Remembrance Prayers25 Aug - 1 Sep 2013

The First Visit of His Eminence Somang Rinpoche to Malaysia, performing “Remembrance Prayers” and “Purification Rites”

His Eminence the 10th Somang Rinpoche

His Eminence the10th Somang Rinpoche was born at the sacred place of Nako, situated on the brink of the great holy site of Sorakshita (also known as “Somang”) - one of the eight divine abodes of the dakas and dakinis of the physical mandala of Chakrasamvara, where many celebrated noble beings had descended

in the past. At the age of 11, he was formally recognized by His Eminence the 9th Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche as the unmistaken reincarnation of the glorious Rigdzin Choedak, a great yogi of Drukpa Lineage in Kinnaur; and enthroned to the seat of the Somang Rinpoches. His Eminence the 8th Dozong Rinpoche performed his hair-cutting ceremony and bestowed him with the monastic ordination of novice monk.

He received many profound initiations and transmissions of the Drukpa Lineage from Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche and the previous Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche, and had learned under the guidance of Dorzong Rinpoche and the 9th Khamtrul Rinpoche. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Damchoe of Tsenyi Monastery and Yogi Trinley Kunkhyab of Khampagar Monastery are among his various teachers. He had also received the grand empowerment of Rinchen Terdzod from His Holiness Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, the present head of the Nyingmapa tradition as well as from His Eminence Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche who resides in Bhutan.

At the instruction of His Eminence Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche, Somang Rinpoche entered the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala where he studied for more than 9 years. He mastered the science of Tibetan language and Buddhist Sutras and Tantras, and obtained the Master’s degree in Buddhist Studies and Philosophy. He is presently residing in Dechen Choekhorling, serving as the Vice President of Dechen Choekhor Foundation, teaching Buddhist philosophy to its monks, conducting pujas and performing various rituals. Once every two to three months, he travels to his monastery in Nako and other sacred places in the remote Himalayan regions to bestow teachings, initiations and transmissions. For centuries, the lineage of Somang Rinpoche has been the sublime spiritual guide for the people of Nako and of the various villages in Kinnuar.

In the recent years, His Eminence had organized a Grand Chakrasamvara Initiation by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Nako; renovated the old Nako Monastery and its inner relics; initiated a school for the local community to study Tibetan Buddhism, and is continuously working for the betterment of the practitioners and devotees with great dedication and eagerness.

His Eminence Somang Rinpoche represented His Eminence Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche in the past four occasions of the Annual Drukpa Council (ADC), the world’s largest assembly of Drukpa masters, participating in meetings in regards to the Drukpa Lineage as well as gathering for prayers for World Peace and Harmony.

Top:

Left - The archaic statues and wall paintings in the main shrine of Nako MonasteryRight - The exterior of the ancient Nako Monastery

Bottom:

Left - The footprint of one the previous Somang Rinpoche’s on a rock in KinnaurRight The holy site of Chakrasamvara in Sorakshita (also known as “Somang”)

Right:

Somang Rinpoche conferring empowerment and teachings to hundreds of devotees at the Nako Temple.

Founded in the 11th century by the great translator Rinchen Zangpo, Nako Monastery has a history of approximately 1000 years. It’s located in the Nako Village of Kinnaur, and thus the name “Nako Gompa” or “Nako Monastery”. Nako is one of the most sacred places in Kinnaur, where many accomplished spiritual practitioners gathered and attained enlightenment. For centuries, the Nako Monastery has given shelter and nurtured innumerable prominent and accomplished Tantric practitioners. Later, it became the monastery of the Somang lineage. Many great masters, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, have presided over grand initiations and rituals in this remarkably sacred monastery.

Nako Monastery

Akshobhya Jangchok Ritual

Buddha Akshobhya or Mitrugpa in Tibetan, is one of the Five Dhyana Buddhas, the one who is unmoved by anger or aggression, therefore the Akshobhya ritual is especially powerful for purifying negative kar-ma. It can liberate not only the practitioners themselves from the fear of an unfortunate rebirth, but other beings as well. Akshobhya explicitly promised that if the merit generated by reciting 100,000 of his long dharani mantra and creating an image of him is dedicated to others, even to the ones who have long deceased, they would be released from lower realms of existence and would eventually take rebirth in spiritu-ally fortunate circumstances.

