala. Although I am not able to include Rinpoche’s detailed explanation (it is entirely my inability), I still want to share this very precious recording. I am lucky to receive this practice first hand from Rinpoche. By actually seeing him offer the…
Shar Gaden Monks Dissolving Sand Mandala
(3:25) Shar Gaden monks dissolving a sand mandala in Füssen, Germany. A mandala is a deeply profound, universal symbol that translates literally to mean the “center and its surroundings” and is a physical representation of the universe and the interdependence within the universe, which means that everything and everyone is interlinked in one way or…
Taktse Dubcho Ritual at Shar Gaden
An update from Shar Gaden Monastery of the recently held four-day Taktse Dubcho Ritual Please click to enlarge
Offerings by Panchen Otrul Rinpoche
Offerings are the formal religious expression of the fundamental Buddhist virtue of giving. The perfection of giving, dana-paramita in Sanskrit, is first of the six or ten perfections. It encompasses every kind of generosity, whether it involves a gift to those higher than ourselves, such as deities in the merit field, or the poor or…