Khordong India Sangha Life

Tulku Ugen Chencho has tied the knots between many many prayer flags, making the wish that all these knots which are tied together could symbolize the union and harmony of our Sangha.

Venerable Khenpo Rinpoche gives commentary on H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's Mountain Retreat Instructions, emphasizing the vital importance of the Sangha as our object of refuge and source of inspiration.


2015 with Khordong Byangter Monastery, India

25th Butter Lamp Retreat: December 16th to 31st 2015

As planned the 25th Butterlamp retreat began in the early morning of December 16th.
The whole gompa complex was freshly painted anew, the rhythm of pujahs, tsog offerings, lamps cleaning and refill lead the life at Khordong Byangter Monastery for two whole weeks.The 111,111 lamps offering for World Peace was led by Tulku Ugen Chencho and the monastics at Khordong Byangter Monastery.



Tulku Ugen Chencho and Sashi Kandrola travelled to Kham, China

 

Kangyur Recitation: May 3rd-13th 2015

 After the tragedy which has hit people in Nepal and some parts of India and China, Tulku Ugen organized the recitation of the 108 texts of the Kangyur for the first time at Khordong Byangter Gompa with the support of 50 elder monks from Takshi Shedra in Gangtok.

2014 with Khordong Byangter Monastery, India

Building of a small shrine to the local deities

A few years back it had been advised to build a small shrine for the local deities in order to tame things around the gompa. The place where the Shrine would be built had been blessed by Tulku Chhimed Gyaltsen when he visited the Gompa. The shrine was completed and alive in 2014 and started to receive regular offerings on pujah days.

23rd Butter Lamp Retreat, January 10th to 27th, 2014


2013

 22nd Butterlamp Retreat for World Peace 

It was held at Khordong Byangter Monastery in India from January 12th to January 31st  2013.

2012

At Shantiniketan University, December 2012

In memory of the 35 years spent by Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche in Shantiniketan and to keep the connection alive, Tulku Ugen had the wish for quite some times to introduce the lamas of Khordong Byangter Monastery to Shantiniketan and part of the earlier life of Rinpoche in India. A place where he was known to all and referred as Lamaji, a place where people still remember him and his family very vividly, till today. A place from where he got first connected with westerners.
Over the past 6 years Shantiniketan students came several times in groups of 40 and even more to visit the gompa, sometime even spending a night as guests of the Gompa. These visits were always wonderful moments of cultural exchange between the lamas and the students of Shantiniketan in a mix of dances, songs and poetry.
So this time it was our lamas turn to go to Shantiniketan and then Kolkata, so that it broadens their mind about the world they live in. For many of them it was even their first train ride, so off they went accompanied by Tulku Ugen and two Australian volunteers.
Shantiniketan is divided in several different schools and our lamas were invited by several of them to share breakfast and lunch with them, engage in cultural exchange, perform in dance classes, taking part in their weekly program, visiting different handicrafts classes and attending prayers at the Brahma temple of Shantiniketan.
For all of them it was a very exciting and eye opening moment and the people of Shantiniketan were overjoyed to meet a group of young lamas who are disciples and monks of CR Lama. Never before such visit had happened at Shantiniketan, so it has been a memorable moment for all.
Next was the discovery of Kolkata, the state capital city of West-Bengal together with the visit of the Planetarium, the Science city, the Zoo, the Botanic garden and at the end the Aquatic Park to make the trip totally memorable.
We believe such trip is very beneficial in the lamas curriculum, very few gompas offer their monks such opportunities within their education program and we are glad it could be done with your support.

Tulku Ugen at Khordong, China:October 2012

Tulku Ugen Chencho travelled to Khordong-the origin of the Khordong Byangter lineage in Kham, China- with some members of the sangha.

Film- making “Journey to the source” 

The film is featuring the places of origins of the Khordong Byangter Lineage.

