To read about the Ku-dung Stupa for Lama Tharchin Rinpoche click here.
As many of you know, Lama Tharchin Rinpoche focused the last months of his life on building Ku-dung (holy body) memorial stupas containing sacred relics of our root teachers His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche and Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche. We began work on the project in January 2013, and due to the tireless efforts of Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and Lama Sonam Rinpoche, as well as the kindness of our sangha and sponsors around the world, we are happy to report that the stupas have been completed!
Due to the generous donations from over 400 of our kind sangha and friends, we completed the building of the stupa structures, installed the precious contents and ornaments, and made basic improvements to the shrine room and landscaping around Lama Tharchin Rinpoche’s stupa during the summer of 2014.
We are grateful to everyone who has given financial and physical support to these “holy objects of refuge”. For those of you who have been intending to give and may not have had the opportunity to do so, you may still make an auspicious connection. We are accepting donations for additional beautification of the stupa areas, completion of the adjacent text library in the shrine room, creation of an etched mandala fence and pagoda to cover and illuminate the Ku-dung stupa for Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, and for the future ceremony to consecrate the stupas (rab-ney).
A Letter from Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, February 2013:
"Dear Dharma Friends,
Supporting the Dudjom Tersar lineage of HH Dudjom Rinpoche and Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche is the essence of my whole life, my true heart wish to serve my lamas’ teachings.
His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche passed away in 1987 but our Lord Protector, Kyabje Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, accepted Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center as his own and gave teachings for the complete Vajrayana path from Ngondro to Dzogchen here. People might think that since they never met Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche or H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, they do not have a connection. Do not have that concept! Although their physical presence is no longer with us their wisdom mind is always present.
We have to continuously remember Dungse Rinpoche and H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, who each brought a gift of Dharmakaya wisdom right into our hands. Because of this Lama Sonam Rinpoche and I wish to build two ku-dung (sacred body) stupas at Pema Osel Ling. These stupas, which will hold precious relics of our sublime teachers’ physical forms, will be an external way of keeping Dudjom father and son wisdom energy at Pema Osel Ling.
Inside the stupas will be sacred remains and relics from his Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche and Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche. These dung relics are the essential essence of their bodies’ ordinary five elements which have ripened into the five wisdoms. They are a gift from our most kind lamas for sentient beings, a main support for a connection to their Dharmakaya wisdom energy.
Of all the virtuous actions that accumulate merit, the most supreme is to be connected with building ku-dung stupas because this activity has six different powers:
- It is a single antidote for any kind of defilements
- It will give us an opportunity to fulfill all samaya commitments (sacred vows)
- It will quickly accumulate vast merit and wisdom
- In the future, for every single lifetime, you will continue to be the lama’s student.
- Right after this lifetime, you will actually meet your lama
- It will bring liberation from samsara
What I am asking for is for you to help us build these stupas in the material world with a donation. Anything material is impermanent and therefore has no true, lasting essence. However, if you have pure motivation, you can use material to connect you with nonmaterial, inexhaustible essence. Money is exhaustible, but if you offer it purely it will connect you forever to wisdom pure essence.
You can dedicate your offering to anything that you wish, for loved ones, pets, living or dead. On the day of the consecration we will read the names of all sponsors and loved ones and they will share in our great merit and wisdom connection
Anyone supporting the stupas with pure motivation will accumulate merit and blessings like a drop of water in the ocean – it will never be exhausted. You can dedicate it for future lives and it will continue to increase until we reach enlightenment all together in this sublime mandala!
These stupas will be amazing, not only for followers of the Dudjom tradition, but for everyone. Relics are Dharmakaya wisdom brought to the earth and we need to help that wisdom energy penetrate the whole world and America in particular. Although these stupas will be located in a particular place their blessings will be wherever the blue sky pervades.”
~Lama Tharchin Rinpoche
To download a pdf of the entire letter click here