Beyond the 32 deities are the two great ministers of Dorje Shugden, Kache Marpo and Namka Bardzin. These are two oath-bound Protectors who have entrusted their very life essence to the King Protector and perform duties similar to that of a minister assisting their monarch in governing his kingdom. They are not emanations of Dorje Shugden but are Dharma Protectors in their own right.

Kache Marpo

Kache Marpo is believed to be an emanation of Hayagriva in the form of a tsen spirit. Assuming a worldly form, this enlightened Being bound himself willingly to the will of Dorje Shugden and became his main minister. Kache Marpo is described by the Fifth Dalai Lama as the doctrine’s watchman.

He rides a saddled horse with the force of the wind and the speed of traversing the universe in a single instant. As a tsen spirit similar to Setrab, he gnaws upon his lower lip in perpetual fury and haste, like an expression of his impatience to help destroy the obstacles and causes to our suffering.

Also like Setrab, he possesses three eyes that perceive the past, present and future simultaneously. He wears leather armor, with five banners fluttering above his leather helmet. He holds a noose that is tied to the ‘enemy’ – symbolic of ignorance – while simultaneously piercing the ‘enemy’ with a big powerful lance.

Very little is known of Kache Marpo except the fact that he is closely related to Tsiu Marpo, another worldly Protector who is the head of the Seven Blazing Brothers. Kache Marpo could perhaps have once been a part of the seven brothers.

In the story which tells the origin of The Seven Blazing Brothers, Tsui Marpo is said to have first manifested as Lise Chorpa from the land of Li. He was a virtuous man who lived in the forest but was mistakenly believed to be a dangerous man.

Blinded by fear, people hunted him down and the king, in a fit of fear, decapitated him with his royal sword. However, due to the power of his attainments, the various parts of his body – flesh, bones, heart, fluids and so forth – arose as the Seven Blazing Brothers, of which Tsui Marpo is the chief.

Namka Bardzin

This Protector is of fairly recent origin and is an unenlightened, oath-bound minister of Dorje Shugden. Namka Bardzin is a tsen spirit with three eyes. He is shown with his teeth gnawing his lower lip, brandishing a sword in his right hand and holding a skull cup filled with the enemies’ blood in his left. He wears the robes of an ordained monk and rides a mythical unicorn-like creature called a gyaling.

He came into being during the 1920′s when he was still alive as a Mongolian Geshe. This Geshe had just returned from a pilgrimage through India and stopped by Dungkar Monastery on his way back. During his stay, he developed a high fever but insisted on leaving because he wanted to return to Lhasa for the Monlam festivities.

At that time, the legendary Domo Geshe Rinpoche was away from the monastery. In his place, the lead chanter, Umze Sherab, requested the Geshe to stay so he could recover from his illness first. However, he politely refused and left the monastery in haste. During the arduous journey, his health degenerated further and his life finally came to an end along a steep road to Phari. While he lay down dying, he engaged in meditative death practices.

Several Bönpos (practitioners of the indigenous Tibetan faith) came across his body and found that he had passed away. With good intention, they performed funerary rites that were similar to the Buddhist transference of consciousness. However, their ritual and handling of his remains had an adverse effect on the dying Geshe’s subtle meditations. As a result, he became a fearsome, raging spirit and when his dead corpse was made fun of by the local herders, strange things began to happen to them.

The herders and livestock slowly died, one by one, of a terrible disease. Their expressions at death looked like they had been disturbed by the unseen. The Bönpos too succumbed and died under similar circumstances. One of them even fell into a trance and uttered strange noises while holding out his hand with four outstretched fingers. It seemed the unseen had revealed the number of victims he wished to attack.

Many tried various means to appease this ferocious spirit but to no avail. Finally, these tragedies came to the attention of Domo Geshe Rinpoche as many people were very afraid of who would be attacked next by this spirit. Domo Geshe Rinpoche was told of the deaths so he quickly quelled the spirit in a powerful ritual and placed him under the care of Dorje Shugden. Then, he installed him also as the Protector of Tromo Monastery and Dungkar Monastery. A shrine to this Protector was built and soon, the monastery oracle could take trance of him and offer advice concerning the monastery. He is thus also a Dharma Protector in his own right.

The mandala of Dorje Shugden consists of a three-storey celestial mansion emanated through the force of his mind. Residing at the heart of the mandala is Dorje Shugden in his principal emanation on the snow lion, wearing a golden domed hat.

Dorje Shugden manifests as four other recognized emanations, each with their specific functions and purposes. These five forms are also known as the five families of Dorje Shugden.

