Achi Chökyi Drölma

The annual 100,000 Tsog Offering Puja for the Protector Deity Achi Chökyi Drölma at Ayang Rinpoche’s monastery in Bylakuppe will be held May 5-11, 2020.

Those who would like to make an auspicious connection with the Wisdom Protector Achi and the Tsok Offering Puja may send their donations to the Drikung Charitable Society account. For a tax deductible donation in the U.S., please send your check to the Amitabha Foundation, P.O. Box 2572, Aptos, California 95001, or donate online below. You may send names of loved ones, living or deceased, for dedication to info@amitabhafoundation.us until May 10 at 5 PM Pacific time. Donations are welcome at anytime.

Here is an edited excerpt of a short biography of Achi Chokyi Drolma, given by Ayang Rinpoche in Sydney, Australia in 2004:

Achi Chokyi Drolma is an emanation of Vajra Yogini and Tara. She was born in the central area of Tibet. Beginning at a young age she was very special. She had great compassion and always practiced Tara, and she taught the Tara prayer for everyone in the village. When she grew older she prophesized that in the future there would be a new Buddhadharma lineage, and that she would be that lineage’s Dharma protector, whereupon she wrote protector offering prayers. Several generations later, her great grandson Jigten Sumgon started the Drikung lineage and she did become the main lineage Dharma protector.

She moved to Eastern Tibet, married and had 4 sons. Her most holy practice place is in East Tibet. At her death she attained the Great Rainbow Body. Her entire body become rainbows and light, leaving only her hair and nails. Like this, with no need to change this physical body, she went to the Pure Land.

On the relative level Achi was like the Dharma protector. But on the ultimate level, Achi had already attained the 10^th Bhumi of a Bodhisattva. In this way, Achi was already enlightened. Achi’s activity in Tibet is very famous. All the Tibetan people, especially the older generation people, know very well about her great activity, how it is so helpful because it is very fast. In Tibet, some great masters say that Achi is exactly the same as the Buddha, and if we pray to Achi, then by our Achi practice we will achieve enlightenment, or we will attain the Pure Land at our death moment.

On May 7, Rinpoche led nearly 700 of his students who streamed from around the world in a Nyingma Phowa practice dedicated to all those who have died from the coronavirus and from natural death. At the end, Rinpoche had these words for us (rough transcript):

“As much you can, do Phowa more, not only today, for all these dead beings all over the world. It will be great helpful.

“Most countries everywhere are locked down. Everyone is staying in the home. We have a lot of time to do Phowa for dead beings. Try best everyone, all Phowa practitioners. At this time it is very much needed, Phowa for all these beings.

“By this disease everywhere is locked down. This is not so bad; is good. We have best time for the Dharma practice. Otherwise, nothing to do in the home. This time, we must take good opportunity for Dharma practice. Phowa, do more for all the dead beings. We do Phowa for other dead beings, this is our Phowa practitioner duty. For this purpose we did Phowa course. For this purpose, not only for oneself death moment going to the Pure Land, not only this, as much as we can help all the dead beings to free from suffering oceans, attain to the Amitabha Pure Land. For those dead beings to reach a Pure Land, the Phowa practice is the best method.  For this, everybody try best, not only today.”

At the request of several of his students, Rinpoche has decided to do an online Nyingma Phowa Practice and long Aspiration of Sukhavati prayer with his students on May 7, 2020. The practice will be dedicated to all those who have died from the coronavirus and from natural death.

This practice is private, and only available to Rinpoche’s students who have completed his Phowa Course.  Here is the YouTube link. Please be sure you understand the samaya and do not share the link with those who have not taken Ayang Rinpoche’s Phowa Course.

This is a tentative time table on May 7, 2020 for the different countries:

USA Hawaii – 12:30 am

Canada/ USA West Coast – 3:30 am

Canada/ USA East Coast – 6:30 am

Paris – 12.30 pm

Moscow – 13.30  (1:30 pm)

India – 16.00 (4:00 pm)

Vietnam – 17.30 (5:30 pm)

Hong Kong / Taiwan – 18.30 (6:30 pm) *See also Zoom link below.

Japan – 19.30 (7:30 pm)

Sydney – 20.30 (8:30 pm)

Here is the Zoom meeting link for students in Hong Kong:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88112276614
Password:  794046

The current lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have put a major strain on the livelihoods of people in our society who survive solely on daily wages. In light of the difficulties faced by the most vulnerable communities, Drikung Charitable Society, along with Bodhisattva Trust, Sakya Monastic Cultural Society, and Drukpa Kagyu Cultural Society, organized a food relief that aimed to assist 3000 households in 13 neighboring villages around Periyapatna Taluk, Karnataka. Over a period of five days, monks and volunteers from the four monasteries worked tirelessly to distribute dry ration consisting of rice (5 kgs), dal (2 kgs), sugar (1 kg), cooking oil (1 litre), and tea (250 g).

Day 1: On the first day of the food drive, we visited the following villages: Koppa, Doddahosur, Chikkasur, Thimlapura, Muddanahali, Giragur, and Moroor.

Day 2: On the second day, we visited Kurupa, a tribal village less than 15 minutes away from our monastery. Of all the villages, it had the lowest population and the least amount of access to government aid. Thus, our food donation addressed the needs of a community that would have been overlooked by most charities and government relief funds.

Day 3: Located in Periyapatna Taluk, our monks and volunteers visited Naviloor, Hakemala and Alanahalli to hand out the dry ration to the villagers.

Day 4: Our final stop was at Bettadapura and Benegal villages where people gathered in large numbers to get their packets of dry ration.

Rinpoche appreciates and dedicates the merits attained from this deed with our kind and generous supporters. Last but not the least, we would like to remind our dharma brothers and sisters to continue keeping those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in their daily prayers. ???

Please visit True Lhamo’s Facebook page for more photos.