Monday

Sakyong Wangmo invites all Shambhalians to the long life ritual for the Kongma Sakyong

The Sakyong Wangmo, Khandro Tseyang, has issued a formal invitation requesting all Shambhalians to take part in a major, mandala-wide long life ritual for the Kongma Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche. The full text of her statement follows below.

The elaborate ceremony, known as a Tenshuk, will take place in Halifax on Tuesday 10 November, which falls in the week when Shambhalians from around the world will be gathering for the Fourth Shambhala Congress.

In her message, the Sakyong Wangmo says she would love everyone to come. If that is not possible, she asks that every Shambhala Centre and group make a special effort to send a representative to the Tenshuk to represent their centre or group and make an offering on behalf of their local community.

In order to ensure that as many people can participate as possible, there will be an international broadcast. Details will be provided. All centres and groups will be asked to take part in that, as well as sending a representative to Halifax.

The Sakyong Wangmo’s message also requests the vajra sangha of Shambhala to undertake specific mantra practices for the protection of the Sakyong prior to his entry into retreat, and to receive the Gesar Trakpo Abhisheka, a powerful protector practice, being bestowed on the vajra sangha as part of the major events taking place in Halifax in November.

The final dates for the full week of November events in Halifax follow the text of the formal invitation from the Sakyong Wangmo.

———————————————————

Invitation from the Sakyong Wangmo to the Tenshuk (Long Life Ritual) for the Kongma Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche

I would like to invite everyone in the Shambhala community to take part in an extremely important and auspicious ceremony that we will be holding for the long and healthy life of our Kongma Sakyong, Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche. The Shambhala leadership has kindly supplicated my father, His Eminence Namkha Drimed Rinpoche, to bestow this blessing on the Sakyong before he begins his year of deep retreat. We now have the auspicious date for the ceremony: Tuesday 10 November.

The ceremony will take place in our Shambhala capital, Halifax. I would love everyone to come. Traditionally, a Tenshuk is performed with all the students present. However, if that is not possible, I would like to invite every Shambhala Centre and group to send at least one representative to attend in person and to make an offering on behalf of their centre or group. We will also be arranging for every centre and group to be part of a worldwide broadcast that day so that we can, in this way, fulfill the traditional aspiration that every single student be present for such an important occasion.

This ceremony, although part of the normally closed vajrayana tradition, will be open to everyone in Shambhala. In the vajrayana this elaborate ritual ceremony is known as a Tenshuk. Tenshuk means to secure the life of the master.

Traditionally, such ceremonies are organized by the students from time to time at special moments in the life of a precious guru. Usually, the ceremony is led by an eminent master who shares close samaya (spiritual bond) with the one who is to be offered the Tenshuk. A Long Life Abhisheka is conferred as part of the Tenshuk. Students then make offerings of rupas and various objects securing the body speech and mind quality and activity of the guru. The offerings are also a symbolic way of showing one’s gratitude towards the guru or master for his tireless and selfless dedication in bringing the light of dharma into our life.

Offering prayers and wishes for a long and healthy life is a common aspiration of students at all stage of the path. The diamond path of the vajrayana clearly emphasizes the importance of the role of the guru. In fact, the guru-student relationship is the life force of the path and the practice. Thus, love, trust, and devotion in the precious guru is essential. The guru is revered as the embodiment of living wisdom and compassion, the heart of the lineage, and the source of blessings and happiness.

It is up to the students to create the tendrel (auspicious circumstances) that enable the guru’s life to be secured for the benefit of the world and sentient beings. Without the love, guidance, trust, and compassion of the guru, our life would never be the same. And without this patience and endurance, we would never have embraced the seed of enlightenment that is close to our heart. So we wish and pray from the depth of our heart with all our humbleness, and say “Yes, precious guru, for now and forever, may your life be secured for kalpas and may you continue to turn the wheel of dharma for the benefit of all sentient beings.”

In addition to offering the Tenshuk, my father has been asked to advise the vajra sangha of Shambhala on appropriate practices to clear obstacles for the Kongma Sakyong prior to his entering retreat. Last year, Shambhala sponsored a number of practices conducted precisely for this purpose in the Ripa lineage monasteries, and my father is conducting other pujas for the protection and well-being of the Sakyong at major practice centres like Karme Choling, Shambhala Mountain Center and, recently, Marpa House.

He has asked the vajra sangha of Shambhala to accomplish collectively a number of mantra recitations to remove obstacles for the Sakyong’s retreat year. The details will be announced soon. I would like to introduce these for the whole vajra sangha and may do so in September on a special Shambhala Online broadcast. I am finalizing a plan for this. I invite everyone in our global vajra sangha to join me in this.

Finally, at the request of the Kongma Sakyong, my father will bestow the Gesar Trakpo Abhisheka for members of the vajra sangha of Shambhala. He previously gave this empowerment to the Kongma Sakyong at the Ripa lineage monastery in Parping, Nepal, in April 2008. Now the Kongma Sakyong has supplicated him to offer it to the vajrayana practitioners of Shambhala, with the view that this would become a major protector practice for our mandala, particularly in the Don season each year before Shambhala Day. I invite all tantrikas to this, and particular urge tantrikas who are members of the Dorje Kasung to make every effort to attend. Gesar Trakpo is the wrathful form of King Gesar of Ling, the manifestation of enlightened rulership whose energy cuts powerfully through the obstacles of the dark age.

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Halifax for these ceremonies and empowerments — and to joining with everyone else globally through Shambhala Online.

The Sakyong Wangmo

————————————-

Schedule of events in Halifax, 6-12 November 2009

Fri 6 Nov — arrival for day/evening for Gesar Trakpo Abhisheka

Sat 7 Nov — Gesar Trakpo Abhisheka – introduction and instructions

Sun 8 Nov — Gesar Trakpo Abhisheka – the abhisheka

Mon 9 Nov — Shambhala Congress Day One

Tu 10 Nov — Shambhala Congress Day Two – morning

TENSHUK (Long Life Ceremony) for the Sakyong – with Shambhala online hook-up for global community

Birthday celebration for the Sakyong – evening. We aim to present the Sakyong with the generous gift for his retreat year. The Sakyong Ladrang, in cooperation with Shambhala, will be raising this by direct appeal to all Shambhala members throughout the mandala in the coming months.

We 11 Nov — Shambhala Congress: Day Three – full day through the evening conclusion of Congress

Th 12 Nov — Mandala Council – morning
Departures late afternoon/evening

Registration details will be posted soon when the web pages with detailed information are posted.