The ‘five families’ of Dorje Shugden reside in the heart of the first floor. Altogether, the five families are manifestation of his five aggregates, which also correspond to the five Dhyani Buddhas. The five aggregates of form, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors and consciousness correspond to his body and various aspects of his mind.

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.

Beyond the thirty-two deities are the two great ministers of Dorje Shugden, Kache Marpo and Namka Bardzin. These are two oath-bound Protectors who have entrusted their very life essence to the King Protector and perform duties similar to that of a minister assisting their monarch in governing their kingdom. They are not emanations of Dorje Shugden but are Dharma Protectors in their own right.

Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche said that Dorje Shugden’s principle and entourage are actually the 32 deities of Guhyasamaja’s body mandala. Although they appear in the guise of worldly aspects, the emanations and entourage are all purely manifestations of Dorje Shugden’s enlightened mind.

On the level above Dorje Shugden within the mandala is the very swift, strong Protector Setrab, also known as the Powerful Pure One, with his entourage. Setrab’s true nature is the same as Buddha Amitabha but he emanates in the form of a tsen spirit.

Setrab is especially close and very connected to Dorje Shugden because Dorje Shugden’s previous incarnation, Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, relied on and practiced Setrap strongly as his main Dharma protector throughout his life. Even when Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen arose as Dorje Shugden, he immediately sought the assistance of Setrab at Sang Pung.

Later, the many subsequent attempts by high Lamas to destroy Dorje Shugden with deadly rituals all failed, due partly to Setrab’s assistance. Setrab manifested many visions to distract the Lamas away from the rituals, which then allowed Dorje Shugden to “flee” from the rites unharmed.

Finally, on the top most level of this celestial mansion, resides Buddha Amitabha, the original nature of Setrab.

Dungkar Monastery

The 7th Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Kalsang was so highly respected that upon meeting him, the 13th Dalai Lama declared that he had met Lama Tsongkhapa himself. There were many auspicious signs accompanying his birth and throughout his life, Domo Geshe received visions of various deities, starting with Vajrayogini who manifested before him when he was 4, to offer nourishment to him from the realm of the dakinis.

Throughout his life, Domo Geshe worked tirelessly to spread Lama Tsongkhapa’s tradition. He established monasteries in barren, barbaric places and even revived Buddhist practice in Bodhgaya. Of course, given his fame, many did not have the merits to rejoice in his good deeds and were jealous of his work. There were many attempts on Rinpoche’s life but he remained undaunted and unwavering in his bodhisattva motivation.

The line of Domo Geshe incarnations is said to include Shariputra, the Mahasiddha Gayadhara, Dharmashri, Munijnana, Thönmi Sambhota, King Trisong Detsen, Dromtönpa, Milarepa, Khedrup Rinpoche, and Tragpa Gyaltsen.

In his 8th incarnation, one of Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s greatest deeds was subduing a raging spirit who had arisen due to a Mongolian geshe’s untimely death. Calling him Namkar Barzin, Domo Geshe swore him to join DS in protecting the uncommon teachings of Nagarjuna, thus adding him to DS’s entourage.

We can see that throughout his incarnations, Domo Geshe Rinpoche has always been closely associated with Dorje Shugden as a master of the practice. He was also a heart son of Lama Tsongkhapa himself – can someone who inseparably sits alongside Je Rinpoche on altars worldwide really be so wrong and engage in spirit practice in his succeeding lifetimes?

We wish to share this biography with you so that you might rejoice in the great deeds of this living Buddha whose work to spread the Buddhadharma in Tibet was unparalleled. May many more masters of his calibre arise in this world in our lifetimes, to turn the Wheel of Dharma for the sake of all sentient beings. May we never be parted from such perfect teachers and always gain good rebirths so that we might receive the holy words of Buddha from them.

For more information about this great master, check out these links:

Famous Oracle of Dungkar Monastery
dorjeshugden.com/?p=307

Did the 13th Dalai Lama Ban the Practice of Dorje Shugden?
dorjeshugden.com/?p=3811

Mysterious white conch-shell in Dungkar Monastery
dorjeshugden.com/?p=11761

A biography of glorious 7th and 8th incarnations of Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche
dorjeshugden.com/?p=1315

All of us at DorjeShugden.com make this virtual offering of a butterlamp to the incomparable master His Eminence Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche, requesting him to remain for another 1,000 years to continue turning the wheel of Dharma and benefiting countless beings.

