When the spire of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche’s reliquary stupa at Rigdzin Ling was put in place and the final prayers of auspiciousness were recited, Rinpoche’s compassionate aspirations, diligent practice, and natural radiance manifested in this world as another object of merit and blessings for the benefit of all beings. In late May of this year, at the end of the Red Vajrasattva drupchen during Saga Dawa, Jigme Tromge Rinpoche came to consecrate the substances, provide the relics that were to go on the stupa’s srog-shing, or central axis, and lead the consecration ceremonies. We had spent the preceding months building a shrine room extension to house the copper stupa, which had been beautifully handcrafted in Nepal, and gilding its surface. We then ornamented it with semi precious jewels, including coral, turquoise, amber, amethyst, jasper, and agate.
Jigme Rinpoche brought his own large collection of sacred relics to place within it, commenting with a wry smile, “We only get to do this once in our lives, so we might as well do the best job possible.” Among these relics, which supplemented those of Chagdud Rinpoche, were: Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal’s essence pills; dudtsi made by Guru Rinpoche and Garab Dorje in the pure realms; pieces of Shabkar’s meditation belt; some of Vimalamitra’s hair; a piece of bone from Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud Tulku; relics of the previous Buddha Kashyapa; relics of Shakyamuni Buddha; and relics of many lineage holders, tertöns, and highly realized meditation masters. To be in the presence of these relics and blessed substances even before they went into the stupa was overwhelming. Then came Chagdud Rinpoche’s ashes shaped into more than a hundred clay tsa-tsas in the form of stupas, Guru Rinpoche images, and Longchenpa images; some of Rinpoche’s hair, fingernails, flesh, and blood; and the most sacred relic, the crystalline dungchen found only in the cremation remains of Great Perfection masters. Of significant, symbolic beauty was one of Rinpoche’s teeth, offered by Chagdud Khadro.
The night before the ceremonies, we placed in the stupa’s gau an antique statue of Guru Rinpoche, which bore an uncanny resemblance to one of Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen found at Chagdud Gonpa in Tibet. The stupa’s wealth chamber was then filled with many herbs, medicines, gems, grains, fragrant incenses, treasure vases, chakras, and other auspicious objects. Lama Padma and a few of Rigdzin Ling’s dedicated staff stayed up until 4:00 a.m. putting the final touches and relics on the srog-shing.
The next morning, Rinpoche’s stupa was already displayIng its magnetizing power as more than a hundred people, having made the long, winding journey through the beautiful, sun-drenched Trinity Alps, showed up for the ceremony.
As usual, Chagdud Rinpoche was not going to make it easy—he was going to make this an effort worthy of the accumulation of merit and wisdom. While sangha members filled the shrine room and took their seats, someone discovered that the srog-shing would not fit into the bumpa, or middle section. Wielding a reciprocating saw, Lama Zangpo started working furiously with a crack crew to widen the srog-shing’s shaft leading into the heart of the bumpa.
An hour later, the preparations were complete. All of the obstacles had vanished into the space from which they had come, and we launched into the consecration ceremony itself. Jigme Rinpoche’s voice, sonorous with faith, was accompanied by the joyous chanting of the sangha as clouds of incense wafted into the air. With this beautiful music, obstacles were vanquished, offerings were made, praises sung, and the deity invoked. We filled the stupa with many mantras, Dzogchen texts, and writings of Chagdud Rinpoche. The srog-shing, which had been ornately painted by Lama Padma Dorje, covered with relics, and wrapped in silk, was finally put into place.
Then, as we began to invite Chagdud Rinpoche’s enlightened mind to infuse the stupa, Jigme Rinpoche led the Chagdud Gonpa lamas in installing the bumpa and srog-shing onto the throne, and the yellow cloth that had been covering the stupa was removed with a flourish. Through the interdependence of auspicious causes and conditions, the efforts of many dedicated students, and the kindness of the lama, a magnificent stupa—an unquestionable source of Rinpoche’s blessings—had come into being.
—Dorje Kirsten
______
Five other Chagdud Gonpa centers in the United States are in the process of creating reliquary stupas (Iron Knot’s was consecrated by Jigme Rinpoche last October): Amrita will consecrate its stupa during the Chenrezik drupchen this April; Dechhen Ling and Tromge Ling have obtained copper stupa shells from Nepal and are engaged in the preparatory stages; T’hondup Ling and Ati Ling have received offerings of seed money for their stupa projects.
