To our dear friends,

It is becoming rarer and rarer today for us to come across stories of highly accomplished Dharma masters like those of the historical Buddhist legends.

However, highly attained practitioners are still very much in our midst. Attached for your reading pleasure, contemplation and interest is an article of a particularly special Dharma practitioner and the fascinating story of how he had tried to save another deeply respected and well-loved figure of the Buddhist world.

We hope this story will be of much inspiration to you, your Dharma community and the growth of Dharma in the 10 directions.
With many prayers for continued success and happiness in all your endeavours,

Sincerely,
dorjeshugden.com
dorjeshugden.net

How Gen Nyima tried to save His Holiness the 98th Gaden Tripa

This is the story of two great lamas, one with the highest recognition in the land and one without any ranks, titles or positions. It is also a story about Guru devotion, humility, bodhicitta, and the power of our Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden, combined with the very samsaric elements of selfishness and betrayal. It is a story known only to very few people and has never been made public before.

In the late 1980s, His Holiness the 98th Ganden Tripa Jampel Shenpen Rinpoche of Gaden Jangtse Monastery was very ill. High lamas and senior geshes were constantly doing pujas for him, praying for his swift recovery and good health, but to no avail. No rituals, medicines or treatment seemed to have any effect. His Holiness continued to be in pain and suffer respiratory problems.

Before he was incapacitated by his illness, His Holiness was often seen circumambulating the whole monastery. Even in his old age, he would make the nearly-daily effort to complete the 45-minute lingkor path that circled both Ganden Jangtse and Shartse – accompanied by two attendants, one of whom was carrying a chair, His Holiness would take a few steps and then sit to catch his breath. In this way and many others, His Holiness inspired countless Sangha and laypeople to continue with their practices, no matter the obstacles.

A soft-spoken man who was noted for his dedication to the Dharma, His Holiness’s illness worried the entire monastic community. This episode took place before the ban on Dorje Shugden so there were no distinctions between practitioners of any sort – the whole of Ganden, as well as Drepung and Sera, were united in their worry for His Holiness’ declining health.

This is the first part of our story. The second part takes places in nearby Bhutan, a Buddhist country of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage (There’s nothing wrong with the Drukpa Kagyu School of Buddhism or Bhutan, but there are some people who claim to be Buddhists but in fact delve in negative practices from their uncontrolled jealousy). It concerns the actions of one seemingly unremarkable monk called Gen Nyima. “Gen” is Tibetan for teacher, and it is a term of respect accorded to monks who are without rank or title.

Gen Nyima was studying in Ganden Shartse Monastery when he ran away just before his Geshe examinations. When asked why he left the monastery, Gen Nyima replied saying he was not interested in titles, recognition or degrees. He had joined the monastery to study and learn the Dharma, and now all he wanted to do was practice. Once he learned up he retreated to the mountains to practice.

After leaving the monastery, Gen Nyima made his way to the capital city of Bhutan where he began his meditative practices. Soon, word spread that a lama with incredible powers was in town, and he could give blessings and heal people.

As increasing numbers of people came to visit Gen Nyima, he began to feel he had lost the solitude and quiet he wanted for his practices. Thus disinterested in fame, Gen Nyima decided to leave and seek a more remote location to concentrate on his practice. He packed up his very few belongings and set out for the Bhutanese countryside, a pristine landscape of forest rendered uninhabitable by wild animals and the sheer density of the trees. When Gen Nyima could go no further, he stopped and set up camp by a river.

Gen Nyima proceeded to build himself a house. Measuring little more than 6ft by 3ft, the house was furnished by one bed, a small table, a large butterlamp, a small thangka of Tsongkhapa and a picture of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As for the rest of his possessions, Gen-la kept them in a plastic bag, tied up and hooked onto a nail hammered in the wall.

