The Gyalwang Drukpa

I had such a backache and chest pain last night after giving teaching and initiation in Ho Chi Minh, I had to engage a masseur for a massage to relieve some of the physical discomfort. My doctor said that I have to be careful if I experience chest pain, so I did whatever I could to reduce this pain, I had Tibetan medicine and stretched myself and of course, I had a very good massage that put me to sleep within 2 or 3 minutes. I slept until this morning and have been feeling great.

There is a story I think I could share with you about an old Zen master and his young monk student. Long long time ago, there was one old Zen master who was about to cross a river on foot with his young monk student. Before they crossed the river, they met a young woman who was too short and fragile to cross the river. So the kind old master carried her on his back to cross the river, while the young monk was getting very upset because he felt that his master had violated the vinaya. Young monk kept quiet for a few days but feeling increasing very upset and angry with his master by the day. After many days, he couldn't help it and told his master that he was very angry about his master carrying the woman across the river. The old master laughed and laughed, telling this young monk, "I have left the woman the minute I finished crossing the river, but you have been carrying her until now." What I am trying to say is that we have to know when to drop our burden and how to be free, especially when it comes to spiritual practice according to the Buddha's way. The Buddha had taught the Dharma to teach us to be free, free from all concepts and free from all burdens.

I was going to share with you on and off my trip in Vietnam, but the schedule has been very packed. I was not even able to contact my parents until now. The organisers and the local authorities did amazing job to let us, the Dragon masters, fly in the sky of Vietnam. More than 70,000 people came for the teaching and initiation yesterday in Ho Chi Minh city.

Because of the purity of the people's devotion, their strong wish to receive teachings and blessing and also because of their respect and appreciation of the Buddha's teachings transmitted by the Dragon Lineage, today there was dragon clearly appearing in the sky. I am not joking. Some people said that it was just an imagination, but all of my entourage who had taken the photos will be able to tell you that it's not a joking thing. I personally can assure you that it is a dragon, a celestial dragon that had come to bless the people of Vietnam and to give us, the Dragon masters, inspiration and support.

The local deities were also giving lots of auspicious signs. It was drizzling during initiation, and it stopped drizzling the minute we finished. The same thing happened when we were having lunch and doing some normal things. This is what we call the "rain of flowers" or "rain of blessings". Khamtrul Rinpoche was asking me whether or not people who love me would have devotion towards the Drukpa Lineage. I don't think so. I can see several old Ladakhi friends and several Lahauli friends of mine who do a lot of personal favours for me but who also in many ways harm the lineage in very serious manner, that may even have a very long term negative impact on the lineage. Some of them gave the excuse that it's because of business that they had to do certain things which actually or eventually bring harm to the stability of the Drukpa Lineage in these areas where the lineage had benefited so many beings. I don't want to tell them anything, because as I told Khamtrul Rinpoche, people who love me should know that they shouldn't harm the lineage, because harming the lineage and harming me are the same. Therefore, look at Vietnamese people, their support to the lineage is a definite support to me. For people like me to live long in this world, there must be a reason good enough not go to another world. Supporting the lineage is the best way to request for my longevity. People who are supporting the lineage at whatever cost, these are the people that those of you who have been requesting for my longevity should thank, such as these Vietnamese organisers.

I am very surprised and shocked that in some places, where I am already about to arrive, nothing has been done and even the organising committee does not bother to follow my instructions and they even try to avoid my instructions. These are the people that will kill any master who wishes to benefit the local people. As the seven branch prayers say requesting and making a genuine master live long so that he or she can benefit many beings is a great accumulation of merits. The opposite is also true. Anyway, due to the blessings of my gurus and my karma, I am lucky that wherever this negative energy comes, there is always a more positive energy that overwhelms it. From the depth of my heart, I want to thank my genuine students and friends such as Paul, Jigme Phende, Migyur, Julie, Jigme Kelsang and Lhachok Rinpoche's students, and now even Tenzing Koh and so many other people who have been working so hard to make my forthcoming visit to Malaysia much better than previous ones. We will see what happens afterwards. But at least I am very sure that their efforts will not be wasted, the dragons will fly from Vietnam to Malaysia, how many dragons will be there, I don't know, that truly depends on the motivation of the local people. I am surprised that Paul hasn't taken refuge and yet is so dedicated. I am thinking that he must be sent by Tara to help us.