When the spire of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche’s reliquary stupa at Rigdzin Ling was put in place and the final prayers of auspiciousness were recited, Rinpoche’s compassionate aspirations, diligent practice, and natural radiance manifested in this world as another object of merit and blessings for the benefit of all beings. In late May of this year, at the end of the Red Vajrasattva drupchen during Saga Dawa, Jigme Tromge Rinpoche came to consecrate the substances, provide the relics that were to go on the stupa’s srog-shing, or central axis, and lead the consecration ceremonies. We had spent the preceding months building a shrine room extension to house the copper stupa, which had been beautifully handcrafted in Nepal, and gilding its surface. We then ornamented it with semi precious jewels, including coral, turquoise, amber, amethyst, jasper, and agate.
Jigme Rinpoche brought his own large collection of sacred relics to place within it, commenting with a wry smile, “We only get to do this once in our lives, so we might as well do the best job possible.” Among these relics, which supplemented those of Chagdud Rinpoche, were: Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal’s essence pills; dudtsi made by Guru Rinpoche and Garab Dorje in the pure realms; pieces of Shabkar’s meditation belt; some of Vimalamitra’s hair; a piece of bone from Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud Tulku; relics of the previous Buddha Kashyapa; relics of Shakyamuni Buddha; and relics of many lineage holders, tertöns, and highly realized meditation masters. To be in the presence of these relics and blessed substances even before they went into the stupa was overwhelming. Then came Chagdud Rinpoche’s ashes shaped into more than a hundred clay tsa-tsas in the form of stupas, Guru Rinpoche images, and Longchenpa images; some of Rinpoche’s hair, fingernails, flesh, and blood; and the most sacred relic, the crystalline dungchen found only in the cremation remains of Great Perfection masters. Of significant, symbolic beauty was one of Rinpoche’s teeth, offered by Chagdud Khadro.
The night before the ceremonies, we placed in the stupa’s gau an antique statue of Guru Rinpoche, which bore an uncanny resemblance to one of Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen found at Chagdud Gonpa in Tibet. The stupa’s wealth chamber was then filled with many herbs, medicines, gems, grains, fragrant incenses, treasure vases, chakras, and other auspicious objects. Lama Padma and a few of Rigdzin Ling’s dedicated staff stayed up until 4:00 a.m. putting the final touches and relics on the srog-shing.
The next morning, Rinpoche’s stupa was already displayIng its magnetizing power as more than a hundred people, having made the long, winding journey through the beautiful, sun-drenched Trinity Alps, showed up for the ceremony.
As usual, Chagdud Rinpoche was not going to make it easy—he was going to make this an effort worthy of the accumulation of merit and wisdom. While sangha members filled the shrine room and took their seats, someone discovered that the srog-shing would not fit into the bumpa, or middle section. Wielding a reciprocating saw, Lama Zangpo started working furiously with a crack crew to widen the srog-shing’s shaft leading into the heart of the bumpa.
An hour later, the preparations were complete. All of the obstacles had vanished into the space from which they had come, and we launched into the consecration ceremony itself. Jigme Rinpoche’s voice, sonorous with faith, was accompanied by the joyous chanting of the sangha as clouds of incense wafted into the air. With this beautiful music, obstacles were vanquished, offerings were made, praises sung, and the deity invoked. We filled the stupa with many mantras, Dzogchen texts, and writings of Chagdud Rinpoche. The srog-shing, which had been ornately painted by Lama Padma Dorje, covered with relics, and wrapped in silk, was finally put into place.
Then, as we began to invite Chagdud Rinpoche’s enlightened mind to infuse the stupa, Jigme Rinpoche led the Chagdud Gonpa lamas in installing the bumpa and srog-shing onto the throne, and the yellow cloth that had been covering the stupa was removed with a flourish. Through the interdependence of auspicious causes and conditions, the efforts of many dedicated students, and the kindness of the lama, a magnificent stupa—an unquestionable source of Rinpoche’s blessings—had come into being.
—Dorje Kirsten
______
Five other Chagdud Gonpa centers in the United States are in the process of creating reliquary stupas (Iron Knot’s was consecrated by Jigme Rinpoche last October): Amrita will consecrate its stupa during the Chenrezik drupchen this April; Dechhen Ling and Tromge Ling have obtained copper stupa shells from Nepal and are engaged in the preparatory stages; T’hondup Ling and Ati Ling have received offerings of seed money for their stupa projects.
