The Life Story of the 1st Shangpa Rinpoche: Part VIII

Shangpa Rinpoche then went on pilgrimage to some holy places. A Tibetan man who acted as his interpreter, mentioned that, when Shangpa Rinpoche was at Pokhara airport and saw an aeroplane landing for the first time, he was very scared and asked the interpreter, "There is such a loud noise coming from the plane, is it going to explode?" The interpreter explained that it was normal for an aeroplane to be noisy. So, Shangpa Rinpoche took the plane to Kathmandu and visited all the holy places there.

After that, with some of his disciples, he travelled to India. At that time, HH Dalai Lama and HH Karmapa, along with many high Lamas were specially invited by the Indian government for the 2500th anniversary of Buddha’s birth. He made lots of lamp and tsog offerings to all the holy places and then, due to the heat of India, he started to feel unwell. His entourage then went back to Nepal and, from there, back to west Tibet.

After Shangpa Rinpoche returned to Goshar Gompa at western Tibet, he asked my father to draw a Thangka of the 8 manifestations of Guru Rinpoche. He told my father this might be his Kyetag (Mark of rebirth). Usually when someone has died, Tibetan people would draw a Kyetag or purchase a statue to dedicate to the deceased. When the Thangka was finished and offered Shangpa Rinpoche, he wanted to give my father presents but my father did not accept. However Shangpa Rinpoche insisted and so my father accepted one piece of gold from Shangpa Rinpoche. By that time, Shangpa Rinpoche was very ill and my father had been drawing the thangka without much rest. While my father was there, Shangpa Rinpoche gave many important teachings to him as well as to the many monks and lay people individually. His main teaching was about developing loving kindness and compassion and the practice of Chenrezig with the recitation of the 6 syllables.

When his condition continued to worsen, all the monks and my father offered Khata and offerings to request him not to pass away but remain. He told them that this time he could not continue to stay. However, his mission was only partially completed so they did not have to worry as he would come back again to see them. Till then, they must practice well and develop Bodhichitta constantly. Because this human life is very precious, they should not waste it and make full use of it to liberate oneself and others from Samsara.

My father was very sad that Shangpa Rinpoche was certainly going to pass away. He came back home and told this sad news to my mother. Both my father and mother cried the whole night. Shangpa Rinpoche passed away on a full moon day, in the early morning, in the year 1957. When he passed away, there was a little bit of snowfall only at the place where he had entered into Samadhi. The Tibetans believe that this sign is actually a rain of flowers showered by the dakinis, welcoming one to a pure realm. One old disciple called Gelong Namkha told us that when Shangpa Rinpoche passed away and entered into the Thugdam (Samadhi), the sky was filled with rainbows and also clouds shaped like all the 8 auspicious signs. His body remained in Samadhi for a week. It was the 8th lunar Tibetan month and usually the weather was very cold. During that week however, the weather turned warm and a special kind of yellow flower, which was rare in that region, bloomed nearby. After he passed away, his body was preserved at Goshar Gompa until 1960.

Some disciples went to see HH Karmapa to ask His Holiness whether Shangpa Rinpoche has taken rebirth and how to find him if he has. HH then asked them to do a big puja for his reincarnation. He also said that his body should be brought back to Nepal for a proper cremation, which would be good for the reincarnation.

So the disciples went back and followed all the instructions of His Holiness. Eventually His Holiness sent a letter which stated my parents' names and my zodiac animal for them to find the reincarnation of the 1st Shangpa Rinpoche.

The End