Biography

Source: http://www.domogesherinpoche.org/

Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Kalsang, the legendary figure whose previous incarnations  include Shariputra, the Mahadsiddha Gayadhara, Dharmashri, Munijnana, Tönmi Sambhota, King Trisong Detzen, Dromtönpa, Milarepa, Khedrup Rinpoche, and Dragpa Gyaltsen, was known throughout Tibet and the Himalayan region for his immense kindness, humility, great deeds, and non-sectarian attitude. He spread the pure teachings of the Buddha throughout the Himalayas from Kashmir to Assam, and in the process he established the first Gelugpa monasteries in regions where there had been none.

Domo Geshe Rinpoche was also famous because he was the first of the Tibetan lamas to go on pilgrimage repeatedly to the Buddhist holy sites in India, when this was not yet an established tradition. Active in the Tsang and central parts of Tibet, he was openly praised by both the Panchen Rinpoche and His Holiness the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, who referred to him as a “realized one who is completely tamed” and as someone who is “Lama to people inside and outside of Tibet and whose widespread fame resonates like the sound of a great bell.” In fact, his fame extends to Mongolia, China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, and many Western countries.

Nearly all written biographical information about Geshe Ngawang Kalsang, who later became known as Domo Geshe Rinpoche, was lost in Tibet. However there does exist the lineage prayer composed by Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang; biographical material mentioned by the Western disciple Lama Govinda in his book The Way of the White Clouds; and many diverse oral sources. From these it is known that Ngawang Kalsang was born in 1866 in Emagang, Tsang, Tibet.

At the age of eight he entered Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and was given the name Ngawang Kalsang by the Panchen Rinpoche Tenpa’i Wangchuk.  He took full ordination from the incarnation of the great translator Lochen Rinchen Zangpo Rinpoche. After twenty years of study he received the “Kachen” degree, which was Tashi Lhunpo’s equivalent of the “Geshe” degree of Central Tibet’s great monastic universities.

After finding his root Guru, Rangjung Lama Lobsang Zöpa, Geshe Ngawang Kalsang spent many years receiving teachings and initiations, making pilgrimages, and meditating in caves in Bhutan, Sikkim, and Tibet. In different holy places along the Himalayan snow mountain range, in caves and isolated places, Geshe Rinpoche practiced and actually saw the different meditational deities, receiving their blessings, teachings, guidance, and predictions.

When the Guru conferred upon him the great empowerment of the five-deity Heruka Chakrasamvara mandala of the Ghantapada tradition (Demchog Trilbu Lha-nga) in Milarepa’s temple at Lapchi, the mandala and deity actually manifested and entrusted him with the future of the Demchog tantra. During his retreats Geshe Ngawang Kalsang lived on fruits, berries, and herbs, and also was sustained by the practice of “taking the essence” of flowers and stones. It is said that while he was meditating in a remote cave in the dense forests of Upper Tromo, yeti came to serve him by bringing him firewood and water.

While Geshe Ngawang Kalsang was meditating in the cave in Upper Tromo (also called Domo, Tomo, or Chumbi), a nomad who was searching for some of his lost animals came upon him. Hardly believing that anyone could survive in such a remote place, the nomad offered him yogurt and milk. It was then that Geshe Ngawang Kalsang left his solitary retreat and began performing the renowned deeds which made his name famous throughout the Himalayas.

First, he fulfilled a prophecy made by both his Guru and by Dromtönpa, the main disciple of Atisha Dipamkara, by erecting a large Maitreya Buddha statue at Galingkang. When the people of Tromo requested Geshe Ngawang Kalsang to remain with them, he rebuilt and revitalized Dungkar Gonpa, the White Conch Monastery, which was in the Tromo valley.  He erected a great Maitreya Buddha statue in the main hall of the monastery, expanded the monastic curriculum, improved discipline, and introduced the study of art forms such as dance that related to religious practice.

Domo Geshe Rinpoche also began a special Guru Rinpoche ritual which was performed at the monastery yearly. In another monastery in the Tromo Valley he instituted the annual practice of the joint reading of twelve collected works (sung bum) by monks of different religious traditions. In this way, among others, Domo Geshe Rinpoche helped bring the people of Tromo together in greater harmony.

H.H. the 13th Dalai Lama Thubten Gyatso

Under the direction of Domo Geshe Rinpoche the monastery became the seat of the famous and respected oracle that was consulted by people from all over Tibet. At the crossroads between India and Tibet, Dungkar Gonpa also became known as a stopping place for most Tibetan and foreign dignitaries who were on their way to and from Lhasa. Thus, Dungkar Gonpa was open to international contact in a way that was unusual for Tibet at that time.

When His Holiness the Thirteenth Dalai Lama returned from India in 1912 he stopped in Tromo, and a meeting took place between His Holiness and Domo Geshe Rinpoche at Kangyur Lhakang in Galingkang. One morning His Holiness mentioned to his attendants that he expected a very special visitor that afternoon.

