Subject: [CASonline] "Preserve" the Ganden Trisur: the Dalai Lama
 
       

 
 

Dearest Friends @ CAS,

 18 days after showing the Great Passing, the 100th Ganden Trisur Rinpoche is still in "Thukdam": the deepest meditative state some of the greatest practitioners engaged in after clinical death.  We received news from Rinpoche's attendant that HH the Dalai Lama has decided that Trisur Rinpoche's holy body will not be cremated but will instead be kept intact, keeping the body whole and complete, through very esoteric processes.The great Je Tzongkhapa's holy body was kept as such through highly sacred embalming processes and when the communists sacrileged Tzongkhapa's tomb in Ganden monastery, hairs and nails of Tzongkhapa were observed still growing. Trisur Rinpoche will be the only Ganden Tripa after Je Tzongkhapa in-exile besides Ling Rinpoche ( the 97th Ganden Tripa and the Dalai Lama's Root Teacher ) whose sacred body will be preserved whole as a "Mar-Dung" or sacred relic.  The Dalai Lama's decision was understood to be an implicit recognition of the Ganden Trisur's inconceivably high state of realisation as well as the Ganden Trisur's inseparable-association with Je Tzongkhapa. In the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages, the veteran Masters whose remains were preserved as "Mar-Dung", were the late Nyingma Head: Dudjom Rinpoche and the late Kalu Rinpoche.  This, then, is the update on the great 100th Throne Holder of the Gelugpa Order, CAS's Root Teacher, Jetsun Lobsang Nyima Pal Sangpo.
 
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Connection to the Ganden Trisur
 
Through the kindness of students of Kyabje Trulshig Rinpoche, one of the greatest Nyingma Masters alive today, CAS has bathed the most holy stupa, the Boudhanath, in Nepal wih thousands upon thousands upon thousands of butter lamps for more than 10 days in memory of our precious Root Lama.
 
We felt deeply sad that many of CAS's new friends have not been able to meet Trisur Rinpoche.  
 
If you will want to share in making precious connection to Trisur Rinpoche: "one of Tibet's greatest Masters" ( quoting the Tibetan Ministry of Religion and Culture in-exile ) you may send your offerings of any amount through the usual channels: http://casotac.com/modes.html 
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The Great Kyabje Trulshig's Advice  Kyabje Trulshig Rinpoche is one of the Dalai Lama's Nyingma Teachers and has exchanged transmissions with our Teacher. They have always paid courtesy calls on each other whenever they were physically in the same town.  Our Teacher has instructed that CAS's students and friends in the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala that we "should simply do and follow whatever Kyabje Trulshig Rinpoche advises".  CAS's ordianed former secretary is now with Kyabje Trulshig at the foot of Mount Everest and through hazardous though clear connections, He relates what Trulshig Rinpoche is advising: all students of the Ganden Trisur should recite as many times as possible "The King of Aspirations" of Lord Samantabhadra and the 100 Syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva. For good and blessings of our friends @ CAS, we "should simply do and follow" !!   bb & all Friends    @ CAS belonging to the Human Manifestation of the Great Je Tzongkahapa: the 100th Ganden Trisur  
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The Update/s

 

Our Noble Master : Most Venerable Drikung Ontrul

 

As all of you will probably have noticed, CASonline's usual format has been disrupted due to our highlighting special articles related to our Root Teacher.

 

We are now "back with more goodness" !!

 

Afterall, the Most Venerable Drikung Ontrul, one of CAS's closest Teachers has alighted so close to us within 4 hours of wheel-rolling. In less than 30 days, Most Venerable Master will grace CAS with His great, noble presence and is scheduled to bestow the following rain of Dharma:

 

31 October : 7 pm to 10 pm: Empowerment of the 100 Deities in Lord Hayagriva.

 

1 November : 2 pm to 5 pm: Empowerment of the 'Demon Subduing King' **

( ** Students must have at least attended a previous tantric empowerment before ).

