Today (July 22) according to the instructions of His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa, the Thrangu Sangha conducted the seventh day of the Hevajra practice for the seventh week of the Venerable Kyabje Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s Parinirvana Puja.

As humbly requested by the Parinirvana Puja Committee, the Venerable The 42nd Sakya Trizin Ratna Vajra Rinpoche arrived at Namo Buddha yesterday to attend the 49th day of the Parinirvana Puja held today.

At 8am this morning, the Venerable Ratna Vajra Rinpoche was invited to the main shrine hall of Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery to attend the Hevajra Puja. Along with the Venerable Kyabje Zuri Rinpoche, the Venerable Lodro Nyima Rinpoche, the Venerable Choje Lama, the Venerable Tulku Damcho, and Sakya Khenpo Ngawang Jorden, they led over six hundred monastics to perform the final day of the week-long Hevajra practice, which concluded the series of practices to be conducted by the Thrangu Sangha for the 49 days following Kyabje Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s parinirvana.

In the afternoon, Ratna Vajra Rinpoche granted a public audience to monastics and lay devotees, and made offerings to the Thrangu Sangha; the Parinirvana Puja Committee made offerings of body, speech, and mind to Ratna Vajra Rinpoche. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s brother Yonten Gyatso and sponsor Margaret Lee also made offerings to the Sangha.

More than 1500 devotees came to attend today’s puja and pay respects to Rinpoche’s Kudung. The Parinirvana Puja Committee would like to offer our deepest gratitude towards the various monasteries, organizations, representatives, everyone who participated in the Puja and paid respects to Rinpoche’s Kudung, and those who have offered letters of condolences.

In particular, we are extremely grateful towards the composers of Kyabje Rinpoche’s swift rebirth prayers, and monasteries from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism that sent numerous retreat lamas to perform weekly practices for Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.

Likewise, we extend deep thanks to the monastics and representatives from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism for participating in the Parinirvana Puja, and Kyabje Rinpoche’s overseas dharma centers for sponsoring the Puja and related activities. In addition, we offer our greatest appreciation to the sponsors, volunteers, supporters, devotees, and everyone who made a connection with us during this period.