Chotrul Duchen: fishes release April


Chotrul Duchen is always a joyful occasion at Khordong Byangter Gompa. Celebrated on the first full moon of the Tibetan New Year. As a yearly event it is the day we release live fishes. With the donations gathered along the year, we could release the equivalent of 200 kg of live fishes this year

State television Doordharshan in KBM: January 29th  2012 

This 21st butterlamp retreat has been rich in events among which the monastery received the visit of the state television Doordharshan.
Their first motivation was to come to feature the agricultural activities currently taking place on the land with the help of the state agricultural department, but once they came here and heard about Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche and his career in Shantiniketan, they decided to make a full documentation of the place, its history, its activities and its goals.
They recorded our lamas singing in front of the Gompa, recorded an interview with Tulku Ugen Chencho inside the Gompa and asked questions about the origin of Vajrayana Buddhism and the lineage of teachings being practiced at Khordong India Monastery.





New edition of the Khordong Olympic Games, January 17th  2012

 

21st Butterlamps Retreat: January 9th to January 26th  2012 

 The 21st offering of 111.111 butter lamps retreat was held at Khordong Byangter Monastery in India .

Trip to Gangtok to receive wangs

Eight of the elder monks together with their teacher Yeshe Dorje went to Gangtok to receive the Byangter initiations given by Kyabje Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche.

2011

Tulku Ugen teaching in Poland, June 17th 2011

Tulku Ugen went to Darnkov and gave Padmasambhava initiation on June 23rd  as well as Dorje Drollo initiation on June 25th, then he proceeded with Dorje Drollo retreat till June 29th .

Vesak Day, May 28 2011 

On the last Full moon we celebrated Vesak day (photo Gallery) also known as Buddha Purnima. According to the Theravada calendar it is on that day that we commemorate Lord Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and parinirvana.
On this auspicious day we offered 1000 butter lamps and performed the Big Rigdzin. During the break we took out the 16 pechas, which are known as the Bum, a condensed version of the Kangyur (teachings of Lord Buddha). Lead by the three symbols of Body, Speech and Mind we carried the texts outside. It was the first time since the inauguration of the gompa,that the teachings were brought all around the land and we wish now to do it every year.  

Visit from Shantiniketan and 25th Anniversary, April 28th 2011

Khordong Byangter Monastery had put on its nicest appearance to receive the people of Shantiniketan and celebrate Tulku Ugen and Shashi’s 25th marriage anniversary in a mix of Bengali and Tibetan celebration.

Fishes Release, March 23rd  2011 

We celebrated the Chotrul Duchen with the release of live fishes (Photo Gallery) in a consequent manner. We purchased 320 kg of live fishes which accounted for more than 20.000 of them of 4 different varieties together with some eels. The fishes were freed while the tsethar ritual was being performed by Tulku Ugen, Lopon Choewang and the monks.

Malaysia's program: February 17th 2011 

Tulku Ugen was requested to give several empowerments and he accepted: Dharma protectors’ initiation according to the terma of Khordong Terchen Tulku Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche, Vajrakilaya initiation according to the terma of Rigdzin Godem, Zhitro initiation according to ther terma of Khordong Terchen Nuden Dorje Drophan Lingpa. Riwo sangcho ritual was performed to close the week-end

Recitation of 145.500 Om Soti Prayers:January 31st 2011

That was probably the best way to celebrate this 20th Butterlamp retreat together. From our side the retreat went fine and as planned we went to Kechopalri Lake in Sikkim to start the recitations from there.
We could do it by the lake in the small lamp house that had been built recently, keeping us warm throughout the day. It really was a lovely experience. We also offered and hung prayer flags to keep the aspirations and prayers flow into the air as long as possible
Back to Khordong Byangter Monastery we continued with the retreat while reciting the Om Soti prayer all together on daily basis for an hour. 
The retreat came to an end on January 14th, 2011 with a total of 115.000 butter lamps offered for the benefit of all sentient beings and the Om Soti prayers accumulation went on for another two full days -Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche, swift reincarnation prayer. We had all been patiently waiting for the last eigth years.
Sampa Lhundrub recitations had been completed 2 years ago, yet Tulku Ugen  Chencho was still waiting to receive the clear and final indications as predicted by his father Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche and confirmed to him by renowned masters such as Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Chadral Rinpoche and Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche.
It was Tulku Ugen’s responsibility to find Rinpoche’s yangsi and it was our deepest wish to assist him in his mission.
In the near surrounding of Khordong Byangter Monastery, Kechopalri Lake appeared to be the best location, as it is famous for being a place where strong wishes are being fulfilled.
It was Tulku Ugen’s most profound wish to go there this year, together with some students of Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche and some of the monks of Khordong Byangter Monastery as representatives of the Sangha as a whole, to recite the prayer all day long during seven days; it would for sure have a tremendous impact.
This was a wonderful and precious opportunity for the all of us to call upon our teacher together, in one united voice and one united heart for seven days.