1 November: 7 pm to 10 pm: Instructions on the 'Demon Subduing King' ( Session I )  

( Session I is open to the general public )

 

2 November: 2 pm to 5 pm: Instructions on the 'Demon Subduing King' ( Session II )

2 November: 7 pm to 10 pm: Instructions on the 'Demon Subduing King' ( Session III )

( Sessions II and III should only be attended by serious practitioners )

 

3 November : 7 pm to 10 pm: Empowerment of the Yangzab Dzogchen Protectors: Ekajati / Rahula / Dorje Legpa.

( This empowerment should only be attended by serious practitioners ).

 

Students requesting for the texts of the programme should email bb @ CAS: contact@casotac.com before 23 October, mid-night. The texts will only be made available to students intending to practice sincerely.

 

The venue remains in the Cultural Room of Ngee Ann Cultural Centre, 97, Tank Road Teochew Building.    

 

Due to horrifyingly bad internet connections at the venue, we are hesitating to offer webcast of the programme but we will try to video archive the entire event.

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Flower Devotion

 

The flowers potted outside the Ganden Trisur's residence in Singapore has again wrought their devotion as of 14 September, the date of Rinpoche's showing the Great Passing. Our neighbours have gotten used to the flowery flourishes whenever our "Old Teacher" visits.

 

This time, our neighbour again innocently enquired, "Is your Old Teacher here again?" We nodded and told him, "Yes."  

 

 

Drepung's "Best Teachers" & a Drikung Khenpo launched

 

Geshe Namgyal Wangchen 

A prime teacher of Ling Rinpohce Yangsi ( the incarnation of the Dalai Lama's Root Teacher ), Geshe Wangchen-la taught the crazily fortunate beings @ CAS when we visited Him and the Ganden Trisur in Drepung Loseling in June 2008.

 

The Video-Teaching to watch, to keep in heart and to keep for posterity.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=686208686289726146&hl=en

 

We are contemplating according Gen Wangchen's teaching above on the " Three Principle Aspects of the Path" 'compulsory-watching' for new friends @ CAS.

 

No students of any lineages can qualify for any tantric practice or in fact to be known as a Buddhist practitioner with any of these Three Principle Aspects missing from their lives. Although we do hate to talk miracles, it will be steep to defend the position of hiding our teachers' good qualities under quaint wraps. So, we speak here of Gen Wangchen: He is one whose holy feet the Neching Oracle's crown touched again and again in humble devotion. He is one whom the Dalai Lama spoke often as 'one of the best teachers alive'. He is one whom many gods and deities visited  ( like CAS's Root Teacher, the Ganden Trisur ) and make offerings when He teaches. He is a prime teacher of Ling Rinpoche Yangsi ( the Dalai Lama's Root Teacher incarnated ). He is one whose teachings literally heaps of thousands of the Bodhisattva Sangha of all of Gelugpa's Three Great Monasteries listened and practiced ( through direct personal contact in Drepung and via hundreds of audio CDs in Sera and Ganden )­

( Hey, hey !! )

 

These much we know and affirmed.

 

To glimpse a tiny bit of Gen Wangchen: http://www.loselingmonastery.org/index.php?id=55&type=p

 

The other precious video archives

 

The Loseling Khensur, Gen Lobsang Gyamtso, teaches on the Vows: "Roots to Buddhahood".  The Drikung Principal teaches on Samantabhadra's "King of Aspirations".

 

CAS's noble "Lords of Information Technology": james, james ( there are two of them ), rabbit ( the naughty one ) and hosts of other unseen beings have finally launched fat slabs of some of the Buddha's most precious Dharma:

-          The Pratimoksha Vows

-          The Bodhisattva Vows  

-          The Tantric Vows

-          Dependent-Arising or "Emptiness"

 

All these and more @ CAS¡¯s Audio Library: http://www.casotac.com/audio.html

 

 

"The Sure-Steps to Enlightenment."

( Meditation on the Lam Rim - rough, authentic notes. )

 

TOPIC FOUR

 

Refuge

 

[ Note: In relation to the first Lam Rim Topic which we should have gained some confidence and firmness of experience, it will carry deeper blessings, maturity and impressions to begin each sub-topic: A, B C and so on with "Our perfect Teacher teaches that ....." ] 

 

A

The Precious Guru

( This sub-topic A is relevant mainly to only students of the Vajrayana tradition )

"Our perfect Teacher teaches that ....."

