The Gyalwang Drukpa

See You Later

A s we prepare ourselves for the forthcoming Pad Yatra, we are also preparing ourselves for a great time and excitement ahead. I am always thrilled whenever I think about being close to nature. We spend or rather waste a lot of our time making useless inventions that put such a huge distance between us and our nature. After that, we have to take so much pain to return to our nature. Our life is like this, creating problems we don't need, and then wasting time to undo them. Doing things, saying words that we regret later. That is why we always have to be mindful and responsible for ourselves and others.

When we are completely honest and aligned with our own nature, then we become spiritual. This is a very natural process. "Nature" means free o...

Are You Ready?

I n just a week, our next Eco Pad Yatra will start, from Mumbai to the sacred Sanchi stupa. More than 400 of us are now going to Mumbai, by batches. Obviously, unlike the 2 previous ones in the Himalayas, this forthcoming Pad Yatra is not going to be too difficult and challenging for people who are used to modern facilities. But as anything in life, challenges are always there. Even when we live in a so-called perfect physical environment, we will still face difficulties if we do not know how to appreciate and enjoy. For example, when we were walking in the Himalayas during the last 2 pad yatras, almost all the foreigners were complaining about the food, failing to realise how much effort had been put in to bring the food, the cooks and the ...

Looking Inward, Looking At Self

A fter almost one month traveling in Vietnam and Taiwan, more than 110 of us are now back, preparing for our next eco Pad Yatra. I want to especially thank all the volunteers and sponsors for making the trips possible. I was very pleased with Gyarawa Rinpoche's dedication to the lineage and the spiritual path. I am sure that with the help of all of my students and friends, my next visit to Taiwan or the next visit of my friends and students, old and new, to Druk Amitabha Mountain or to the next Annual Drukpa Council, will be able to benefit many, many more people. My nuns, my entourage and myself appreciate the joint effort by everyone to make both visits successful and pleasant.

I was really happy that many new friends have come directly to ...

The Dragon Connection

W hile I am busy packing and getting ready for my next destination, I just want to take this opportunity to thank Vietnam - Vietnamese people and their government. These past weeks that we have spent in Vietnam, wherever we went, from the north to the south, everyone has been trying their best to show us love, warmth and harmony. The collective energy, as a result, is completely positive. Therefore there have been many signs.

I normally do not like to talk about signs and all the different so-called miracles. But continuously in these past days, there were double rainbows, clouds in the shapes of dragons, some dancing, some smiling, and two days ago, the sun appeared in the form of Avalokiteshvara. Even I myself was amazied. This shows that V...

Happiness Because of Harmony and Understanding

I t's almost a week since we arrived in Vietnam. I have always wondered how Drukpa Vietnam in such a short time is able to organise such large scale event for the lineage, whereas other parts of the world seem to be facing some obstacles in small and big ways. I asked some of the key Vietnamese Sangha how is it so. Besides telling me that they had started preparing since March this year, they said, "Harmonious relationship and understanding." This is a great thing I have never heard for such a long time. I have been saying and sharing that "harmony is the key", "understanding is the key", but almost everyone does not understand. Most people's understanding of "harmony" is "you have to do this and that according to my terms and conditions, if...

Missing My Guru

M y Guru has just left. We just completed 49 days of prayers and practice for him. I was thinking how it would have been if he is still around. If you open the photo in big view, you can see our Kyabje Khamtrul Rinpoche Shedrub Nyima there as well. I had a mixed feeling seeing this photo. On one hand, I was very sorry to see my Guru there and yet he is not here now. On the other hand, I was moved to meet Kyabje Khamtrul Rinpoche there among many Rinpoches. He must have received profound teachings and empowerment from Trulshik Dorje Chang. So we are now spiritually related under the care and love of Guru Dorje Chang.

Looking very closely, it could be his last public group photo. I was missing him very much seeing this photo. We all have to pra...

About Friendship

T here was a saying that Sey Rinpoche was the reincarnation of the 11th Drukpa. A photo from Apho Rinpoche that I just received suddenly reminded me about this saying. In fact, I would be so happy if it were to be that way. I guess I would be released to do what I would like to do most. For example, by now, I would definitely be staying in Bhutan doing different sorts of things. Maybe I have become somebody's father, minding my own business. Unfortunately, because of my beloved guru His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who recognised me as who I am now, I have no words to say, because I have no idea how these things go about, and they are very hidden from ordinary beings like us. We have to depend on the divine beings.

It would be very good for our l...

Practice Has To Be Practical

I f you notice, most of the so-called practitioners always practise and do virtuous deeds on special days. Well, I am no exception. We say that effects are multiplied by hundred times, thousand times or hundred million times if we practise this or that on this day or that day. I am not saying that it is not true. Certain days have more positive energy and certain days have different type of energy.

Why is this happening? The truth is that we are all very lazy and we need to find valid reasons to encourage ourselves to practise. Otherwise, we do not have any incentive to do any practice. By practice, I don't only mean the formal practice of meditation, prostrations and recitation, I think good deeds such as helping others, bringing happiness t...

By Causing Suffering, We Suffer

I t was the 8th day of Lunar Calendar yesterday, a holy day related to Medicine Buddha. If you killed one animal or caused the death of one animal, the negative effect would be multiplied by 100,000 times. Yet unfortunately the day fell in the period of the Hindu festival of Dashain, the most important festival of the Nepalese Hindu calendar, commemorating the great victory of the evil demons known as the Battle of Ramayan, won by Lord Ram through the intervention of the goddess Durga. It is often depicted as slaying the terrible demon Mahisasura, that terrorized the earth in the guise of a buffalo. According to tradition, during the 15 days of Dashain hundreds of animals are sacrificed at every temple to pay homage to the goddess, but also ...

The Devotional Connection

W e in Sikkim, Bhutan and Nepal experienced 3 continuous earthquakes a few days ago. On one hand, I was very sad about those people and all living beings who were killed in the tragedy and as I said, we had to take this as an alarm clock, to wake us up in terms of protecting our environment and our nature. On the other hand, a secret that I didn't want to share earlier is that I believe this series of earthquakes, though unfortunate, were connected with the enlightenment of my beloved guru who had just left us.

When Buddha attained enlightenment, 6 earthquakes happened almost in one sequence. When Kunkhyen Longchen Rabjampa left his body and dissolved his body into nirvana, 9 sets of huge earthquakes happened. When the 4th Drukpa Kunkhyen Pem...