2010 with Khordong Monastery, India

Empowerments by His Holiness the Dalaï Lama, December 29th 2010 

That year the lamas and a few of us were very fortunate to receive teachings on the 37 Practices of a Boddhisattva and empowerment from His Holiness the Dalai Lama who stayed in Salugara for 2 days on 23rd  and 24th  December 2010. It was a very nice and meaningful way to start this 20th Butterlamp retreat and celebrate Christmas.

 

Visiting Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche in Gangtok, December 7th 2010 

Tulku Ugen went to Gangtok to pay his respect to Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche who was there for some time. The next day he was followed by 10 of our monks who were given the chance to meet Rinpoche personally and receive his blessing.

Lhabab Duchen, October 27th 2010

The celebration of Lhabab Duchen is one of the four festival commemorating important deeds in the life of the Buddha.
This festival is celebrated to observe the descent of Lord Buddha from heaven where he went at the age of 41 to give teachings to the gods in order to repay the kindness of his mother by liberating her from Samsara. He returned to earth from the Heaven of the thirty three with the help of the god Viswakarma who prepared for him a special triple ladder.
 On Lhabab Duchen the effects of positive or negative actions are multiplied ten million times. It is part of Tibetan Buddhist tradition to engage in virtuous activities and prayers and this day.
 Tulku Ugen together with the monks started the celebration on October 29th, 2010, with the performance of the Big Rigdzin practice and then in the afternoon the texts that have been given to the monastery at the last Nyingma Monlam were opened and part of them was read continuously for the next four days. These texts comprised the Nyigma Gyubum, the Kangyur and the Tengyur.

Gompa Olympic Games 2010, July 25th  2010 


On a spontaneous idea from our French volunteer Antoine and Mariam,  the Gompa Olympic Games 2010 were started. They planned, organized and prepared the competition with the support of Tulku Ugen and the help of the residents. During three days, all Khordong Byangter monastery members have taken part in the Games.The players, who were divided in four teams of four players were carrying each their own coloured flag. They challenged each other in Sports and Entertainment activities such as swimming competition, athletics, bag race, rope pulling, General knowledge and Dharma Quizz.
 The whole Games were built with an educative purpose to force the participants to elaborate strategies, develop strong team spirit and enhance the cooperative drive of all participants, while maintaining a fair play attitude. At the end of those three days of intense and joyful competition the yellow team led by Passang and composed of Jigme, Dawa Norbu and Rigdzin came out as the over whole winner by far. (see gallery for pictures)
To close the Test Games 2010, the prices were handed over on the auspicious day of the commemoration of Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche's Birthday. The first price was a beautiful Globe and watches for all the team members.
The organizing committee especially thanked Tulku Ugen Chencho Lama for being the Chief Guest of the games and Nathalie who was named referee without a chance to say no, as well as Om the English-Nepali official translator.

 

Water Park, June 28th 2010

To celebrate the success of this 8th Paranirvana celebration of Terton Tulku Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche, Tulku Ugen asked everyone to assemble in front of the retreat house and announced his happiness and happiness of all, for this very happy and auspicious day. He highlighted his happiness to have witnessed the dedication of the small monks, who had worked for two days under scorching sun, to erect the prayer flags with their tender hands. How they had been cheerful even at a slightest request from him or from Khandro Sashila or Lopon Chewangla. Really, we all felt that our small family is growing stronger and more dedicated.To celebrate this, a full day of fun and excitement at Saving Kingdom (water fun park) near Siliguri was organised for the entire khordong family. (See Photo Gallery). It was another day of celebration for the khordong family.

Celebrating Saga Dawa Duchen & Vesak Day with our Dear Guests, June 19th  2010

For a few years now there has been a contact with friends from a leper-house nearby, to which our society already had offered food and clothes. This year we invited our friends to the Gompa, to celebrate together this extraordinary day.
During the Padmasambhava Puja there were about 150 people from the Leper-house together with people from other Buddhist societies, 3 Europeans and of course our Monks and Lamas and Tulku Ugen to pray together.
  During the Puja, our guests could offer butterlamps and our Amala presented with blessings the Tsog-Offering.