In this simple setting, Gen Nyima would rise at 3am to recite Ganden Lhagyama and Migtsema, and then begin his meditation on Yamanataka until sunrise. He would break to have his breakfast, then resume his meditation until noon when he would break for lunch. After lunch, Gen Nyima would meditate on Yamantaka until sunset, when he had his dinner and after dinner, he would meditate on Yamantaka again until bedtime. Gen Nyima spent 15 years like this in his little house, meditating on just one yidam.

Slowly but surely, news of a holy monk living in the forest filtered out and eventually, Gen Nyima found his peace and quiet disturbed once again. Stories about Gen-la performing miraculous healings and giving extremely accurate divinations began to spread. There were also stories about Gen Nyima demonstrating his attainments to spread the Dharma.

Once there were some hunters in the forest looking for deer. They came across a large, nearly-white deer and gave chase. After chasing for some time, they saw the deer run into Gen Nyima’s small house. They ran up to the house and inside, they found Gen Nyima sitting on his bed, panting heavily and sweating. Realizing what they had just witnessed, they immediately prostrated. Gen Nyima then proceeded to teach them about the virtues of not killing.

Stories like these that led droves of people to visit Gen Nyima. It was around this time that the Queen Mother of Bhutan was ill and needed medical assistance. Hearing about a holy monk in the forest who might be able to help, she sought him out. Through the enlightened power of Yamantaka, Gen-la healed her and she was so enthralled by his abilities, that her family built roads leading right up to his house! Gen Nyima didn’t want the roads, but the Queen Mother built it so many more may access Gen Nyima easily!

Gen Nyima remained in Bhutan for a few more years until Ganden Jangtse Monastery and His Holiness the Dalai Lama sent word requesting for his return to India so that he might inspire others through his Dharmic example.

Thus Gen Nyima returned to Ganden. Back in India, Gen-la continued to heal people and provide them with accurate divination results. When asked how he did it, Gen Nyima only had one answer – when the monks asked Gen-la how he healed people, he replied, “Yamantaka.” When they asked him who he propitiated for divinations, he replied, “Hlamo.” Then the monks understood that Gen Nyima had attained Yamantaka.

In fact, sometimes Gen Nyima was asked why he didn’t go for any of the pujas that the monastery conducted daily, which was compulsory to everyone. Gen-la said he didn’t know how to do the pujas as he never took the time to learn. Of course some were incredulous – how on earth could this old monk NOT know how to do the pujas, which were some of the easiest on the monastic curriculum? Gen Nyima told them he didn’t need anyone else; he only needed Yamantaka and would proceed to give them an explanation of Yamantaka’s accoutrements to show how Yamantaka fulfilled different purposes equivalent to different pujas.

In this way, Gen Nyima lived in Ganden until a few years later, when His Holiness the 98th Ganden Tripa Jampel Shenpen became sick. Hundreds of monks, lay people and local Indian people would come to Gen Nyima for healing and obtain great results. Villagers whose livelihood depended on crops would be at the mercy of the weather. If too much rain crops would die and if no rain, the crops would dry up. Such was their lot. As a result many of the villagers at times would request Gen Nyima to stop the rain or cause rain to fall.

Gen Nyima would blow Yamantaka’s mantra into the sky from his small veranda in Gaden and in front of many witnesses cause rainfall or stop it within minutes of blowing. This spectacle was spoken about by many who knew Gen Nyima already gained very high attainments. Many young tulku candidates were brought to Gen Nyima and he would successfully find the unmistaken incarnation of many lamas of Gaden, Sera and Drepung. Gen Nyima himself did not practice Dorje Shugden. He said he didn’t need to, but he clearly said, Dorje Shugden is a Buddha and there is no two ways about it. No debates. Those who practice Shugden are fine.

At this point, our two stories merge. After many pujas and treatments for His Holiness, he was not getting any better. Worried for his well-being and not knowing what else to do, some monks approached Gen Nyima for a divination. They wanted to know what was going on and why His Holiness was manifesting a sickness that could not heal.