That day Domo Geshe Rinpoche, who always looked like a simple monk, brought special delicacies to offer to His Holiness and spent a long time in private talks with him. In the evening, His Holiness asked his attendants if they had seen the very special person who had visited him in the afternoon. They said that they had only seen a monk in tattered robes. His Holiness replied, “That is too bad. I saw Je Tsong Khapa himself.”

Many years later, in the 1950s, the Dungkar Gonpa twice hosted His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and his government for extended periods of time.

A very close and special relationship existed between Geshe Rinpoche and Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang. Together they received teachings and initiations from Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, Lamrim teachings from His Holiness the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, and together with Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, in 1921 they received a very rare cycle of 108 initiations from Tagdra Dorje Chang, who later became the Regent of Tibet. The initiations spanned the four classes of Tantra, and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche said of that event, “Thus, the traditions of past successive lineages were observed correctly without the negligence of finding easy solutions.” (Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Autobiography, p. 94.)

Domo Geshe Rinpoche was one of the first Tibetan lamas to go on repeated pilgrimages to the holy places of the Buddha in India. At first he went alone across the high mountain passes from Tromo to Sikkim, through Pedong to Kalimpong, and then by train from Siliguri to Gaya. Later he took with him his monks and people from all walks of life. At that time Hindus controlled the great stupa at Bodh Gaya and Buddhist practice was not welcome there.

However, the Hindu Raja who was in charge was very impressed with Geshe Rinpoche and trusted him completely. The great stupa was usually locked up, but when Rinpoche visited the Raja handed him the keys and turned over the stupa to him for the duration of his stay. Only Domo Geshe Rinpoche and Sri Anagarika Dharmapala, founder of the Mahabodhi Society, represented Buddhist interests and regularly performed Buddhist practices at the stupa. It was only because of Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s help and influence that a Lhadaki monk could purchase ground near the stupa to build a Tibetan monastery.

During their pilgrimages to Bodh Gaya, Geshe Rinpoche’s disciples cleaned the area around the stupa, washed the Bodhi tree with purifying water, and offered many butter lamps and other offerings. On the full moon of the eighth Tibetan month in 1916, Domo Geshe Rinpoche performed the ritual bath offering using milk to bathe the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha and then covered it with gold. The holy body of the Buddha emitted nectar, an event witnessed by many. Geshe Rinpoche carefully collected it and used it for the benefit of sentient beings in holy objects and rilbus.

Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s throne in Dungkar Monastery

Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s rilbus were precious pills made from medicinal herbs, sacred relics, and many different holy substances that he collected in the Buddha’s hallowed places in India and in pilgrimages in the Himalayas and Tibet. The rilbus made by Domo Geshe Rinpoche were famous for their power. They were said to reverse the effects of life-threatening poison, to protect against many different kinds of weapons, and to guarantee at least seven human rebirths if administered at the right moment in the death process.

In the Indian Himalayan region, especially today’s Himachal Pradesh, Domo Geshe Rinpoche traveled widely, teaching the pure doctrine of the Buddha, establishing monasteries, gathering monks, and healing the sick. In fact, he was widely known as “the precious doctor of Chumbi.” In many areas he established Gelugpa monasteries and temples and everywhere he went he was requested to teach and to confer empowerments and Pratimoksha vows.

Upon the request of the King of Piti, Geshe Rinpoche gave Lamrim teachings to thousands of people, as well as conferring long-life and other empowerments. Domo Geshe Rinpoche is singularly credited, not only by his followers but by the Tibetan government as well, for having spread Je Tsong Khapa’s teachings, especially throughout the whole Himalayan region. Although he gave formal teachings, Domo Geshe Rinpoche taught most often by giving practical advice on what to do and what not to do. In all he did he laid the foundation for spiritual practice.

Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s disciple Lama Anagarika Govinda recorded in The Way of the White Clouds  that Geshe Rinpoche “detested any kind of hero-worship and did not want his person made into an object of veneration.” On the day that Domo Geshe Rinpoche accepted him as a disciple his Guru told him:

“If you wish me to be your Guru, do not look upon my person as the Guru, because every human personality has its shortcomings, and so long as we are engaged in observing the imperfections of others we deprive ourselves of the opportunities of learning from them. Remember that every being carries within itself the spark of Buddahood (bodhicitta), but as long as we concentrate on other people’s faults we deprive ourselves of the light that in various degrees shines out from our fellow-beings ….The greatest among men were those who recognized the divine qualities in their fellow-beings and were always ready to respect even the lowliest among them.

