Two weeks after the Third Terchen Barway Dorje, Karma Drupgyu Tenpay Nyima, dissolved his wisdom into the dharmadhātu the lord refuge Namgyal Rinpoche, the grandson of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche; the lord refuge Drukpa Yongdzin Rinpoche; and a group of more than fifty khenpos, retreat lamas, and male and female tantrikas from four monasteries—Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, the seat of the glorious Gyalwang Karmapa; Palpung Thubten Chöling; the practice community of Dudjom Rinpoche; and Bardor Rinpoche’s seat Kunzang Palchen Ling—performing authentic ceremonies and fire offerings, cremated this holy being’s remains. I have already described the many outer, inner, and secret signs and wonders that appeared that day.
For the next seven days the cremation stupa’s doors were closed and sealed by cement, and we continued to perform daily ceremonies and prayers. Today, the last day of that week, when we opened the stupa’s doors, the sun suddenly peeked out between the clouds and a tent-like rainbow appeared along with other rainbows, circles of light, and other wonders.
Amongst Bardor Rinpoche’s ashes and bones were many small, radiantly shiny spherical relics. On his bones themselves were many small, shiny black spheres. In particular, this holy being’s heart was intact, not destroyed by the fire; this was most amazing!
Terchen Barway Dorje was a messenger of Mahāguru Rinpoche, and a rebirth of both Nupchen Sangye Yeshe and the ḍākinī Yeshe Tsogyal, as predicted in vajra prophecies. He was heir to all the teachings and particularly the dharma concerning Mañjuśrī Yamāntaka. Anyone who reads the fourteen volumes of his collected writings on profound dharma—treasure, pure visions, and the Buddha’s words—will become certain of this. This third reincarnation received much dharma himself in pure visions and brought the teachings of his treasure tradition to the west, caring for many devoted disciples.
About the various types of relics: It is taught that when a holy being has achieved freedom through the recognition of pure awareness and reached the exhaustion of dharmatā and a stage beyond reversal, after their passing various physical relics will appear, accompanied by light and sound. The relics that appear on their bones will be unburned by the fire, and impervious even to being smashed by an iron hammer. After the cremation of the holy being’s remains some part of their body will be blessed and appear undestroyed and accompanied by small spherical relics. This can include their heart, tongue, and eyes. From The Blazing Bone Relic Tantra:
When someone with skill passes
All of these may appear in their body.
If the relics of a particular Buddha family appear,
It means that in the bardo of dharmatā
They saw the Buddha of that family
And became free.
Accordingly, when the Third Terchen Barway Dorje Rinpoche was cremated his heart survived, not destroyed by the fire.
Spherical relics are the various types of little spheres that appear on holy beings’ bones. From The Blazing Bone Relic Tantra:
Bariram are blue or black,
About the size of mustard seeds
Or sometimes of small peas.
They contain the pure essence of warmth.
Ḍākinī, they appear between the ribs.
The many blue-black spherical relics that appeared amongst this holy being’s bones are therefore bariram.
The survival of the heart, tongue, and eyes indicate that the holy being will help beings through mind, speech, and body respectively. The appearance of rainbow clouds and rains of flowers indicate that they have closed the doors to rebirth in the six realms. Many such wonders are said to appear. Accordingly, a gentle rain fell and rainbows appeared. In an otherwise clear blue sky a cloud shaped like a double vajra appeared. Among many such evident wonders the survival of Rinpoche’s heart, the color of a deep blue jewel, and the rest of the signs of liberation taught in the great secret tantras definitely indicate that Rinpoche achieved manifest buddhahood in the space of the primordial ground.
At the request of Naomi Schmidt and others among this holy being’s disciples at his seat, Kunzang Palchen Ling, I, Tashi Topgyal, this holy being’s faithful and devoted attendant whom he has left behind wrote this immediately on April 25, 2021.
Late afternoon there was a shower of white petals coming directly from the sky, photos cannot capture the event…
