A student whose partner had passed away asked what could be done for them to have a fortunate rebirth. Rinpoche advised these practices.
Extra prayers were needed for a student who had passed away. It seems the student had been reborn as a naga.
After her husband’s death and cremation, a student had planned to bury his ashes in the garden. Rinpoche advised it was important to first consecrate the ashes by doing jangwa, a purification ritual to benefit the deceased. Rinpoche also recommended putting the consecrated ashes in tsa tsas.
It’s very important to first have jangwa purification done by a good practitioner. By doing that the ashes are also consecrated. After that they look like ashes, but it is the same as having a statue of Buddha. The ashes become a holy object.
Then you can sprinkle the ashes in the ocean or a lake, and it blesses the water. All the creatures in the water are purified and do not get reborn in the lower realms. Or you can sprinkle the ashes on a mountain where there is wind, so the ashes are scattered in space and help any sentient being that they touch. It purifies them. You can also sprinkle the ashes in places where there are lots of insects, worms and animals, so they are purified and liberated from the lower realm.
The other good thing you can do is make tsa tsas and put some of the ashes inside. Usually in Tibet and Solu Khumbu, they make tsa tsas of the Immovable Buddha, Mitukpa. This is very powerful for purification. You can make a stupa or a buddha tsa tsa or a Mitukpa tsa tsa.
You can make any amount of tsa tsas, but without doing jangwa and just putting the ashes in the garden, there is no benefit, not only for the person who has died, but also for the family and for others. There is no benefit at all. Especially making tsa tsas has benefits—the family receives benefits and so much merit.
This advice should be kept well, so others can know this. For those who need to understand, that helps to save my time.
The student sent a photo of the nice garden where she would bury her husband's ashes. Rinpoche advised:
Probably you are thinking that your husband, who has already passed away, wants to be in a nice place, but there is no effect for your husband. That place is very nice, but it is only for your mind. If there are lots of ants or other creatures there, then it can be useful because it purifies them, as long as the ashes have had jangwa puja on them. Or, you can put the ashes in the ocean or even at the beach, where there are many tiny lobsters and there might be other animals that can receive benefit.
A student wrote with a query about doing sur offering practice for someone who had passed away. The student asked if the practice needed to continue every day once it was started. Rinpoche gave this advice.
I read your letter and was very, very happy that you did the Vajrasattva retreat.
Regarding your question about sur practice, it was Geshe Lama Konchog who said that once we start sur then we need to continue.
Geshe Lama Konchog used the example that if we give food to a beggar, then the next day the beggar would expect it again. Once we gave food to them, they would expect it every day. It is logical reasoning. So, you can figure it out from there.
But some people do sur just for 49 days after someone passes, and after 49 days they stop.
Anyway, you can do it as much as possible. Even if you can’t promise to do it every day, please do it as much as you can.
Rinpoche sent this message to all Sangha requesting prayers after Ven. Thubten Kunsang (Henri Lopez) passed away due to cancer in July 2016. Ven. Kunsang traveled with Rinpoche for many years, recording Rinpoche’s teachings for LYWA and taking thousands of photos. You can watch a video montage of Rinpoche affectionately saying Ven. Kunsang's name on our Youtube channel.
Dear Sangha,
We believed there was real Kunsang and now that real Kunsang is not there, but that's the reality, and like that all the phenomena, yourself, action and object, all phenomena, samsara and nirvana are like that.
Please right now when you get this, please to do the short Medicine Buddha sadhana and Padmasambhava prayer Sampa Lhundrupma (The Prayer to Guru Rinpoche that Spontaneously Fulfills All Wishes).
Dedicated to Ven. Kunsang (Henri Lopez) who has just passed away in India at 11:46 a.m.
Dedicate that he may be immediately born in pure land where he can achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible or to receive at least a perfect human rebirth, meet the Mahayana teachings, meet a perfectly qualified Mahayana guru who reveals the path to enlightenment, and by pleasing the holy mind of the virtuous friend, then by himself to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.
With much love and prayers ...
A student asked Rinpoche what he could do for his mother who had passed away. He had dreams that she needed more help. Rinpoche checked and advised the following.
You need to have the Prajnaparamita recited for your mother. If it is not possible for you to sponsor the Prajnaparamita, then please read these mantras from the Kangyur and Prajnaparamita for her. [The mantras were sent to the student.]
If you can sponsor the recitation of the Prajnaparamita, then it should be recited by monks at Sera Je Monastery in India. That means you have to make offerings of tea, bread, etc.
Then recite these eight prayers three times, dedicated for her.
Also recite four malas of the Lotus Pinnacle of Amoghapasha mantra: OM PADMO USHNISHA VIMALE HUM PHAT, dedicated for your mother. Recite a few malas each day until you get a good dream about her.
