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Teachers
2nd Beru Khyentse Rinpoche (continued)
In 1968, Rinpoche made a pilgrimage to Varanasi , where H.H. Sakya Trizin Rinpoche was giving teaching on Lamdre and Sakyapa's Thirteen Golden Dharma. Rinpoche received complete teachings along with many other lamas and khenpos. At that time Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, who was also in Varanasi , kindly visited Rinpoche specifically to give him empowerments, oral transmissions, instructions and teaching necessary for the three years three months retreat. These teachings were conducted in the Karma Kagyu tradition and consisted of different Mahamudra scriptures, many higher yidams and teachings of Naropa's Six Yogas, teachings of Dakini Machig Lamdron's Chod practices which cut through demonic interference and many other teachings.
That same year at the age of twenty-one, Rinpoche entered into retreat along with eight other monks and some retreat masters. That was the second batch of retreat entrants organized in exile by Beru Khyentse Rinpoche's retreat centre. The retreat centre was situated in the forest, at an isolated place in the outskirts of the Nangchen camp. As Kalu Rinpoche was Palpung's retreat master, the rules and regulations adopted in this retreat centre were in accordance with those in Tsurphu and P
alpung retreat centres.
During Naropa's Six Yoga practice, Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche kindly and purposely visited Mainpat to give detailed instructions and guidance throughout the six yogas and to introduce the Mahamudra to Rinpoche and the other retreat monks. Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche is a main root Guru of Beru Khyentse Rinpoche and had been very kind to him like spiritual father. 
In 1972, at the age of twenty-six, Rinpoche successfully completed his retreat of four years without any obstacles. In the same year Rinpoche visited Bodhgaya on pilgrimage and received teaching from Khunu Rinpoche Tenzin Gyaltsen, who was a very great Rime master, scholar and learned saint. Rinpoche received from Khunu Rinpoche detailed instructions and oral transmission of the 3 rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje's Mahamudra teaching, and also oral transmissions and instructions of the great Dzogchen ascetic Shri Singha's composition 'Tsig-sum Nad-dek'.
In 1973, at the age of twenty seven, Rinpoche visited Rumtek Monastery and met with H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa. He received from Karmapa intensive Mahamudra teachings such as very special secret teachings of Mahamudra and of Mahakala Bernagchen. H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa bestowed inconceivable kindness to Rinpoche by direct mind to mind introduction of his true perceptions, by introducing him to Contemplation of Meaning of Tantric Treatise and Changchen Ku-nga or Introducing Mind by means of the Five Kayas During those days the Gyalwa Karmapa made many wonderful predictions about the future and also gave a lot of advice. For instance, one evening when all the Rinpoches were performing the Mahakala Puja with Gyalwa Karmapa, he suddenly said to Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche that, just now, a child has been born in the east of Sikkim . He is destined to slap your face when he grows up. One day he advised all the Rinpoches to refrain from getting involved in politics. He said that we are Dharma practitioners and should not get mixed up with politics. If we perform our Dharma practices well, then we will have success and good luck spontaneously. It is the job of politicians to indulge in politics and they are good at it. Politics is not our cup of tea. This advice is really becoming true now.
In 1974, the Gyalwa Yabsay namely, H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa, Shamar Rinpoche, Situ Rinpoche, Jamgon Rinpoche, Gyaltsab Rinpoche and Beru Khyentse Rinpoche and many other Rinpoches, khenpos, lamas, and monks visited Bumthang Tashi Choling in Bhutan. During this visit Gyalwa Karmapa built a Monastery there and conducted a summer retreat with all the other Rinpoches, khenpos, lamas and monks. On the final week of forty-five days monsoon retreat, each and every Rinpoche was to give a Dharma discourse, selected through the drawing of lots. The first lot drawn by Gyalwa Karmapa was that of Beru Khyentse Rinpoche. Rinpoche preached on Gampopa's 'Jewel Ornament of Liberation' full text and the commentaries for four hours without referring to any book and notes. After staying in Bhutan for a couple of months, they returned to Rumtek Monastery, where Rinpoche sought His Holiness' permission to return to Mainpat to visit his mother, sister's family and the monks.