Without hesitation, Gen Nyima did a divination. He told them that because they were unsettled by the popularity of the Tibetan Gelugpa monks, some Bhutanese lamas had performed a powerful ritual using His Holiness the 98th Ganden Tripa’s image. Gen Nyima said that the image was placed in the centre, surrounded by four phurbas (ritual daggers) pointing away into the four cardinal directions. The image of Gaden Tripa was buried under the ground ritually.

Gen Nyima said this was why His Holiness was so ill, and why he could not be healed using conventional medicines. There were only two ways to heal him: (1) to find the image, dig it up and have it ritually destroyed or (2) to perform a Dorje Shugden massive three day torgya puja.

So now we come to the part where you all wonder why the monastery had not yet performed the fire puja for His Holiness, and this is where betrayal is introduced into the story.

The divination had been requested by His Holiness’ main attendant who is now in US, a monk we will only identify as Tashi. Aside from our source who found out by chance, Tashi had not told anyone else of the divination results. And because it is not the general Tibetan custom to enquire into other people’s affairs, no one had thought twice to question Tashi about what else he was doing for the sake of His Holiness the Ganden Tripa’s health.

Thus the subject of the divination and its results was never brought up. Tashi chose to look politically correct instead of saving his lama Gaden Tripa. Gen Nyima clearly said he told Tashi that a Shugden 3-day Torgya must be done. Very urgent. If not done, no other pujas can help His Holiness Gaden Tripa to recover and he will not recover. Gen Nyima related this story himself. Tashi had many other pujas done, but Gaden Tripa passed away within a few months.

Therefore Tashi knew how to save the Ganden Tripa but decided against following the divination results because some years ago, during the start of the ban, Tashi had decided he wanted to be on the ‘correct’ side. He advised people to dispose of all their Dorje Shugden images and repeatedly told people to follow His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s instructions not to worship the Protector. His motivation was not devotion towards the Dalai Lama, but to look politically correct.

Therefore to follow Gen Nyima’s divination was a matter of embarrassment for Tashi, because people would have asked why he kept telling everyone not to practice Dorje Shugden but then suddenly arranged for a Dorje Shugden fire puja to save his lama. Tashi was not willing to risk this embarrassment, and felt it was more important to remain ‘clean’ in the eyes of the Tibetan government and save himself. Tashi himself did not like Shugden even before the ban and would often criticize hundreds of monks in Gaden who worshipped Dorje Shugden. Tashi would criticize Dorje Shugden and created much hard feelings with his divisive speech among the sangha adding to his lack of popularity. In general many did not like Tashi and also wondered why H.H. Gaden Tripa would keep him as an attendant. But would not dare question Gaden Tripa as per Tibetan etiquette.

And when His Holiness the Ganden Tripa finally passed away after his protracted illness, Tashi was in America. It wasn’t until two to three weeks later, and after much effort to communicate with him, did Tashi reluctantly return to Ganden to oversee His Holiness’ funeral rites by the Monastery. The Ganden Tripa’s funeral was a big deal too. As the former head of the Gelugpa lineage, His Holiness’ funeral would see the highest lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist schools attending his funeral ceremony. In fact, the Dalai Lama was going to send envoys to represent him at the funeral, such was the Ganden Tripa’s high standing in the monastic community. Such a grand (and therefore complex) occasion would require a lot of planning and hard work. It would require Tashi to be present every step of the way to ensure his Lama received the proper funerary customs that he deserved. This was something Tashi was apparently reluctant to oversee. In fact, immediately after His Holiness’ funeral, Tashi returned back to the United States and has not been heard from since.

