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Auspicious News!
Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche's Childhood
Teacher Attain's Rainbow Body!
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Earlier photo of Lama Karma Rinpoche in his
retreat Cave new the Dzogchen Area.
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Composed by His
Eminence Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche and his disciples on the 23rd of
November, 2013, the auspicious day of Lha Bab Duchen, the Buddha's Mother's Day,
at the auspicious place of the Dzogchen Retreat Center, USA.
Dear
Students,
As you know from my
recent Facebook post, my precious teacher Dzogchen Lama Karma Rinpoche passed
away on the 11th of November, 2013. Lama
Karma Rinpoche was the disciple of his uncle Khenchen Apey Tsewang and the
brother of my most kind and precious teacher, the late Lama Athu
Rinpoche.
I auspiciously met
Lama Karma in the area of the Sechen Monastery when I was 13 years old. Since
then he has been my dear Dharma teacher and worldly mentor. For three years,
when I was between 13 and 16 years old, he not only taught me Dharma, he also
cooked for me and took care of me in all cases like a parent.
I have not seen him
for the past 25 years. He really wanted to see me and I really wanted to see
him, too. Three years ago he told my brother that he could have died more than
10 years ago, but he was waiting for me to come to the holy Dzogchen area to see
him. However, due to Chinese visa restrictions, I did not get a chance to return
to see him.
Lama Karma was a
great Dzogchen practitioner because he spent more than 30 years mainly
practicing Dzogchen awareness in solitary retreat in a cave in the Dzogchen
area. He realized the true nature of present moment thinking is Buddha and thus
he achieved many great miracle powers, including making five footprints in
boulders and rocks, just like stepping in mud.
I received many
teachings, blessings, and empowerments from Lama Karma and especially the most
sacred method of Vajra Cleansing Tantra, the stages of the 100 Deities practice,
and the preliminary practice of the Khandro Nyingthig. I am so grateful for his
kindness, teachings, and blessings.
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Inside this Dharma robe is the shrunken body of
Lama Karma Rinpoche.
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On November 22nd,
I received extraordinary news from my Dharma friends in the holy Dzogchen area
of Tibet that the sacred body of my kind teacher Lama Karma has obviously and
dramatically shrunk in size. Lama Karma’s body was about 175cm (approx. 5’9”)
tall, but two weeks after he passed away, his seated body has now shrunk to
about 20cm (approx. 8”), which means his body, including his skeleton, shrank
nearly 80%. According to Dzogchen tantra, this kind of miraculous display shows
he has attained the Small Rainbow Body, which is a sign that he has attained the
supreme accomplishment of Buddha in this very life. Please deeply rejoice in his
devoted practice and realization of Dzogchen. In doing so, you accumulate
immeasurable merit.
If his body
continues to shrink and totally disappears, then this miracle will be
categorized as Light Body or Atomless Body. I will describe these various
miraculous results of Dzogchen practice later in this message.
Lama Karma Rinpoche
received many Dzogchen teachings, mainly from Dzogchen Khenpo Apey Tsewang
Rinpoche and Dzogchen Lama Achung Tokden Rinpoche. For many years after, Lama
Karma mainly practiced Dzogchen Guru Yoga with trekchö in the caves of the holy
Dzogchen area.
While some people
assume that Dharma practice is a superstitious or meaningless activity, it is in
fact the most meaningful and profound activity that you can do. The reason for
this is because through Dharma practice you become Buddha, which means you
transform yourself into Awakened Omniscience. Once you become Buddha then you
are free from all suffering and the causes of suffering forever while you
spontaneously help each and every being equally, without exception, in many
different ways until they all attain Buddha. Therefore, there is nothing better
for you and all beings than to become Buddha.
In order to
complete the paths and stages of enlightenment, you must accomplish Dzogchen
practice. Without realizing Dzogchen awareness, no one has ever become Buddha or
will become Buddha. Accomplishing Dzogchen practice means you become Buddha. As
it is said in the Dzogchen Atiyoga tantra, without realizing Dzogchen awareness
one will not attain Buddha.
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Recent image of Lama Karma in his retreat
cave.
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The swiftest method
to become Buddha is correctly practicing Guru Yoga with Dzogchen. There are two
main Dzogchen practices: trekchö (cutting through) and thögal
(ridge-traversing).
When you accomplish
Dzogchen treckchö you will achieve one of two results as described in the
Dzogchen tantras.
One is ödlu, the
Light Body, which means your body transforms into light and disappears. This can
happen either gradually or instantaneously. Masters who have attained this
include Master Vairochana in Western Tibet and Pong Gonpo and five generations
of his main disciples in Eastern Tibet.
The other is
dudral, the Atomless Body, which means your body dissolves into emptiness and
totally disappears. This can happen with or without an eyewitness. Masters who
attained this include Guru Junpey in Central Tibet and in 1998, Khenpo Achung in
Nyarong, Eastern Tibet.
If you accomplish
the Dharma practice of Dzogchen trekchö and thögal, then you achieve one of
three types of Rainbow Body as described in the Dzogchen tantras.
