Prayers in Paradise: Honoring a Life and a Lineage
“Kalu Rinpoche has asked me to ask each of you to make prayers for Lama Rinchen as he passes through the bardo. Thank you from Rinpoche and from myself for your prayers.”
Leslie Shelton, our Sukhasiddhi Executive Director, flew to Honolulu to represent Sukhasiddhi at Kagyu Thegchen Ling, to offer our condolences, to be with Kalu Rinpoche there, and to join in the prayers.
Lama Rinchen’s prayer altar at the Kagyu Thegchen Ling Dharma Center.
Most people visit Hawaii for a vacation. But I was there for a different reason – to represent Sukhasiddhi Foundation at the request of Kalu Rinpoche, who invited each of his centers around the world to send someone to join him at Kagyu Thegchen Ling (KTL) in Honolulu to offer prayers for his beloved colleague, Lama Karma Rinchen, who had passed away only a few weeks before Kalu Rinpoche arrived to begin in-person teachings on the first leg of his trip to the West in 2 years. Because none of Sukhasiddhi’s lamas could travel on rather short notice, I had the great pleasure of filling this request.
The beautiful Kagyu Thegchen Ling dharma center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
I went with four purposes: to offer our condolences to the KTL sangha and Lama Rinchen’s family, attend Kalu Rinpoche’s Mahakala teaching and empowerment, participate in prayers for Lama Rinchen, and meet with Kalu Rinpoche to discuss dates for him to offer a teaching and empowerment for our Sukhasiddhi sangha this summer.
Being in Honolulu was an added blessing. The KTL center is beautiful. Located in a residential area in the hills above Honolulu, it was founded by Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche in 1974 with Lama Rinchen as its first resident lama. He served this center for more than 40 years, passing at age 90. He was clearly loved and loving, and his presence and loss were deeply felt. It was very precious for me to be able to offer a kata and gift to his niece, Sailhamo Samang, in reverence and appreciation, and she was very touched by our thoughtfulness. For me, being able to visit this sister center was both an experience of the vitality and aliveness of the Shangpa/Kagyu lineage in today’s world and a recognition of how precious the Buddhist practices of honoring the ongoing flow of life and death are.
Kalu Rinpoche giving a Mahakala teaching and empowerment.
Leslie with Lama Rinchen’s niece, Sailhamo Samang at the ceremony.