When the spire of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche’s reliquary stupa at Rigdzin Ling was put in place and the final prayers of auspiciousness were recited, Rinpoche’s compassionate aspirations, diligent practice, and natural radiance manifested in this world as another object of merit and blessings for the benefit of all beings. In late May of this year, at the end of the Red Vajrasattva drupchen during Saga Dawa, Jigme Tromge Rinpoche came to consecrate the substances, provide the relics that were to go on the stupa’s srog-shing, or central axis, and lead the consecration ceremonies. We had spent the preceding months building a shrine room extension to house the copper stupa, which had been beautifully handcrafted in Nepal, and gilding its surface. We then ornamented it with semi precious jewels, including coral, turquoise, amber, amethyst, jasper, and agate.
Jigme Rinpoche brought his own large collection of sacred relics to place within it, commenting with a wry smile, “We only get to do this once in our lives, so we might as well do the best job possible.” Among these relics, which supplemented those of Chagdud Rinpoche, were: Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal’s essence pills; dudtsi made by Guru Rinpoche and Garab Dorje in the pure realms; pieces of Shabkar’s meditation belt; some of Vimalamitra’s hair; a piece of bone from Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud Tulku; relics of the previous Buddha Kashyapa; relics of Shakyamuni Buddha; and relics of many lineage holders, tertöns, and highly realized meditation masters. To be in the presence of these relics and blessed substances even before they went into the stupa was overwhelming. Then came Chagdud Rinpoche’s ashes shaped into more than a hundred clay tsa-tsas in the form of stupas, Guru Rinpoche images, and Longchenpa images; some of Rinpoche’s hair, fingernails, flesh, and blood; and the most sacred relic, the crystalline dungchen found only in the cremation remains of Great Perfection masters. Of significant, symbolic beauty was one of Rinpoche’s teeth, offered by Chagdud Khadro.
The night before the ceremonies, we placed in the stupa’s gau an antique statue of Guru Rinpoche, which bore an uncanny resemblance to one of Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen found at Chagdud Gonpa in Tibet. The stupa’s wealth chamber was then filled with many herbs, medicines, gems, grains, fragrant incenses, treasure vases, chakras, and other auspicious objects. Lama Padma and a few of Rigdzin Ling’s dedicated staff stayed up until 4:00 a.m. putting the final touches and relics on the srog-shing.
The next morning, Rinpoche’s stupa was already displayIng its magnetizing power as more than a hundred people, having made the long, winding journey through the beautiful, sun-drenched Trinity Alps, showed up for the ceremony.
As usual, Chagdud Rinpoche was not going to make it easy—he was going to make this an effort worthy of the accumulation of merit and wisdom. While sangha members filled the shrine room and took their seats, someone discovered that the srog-shing would not fit into the bumpa, or middle section. Wielding a reciprocating saw, Lama Zangpo started working furiously with a crack crew to widen the srog-shing’s shaft leading into the heart of the bumpa.
An hour later, the preparations were complete. All of the obstacles had vanished into the space from which they had come, and we launched into the consecration ceremony itself. Jigme Rinpoche’s voice, sonorous with faith, was accompanied by the joyous chanting of the sangha as clouds of incense wafted into the air. With this beautiful music, obstacles were vanquished, offerings were made, praises sung, and the deity invoked. We filled the stupa with many mantras, Dzogchen texts, and writings of Chagdud Rinpoche. The srog-shing, which had been ornately painted by Lama Padma Dorje, covered with relics, and wrapped in silk, was finally put into place.
Then, as we began to invite Chagdud Rinpoche’s enlightened mind to infuse the stupa, Jigme Rinpoche led the Chagdud Gonpa lamas in installing the bumpa and srog-shing onto the throne, and the yellow cloth that had been covering the stupa was removed with a flourish. Through the interdependence of auspicious causes and conditions, the efforts of many dedicated students, and the kindness of the lama, a magnificent stupa—an unquestionable source of Rinpoche’s blessings—had come into being.
—Dorje Kirsten
______
Five other Chagdud Gonpa centers in the United States are in the process of creating reliquary stupas (Iron Knot’s was consecrated by Jigme Rinpoche last October): Amrita will consecrate its stupa during the Chenrezik drupchen this April; Dechhen Ling and Tromge Ling have obtained copper stupa shells from Nepal and are engaged in the preparatory stages; T’hondup Ling and Ati Ling have received offerings of seed money for their stupa projects.
