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.

Dorje Shugden’s practice remained relatively obscure until the time of Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche. This Lama was an heir to the Changkya line of incarnations but was banned due to political affiliations that the previous incarnations had with the Chinese court.

In this incarnation, the high Lamas decided to enthrone him as a Tulku of an obscure little monastery on a small hill named Pabong. He then enrolled into Sera Monastery.

In the monastery, Pabongka Rinpoche appeared to be a very average student but things changed when he graduated. He left the monastery to study under a famous Lamrim master, Dagpo Rinpoche, who rigorously trained him in the contemplation of the Lamrim and the generation of Bodhichitta. He meditated deeply and often, based on the instructions of his Lama and thus, gained full awakening.

When he started teaching, he quickly gained a large following of Sangha from various monasteries and many lay people. Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche was renowned throughout the land as being an emanation of Heruka and won the hearts of many disciples with his masterful way of teaching which combined practicality, wisdom and humor.

Dorje Shugden’s practice initially began in the Sakya school when the “spirit” of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen first travelled there after failing to enter Tashi Lhumpo to meet his Guru.

One of Dorje Shugden’s previous incarnations was as Sakya Pandita. As such the Sakya patriarch at that time, Dagchen Dorje Chang Sonam Rinchen accepted him and officially enthroned him as a Dharma Protector. Then, Kunkhyen Ngawang Kunga Lodroe composed a praise that became the start of his practice in the Sakya School.

Meanwhile, the Fifth Dalai Lama and many other high Lamas tried to destroy him with various wrathful rituals but all their attempts failed. This appeared to be a deliberate attempt on the part of the Dalai Lama to publicly prove the indestructible nature of Dorje Shugden.

Eventually, realizing that Dorje Shugden had, in fact, arisen as a Protector and not as a spirit, the Fifth Dalai Lama composed a praise of Dorje Shugden and even crafted a statue of him with his very own hands.

This statue was made by the 5th Dalai Lama himself. It is still venerated daily in Phelgyeling Monastery, Nepal.

He entrusted this statue and practice to Phelgyeling Monastery, which then installed Dorje Shugden as its main Protector. Elders of the monastery today say that the practice became so widespread that even Nyingmapas of their area in Tibet practiced Dorje Shugden.

The Great Fifth Dalai Lama also built the first tsen khang, Protector chapel, of Dorje Shugden in Lhasa. This temple still stands in Lhasa today and is a popular pilgrimage site for devotees of Dorje Shugden from all over the world. In its earlier days, the chapel was placed under the care of Riwo Choling, a Gelug monastery – this became the first link for Dorje Shugden’s practice to enter the Gelug tradition.