Stories from a Chela – Incense Offering That Saves Lives
Incense offerings have been used since the beginning of Buddhism to call upon the divine energies of the enlightened beings.
A ‘chela’ is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘student’. In particular this word refers to the student of a spiritual teacher. Within this series of short posts, I will be sharing stories about His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche. Hopefully through these stories, you will get a glimpse of how Tsem Rinpoche and the Dharma that Rinpoche shares has not only benefited me but countless others.
Incense Offering That Saves Lives
Kechara Forest Retreat is located in Bentong, a quaint little town just over an hour drive away from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Sometimes, our Dharma staff need to travel back to the city to run errands. It was during one of these times that an offering of incense literally saved lives.
One of Rinpoche’s very senior and closest students was scheduled to drive down to Kuala Lumpur together with some other students. This isn’t a rare occurrence by any standard, but that day, Rinpoche asked to see the student before he left. One of the other students travelling was going abroad and Rinpoche had the feeling that he would have severe obstacles to his journey. So Rinpoche called them to his room for some prayers.
Rinpoche has a sang (Tibetan incense) offering burner just outside his room, where Rinpoche often makes prayers or has his students make prayers, and it was on this day that Rinpoche led everyone travelling down to Kuala Lumpur to make an offering of incense.
Dorje Shugden. Click for high-resolution image or click here for more free image downloads.
Luckily, I had the fortune of preparing the offerings. Rinpoche asked me to make sure that there was a lot of smoke from the burning incense. Holding the hands of his students Rinpoche recited the Incense Offering Prayer to Dorje Shugden after some preliminary prayers. What was different is that Rinpoche usually recites the prayer once or twice and then makes his prayers to Dorje Shugden to clear obstacles. But on this day, Rinpoche recited the prayer seven times, and then proceeded to ask Dorje Shugden to remove any obstacles to travelling quickly and effective and to protect his students. The prayers ended and the students went on their way.
Later, we found out that as they were driving to Kuala Lumpur, a speeding car crashed into them and pushed them off the road into the side railings. The car that attacked them, just continued driving. The miracle, however, was that none of Rinpoche’s students in the car were badly hurt. The crash was a serious one, the front part was completely smashed in. In the end the car had to be towed away for repairs. The passengers simply walked away a little bruised. I’ve been in a couple of car crashes myself and even the slightest crash can create very serious injuries.
What protected the students from injury during the car crash, was the power of Dorje Shugden as Rinpoche invoked his help through the incense offering earlier in the day. We all have tremendous amounts of karma from earlier in this life and countless previous lives, whether good or bad. Depending on our circumstances, this karma manifests either positively or negatively in our lives. In this case, the karma of the students was manifesting in a negative manner – a car crash.
What really struck me though, was how did Rinpoche know that their negative karma was to manifest in this manner? Rinpoche instinctively had a feeling that their karma was going to manifest in troubles travelling and that he just had to do prayers for them. On top of that Rinpoche did prayers to Dorje Shugden.
As you may or may not know Dorje Shugden, as an emanation of the Buddha Manjushri, has the ability to not only hold back the onslaught of one’s negative karma, but help to purify it. Both of these abilities negates the impact of how we need to experience the karma. In this case, due to the intercession of Rinpoche and the invoking of Dorje Shugden’s energies, an offering of incense saved the lives of those in the car.
Pastor Niral Patel
Sangsol Prayer by Ganden Serkong
JAM MGON RGYAL BA’I BSTAN SRUNG RDO-RJE SHUG-LDAN RTSAL CHEN PO’I BSANGS MCHOD [DGE LEGS MCHOG STSOL] BZHUGS SO
(At the time of wanting to make a sang offering, collect the incense substances; repeat refuge and Bodhi mind generation verses three times.)
HUM!
Visualising myself as the yidam, from the heart,
Light emanates clearing all faults from incense,
Scent having the five desirable qualities complete in perfection,
Granting uncontaminated bliss fills the extent of awareness.
OM AH HUM (repeat as many times to bless)
HUM!
Root and lineage gurus, Three Jewels,
Dakas, Dakinis and Dharma Protectors,
Especially Dorje Shugden and retinue,
By boundless magical power come here.
Also, birth, warrior and patron deities,
Local deities, spirits and guardians with the eight classes,
Assembly of guests worthy of offering
Please come here.
Each happily dwelling on their seats
For the sake of fulfilling the yogi’s entrusted activities,
Outer, inner clouds of offerings, commitment substances and presents,
Accept these and accomplish the entrusted activities.
KYE!
Agar, sandalwood, six medicinal ingredients and plants,
By the smoke cloud from the burning wisdom fire completely filling the sky,
Purifies the root and lineage Lamas, Yidams and Three Jewels.
Purifies the Dakas, Dakinis and Dharma Protectors.
Purifies especially the Chief Dharma Protector of Conqueror Manjunatha
Dorje Shugden and four cardinal emanations.
Purifies birth, war and five patron gods.
Purifies local deities, spirits, guardians and the eight classes.
By the power of offering incense to worthy guests
May all obscurations of quarrel and samaya be purified.
May lifespan, merit and power all increase.
Pacify all diseases to humans and animals, famine, war and dispute.
May the crops be good and the rain be timely.