At the end we all got offered a delicious meal to eat and enjoy together. It was really a very emotional day for us and all the people who joined this event. It was great to look into happy, thankful and smiling faces.
A good reminder on how important it is to pay respect to all the sick people, who are suffering, to give them our love and compassion, to treat them right and show our sympathy.
May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and be free from suffering!

Saga Dawa Duchen&Vesak Day,  May 14th 2010

According to the Tibetan Calendar, the fourth month is considered quite special for practicing and performing virtuous actions. Lord Buddha Shakyamuni's birth, Enlightenment and Paranirvana is a time when the effects of positive or negative actions are multiplied by 10 million times.
Besides being a festival for rejoicing and making offerings to the Three Jewels, it is also an occasion for reflecting on our personal spiritual development. On this day, many Buddhists around the world release captive animals such as birds and fishes. This act of kindness recalls the Buddha Teaching of Universal Compassion.
Others take part in the ceremonial bathing of the statue of baby Prince Siddharta, as an act of purification of one unwholesome actions.
Meanwhile, in Khordong Gompa in China this is the time for the greatest annual event, starting on the 10th day of the month with the gathering of all the lamas and the beginning of a several days pujah together with Cham dances.

Library Project April 9th  2010

Khordong Byangter Gompa has a library with a vast collection of books in various languages. Most of them are from Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche’s personal collection and cover a wide spectrum of knowledge in general and Buddha Dharma in particular.
Thanks to the meticulous work of Anne Wanitscheck and Sebastian Schlicht during the year 2004, shelves got made and the books written in European languages got registered and sorted out. Unfortunately they did not have the time to do the same with the books written in Tibetan, Nepali, Hindi and Bengali or Chinese. Which was one of the reasons for the library to remain closed until the time when its full content is registered and ordered.
So Tulku Ugen, Alexis and Nathalie together with the help of the lamas took all the books out, chasing the worms, brushing off the dust and stamping each of them. Once this done they treated the library room to make sure no more worms stay there and then the long process of registration and labeling of each book took place.

Chotrul Duchen, Holi and Full Moon February 28th 2010

Chotrul Duchen celebrates when Lord Buddha performed a different miracle each day to instill devotion and increase merit among heretics. We started the day with the celebration of the Guru Rinpoche practice known as the Big Rigdzin and many Barched Namsel prayers were recited to remove the obstacles of people born in  the year of the Tiger.In the afternoon we all " Played the colors" of the Holi festival in honor of Lord Krishna celebrated all over India.

The 19th Butterlamp Retreat, February 19th 2010

This year’s appeal for the 19th butterlamp retreat got a very positive and generous feedback. The pujas started on January 24th with 3600 lamps on both tables of offering. Our 14 lamas together with 12 westerners were led by Tulku Ugen  in this beautiful and deep process through our everyday ceremonies.
Having been requested, Tulku Ugen accepted to give the wang of Padmasambhava on the last full moon day of the Tibetan year. On that occasion we had a very joyful day together.
We then left on pilgrimage to Tashiding for two days. There we could practice in the Guru Lakhang while a temporary lamp house had been prepared. On Dakini day Tulku Ugen got requested to give the lung of the Machig Labdron guru yoga. From this moment the sound of the Machig Mala song was with us till the end of the retreat.
On February 10th , we left to Kacheopalri wish fulfilling lake with the very clear intention to go there pray and make offerings in the name of each member of the sangha, with the very special request to see our Rinpoche back among us soon. The weather was wonderful with a very clear blue sky. We all could practice together in front of the lake.
During lunch time Tulku Ugen tied the knots between many many prayer flags, making the wish that all these knots tied together could symbolize the union and harmony of our sangha. Even though there was only a few of us, we were all very aware that each and everyone represented the whole of us as a sangha in this very strong wish and request. Then the flags got hung high in the sky and we completed the lamp offering prayer, before to head back to Tashiding for our last evening.