When the spire of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche’s reliquary stupa at Rigdzin Ling was put in place and the final prayers of auspiciousness were recited, Rinpoche’s compassionate aspirations, diligent practice, and natural radiance manifested in this world as another object of merit and blessings for the benefit of all beings. In late May of this year, at the end of the Red Vajrasattva drupchen during Saga Dawa, Jigme Tromge Rinpoche came to consecrate the substances, provide the relics that were to go on the stupa’s srog-shing, or central axis, and lead the consecration ceremonies. We had spent the preceding months building a shrine room extension to house the copper stupa, which had been beautifully handcrafted in Nepal, and gilding its surface. We then ornamented it with semi precious jewels, including coral, turquoise, amber, amethyst, jasper, and agate.
Jigme Rinpoche brought his own large collection of sacred relics to place within it, commenting with a wry smile, “We only get to do this once in our lives, so we might as well do the best job possible.” Among these relics, which supplemented those of Chagdud Rinpoche, were: Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal’s essence pills; dudtsi made by Guru Rinpoche and Garab Dorje in the pure realms; pieces of Shabkar’s meditation belt; some of Vimalamitra’s hair; a piece of bone from Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud Tulku; relics of the previous Buddha Kashyapa; relics of Shakyamuni Buddha; and relics of many lineage holders, tertöns, and highly realized meditation masters. To be in the presence of these relics and blessed substances even before they went into the stupa was overwhelming. Then came Chagdud Rinpoche’s ashes shaped into more than a hundred clay tsa-tsas in the form of stupas, Guru Rinpoche images, and Longchenpa images; some of Rinpoche’s hair, fingernails, flesh, and blood; and the most sacred relic, the crystalline dungchen found only in the cremation remains of Great Perfection masters. Of significant, symbolic beauty was one of Rinpoche’s teeth, offered by Chagdud Khadro.
The night before the ceremonies, we placed in the stupa’s gau an antique statue of Guru Rinpoche, which bore an uncanny resemblance to one of Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen found at Chagdud Gonpa in Tibet. The stupa’s wealth chamber was then filled with many herbs, medicines, gems, grains, fragrant incenses, treasure vases, chakras, and other auspicious objects. Lama Padma and a few of Rigdzin Ling’s dedicated staff stayed up until 4:00 a.m. putting the final touches and relics on the srog-shing.
The next morning, Rinpoche’s stupa was already displayIng its magnetizing power as more than a hundred people, having made the long, winding journey through the beautiful, sun-drenched Trinity Alps, showed up for the ceremony.
As usual, Chagdud Rinpoche was not going to make it easy—he was going to make this an effort worthy of the accumulation of merit and wisdom. While sangha members filled the shrine room and took their seats, someone discovered that the srog-shing would not fit into the bumpa, or middle section. Wielding a reciprocating saw, Lama Zangpo started working furiously with a crack crew to widen the srog-shing’s shaft leading into the heart of the bumpa.
An hour later, the preparations were complete. All of the obstacles had vanished into the space from which they had come, and we launched into the consecration ceremony itself. Jigme Rinpoche’s voice, sonorous with faith, was accompanied by the joyous chanting of the sangha as clouds of incense wafted into the air. With this beautiful music, obstacles were vanquished, offerings were made, praises sung, and the deity invoked. We filled the stupa with many mantras, Dzogchen texts, and writings of Chagdud Rinpoche. The srog-shing, which had been ornately painted by Lama Padma Dorje, covered with relics, and wrapped in silk, was finally put into place.
Then, as we began to invite Chagdud Rinpoche’s enlightened mind to infuse the stupa, Jigme Rinpoche led the Chagdud Gonpa lamas in installing the bumpa and srog-shing onto the throne, and the yellow cloth that had been covering the stupa was removed with a flourish. Through the interdependence of auspicious causes and conditions, the efforts of many dedicated students, and the kindness of the lama, a magnificent stupa—an unquestionable source of Rinpoche’s blessings—had come into being.
—Dorje Kirsten
______
Five other Chagdud Gonpa centers in the United States are in the process of creating reliquary stupas (Iron Knot’s was consecrated by Jigme Rinpoche last October): Amrita will consecrate its stupa during the Chenrezik drupchen this April; Dechhen Ling and Tromge Ling have obtained copper stupa shells from Nepal and are engaged in the preparatory stages; T’hondup Ling and Ati Ling have received offerings of seed money for their stupa projects.
