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The first Dharma talk was on the subject of 'Buddha Nature'. The second
talk was on the topic 'View, Meditation and Action'. We are currently
in the process of transcribing the latter talk for inclusion on this
website.
Chod Puja and Initiation
The
Origin
During
the second sermon, Lord Buddha Shakyamuni Buddha had given the Prajnaparamitta
teaching to his followers. The essence of this teaching is to develop
the perfect wisdom of Enlightenment. Later on, the Indian saint
Dampa Sangye and a Tibetan great master Machig Labdron introduced
a unique method of cutting the ego clinging instantly based on the
essence of the Prajnaparamitta teaching. In Tibetan this is called
Chod. This practice flourished and spread to the entire Himalayan
region.
Machig Labdron
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In Tibet, the practitioners of the Chod practice established
the Shijed Tradition. It was one of the eight Great Chariots
of Practice Lineages. Many masters had practised Chod and
attained the Enlightenment in one lifetime.
The main practice of Chod is to recognise the defilement
of ego clinging, attachment to self and phenomena, which
obstruct the Path to Enlightenment. This method is used
to rid the root of defilement, that is the ego clinging,
and all the subsequent defilement's such as hatred, desire
and ignorance that arise from it.
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The
Puja and its Benefits
The
puja was a whole day event. The abbot and the lamas used the big
drums and bells to accompany the prayers. The combination of their
melodious chanting and the sounds of the prayer instruments made
the whole atmosphere peaceful and blessed. The Chod puja is effective
for purification of sickness and especially for those who have disturbances
caused by evil spirits. It also benefits us in our daily needs such
as prosperity, health and longevity.
Chod
Empowerment
For
those who seriously want to take Chod as one of their main practices,
it is necessary for them to receive the Chod initiation from a qualified
Vajra master. During the initiation, one makes the commitment to
take the Chod practice as one's daily practice; or alternatively
you can also make a commitment to do the practice at least once
a week or once a month. However, for those who do not want to take
the above practice, you can just participate in the ceremony to
receive the blessings from the deity and the Vajra master.
On
this occasion, several devotees of KKDS took on Chod as one of their
main practices.
100
Deities Jang Chog Ceremony
The
Origin
It
is stated in the Tantric legend that a king once executed his spiritual
master. Due to this heavy sin, he passed away immediately and was
born in the hell. He experienced the sufferings of all the six realms
at the same time. Lord Buddha saw the great suffering of this being
and He instructed him on the teaching and practice of the hundred
deities. By just listening to this teaching and mantras of the hundred
deities, this suffering being was liberated and reborn in heaven.
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At one time, there was an evil minister called Shata in Tibet.
He had killed many innocent people and also caused a lot of
obstacles to prevent the consort of Padmasambhawa, Yeshe Tsogyal,
from practising the Dharma. After his death, he was born in
hell. Guru Padmasambhawa and his consort saw with their wisdom
eyes that the former evil minister was experiencing unbearable
suffering. His consort tried to save him by using various
methods but she did not succeed. Guru Padmasambhawa then used
the Hundred Deities Mandala with Jang Chog to help
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100 Deities Jang Chog |
the evil
minister and many
beings
in the hells. All of them were liberated. Later Guru Padmasambhawa
transmitted the teaching of the hundred deities to his twenty-five
renowned disciples.
The
hundred deities are the attributes and activities of the five Buddhas
and their female counterparts. They are the manifestations from the
pure nature of our minds, and remain within us in the form of five
faculties, five elements, twelve sources of perception and so on.
By relying on the practice of the hundred deities or even by just
hearing the mantras and seeing the mandala and picture of the hundred
deities, one may either instantly or gradually realizes that the nature
of one's mind is inseparable from the perfect wisdom of the hundred
deities.
The Puja and its Benefits
During the performance of Jang Chog puja, the hundred deities are
invoked and the various types of offerings are made to them. The merits
accumulated from these offerings are dedicated to the deceased to
help them in their purification and liberation. The prayer itself
is also an offering of assistance to those in the intermediate or
Bardo state to show them the path to liberation.
At the end of puja, the paper tablets of the deceased are burnt away.
The fire used in the burning symbolizes the wisdom of the hundred
deities; the burning of the tablet symbolizes the cutting off of the
attachment of the deceased to a "self" which is the cause of his or
her suffering. Through the prayer and the ritual performed, the consciousness
of the deceased are merged and become inseparable from the wisdom
of the hundred deities. Thus they are liberated.
The
Rain of Wisdom Prayers
The
Origin
In
the past, countless Enlightened Beings or gurus came into this world
in order to show the path to liberation. Lord Buddha Shakyamuni
himself had prophesized the coming of the eight great yogis and
eighty-four saints. These gurus practiced and overcame all the worldly
attachments. They sang the vajra songs or words of realization to
express what they had realized. The blessings of these gurus still
effectively exist and continue to benefit the fortunate followers
of the path to this day.
Many
of our past Kagyu lineage masters had sung countless vajra songs
of realization. Milarepa himself sang sixteen thousand vajra songs
during his lifetime. Out of all these songs, ten thousand of them
are for the Dakinis in the Akanistha; and only six thousand are
for the followers in this human world.