The precious Teacher embodies the Buddhas, the Dharma and the Sangha.

The qualified Teacher's holy mind rests in perfect Compassion and Wisdom non-dual: this is the Buddha.

The qualified Teacher's holy speech speaks only the Dharma and every word liberates countless beings from samsara: this is the Dharma.

The qualified Teacher's holy Body is the perfect form of the ordained Sangha ( or lay-bodhisattva for some Teachers ).

We take complete refuge out of fear ( of all sufferings in samsara ), faith ( in its perfect qualities ) and compassion ( so we can liberate all mother beings by attaining the state of Buddhahood ).  

For details in "Relying on the Spiritual Teacher", see: http://www.casotac.com/CASonline%20Articles/02082008.html

 

 ( While contemplating the above, do 108 times mantra of your Yidam - Chenrezig, Tara, Yamantaka or others. Or you can do the mantras until you feel the topic has firmly been internalised in your mind !! )

 

B

The Buddhas

"Our perfect Teacher teaches that ....." 

The Buddhas are the perfect doctors for our sicknesses of defilements which bind us to sufferings in samsara.

The Buddhas have perfected complete love, compassion, wisdom, abilities and qualities.

The Buddhas' holy minds have perfect love, compassion and wisdom towards all beings.

The Buddhas' holy speech possess inconceivable blessings and qualities and liberate countless beings from suffering.

The Buddhas' holy body is perfect, the paragon of inconceivable majesty and resplendence. It is the culmination of accumulations of merits and wisdom of countless aeons.

We take complete refuge out of fear ( of all sufferings in samsara ), faith ( in its perfect qualities ) and compassion ( so we can liberate all mother beings by attaining the state of Buddhahood ).  

 

 ( While contemplating the above, do 108 times mantra of your Yidam - Chenrezig, Tara, Yamantaka or others. Or you can do the mantras until you feel the topic has firmly been internalised in your mind !! )

 

C

The Dharma

"Our perfect Teacher teaches that ....."

The Dharma are the perfect medicine for our sicknesses of defilements which bind us to sufferings in samsara.

The Dharma is the authentic, perfect path to liberation from all sufferings.

We take complete refuge out of fear ( of all sufferings in samsara ), faith ( in its perfect qualities ) and compassion ( so we can liberate all mother beings by attaining the state of Buddhahood ).  

 

( While contemplating the above, do 108 times mantra of your Yidam - Chenrezig, Tara, Yamantaka or others. Or you can do the mantras until you feel the topic has firmly been internalised in your mind !! )   

 

D

The Sangha

"Our perfect Teacher teaches that ....."

The Sangha are the perfect companions on our treatments to sicknesses of defilements which bind us to sufferings in samsara.

The authentic Sangha are the genuine disciples of the Buddhas. They provide support, guidance and assistance in every possible ways.

We take complete refuge out of fear ( of all sufferings in samsara ), faith ( in its perfect qualities ) and compassion ( so we can liberate all mother beings by attaining the state of Buddhahood ).  

 

( While contemplating the above, do 108 times mantra of your Yidam - Chenrezig, Tara, Yamantaka or others. Or you can do the mantras until you feel the topic has firmly been internalised in your mind !! )  

 

[ Here ends the main points dealing with the Fourth Topic of the Lam Rim teachings. Firmly do it till it becomes your mind. ] 

 

 

  

 
 
The Ganden Trisur's flowers bloom in homage at His showing of the
Great Passing.
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"Support Dharma Propagation Fund ( DPF ) - Product Highlight".

 From The Tibetan Medical College:

Tibetan Herbal Tea - Sorig Za-Khu-Chee-Nyii Tea (Supports the Diabetes)

Is a pure herbal product made according to Tibetan Science of Healing. This tea helps to balance the blood glucose level and promotes digestion and food appetite. It induces sound sleep and reduces uncomfortable breathing and frequent urination. It also helps to subside the symptoms like cough up excessive sputum, pain in the genitals and urinary bladder, dryness of mouth, rise in the body temperature, burning feeling on the soles and palms, and murkey urine.