As long as we regard ourselves superior to other or look down upon the world, we cannot make any real progress. As soon, however, as we understand that we live in exactly that world which we deserve, we shall recognize the faults of others as our own —though they may appear in different form. It is our own karma that we live in this “imperfect” world, which in the ultimate sense is our own creation. This is the only attitude which can help us to overcome our difficulties, because it replaces fruitless negation by an impulse towards self-perfection, which not only makes us worthy of a better world but partners in its creation.”

Because he was revered in India as well as Tibet, Domo Geshe Rinpoche was offered several monasteries in northern India. A patron from Darjeeling offered him a retreat house at Ghoom Yiga Chöling Monastery and requested him to take care of the monastery. Rinpoche enlarged it and built another famous two-storey Maitreya Buddha statue with the help of Wangyal, the same artist who had fashioned the ones in Tromo.

In 1919 Tashi Chöling Monastery in Kurseong, near Darjeeling, was completed and consecrated by Geshe Rinpoche, and Tharpa Chöling Monastery in Kalimpong was finished in 1922. This monastery had been built with the support of and requests from the Maharani of Bhutan, an influential Chinese merchant and his Tibetan wife, a group of Tibetans living in Kalimpong, and many other.

By the time Tharpa Chöling was completed, Dungkar Gonpa had already built or taken under its administrative umbrella several other monasteries in Tromo and Phari, Tibet. Until 1959 the Dungkar Gonpa monks took turns in administering these places, as well as the monasteries across the border in India. In addition, there were a number of small temples and chapels in the Himalayan border area offered to and consecrated by Domo Geshe Rinpoche.

Among many other accomplishments, Domo Geshe Rinpoche was famous for his extraordinary visions. The most well-known of his visions occurred on one of Geshe Rinpoche’s many pilgrimages. At nineteen thousand feet on the northern slopes of Kanchenjunga, Chorten Nyima has been a very special holy place since at least the time of Padma Sambhava. There Domo Geshe Rinpoche manifested a vision for all within a radius of miles to see. First, from among the white clouds appeared a white horse leading the procession that moved from east to west. Then from the dark blue sky a great number of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and different holy beings and signs appeared, all made from light and rainbows.

Only Domo Geshe Rinpoche saw the whole extent of the vision, while those in his retinue saw parts according to individual capacity and karma. Some saw Khedrup Rinpoche’s five visions of Je Tsong Khapa; some saw Je Tsong Khapa and his two main disciples, while other saw the Medicine Buddha, Amitayus, or different pure lands. Everyone could see the eight auspicious signs. The vision remained for a long time, so Rinpoche’s disciples could point out to each other in minutest detail what they saw.

The only other vision of that magnitude made public in the same way occurred at the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, an account of which can be found in the Surangama Sutra. After the eyewitnesses returned to Dungkar Gonpa each of them described what they had seen, and from these descriptions a fresco recording the event was carefully painted.

Those who knew him said that Domo Geshe Rinpoche was genuinely humble and completely without pride of thinking that he knew anything. No photograph exists of him. He did not allow anyone to take a photograph of him, because, in those days, photographs were taken mostly of famous people such as heads of state or those with a high social status. When pictures were taken without his permission, Geshe Rinpoche was either not visible or blurred beyond recognition. The only likeness that existed was a statue fashioned after the preserved body that was placed in his stupa.

After Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Kalsang passed away in 1936, the Dungkar Gonpa administration requested the central Tibetan government for permission to embalm his body. Although only the bodies of the Dalai Lamas and the Panchen Lamas were customarily embalmed and sealed in large stupas, the request was granted. The Regent Reting Rinpoche’s decree read, “In Southern Tibet, including Sikkim, etc., Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s activities were exactly like those of Je Tsong Khapa. In accordance, we will allow Rinpoche’s body to be preserved.” The holy stupa was consecrated in 1938 by Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche Dorje Chang and remained an object of veneration until it, along with the entire Dungkar Gonpa, was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution.

All quoted material has been extracted from His Holiness Domo Geshe Rinpoche, A Biographical Sketch, by Dr. Ursula Bernis, copyright ©2002 by the Dungkar Gonpa Society.

The oracle of Dungkar Monastery taking trance of Dorje Shugden (wrathful form) (photo taken between 1947-1949)

Thangka behind Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s throne at Dungkar Monastery showing Dorje Shugden as one of the protectors (bottom right corner)

Zong Rinpoche at a branch monastery of Rizong Pordoh at Phari Dzong
(photo taken between 1947-1949)

Thangka behind Zong Rinpoche showing Dorje Shugden as one of the protectors (top left corner)

Dorje Shugden thangka (photo) drew by the 2nd Domo Geshe Rinpoche himself

Namka Barzin statue made by the 1st Domo Geshe Rinpoche himself. It’s now at Pedong, Dromo Ladrang

The 2nd Domo Geshe Rinpoche

The 1st Domo Geshe Rinpoche

Who is He?