This incident happened in the late 1980s, when the Dorje Shugden ban was coming into place. On reading this story, we wish to make a few points clear:

1. Gen Nyima’s example shows that humility is the basis of all attainments, and not rank or title
2. There are good attendants and bad attendants, just like there are good lay practitioners and bad ones. What matters in the face of our lama’s well-being and the growth of his work, is the devotion that students pay to him, no matter the obstacles
3. Despite the power of the ritual performed against His Holiness the Ganden Tripa, in Gen Nyima’s divination, the only deity who could save the Ganden Tripa was Dorje Shugden.
4. Since the start of the ban, the Tibetan government has been creating schism within the Sangha, and indirectly and directly harming their lives

In raising awareness of this incident, may any merits thus amassed be dedicated to the lifting of the ban on Dorje Shugden. May all lamas live long, with students and attendants who prolong their life and truly assist in the propitiation of Lama Tsongkhapa’s holy tradition. And may all Dorje Shugden practitioners live long, develop bodhicitta and pure faith in the Dharma so that they may gain attainments, and free themselves and all sentient beings from samsara.

~ by dorjeshugden.com ~

I hope all you lovely people are well. I have been reading the Dalai Lama’s website and I have a few things to say about it.

I love everything about His Holiness the Dalai Lama! I love everything from his warm benevolent face to his amazing teachings. I was so lucky to have met him five years ago while he was giving teachings in Dharamsala. I was one in a long line of foreigners offering white silks scarves to the Dalai Lama. He was so warm and compassionate but at that time, I didn’t know what to say except a trembling hello and thank you.

This was way before I came across your website and read the strange statements the Dalai Lama has issued on this Protector deity. I don’t know much about it but I can’t fathom why a religious leader who is so compassionate like the Dalai Lama would say such a thing. In Europe, we have so many religious practices and witch craft. We have Druids and white witches that worship spirits and nature gods. They are respected and accepted as of any mainstream religion. I don’t think the Dalai Lama would want to ban them and if not them, why would he ban this Shugden spirit.

I am not really a Buddhist but I am exploring Buddhist meditation and I can’t seem to understand what’s wrong about worship Shugden. I have a huge problem reconciling the amazing teachings the Dalai Lama gives on compassion and this terrible ban. I am sorry but it makes the Dalai Lama sound hypocritical and it disturbs me very much. And I can imagine how much it would disturb millions of other people who look up to the Dalai Lama as a beacon of peace and compassion.

The world needs the Dalai Lama’s presence and teachings very much but the world does not need another unfair and unjustifiable religious ban. I do not know his profound reasons for issuing the ban and frankly speaking, I don’t really want to know. I would still say these things to him in the face if I had the chance and I would even say it nicely and politely because I respect and love him very much. Whatever it is, I do hope that all of you, who represent the Dalai Lama, do your part to represent the Dalai Lama well. And if you can, please remove all the nasty parts on Shugden. It really does not represent the Dalai Lama well. That’s really all I have to say about this for now.

Peace and love,
(YOUR NAME)

Start by visualising Dorje Shugden in front you an arms length away, similar to visualizing Buddha or Tsongkapa during other visualizations.

Visualize and belief strongly that Dorje Shugden is one with your lama. This is very important and one should have great faith in this. If one believes this, it will carry on through our actions, as we get off the meditation cushion and into our daily affairs. If we had great faith in this, we would never break our guru samaya, break our promises, forget our commitments, etc.

Why? Because to visualise that our lama and protector is of the same nature, and then to break our samaya to our lama is contradictory. How can we break our commitments to a being we take refuge in? It is a false refuge from our side then. Therefore we gain no realizations even after millions of mantras have been recited. So if we believe all the time and not just during prayers that our lama and Protector are one and indivisible, we would conduct ourselves accordingly. This is one of the foundations of gaining attainments from our dharma practice.

Visualizing our Lama and Protector as one and reciting the mantra while visualizing the blessings in form of lights entering our body is a tremendous blessing to gain realizations. But we have to think of our Lama as the protector in nature even when our meditation is finished. We spend more time out of meditation than during meditation, so our view of our lama while not meditating is more important. How can we break our samaya to our lama during our daily lives, then during our meditations visualize blessings coming from a being we consider ‘ok’ to break our samaya with? Not logical.