“Jang” means purifying. What’s to be purified? Karma! “Chok” mean puja. “Karma Purifying Puja” is what it denotes. Jangchok can be performed for both living and deceased. Both will have same puja preparations, but differ in the execution prayers during the puja.

During Buddha Akshobhya Jangchok, the main empowerment is the initiation of Six Paramitas of Akshobhya. By the power of the Buddha’s Mantras, the strength of practice of the Vajra Master and the monks, the rituals and the specific mudras; the deceased is given proper initiation of the Six Paramitas, guidance through the Dharma, and transference of their consciousness to pureland through Phowa.

The living, too, are tormented by different kind of samsaric pain, sick-ness and sufferings resulted from their past and present negative ac-tions such as killing, harming others and so on, driven mainly by greed, attachment, anger, hatred, jealousy and ignorance. Through the cleans-ing power of the six paramitas one will be able to purify the six negativi-ties like attachment, broken vows, anger, laziness, and so forth.

Annual Jangchok at Dechen Chokhor

According to Buddha’s teaching, Jangchok for the deceased must be performed on a yearly basis for at least three consecutive years after the person passed away. That is how the living can constantly benefit the dead or those in Bardo state (intermediate state between death and rebirth), even if they have passed away long ago or have taken a good rebirth.

The Jangchok puja is unfailingly of great help for the deceased and countless others who are in the three lower realms. Even if the person has been reborn into samsara, every time a Jangchok is performed, it will continue to benefit them positively. However, if he is still in Bardo, then the prayer will liberate him from that state. In the Tantra of Buddha Akshobhya, it is mentioned that “Bodhisattvas come down to prostrate to

Masters and monastic assembly during Buddha Akshobhya Puja since they realized that their rebirth in the pure land was due to the Jangchok puja”.

The Drukpa Order is known to hold the main lineage of Buddha Akshobhya, principally at Dechen Choekhor Ling (the seat of both Drukpa Yongdzin Rinpoche and Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche), Khampagar (the seat of Khamtrul Rinpoche) and Nangchen Gar (the seat of Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche) and all their lineage holders. This particular practice of Akshobhya stems directly from Buddha Akshobhya who passed it to Vajrapani, Arya Deva, down to Atisha, who traveled to Tibet, and then, from the First Gyalwang Drukpa Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje, founder of the Drukpa Order, eventually

to the holders of Dechen Choekhor Ling.

Masters and practitioners at Dechen Choekhor place particular emphasis on Buddha Akshobhya practice, for rituals, retreat, purification and Jangchok, the practice for deceased.

Since the time of the fourth Gyalwang Drukpa, Kunkhyen Pema Karpo, this blessing lineage has been kept pure and unbroken through the perseverance and diligent practices for more than 400 years.

From Dechen Choekhor Ling, through its illustrious yogi practitioners, such as Taktsang Repa, Khamtrul Rinpoche, Dorzong Rinpoche and many others, branch monasteries were established in different parts of Himalayas and became holders of this particular Akshobhya practice.

Dechen Chokhor Monastery was founded by the First Drukpa Yongdzin Rinpoche, the most important disciple of the Fourth Gyalwang Drukpa, Kunkhyen Pema Karpo. Subsequently it became the seat of both Drukpa Yongzin Rinpoches and Drukpa Choegon Rinpoches. In its hey day, it was one of the most important teaching centers of the Drukpa Lineage.

His Eminence the 8th Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche repetitively commented that: “Dechen Choekhor holds the complete lineage of the glorious Drukpa Order. It was the main spiritual learning and cultural focal center for the entire lineage, and was renowned for its excellent skills and capacity in training the lineage hold-ers, tulkus and monks. The 5th Gyalwang Drukpa Pagsam Wangpo and the 8th Gy-alwang Drukpa Kunzig Chonang, as well as the successive reincarnations of Kham-trul Rinpoches received transmissions and teachings at this historic monastery from the Drukpa Yongdzin Rinpoches and the Drukpa Choegon Rinpoches.”