Kache Marpo is the main attendant to Dorje Shugden alongside Namkar Barzin. He is said to be the direct emanation of Hayagriva. Although Kache Marpo takes the appearance of a wordly form, he is fully enlightened.

Hayagriva is the wrathful form of Avalokiteshvara. His compassion transforms itself as a fierce and strong energy. He manifests his compassion through wrath to force us to overcome both our inner and outer worldly obstacles, in order for us to practice Dharma smoothly.

Therefore, Kache Marpo being an emanation of a Buddha is an Enlightened Protector. He has his own Pujas, Offerings and Rituals separate from Dorje Shugden’s prayers, because he can be practiced as a Dharma Protector on his own.

It is said that Kache Marpo waits on his horse outside of the mansion in Dorje Shugden’s mandala to carry messages and lead a wrathful army to conquer our obstacles.

Kache Marpo usually takes trance peacefully through an oracle to give instructions and advice. He will check all advice with Dorje Shugden before giving it out to practitioners. Having great respect for Dorje Shugden, Kache Marpo always refers to him as the ‘Great King’.

Kache Marpo takes trance of the current Panglung Kuten (Kuten is oracle in Tibetan) who resides in Taiwan. He also takes trance of the Gameng Kuten in the USA. In Tibet, the previous Panglung Kuten was very famous and many people including the 14th Dalai Lama, Trijang Rinpoche, dignitaries and high officials would always consult him. The Panglung Kuten lived in Panglung Retreat near Sera Monastery in Lhasa.

When Kache Marpo takes trance of the qualified oracles he may give prophecies, advice, blessings and healing of diseases depending what is necessary. He is very patient and very helpful to those who practice Dharma sincerely.

When Kache Marpo takes trance, he may appear wrathful or peaceful depending on the location he is in. If the people in a certain area are aggressive, full of anger and stubborn, Kache Marpo would take on a wrathful form. On the contrary, if the people are compassionate, loving and patient, Kache Marpo would take on a calm and peaceful form.

At times when Dorje Shugden and Kache Marpo knows that the people in a certain area will not adhere to their instructions, they will not stay for long during trance nor accept the offerings from the people. This is so that the people will not accumulate more negative karma by disobeying the instructions given.

Iconography

Kache Marpo’s residence is described to be: A brilliant, splendid brown palace made of leather which is surrounded by a red ocean formed by the blood of horses and men.

The colour of his body is similar to that produced when the sun shines on a huge mountain of coral. He has the shape of a “son of devas”, with one face and two hands. In his right hand he brandishes a red, sharp lance, with which he pierces the heart of an oath-breaker. His left hand, holding a snare of the spirit which is wound around the neck of an obstacle-creating demon, rests in front of his breast.

He wears a leathern cuirass and a leathern helmet adorned with a “banner of victory” with pendants of silk in nine colours. His facial expression is very fierce and he gnaws his lower lip.

His eyes have red-gleaming veins, and they stare full of hatred at the evil vighnas. He sits on a very fierce horse, which has spots white like felt and possesses magic qualities – it is mounted with a priceless saddle and carries a front – belt and other horse trimmings.

Namkar Barzin is the second minister to Dorje Shugden after Kache Marpo. He is one of the newest members of Dorje Shugden’s entourage, whose history goes back to around 60-75 years ago. He is not an enlightened being but an oath-bound Dharma Protector, after being subdued as a raging spirit by Domo Geshe Rinpoche and placed under the command of Dorje Shugden.

Origins

Namkar Barzin was a Mongolian man who traveled from Mongolia to Dungkar Monastery with only one wish, to be ordained as a monk. He was old and poor but still made the effort to travel a far distance to seek solace.

Unfortunately, when he arrived at the Monastery, Namkar Barzin was ill treated by the resident monks because he was merely a penniless old beggar. The monk in-charge rejected Namkar Barzin’s request to be ordained and chased him out. This sincere beggar who thirsted for the Dharma so much and whom had nothing else but the Dharma to depend on again requested help from the four monks whom he met outside of the Monastery. However, to his dismay, he was insulted and beaten up by them.

At that point, Namkar Barzin became enraged and cursed the monks who ill-treated him that they will all die within a year.

Much later, this poor Mongolian man was found dead near a place known as Pema Choling. The nomads who live in that area saw his body and threw it into a river where it got caught in between some rocks for days. The herders nearby who saw Namkar Barzin’s body amused themselves by throwing stones at him and making fun of him.