So we must respect, listen to and follow the instructions of our lama and then only during meditations we can solicit his true nature as the protector to bestow healing and realizations upon us. Then when the lights come forth and bless us, we will gain healing and realizations due to our correct view of our Lama.

Next, start the mantra recitation. As you recite, visualize bright golden lights coming from Dorje Shugden’s heart entering the crown of your head and filling your body with bright golden wisdom light. Your body you visualise should be the same shape and size as your current body, but clear and vacuous, without your bones or internal organs or anything inside. See your body as light and clear.

These golden wisdom lights fill you up completely and bring you the power to easily understand the Dharma. They bring you the power of gaining attainments from the understanding of the Dharma. And they bring you the ability to overcome your negative habituations from your realization of the attainments. The golden lights are the blessings, attainments and transcendent abilities of your lama and protector.

The golden wisdom lights are also healing lights. Visualize the light that fills your body to heal your body of its problems. In particular, visualize the golden light going to the parts of your body that cause you problems eg your head if you suffer from headaches, your stomach if you have problems there, your heart if you have heart problems, etc. Visualize that these lights remove your problem and you are healed. Trust and believe.

If you feel tired at any time during the meditation, you can stop your visualisation for a moment. And once you are ready, you can start again from the beginning or continue where you left off.

Why do you need to visualize that you are healed although your body is vacuous? Because despite your visualization of a vacuous body, in reality you are not yet healed therefore the visualization is necessary.

Now that your body is healed and repaired to youthfulness, meditate on the fact that you did not get your human body for hedonistic life or for pleasure. Our body is a result of much prayers and merit accumulation from previous lives. It should not be wasted for empty pleasures that get us nowhere. Our bodies are the vehicles by which we can gain merits and benefit others tremendously. The potential is great. The healing meditation creates a body that is ready to collect merit. Ready to be used for others. Thus we should not waste it.

Of course we can still have occasional fun and indulge ourselves as we are still attached. But that is not the primary reason that we have acquired our rare human life.

Realising the above strongly activates the potency of Dorje Shugden’s mantra. The mantra is Manjushri’s mind and the power of mantra is activated by the correct motivation as explained above. Without the correct motivation and by merely reciting the mantra, it does not activate the power.

Although this meditation is for healing, do not just visualise the golden light from Dorje Shugden as just healing light. This reduces the power of your meditation. As Dorje Shugden is one with Wisdom Buddha Manjushri, the golden light has the wisdom of the Buddhas that takes you all the way to Enlightenment.

Other prayers that you recite along with your mantra are e.g.: Serkyem or Kanshag should also be recited sincerely, and not merely reciting for the sake of it. Motivation is everything. Focus is important to develop. Reciting without thinking will not bring even enlightenment to just your mouth since you are using your mouth to recite. Enlightenment is within the mind, therefore your mind must be excercised during recitations.

TK

This was written in accordance with the teachings my lama gave me to do while reciting the sacred mantra of Dorje Shugden daily. It is a method to expedite healing of illness both physical and mental.

In this video Venerable Dagpo Rinpoche was asked how should one help a person who has a terminal illness. Dagpo Rinpoche replied that it should depend on the particular faith of the person. During a person last moments we must not create conflicts in their mind.

Buddha Shakyamuni

– is the founder of Buddhism who lived in the 6th century BC in Northern India. Buddha explained that all our problems and suffering arise from confused and negative states of mind and all our happiness and good fortune arise from peaceful and positive states mind.

He taught methods for gradually overcoming minds such as anger, jealousy and ignorance and developing positive states of minds such as love, compassion and wisdom. Through this we will come to experience the lasting peace and happiness of full enlightenment.