On February 11th most of us went back to gompa to close the retreat with the last lamps offering. We all arrived exhausted yet so happy and aware to have participated at something very profound. Meanwhile the lamas had prepared the torma for the ritual of Vajrakilaya to be performed on the Gutor’s day.
We then decorated the gompa and got ready for the losar which we celebrated on February 14th with great joy while inaugurating the new open air classrooms in presence of Amala.

2009 with Khordong Byangter Monastery, India

18th Butterlamp Retreat, April 4th, 2009


111.111 Butterlamps were successfully offered at our Khordong Byangter Gompa, this year once again thanks to your unconditional support. The offering of lamps in Yuksom, Sikkim, was of course the pic of our time. We reached there quite late in the evening and had to start everything in order to get ready for the first offerings in the morning.
The people of Yuksom who were receiving us at Norbugang Chorten did not expect that we will stay up till late for the first 1000 lamps to be ready and for the small “mani lakhang” to be set with electricity and other necessities required. From the first day while the pujahs were going on local people helped us to keep up the pace of cleaning and filling the lamp.

On the second day we had the chance to be received by H.H Yangthang Rinpoche for a personal audience during which he kindly granted us a Tsewang “long life”. We could introduce him our endeavour and motivation, we could ask him questions and pieces of advises in a very open manner. Rinpoche gave recommendations to our young lamas as for us he advised to keep our Rinpoche close to our heart, to continue the practices we have received and to be patient and faithful.
 Yangthang Rinpoche knew well Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche and has close ties with Khordong Gompa in Kham.
On the last day, to honour the request of the people of Yuksom, Tulku Ugen Chencho accepted to give a public Tsewang just after the Big Rigdzin Pujah during which we had offered a huge tsok. The mani Lakhang got fully packed and people were contented.
During the afternoon we had the time to visit the holy lake and the various Lakhangs and Gompas of Yuksom. During this tour we had the chance to meet with Gomchen lama who was taking the sun in front of a shop.
In the evening the people of Yuksom had prepare for us a joyful program of traditional dances and songs which we all enjoyed.   


 2008

Nyungney - Butterlamp retreat - December, 21st, 2008

The first Nyungney held in our Gompa ended on December 21st after three “ Cha” were completed, meaning three periods of two days during which commitments are taken. A total of 40 people took part in this event which kept the Gompa busy and alive. Thanks to Nadia Maati and her friends and teachers from Manjushri Institute in Darjeeling a transliteration of the Nyungney text could be prepared on time, allowing the westerners to participate and follow the pujahs. It has been a great experience for everybody.
Buddhist people from the surrounding and parents of some of our lamas were very happy to join and discover Khordong Byangter Gompa as a place where all could come to practice and feel at home, while for the westerners it was a brand new experience and all were impressed by the depth and strength of such practice. The fasting and silent days were definitely the most powerful ones, and many of us would have enjoyed seeing the process last another 2 or 4 more “Cha”, despite the intensity of the practice. We were all sleeping inside the Gompa, which was creating quite a special atmosphere over the days. Our Nyungney Lama was Lopon Tobden from Kacheopalri in Sikkim, to conduct Nyungney is his specialty and he really did a great job together with the help of the Dorje Lopon of Kachoperi. Our Lopon Choewang and small lamas together with the help of Om the English teacher, the cooks and Sashi were looking after us in a very dedicated way allowing the participants to concentrate on the practice.

 

The recitation of Sampa Lhundrub prayers was successfully completed, 28th October 2008. 

A total of 121.000 recitations have been reached by 49 lamas from here and various Gompas of West Sikkim over a period of 13 days. Many of them were connected with our Lopon Choewang as his childhood classmates. 9 of them had completed their 3 years retreat and several of them had finished their education in a Shedra.

Tulku Ugen Chencho in Malaysia, 2008

Tulku Ugen Chencho led a retreat in Malaysia (Melaka) for 7 days during which he was requested to bestow the initiations of Padmasambhava, Dorje Drolo and Urgyen Menla together with various lungs. It was held in a very family like atmosphere thanks to the generosity and care of Mr. Soo, Richard and Eric Yap, Chua and Mrs. Alicia Tan. New connections were made there during the public programs while the practices were introduced to a smaller and dedicated number of people along the week.