When the spire of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche’s reliquary stupa at Rigdzin Ling was put in place and the final prayers of auspiciousness were recited, Rinpoche’s compassionate aspirations, diligent practice, and natural radiance manifested in this world as another object of merit and blessings for the benefit of all beings. In late May of this year, at the end of the Red Vajrasattva drupchen during Saga Dawa, Jigme Tromge Rinpoche came to consecrate the substances, provide the relics that were to go on the stupa’s srog-shing, or central axis, and lead the consecration ceremonies. We had spent the preceding months building a shrine room extension to house the copper stupa, which had been beautifully handcrafted in Nepal, and gilding its surface. We then ornamented it with semi precious jewels, including coral, turquoise, amber, amethyst, jasper, and agate.
Jigme Rinpoche brought his own large collection of sacred relics to place within it, commenting with a wry smile, “We only get to do this once in our lives, so we might as well do the best job possible.” Among these relics, which supplemented those of Chagdud Rinpoche, were: Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal’s essence pills; dudtsi made by Guru Rinpoche and Garab Dorje in the pure realms; pieces of Shabkar’s meditation belt; some of Vimalamitra’s hair; a piece of bone from Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud Tulku; relics of the previous Buddha Kashyapa; relics of Shakyamuni Buddha; and relics of many lineage holders, tertöns, and highly realized meditation masters. To be in the presence of these relics and blessed substances even before they went into the stupa was overwhelming. Then came Chagdud Rinpoche’s ashes shaped into more than a hundred clay tsa-tsas in the form of stupas, Guru Rinpoche images, and Longchenpa images; some of Rinpoche’s hair, fingernails, flesh, and blood; and the most sacred relic, the crystalline dungchen found only in the cremation remains of Great Perfection masters. Of significant, symbolic beauty was one of Rinpoche’s teeth, offered by Chagdud Khadro.
The night before the ceremonies, we placed in the stupa’s gau an antique statue of Guru Rinpoche, which bore an uncanny resemblance to one of Chagdud Sherab Gyaltsen found at Chagdud Gonpa in Tibet. The stupa’s wealth chamber was then filled with many herbs, medicines, gems, grains, fragrant incenses, treasure vases, chakras, and other auspicious objects. Lama Padma and a few of Rigdzin Ling’s dedicated staff stayed up until 4:00 a.m. putting the final touches and relics on the srog-shing.
The next morning, Rinpoche’s stupa was already displayIng its magnetizing power as more than a hundred people, having made the long, winding journey through the beautiful, sun-drenched Trinity Alps, showed up for the ceremony.
As usual, Chagdud Rinpoche was not going to make it easy—he was going to make this an effort worthy of the accumulation of merit and wisdom. While sangha members filled the shrine room and took their seats, someone discovered that the srog-shing would not fit into the bumpa, or middle section. Wielding a reciprocating saw, Lama Zangpo started working furiously with a crack crew to widen the srog-shing’s shaft leading into the heart of the bumpa.
An hour later, the preparations were complete. All of the obstacles had vanished into the space from which they had come, and we launched into the consecration ceremony itself. Jigme Rinpoche’s voice, sonorous with faith, was accompanied by the joyous chanting of the sangha as clouds of incense wafted into the air. With this beautiful music, obstacles were vanquished, offerings were made, praises sung, and the deity invoked. We filled the stupa with many mantras, Dzogchen texts, and writings of Chagdud Rinpoche. The srog-shing, which had been ornately painted by Lama Padma Dorje, covered with relics, and wrapped in silk, was finally put into place.
Then, as we began to invite Chagdud Rinpoche’s enlightened mind to infuse the stupa, Jigme Rinpoche led the Chagdud Gonpa lamas in installing the bumpa and srog-shing onto the throne, and the yellow cloth that had been covering the stupa was removed with a flourish. Through the interdependence of auspicious causes and conditions, the efforts of many dedicated students, and the kindness of the lama, a magnificent stupa—an unquestionable source of Rinpoche’s blessings—had come into being.
—Dorje Kirsten
______
Five other Chagdud Gonpa centers in the United States are in the process of creating reliquary stupas (Iron Knot’s was consecrated by Jigme Rinpoche last October): Amrita will consecrate its stupa during the Chenrezik drupchen this April; Dechhen Ling and Tromge Ling have obtained copper stupa shells from Nepal and are engaged in the preparatory stages; T’hondup Ling and Ati Ling have received offerings of seed money for their stupa projects.
