 Dearest Friends @ CASonline ( belonging to holy
Chenrezig ),
We will like to convey a message, reproduced
below, received this morning ( 1 December 2006 ) via
our friend from one of HH the Dalai Lama's personal Secretaries,
"Chheme-la" --
____________
In-line with His Holiness the Dalai Lama's
clear and consistent stand with regard to worship
of the evil spirit, dolgyal-shugden, the relevant department
and officers from His Holiness's Private Office have expressed
their deep concerns about the so-named "The
Buddha and His Principal Disciples' Relics Grand Cultural
World Exhibition", from 9 to 17 December 2006, at the Singapore
Expo, hosted by the the "Gelugpa Buddhist Association Singapore"
--
His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Private Office will
like to remind all students of the Dharma, especially students
of the Dharma relying upon His Holiness, that this "Gelugpa
Buddhist Association Singapore" actively opposes His Holiness's
advice and teachings --
This organization strongly advocates worship of
the unenlightened evil spirit, dolgyal-shugden --
His Holiness's Private Office will like to remind
students of the Dharma that relying upon a worldly spirit,
such as dolgyal-shugden, contradicts Lord Buddha's own advice
against taking refuge in samsaric spirits --
Hence, any student
participating in events related to practice of this worldly
spirit effectively "breaks" one's Refuge Vows and this student
effectively becomes a Non-Buddhist, negating the source and
root of all Dharmic practices --
It is critical that all sincere Buddhists,
be it an individual or Dharma centres, make the above clearly
known to all via every means possible, be it SMS, email or
others --
____________
From CAS
of T_A Chenrezig
bb & all friends @ CAS
of Thousand-Arm Chenrezig will like to clarify too that this
organization, although branding itself as a Gelugpa centre,
is not recognized as such by HH the Dalai Lama nor HH
the Ganden Trisur Rinpoche ( the Official Head Emeritus
of the Gelugpa Tradition ). Therefore, labelling of itself
as a "Gelugpa" centre is inaccurate and misleading.
In addition, although almost
every Tibetan Buddhist organizations in Singapore is
abiding-by His Holiness's compassionate guidance and advice,
many Buddhists from the Chinese Mahayana and even the Theravada
traditions may not be aware of the highly problematic background
( because of their taking refuge in and practice of the evil
spirit -- dulgyal-shugden ) of this programme.
Hence, we will like to,
with the best of motivation from our side, urge all students
of the holy Dharma, to inform all other unknowing Buddhists, that,
according to the Buddha's holy Teachings as preserved in every
tradition and lineage as well as His Holiness the Dalai Lama's advice, taking
refuge in wordly-spirit, in this context, this programme's uncompromising
stand of practising and taking refuge in dulgyal-shugden,
effectively contravenes one's Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma
and Sangha.
Very importantly, the
organization has failed to clarify or justify, to senior
Buddhist leaders world-wide, the authenticity of the
source of their claimed "relics", most of which, presented
as plasticine-looking coloured balls. The organization too
claimed many of their "relics" as being originated from Lord
Buddha's blood, bones, saliva and other bodily parts. This
has triggered widespread shock, distress, questions and
enquiries from the Buddhist world. ( which to date
the organization is unable to justify or explain )
____________
The Malaysian
Buddhist Coordination Committee
Do Not Support
"The Relics Expo of the Buddha& His Chief Disciples"
The Malaysian Buddhist
Coordination Committee has called for a meeting on 15 October,
2006 to discuss on The Relics Expo of the Buddha and His
Chief Disciples organised by the Kuala Lumpur Gelugpa Buddhist
Association (Malaysia).*
[ ** Notes by
bb @ CAS of T_A Chenrezig: This organization did not obtain
the blessings, recognition or permission of HH the
Dalai Lama and / or HH the 100th Ganden Trisur Rinpoche
-- Official Head Emeritus of the Gelugpa Tradition as
a Buddhist center of the Gelugpa tradition. HH
the Dalai Lama and HH the 100th Ganden Trisur Rinpoche, advise
against and forbid certain prime practices of
this organization, specifically, the worship of a worldly
spirit: dolgyal-shugden. This organization is, therefore,
not an authentic Gelugpa center in spite of its
self-branding as one. ]
The Buddha relics
are the remains of Buddha and it is highly respected among
the Buddhists. As The Buddha relic are so precious that
any discovery of Buddha relics would get worldly attention
and it must be verified by the archaeologist repeatedly.
When the huge amount of the relics appears in the eyes of
public out of a sudden, we are reserved on its genuineness.
Besides, we have more doubts with the various names given
to the different type of relics.
Buddhism is a Dharma
centric religion. The Buddha once said Those who see the
Dharma, see me. The Buddha does not even consider those
who seen His real figure considered seen him, not to mention
His relics. Thus, the Malaysian Buddhist Coordination Committee
appeals to the Buddhist disciples and the public not to
support such event nor to attend the relics expo. Besides,
the public is being reminded that the MBCC is in disagreement
with any party who circulate the Buddha relics commercially
either through sales or donation.
The Malaysian Buddhist
Coordination Committee consists of Malaysian Buddhist Association
(MBA), Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM), Buddhist
Missionary Society Malaysia, Sasana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana
Society (Sasana), Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Fo Guang
Malaysian, Buddhist Tzu-Chi Merit Society and Vajrayana
Buddhist Council Malaysia (VBCM).
[ Additional
notes from bb @ CAS of T_A Chenrezig:; The Singapore branch
of this organization will be holding a similar exhibition at
the Singapore Expo in December 2006. CAS of T_A Chenrezig does
not support this event. ]
____________
For
collated messages from
His Holiness the Dalai
Lama on the dulgyal-shugden issue:
____________
Concerning Dholgyal with reference to the views of past masters and other related mattersA talk on Dholgyal by H.H. the Dalai Lama
during the course of religious teachings in Dharamsala,
October 1997
There may be many among you who have
never been involved in the practice of Dholgyal at all.
In many other cases, you may have practised it in the
past, but have later given it up. With the hope of strengthening
your sense of conviction about this, I have brought here
some statements made by lamas in the past. I am going
to read them out to you.
In the letters and statements that
they have recently distributed, proponents of Dholgyal
(also known as Shugden) assert that this issue should
be understood on two levels - on an interpretable level
and on a definitive level. They say, for instance, that
even the Fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682) composed a prayer
for assistance (??prin??£¤ chol) addressed to Dholgyal.
Of course, it is difficult for us to prove convincingly
whether it belongs to the Fifth Dalai Lama or not.
The Collected Works of the Fifth Dalai
Lama are classified into three sections: the five outer
volumes, the twenty-five inner volumes, the secret or
Kagyama volumes, which consist of the Extensive Secret
Visions or Sangwa Gyachen. Previously, this last volume
existed only in handwritten form, not in a printed edition.
However, eventually it has been published in print.
There are outer, inner and secret sections
to the Fifth Dalai Lama??£¤s works, but among them you
will not find a single ??prayer for assistance??£¤ addressed
to Dholgyal written by the Fifth Dalai Lama. However,
let us allow for the possibility that there are some
texts by the Fifth Dalai Lama which escaped the notice
of the compilers.
Regarding the Fifth Dalai Lama??£¤s
open statement about Dholgyal, folio 157 (front and
back) of the autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama called
Dukulai Gosang, Volume Kha, Lhasa edition, says:
It is well known that at Dol Chumig
Karmo (Dol Chumig Karmo is Shugden??£¤s place of origin,
where a shrine was constructed to him. He is also referred
to as Dholgyal because he is a Gyalpo from Dol Chumig
Karmo. Gyalpo is a class of interfering spirit. Since
Shugden belong to this group, he is also called Gyalchen,
the great Gyalpo.) A very powerful perfidious spirit
(darn sri, the spirit of one who has deliberately breached
his oath or commitment to his lama out of resentment
and dissension), born due to distorted prayers, has
been harming the teaching of the Buddha and sentient
beings in general and in particular. The harmful activity
has intensified since the fire-bird (year), 1657, and
(the spirit) has been successful in many of his missions.
But, as if this did not concern them, hardly anyone
has taken any action. At the end of the earth-bird (year),
1669, a new house was constructed at Dol Chumig Karmo
and articles were placed there in the hope that it would
become a place for the Gyalpo to settle.
(H.H. - So, it appears that attempts
were made in the beginning to appease it by peaceful
means.)
However, his harmful activities only
intensified and recently many lay and ordained people
have been afflicted with diseases and several monks
have died. Therefore, all the monks unanimously decided
that a fire ritual should be performed.
Consequently, two groups of practitioners
were organised. One was led by Nagrampa Dhondup Gyatso,
who acted as the Vajra Acharya of (a performance of) the
Dorje Drolo ritual and the other was led by Nangjung Ngagchang
Losang Khyentse, who acted as the Vajra Acharya of (a
performance of the) Yangsang Karma Dragpo ritual. Likewise
Rigzin Pema Thinley of Dorje Drag, Dharma King Terdag
Lingpa, Vugja Lungpa, Drigung Tulku Rinpoche, Katshal
Zurpa Ngari Kunchok Lhundup and Palri Tulku performed
the Wrathful Lama, Yama, Phurba, Loktri practice for seven
days, at the conclusion of which a fire ritual was performed,
during which the ??perfidious spirit??£¤ and his entourage
were burnt. Everybody was convinced (of its success because
of) the wonderful signs that appeared and the smell of
burning flesh that they all witnessed. Thus, many sentient
beings were explicitly granted the gift of fearlessness,
because their lives were saved. And indirectly these creatures
(??byungpo means creature or evil spirit) were delivered
to the peaceful state of being, released from having to
experience the intolerable suffering of bad states of
rebirth due to their increasingly negative actions.
