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Monastic Institutions
Monasteries & Dharma Centres
In 1979, at the age of thirty-three, H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa sent him as his representative to Australia and New Zealand to spread Dharma. Rinpoche stayed in Australia for about seven months giving refuge ordination, Bodhicitta vows, Mahamudra, guidance and instructions on "Nyung-ney" (the fasting practice of the Thousand Arms Thousand Eyes Avalokiteshvara), empowerments and oral transmission of various yidams. During his stay in Australia , Rinpoche established two new Karma Kagyu Dharma centres, Karma Tashi Choling in New South Wales and Kagyu Evam Choling centre in Melbourne City, the latter is under the direction of Ven. Traleg Rinpoche. In Sydney there was already a Kagyu centre, named by Karmapa as Kagyu Dongag Choling. Rinpoche completed the legal documentation for this Centre and legally set up the trust.
In New Zealand, a Dharma centre named by Gyalwa Karmapa as Karma Kagyu Thegsum Choling has already been established. This centre was offered to Karmapa by one of the disciples of Ven. Karma Thrinley Rinpoche. H.H. the 16th Karmapa was the founder of this Dharma Centre and Beru Khyentse Rinpoche is the Spiritual Director. Acting in the capacity as the Spiritual Director, His Eminence Beru Khyentse Rinpoche sent two lamas from his Mainpat monastery to be the resident lamas.
Rinpoche gave many teachings and introduced Buddhism to many people. In that same year, Rinpoche visited Malaysia Kagyu Centre at Kuala Lumpur, gave empowerments and teachings of the Kagyu lineage, beginning with the chanting of sadhana. Rinpoche had also established a new centre in Seremban near Kuala Lumpur, besides having visited the whole of Malaysia propagating the Dharma among old and new disciples.
At the invitation of the Sakya Dharma centre in Singapore, Rinpoche also gave numerous empowerments, oral transmissions, instructions and teachings. At that time a monk called Rev. Tashong from a Mahayana monastery approached Rinpoche and requested him to visit his temple. Rinpoche agreed and gave empowerments, oral transmissions, instructions and teachings in the Karma Kagyu tradition, thereby introducing numerous disciples to Vajrayana Buddhism. At Rev. Tashong's request Rinpoche established the first Karma Kagyu Centre in Singapore and named it Karme Chodhey Dharma Centre. Rev. Tashong himself was a Vajrayana practitioner as his teachers were those who had received teachings from previous Beru Khyentse Rinpoche and the late Bo Gangkar Rinpoche during their visit to China.
Later H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa, Kyabje Sharma Rinpoche and many other Kagyu Lamas visited the Karme Chodhey Dharma Centre and today, it has flourished into a large and well-known Centre spreading the Dharma in Kagyu tradition. At present, resident abbot, Ven. Shangpa Rinpoche is managing it under the direction of Kyabje Shamar Rinpoche.
Having performed many Dharma activities, Rinpoche returned to New Delhi at the end of 1979, and met with H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa. Rinpoche informed His Holiness about all his Dharma activities and particularly about the establishment of various Dharma Trusts and Centres. His Holiness was very pleased to hear the news, and praised Beru Khyentse Rinpoche for his achievements. A few weeks prior to the laying of the foundation for the new Monastery at New Delhi, the Gyalwa Karmapa's old illness became serious and He had to be hospitalized. However, His Holiness recovered gradually.
Beru Khyentse Rinpoche upon returning to Mainpat found that his new monastery had been completed. He had initiated the construction of this monastery before leaving for Australia. Rinpoche had always wished to build a Kagyu monastery in Bodhgaya. For this purpose in 1977, he applied to the Central Government of India and the State Government of Bihar for permission to buy two acres of land. Finally in 1982 after five years, Rinpoche received the approval with the relevant papers from the local authorities at Bodhgaya. That year during His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit to Bodhgaya, he visited the new site of the Monastery as requested by Rinpoche and performed the consecration ceremony and prayers.
In 1982, at the age of thirty-six, Rinpoche visited Tibet to meet relatives and to give teachings. When he first met his relatives at Lhasa and Nyethang, it was difficult for them to recognize each other and needed introduction. There were mixed feelings of happiness and sorrow. On reaching Kham Nangchen, Rinpoche could recognize the places, but could not recognize the monks and the people. That year Rinpoche applied to the Chinese Government for permission to rebuild the Tashi Gang monastery at Nyethang and the Tharjay monastery at Nangchen. Moreover, in order to prepare the monks for the three year and three months retreat, Rinpoche gave numerous empowerments, oral transmissions and instructions to them.
In 1983 Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche gave complete empowerments of the Rinchen Terzod (Treasure of Jamgon Kongtrul) to the Kagyu Gyalwa Yabsay and many other Rinpoches, lamas, monks and lay people at Sonada, Darjeeling. Rinpoche also attended this ceremony and received all the empowerments. In 1985, Rinpoche visited Tibet again and gave many empowerments and oral transmission to the first batch of retreat monks in Nangchen who had started their retreat in 1984. Regular batches of monks for retreat have been organized since then. That year, Rinpoche received permission from Chinese Government to rebuild both the monasteries at Nangchen and Nyethang. Rinpoche furnished the monastery with many statues, thangka paintings, a complete set of Kangyur and Tangyur texts consisting of 103 volumes and 215 volumes respectively that he had brought with him. Rinpoche funded the reconstruction of the monastery.
In that same year Rinpoche's monastery at Bodhgaya was completed along with an 11½ft. gold plated Buddha statue made of copper. This monastery had its entire wall painted with life-size paintings of Twelve Deeds of Shakyamuni Buddha. Beru Khyentse Rinpoche officially invited H.H the Dalai Lama for the consecration of the monastery, statues and to bestow blessings. H.H the Dalai Lama with great kindness fulfilled all the wishes of Rinpoche and also gave teachings on Gampopa's 'Jewel Ornament of Liberation'. Rinpoche made offerings of statue, scripture and stupa as mandala offerings to symbolise long-life and the turning of Wheel of Dharma by His Holiness to benefit countless sentient beings. In 1987, construction works started and the foundations of the new Nangchen Monastery and the Ani Nunnery were laid. At present, there are about forty nuns in the Tharjay nunnery where they observe regular 'nyung-ney' fastings. Some of these nuns have carried out retreats two or three times. Rinpoche had provided full financial support to the Tharjay monks and nuns community.
The President of India, His Excellency Shri Ramaswamy Venkatraman inaugurated Rinpoche's monastery in Bodhgaya, on 23rd December 1988. Among other guests were His Excellency the Governor and Honorable Chief Minister of Bihar and Representatives of all the other monasteries and Institutions in Bodhgaya. The inauguration ceremony was held for three days from 23rd to 25th December 1988. Rinpoche delivered the opening speech and gave a brief accounts on the History of Buddhism in India and Tibet, the Kagyu lineage and monastery, its significance and objectives. Rinpoche presented His Excellency and the other guests with a thangka painting, a Shakyamuni Buddha statue and khathak as souvenir. In return, His Excellency made a personal donation to the monastery. In addition to that, on behalf of the Government and the people of India, he donated two solar lighting systems to the monastery. It was on this occasion that H.H Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche sent a personally handwritten letter and praised the Dharma activities of Beru Khyentse Rinpoche.