April 29, 2019 was the conclusion day of the historic public transmission of Nyingthik Tsapöd and the entire works of Künkhyen Jigme Lingpa and Dza Paltrul Rinpoche, which had taken place over the 17 days at the Shechen Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal.
This day was dedicated to expressing gratitude to Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche for his immense kindness in imparting this precious transmission. It included a mandala offering and the longevity ceremony of Khandro Sundok (Averting the Calls of Dakinis) Sadhana, suplicating Kyabje Rinpoche to remain firm with good health and long life for the benefit of Dharma and all of sentient beings.
A complex namkha was constructed for the ritual. A life-like effigy represented the body while the woven construction imbued with the 5 elements represented Rinpoche’s life energy. The whole structure was ritually offered to remove obstacles to Rinpoche’s life.
The ritual dance of the Five Dakinis was a way to enact the actual blessing of Rinpoche by the five sacred energies: space, air, fire, water and earth, in their respective colours of blue, green, red, white and yellow.
When the life of a Tibetan Buddhist master might be nearing its end, Dhakinis come to escort him/her out of this life. In this case, the Sangha took the opportunity of this auspicious occasion to carry out this ritual for Rinpoche.
The namkha and the effigy are taken out of the temple to be discarded, considered accepted by the potential obstructors, who are thus satisfied and demotivated to cause harm to Rinpoche.
Sechen Rabjam Rinpoche having received the Tenshug – long-life ritual
Photo: Shechen Monastery Nepal
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