Ten-Zhug Ceremony for Lama Dawa Rinpoche

[Adamantine]

Ten-Zhug Ceremony for
Lama Dawa Rinpoche

On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Sangha of Saraswati Bhawan will be performing the 'Ten-Zhug' ceremony for our Guru, Lama Dawa Rinpoche.


The Ten-Zhug ceremony is a special ritual which requests the long-life of the Lineage Master. It is often performed when there are obstacles to the Lama's life and health, as a way to restore and strengthen the life force energy. Oftentimes, due to the accumulation of negative energy from 'dam-nyam', or broken samaya, the Lama's life energy becomes compromised - to the point of actually threatening their life.
As many of you know, this year is Lama Dawa Rinpoche's 'black year' or obstacle year, according to Tibetan astrology. This has made him particularly susceptible to the obstacles and negative influences of broken samaya. At this point in time, his health has become very fragile, which makes it difficult to continue his Dharma activities. There have also been inauspicious dreams and omens from different Lamas and lineage holders with regards to Lama Dawa's health. Divinations were performed which indicated the need for the Sangha to perform the Ten-Zhug in order to strengthen his life force energy.


Ten-Zhug: 'Ten-Zug' means 'to remain permanently.' Traditionally, Ten-Zhug ceremonies are offered to the major lineage holders on a regular basis as a way of preserving their life-force and keeping them here with us. It is understood that when Lamas continually give empowerments, teachings, and transmissions, there is always the risk of broken samaya accumulating over the years. This shortens the Lama's lifespan and creates many obstacles. Therefore the monasteries and large Dharma organizations perform these ceremonies regularly.
During the ceremony a series of mandala offerings are made to the Lama while request prayers are made. These offerings include precious stones, gems, gold and silver ornaments or ritual objects, the offerings of the eight auspicious symbols and other precious substances.
It is also customary for heart students to offer the Ten-Zhug to their Guru as a way of requesting them to remain. For example, Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche offered a Ten-Zhug to his Root Teacher, His Holiness Trulshik Rinpoche in 2004. Rinpoche spent a year making preparations for this. He commissioned artisans to make many kinds ritual instruments from gold and silver to offer in the ceremony. In fact, many of the gold coins that were offered to Lama Dawa for Vajra Armor teachings were given to Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche for this purpose. Rinpoche also offered all his precious personal belongings, ornaments and puja instruments.


How You Can Participate: We will be holding the ceremony at 9:30 am on Sept. 22, at the RiverView Dharma Center, in Lansing, Iowa. You are welcome to come to the event. You should bring an offering to be given during the ceremony. For Sangha members who are unable to attend in person, you can mail your personal offering to Saraswati Bhawan, and they will be offered during the ceremony. Offerings include precious stones such as turquoise, coral, etc., the three precious metals, statues, Dharma objects, brocades, or monetary offerings.

Please mail your offerings to:
Saraswati Bhawan
300 Center St.
Lansing, IA, 52151

Be sure to include the names of the sponsors, and be sure that it arrives before Sept. 21.

You can also make monetary offerings by sending electronic donations via Saraswati Bhawan's PayPal account. Direct the payment to: donations@saraswatibhawan.org, and be sure to make a note that it is for the Ten-Zug. Electronic offerings will be converted into cash and offered in a lump sum amount during the ceremony.

In addition to making offerings for the Ten-Zhug, all students should recite the 100-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva, and Lama Dawa Rinpoche's Long-Life Prayer, as much as possible.

[Adamantine]

A Note About Samaya:

When we break our tantric oaths and commitments, it has great negative effects on the lineage holding Lamas. When a Lama's health and lifeforce has been compromised due to 'dam-nyam' or broken samaya, it is not because of a single event or particular person's actions. Rather, it is the accumulation of all of the student's mis-deeds, both large and small, over a period of time.
There are many ways that we break samaya. The most common is when we take empowerments or receive transmission for certain practices, then we neglect these practices or abandon them, this generates negative energy for us and the Lama who gave us the transmission. This occurs when we take many empowerments from many different teachers, then never do the practices. Or, when we take refuge and bodhisattva vows and make promises to practice these precepts, then we abandon the lineage or the Dharma and turn to other traditions instead; we have broken our oaths.
We break samaya when we make promises to the Lama, then fail to do what we promised. Or, if we ask the Lama for advice and we do not do what the Lama has told us to. Or, the Lama has told us not to do something, and we do it anyway. We have broken our oaths and have become untrustworthy. We break samay when we tell lies to the Lama or try to decieve the Lama or take advantage of the Lama to get what we want. We break samaya when we act in ways that harm the Lama or cause suffering for the Lama's family. Sometimes we act in harmful ways because our minds are full of desire, neediness, jealousy or pride. These afflictive emotions overpower our respect for the Lama and then our actions cause harm and destroy our connection to the lineage.
We break samaya when we develop wrong view or critical thoughts towards the Lama - often because our expectations have not been met, or the Lama did not satisfy our desires or our need to be recognized. Instead of viewing the Lama as the source of the lineage blessings, we look at the Lama's personal traits and find fault in the Lama's behavior. This cuts us off from the blessings of the lineage, and our practices can never bear fruit. We break samaya when we view the Lama as an ordniary being and treat them as such. We become disrespectful and careless in our conduct.
We break samaya when we cause divisiveness within the Sangha or fight with other Sangha members and cause disharmony. Due to jealousy we become competitive with our Dharma friends, and instead of rejoicing in their good deeds, we feel resentment and attempt to gain a better position.
We break samaya when we give teachings or transmissions without authority or permission from the Lama. Likewise, if we use the Lama's name to gain authority or to make a anme for ourselves, without the Lama's consent, then we have decieved others and denegrated the lineage.
If you read the various 'shakpas,' or 'kong-shaks,' (apology prayers), you will also find a list of all the ways in which we violate our oaths and comitments to the Lama. For this reason, it is important to recite these prayers on a regular basis, either during tsog offerings, or during our daily practices.