On 23 Nov 2007, we paid our respect to H.H Dudjom Rinpoche at his residence in Nepal. My mobile phone suddenly beeped, indicating a message sent from Singapore. It was from H.E Konde Rinpoche III. He asked me if I could meet him, for he had a little question for me. I replied to him that I would meet him when I returned to Singapore.
On the very night when I returned to Singapore, I went to see him at his residence, with a few fellow practitioners. He gave me a surprise! He told me that I am a reincarnation of a late Nyingma Dzogchen master – Acho Rinpoche II. So, he gave me the official recognition of “Acho Rinpoche III”.
H.E Konde Rinpoche is a Nyingma Dzogchen practitioner, whose root guru was the late Achang Dodan Rinpoche, a renowned and accomplished Dzogchen master. Konde Rinpoche was ordained as a monk since young, and he is the current abbot of the Horthang Monastery in Qinghai, China. He left China some years ago and is now residing in India, following H.E Dzogchen Rinpoche.
Konde Rinpoche told us that he had a vivid dream. In the dream, Achang Dodan Rinpoche instructed him to present a Guru Rinpoche crown to someone. When he woke up from his dream, he knew that it had a very special significance. He prayed to the Nyingma protector – Single Knot, for an advice on who should the recipient of the crown be. He must be someone with a very special karmic connection. Later, in his meditation, he had a vision of me. He knew then that I must be the owner of this crown. He consulted a few other Rinpoches, including the 70-year old Kade Rinpoche of the Horthang Monastery and his grandfather who was also an accomplished practitioner. All of them confirmed his vision.
On 1 Dec 2007, H.E Konde Rinpoche held a simple and yet solemn enthronement ceremony at my home, in recognition of my status of a reincarnated Nyingma Dzogchen master, Acho Rinopche III. In Feb 2008, H.E Dzogchen Rinpoche, the current lineage holder of the Nyingma Dzogchen, also recognized my status as a reincarnated master in the Nyingma Dzogchen lineage.
I used to have frequent dreams of my returning to Tibet. I saw a temple in which my body of previous life was being enshrined and worshipped by the believers. I also knew that I had repeatedly taken rebirths in the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. My karmic connection with Tibetan Buddhism is indeed very profound. However, I have not been actively searching for my past identities all these years. Names and forms are never important to me; I find actual practice and attainment far more important. Although I did not pursue the name and form, they came to me somehow. I understand that the time has come for me to help more sentient beings, for a practitioner who has aspired to bodhicitta shall bear the responsibility of performing the Buddha activities. So, I accepted the faith presented to me.
Giam Eng Leng, Lotus Robe, Acho Rinpoche, Living Buddha, are just illusory names in a dream. “Rinpoche” or ‘Living Buddha” are but an expedient method that “I” will be using in this lifetime to help the sentient beings. I am just a tiny leaf which is carried by the wind to wherever it brings me. I recalled a song that I used to sing when I was young, the lyrics of which suddenly appeared in my mind – “Although I have never been to Qinghai, it came into my dream every night. Mt Kala decorated by white clouds rises tall into the sky. The Yellow River and Yantze River seem to be originating from the sky…”
Acho Rinpoche
Singapore
