Special Announcement: Message from Tulku Orgyen P'huntsok Rinpoche November 2011
LETTER FROM TULKU ORGYEN P'HUNTSOK
Dear Friends,
The Pemaköd Project has been a long one, but anything that begins with pure Bodhicitta intention always produces good results. So it is with this project. Today, I am happy to report that completion of the main focus of the Project is only a few months away. Such accomplishment is due to everyone's efforts and contributions - from those, like you, who help support the project financially from afar, to the sweet little kids who, with their devoted volunteer mothers, carry a few pounds of gravel from the river banks far below the retreat land all the way up steep mountains to the temple construction site.
As I write this, construction of the temple continues, with work underway by five Yolmo molding experts from Nepal, three woodworking and carpentry experts from Bhutan, some 30 Indian laborers, and many devoted volunteers, male and female, from surrounding villages, as well as expert monks and monks who are simply offering their physical labor to help in the effort. All are working hard every day to bring Deden Tashi Choeling Temple - modeled on Guru Rinpoche's Copper Colored Mountain - into full fruition in the heart of Guru Rinpoche's sacred Hidden Land.
It is deeply significant that a three-story Zangdok Palri style temple is being built in this precise location of Padmasambhava's Hidden Land to help protect and preserve a sacred heritage. But in addition, Padmasambhava's prophecies state that virtuous deeds undertaken in Pemaköd profoundly affect and benefit all of humanity and the world, especially in these degenerate times. In accordance with Guru Rinpoche's prophecies, this project was originally begun by my previous incarnation, Togden Kunzang Longdrol, with many great masters who were his contemporaries, living at the very site where this temple is now being built.
With honor and joy in my heart, and buoyed by the aspirations of past great masters, I restarted this project in order to fulfill Guru Rinpoche's prophecies for today's world. For the past several years, I have had the great privilege of offering you and others like you the opportunity to forge various connections with the sacred Hidden Land through your involvement with the Pemaköd Project. You have supported the project with your donations, prayers, and good wishes up to today.
I would like, once again, to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you.
By fulfilling this project in accordance with Guru Rinpoche's prophecies, I firmly believe that we are collectively making an excellent contribution to world peace and for the benefit of all humanity and, indeed, all sentient beings. Whatever role I have played in helping to forge through this project such a precious connection, I dedicate the merit to all mother sentient beings so they have the tremendous good fortune to never be separated from the blessings of our precious Lotus Born Guru, Padmasambhava.
With best wishes always,
Tulku Orgyen P'huntsok
Special Announcement: Message from Tulku Orgyen P'huntsok Rinpoche April 2011
Dear Sangha Members and Friends,
To begin with, I would like to thank you all very much from my heart. You have kindly stood with me throughout this time, with your continual financial support, your prayers, and your sincere good wishes for the success of The Pemaköd Project. I have treasured and will always treasure your kindness in my heart. Not only will The Project generate great benefits for the Hidden Land and for all sentient beings, but also it is crucial for me personally, as its completion is my highest responsibility and aspiration in this lifetime.
For the last four years since The Pemaköd Project began, both paid and volunteer workers have been hard at work -- collecting and personally transporting, on their backs, tremendous amounts of sand, gravel and stones from the river; cement bags; rebar; plywood; and many other materials. They have expended huge amounts of time and energy building the temple, at great physical hardship and personal cost. I am delighted to report that as a result of their efforts, the whole outer structure of the three-story temple, as well as detailed designs for the interior of each of the three levels, are nearing completion!
Deden Tashi Choling Temple -- January 2011
As I write this, many volunteer local Tibetan residents of Pemaköd, monks from the Palyul monastery in Tuting, craftsmen and artisans from Bhutan, traditional moulding experts from Nepal, and local Indian laborers are all working on a daily basis. It is my intention to continue these activities, regardless of the tremendous financial expense required to continue paying, housing and feeding all the workers for many months to come, and to secure the wide range of materials that will be necessary to bring The Pemaköd Project to completion.
The Project as a whole is steadily heading toward being finished this year. Not only will the three-story Zangdokpalri Temple -- Deden Tashi Choeling -- be completed, but also the other related projects, such as the Dorje Drolod Stupa near the entrance to the retreat land; the Temple Gate; the Lamp Offering House, the Prayer Wheel House; the Water Offering; the Sangha Kitchen; the Guest House; and Bhakha Rinpoche's cabin, will be finished as well.
When I think about how all of us, together, are bringing into form this three-story Zangdokpalri Temple -- a sacred expression of the Three Kayas -- I feel tremendous joy. This Temple will remain in this most holy place, the Secret Chakra of Dorje Pagmo, in the King of the Hidden Lands, where the Three Kaya holy sites are found. Creating such a lasting sacred shrine as this -- in this most holy of lands, in this degenerate time, for the welfare of all sentient beings and for peace in this world -- has been a profound heart aspiration of many great masters of the past, and fulfills the wishes of Guru Rinpoche himself.
I returned from Pemaköd almost a month ago. Kathleen Pratt and Willa Keizer joined me again at the land, and we all had a great time together there -- whether the Pemakod sky was open and radiantly clear blue, or whether it displayed gray clouds that brought auspicious and rare snowfall while we performed pujas for those who had commissioned them. We did a ground-breaking ceremony on Guru Rinpoche Day for the new Dorje Drolod stupa, made thousands of Dorje Drolod and other tsa tsas for the stupa, and engaged in personal retreats.
We also participated in the largest event in Pemaköd -- inauguration of the new Palyul Monastery in Tuting. His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, head of the Palyul lineage and heart-son of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, led the consecration activities, bestowing empowerments and blessings on all those in attendance. Also in attendance was the Chief Minister of the State of Arunachal Pradesh, and the Minister of Religion and Culture from the Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharamsala, as well as Dharma students from different countries, and practitioners and people from all over Arunachal Pradesh and many other parts of India as well. Thousands of people participated in the joy-filled ceremonies.
After many days of ceremony, I was invited under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to give public teachings and empowerments in Miao and Tezu, two large Tibetan communities in Arunachal Pradesh. It was my honor to carry out His Holiness's wishes in these communities. While there, I met senior people who are spiritually related to my previous incarnation, Togden Kunzang Longdrol, and it was wonderful to listen to these people share stories of their time with my spiritual predecessor.
During this final phase of The Pemaköd Project, I invite and welcome each of you to forge auspicious connection and generate great merit by helping actualize -- in this place and time -- the profound heart aspirations of great masters of the past. For the benefit of all beings!
With best wishes always,
Tulku Orgyen P'huntsok
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