Kagyü Ngag Dzöd Reading Transmission
From November 13th until November 27th, 2009, H.H. Drigung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche very kindly bestowed the Kagyü Ngag Dzöd anthology of initiations (Tib. wongs) upon the ordained clergy of the newly-established monastery, Drikung Kagyu Rinchen Ling, located in the tiny rural village Nayapati located in Kathmandu Valley. During these weeks, which began with numerous auspicious ceremonies on Lhabab Duchen, Tulku Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche was honored to have been invited to offer the reading transmission (Tib. lung) that accompanies each empowerment.
More than a thousand tulkus, monks, nuns and lay people from the local Tibetan and Nepali community, from other monasteries and nunneries as well as from the international community of Buddhist practitioners, gathered in the immense shrine-hall each day to receive the extraordinary gift of these teachings and empowerments. Buddhist practitioners from as far away as Europe, Mexico, South America, the United States and other parts of the world, who journeyed to Nepal especially for this blessed event, also participated. The empowerments and reading transmissions continued throughout each day, from morning until night, for 15 days with just short breaks for lunch and rest.
The Kagyü Ngag Dzöd (Tib. bka brgyud sngags mdzöd), or Treasury of Kagyü Oral Instructions, is a compilation of esoteric teachings and empowerments transmitted by the Kagyu lineage master, Marpa Lotsawa. It is one of the Five Treasuries compiled by the 19th century rimey master, Jamgön Kongtrül the Great, also widely known as Jamgön Kongtrül Lodro Thayé (1813-1899).
Regarded as the first of Kongtrül's "Five Treasuries" collected between the years 1853 and 1855, the Kagyü Ngag Dzöd includes the 13 highest yoga tantras that Marpa collected in India as well as numerous minor tantras in the Marpa tradition and a few tantras that Rechungpa brought to Tibet from India.
As this collection of tantras is treasured by all the Kagyu lineages, conferment was regarded as a very rare, precious and historic event. Rinpoche encouraged shedra students to participate whenever their busy class schedule allowed. Moreover, a particular day was set aside especially for the Shedra students to visit the monastery, receive transmission and offer kataks (ceremonial white scarves) to both H.H. Drigung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche and to Tulku Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. His Holiness very kindly offered the students a short teaching in English and arranged a delicious buffet luncheon in the monastery's dining-room for them. In addition, the students were fortunate to receive a 15-minute teaching in English from the learned teacher and popular author, Khenpo Könchog Gyaltsen.
On the final day of the reading transmissions, Tulku Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche offered the participants a special teaching on the background of the Kagyu lineage, the anthology and so forth. Thereafter, he thanked the participants and accepted kataks from the audience as well as offerings kindly presented by the monastery's chief administrators and members of the participants.
On the final day of empowerments, an extensive long-life mandala was offered.