Message from Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche on Dungsei Thinley Norbu
Rinpoche's Passing
Dec 27, 2011
Word is spreading of the passing of Dungsei
Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, eldest son of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche and
incomparable scholar and contemporary Nyingma master. He was an
incarnation of Tulku Trimé Özer, who was one of seven sons of Dudjom
Lingpa, and was also considered to be an emanation of Longchenpa. On
hearing of the passing of this remarkable lama, Venerable Gyatrul
Rinpoche sends the following message to the sangha:
Message from Gyatrul Rinpoche
We
have heard that Thinley Norbu Rinpoche passed away. Therefore, at all
the centers students should gather if they can and practice Dorsem Lama
Chodpa--the practice of making offerings to the guru as Vajrasattva.
Individually, students should recite Vajrasattva mantra as much as they
can. Why should everyone do Vajrasattva at such a time? Whether or not
the lama who passed away needs purification, we have no way of knowing.
But when a great master passes, the power of merit accumulated at such a
time is said to be increased even 100,000 times. Therefore, since we
all need to purify our obscurations and accumulate merit, we can use the
Lama Chodpa (practice of offering to the guru) as the method to engage
our three doors in virtue at that time. Engaging our body, speech, and
mind in such powerful virtue purifies the negativity that we constantly
use them for out of habit. And we all have connection to this lama, the
son of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, so therefore we need to practice
now.
There is a special blessing and power to practices done at
such a time with faith and devotion--the merit gathered and the
negativity purified are truly inconceivable. This is because of the
enlightened intent of such a master, whose every act is only to bring
benefit to all beings. Such masters are not ordinary like ourselves.
They don't die like we do, powerless and sniveling. They are born into
this world as an act of compassion, as long as their physical body
endures they use it only to bring benefit, and then they pass away and
again teach the truth of impermanence just as Buddha Shakyamuni did.
Therefore their passing, too, is part of their enlightened display,
their miraculous activity in this world. That is why there is such power
and blessing at their seeming 'death.' We should not think, "Oh, I'm so
sorry that this lama is dead." Instead, we should feel faith and
devotion and appreciate that we personally have such an opportunity for
powerful practice. We shouldn't think, "Oh, it is just tradition to
practice when a lama passes." It is more than just a tradition; it is an
opportunity to take advantage of the exceptional blessing of that time.
Also, traditionally you might go and offer katags and other offerings,
and maybe you can't do that now, but always you can make the offering of
practice. That is a real offering, and you don't have to go anywhere to
make it.
We also shouldn't think, "This was not my lama." In
fact, when any great lama of any tradition passes away there is this
same opportunity. We can always do the Lama Chodpa practices at such a
time. Gelug, Sakya, Kagyu, Nyingma--it makes no difference what school
of Buddhism the master taught or practiced. We also should not think
that there is no blessing for us if we never met that master in this
life. When you do the Lama Chodpa, you are offering to all gurus, all
yidams, all dakinis. You should think in a vast way like this when you
practice, don't be narrow or rigid thinking that it is only one way. A
true guru encompasses all the three roots--all guru manifestations, all
yidams, all dakinis. You don't have to do the Lama Chodpa only for a
lama, or only at their passing. We always need to gather merit, because
we are always exhausting our merit. We always need to purify negativity,
because we are always so busy making more negativity. Therefore see
this as an opportunity to practice, a time of blessing and guru
devotion, and do as much Vajrasattva as you can--a little bit here and
there continuously. It will be of great benefit.
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