We could try to post them to you ( will include postage costs to reimburse Dharma Propagation Fund - DPF ) or you could come down to Camden Education Center to collect.  

Do confirm first so we can transfer them from Ganden Trisur's place in Singapore to the education centre before you come. 

We only have about 15  each to go.

Suggested offering:

( Friends @ CASonline - S$14/- excluding postage ) 

( Not a Friend @ CASonline - S$18/- excluding postage )

 All contributions will go into CAS's life-saving DPF !! 

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Quote/s from the Buddha's holy scripture
 

[ This issue, bb meanders into a succinct recount of the life of Je Tzongkhapa - different and special in loving memory of CAS's beloved Root Teacher, Je Tzongkhapa's earthly representative and manifestation. ] 

 

Je Tzongkhapa, Founder of the holy Gelugpa Lineage, is famed as one of Tibet's three major emanations of the Great Bodhisattva Manjushri.

 

Tzongkhapa is born in 1357 in Tzongkha province, hence His name: Tzongkhapa : the man from Tzongkha.

 

Before His birth, some of the then greatest Masters ( including Guru Padmasambhava !! ) prophesied coming of a 'second Buddha' who will re-vitalize the Buddha's teachings and who will usher in another 'Golden Age' where Dharma shall flourish and bloom in unprecedented scale.

 

At birth, a few drops of blood of Tzongkhapa's mother touched earth and from which grew a tree, unknown to the world: its leaves carrying the sacred letters in Tibetan and Sanskrit in varying stages of growth in tandem with age of the leaves.

 

Early missionaries to Tibet 'wowed' amazement at this 'beautiful miracle of God'. To the Buddhists, this is a sign of Tzongkhapa's holiness and indisputable sign as Manjushri's emanation to our suffering world.

 

Je Tzongkhapa is wildly non-sectarian, an eclectic 'Renaissance' figure. He received ordination from the 4th Karmapa ( who similarly prophesied Tzongkhapa as a 'second Buddha' to Tibet ), studied the Drikung Kagyu's Five-Fold Mahamudra, learnt the Lam Dre system of the Sakyapas and had one of the greatest Nyingma Masters then ( Tzongkhapa called Him Vajrapani while He called Tzongkhapa 'Lord Manjushri' ) as a Teacher.

 

He practiced, retreated and mastered all that He learnt. His Teachers, more often than not, requested blessings, clarifications and teachings from Him in turn.

 

Tzongkhapa retreated for long periods of time under extremely hard, trying circumstances: making a million prostrations to each of the 35 Confession Buddhas ( and in turn receiving visions of them !! ), made millions of mandala offerings ( with not precious jewels but stones as He was then poor and in the mountains retreating !! ) till the rough stones were smoothened while the palms of His hands bled and skin were torn and raw.

 

Tzongkhapa's practice were so authentic and sincere, many of the world's most powerful deities personally attended on Him, wanting to share in His 'glory' and to assist Him in accomplishment of His great works: Machen Pomra cooked for Him, Dorje Legpa watched over His texts, Pehar became a devoted follower and Vaishravana provided financial sponsorships ( !! ).

 

Besides the Protectors, many past Indian and Tibetan Masters visited: the great Yamantaka Vajrabhairava showed His complete terrifying aspect and revealed the most secret hidden instructions, the great Marpa Lotsawa bestowed on Him the complete Guhyasamaja, telling Him that the Kingly Tantra of Guhyasamaja shall henceforth  primarily be upheld by Him ( Tzongkhapa subsequently combined both the Kagyu and the Sakya Guhyamasaja lineages into the unique practice of the Akshobya Vajra Secret Assembly as preserved now in the Gelugpa Lineage ).   

 

Je Tzongkhapa wrote authoritative commentaries on every major aspects of the Dharma and in particular, clarified some of the most obscured points of both sutra and tantra. Very well-known and influential is His presentation of the crown of Mahayana Buddhist thought: the Madhyamika ¨: Nagarjuna's great 'Middle Way'. His writings were almost universally venerated as the Buddha's very own words in the mainstream Buddhist circles. Dialectical debates were present but almost always end in reverential deference, both ways.   