At that time a declaration (zur dpang,
refers to the testimony or deposition of a witness)
was issued to indicate that these creatures or evil
spirits were without protection and refuge. (Consequently)
So, the number and types of prayers
that were performed are listed. It is also mentioned
that when the exorcism was performed the Fifth Dalai
Lama himself issued a declaration (zur dpang) calling
on the assembly of Dharma protectors to be just witnesses
to the exorcism of this forsaken spirit. This is what
appears in the Dukulai Goesang.
Regarding the declaration which was
written at that time, below is a translation of the
testimony that the fifth Dalai Lama mentions in his
autobiography. The original Tibetan can be found on
page 148 front and back (English pages 423 and 424)
of the volume Da of his Collected Works published in
Gangtok, Sikkim.
???Because of the clever manipulations
of Lak Ahgyal of Gekhasa, the false reincarnation of
Tulku Sonam Geleg Palzang (Tulku Dakpa Gyaltsen) was
successful (in being recognised as the reincarnation)
[H.H.- Gekhasa was the location of
Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen??£¤s (1617-56) birthplace. Lak
Ahgyal was the name of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen??£¤s mother.
She seems to have been a very capable women. To begin
with there had even been a rumour that her son was the
reincarnation of Gyalwa Yonten Gyatso (the Fourth Dalai
Lama). Gekhasa is probably in Toelung. Therefore, the
text says, ???because Lak Ahgyal was so clever and skilful
the false reincarnation of Tulku Sonam Geleg Palzang
was successful??¨¤.
Tulku Sonam Gelek Palsang was the reincarnation
of Dho-Ngag Rabjam M??£¤awa Panchen Sonam Drakpa (1478-1554).
Then, because of Ahgyal??£¤s skilful manipulation Tulku
Drakpa Gyaltsen came to be known as the reincarnation
of Gelek Palsang. However, this text states that he
was indeed a mistaken and false reincarnation. When
the text says ???he was successful??¨¤ it means that
even though he was the false reincarnation, he succeeded
in maintaining his position as the real incarnation.
Then it says,]
But because of distorted prayers he
became a perfidious spirit (dam sri) and brought serious
harm to sentient beings. Therefore, a total of seven
groups of practitioners led by (Pema Trinley) Rinpoche
of Dorje Drag, Choegyal Terdag Lingpa, Choeje Vugja
Lungpa, Ngari Ngagchang Konchok Lhundup, Palri Tulku
and two groups of practitioners of Phende Legshe Ling
(Namgyal Dratsang) performed a ritual fire offering
and burnt the interfering spirit. This is the declaration
I have written at that time:
To the deities, Legden, Chagdrug, Leshin and Magzor, To the oath bound protectors Gongzhi,
Gonpo, Chamsre and Begtse, etc.
Who have been propitiated and whose practice (has been
done) I offer this sublime libation. The so-called Drakpa Gyaltsen pretends to be a sublime being, even though he is not, And since this interfering spirit and
creature of distorted prayers
Is harming everything - both the dharma and sentient beings
?¡ìC Do not support, protect or give him shelter, but grind
him to dust.
To the female protectors like Nodjin Yangghaza, etc. and Gyalpo Ku-nga, Khyabjug, Dorje Leg and particularly
Nechung and his entourage
I offer this sublime libation. The so-called Drakpa Gyaltsen pretends to be a sublime being, even though he is not, And since this interfering spirit and creature of distorted prayers Is harming everything - both the dharma and sentient beings - Do not support, protect or give him shelter, but grind him to dust. To the seven Barwa brothers like Tse-marpa etc.
And likewise Setrab of Sangphu etc.-
the wrathful gods and spirits among whom this negative
spirit seeks support
I offer this sublime libation. The so-called Drakpa Gyaltsen pretends to be a sublime being, even though he is not, And since this interfering spirit and creature of distorted prayers Is harming everything - both the dharma and sentient beings - Do not support, protect or give him shelter, but grind him to dust. Having agreed before the root and lineage lama Vajra Dharas To increase what is good and beneficial
to sentient beings and the dharma,
If you protect this perfidious spirit, Will you not cause your own past pledges to degenerate? There are groups of interfering spirits who display inopportune miracles In the form of human sickness, cattle disease, hailstorms, famine and drought. May their power and ability Their body, speech and mind be smashed into tiny particles. So, this is the declaration issued by the fifth Dalai Lama. It is quite strongly worded. Next, is the Sangwa Gyachen, which
is also the secret autobiography of the fifth Dalai
Lama and is included in the Kagyama section of the fifth
Dalai Lama??£¤s Collected Works. A printed edition of
the Tsapoe was eventually published in Delhi in 1972
by the Ladakhi doctor Sonam Wangdu. In the Pure Visions
section of the Fifth Dalai Lama??£¤s Sangwa Gyachen
there are twenty-five sub-sections. Among them, in the
Vase Gyachen, we find the following:
As I was listening to these words,
the great Acharya, holding a Khatvanga in his right
hand and with his left hand in a threatening gesture,
flanked by two dakinis, spoke as follows:
There is no difference between me and Avalokiteshvara Without involving in too much chatter
Put into practice what I showed you earlier
In order to dispel obstacles, perform
the dispelling ritual of the White Umbrella deity and
Charka and the previously described Lukdril.
(H.H.- From this point on it is written
in the cursive (Trukyig) script. It goes like this.)
A fire ritual was performed at the site of the Upper Palace
in Drepung. H.H.- this indicates that there was some problem
with the Upper Palace. This is what we find in the Vase
Gyachen. Again, in another division of the Sangwang Gyachen
called the Drithue Gyachen, we find the following:
On the first day of the female Earth-
Bird year, at Drepung, a black woman the size of a mountain
placed her right foot on the Upper Palace, and her left
foot on the Choekorling at Drepung. There was a haze of
dust.
This also shows that the Upper Palace
was marked by controversy. Therefore, the claim by Dholgyal
practitioners that there exists a prayer propitiating
Shugden composed by the Fifth Dalai Lama is unlikely to
be true. Even if it were considered to have been written
by the Fifth Dalai Lama, it must have been written during
the initial period (of this affair) when he has stated
himself that he tried skilfully to employ peaceful methods.
Nevertheless, while we may accept (the assertion that
he did write such a prayer) as true, usually when we are
confronted with a situation in which we have to decide
which of two options is correct - for example, between
a statement made by the Buddha earlier in his life and
another that was made later- according to the Vinaya,
the later statement is considered more reliable than the
former. So, the later a statement was made the more importance
is attributed to it. Therefore, even if we accept that
the propitiation prayer does belong to the Fifth Dalai
Lama, what he said distinctly, clearly and emphatically
during the later stages of his life must be considered
as of overriding importance. So, this has concerned the
involvement of the Fifth Dalai Lama.
Next, the collected works of Thukhen
Lobsang Choekyi Nyima (1737-1802) contain a biography
of Changkya Rolpai Dorje (17 17-86). The biography describes
how Changkya Rolpai Dorje travelled to Lhasa from Amdo.
It reads as follows:
One day, he (Changkya Rolpai Dorje) went
out to make a circumambulation of the monastery (H.H.-
this is at Ganden) and as he reached the right corner
of the mountain behind Ganden he became aware of the smell
of a great (column) incense smoke rising from the village
that lay down below on the floor of the valley. He asked,
???What is the name of that village???¨¤ Someone familiar
with the area told him, ???It??£¤s called Thagye.??¨¤
(???Tha??¨¤ means edge and ???Gye??¨¤ means expand.
So, together, it means ???the edge expands.??¨¤) He
responded, ???That is an auspicious sign??¨¤ and seemed
to be very pleased. This, I (Thukhen Lobsang Choekyi Nyima)
think is an extremely good sign that due to the grace
and kindness of Je Lama himself (Changkya Rolpai Done)
the tradition of Gyalwa Tsongkhapa will spread and flourish
in all places, at all times.
Then, as he continued his circumambulation,
a tantric Geshe accompanying him explained the stories
associated with each and every one of the many naturally
formed stone images of deities, mantras, and hand and
foot imprints on stones that were lying above and below
on the sides of the road. In particular, he was shown
a stone on which there was a very clear image of Tsongkhapa,
which was said to have formed during the time of the Seventh
Dalai Lama.
[H.H.-I don??£¤t remember this. Do any
of you know about this? An image of Tsongkhapa, which
was said to have appeared during the time of the Seventh
Dalai Lama. Which direction is it in? The direction from
which the Thirteenth Dalai Lama extracted Tsongkhapa??£¤s
hat from its treasury is in the East.]
Then they sighted a footprint, which
was not attributed to anyone in particular. At that point,
Je Lama (Changkya Rolpai Dorje) jokingly said, ???this
foot print probably belongs to a Nyingmapa. So, those
of you who are followers of Phurbuchock had better avoid
it. At that point, Thukhen Rinpoche said, if a Nyingmapa
is able to leave his footprint at the seat of Je Tsongkhapa,
then I should also be able to leave a foot print on the
jewelled ground of Sukhavati. That made everybody burst
into laughter. [He just boasted a little as a joke.]
Later, when they looked into it, they
found that there was a saying that the footprint belonged
to Khonton.
[H.H - Do any of you know about this?]
