Dharma Teachings in Kuala Lumpur with Choden Rinpoche

Join us in Kuala Lumpur from 4 to 12 December 2010

We have a wonderful programme of events lined up for you, including Refuge Ceremony, Teachings, Puja, and Tantric Initiation - all to be held at Pearl International Hotel.  Buddha is coming to our doorstep this coming December, so don’t miss this precious opportunity to receive blessing and make a connection.

Kyabje Choden Rinpoche 

Renowned as a great yogi, scholar and teacher of our fortunate times, Choden Rinpoche was born on a very auspicious day, 15 of Fourth Month of the lunar calendar in 1931.   This day also marked the full moon day of Saka Dawa that commemorates Buddha Shakyamuni’s birth and enlightenment.  Choden Rinpoche was the reincarnation of the previous great Mahasiddha Lama Choden of Rongpo Rabten Monastery in Kham region who was then instructed by the Eleventh Dalai Lama to establish the 1000 Offering Puja of Buddha Namgyalma (a long life deity) and a debate system for learning the Buddhist Philosophy at his Monastery.   Having completed only the first instruction, the Mahasiddha passed into the sphere of Dharma.  Coincidentally, when the late Mahasiddha’s brother Gongpo Nyisher took on and established the debate system at the Monastery, on the very same auspicious day, Choden Rinpoche was incarnated.

Born as one of seven children in a noble family from Dahi, the Khampa region of Eastern Tibet, Rinpoche’s connections to past spiritual masters were evident from early childhood in his exemplary conduct and superior intelligence as well as in the miraculous signs often witnessed in his presence. Reting Rinpoche, the Regent of Tibet, officially recognized the small boy as the living reincarnation of the previous Mahasiddha Lama Choden, who had been one of the finalists in the search for the Thirteen Dalai Lama’s reincarnation.

At the age of seven, Rinpoche took novice ordination from His Holiness Pabongka Rinpoche who named the child Losang Gyalten Jikdrel Wangchuk.  Rinpoche traveled to Central Tibet at the age of seventeen and enrolled in Sera Je Monastery where he was trained in the Five Canons of Buddhist philosophy. While mastering this twenty-five year course of study, Rinpoche became an outstanding student of His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche and His Holiness Pabongka Rinpoche as well as numerous other prominent lamas. Under their tutelage, he received empowerments, oral transmissions and personal instruction. He was given complete pith instructions and ear-whispered transmissions as well, which led him to an internalized understanding of the teachings.  By virtue of this lengthy apprenticeship with many renowned lineage masters, Rinpoche mastered the Five Canons and earned the title Pandita.

During the 60s, Rinpoche undertook a solitary retreat, relying on the metok chuelen practice for sustenance. Rinpoche states unequivocally that his productive practice, his accumulation of merit and his accomplishment of clarity of mind are directly attributable to his metok chuelen practice.  In 1985, Rinpoche left Tibet, traveling through Nepal to India.  In Dharmasala, as his paramount wish, Rinpoche finally met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama: it was as if he had met with Buddha Shakyamuni himself.

Rinpoche spent twenty years of his youth studying Buddhist logic, the Perfection of Wisdom sutras, Middle Way philosophy, Treasury of Knowledge treatises, and monastic code and conduct at Sera Je Monastery. Subsequently, he dedicated another two decades to contemplation, meditating on the Five Canons in order to internalize the teachings. Most recently, he has devoted a third span of twenty years to teaching in South India and worldwide, and at the FPMT Centers at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s request. 

Kyabje Choden Rinpoche is regarded as one of the great masters of our day, and is particularly famed for his pure moral conduct. His great insight into the Dharma and his peerless and compassionate conduct have inspired many students in the West to follow in his example to take ordination vows.

Programmes

Public Events

Two-day events 4th & 5th December 2010 at Phoenix Ballroom 2, 5th floor Pearl International Hotel

Activities on 4 December:

10am   Light and Flower offerings (all day)

11am   TEACHING:  “Why are accumulation of merits and purification important for our practice?”

2pm    INITIATION:  Kunrig (Jenang)

4pm    TEACHING:  “How to practice Kunrig for purification”

Activities on 5 December:

10am   Light and Flower offerings (all day)

11am  TEACHING:  “How is taking daily refuge a means for enlightenment?”

