Day 5 — February 11 2024 — Visit to the Sakya MOnastery and Chewang tulku rinpoche

We walked from our hotel to the Sakya Monastery. His Holiness Sakya Trichin resides in Dehra Dun but we would not see him until Bodhgaya where he was visiting with his family. Instead, at the request of Jigme Rinpoche, we were gifted with an empowerment from Chewang Tulku Rinpoche. The precious ritual of the long life empowerment left a lasting impression on all the pilgrims. Just to be in the presence of a master who spent 27 years in retreat studying Vajrayonini takes the expression "beyond words" to yet another level.  He left retreat only at the request of his teacher, His Holiness Sakya Trichin, and he now rarely leaves his quarters at the monastery. To have him come into the shrine room for us was an extraordinary blessing. It is a testament to his kindness and generosity and to the respect that he paid to Jigme Rinpoche. Even as he walked into the shrine room, we could feel the radiance of his being. Most people said they had never been in such a joyous presence. 
Jigme Rinpoche reminded us that in seeing and hearing such a being, a seed was planted in us so that we could be inspired to emulate his life of practice. 

Sakya Center — Dehra Dun

Chewang Tulku Rinpoche

On an upper level of the temple, in a room with masks and painted images of wrathful protective deities Rinpoche spoke of their role and symbolic meaning in the context of Vajrayana.