Monlam Pavillion
25 January 2024
The causes for a nirmanakaya to appear in the world are the buddha’s own aspirations and the faith and merit of the disciples. No matter how strong a reincarnate tulku’s aspirations may be, if we lack merit and have little faith and devotion, the interdependent conditions will not come together and he will be unable to return to us. In our Karma Kagyu tradition, the supreme method to rouse faith and devotion is the practice of guru yoga.
Following Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s passing into parinirvana on June 4, 2023, the full moon day of the fourth Tibetan month, Saga Dawa—the sacred anniversary of the Buddha Shakyamuni—His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa graciously composed a new guru yoga practice entitled Invoking Compassion Swiftly, a practice that we can do to promote the interdependent conditions for Rinpoche’s swift return to this world. The practice and its accompanying prayers can be obtained here: https://dharmaebooks.org/invoking-compassion-swiftly/
A short biography of The Ninth Khenchen Thrangu Tulku, Karma Lodrö Lungrik Maway Senge, precious teacher of the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, the four heart sons of the Karma Kamtsang, an entire generation of tulkus, and thousands of monastics and lay devotees can be found here: https://rinpoche.com/a-short-biography/
On the final afternoon of the Kagyu Monlam, representative tulkus, khenpos, lamas and sangha of Thrangu monasteries made an elaborate mandala offering to His Holiness Tai Situ. This preceded a session of the Thrangu Guru Yoga by the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, followed by Calling the Glorious Karmapa Rigpe Dorje Longingly from Afar by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, a prayer that Rinpoche wrote for his own root guru, the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa. Then the assembly recited prayers for Thrangu Rinpoche’s swift rebirth composed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa, His Holiness Kenting Tai Situ Rinpoche, and His Eminence Gyaltsab Rinpoche. The session concluded with dedications and aspirations to never be separate from the lama throughout all our lifetimes.