2pm    REFUGE CEREMONY & conference of 5-lay vows (dharma names to be given)

3pm    PUJA:  Kungrig Jangwa Puja (for purification of the living beings karmic and deceased)

Yamantaka Initiation, Commentary and Retreat

Activities below are held at Flamingo 1, 7th Floor Pearl International Hotel

YAMANTAKA INITIATION:

6 December at 7pm  and 7 December at 2pm

LUNG ON YAMANTAKA LONG SADHANA & EXPERIENTIAL COMMENTARY ON YAMANTAKA TANTRA & RETREAT:

8 December at 6pm Lung on Yamantaka Long Sadhana 

8 to 10 December at 6pm each day Commentray on Yamantaka Tantra

8 to 10 December at 9pm each day Explanation on Yamantaka Practice led by Geshe Gyaltsen

YAMANTAKA RETREAT:

11 to 12 December from 5am to 8pm each day  (comprising 4 sessions per day)

 

Chokyi Gyaltsen Center (Penang)

14 December - Start from 7.30pm  - Cintamani Tara Jenang

16 to 17 December  -Start from 7.30pm -   Commentary on Cintamani Tara Short Sadhana Practices

Contact :  Stephanie  012-4282929

About Jangwa Puja and Initiations
Kunrig Initiation

There is a story that after a deva (god) died, Indra asked Buddha what had happened to this being, and was told by Buddha that it had been reborn in one of the hell realms.  All the gods became greatly distressed, and asked Buddha how they are to avoid a similar fate and, furthermore, how they can attain enlightenment instead. Buddha then manifested as the deity Kunrig and granted the practice of the Kunrig jangwa. The deva in question was then liberated from the lower realms. 

Kunrig Nampar Nangdze (or Kunrig in short) also called Sarvabid Vairochana.
Kunrig is known as "the King of Deities for purifying the lower realms". It belongs to the Sarva Durgati Parishodhana Tantra, which is classified as Yogatantra. Yogatantra has a greater emphasis on internal meditation, although it still employs some external ritual.   With the goal of alleviating and eradicating suffering, Kunrig practice was composed to aid beings in attaining a favorable rebirth in which they might heed and practice the Dharma.  If you do Kunrig practice or puja for someone who has already been born in the lower realms, they will be liberated from the lower realms.

Kunrig deity is peaceful in appearance, white in colour, with four faces and two hands placed in the gesture of meditation. Adorned with gold, jewels and silks, he is seated in vajra posture above a lotus, surrounded by a nimbus of yellow light.

There is no commitment for this initiation.  However, one is encouraged to recite at least 7 times, on a daily basis, the deity mantra (also known as Durgati Parishodhana Dharani) transmitted during the initiation.  Vegetarian food should be observed on the day of initiation.

Kunrig Jangwa

Kunrig Jangwa is a puja that has the primary function of removing the causes and effects that lead to a bad rebirth. For the living beings, this puja frees them from the misery of hell, and helps them to attain a favourable rebirth.  For the deceased, even if they have already been born in the lower realms, by the force of this puja, they will be liberated from the lower realms.

Kunrig jangwa puja consists of 4 main activities - it purifies causes to be born in the lower realms, one’s negative karma and obscurations; it dispels evil spirits and sicknesses befalling oneself; it increases one’s siddhis, wealth, life and virtues; it increases one’s wisdom.

Refuge Ceremony

One is ready to engage in the Buddhist path when one recognizes the 3 Jewels as the sole source of refuge, which is able to lead us to good rebirths, free us from the sufferings of cyclic existence, and help us attain liberation from cyclic existence & our ultimate goal of enlightenment.  The Refuge ceremony is a milestone for a Buddhist, giving one the formal opportunity to acknowledge and confirm one’s faith, confidence and trust in the 3 Jewels.

Refuge Ceremony participants will be given a dharma name, to signify the aspiration of becoming a Buddhist, and turning away from the distractions of worldly concerns.  If one is ready, one can also take one or more of the 5 lay vows conferred during the ceremony.  The 5 lay vows are: Restraining oneself from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and being intoxicated.

Solitary Yamantaka Initiation, Lung, Commentary and Retreat

Yamantaka Tantra is classified as the father tantra of Annutarayogatantra, or Highest Yoga Tantra.  Tantras of this class typically explain the path in attaining non-duality of the method of simultaneous great bliss and the wisdom perceiving emptiness.  Students of the highest capacity should transform desire arising from union in the path like insects born in wood who then consume the wood which gave them birth.  Like that, desire is used to generate states of mind which destroy the very desire which gave rise to them.  As such one can, therefore, attain enlightenment in this very life, or at least at the time of death. 