 

He frequently received amazing visions of buddhas and gods but being an ordained disciple of the Buddha, strongly downplayed them and instead sought solid scriptural authentification from the Buddha's texts.

 

Je Tzongkhapa taught widely and His main disciples include Je Sherab Sengge ( His tantric successor and the founder of the Gyudmey Tantric College ), Tokden Jampa Gyatso, Gyaltshap Je ( His spiritual successor: the first Ganden Tripa ), Jamyang Choje ( Founder of Gelugpa's greatest monastery: Drepung ), Jamchen Choje ( a Teacher of the then Chinese Emperor who bestowed on Him a Black Crown similar to the Karmapa's ) and the first Dalai Lama ( Founder of Tashi Lhunpo from which grew the lineage of the Panchen Lamas ).

 

He passed away after many times agreeing to His disciples' requests and consciously prolonging His lifespan in the world for good of all. In 1419, after making sure His disciples have no more points in the Dharma requiring His clarifications, in front of a holy assemblage of devoted disciples, He engaged in Vajra Recitation of the Guhyasamaja practice and showed the Great Passing.

 

Je Tzongkhapa, in front of His thousands of students, transformed and manifested the unmistakable aspect of a Buddha: the 32 major and 80 minor signs of a 'Great Man'. Purple-golden lights, unique to a Buddha, streamed from His holy body. It was preserved in Gelugpa's first monastery, the Ganden, founded by Himself.

 

When the Chinese communists broke into His sealed, sacred, golden tomb, hairs and nails were witnessed still growing from His holy body.     

 

Je Tzongkhapa's appearance and His subsequent exemplary activities were so extensive, influential and impactful that many masters and protectors declared that the Buddha's pure teachings were prolonged by a further 500 years as a result.    

 

Tzongkhapa sparked a spiritual avalanche that swept across Asia: Tibet, Mongolia, China ( centuries of Chinese Masters including Master Yin Shun, the veteran Chinese Master of this century, Himself speaking of being strongly influenced by Tzongkhapa in some of his most monumental writings ), Central Asia and now, the world through the Dalai Lama, the representative Master of the Gelugpa Lineage founded by Je Tzongkhapa.

 

CAS's buffet of programmes, masters and projects are clearly hinged upon, etched in and coloured through Tzongkhapa's lenses, served up through several of CAS's masters, the main Teacher being the Spiritual Successor of Tzongkhapa, the 100th Ganden Trisur, Official Head Emeritus of Tzongkhapa's Lineage, the holy Gelugpa tradition.

 

All our friends @ CAS owe Je Tzongkhapa so much, so thoroughly embodied in Ganden Trisur's humility, saintliness and wisdom, every of each perfectly seen and received. 

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An Interesting Aside

 

Gyaltshap Je, then the foremost scholar from the Sakyapa tradition, was intrigued by Tzongkhapa's reputation as Tibet's "second Buddha", His amazing prestige and huge entourage of some of the society¡¯s greatest figures. Gyaltshap Je then proceeded to visit Tzongkhapa.

 

That first meeting was shocking to say the least. He saw Tzongkhapa walking towards the washroom in His full monk's robes. "Has the great Tzongkahpa forgotten a monk vow-etiquette that the full robes must be left outside and not brought into the latrine ?" so thought Gyaltshap Je. With a smile, He followed Tzongkhapa to the toilet ( maybe to remind Him of the offensive rule-flouting ) where to his utter shock, outside, blazing within a mass of fiery flames, stood a blue-black, ferocious buffalo-headed, horned figure, fangs snarling, holding above His sharp horns, Tzongkhapa's holy robes.     

 

Gyaltshpa Je proceeded to become one of Tzongkhapa's foremost disciples, the first Ganden Tripa.

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FOR Friends of CAS

( May the Dharma flourish far and wide, bringing peace and liberation to all mother beings wherever they are !! )

"Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda": We regretted not being in time to share news of Hosal Dorje's programme in Singapore.  

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tELL A fRIEND

"KNOW DHARMA; SHARE DHARMA !!"

Be part of our thousand++ "Friends @ CAS"  ( that belongs to Chenrezig & other holy beings ) 

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Email contact@casotac.com

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