2007

17th Butterlamp Retreat / Tashiding Pilgrimage, December 24th to January 14th, 2008

Tulku Ugen Chencho had wished to revive the intensity of this very powerful practice handed over to us by our beloved Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche as his legacy and core teachings together with the Vidhyadara Guru practice. To do so, the wish was to link the offering of lights from our Gompa, with a group pilgrimage to Tashiding to offer the same and practice together from this holy and fully blessed place. In the same spirit as when Rinpoche started those offerings in Sarnath, finishing the retreat by a pilgrimage to Bodhgaya with all the Sangha around him.
The wish was also to request the participants to attend the retreat with a deep interest and attention into the process, with the will to come to India to make a retreat of intense practice and dedication to the offering and cleaning of lamps. Without getting oneself distracted with various mundane activities such as, shopping, tourist visits, internet and so on.

Tulku Ugen Chencho European Tour 2007

Poland

Tulku Ugen arrived in Darnkov on 5th July- three weeks after his first visit to Drophan Ling this year-during which he brought paintings together with Bhutanese artists.

During the time of his stay a few important events took place:
 The Drophan Ling committee made an official request to him:Since Rinpoche was not back yet, the Drophan Ling committe requested Tulku Ugen to become the spiritual leader for Drophan Ling and the Polish Sangha at large. Requesting him to give guidance and instruction for the development of the center and how it should function in the future. Tulku Ugen was pleased with such request and committed himself to do his best to support Drophan Ling in its development and stated that despite the committee had requested him to be the spiritual leader he would do so in accordance with Gudrun who is Europe's main regent and main authority.

On July 15th, Tulku Ugen assisted by Rabten and accompanied by Tulku Choekyi Gyaltsen performed the Sa-Chod pujah or Bumi pujah to take permission from the protectors of the ground to build Rinpoche's Jangchub chorten there. In the ground was placed a precious Vase containing the gifts of jewelry offered by the disciples who attended the event, the rest of the space was filled with more than 50 tsatsas which were made in India in 2004 during the construction of Rinpoche's stupa there. Tulku Ugen gave some basic ideas on how the building and filling of the chorten should be done, so that the organization should start from now on to collect the materials to fill up the stupas as well as the funds to purchase them and to make the many thousands tsatsas required. It was discussed that the Jangchub chorten should reach around 10 to 11meters of heights depending on financial capacity and building permits. Poles with prayer flags were erected to identify and protect the construction site.
Then on the afternoon Tulku Ugen performed the Rabne of the new paintings in the gompa, ceremony which was followed by the practice of marme monlam.

On July 18th, full moon day of the Chokor Duchen, Tulku Ugen gave Padmasambhava wang, during which 8 children of the polish Sangha together with Tulku Choekyi Gyaltsen and two adults requested to take refuge. Tulku Ugen felt extremely happy to give refuge to members of a fresh generation of Buddhists. At the end of the wang, Tulku Ugen requested Tulku Choekyi Gyaltsen to bless the audience with the "dadar" long life arrow, marking the first public blessing given by Tulku Choekyi Gyaltsen in Drophan Ling.
   

Germany, Frankfurt

 Tulku Ugen Chencho was invited to lead a three days retreat in Staufenbach at Pema DharmaTare Ling center, from July 20th till July 22nd. The first day was dedicated to Padmasambhava practices, then on July 21st Tulku Ugen gave Padmasambhava wang together with several lungs upon request. Then on Sunday 22nd, the Medicine Buddha initiation was given.
Tulku Ugen Chencho was invited by Heike Gregory and other Sangha members to attend
On that day Tulku Ugen shared with the people gathered there, how much this practice was important for Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche:
 "how much he believed you can benefit people with the power of prayers through this Medicine Buddha pratice, encouraging his disciple to do this practice regularly as it helps your mind to think about helping others. That thought itself is already a medicine, while dedicating the merits of such practice helps you feel you are helping others in general, as well as the person you particularly offer the prayers for".

