Random events in Bir

The month follwing Losar was a busy one for the Chokling monks in Bir. Not one or two but three drupchen's were performed.

The first one was the Padma Khandro.

The torma-factory just below the temple in Tsering Jong: monks preparing for the Padma Khandro Drupchen.

Invoking Mahadeva or Lha chen during the Pamda Khandro Drupchen

In a Drupchen there are outer, inner and secret boundary's, which are established on the preliminary day and normally also taken down again on the siddhi-day. However, this time there was no break between the first drupchen -Padma Khandro- and the next one -Chime Phakma Nyingtik-. So the boundary's were not taken down and we immidiatly, with only 1 torma making day in between, launched ourselves into the second Drupchen. After that, for me recovery took about 5 days ;)

Luckily I dont have to make torma's and so in between I could go for a little bike ride: Sherab Ling in the distance.




Light offerings during the Chime Phakma Nyingtik Drupchen

Orgyan Tobgyal Rinpoche with two Chokling Tulku's during the Chime Phakma Nyingtik Drupchen.

OT blessing everybody with a Red Tara statue during the receiving of the Siddhi's

The third drupchen was performed in Chokling Monastery and was attended by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.


Note: for those who dont know what a Drupchen is, a very beautiful description from the Rigpa Wiki:
"Drupchen (Tib. གྲུབ་ཆེན་, Wyl. sgrub chen) — literally “vast accomplishment,” is a form of intensive group practice that epitomizes the depth, power, and precision of the Vajrayana, drawing together the entire range of its skilful methods—mystical, ritual, and artistic—and including: the creation of the mandala house; the complete sadhana practice with visualization, mudra, chant, and music; continuous day and night practice of mantra; the creation of tormas and offerings, with sacred substances and precious relics; the tsok feast; the sacred dance of cham; as well as the construction of the sand mandala. All blend to create the transcendent environment of the pure realm of the deity and awaken, for all those taking part, the pure perception of this world as a sacred realm.

So it is said that several days participating in a drupchen can yield the same results as years of solitary retreat, and great contemporary masters such as Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche have made a point of encouraging and reviving the practice of drupchen, because of its power of transformation in this degenerate age."