Then he went to the place where Machen
was propitiated. Since, Je Lama (Tsongkhapa) and his disciples
didn??£¤t propitiate worldly spirits, even the spirit
belonging to Je Lama??£¤s (Tsongkhapa??£¤
[H.H. - What I want to say starts from here.]
Previously, some Ganden Throne holders
propitiated Dholgyal and inauspicious events took place.
Consequently, Trichen Dorje Chang (Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen
1677-1751) (here it very clearly states that the spirit
was Dholgyal destroyed the images and so forth of him
and banished him from the premises of the monastery. Then,
he went to Lambar and Lhasa and repeatedly said, ???This
time I went to Ganden and was able to do something extraordinary??¨¤
This is what appears in the biography of Changkya Rolpai
Dorje, composed by Thukhen Rinpoche.
Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen was the root
guru of the 7th Dalai Lama and an extremely great being.
He was from Amdo, so we are from the same region of Tibet,
and became the first Reting Rinpoche. He was really an
incredibly great being. It was he who was responsible
for making Gyalchog Kalsang Gyatso what he was. These
two, both Lama and disciple, had great devotion for each
other. I am moved to tears, particularly when I reach
the point in Gyalchog Kalsang (Gyatso??£¤s) biography
where Trichen Rinpoche says he doesn??£¤t want anything
except Reting. When the time came for him to leave for
Reting, Gyalchog Kalsang requested him to stay a little
longer. But, Trichen Rinpoche says, ???Now, I will go??¨¤.
Then Trichen Rinpoche mounts his horse and sets off. According
to past accounts, there was a place in the Potala called
the Wanglatang. That??£¤s where Trichen Rinpoche left
from and as he began his descent, Gyalchok Kalsang watched
after him from the window of Wanglatang. It is really
moving, because they both wept.
Anyway, I have been wondering what we
might find in Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen??£¤s biography.
There is one by Changkya Rolpai Dorje. At first I thought
there must be a biography of Trichen Ngawang Chogdhen
by Gyalchog Kalsang as Trichen was his root lama, but
there isn??£¤t. He probably didn??£¤t have time to write
one. However, he instructed Changkya Rolpai Dorje to write
Trichen??£¤s biography instead. So, this is what we find
on page 67 of the biography of Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen
composed by Changkya:
Previously, a very vicious and evil spirit
(it is not specifically stated that the spirit is Dholgyal,
but it is clear from Changkya??£¤s biography that the
spirit referred to is Dholgyal. It also refers to the
time when Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen was the Ganden Throne-holder,
This account appears in the biography
of Trichen (Ngawang Chokdhen) composed by Changkya Rolpai
Dorje, which can be found among Changkya??£¤s Collected
Works. It is clearly stated below that this account refers
to Dholgyal. However, here it just refers to the Gyen
gong (ghostly spirit). The text??£¤s reference to the
activities of some ???unstable lamas, former abbots, and
monastic hostels (khangtsens)
This is what we find in the Catalogue of the Three
Monastic Seats composed by Phurchok Ngawang Tampa:
Thus, at the time when Je (Tsongkhapa)
himself was alive, apart from those dharma protectors
who are bound by oath and are mentioned in the tantras
themselves, no objects for propitiating or seeking the
slightest help of harmful negative worldly spirits who
are ghosts, was ever installed within the premises of
this monastic seat. As a result, all the members of the
community, both Lamas and disciples lived in harmony and
the tradition of study and practice flourished. Even (the
cairn) to the spirit of Tsongkhapa??£¤s birthplace was
placed outside the monastery. However, nowadays, many
people who consider themselves to be followers of Tsongkhapa,
and who adopt the three robes of a fully ordained Buddhist
monk, go for refuge in ghostly spirits. They will have
to face the consequence of meeting with great misfortune.??¨¤
This account is a very clear. We can
compare how things developed later with how they were
in the beginning. When Phurchok Ngawang Tampa prepared
his Catalogue of the Three Monastic Seats, he describes
how things were previously. When Tsongkhapa was alive
there was no occasion for the propitiation of worldly
spirits whatsoever. However, he complains, for some time
since then, even in this monastery (Ganden), some people,
who claim to be followers of Tsongkhapa and who wear the
three robes of a fully ordained Buddhist monk, go for
refuge in ghosts. As a result, even though there was previously
great harmony and purity at Ganden, later because of such
activities, many inauspicious events have occurred. This
is what Phurchok Ngawang Jampa clearly explained.
Subsequently, when Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen
became the Ganden Throne-holder, because Phurchok Ngawang
Jampa was not on the throne, he had no authority and was
unable to do anything more that criticise. However, both
he and Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen were from Sera Te, as
you all know. Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen records that when
he came to Lhasa from Amdo, Phurchok Ngawang Jampa was
known as the Lhopa Khampa, renowned as one of the top
students in dialectics. This is recorded in Trichen Ngawang
Chokdhen??£¤s biography. Later, they became guru and disciple,
but from the point of view of age, they were contemporaries.
That is why it is very likely that when they occasionally
met Phurchok Ngawang Tampa would have raised this issue
with Trichen Rinpoche.
As far as Phurchok Ngawang Jampa was
concerned, as he was not the Ganden Throne-holder, there
was nothing he could do except complain. Whereas, Trichen
Ngawang Chokdhen, who was both the Ganden Throne-holder,
and the tutor of the seventh Dalai Lama, used his authority
to prohibit the practice of propitiating negative worldly
spirits and ordered the destruction of the temples for
propitiating such spirits.
Moreover, the words of the text quite
clearly show that Tri-Rinpoche, by invoking Choegyal
(Dharmaraja)
During the past sixty years the practice
of Dholgyal became very widespread. Kyabje Phabongkha
Rinpoche was really an incredibly great master. As I
always say, he is virtually the supreme holder of the
Stages of the Path (Lam rim) and Mind Training (Lo jong)
traditions. But with regard to Dholgyal he seems to
have made mistakes. Rinpoche himself was a highly realized
being. He was capable of enthralling anything - human
or non-human - at will and so call on their assistance.
That is quite possible, but it is a different matter
(from seeking ordinary assistance). Trijang Rinpoche
was also an exception. However, it is a great and dangerous
mistake for those following them simply to imitate what
these lamas did. Although Dragyab Tokden Rinpoche was
an incalculably great master of the Stages of the Path,
following Phabongkha??£¤s visit to different areas of
Kham, he went too far with regard to the Dholgyal Practice.
As a result, many difficulties connected with religious
sectarianism arose in Kham. Likewise, many controversial
incidents took place in parts of Utsang and Lhoka, which
even today many older even can clearly recount.
Evidence of this can be glimpsed in
the writings of the Amdo scholar and lama, Tseten Shabdrug.
There is one part where he tells the story of his root
lama Alak Jigme Damchoe. The text was printed in book
form in Tibet. Alak Jigme Damchoe??£¤s two-volume commentary
to Tsongkhapa??£¤s Essence of Eloquent Explanation (Drange
Lekshe Nyingpo) is probably the most extensive commentary
on it to date. Therefore, he was an extremely great
scholar. But his greatest contribution was probably
his Great Commentary of figje Tokdun. He himself said
that this text was his greatest achievement and it does
indeed look remarkably good. So, this is what we find
in the biography of this great master, composed by Tseten
Shabdrung:
On this occasion, the excellent scholar
known as Choekyi Lodroe, the illuminator of the Nyingma
school and the reincarnated tulku of the incomparable
Jamyang Khyentse, [H.H.- Khyentse Choekyi Lodroe was actually
a Sakyapa from Derge, but had trained in all four traditions)
even though I didn??£¤t know him [H.H.- They hadn??£¤t
met each other until then] sent me a gift and an accompanying
letter from Derge Menchoe Dzongsar Gon. The letter reads:
??When I heard about you, I felt great
joy. I thought that I probably have a connection with
you from past lives. Much as I wish to meet you in person
I am (unable to because I am) by the force of karma
sick and am at a very distant place. So, there is nothing
I can do, although I continue to offer prayers (that
we might meet) in my mind. Some of the followers of
Ven. Phabongkha Dechen Nyingpo Rinpoche engaged in heated
argument over the systems of philosophical tenets of
the New and the Ancient traditions. They engaged in
many mistaken activities such as destroying images of
Padmasambhava and other peaceful and wrathful deities.
They said that reciting the mantra of the Vajra Guru
is of no value and would destroy the Padma Kathang (by
burning it or throwing it into rivers.) Similarly, they
asserted that turning Mani prayer wheels, observing
weekly prayers for the deceased, and so forth are of
no purpose and so placed many on the path of wrong view.
They held Gyalpo Shugden as the supreme refuge and the embodiment of all the Three Jewels. [This does not mean that he himself
held Shugden as the embodiment of all Three Jewels.
Rather, he is critically reporting what these people
are doing. Generally in Sakya tradition Gyalpo Shugden
is depicted as riding a horse. So, it is classed among
the spirits (Tsen) and isn??£¤t regarded as if it is
the embodiment of all three objects of refuge.]
Many monks from minor monasteries in Southern area,
claiming to be possessed by Shugden, ran madly in all
directions destroying the three symbols of enlightenment
(images, scriptures and stupas) and so forth. Displaying
many such faults they greatly harmed the teachings of
the Second Conqueror, Je Tsongkhapa. Therefore, if you
were to compose an advisory letter for everyone??£¤s
benefit and were to publish it and distribute it throughout
the three (provinces) U, Tsang and Kham, it would greatly
contribute to counteracting such disturbances to the
teaching.??¨¤For myself, I request you please to send
me a copy of the Tokdun Tantric commentary. Thank You.