Conquer classes of demons of the dark side, increase the positive,
And having befriended spontaneously and effortlessly,
Attain all goals just as wished.
KI KI SO SO, LHA GYEL LO!
HUM!
Being pleased and satisfied, guests return to their abodes,
Returning again upon request for activities.
By this virtue may I myself and all mother beings
Have perpetual auspiciousness of happiness and benefit.
This Sang offering bestowing excellence was composed by the yellow hat lineage holder bearing the reincarnation name Ganden Serkong.
For more interesting information:
- Incense Offering to Dorje Shugden
- Magadha Sangmo
- Dorje Shugden Retreat: a Powerful Practice to Fulfill Wishes
- 10 Herbs Used as Incense for Healing and Purification
- Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors: a Definitive Guide to Dorje Shugden by Trijang Rinpoche
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If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Interesting how an offering of incense had saved lives. Even its an old post, reading it with joy how this little act of incense offering had saved Tsem Rinpoche students. Rinpoche normally has his students makes prayers but on that day Rinpoche led everyone travelling down to Kuala Lumpur to make an offering of incense. Rinpoche usually recites the prayer once or twice to clear obstacles. Somehow it was different on that day, Rinpoche recited the prayer seven times, and then proceeded to ask Dorje Shugden to remove any obstacles quickly and effective and to protect his students. Then it happened,a car crash on the way Rinpoche and students walk out safely without serious injuries. The power of Dorje Shugden that Rinpoche had invoked before the journey. The invoking of Dorje Shugden’s energies, an offering of incense saved the lives of those in the car. That’s amazing.
Thank you Rinpoche and Genla for this sharing.
Did not know the volume of smoke is a crucial from the burning incense. Incense is in daily use in many religions, knowing this help us to do better prayer and aware the important of the smoke.
It is so fortune that Rinpoche sensed the obstacles of his students and able to require helps from the Dharma Protector on time. He was doing this by recited more times prayer than usual. Miracles do happen in many ways, its so glad to know all the students are safe from the serious car crashed.
The compassion of our Guru , Tsem Rinpoche, and Protector Dorje Shugden is truly boundless. The tsang or incense offering averted a fatal accident. The car was a complete wreck after the accident, but all of Rinpoche’s students travelling in it escaped serious injury!
I do vouch personally for the power and efficacy of incense offering to Dorje Shugden. Several years ago, when someone close to me was involved in a crisis, Rinpoche instructed me to burn tsang (incense) as an offering to Dorje Shugden every three days. The result was that after three months, the crisis came to a close and all was well. Thank you Rinpoche. Thank you Dorje Shugden.
Thank you P Niral for sharing this powerful story of a miraculous escape from death, as a result of Guru’s and Dorje Shugden’s intervention.
It is Rinpoche’s kindness and compassion to help students by invoking Dorje Shugden’s energy to purify , knowing the negative karma may arise. Dorje Shugden is emanation of Manjushri and an enlightened dharma protector. Therefore, we can rely on him as he will aid us when we face any obstacles. Thank you Pastor Niral for sharing this miracle story.
It shows clearly how Rinpoche will always help us at the right time. It is the compassion of our Lama in invoking protector Dorje Shugden for help. These students had been “Lucky” to have their karma ripen so lightly. I’m so glad Rinpoche’s students were not harmed in a major car crash. The compassion of one’s Lama is boundless, and the compassion of the great King Protector to come to our aid is incredible and without words. Lord Dorje Shugden is very effective in helping us and the part I love most is he will be with us until we gain enlightenment. Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Niral for sharing this interesting story. Hoping for more miracle stories to come on the blog in the near future.?????
Thanks, Pastor Niral for this mini-article. I’m glad Rinpoche’s students were not harmed in a major car crash. The compassion of one’s guru is boundless, and the compassion of the great King Protector to come to our aid is incredible and without words. The outcome without Rinpoche praying to the protector and offering sang to the protector to watch out and protect his students during their travel could have turned out much much worse.
Incense is and has been for thousands of years in daily use in many religions of the world . It has numerous benefits amongst them purification of the atmosphere. Wow….. interesting account of how doing this practice saved the lives those in the car accident. The car were badly damaged but all passengers walked out without any major injures except a little bruised. All thanks to Rinpoche’s quick action by doing incense offerings much earlier. That’s the power of Dorje Shugden.
I have included this incense offering practice in my daily Sadhana since learning of the many benefits.
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Niral Patel for this sharing.
Wow! Thank you Pastor Niral for this miracle. For me it shows clearly how our Guru will always help us, at the right time. It is the compassion of our Guru in invoking protector Dorje Shugden for help. These students had been “lucky” to have their karma ripen so lightly. Lord Dorje Shugden is very effective in helping us and the part i love most is he will be with us until we gain enlightenment. How beautiful is that?
Thanks Pastor Niral for the sharing.
A lama’s skilful means!
And definitely with great power and clairvoyance too!
It’s very fortunate for those who are under Rinpoche’s care. Rinpoche’s care and blessing are boundless and I do hope for more stories. It’s good to read biographies or stories of high Lamas but nothing beats own Lama’s stories. It reinforces faith for someone like me who can’t be with Rinpoche 24/7. I hope we can learn from Rinpoche and help others in our means.