‘A Dream Come True,’ by Lourdes Hinojosa

Reflections on the Inner Consecration of the Great Bon Stupa for World Peace

On December 4, 2010, as many as 1,000 people attended the celebration of the Internal Consecration of the Great Stupa for World Peace in Chamma Ling, Valle de Bravo, Mexico. In the days before the event nearly 700 people attended dzogchen teachings on Heart Drops of Dharmakaya in Mexico City with Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche, and Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Lourdes Hinojosa, Mexican sangha member and long-time student of Tenzin Rinpoche, served as Spanish-English translator during these events; below, she shares her personal reflections.

My experience of the consecration of the Great Bon Stupa for World Peace at Chamma Ling, Valle de Bravo, Mexico, is not easy to express with words … 

Being in the presence of my Teachers … many of them! Gathered for such a special occasion …

Our dearest Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche … Khenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche … My dearest root lama, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche … Tulku Jorge René … and many visiting bonpo lamas, teachers and monks such as Lama Khemsar from England, Sangye Mon Lam from France, Geshe Tenzin Yeshe, Lharila Kalsang Nyima, Geshe Yongdong from Canada, Namkha Wangyal Rinpoche from India … Samte … among others … Receiving their blessings … a moment worth living.

Also, representatives from different groups and lineages from the Buddhist community in Mexico were invited to this great event. It was so beautiful, all together, with open hearts, sharing our joy.

Hundreds of people gathered, coming from Mexico and all over the world … The international sangha … people visiting from Germany, Poland, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, the United States … among others.

Tenzin Rinpoche was so very happy … radiating joy like sunshine in all directions … in the presence of his beloved Teacher … rendering before him the offering of his sangha: the magnificent 36-meter-high stupa.

But to me, the greatest gift was Yongdzin Rinpoche´s smile: the most beautiful smile … the smile of accomplishment … the purest perfect joy … (Please take a look at the image at the bottom of this article: the moment when Yongdzin Rinpoche cut the five-colored ribbons at the entrance of the stupa) … You could see it, you could feel it … all over … permeating pure joy, happiness … No words could ever explain this … our hearts — about one thousand people — were beating as one and sharing one single taste: the pure offering of seven years of continuous joyful effort, of the Mexican Bon sangha with the help and support of many people and practitioners from the international sangha, through our root lama, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, to the one who gave us it all: Yongdzin Rinpoche — as Tenzin Rinpoche said the previous weekend during teachings in Mexico City: “Yongdzin Rinpoche has been my teacher, my friend, my inspiration for 40 years now … all I have done is because of him.”

Seated on a beautiful, magnificent and exquisitely decorated wooden throne, Yongdzin Rinpoche spoke to us all … reminded us it all began with a drawing of his … this project, this dream … and now, fully manifested before his and everyone´s eyes … He shared with us the benefits received by all of those who contributed in any way to the construction of this stupa … the dissolution of obstacles, and all the blessings received … this stupa, among the forest — he said — … The stupa represents the enlightened mind of the Buddha … all the path to enlightenment … he asked us to treat it always with the greatest respect and to protect it, for the benefit of all.

Also present on stage along with our Teachers were our dearest Khandro Tsering and Senghe Wangyal, Marcy Vaughn and Gabriel Rocco, as well as Alejandro Chaoul.

Gabriel shared some moving words on behalf of the international sangha … Carlos Madero, Garuda Mexico´s general director, presented all the Teachers and special visitors, and offered words of gratitude and appreciation to all of them as well as the event´s organizers … and Jorge Valles — father of Tulku Jorge Rene — who was in charge of the stupa construction, also shared — in a very moving way — the chronicle of the whole construction process …

So fortunate we all are … circumambulating along with our teachers … chanting the om ma tri mu ye sa le du mantra … appreciating the beauty of the statue of Tapihritsa up above — made and donated by a Mexican artist — placed at “the jewel” of the stupa … and on the inside, the Shenlha Okar statue — also a donation from a dear sangha member from the USA — … so shiny and adorned … After the consecration ritual, while singing the long-life mantra, we all entered inside the Stupa and offered khata to Yongdzin Rinpoche. He gave us a blessed cord and a medicine pill as gifts.


Many were crying tears of joy … taking pictures … sealing the sacred memory in our hearts.

Now, the next step: the sacred art inside the stupa. Two Bonpo artists will arrive at Valle de Bravo shortly and stay for about a year, to continue with this sacred work until its final completion.

E MA HO!

— Lourdes Hinojosa

View a video message from Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, including a photo montage of the arrival of Yongdzin Rinpoche in Mexico and other recent activities >

View a very brief interview by iCNN with Tenzin Rinpoche and Yongdzin Rinpoche at the recent dzogchen teachings in Mexico City >

Learn more about the stupa and how you can donate >