The manner in which this request was
made is evidence that the many matchlessly renowned
great masters of the central and bordering regions of
Tibet, who assert themselves as upholding all four schools
of Buddha Dharma without discrimination, through the
ripples of the white wave of expertise, conduct and
kindness, all feel humbled and subdued before the one
who wears the golden coloured crown and takes great
responsibility (for the doctrine).
These are what some of the historical
accounts have to say. However, it sometimes, seems that
some of the Gelugpa Dharma holders have been slightly
excessive in their views. For instance, a couple of
days ago we found Aku Sherab Gyatso saying, ???The way
Je Rinpoche presents the reality of the basis, the nature
of the path, and the way the fruits are attained in
his commentary to the Completion Stage, and his method
of making divisions are so brilliantly wonderful that
some Nyingmapas have stolen them.??¨¤
It doesn??£¤t make any sense to criticise
their having understood them. It is not that the Nyingmapas
are not allowed to understand the wisdom of Tsongkhapa.
This is wrong. Our attitude should accord with the statement,
???those wishing to accomplish the benefit of sentient
beings engage in understanding the paths of all three
vehicles.??¨¤ Otherwise, it is as if they are suggesting,
???May the remarkable teachings of Tsongkhapa not be
understood by the Nyingmapas, may they be hidden from
them.??¨¤ Therefore, sometimes it is possible to go
to excess.
However, sometimes political considerations
may have a bearing on the situation. For example, accounts
of Kunkyen Lama (Jamyang Shepa, 1648-172 1, of Labrang
Tashi Kyil) explain that one day an Amdo lama came to
see Kunkyen Lama Jamshe Ngawang Tsondrue in the hope
of receiving a commentary to some text from him. It
says, ???that day Gyalpo Lhasang (Lhasang Khan, leader
of the Dzungar Mongols) was there also and so there
was much activity and he was not able to get the teaching.??¨¤
Kunkyen Lama Jamshe Ngawang Tsondrue was a disciple
of the Fifth Dalai Lama, who was preceptor at Jamyang
Shepa??£¤s full ordination as a monk. There is hardly
any text by Kunkyen Lama in which he does not pay homage
to the victorious father and son. In his text on the
Middle View or in his Great Text on Tenets he says something
like this:
???If you think over and over again of the way in which the Lotus Holder upholds the Dharma, it moves the very hairs on your heart. He expresses fulsome praise for the
Fifth Dalai Lama, not for the sake of flattery or to
observe etiquette, but out of deep faith. (In his turn)
the Fifth Dalai Lama had probably given predictions
and instructions with regard to the setting up of Tashi
Kyil monastery and the subsequent dissemination of the
dharma in Amdo. Likewise, in his work on the Middle
View, when he arrives at the difficult point of describing
identification of the object of negation, (Jamyang Shepa)
quotes statements from the Stages of the Path, Sacred
Word of Manjushri (by the Fifth Dalai Lama) with strong
praise for it as a text written purely from personal
experience. Therefore, he placed the Fifth Dalai Lama
upon his head, respecting him as an incredibly great
master. However, it was different when it came to political
matters. For example, he didn??£¤t accept Gyalchog Tsangyang
Gyatso as the reincarnation of the Fifth Dalai Lama.
This is clear from his incredibly good
history of Yamantaka. When the lamas of the lineage
are being chronicled, after the Fifth Dalai Lama, it
says, ???His reincarnation is the present incumbent
Holder of the Lotus, Ngawang Yeshi Gyatso.??¨¤ No
other Tibetans recognised him. Gyalpo Lhasang appointed
him and Kunkyen Lama Jamyang Shepa recognised him. So,
it is as if only Jamyang Shepa recognised him. All other
Tibetan accounts of the time unanimously refer to Rigzin
Tsangyang Gyatso as the reincarnation of the Fifth Dalai
Lama, despite His Holiness having apparently given back
his monk??£¤s vows and his consorting with women. The
generally accepted view of Rigzin Tsangyang Gyatso as
being the reincarnation of the Fifth Dalai Lama went
unchallenged, except by Kunkyen Lama Jamshe Ngawang
Tsondrue. That is why for some time the Shugden organisation
have asserted in their letters that His Holiness the
14th Dalai Lama is very critical of Jamyang Shepa. But
this is all I have said, no more than this.
Now, as a Lama from Loseling College
Ling Rinpoche was very partial to the scriptures written
by Panchen Sonam Drakpa. Whereas Gen Nyima used to prefer
the texts of Kunkyen Lama. He would repeatedly say,
???Oh, this text by Jamyang Shepa is so good.??¨¤
Yongzin Rinpoche would never say such a thing. (Laughs)
For example, (Jamyang Shepa) always says that the ??truth
of cessation??£¤ is not emptiness, it is ultimate truth,
but not emptiness. Yongzin Rinpoche would emphasise
that this is not possible. Whatever the case, he would
not give even a little on the views expressed by Panchen
Sonam Drakpa. He considered them to be like ultimate
truth.
However, at the same time, Yongzin
Rinpoche had incredible faith and respect for Kunkyen
Lama Jamyang Shepa. Yongzin Rinpoche was from a U-Tsang
background and belonged to Loseling College, so he had
no particular connection to Amdo. However, he was always
full of praise for Amdo Tashi Kyil, describing it as
a treasury of transmissions and instructions, where
every aspect of Je Tsongkhapa??£¤s tantra and sutra
tradition was upheld.
Later, when the Fifth Kunkyen Lama
came to Lhasa, when I was small, Yongzin Rinpoche came
into contact with him. On that occasion, the Kunkyen
Lama wanted to establish a branch of the Upper Tantric
College at Tashi Kyil. At that time, Yongzin Rinpoche
was probably the Lama Umze of Gyutoe (the Upper Tantric)
College, so, he sent some Gyutoe monks to Tashi Kyil.
Yongzin Rinpoche??£¤s intention was twofold. On the
one hand he wanted to fulfil the wish of Kunkyen Lama
Jamyang Shepa and on the other hand he instructed the
monks he despatched to bring back from Amdo copies of
rare texts that could no longer be found in central
Tibet. This was something Rinpoche took particular responsibility
for.
In 1955, on my way back from Beijing,
I stopped in various parts of Amdo and I clearly remember
the visit I paid to the Tashi Kyil monastery. I had
the good fortune of paying the monastery a visit. At
that time Kunkyen Lama??£¤s reincarnation was very small,
and his tutor was really extraordinary, really incredible.
The way he presented the formal threefold mandala offering
was truly extraordinary, really good. Sadly, the Chinese
later killed him during a ??struggle session??£¤ of
??thought reform??£¤ (thamzing). He was a truly great
being. At that time, Gungthang Rinpoche was also there.
He was about twenty-five years old. He too was an extraordinary
person.
While I was there at Tashi Kyil, I
gave an empowerment of Chenrezi. Yongzin (Ling) Rinpoche
told me later that on that occasion, I don??£¤t remember
it myself, they put on the blindfold this way or they
used some initiation substance that way. Such was his
respect for Tashi Kyil that he even paid attention to
such minor traditions. Therefore, I too have unwavering
respect for the lineage of Kunkyen Lamas. So, what the
Shugden organisation says about it is really slander.
There is no need for me to convince you or them about
this, but, it is important to know the truth, how things
really stand. What Kunkyen Lama has been right about
is right and what he was wrong about is wrong. But,
in matters such as this, I am very clear in my own mind
and don??£¤t visualise every aspect of the Lama as correct.
For example, as we saw Aku Sherab Gyatso
said, ???Oh, what a pity, what a pity. This was understood
by the Nyingmapas..
If it were appropriate to see everything
the Lama does as correct, then there would have been
no need for the Buddha to explain the qualifications
of a Lama in such great detail. The Buddha himself wouldn??£¤t
have to have undergone austerities for six years. He
could have continued to live as a prince surrounded
by many queens and given teachings to his followers.
The reason the Buddha renounced the world, was ordained
as a monk and undertook austerities for six years was
to give us an example. He wanted to show us that in
order to purify our minds, which since beginning less
time have been thoroughly defiled by the three poisonous
disturbing emotions, we have to make effort and have
to be able to withstand hardship. Therefore, the Buddha??£¤s
teaching is something, which can withstand investigation.
It is not something incapable of withstanding analysis
that depends only on faith.
However, if you become aware of mistakes
your lama has made or he has done things you do not
approve of, that does not mean that you should lose
faith. For example, I myself have received considerable
teachings from Reting Dorjechang, and many teachings
from Taktra Rinpoche too. Both of them are my lamas.
But (my faith does not extend to) all their deeds. I
am referring to what actually happened. In a letter
written in his own hand Reting Rinpoche approved a plot
to take the life of Kyabje Taktra Rinpoche. I have seen
it myself. This is how it happened. A number of documents
were seized and among them were found letters Reting
Rinpoche had written personally to people like Nyungne
Lama in Lhasa. My late abbot himself showed them to
me. It was apparent from these letters that when Nyungne
Lama, Kharto Rinpoche and others had first sought Reting??£¤s
approval of their plans, he had repeatedly counselled
and advised them to exercise restraint. But the letters
seem to indicate that, by and by, as if to the perception
of ordinary sentient beings dependent arising had gone
wrong, Reting Rinpoche himself developed a desire to
get rid of Taktra Rinpoche. This was clear from the
documents and there is no problem in saying so.
