Timeless Rapture: Inspired Verse from the Shangpa Masters

378 Timeless Rapture
center there dedicated to Kalachakra. Kalu Rinpoché approved the project
and even helped with money needed for the buildings. Nevertheless,
what began as a modest place for meditation practice has become over the
years a burgeoning monastery. It now includes a monastic community of
close to two hundred monks, a number of buildings, and a large retreat
center where Karma Kagyu meditations are taught. Bokar Rinpoché plans
to soon add a second retreat center dedicated to Niguma’s lineage.
When we examine Bokar Rinpoché’s present activity, we see clearly that
his foremost focus is to assure the pure transmission of Buddhism, to give
each the best that he or she can receive. He does this in the context of his
monastery in India and in his monastery in Tibet, where he was able to
rebuild the buildings and where a community has regrouped. He does it
not only in his guidance of Mirik’s retreat center, but also in such centers
at Sonada and Lhawa (close to Gangtok). He does it in organizing annual
seminaries for his foreign disciples, for whom he oversees a gradual and sustained
training. And he does it in giving special care and attention to the
education of the young Kalu Rinpoché, who is always close to him in
Mirik.
No better words can be found to describe Bokar Rinpoché than those
of Kalu Rinpoché. During his last visit to France, he inaugurated the Temple
of a Thousand Buddhas in Bourgogne on August 30, 1987. He introduced
Bokar Rinpoché, who accompanied him, to the public with these
words:
It’s likely that you don’t know exactly who Bokar Rinpoché is.
In western Tibet there was a monastery known as Bokar
Monastery, where once lived a very great lama, Karma Shérab Özer.
Bokar Rinpoché is that lama’s reincarnation. When tragedy erupted
in Tibet, he went into exile in India, where he met me in Darjeeling.
Since then he has always stayed close to me.
In the beginning under my guidance, he completed impeccably
the four preliminary practices. His knowledge of the Teachings was
excellent.
Later, we were able to establish a retreat center in Sonada; Bokar
Rinpoché participated in the first three-year, three-month retreat,
dedicated to the Shangpa lineage practices. Since I had transmitted
every necessary empowerment and instruction, at the end of
the retreat I had him become Sonada Monastery’s retreat master.