On December 11, 2016 His Eminence Zava Damdin Rinpoche conferred Yamantaka initiation and Dorje Shugden sogtae (life entrustment). 7,800 ordained monks and lay people attended this auspicious occasion held at the Buyant Ukhaa Sports Complex in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This Dorje Shugden life entrustment ritual is very interesting. Traditionally, the sogtae can only be conferred to three people at a time. When I was living in Thubten Dhargye Ling, I had the great merits to receive this commitment from His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. We received it in the traditional manner, three people at a time, and each ‘session’ taking around 30 minutes. Because there were so many people who wished to receive sogtae, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche compassionately conferred the Protector practice all day long until it was late at night. It was around 10 to 11pm when His Holiness finally finished. During the sogtae conferment ritual, the lama generates himself as the yidam to forge a spiritual bond between the practitioner and Dorje Shugden. Then the initiate swears to take Dorje Shugden as their Protector until they attain bodhicitta. And likewise, Dorje Shugden is sworn to protect the initiate until they have achieved bodhicitta, whether it’s in this life or in future ones. Why until they receive bodhicitta […]