For us Buddhists there is no contradiction
here. I don??£¤t feel at all uncomfortable about saying
this. Reting Rinpoche??£¤s hand written letter says,
???Take care that the old monk (referring to Taktra
Rinpoche) does not escape??¨¤ This is completely wrong.
I don??£¤t even try to imagine that this was correct.
Even so, I don??£¤t view these actions as a cause for
my losing faith in him. I have unwavering faith in Reting
Rinpoche. However, mistaken actions such as I recognize
as mistakes. I don??£¤t think of these as the Lama??£¤s
so called ???inestimable deeds??¨¤.
Similarly, with regard to Trijang Rinpoche,
I don??£¤t believe his behaviour in relation to Gyalchen
was correct. I don??£¤t visualise it as divine activity.
However, I don??£¤t use it as ground for losing faith
in him either. He was really such an important Lama
to me. I received immeasurable kindness from him even
when I was very small. It may seem a little boastful
if I give you this example of my strong faith in Trijang
Rinpoche. I often dream of my lamas, and in one clear
dream Kyabje Rinpoche was urinating and I was lapping
it up. So, I do have single pointed faith in him. But
the fact that I have faith in him doesn??£¤t mean that
I should have faith in everything that he did. And when
Kyabje Rinpoche was still alive, I was able to tell
him so.
Now, I belong to the line coming from
Kyabje Phabongkha, and I hold the lineage of my two
tutors. At the same time, since I sit on the throne
of the Dalai Lama, I have to carry the responsibility
of this institution on my shoulders. From this point
of view, I have said before that even Gyalchog Kalsang
Gyatso, the Seventh Dalai Lama was not fully qualified
to sit on the throne of the Dalai Lama. I said this
previously when I gave the Great Stages of Mantra teaching.
I wonder if any of you here remember? This is how it
seems to me.
Being fairly forthright person I don??£¤t
know how to be courteous and discreet. However, sometimes
I have been able to do it. For example, when dealing
with the Chinese, you have no choice, but to be conciliatory.
I worked with the Chinese for nine years in Tibet. On
those occasions when I met Mao Tsetung I flattered him
a little. Otherwise, my nature is basically frank and
open. Therefore, at this time, it is important that
you try to listen and understand the whole of what I
have said. Only then will you get my point. If, on the
other hand, you pick up only one of the many things
I have said and black out the rest, saying, ???Gyalwa
Rinpoche has broken his guru-disciple relationship,
he is this and that, and Gyalwa Rinpoche is critical
of Jamyang Shepa??¨¤, you may not fool many people,
but some people will probably be deceived.
I am just telling you how things stand.
Do you understand? Whether we are talking about Kyabje
Phabongkha Rinpoche or Trijang Rinpoche, both were inestimably
great masters. However, some of their deeds came about
as a result of the nature of their disciples and due
to their karma and merit. Therefore, since we all have
a fundamentally pure bond with each other, I have explained
these things to you in order that you will be able to
feel confident about them. It??£¤s not that I have any
personal wish to speak about them.
Now in connection with these issues,
I wanted to tell you some of the personal experiences
I have had, even though there may not be much meaning
in them. Of course, I have given a detailed account,
which you can find in books that have already been published.
From time to time I do have strange dreams. However,
I would like to recount several things that have not
been published so far. I have already described elsewhere
the dream I had when I arrived at Ganden, as a result
of which the statue of Dholgyal in the Choegyal chapel
had to be removed.
After that, when I was in France some
years ago, I had a dream one night of a white person
who was said to be Dholgyal. That white man seemed to
enter into a hollow space under the earth, something
like a house underneath the ground. After he had entered
the hole, I closed it up by completely covering it with
earth and then levelled the ground by stamping on it.
Then to one side there was an image of four-armed Mahakala.
It??£¤s faces were quite big, probably life size. Even
though it was a statue, this Mahakala and I started
wrestling with each other. As we fought the four armed
Mahakala turned into the two-armed form and it seemed
that I had won. So, it seems as if there is something
in this. Even before that, on another occasion, which
related to something to do with Kyabje Rinpoche, I had
a dream that I suspected was probably due to Dholgyal.
There was a thangka of Shel Dramsug in the background.
This too indicated something. It is mentioned in the
biography of Tulku Dakpa Gyaltsen that he had a particular
relationship with Shel and it does seem like there was
some connection there. It??£¤s quite strange. So, this
relates to my experiences with Gonpo shel.
On another occasion, some years ago,
I gave a talk about Dholgyal to the staff of the Tibetan
administration in Thekchen Choeling. As I was coming
back to my office at the end of the talk, I saw that
about ten pictures of Gonpo Shelshi (all of them photographs
of a thangka), something I have neither seen before
nor since, had been brought for consecration. It was
unprecedented then and has not been repeated. There
is a place where all the religious items people bring
for blessing are deposited. On that occasion, after
I had finished talking about Dholgyal, and as I was
coming back to the office, I saw amongst the other items
about ten conspicuous pictures of Gonpo Shel. I thought,
???Well, what??£¤s this. This is rather strange??£¤.
There was some rice nearby, so I threw some grains over
them and all ten collapsed. I thought, ???Oh, that??£¤s
good??¨¤. (Laughter)
I have received the full permission
to practise all the Mahakalas, Gonpo Shel Namqyur Chudun.
Even as a very small boy I had great faith in Gonpo
Shel and was very fond of him. Since the time of the
Omniscient Gendun Drup (the First Dalai Lama) there
has been a special relation with him and he had become
an exclusive protector (of the Dalai Lamas). I challenge
any suggestion that he is somehow crossed with me or
opposed to me over the issue of Dholgyal. I have nothing
to be afraid from Gonpo Shel, there is no reason for
me to have to give in him. (Laughter) So, this is how
it is. But this is just a digression. It seems to me
that there is some connection with Shel. But, now that
I have said that, the Dholgyal advocates will probably
start invoking him too. (Laughter) Let them do so. It
won??£¤t make any difference to me. (Laughter) Let me
boast a little. Gonpo Shel is not a fool. He will support
me and not them, because I am making a positive contribution
to the Buddha Dharma.
But I feel that if people say nasty
things to me, I don??£¤t need to bow my head, I need
to hold it high. If the other person is humble, I also
want to be humble. I think of myself as no more than
a beggar, I don??£¤t have any sense of myself as something
special. Even whenever I come across a beggar, I have
a genuine sense of being equal to, if not lower than,
him. I don??£¤t think, ???I am something??¨¤. But
when the other side acts big without reason, then it??£¤s
only right that I should act a bit tough in return.
(Laughter)
That??£¤s why, as I just mentioned,
when it is said that (my opponents) have been doing
lots of black magic, I just have to laugh. I don??£¤t
do anything about it, I don??£¤t even visualise the
protection wheel. On my part, I really have true faith
in the Buddha dharma and the most compassionate Buddha.
I really have true faith. I told the government staff
that I have a pure refuge in my continuum. When I generate
faith in the precious Dharma, I generate real faith
in the precious Buddha. And I also have genuine faith
in the qualified followers of the Buddha. The statement
that if you have pure refuge, you will not be harmed
either by humans or non-humans, is definitive. There
is no need to qualify it as definitive or subject to
interpretation or to explain it through the method of
six extremes and four systems, is it?
So, when I hear that people are provoking
others to behave negatively or are behaving negatively
themselves, my response is that they will make their
mouths hurt and tire themselves out. I have heard, for
example, that they are blowing the long horn very hard,
but I can??£¤t see much point in that.
So, I was talking about one of my dreams.
Later, on another occasion, we were performing a ritual
of Hayagriva. It was not particularly aimed at Dholgyal.
The aim was to destroy anything, be it human, non-human,
a lama, a deity or a ghost. That harms the Dharma and
the just cause of Tibet. Whatever it is, it should be
eliminated. It can??£¤t be helped. One night during
the period when we were conducting this ritual, I dreamt
that I was sitting on my bed. Beside my bed was a small
boy, about seven or eight years old, whom I took to
be Dholgyal. This boy was holding my right hand. When
I looked again, I saw that where he held my hand the
boy??£¤s fingernails were changing into claws and he
was extending them. I was annoyed, grabbed the child
by the neck and strangled him. My visualisation of myself
as Hayagriva and my sense of divine pride were very
clear. While still maintaining this clear vision and
divine pride, I took the child in my hands, rubbed it
between my palms and swallowed it. It was a very clear
dream. Then I awoke. And as I awoke I was still in the
process of swallowing. The thought went through my mind,
???Strange, how could something the size of a small
boy squeeze down my throat??¨¤. (Laughter) That was
because my ordinary perception had begun to arise again.
Previously I had been experiencing clear vision and
divine pride, but immediately on awakening, ordinary
preconceptions arose again. Consequently, I asked myself,
???How could this happen???¨¤ So, this was another
incident.
Then, last year, we went to Drepung
and stayed there for two or three days. After that I
stayed at Ganden for one or two days. Isn??£¤t that
right? So, it was during that time, on the night of
my arrival at Ganden, that I had a dream of somewhere
like Dungkar monastery in Dromo. Generally, whenever
I have dreams connected to Dholgyal, I dream of Dungkar
monastery. I think that??£¤s because I first encountered
him Dungkar monastery. It seemed like Dungkar monastery
and I thought it was Dungkar monastery. But in appearance
it wasn??£¤t actually Dungkar monastery. There was a
huge hall. I was on the middle floor. There was also
a huge wall. And in order to go down to the hall from
the middle floor you had climb down a ladder.