Why is Yamantaka practice extraordinary?  Yamantaka is the wrathful form of Manjushri, manifestation of the wisdom of all buddhas and bodhisattvas.  Thus, if we are taking refuge in Yamantaka for protection, our spiritual practice will be successful even in the most difficult conditions, such as at the current rampant five degenerations. This Solitary Yamantaka practice in particular, has the unique feature of the combined practice of peace and wrath.  Thus one comes closer to Manjushri for his blessings, and effects the removal of outer and inner obstacles from one’s spiritual path.

Students taking this initiation from Choden Rinpoche must regard Him as their Guru with full devotion.  Students must also take Bodhisattva & Tantric vows during the initiation.  Upon completing the 2-day initiation, students must commit to do daily 6-session Guru Yoga practice and at least a short Yamantaka sadhana for the rest of their life.  The booklet of the practice will be given out at the end of 2-day initiation. 

With His kindness, after the initiation, Choden Rinpoche will also confer his experiential commentary on the short sadhana of this Solitary Yamantaka Tantra for 3 days.  During the first day, there will be an oral transmission (lung) of the long sadhana.  Following this commentary, Choden Rinpoche will lead a 2-day guided retreat with 4 sessions each day.  The objective of the 2-day retreat is for the students to familiarize themselves with the retreat, learn how to overcome obscurations and obstacles of both outer (day-to-day mundane sickness) and inner (removing ordinary appearance and grasping) and activate the bodhi nature through developing divine and pure appearance. 

During retreat, the first session will start at 4:30am and the last session will end at 7pm, with 3 intermittent breaks as follows:
Session 1: 5am – 630am

Session 2: 830am – 1030am

Session 3: 2pm – 4pm

Session 4: 530pm – 7pm

Important Information

Public Teachings

Any individuals are welcome to attend any teachings and activities.

There is no commitment for Kunrig initiation but it is advised to chant daily at least 7 times the deity mantra transmitted during the initiation and participants are encouraged to observe vegetarian foods during the initiation day.

Solitary Yamantaka Initiation, Lung, Commentary and Retreat

There is a cost for participating this Solitary Yamantaka Initiation, Commentary and Retreat programme.  Minimal charges per participant for venue usage: RM 300 per person.

Please register by filling and sending your application form to us at chodenrinp_tour@yahoo.com.  The form can be downloaded from this blog below.

It is advisable for anyone who wishes to attend the Yamantaka Initiation to have stable faith and understanding in the 3 Jewels, the 3 Principles of the Path, and the Vajra Master (The one who grants the initiation; in this case, Choden Rinpoche).

Those taking the initiation must attend all 2 days of the program. Note that you will be taking Refuge Precepts, Bodhisattva and Tantric Vows during the initiation.

If you are taking the full initiation you will need to do daily commitments for the rest of your life.

Anyone planning to take the initiation must register in advance.  Priority for retreat will be given to those attending the Solitary Yamantaka Initiation and Commentary.

Participants are encouraged to contribute further if it is within their means, so that those who cannot afford the minimal charges can be sponsored to attend.

In any case, we will not decline any persons from attending the teachings due to financial constraints, and will find any means necessary to support them. 

All sangha members are waived from the minimal charges.

Contact Person: 

Eric +6012 327 7891

Edwin +6012 378 6188

Email: chodenrinp_tour@yahoo.com

You can also find us at Facebook at “Choden Rinpoche Malaysia Dharma Teachings”

For program posters, kindly go to " Choden Rinpoche Malaysia Event "
Accommodation for those needed to attend the programmes

We have arranged for Pearl International Hotel to offer very competitive prices (single or double rooms) to all participants.

Alternative accommodation can also be found at Boulevard Hotel (10 minutes drive from the event venue), which you will need to arrange yourself.

Please indicate your requirement in your registration, whether accommodation at Pearl International Hotel is required. 

For non-muslim only. 

Where is Pearl International Hotel?

Pearl International Hotel is at Batu 5, Jalan Klang Lama 58000 Kuala Lumpur [website: http://www.pearl.com.my/location.php].

Basement parking chargeable at RM 3.00 nett per day for Residential Guest or RM 5.00 nett per entry for Non-Residential Guest.