These
Vajra songs contain the short autobiographies of the masters and
their teachings. Tilopa's songs are mainly on showing the recognition
of the co-emerging innate wisdom. Naropa's songs are mainly oral
instructions on the equal taste of all phenomena. Marpa Lotsawa's
songs are instructions on the mixing and the transmigration of consciousness.
Milarepa's songs deal mainly with instructions on the inseparability
of prana and mind. Gampopa's songs are instructions on the progressive
stages of meditation. The rest of the lineage masters' songs relate
mostly to: emptiness, interdependence, equal taste, realization
of the non-duality of emptiness and compassion, the inseparability
of cause and effect, impermanence and renunciation, developing the
inseparability of the guru's mind and one's own mind, and many other
important instructions on the progressive states of Mahamudra.
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The 8th Gyalwa Karmapa , Mikyo Dorje
(1507-1554) collected and compiled the essence of all these
songs under The Rain of Wisdom Prayer. Traditionally, the
Sangha at Kagyud monasteries sing these songs on important
occasions such as on the anniversary of a spiritual master,
the four auspicious days to commemorate the great activities
of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni or the completion of an important
puja or ceremony.
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HH 8th Gyalwa Karmapa Mikyo Dorje |
The
Prayer and its Benefits
During
the recitation, the Vajra master and lamas will put on the three
robes and the traditional meditation hats. They will sing the songs
according to tunes that the lineage gurus used to sing their vajra
songs when they attained the realization of Mahamudra.
The
purpose of this prayer is to purify oneself from external obstacles
such as the powerful human and non-human disturbances, physical
unbalance such as sickness, mental obstacles such as an unstable
mind and confusion and to prolong one's life span to enable one
to accomplish all the worthy wishes. It also enables one to accomplish
the eight siddhi of the world, increase one's wealth even if one
does not have any attachment to it. Ultimately, one can realize
the Mahamudra within one's lifetime.
Biography
of Ven. Shangpa Rinpoche
Shangpa Rinpoche
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Shangpa
Rinpoche was born on 12th September 1960 at the border between
Tibet and Nepal. At the age of two, he was recognised as an
incarnation of the Great Yogi Shangpa Rinpoche, who was a disciple
of His Holiness, the 15th Gyalwa Karmapa. After going through
many hardships, Rinpoche and his mother finally arrived in Pokhara,
Nepal. His Holiness, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, ordained him when
he was 9 years old. During his tender age, Rinpoche studied
all the ritual arts and memorised scriptures under the guidance
of the late Dupsing Rinpoche |
and
other learned
teachers. When he was 16 years old, he joined the Tibetan Higher Institute
of Buddhist Studies in Varanasi and mastered Buddhist philosophy,
literature, poetry, the history of Buddha and Sanskrit, etc. He also
received many teachings and empowerment from many great teachers,
particularly His Holiness, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Kunzig Shamar
Rinpoche, Urgyen Tulku Rinpoche, Tenga Rinpoche, Khunu Rinpoche and
Khenpo Rinchen. It was also here that he attended many retreats and
practised what he learned.
While
he was studying in his fourth year, Dupsing Rinpoche passed away
and His Holiness, the 16th Karmapa, instructed him to assume full
responsibility as the abbot of the Jangchub Choeling Monastery in
Pokhara, Nepal.
In
1982, Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche requested Rinpoche to go to Singapore
to be the spiritual teacher of KKBC. Since then, he has been the
centre's Spiritual Advisor and Resident Rinpoche, guiding the management
committee in the centre's works, and giving teachings, initiations
and advice to many people.
Venerable
Shangpa Rinpoche has contributed tremendously to the growth of the
Singapore Centre. In 1990, Rinpoche initiated the search for new
premises to cater for the expansion of the centre's activities.
With the encouragement from His Eminence Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche,
and strong support from members and devotees, the present centre
premises was acquired.
In
1997, Venerable Shangpa Rinpoche was appointed by KKBC members to
be the Abbot of the Centre. On 4th September 1998, Venerable Shangpa
Rinpoche was enthroned as the Abbot of KKBC at the centre itself,
according to the traditional Tibetan Buddhist procedures.
His
Works
Relentlessly
making efforts to spread the Buddha's teachings for the benefit
of all sentient beings, Venerable Shangpa Rinpoche has undertaken
several dharma works within Pokhara and beyond. With strong support
from members and devotees, numerous projects that are in continuation
with the works of his previous life are currently being carried
out in various parts of Nepal and South East Asia. In addition to
his role as Abbot of KKBC, Rinpoche has taken on additional responsibilities
as the abbot of the Vikramashila Buddhist Institute in Nepal, the
Tharpa Choeling Nunnery in Mustang, and the Drubgyud Choeling Monastery
cum Institute in Lumbini. To manage his works in these areas, Rinpoche
established the Shangpa Foundation in 1996. With the approval and
support of the Nepalese Government, Shangpa Rinpoche became the
chairman of the Shangpa Foundation.
Venerable
Shangpa Rinpoche is currently residing at the Karma Kagyud Buddhist
Centre in Singapore. In order to implement and supervise the progress
of his works, Rinpoche frequently travels to Nepal and other countries
to continue propagating Buddhism.
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