As I went down the ladder, there were
people on either side whose flesh and blood had completely
dried up, just like the lumps of dried meat (thukpai
dhor) half infested by worms, which we put in the thukpa
at the time of the Great Prayer Festival in the Tsuglagkhang
in Lhasa. In the past, there used to be a meat shop
at the Tsuklagkhang, behind what was known as the Simchung
Labrang. I used to watch what was going on down there
and I have seen the chunks of meat on display. It was
all dried meat. There was no red meat, it was all completely
dried out and yellow looking. So, it was as if these
people had only their skins left, which looked very
like the dried meat served during the Great Prayer Festival.
They looked so miserable. They were cutting pieces of
dry flesh off their bodies with a knife and eating them.
Then, on the floor of the hall, there was a huge thangka
of Gyalchen laid out.
These people looked so appalling. I
felt very distressed and disturbed, and wondered, ???How
can I help them???¨¤ but there was nothing much I
could do. Then it occurred to me that it might help
them if they heard the sound of ??Manis??£¤ in their
ears, With strong compassion I recited ???Om Mani Padme
Hum??¨¤ about three times, after which I woke up.
At the same time, as I passed down between these emaciated
people, I became aware of a strong, very strange smell.
A long time ago I dreamt of Kyabje Zemey Rinpoche and
in that dream I smelled the same smell. That was twenty
years ago. The two smells were just the same. Although
id didn??£¤t recognise this while I was actually dreaming,
as soon as I woke up I realised that the two smells
were the same. So, there was something strange going
on there. These are just instances from my personal
experience, so there??£¤s nothing reliable about them.
However, I sometimes wonder if some of them don??£¤t
have some significance. Anyway, I have simply told you
about them.
Now, another thing that I have talked
about before, and which you can read about in the books
that we have put out, is how to approach practice in
relation to worldly spirits (arrogant ones) Regardless
of what (the nature or status) of a particular deity
is in definitive terms, if it manifests as a worldly
spirit, it must be dealt with care. The way to relate
to it and the meaning of a worldly spirit??£¤s ??life
entrustment??£¤ (srog-gtad) is that the worldly spirit
puts its life at the yogi??£¤s command and the yogi
controls the worldly spirit. It is not that the yogi
put his life at the command of the worldly spirit. Look
at how Gyalchen practitioners behave these days. They
say, ???I have received the ??life entrustment??£¤ ???and
act like as if they have given their entire body, speech
and mind over to a worldly spirit. They say with great
fear, ???If I break (my commitment to perform) the monthly
propitiation ceremony to him, he will harm me.??¨¤
They have got things totally out of perspective.
First of all you have to reach a confident
state of realisation. I told Trijang Rinpoche this last
year. There is no need (for him) to be hasty at the
moment. First, Rinpoche should study the scriptures
well and from time to time, he should do authentic retreats.
Dholgyal is something with whom Rinpoche has a connection
from past lives, and when the time comes, when Rinpoche??£¤s
personal realization reaches maturity, I will decide
through ??dough-ball??£¤ divination whether he should
take up the practice. And if the divination indicates
that Rinpoche should do the practice, then, if Rinpoche
has acquired a degree of inner confidence and realisation,
it will be perfectly all right. But there really is
no hurry. So, this is how you should proceed. This is
what qualified practitioners do. For example, it doesn??£¤t
look as if the Sakya lamas have submitted themselves
to Dholgyal.
By the way, Kalu Rinpoche once told
me a story. He had gone on pilgrimage to Sakya. As he
visited the Protector Chapels at Sakya, one by one,
the caretaker who was showing him round, rather casually
explained the stories of the chapels and the images
they contained. However, when they reached the entrance
of one chapel the caretaker removed his shoes, made
three prostrations and with great reverence, explained
the story associated with it. It turned out that the
chapel belonged to Dholgyal. So, it seems that that
Sakya caretaker also regarded Dholgyal as holier than
the Buddha. What a caretaker? But he was only doing
what we all do. Usually, when we see a statue of the
Buddha, all we feel and say is ???I go for refuge to
you??¨¤, that??£¤s all. We don??£¤t think, ???the
Buddha might disturb my dreams??¨¤ or ???the Buddha
might harm me??¨¤ or ???do something to me??¨¤.
On the other hand if we see a deity snarling with bared
fangs, and if the chapel is dark, or there are paintings
of an entire human skin with its four limbs and head
spread out, we feel, ???Oh, this might harm me.??¨¤
We are afraid, thinking, ???If I don??£¤t act respectfully
it might harm me.??¨¤
We shouldn??£¤t do this, it??£¤s foolish.
As Buddhists we should not do such things. Should we?
Who should we be afraid of? We should be afraid of (offending)
the Buddha. Who should we turn to for refuge? We should
seek refuge in the Buddha. He is the one we weep before.
(His Holiness weeps) The Buddha is really great. Incredible.
Apart from him, whom can we rely upon?
Je Rinpoche was someone who practised
the sevenfold deities and dharmas of the Kadampa tradition.
He added the three deities, Guhyasamaja, Chakrasamvara
and Yamantaka to Atisha??£¤s Stages of the Path. It??£¤s
very good if we can do that too. It??£¤s the right thing
to do. Je Rinpoche saw that it was important and introduced
the tradition. So, it must be right. Since, Tsongkhapa
approved it, it must be right. Yes, of course. And with
regard to protectors, he appointed Mahakala and Dharmaraja.
If we keep increasing the number of protectors in addition
to them, it??£¤s wrong. There is no need for that. There
is a danger of the dharma becoming distorted. That really
would be a shame. Therefore, a real holder of Tsongkhapa??£¤s
tradition should supplement the ???Stages of the Path
of the Three Beings??¨¤ with the practices of the
three meditational deities Guhyasamaja, Chakrasamvara
and Yamantaka. And if you really feel you need a dharma
protector you can take the Six Arm Mahakala and Kalarupa.
There is no need for any others besides these two.
Now, in my case, since the time of
Gyalwang Gedun Drub, a special relationship developed
with Palden Lhamo. And from the time of Gyalwa Gedun
Gyatso and Sonam Gyatso a special relationship developed
with Nechung due to his connection with Drepung. Even
though Gyalwa Rinpoche (the Dalai Lama) was originally
from Tashi Lhunpo, later, after he had become a Drepung
lama he became connected to Nechung. So, it is due to
my connection with the Tibetan Government and my responsibility
within the Tibetan Government that I too maintain this
relationship. Simply as a Buddhist monk and a practitioner
of the Kadampa lineage, I wouldn??£¤t need to do the
practice of any deity, not even Palden Lhamo. Would
I? But, this is how things stand.
So, it is only the Buddha whom we should
be afraid of offending and whom we should rely on from
the heart. It is as if we think the Buddha has no power
to perform any effective activity. When we recite the
Ornament for Clear Realisation whom do we point to when
we recite the part on the ??twenty-seven activities??£¤?
It is as if these have no effect at all. If you offer
a ?????? or a ritual cake, you think you are seeking
the protector??£¤s help. You think that whatever you
are doing will be successful that your business will
be successful. How sad. Look at the state of our sense
of refuge. Isn??£¤t it important that we should think
more carefully? Don??£¤t you think so? As followers
of the Buddha, and as followers of this extraordinarily
pure new Kadampa tradition, introduced so remarkable
by Je Rinpoche, we should be properly qualified and
worthy of it. When we claim to be followers of the pure
Kadampa tradition, but in practice if we propitiate
deities and ghosts it is totally wrong. This is one
reason why I have stopped the practice of Shugden practice.
Another reason is that it is clear that from the time
of the Fifth Dalai Lama this deity was not on good terms
with the Ganden Phodrang government (of Tibet). It had
to be stopped for this reason too.
And the third reason is that it should
be possible for all different schools of tenets in general
and in particular the four major schools of Tibetan
Buddhism (Gelug) Sakya, Kagyu, and Nyingma - to be incorporated
into the spiritual practice of a single individual.
This would really be a remarkable thing, a tribute to
the glory and beauty of the dharma. This is something
I am striving to achieve. Let me tell you a story. Previously,
when the late Kunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen was alive, I
once consulted Yongzin (Ling) Rinpoche (about the fact)
that the Kunu Lama Rinpoche possessed the transmission
of the Essence of Secret Tantra (Gyu Sangwang Nyingpo).
I said, ???I am wondering whether or not I should receive
this transmission from him??¨¤. His answer was that
it was probably better for the time being if I were
to defer it. ???It wouldn??£¤t be so good??¨¤ he said.
Yongzin Rinpoche was concerned that if I received such
Nyingma teachings, Dholgyal might harm me. (Laughter)
There were such strong preconceptions at that time.
Later, when the Dholgyal issue had blown up ?
Now, let me tell you a little about
Yongzin (Ling) Rinpoche. Until I started restricting
the practice of Dholgyal, he never said anything to
me about it. He remained silent and very cautious. Once
I started restricting it, Yongzin Rinpoche said, ???Yes,
you have done the right thing??¨¤. In his own case
he told me that, usually, whenever he asked Kyabje Phabongkha
Rinpoche questions on different topics, whatever answer
he received, he always felt from the depth of his heart,
???Of course, this is really the only truth, of course,??¨¤
as if the answer had come from the Buddha??£¤s own lips.
He had complete conviction. Then, one day, Yongzin Rinpoche
asked Kyabje Phabongkha Rinpoche about Dholgyal. He
reported that it was being said that those who had a
relationship with Nechung should not maintain a relationship
with Dholgyal, because it is said that Nechung and Dholgyal
are not on good terms. He asked what the truth might
be.