Poland

When Tulku Ugen came in Darnkov with the painters in June, he made the wish to meet with His Holiness Tenga Rinpoche on his next visit to Poland.  Then Lama Rinchen from Tenga Rinpoche center in Grabnik sent him an invitation to attend the Phowa retreat as well as the Guru Dragpo initiation held in August.
On his arrival to Grabnik, Tulku Ugen received a heartily welcome from Lama Rinchen and Tenga Rinpoche sangha. Upon arrival he was offered to stay for several days. It was a long awaited wish of Tulku Ugen to meet in person and pay his respect to His Holiness Tenga Rinpoche, respecting him as an extremely high scholar and most revered lama.
Tulku Ugen was very happy to see the disciples of our Rinpoche mixing in such a friendly and respectful way with the Grabnik Sangha. Tulku Ugen was very impressed by the quality of the organization and the care given to each participant by Lama Rinchen, his wife and the team around them.
During Guru Dragpo initiation Tulku Ugen together with Tulku Choekyi Gyaltsen were requested to bless the crowd with some of the wang rituals.
From Grabnik, Tulku Ugen went to warsaw, where on 26 August a group of around 15 Sangha members gathered at Tulku Choekyi Gyaltsen house to do Big Rigdzin together.

2006 with Khordong Byangter Monastery, India

Full Transmission of the Byangter Wang cycle by HH Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche


 His Holiness arrived on October 29th and was ceremonially welcomed by Tulku Ugen and twenty monks from Tashiding. In Khordong Gompa, people from all around India, Bhutan, Nepal and various European countries had already gathered.
The program started on Guru Rinpoche Day, 31st of October, when H.H. Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche consecrated the newly built butter- lamp house. Small Rigdzin was done in the butter-lamp house and on that same day Rinpoche gave the first wang: a long life empowerment.
There were 10 tulkus and 8 khenpos attending the empowerments and every day the gompa was packed with monks, nuns, yogis, yoginis and lay people. Every day during the wang there were about 400 to 500 people in the gompa, up to 600 on Sundays. People who were coming here for the first time were deeply impressed by the beauty of the gompa, the Byangter paintings and statues as well as the size of the land.

Usually in the morning Khenpo Katayana from Namdroling, (Penor Rinpoche Gompa) or Gonjang Rinpoche from Gangtok were giving lung starting around 7am. During the lung HH Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche was doing the preparation rites and self-entry for the wang he would give in the afternoon.
 The first initiations His Holiness gave were Drowa Kundrol, Rigdzin Dondrup, Rigdzin Thugdrup in their extensive, medium and short form.
On Lha Bab Duchen, the 12th of October, it was followed by a very intense and extensive Dorje Phurba initiation, which lasted till night fell. On that day, the western sangha offered lunch to everybody and a huge tsok was offered at the end of the wang.
Then Rinpoche gave the whole Kabgye wang and lung which lasted for several days. On New Moon Rinpoche gave the Mahakala wang with all other protectors, followed the next day with Nyenchen Tanglha, another specific protector wang.
Then it was the time for the Red yab-yum Chenrezig which was given from 22nd till 24th.   

His Holiness Taklung Tsetrul was the first one to write something in our visitors' book:
"I appreciate the making of the new Khordong Jangter Gompa by the late Terchen Tulku Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche for universal peace. I pray for the success and prosperity of the Byangter lineage."

 