The first is the
Great Rainbow Body, which means directly transforming the present body into a
luminous Rainbow Body, just like Buddha Shakyamuni in India, Padmasambhava in
Nepal, Shri Singha in India, Vimalamitra in China, Yeshe Tsogyal and Chetsun
Senge Wangshuk in Tibet, and so on. Those who attain the Great Rainbow Body
eternally retain their present life’s body appearance until all beings become
Buddha.
The second is the
Medium Rainbow Body, most commonly known as Rainbow Body, which means the
Dzogchen master’s body dissolves as rainbow light of many different shapes,
colors, and all different sizes of rainbow spheres, rainbow rays, and rainbow
ribbons until the physical body has totally dissolved into rainbow light,
leaving nothing behind except some hair and nails. All these rainbow lights can
pass through the master’s clothing and through solid walls. Even ordinary people
can directly perceive this miraculous display of Rainbow Body accomplishment.
Masters who have attained this accomplishment include Melong Dorje and Rigdzin
Kumaradza in Central Tibet and in 1952, Sonam Namgyal in Mani Gedgo in Eastern
Tibet.
The third is the
Small Rainbow Body, which means a Dzogchen master’s body shrinks to the size of
a cubit or less (in a seated position). This is also known as the Shrunken
Rainbow Body. Masters who attained this include Master Nyaklha Rangrik Dorje in
Eastern Tibet. (His body is still preserved and is the size of a hand. His hair
is ten times bigger than his body.) Atha Lhamo in 1982 in Eastern Tibet. Her
body also shrank to around 10cm (approx. 4").
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Lama Karma Rinpoche displayed many miraculous
achievements in his life, including leaving footprints in
rocks.
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All these results
of Dzogchen practice, the Light Body, Atomless Body, and all types of Rainbow
Body, are signs of the same supreme accomplishment. The differences refer only
to what happens with the miraculous display of the master’s physical body, but
their attainments are all exactly equal. This means that these practitioners
have attained Buddha in this very life.
After such sacred
miraculous displays occur, most people no longer physically see these masters so
we pronounce that they passed away. However, during this time, when the students
pray to these masters who achieved Light Body or Rainbow Body, sometimes they
can perceive their teacher physically appear to them and they receive
tremendously powerful transmissions and pith instructions of the Dzogchen
lineage.
Anyone who sees or
even hears about the miracle display of the Light Body or Rainbow Body at the
time it occurs is extremely fortunate. According to the Dzogchen tantras, when a
master attains Light Body or Rainbow Body, the master’s wisdom pervasively
emanates to all beings without exception and especially profoundly penetrates
the minds of 3,000 disciples who have knowing-devotion to the master, such that
these disciples directly receive the Dzogchen Lineage transmission.
Therefore, I
encourage all my disciples to faithfully pray, supplicate, and joyfully offer to
the Dzogchen Lineage masters, especially to my kind teacher, Dzogchen Lama Karma
Rinpoche. From now until December 27th is an auspicious opportunity to practice
The Buddha Path every day, to take or renew virtuous vows, and to fulfill your
special commitments to do any virtuous activities or practices. In this way, you
will receive the blessings, empowerments, and attainments of the Dzogchen
Lineage, which will help you to become a Dzogchen Lineage Holder and swiftly
attain Rainbow Body, Buddha, in this very life.
May you realize
that all Result Buddhas always reside in your heart and the hearts of all
beings.
May you swiftly attain the accomplishment
of Rainbow Body in this very life.
I invite my
international students to translate this and my previous message regarding Lama
Karma Rinpoche into your native languages and share with others.
With love and
blessings,
Dzogchen Khenpo Choga
Rinpoche
Please visit us www.dzogchenlineage.org to find out a schedule of teaching
events and activities and for more information on the Dzogchen
Lineage.
Please share this
inspiring story with your friends and family by forwarding this email or sharing
the Facebook Post regarding this wonderful news:
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Lama Karma Rinpoche viewing a copy of The Buddha
Path
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Dharma Events in Honor of Lama Karma Rinpoche
In honor of
Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche's kind teacher, from now until December 27th, we
request all students to practice the Buddha Path, as well as to make various
wonderful offerings to all Buddhas, and to practice generosity to sentient
beings. Dedicate all accumulation of merit to Rinpoche's dear Dharma teacher
Lama Karma Rinpoche for the success of his great aspirations. In this way you
will receive tremendous blessing and empowerment from all Dzogchen Lineage
masters and especially from Lama Karma.
It is also very
important to sincerely dedicate all accumulations of virtuous karma of the three
times to those who suffer from war like those in Syria, to those who suffer from
natural disasters like those in the Philippines, to all animals suffering like
the millions of turkeys slaughtered for feasts, to those who suffer from disease
or famine, to those who suffer due to political repression, and to all beings to
be free from all suffering and the causes of suffering.
Throughout the
months of November and December, Rinpoche and the sangha are arranging for many
Rinpoches, lamas, and practitioners in Tibet, Nepal, India, China, Sikkim,
Bhutan, as well as many other Asian countries, Europe, Russia, and America to
engage in traditional Dharma practice dedicated for Lama Karma
Rinpoche.
During this time we
will make many offerings of lamps and flowers, raise prayer flags, make
generosity to the poor, and release various animals, and so forth.
Those who would
like to make contributions to participate and support these Dharma events, can
do so through the Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation at this link:
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