Dechen Chokhor

Benefits of Akshobhya Jangchok

Buddha Akshobya puja is known for its power in karmic purification. That is why it is incredibly effective for Jangchok, and is especially beneficial for:

The deceased, particularly:

• Death during the passage toward birth (by miscarriage or abortion)• Death before adulthood (untimely death)• Violent or fearful death• Suicide

Those that have died of any of the above are indications that the deceased might have difficulties in obtaining fortunate, spiritually well-endowed re-birth. Through the power of Buddha Akshobhya Jangchok, the person who receives the dedication will find a rebirth that is free of intense suffering and is conducive to ultimate happiness. Likewise, in the west, many people have sponsored this puja for their pets or for animals they may have killed while

driving or in other circumstances. Any animals can be benefited from the release from the animal realm through Buddha Akshobhya Jangchok Puja.

The living who suffer from:

•Karmicsickness•Cancerorotherincurablediseases

According to Dharma, we all have accumulated countless negative karma in our incalculable life times, which causes our sickness and the never-ending cyclic existence, and these types of sicknesses can only be cured by purify-ing our karma.

By purifying one’s karma, it will bring great benefits and improvements to one’s lives, helps eliminates the afflictive emotions and reduces the obsta-cles in both our worldly and spiritual pursues.

Far left:

DrukDechenChoekhorLing,near Lhasa

Left:

DrukDechenChoekhorLing,Kullu,NorthIndia

His Eminence Somang Rinpoche’s Programs in MalaysiaDate Tentative Program Venue and Contact25th August

Sunday

10:00am Smoke Puja2:00pm Buddha Akshobhya Jangchok Puja8:00pm Yellow Jambhala Empowerment

For Jangchok Puja, contact:Yvonne Choo: 6012-293 3270For Consultation, House Blessing and others, contact: Chris Woon: 6013-512 9965

DRUKPA KUALA LUMPUR196 Jalan Midah BesarTaman Midah, 56000 Kuala LumpurMalaysia

E | kldrukpa@gmail.comT | 6016-4044984 (Gen Sonam Dawa) 6012-2810718 (Jigme Palmo)

30th-31st August

Friday & Saturday

His Eminence Jamme Lhamchok Rinpoche together with His Eminence Somang Rinpoche will be conducting puja

30th August

2:00pm Puja for Eradicating Karmic Creditors7:30pm King of Gesar and Manjushri Empowerment

31st August

10:00am Grand Kurukulle Ganachakra2:00pm Kurukulle Fire Puja7:30pm Buddha Amitabha Jangchok Puja

Venue:SJK (C) PumpongJalan Suka Menanti05150 Alor Setar, Kedah

Contact:DRUKPA DHARMASHRI9 Persiaran Jenahak 3, Taman Tun HusseinSeberang Jaya, 13700 Prai, Malaysia

E | drukdharmashri@gmail.comT | 6012-436-8989 (May) 6013-432-1111 (Mr. Sow) 6012-410-8939 (Ms. Yang Yang) 6012-430-8367 (Mr. Loo)

1st September

Sunday

10:00am Smoke Puja2:30pm Buddha Amitabha Jangchok Puja

DRUK THARPA CHOLING19 Love Lane, 10200 Penang, MalaysiaE | drukpapg@yahoo.comW | www.drukpa.org.myT | 6012-418-3987

DRUKPA KUALA LUMPUR196 Jalan Midah Besar,Taman Midah, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaE | kldrukpa@gmail.com

T | 6016-4044984 (Gen Sonam Dawa)

facebook.com/DrukpaMalaysiafacebook.com/DrukpaDharmashrifacebook.com/DrukpaKL

Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha

DRUK THARPA CHOLING,

Pulau Pinang (Reg. 679)

19 Love Lane, 10200 Penang,

Malaysia

E | drukpapg@yahoo.com

W | www.drukpa.org.my

T | 6012-4183987

Persatuan Penganut Buddhist

DRUKPA DHARMASHRISebrang Jaya, Pulau Pinang

(Reg. 0427-07-PPG)9 Persiaran Jenahak 3, Taman Tun HusseinSeberang Jaya, 13700 Prai, Malaysia

E | drukdharmashri@gmail.com

T | 6012-4280223 / 6012-4368989