Manjushri

– is the Buddha of Wisdom, whose wisdom sword held aloft cuts through the darkness of ignorance for all living beings. The same wisdom sword is held by peaceful Manjushri (Je Tsongkhapa) and wrathful Manjushri (Dorje Shugden).

Je Tsongkhapa

– (1357-1419) was a great Buddhist Master from Tibet who promoted and developed the Kadampa Buddhism that the Indian Buddhist master Atisha (982-1054) had introduced three centuries earlier.

Je Tsongkhapa was an emanation of Manjushri and he showed a very good example of how to build the foundation for the spiritual path, how to progress on that path, and how to complete it. Since then, thousands of practitioners have attained the ultimate happiness of Buddhahood within one life.

Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden

– is also an emanation of Manjushri, who appeared in this world as a Dharma Protector to help preserve and protect Je Tsongkhapa’s doctrine. Through relying upon an enlightened Dharma Protector we can swiftly overcome all obstacles to our spiritual practice and create favorable conditions for developing and increasing pure Dharma realizations.

Je Pabongka

– (1878-1941) was the most influential Gelugpa Lama of the last century. He held all the important lineages of Sutra and Tanta and passed them on to most of the important Gelugpa Lamas of the next two generations. He was widely renowned for promoting the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden. He was the root Guru or Spiritual Guide of Trijang Rinpoche and many other highly respected teachers.

His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche

– (1901-1981) was a Tibetan Buddhist master and heart disciple of Je Pabongkhapa. He was also the most highly regarded Gelugpa teacher of generation and showed a perfect example of how to practice the Buddhist path.

He was the Junior Tutor of the present Dalai Lama and the root Guru or Spiritual Guide of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and was the lineage holder of all of Buddha’s teachings during his life.

Geshe Kelsang has likened Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche to a vast reservoir from which all Gelugpa practitioners of the present day receive ‘waters’ of blessings and instructions. Trijang Rinpoche also widely disseminated the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden until the day of his death.

A brief biography of Trijang Rinpoche can be found here.

1. A Short Biography of Trijang Rinpoche by Lobsang Palden Tenzin Yargye
2. Watch video of HH Trijang Rinpoche
3. Hear HH Trijang Rinpoche reciting prayers to Dorje Shugden
4. Trijang Rinpoche’s extensive explanation and praise of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden: Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors
5. Trijang Rinpoche’s advice on the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden.

His Holiness Kyabje Song Rinpoche

– (1904-1984) was born in Kham, Tibet, studied at Ganden Monastery, gained renown as a learned Geshe and great debater and served as abbot for nine years. He left Tibet for India in 1959 and later served as principal of the Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath.

Like his dear friend Trijang Rinpoche, he was a great teacher and exponent of the benefits of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practice, and the end of his life held a week of pujas (chanted prayers) in which he stated very clearly and publicly that his whole life’s work was accomplished through his sincere reliance on Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden.

Watch a video of Kyabje Song Rinpoche reciting prayers to Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden (Melodious Drum)

Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

– (born 1931) is a fully accomplished meditation master and internationally renowned teacher of Buddhism. From the age of eight Geshe-la studied extensively in the great monastic universities of Tibet. Under the guidance of Trijang Rinpoche, his Spiritual Guide, he then spent the next eighteen years in meditation retreat in the Himalayas.

In his teachings Geshe Kelsang emphasizes the importance of meditation and how to apply it in daily life, the need to be truly happy and how to cultivate a good heart to help others – and he demonstrates these qualities in his own life.

As all Buddhists know, the root of the Buddhist spiritual path is sincere reliance upon one’s Spiritual Guide, and accordingly Geshe Kelsang has faithfully relied upon Trijang Rinpoche’s guidance and widely taught the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden. Through his dedication Kadampa Buddhism has spread to many countries throughout the world.

There are also many other great Lamas and disciples of Trijang Rinpoche who are Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners.

Source: http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/lineage.php#dorjeshugden04)