Phabongkha Rinpoche replied, ???This
can??£¤t be true at all, because Dholgyal actually
came into existence at Nechung??£¤s instigation. So,
Nechung, being the one who prompted his emergence,
such a conflict isn??£¤t possible.??¨¤ Even though
that was Phabongkha??£¤s answer, on this issue, for
whatever reason, in his heart Yongzin Rinpoche didn??£¤t
feel ???Yes, this is the truth,??¨¤ as he usually
did. Somehow, the question ???What??£¤s the answer
to this???¨¤ lingered on in his mind. This is what
he told me and that was the situation. But this is
just a digression.
Dholgyal practitioners say that Panchen
Tenpai Wangchuk, the eighth Panchen Lama, practised
Nyingma teachings and consequently was destroyed by
Gyalchen. Reting Rinpoche also did Nyingma practices
and was also destroyed. This is what is often said.
It is also said that many other lamas were similarly
destroyed by Dholgyal. This sort of thing scares people.
In India too, at Orissa and other places, first Song
Rinpoche visited them and gave teachings on Dholgyal.
After that, those who did the practice of Dholgyal
became scared and took books like the Padma K??£¤a-thang
(the pronouncements of Padmasambhava) out of their
houses and in some cases even threw them away. Some
gave them away to their neighbours. Similar incidents
have happened elsewhere. These are the true facts,
not just things that were made up. People who actually
witnessed these events are stilt alive.
People usually say that in general
Gelugpas are not allowed to become Nyingmas and, in
particular, once people start propitiating Dholgyal,
if they engage in Nyingma practices, Dholgyal will
destroy them. So, when they say this, they are taking
exactly the opposite line to what I say - ???We should
try to practice all the four traditions in a complete
form within one single physical basis??¨¤. This
attitude poses an obstacle to my efforts to try to
introduce this good example. Therefore, I have had
to put a stop to it.
Now, let me talk about how I have
gone about stopping it. To begin with, in the past,
when even I was not aware of the issues involved.
I too did this (Dholgyal) practice. Later, when
I recognised the very negative aspects of doing
so, I gave it up. I have described howl gave up
the practice in books that have already been published.
I gave it up after proper consultation, but without
making a lot of fuss. However, I didn??£¤t immediately
make my decision public. In due course, though,
after I had received a request for a divination
about certain matters related to Ganden Jangtse
monastery, I had to make things clear.
But the main reason I had to start
to raise this issue was because of the controversy
that erupted out of the book The Ambrosia That Flowed
From the Mouth of the Heroic L.ama Father (Phagoe
Lamai Shel ghi Dhu Tsi) by Zedme Rinpoche. Some
people say that there is contradiction between what
His Holiness said earlier and later. Of course,
there is a contradiction. But the reason for it
is that at first I thought that if a person wanted
to do this practice personally it would be all right,
so long as he or she didn??£¤t do so over elaborately.
That was what I declared. I said, ???Don??£¤t do
the practice in relation to the Gaden Phodrang.??¨¤
That was what I said and many people listened to
me.
And yet, many others did not pay
heed to what I said. For example, in Pompora Khangtsen
in Sera, they have stuck their necks right out.
They are continuing the practice with great extravagance.
Another example is Gaden
Shartse monastery***
[ *** Note:
The Gaden Shartse Monastery established official
branches in a few countries including one center
in Singapore ]
When people say this kind of thing,
it is as if all that I have given so much thought
to, all that I have investigated, analysed and come
to decisions about over the years is being distorted
and made ineffectual. But what I have started I
will have to finish. Won??£¤t I? Usually you have
to consider whether something is worth doing or
not. If you conclude that it is worthwhile, then
even if it is going to take three aeons to complete,
you should see the task through to the end. Likewise,
whatever the task might be, if it is a proper and
important that it be done, then once you have begun
you should complete it, shouldn??£¤t you?
They came to kill people and kill
they did. But I will pursue this issue through to
the end. I can??£¤t back away from it now. Therefore,
since my initial attempt was not sufficiently effective
and has not produced the desired result, I have
had to be stricter in my restrictions. From the
outset, my reasons for restricting (this practice)
were in the hope that it might be of some help.
It wasn??£¤t for any personal reasons of my own.
Arid since my initial approach was not effective
enough I have had to apply stronger measures. So,
this is how things have come about. It??£¤s not
as if I suddenly heard something and responded immediately
without further thought. Neither did I act in order
to please a particular faction. This is how things
came about.
The Gyalchen organisation has been
fiercely critical of me and has poured abuse on
me, but it doesn??£¤t affect me. On the night when
people were murdered, I did feel suddenly afraid.
I felt a little angry too. But then thinking it
over again I thought, ???If it was the Chinese who
were killing people, we wouldn??£¤t be very surprised.
But here we have people who generally claim to be
followers of the Buddha. In particular, they claim
that what they are doing is for the sake of Jamgon
Lama (Tsongkhapa)
At the time, I felt quite disturbed.
But thinking it over again, I though, ???What a
tragedy? These people were completely under the
sway of ignorance. They were totally and grossly
enthralled by ignorance. They were totally under
the control of gross disturbing emotions.??¨¤
I felt great compassion. And as a result of compassion
my fear was gone and so had my anger. I felt totally
relaxed. However, as I said earlier, if somebody
were to come at me with a knife, I wouldn??£¤t stay
where I was feeling compassion. I would run away,
just as I did when I was a child, when once I was
chased by a nomad??£¤s dog. But maybe now, since
I am old, I would not be able to run as fast as
I did then. At least, I could run a little way.
So, I felt thoroughly at ease.
Later I came to know that people were worried and
saying things like, ???Gyalwa Rinpoche??£¤s heart
is broken. He feels so sad and so on.??¨¤ Then,
after what I said to Tibetans in New York about
my reincarnation, people??£¤s suspicions were further
rose like the saying, ???the inauspicious sign and
the cock??£¤s crow coincide.??¨¤ And when I recently
gave Bhikkshu ordination to many people, that created
even more suspicion. But this is just pointless
speculation. As you all know, from our meetings
together over the last few days, I am totally at
ease and free from worry. I don??£¤t mind how many
problems I face. They give me good opportunities
to practise patience. In fact, this is howl felt
when the troubles occurred. It causes much more
distress when we fight amongst ourselves than when
the Chinese yell at us. So, to be able to practise
patience towards something that hurts more is the
greater opportunity. I often teach the Guide to
the Bodhisattva??£¤
Anyway, since my first attempt
(to contain this practice) was not effective, I
have had to reinforce it. In the future too, until
I am no more, I will continue on this course and
follow it through to the end. I will not stop halfway
through.
Recently, during one of my meetings
with people newly arrived from Tibet, I had of chance
of talking to them a little about it. There were
quite a lot of monks among that group and quite
a number of them were bound for the three ??Seats
of Learning??£¤. I asked if any of them were going
to Sera Med or Shartse. Some, about two to each
monastery, answered, ???Yes??¨¤. I reminded them
that when they came from Tibet to India, they came
with very a pure motivation and intention to study.
I said, ???You didn??£¤t come here to kill people.
But now you are here, you may find people will tell
you something different. Particularly with regard
to Dholgyal, you may come across many troublemakers.
Nevertheless you should do your best and study well.
You must be alert and try to understand these issues
properly.??¨¤
The reason I said this is that
after months and months of inquiries, the Indian
police identified a group of six people who they
suspected of having killed (Gen Lobsang Gyatso and
his two students). They have concluded that all
six have since returned to Tibet. Among the group
were a couple of monks from the Pompora Khamtsen
at Sera Med and a couple more from Ganden Dhokhang
Khamtsen. The majority were Chatrengpas, one was
from Lithang and couple were from elsewhere. They
were all relatively newly arrived from Tibet. So,
when we look at it from this angle, it is also very
saddening, isn??£¤t it? A few newcomers from Tibet,
who didn??£¤t know anything, were deceived either
with money or misinformation. It was done in a really
poor way. However it was done, these people were
deceived. It is really a disgrace.
What??£¤s more, it??£¤s being said
that, some of the Shugden supporters have met again
recently to discuss what steps to take against those
people who continue to speak out against them. I
don??£¤t know whether this is true, this is what
I have heard. Shortly after people were killed in
Dharamsala, letters were posted which said, ???We
have offered three chunks of meat for Losar, we
have still more to offer.??¨¤ See how callous
they are. Disturbing emotions are really so disgusting.
This kind of behaviour should really be blamed on
disturbing emotions, not on the human beings. But
if we don??£¤t take care of people who are under
the sway of disturbing emotions it is also no good.
So, (what I have said) is just
for clarification. You must try to understand these
issues, but there is no need to whip up a storm.
There is no need to go out and abuse others, nor
should you go out to fight. Just keep these things
in mind and if it occasionally seems as if some
people are being misled or are confused and if it
seems that if you were to explain matters the other
person would understand, then explain things clearly.
Understand? It is important that people are not
duped.
But, on the other hand, if it seems
that the person won??£¤t listen even if you explain,
then there is no point in insisting. People have
different natures and dispositions. Everyone has
his or her own views. But, from our side, we should
be careful. We should always remain alert and listen
and check what different sorts of things they are
doing. But, beyond that, there is no need to insist
or take any other action. Understand?