On his way from Sikkim to Mainpat in 1974, Rinpoche attended the Grand Kalachakra Empowerment being given by H.H. the Dalai Lama at Bodhgaya. Prior to this, Rinpoche had received the first Kalachakra Empowerment given by H.H. the Dalai Lama at his summer palace, the Norbu Lingka, Lhasa , Tibet in 1954. The late Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche was also present to receive this Kalachakra Empowerment. At that time Beru Khyentse Rinpoche was seven year old and was not acquainted with Jamgon Kongtrul. Although both of them were yet to be recognized and enthroned, yet their karmic connections were so strong that they were brought together for this grand empowerment. Nevertheless, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche received this empowerment the third time from H.H. the Dalai Lama in Bodhgaya in 1985. Thus, Rinpoche had received Kalachakra empowerment three times as well as many other teachings such as the commentary on Shantideva's Bodhisattvacaryavatara twice, Uttaratantra of Maitreya Ngul-chu Thogmed, Asangha's thirty-seven practices of Bodhisattva, mind-training teachings called Lobjong Nyime Oser, teachings of Khunu Rinpoche Tenzin Gyaltsen's compositions Jangchub Semtod or 'Praise to the Enlightened Mind', Atisha's Teachings on Jangchub Lamdron or the Torch of Bodhisattva's Path, Gampopa's 'Jewel Ornament of Liberation', Kamalashila's discourse on Levels of Meditation, Bodhisattva vows and various other discourses, empowerments, instructions and oral transmissions.
H.H. the Dalai Lama is also one of the teachers of Beru Khyentse Rinpoche. His Holiness gave all these teachings under the Bodhi tree with great compassion, wisdom and kindness. Since 1964, H.H. the Dalai Lama regularly visited Bodhgaya during winter season. Since Beru Khyentse Rinpoche's main seat is in Mainpat, near to Bodhgaya, he used to visit there every year to attend all the teachings by His Holiness.
Since 1973, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche had been teaching and propagating Buddhism among western disciples by introducing and instructing them on refuge vows, Bodhisattva precepts, four foundation practices and various yidam prayers. At Bodhgaya in 1975, Rinpoche's explanation and commentary on 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje's Mahamudra text 'Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance' was translated and published in English by Rinpoche translator, Mr. Alexander. It became very popular all over the world and was later published in six other languages - French, German, Russian, Chinese, Spanish and Polish.
Another translated book of Longchenpa's Four Dharmas, includes commentary from His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche on the upper part and commentaries on the lower part of the root texts by Beru Khyentse Rinpoche. This book also became popular worldwide. These two books are still available in many Dharma bookshops around the world.
In 1976, H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa gave a big Kagyu Ngagzod Chenmo empowerment at Kar-Nying Shedrupling Monastery in Boudha , Nepal . Kagyu Ngagzod Chenmo is a collection of tantra treasures in Marpa Lotsawa's tradition by the Great Jamgon Kongtrul. This empowerment was attended by many lamas such as Sharma Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche, Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and many monks and laymen.
H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa and the all the Rinpoches then returned to India from Nepal through Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. On his return to the settlement in Mainpat, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche's mother who had been unwell for sometime became serious ill and passed away at the age of sixty-nine, on the 18th of the fourth month of the Tibetan Calendar in 1976. All through her life, Rinpoche's mother had recited Tara prayers and Chenrezig's mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" for more than a hundred and fifty million times. Throughout her life she has indulged in prayers and she was a very honest and humble lady with a natural compassion and a pure heart. Rinpoche and his monks performed the forty-nine days Puja for her. Rinpoche's father, Ngawang Lobsang had passed away when Rinpoche was just six years old, before his recognition as the reincarnated tulku. Rinpoche's elder sister Tsewang Dolma and her family are with Rinpoche at the Mainpat Tibetan settlement.