Although already dead, fiery anger arose in Namkar Barzin which turned him into a fearsome raging spirit. This was where the nightmare for that area began…

A weird disease erupted and spread, which caused many of the herders and their yaks to fall ill and die, including one of the monks who mistreated Namkar Barzin. The monk eventually died from the terrible disease, and his death was followed by many more deaths. Once, Namkar Barzin even possessed a victim and clearly showed how many more people he was going to kill.

A blessing came when Domo Geshe Rinpoche, who was then the abbot of Dungkar Monastery, heard of this bad news and came to subdue this angry spirit. After successfully subduing Namkar Barzin, Domo Geshe Rinpoche made him take an oath to protect Dharma teachings and the area where Dungkar Monastery was situated. His Oracle was established in Dungkar Monastery.

Domo Geshe Rinpoche thus put Namkar Barzin under the command of Dorje Shugden as the second minister of Dorje Shugden’s entourage, where he will be able to collect vast merits and benefit countless sentient beings for infinite lifetimes.

Functions

This deity is well known for having the power to protect buildings, institutions, monasteries, etc. He is especially powerful in protecting Dharma related institutions, not just from material loss due to theft, fires or natural disasters but also loss arising from schisms between members. He does this by promoting harmony between members of such institutions and ensuring everyone has good relationships with one another.

Namkar Barzin has one face, two hands, and three bulging eyes. He is red in color and bears a ferocious and proud expression. He wears the robes of an ordained monk and rides on a mythical animal, Gyaling which represents his Tantric attainments. His right hand brandishes a sword which cuts through our problems and obstacles while his left hand holds a skullcup representing his mastery of Tantra. In some thangkas, he also wears a Mongolian turban that is made of red silk.

Nero Stallion

Bibliography
1. Wojkowitz, Rene De Nebesky. Oracles and Demons of Tibet. 1993.
2. Wangmo, Jamyang. The Lawudo Lama. 2005

With great faith I take refuge in Lord Shakyamuni Buddha
Who with great self sacrifice perseverance achieved fully,
The peerless Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya,
And with profound compassion turned the wheel of Dharma.

With great reverence I pay heartfelt homage to Lord Tsongkhapa,
Who as an emanation of the Lord of Speech Manjushri,
Took rebirth during the times that Shakyamuni’s teachings
Were on the decline and enacted the deeds of enlightened activities.

I bow to the Great Geshe of Dromo of Phari, who in dependence upon
Hearing, contemplation and meditation relied on the preliminaries
Of Tsongkapa retreat and the secret Mother Queen Vajra Yogini,
Achieved great siddhis and was a tremendous benefit to others.

Great Mongolian Geshe who was diligent and caught in storm returning,
Taunted and made fun of were the causes for you to manifest
‘compassionate’ anger to take on a form of a supreme Dharmapala,
I invoke your swift presence to this place now by the power of my refuge.

You who take on the form of a fully ordained monk holding sword which
Cuts the bonds of our temporal sufferings and difficulties,
Who holds a white skull cup representing that you have mastered tantra,
And who rides on a mystical qiling as a mount, showing your tantric masteries.

Who rides amid psychic wind, fire and smoke with great speed,
And who has three eyes on the lookout for those in need of protection.
Since the great Mahasiddha of Phari, Dromo Geshe places confidence in you,
So I one with faith but little merit do also.

Please calm down the disturbances, fighting, violence, crime, in this
Region in which you are invoked. Many here are suffering unnecessarily.
Please calm the violence and hostilities here. Protect those without
Help and assistance. Let disturbing violence in this area stop.

Let the population have peace, harmony, prosperity and growth.
I invoke you and request you to be the protector of this region and
Keep a close eye on those who may be the object of crime and thievery.
Please calm the local guardians for they can come under your subjugation.

Have pity and great compassion to the one who is invoking you through
This prayer of request. Although our spiritual attainments are none, we have
Great faith in Lord Buddha and the holy Dharma, so with respect I remind you of the
Oath you have taken with the great Mahasiddha of Phari, Dromo Geshe Rinpoche.

I offer you milk, teas, cakes, biscuits, yoghurts, incense, lights, and various other
Offerings as to make a link with you. Please out of your great compassion, accept
And make this whole area at peace, prosperous and calm. Use your quick powerful
Actions and show immediate protection that is ongoing.

OM BIYADA-PAR DHAMA-DHARA SOHA (recite as many times as possible)

Please manifest signs to all that are clear and evident of your much needed presence,
Show clear and swift results in helping the suffering of this area.
I invoke you and request you from my heart. You, great Mongol Geshe Namka Barzin,
Protect, protect and show your swift actions for all to witness.