The present abbot of Sera Med,
the acting abbot and the abbot of Shartse and the
abbot of Jangtse are all here. You have all done
as much as you could. I know only too well under
what pressure you have been working. But some may
still be feeling, ???Since Gyalwa Rinpoche didn??£¤t
leave things as they were all these unnecessary
things have occurred.??¨¤ This was something that
had to be done. It is not as if Lamas in the past
said what they did for no reason at all. It is also
something that I have had to do even though I had
no wish to do so.
Now, think. I first started placing
restrictions on Dholgyal about seventeen or eighteen
years ago. If, to begin with, I had been firmer,
it is possible that by this time there would not
be much problem. To be frank, Kalsang Gyatso was
not well established in England at that time. Twenty
years ago too, Sera Med??£¤s Gangchen Lama, was
not well established either. Now, I am being quite
clear about it. Similarly, twenty years ago, Gonsar
Rinpoche was yet to put down any roots. Likewise,
Yongkyab Rinpoche of Sera Med and Serkong Tritul
from Ganden Jangtse. It is they who are presently
spearheading (the opposition). So, if we had imposed
strict restrictions twenty years ago and implemented
them effectively, we would not have these problems
now.
However, since the restrictions
we made nearly twenty years ago were ineffective,
even though we did try, this whole mess has occurred.
But imagine what would happen if yet another ten
or twenty years were to pass (without taking action).
If this were something that did not need to be restricted
to start with, I would not have done so, and if
I had I would have been wrong. But it is quite clear
that something had to be done, whether you look
at it from the point of view of accounts of the
past, or the real situation at present, or from
personal experiences. Whatever angle you look at
it from, something had to be done. Therefore, the
restrictions that I started to impose about two
years ago actually came a bit late rather than too
early. Once something like this has started, it
is like a disease. When a large tumour has already
grown, it will be painful to cut it out. It won??£¤t
be easy. However, if the tumour is not removed,
it can threaten your life. Therefore, it is vital
that it should be removed.
In my position I have some responsibility
for the doctrine of Buddhism in general and the
tradition of Jamgon Lama Tsongkhapa in particular.
Secondly, I have some responsibility for the Ganden
Phodrang (government of Tibet). The great majority
of the Tibetan people rely on me. That??£¤s why
(I can??£¤t accommodate) someone who is not on good
terms with Kalarupa, Palden Lhamo, or the Five Brother
Kings, someone the Great Fifth Dalai Lama recognised
as a perfidious spirit who had broken his pledges,
who was also recognised as perfidious spirit by
Lamas such as Phurchog Ngawang Tampa and Trichen
Ngawang Chokdhen, both of whom were crystal clear
Gelugpas whose word must be accepted as true. In
the eyes of ordinary sentient beings, Kyabje Phabongkha
Rinpoche was really an inestimably great master,
but next to these great masters there??£¤s just
no comparison, is there?
Now, if someone were able to apply
reasoning and support their case with citations
from the scriptures, if they were able to interpret
the meaning of past lamas??£¤ statements with complete
clarity, if they were able to state categorically
???Yes, this is what this means, he said this with
such and such purpose in mind, the reason for this
is so and so...??? and prove things clearly and
logically to the extent that we could feel quite
convinced, then it would be a different matter.
Otherwise, if you fail to meet such conditions,
and still claim, without being able to offer a credible
explanation, that (Dholgyal) is a great Dharma protector
of Je Tsongkhapa??£¤s tradition, it will be really
difficult to accept. Therefore, I am trying to put
into practice what many great Lamas of the past
have said. You too should keep these matters in
mind. Up to this point, with a few exceptions, most
of you did the best you could. All of you, whether
you are members of the Three Seats of Learning or
the general public, and also you serving and retired
abbots, senior Lamas and Geshes, understanding the
vital reasons have acted without mistake. I am really
very happy. Thank you very much.
One reason I am saying all this
is that whatever the reality may be, it is difficult
to say that Dholgyal deliberately harbours ill will
in his heart. When I first came to know him in Dromo.
I found him to be quite impressive. In personal
terms, he showed me great fondness and respect.
However, as I have said elsewhere on other occasions,
he seems to be like certain human beings for whom,
no matter what they are involved with, even though
their motivation is good, things start going wrong
and turn out inauspiciously. This is how it is with
Dholgyal. It is due either to negative prayers he
made in past lives or due to some incident of negative
interdependent origination. Such things happen and
this is possible. Consequently, since this issue
relates to the religious and temporal affairs of
Tibet as a whole, and since I have responsibility
for them, I had to take up this task. I couldn??£¤t
just turn away from it on the grounds that it was
complicated and would be difficult to resolve in
the short term. Since it is a matter closely related
both to the Dharma and to our temporal affairs in
general, it is an important issue. This is why it
had to be done.
It is such a shame. Recently, lamas
residing in Europe put together quite a strongly
worded resolution as a result of a meeting they
convened last year. I was also sent a letter. They
have said, ???During this generation the Gelugpa
tradition has reached point where it faces the danger
of decline. A time has come when Lamas and disciples
are not on good terms, and parents and children
are not on good terms.??¨¤ This is what they have
written. And the person who is responsible for all
this is me. (laughs) Some people even say that Gyalwa
Rinpoche has actually taken birth in order to destroy
the Gelugpa tradition. A long time ago, very long
ago, poor Alo Choenze said that the fourteenth Dalai
Lama had taken birth in order to destroy Buddhism
in general and the tradition of Jamgon Lama Tsongkhapa
Chenpo, in particular. And at the end he wrote:
O, mighty King of the Yamas along with your retinue of followers, Destroy this man who harm the Dharma
of Atisha and Lobsang Drakpa
(His Holiness jokes: Destroy this Amdo boy called
Lhamo Dhondup, who harms the Dharma),
And look after the Dharma and those who uphold it as if they were your own son. Poor Alo Choenze. He was like that
by nature. Before he died, not long ago, he also
fell out with his own daughter. Recently, when I
visited Australia she was totally disillusioned
with her father. She told me, ???He was such a bad
man. I told him, ??You are not my father??£¤ and
we quarrelled a lot. As grounds for telling him
he was not my father, I said, ??My face doesn??£¤t
look like yours. My nature is not like yours. So,
you are not my father.??¨¤ How sad, it is just
a sorry state of affairs and nothing more. Not all,
but some of the Lamas in Europe are like that too.
You should be aware of these things, but there is
no need to rush out and get angry with them. But,
it??£¤s important to be aware of what??£¤s going
on.
My main worry now is the young
reincarnation of Trijang Rinpoche. Since (the opposition)
have not been able to bring about any effect through
other means, they are saying that His Holiness is
condemning Kyabje Phabongkha Rinpoche and Kyabje
Trijang Rinpoche. Since, I am (apparently) principally
motivated by contempt for these two Lamas, I have
just been using Dholgyal as the excuse. You please
check whether or not this is true.
My own stand is that these people
are now proving to be the real living perfidious
spirits. It??£¤s just such a shame. Last year, when
I conferred the Guhyasamaja initiation during the
inauguration of the new prayer hall of Gyutoe monastery,
I wished very strongly that Trijang Rinpoche could
also have been there. Some of you who were there
at the time might remember this. Ling Rinpoche was
there. I had instructed him to come especially for
that purpose from South India. Both Ling Rinpoche
and Trijang Rinpoche were graduates of Gyutoe, the
Upper Tantric College, and since the College had
built a new hall and I was giving an initiation
there, I wanted to do it in the best possible way.
So, I conferred the initiation according to the
sand mandala and very much wished that both the
young reincarnations could be present.
But Trijang Rinpoche was not able
to attend. And then again recently, when Lati Rinpoche
departed for the West, I told him, ???There??£¤s
no need to say this to many people just now, but,
since Trijang Rinpoche plans to return to India
at the end of September it is important that he
should do so. Since I am giving some teachings around
that time, it would be really good if he could attend
them. I am expecting to confer the initiation of
the Sixteen Drops of the Kadamapas for that first
time on that occasion and it would be very good
if could give it to Kyabje Rinpoche??£¤s reincarnation
at that time. If that were possible, it would be
a really auspicious way for me to repay the kindness
of my lama. It would be really very good. But there
is no need to spread this about just now, as that
may give rise to obstacles.??¨¤
I also recently had a talk about
this with the abbot of Shartse College when he came
to see me for the first time after he was appointed
abbot, I told him too that this is roughly what
I had planned. That was my initial plan. However,
things didn??£¤t work out as I wished and there
is nothing much to be done.
I am sorry that I have talked so
much. I have told you all this in order that all
of you will feel easy about these things. Probably,
if you feel at ease, Dharma Raja will also feel
at ease. This is all right because if we reach a
time when Dharma Raja has become old and useless,
then maybe the Gelugpas will need a new protector.
Otherwise, there is no need for anybody else. I
think the curved knife and the skull club of Dharma
Raja definitely have some power. I am sure Je Rinpoche
would have have given responsibility for protecting
his tradition to someone who was qualified for the
task. It??£¤s just not feasible that Je Rinpoche
would have placed it in the hands of somebody who
was incapable.
If we rely single pointedly on
Six Armed Mahakala and Dharma Raja and seek their
support, then, although I can??£¤t say whether you
will receive immediate help with matters like business,
with regard to more important things, I think they
are infallible. If you are dealing with (thebs rang)
those spirits who are said to have very small bodies,
but who help people accumulate wealth, and you make
them small ritual cake offerings, it is possible
that your business will be more successful. But,
these deities, (Six Armed Mahakala and Dharma Raja)
are only concerned with important and essential
issues, so there is no room for fallibility.
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