Geshe Lama Konchog
Geshe Lama Konchog studied in Sera Monastery in Tibet from the age of 7 to 32 (1934-1959). Geshe-la had attended initiations and teachings by Pabongka Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche and Pari Rinpoche. He also completed many retreats like RINCHUG GYATSA and other short retreats of the deities he had initiation, staying in the labrangs of these Great Lamas. He completed his Geshe studies and was about to take his final exams in 1959, but had to escape Tibet. He left with only the robes he was wearing, a sheepskin and some texts from all four traditions.
On the kind advice of Trijang Rinpoche, Geshe-la went to the mountains in Tsum to meditate. He went up into the mountains without telling anyone where he was going. He had only his texts, his one set of robes, the small piece of sheepskin and a leaky pot. He found a cave high above the village, which happened to be a cave where Milarepa had meditated, and where Milarepa’s sister offered him cloth for robes. Geshe-la stayed there for 10 years without leaving or seeing anyone. He was very strong and didn’t sleep at night but did prostrations all night. He lived on nettles that grew around the cave.
After staying there for 10 years, some villagers who went up into the mountains with their sheep happened to see him. He must have looked rather frightening at that time! They told him that they would give him human food if he would come down to the village and recite texts for them, but he refused, saying that he had the best food. But the villagers continued to disturb him so he decided to leave the cave and live someone where else. He found another cave, but it wasn’t as good as the first one — it was only a half-cave, so he had to build it up with stones. The people in the village below this cave had lots of problems with spirits and with rain not falling at the right time and so forth, and Geshe-la helped them. His mantras were incredibly effective to eliminate these problems, so the villagers came to depend on him, and Geshe-la was very compassionate, always helping whoever asked for help. He continued to do retreats and would help the people in between retreats. The villages called him “Grandfather Lama” and regarded him as very precious.
So altogether Geshe-la was in the mountains in strict retreat for 26 years. He had come to Kathmandu a few times and met Lama Yeshe, his old friend from Sera, and although Lama Yeshe requested him several times to stay at Kopan, Geshe-la did not accept but always returned to Tsum.
Geshe-la have ordained many Sanghas and he has liberated many beings. While he was Kopan he conducted many philosophy teaching, tantric and sutra teachings, commentaries, initiations to the Sanghas and overseas students. He have traveled to many countries to offer all these in all four Tibetian Buddhist traditions.
Read more about Geshe Lama Kongchog:
Accomplishment on practices
600,000 Water bowl offerings.
800,000 Refuge Prayers.
1,500,000 long prostrations through Vajrasattva practice, 21 Tara praises anf 35 Buddha confession.
100,000 Varja Daka fire puja.
1,200,000 Mandala offerings.
1,200,000 Vajrasattva hundred syllable mantra recitation.
2,000 Nyung Nye practice retreats.
800,000 Lama Tsongkapa Guru Yoga 9 rounds recitation.
100,000 times reading the Diamond Cutter Sutra.
700,000 tsa-tsa.
100,000 35 Buddha Prayer practices as preliminary.
Lam Rim meditation and Jorcho practice.
Vajrayongini self-initiation.
700,000 Samaya Varja meditation.
1,200,000 torma offering.
Clear Light Meditation
Geshe was in Clear Light Meditation for 7 days after he passed away. Over 200 foreign students and over 700 Sanghas saw many amazing signs of the great realization.
Cremation
When Geshe holy body was offered to the fire during cremation, rainbows appeared and surrounded the sun, there was a drizzle of rain. The rainbows appeared towards six different directions.
Relics
The 5 colour relics is the purity state of 5 aggregates, state of 5 Dhayani Buddha, state of full enlightenment, there is no doubts that the Great Mahasiddha attained full enlightenment within one lifetime. This is the result of living life with the Three Principal Aspect of the Path, practicing Boddhicitta and abandoning all defilement by applying antidote which is emptiness.