Great Mongol Geshe whose mystical powers have been proven,
Who is known to be swift as wind and extremely fierce, gnawing your lower lip,
Whose reputation to guard the property and wealth of those who place faith in you is famed,
Show special favour to me that I may gain inner and outer accomplishments.

On a personal basis, be my guardian, friend and protector.
Grant me my needs and necessities and may they come easily.
May I gain wealth, prosperity and freedom from obstructers, human and non-human.
Make the situations arise that I may practice the Dharma in-depth.

Remain as my Dharma protector and calm interferences. May I be blessed by the
Faultless Shakyamuni, Tsongkhapa and Dromo Geshe in this life and all future lives.
Where there is unhappiness and sufferings, may it quell and be calmed. May I be of
Tremendous benefit to others and a fully enlightened being.

~ Composed by a Tulku of the Duldzin lineage

[Note: The other powerful acolyte and entourage of Dorje Shugden is the Mongolian Namkar Barzin who rides on the mythical animal qiling. He was included onto the entourage of Dorje Shugden by the 20th century Mahasiddha Dromo Geshe Rinpoche who was well-known to be the emanation of Tsongkhapa himself as told by the 13th Dalai Lama. Namkar Barzin also is a dharma protector in his own right but serves Dorje Shugden as Kache Marpo does.]

This photo shows the famous Dungkar Monastery oracle who could take possession of six deities including Dorje Shugden and his entourage Kache Marpo and Namkar Barzin, and it was through this oracle that Lama Zopa Rinpoche was confirmed as a tulku.

It was at this Dungkar monastery that His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama composed the praise to Gyelchen Dorje Shugden “MELODY OF THE UNCEASING VAJRA”.

The oracle of Dungkar Monastery taking trance of Dorje Shugden (wrathful form) – photo taken between 1947-1949.

The oracle of Dungkar Monastery taking trance of Dorje Shugden (peaceful form) (photo taken between 1947-1949)

Domo Geshe Rinpoche

Domo Geshe Rinpoche (also spelled ‘Tomo’ or ‘Tromo’ Geshe Rinpoche) was beyond the shadow of a doubt one of the greatest Mahasiddhas in Tibetan history. His kindness and compassion are still legendary throughout Tibet.

People of all traditions held him in utmost reverence, many never even knew which of the four schools he belonged to. In the Dromo region many added his name to the Mani Mantra (DOMO GESHE RINPOCHE OM MANI PEME HUNG).

Dungkar Monastery had a Guru Rinpoche statue blessed by Guru Rinpoche himself, and Domo Geshe Rinpoche performed annual special ceremonies to Guru Rinpoche.

The 13th Dalai Lama proclaimed that he had met Je Tsongkhapa after meeting him. There was a saying to the extent that
While Pabongkha, Trijang and Domo Geshe Rinpoche are alive, all is well in Tibet.

His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang said of him: he is exactly like me. He had very special spiritual connections with Vajrayogini (of whom he had the first vision at the age of four) and Dorje Shugden.

One of the most famous miracles that accompanied Domo Geshe Rinpoche wherever he went is depicted on a wall of his Monastery: the vision of a whole ‘procession’ of Buddhas and deities that was witnessed by Rinpoche and his entire entourage. It is beautifully described in “The Way of the White Clouds” by Lama Anagarika Govinda, the first of its kind book that continues to inspire countless seekers.

To do this supremely holy being even remote justice, may we please refer the reader to the wonderful though uncompleted biography of Ursula Bernis, who passed away while working on it. To read it is to receive a direct taste of Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s blessing enlightened influence in this world.

Notice that behind Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s throne in Dunkar Monastery is a thangka of Vajrayogini with main protectors below, which include Kalarupa and Dorje Shugden.

The next photo also shows Dorje Shugden as one of the protectors in the thangka behind His Holiness Zong Rinpoche, who was at Phari district then to give teachings. Back then Dorje Shugden was not an issue and it was widely practised/praised by great masters including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, but why is it an issue now?

Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s throne at Dungkar Monastery
(photo taken between 1947-1949)

Zong Rinpoche at a branch monastery of Rizong Pordoh at Phari Dzong
(photo taken between 1947-1949)
(click here to download high resolution photo for printing)

Thangka behind Domo Geshe Rinpoche’s throne at Dungkar Monastery showing Dorje Shugden as one of the protectors (bottom right corner)

Thangka behind Zong Rinpoche showing Dorje Shugden as one of the protectors
(top left corner)