Extracts from 2006 newsletter: Termas as gifts

In 2004 Tulku Ugen visited Dodrupchen Rinpoche in Gangtok. During that time he was building the stupa and Dodrupchen Rinpoche gave him some very precious relics to put in the stupa. As Dodrupchen Rinpoche had just returned from China, on his way back he had found an Earth Terma: a small statue. He gave it to Tulku Ugen and said that he had to keep it.
That same summer Tulku Ugen went to Khordong Gompa in China and met Tulku Longtok. Tulku Longtok is one of the two reincarnations of Tulku Tsurlo. He is about 60 years old and a much respected Rinpoche in China. To his surprise again he received a terma statue and was told to keep it always with him.
 In 2005 Tulku Ugen went back to China and was enthroned in Shugchung Gompa, the monastery where he stayed as a tulku in his previous life. At Shugchung Gompa, the other reincarnation of Tulku Tsurlo is residing: Tulku Chokyi Nyima. When Tulku Ugen visited the monastery, Tulku Chokyi Nyima was in retreat. But he came out to meet Tulku Ugen. Although they had never met before, again something amazing happened. Tulku Ugen, tired from the long travel and not able to understand their Kham dialect very well, saw how Tulku Chokyi Nyima was talking to his attendant and ordered him to do something. The attendant’s face almost became pale when he heard what his teacher ordered him to do and hesitated. But he had no choice. He left and after a while the attendant came back with a statue. It was again a terma which was offered to Tulku Ugen. This terma belonged to Terton Lerab Lingpa whose reincarnations are Sogyal Rinpoche and Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok. Tulku Tsurlo was a close disciple of Lerab Lingpa and also holder of his lineage. The terma Tulku Ugen Chencho received is an amazingly beautiful timeless Buddha statue from with a golden shine. Lerab Lingpa took one of his scrolls out of this statue which is considered a very important terma. So, three realized masters have offered one of their most precious objects to Tulku Ugen in a very short period of time.
‘If you have faith in Guru Rinpoche and in me, you will succeed.’ Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche
Rinpoche also told that one day this place will be an important gompa. It needs time and the Sangha needs to be aware of this.
Tulku Ugen shared this story: Rinpoche was in Silliguri and had an audience with H.H. the Dalai Lama. The guard did not allow Rinpoche to come in because he did not look like a Rinpoche at all-an old man with simple clothes sitting in a wheelchair. Finally they were allowed in. Sitting outside His Holiness came to Rinpoche. Rinpoche said that he wanted to stand up out of respect but that he could not because of his legs. His Holiness answered: 'It is me who should stand up, because you are my teacher.'

2005

Tulku Ugen' s Enthronment in Shugchung, Tibet- May 2005

Tulku Ugen went back to Tibet and was enthroned in Shugchung Gompa, the monastery where he stayed as a tulku in his previous life. At Shugchung Gompa, the other reincarnation of Tulku Tsurlo is residing: Tulku Chokyi Nyima.

Tulku Ugen Chencho and Sashi Khandrola  visited Khordong Gompa, Shugchung Gompa and Banae Gompa together with Choekyi Gyaltsen, his mother and a small group of Rinpoche's disciples.

2004

Buddha Relics - December 2004

From December 25th-30th the relics of Lord Buddha were displayed at Khordong Byangter Gompa


These relics of Buddha Shakyamuni consist of a teeth and some bone parts. The Mahabodhi Society of India, a more than 100 year old Buddhist association, of which Chhimed Rigdzin was a vice-president, is taking care of these relics which are kept in Sarnath- the place where Buddha preached his first teachings- and are only shown to the public once a year for half an hour.

 Ven. Tulku Thondup Rinpoche explained to us that these relics are the only ones accepted by all Buddhists worldwide as authentic. For  faithful Buddhists (and maybe not only Buddhists) these relics are a great source of spiritual blessing. More than a 100.000 people were expected.

In order to organize this quite big event, Tulku Ugen Chencho and Sashi Khandrola, as acting representatives of the Chhimed Rigdzin Society, together with representatives of many other Buddhist associations from the area around (like Sallugara, Mirik, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Gangtok,) formed the Buddha Relic Exposition Committee 2004. The relics were received at the airport of Bagdogra by Ven. Choesang Rinpoche and brought to gompaland. During that time many eminent local personalities like the Chief Minister of Sikkim were attending. Once at gompaland the relics were placed for a short while inside Rinpoche’s stupa. A small puja was performed and the relics were displayed to the public in our gompa for 8-12 hours a day till December 30th.
During those 6 days of exhibition about 30 lamas (10 from Tashiding, 10 from Deorali, 10 Gonjang Gompa) were permanently present and did the pujas and ritual service.

 About the pujas that time, it was planned before that all kinds of Buddhist groups especially the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism, should have the possibility to do their own traditional ceremonies. But due to many different reasons this was not possible and so now it was left to the Nyingmapa and Kagyupa.

 From the 25th till 27th the Drub Khor Nam Sum ceremonies (Drow Khundrol, Rigdzin Nam Sum and Thug Drub) were performed, and from the 28th-30th the Kagyu led by Ven. Lama Pemba Tsering and his monks from Darjeeling  performed their puja and ceremonies. On December 31st Tulku Ugen Chencho brought the relics back to Sarnath.

 Older Events and Archives

 http://www.khordong-india.org/eventgen.html
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