Every Guru Rinpoche day for the last 12 years or so, Phakchok Rinpoche has been sending out letters to remind his students to be mindful, and to bring them back on the path.
Rinpoche has already recounted an array of visionary journeys of great practitioners to Copper-Colored Mountain (check out News for past stories), and Nekhor continues to share these Guru Rinpoche day messages. This, the tenth of the year’s series, recounts Dodrupchen Rinpoche’s journey to Copper-Colored Mountain:
Dear friends near and far,
As always, I hope this message finds you well, happy and healthy. For this month’s Guru Rinpoché day, I would like to share with you the short story of the current Dodrupchen Rinpoché’s account of the Copper-Colored Mountain.
Kyapjé Dodrupchen Rinpoché (1927-), the fourth Dodrupchen, is one of the greatest living masters of the Nyingma School and Dzokchen tradition. As the fourth incarnation of Dodrupchen Jikmé Trinlé Özer, the heart-son of Jikmé Lingpa who revealed the Longchen Nyingtik cycle, Dodrupchen Rinpoché is the main custodian of the Longchen Nyingtik teachings.
When Rinpoché was a small child, he would often relate visions and memories from his past life. Once, while answering some questions of his tutor, Lama Rang-Rik, the following exchange took place:
Q: Where did you come from?
A: From Zangdok Palri.
Q: What does Zangdok Palri look like?
A: (Joining his tiny hands together in the form of a heart-shaped mountain) It is like this.
Q: Who lives there?
A: Guru Rinpoché.
Q: Who is there?
A: Chenrezik [Avalokiteśvara].
Q: Do you know Sin-Gyal Raksha Tötreng (the Skull-Garlanded King of Rakśas)?
A: Yes.
Q: What does he look like?
A: Many mouths, many eyes, colorful. (He laughs).
May we all realize the simplicity of pure perception.
Sarva Mangalam,
Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche