We are sorry to announce that H.E. Choeje Ayang Rinpoche has indefinitely postponed his upcoming Phowa Course in Nepal, originally scheduled for April 11-18, 2024. Please see Rinpoche’s letter to the sangha.
Amitabha Tsok and Liberation Prayer Offerings
March 20, 2023 by
H.E. Chöje Ayang Rinpoche Teaching at Opak Kyilkhor Ling
Ayang Rinpoche is currently giving his Phowa Course at the Opak Kyilkhor Ling Amitabha Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, to hundreds of Himilayans and people from all over the world. On the concluding day, March 22, they will hold an Amitabha Tsok Offering puja together with a Liberation Ceremony for the deceased.
Rinpoche says the Ceremony to Liberate Dead Beings is the best time to dedicate prayers for the departed beings. Anyone who would like to make offerings and dedicate prayers to family members, friends, loved ones or pets who have passed, please make your offering and send in names of the deceased by Tuesday, March 21st at 5 pm (Pacific time) to be included in the prayer list for the Liberation Ceremony. Offerings are appreciated at any time.
To make offerings, please use the link below or send a check made out to Amitabha Foundation to P.O. Box 2572, Aptos, California 95001. If you send a check, please email the names of the deceased for whom you are sponsoring to info@amitabhafoundation.us. Donations sent through the Amitabha Foundation US are tax deductible in the US.
Those interested can offer online at one of the suggested levels below. You are welcome to make offerings for tsok without adding names for liberation prayers.
Rinpoche Teaching Phowa in Nepal
H.E. Palchen Galo Rinpoche’s Bell and Dorje
Mandala Offering
Opak Kyilkhor Choling Shrine
Young Monks Living at Opak Kyilkhor Ling
Phowa Course and Introduction to True Nature of Mind in Nepal
January 19, 2023 by
Opak Kyilkhor Chöling
Amitabha Foundation Retreat Center, Nepal
Phowa Course (March 16-22) and Introduction to True Nature of Mind (March 26)
His Eminence Choje Ayang Rinpoche has been conducting Phowa courses all over the world for over four decades. Rinpoche had plans to teach Phowa in Nepal too when the Amitabha Temple was completed. Unfortunately, it could not happen as planned, due to the Nepal earthquake in 2015 that damaged the newly constructed Amitabha Temple in Kopan. When the renovation of the temple was complete, the Covid-19 pandemic followed soon thereafter. This affected the whole world and travel and public gatherings were restricted.
To fulfill the longtime requests and the fervent wish of many local devotees of Vajrayana followers, Rinpoche has now decided to bestow both the Nyingma and Drikung Lineage Phowa teachings at the Amitabha Foundation Retreat Center, Kopan, Buddanilkantha Nagarpalika Ward-11, Kathmandu Nepal.
For a description, download the flyer in English, Tibetan and Nepali. To register and find information about accommodations, meals, local transportation and other details please visit this website. At this time, translation will be available in Nepali, Russian, Mandarin and Cantonese. Rinpoche often teaches in English, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet. Please bring an AM/FM portable radio with a headset.
Please note that there are commitments to taking the Phowa course. If you take the Phowa course for the first time, Rinpoche asks that you attend all sessions. According to Rinpoche’s instructions, those who have completed the Ngondro (Preliminary Practices with 100,000 accumulations) can attend the course without taking a commitment in order to receive the teachings. For other interested people (including those who are currently doing the Ngondro) you can either promise to finish the Ngondro within 3 years, or accumulate 150,000 recitations of the Vajrasattva long (100 Syllable) mantra with visualization and 150,000 recitations of the Buddha Amitabha mantra (OM AMI DEWA HRI) with visualization within 3 years. Both Vajrasattva and Buddha Amitabha practices as required for these commitments are taught during the Phowa course. Most students can complete their commitments easily with approximately one hour a day of practice over the 3 years.
Students must commit to do the Phowa practice daily for 10 days after the course, and to purchase or make either a Buddha Amitabha statue or a Buddha Amitabha Pure Land thangka, as a support for their practice. Rinpoche strongly advises everyone to do the complete practice (approximately 2 hours) at least twice a month after the course, preferably on the full moon and new moon, for the rest of their lives.
If Rinpoche offers the Introduction to the True Nature of the Mind, this will probably be after not before the Phowa course. However this has not been confirmed.
Happy Saga Dawa Duchen
June 16, 2019 by
Shakyamuni Statue at the Mahabodhi Stupa in Bodhgaya
Monday, June 17th, is Saga Dawa Duchen, the holiest day in the Buddhist calendar, marking the days when the Buddha attained enlightenment and passed into parinirvana.
This is an especially auspicious day to practice and to make offerings to generate wisdom and merit. It is said that the effects of positive deeds are multiplied one million times. If you are interested in supporting any of Ayang Rinpoche’s cultural and humanitarian projects at this time, you may make a US tax-deductible offering online below or by sending a check to Amitabha Foundation, P.O. Box 2572, Aptos, CA 95001, or by donating to your local Amitabha Foundation organization.
