{"id":332172,"date":"2025-11-28T08:18:55","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T07:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhagpo.org\/?p=332172"},"modified":"2025-11-30T09:30:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T08:30:09","slug":"last-funeral-rites-king-yogis-testimonial-16-karmapa-cremation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dhagpo.org\/en\/last-funeral-rites-king-yogis-testimonial-16-karmapa-cremation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Last Funeral Rites of the King of Yogis\u2014A Testimonial the 16th Karmapa\u2019s Cremation"},"content":{"rendered":"

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On November 5, 1981 His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje passed away<\/a> at Zion Hospital in the United States. At the time, Khenpo Ch\u00f6drak Rinpoche was at Rumtek Monastery, in India. He recalls the days following the repatriation of Karmapa\u2019s kudung<\/em> (the remains of an eminent master) to India in detail, as well as the preparations leading up to the final funeral rites on December 20:<\/p>\n

\u201cUpon receiving the call, we immediately started preparations in Rumtek monastery<\/strong> for everything concerning the next proceedings, including the reception and safekeeping of His Holiness\u2019s physical remains.<\/p>\n

The main building of the monastery of Karma Dharme Chakra in Rumtek has three stories, with a big shrine hall on the top floor. That is where the remains of His Holiness were to be safeguarded for the time being<\/strong>. We divided ourselves into nine teams and made all the necessary preparations for that, including organizing various rituals and assemblies that were to take place. When the body of His Holiness arrived at the Upper Tadong Indian Army Helipad, we, the Rumtek monks, drove to receive him and accompany him on that last journey.<\/p>\n

\"\"I was called in by the venerable general secretary of His Holiness,<\/strong> [Damch\u00f6 Yongd\u00fc], who told me, \u201cWe need to take care of the bodily remains, is that something you would manage?” Thinking, “taking care of the remains is my last act of service,” I accepted. <\/strong>Therefore, Bokar Tulku, Bardo Tulku and I were put in charge of looking after His Holiness\u2019s remains in the old Tibetan custom<\/strong>, which meant embalming the physical remains in salts that dry all the liquid elements of the body, placing the body in a wooden container and so forth.<\/p>\n

The following weeks were indeed a source of personal amazement for me. Despite the fact that His Holiness\u2019s stature was rather large, sometimes the body felt very light <\/strong>when we removed it from the container. It was just like handling a small Buddha statue. And other times, it was so heavy<\/strong>! We always placed it back into the container in the same position and it also happened that when we opened the box the next week, His Holiness\u2019s face was turned<\/strong> to a different direction!<\/p>\n

Every week <\/strong>we would open the container, remove the old salts, wash the body, dry it, and place it with new embalming salts back into the container. I can attest to the fact that there was never any whiff of unpleasant smell or odour, the smell was always very pleasant. There was never any sign of decay or rot. Moreover, the body never became corpse-like, it remained as pliant as a live person. When a great master passes away, it is customary to place the body in full meditation position, with crossed legs, and ritual items of bell and dorje placed in their hands, and this all could be done very easily. The body, embalmed in salts, was then enclosed in a wooden container that was positioned on a mandala.<\/p>\n

There was an assembly that performed ritual practices <\/strong>in front of the enclosed body of His Holiness, including the four so-called great Rinpoches: Kalu Rinpoche, Zurmang Trungpa Rinpoche, and others. Down in the large shrine hall, there was an assembly of many monks led by the Vajramaster of Rumtek. There were at least six different assemblies, performing different ritual practices related to various deities such as Cakrasamwara, Kalachakra, Gyalwa Gyamtso, Hevajra, Vajra Varahi, Guhyasamaja. Up to six hundred monks gathered daily. The expenses for that, such as for providing food and refreshments, were sponsored by the Tsurphu administration, the various Rinpoches, and also Sikkimese and Bhutanese governments.<\/p>\n

Simultaneously, there were many meetings happening,<\/strong> where different things were decided, but as I was a \u2018junior\u2019 then, I was not included in many of them and sometimes would just have to wait outside. In those meetings, the various organizational aspects were decided and the date and circumstances of the cremation were determined.<\/p>\n

Vast numbers of lamas were present,<\/strong> including many representatives of the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages. His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and Dzigar Thugse Rinpoche arrived well ahead of the cremation. Other masters arrived a day or two before the cremation, such as His Holiness Drikung Khyabgon Rinpoche. It is impossible to name all those in attendance.<\/p>\n

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December 19, 1981<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The evening before the cremation<\/strong>, we removed the body from the container one last time and washed it. It was then covered in gold, which was an offering performed mainly by Jamgon Rinpoche, Shamar Rinpoche and His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. It was also adorned by the attributes of sambhogakaya<\/em>. Many offerings of perfumes and medicinal herbs were made. The most famous and highly valued kind of saffron was offered in great quantity. Bokar Tulku, Bardo Tulku and I served as attendants during those proceedings. The assembled masters recited the Treasury of the Kagyu Songs of Realization <\/em>(kagy\u00fc gur tso <\/em>\u0f56\u0f40\u0f60\u0f0b\u0f56\u0f62\u0f92\u0fb1\u0f74\u0f51\u0f0b\u0f42\u0f74\u0f62\u0f0b\u0f58\u0f5a\u0f7c\u0f0d) continuously the entire time until morning. <\/p>\n

December 20,1981<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong>At daybreak,<\/strong> the remains were transported to the parinirvana stupa constructed outside, which was surrounded by many assemblies reciting various rituals.  <\/p>\n