India 1996: HH Penor Rinpoche on His Recognition of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a transcript from Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo’s visit to see her teacher, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in India in 1996. Two YouTube Videos below show the ceremony from which the transcript was taken:

Kata ceremony in India 1996

His Holiness Penor Rinpoche:

This evening we are gathered here today in our monastery, also together with our Washington sangha.  On this occasion, I would like to reiterate some information that maybe some of you are not aware of and that is initially, of course, the founder of the great Palyul tradition and the individual who is responsible for the establishing of the original monastery together are the great Vidyadhara Kunzang Sherab, his sister, Genyan Ahkon Lhamo, lived her life at that time.  Initially, when I first traveled to the United States and I met Jetsunma, I noticed that she had developed in her mind stream a very great development of the bodhicitta, the awakened mind and that she had taken the vow to work for the welfare of all parent sentient beings according to the meaning of the awakened mind.  Dependent upon that she had certain students who were following her example in that the bodhisattva vow was being taken by them and they were making prayers that were ongoing as a vigil for 24 hours throughout the day and night.  This was something that was going on for some years without ever stopping.  And so, this is what I first came to notice, such a remarkable thing.

At this time, in the Western country, in her situation, it wasn’t really a circumstance whereby she was depending upon a teacher to be trained and that she had been trained and was doing this kind of practice from that point of view of having trained and having learned it from another.  But in fact, it was natural.  It was a natural practice and a natural development of the bodhicitta, and it seemed to be something very pure and great.

And so to me, I felt quite amazed.  And then I thought about it on many occasions after that.  I’m not someone who claims to have much experience or any kind of clairvoyant insight at all, but I do have thoughts which come to mind from time to mind and in examining the reoccurrence of my thoughts, I came to realize that she was an individual who was blessed and carrying the same mind stream and prayer as the sister of Kunzang Sherab, Ahkon Lhamo.  And so, I recognized her to be the reincarnation of Ahkon Lhamo.

However, because in the West, the concept of tulku, which is “intentional manifestation embodiment” is not something that people are necessarily accustomed to or something that they necessarily would understand.  So, realizing that if I sort of suddenly laid out this fact, that it might be something that would be too potent or it would happen too quickly for what people could really understand.  I didn’t speak about it for some time.

Generally speaking, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, for the purpose of sentient beings, they manifest in whatever way can bring benefit to others.  This is due to the force of their prayers and their compassion.  Dependent on that, they will take rebirths that are undetermined and uncertain time and manifest in various ways anywhere and at any time and anyplace.  And so, it’s not to say that they don’t manifest in the Western countries.  Certainly, they do.  But because the tradition of discovering a tulku is not something that is common to the West, then I was not inclined to make a recognition just right away like that, bearing these facts in mind.

And also to make a recognition of a tulku in the West I also came to know is not something that would be disagreeable to the students that was entirely wanted and very agreeable.  So, knowing that and finding the right time, upon my return, I did make a formal recognition and I was overseeing the formal enthronement of Kunzang Sherab’s sister, Ahkon Lhamo, as she is.  Now, this is not something that you don’t all already know about, but I am reiterating it here on this occasion just to make it very clear.

And now in Washington, D.C. under the guidance of Jetsunma, we have a very strong and well established Palyul dharma center that is a seat for the Palyul lineage and it is being upheld accordingly and this is something that has been established and has been maintained for many years now and so, this is the type of activity that she is conducting for the purpose of the doctrine along with the help of her sangha and the honor of the morality that is maintained by the greater sangha community that surrounds her.

In Washington, Jetsunma teaches to her students and the students maintain the confession practices and other requirements and she also maintains regular teachings to several hundred students who are practicing now under her guidance.

And also, in the countries in the West, right now our center in Washington has the largest ordained community of disciples who have taken the formal vows of lay and novice and full ordination.  Of course, there are Western students who have embraced these vows in other centers and in other places, but the largest community is the Palyul Center in Washington under Jetsunma.

Therefore at this time, Jetsunma and several of her students have come here to our monastery, Namdroling, to take a look around and to join us for these few days, so I would like to thank you very much for coming here and taking the time out.  And also, of course, I would like to thank you for your effort in establishing the Palyul doctrine, the Nyingma doctrine in general and the greater doctrine of the Buddha in its entirety.  I would like to thank Jetsunma and all of her students and also for their efforts they have shown towards attempts to help us achieve a free Tibet.  So, thank you very much.

And as it has gone well until now, I also have an expectation that on into the future, that the entire sangha and our sanghas together will maintain this auspicious connection for the benefit of the doctrine and sentient beings and that year by year, this will only increase and that also all of your studies of the Buddhadharma will be most excellent, very stable and always improving.

Today, although I don’t have too much too offer, very humbly, to indicate the special occasion and also with prayers for Jetsunma’s longevity and the longevity of the doctrine, I offer her the white scarf of auspiciousness.  And in support for her longevity, I offer her the image of Buddha Amitayus; as a support for her enlightened speech to be ever increasing, I offer her the vajra and bell; and as a support for the enlightened mind the stupa, I offer her the collected works of terton Jetsun Nyingpo; and I offer her the crossed vajra as a seat for her to remain upon to indicate her longevity in this world, and the white conch shell, another brocade, a bolt of brocade.  Otherwise, I don’t have too much to offer.

And now, go on about the rest of your journey.  Please know that we are always one family, so you must come again and again.  The door is always open in that way and that Jetsunma and all of her sangha, I will offer the prayer that you will always be well and that your practice and everything that you wish for will always continue to increase and bear fruit.

JETSUNMA:   Please tell His Holiness that his kindness is immeasurable, and tell him and that in this and every future lifetime, I will follow him. I will always do as he has taught me.

Part 1

Part 2

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