Letter by Ven Tenzin Zopa
Oct 28, 2001
On Thursday October 22, 2001, at 4.30 am Geshe Lama Konchog's cremation stupa was opened. From 7.30 AM onwards under the guidance of Cherok Lama, Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup, Thubten Lhundrup and Tenzin Zopa the relics were taken out.
So many relics were found so that what was supposed to be a two-hour job turned into eight hours. We found incredible items in the ashes, all different types of relics:
200 - 300 white relic pills
o 1 golden and a few black-colored relic pills
o 3 pieces of red relics
o 10-20 grey-colored relic pills.
We also found Geshe-la's heart (high tantric practitioners' eyes, heart, and the tongue don't usually burn); when we first found the heart it was still soft, like fresh, and after a few minutes it became hard, like resin. We also found an eyeball and we think we have found the tongue.
Geshe-la had white hair, but we found bunches of black hair and I am convinced it is Vajrayogini hair. We also found a bunch of red/grey hair, like wrathful deities (or so people say), also one handful of thin silver wirelike hair. Quite a few relics look like pearls, also something looking like turquoise; some relics looking like mud pills, very hard. We also found a lot of bones.
When cremating a high lama, usually a plate turned upside down is put under the seat, with smooth sand in it. We also did that, and we found a lotus petal (looking like the lotus petal in a sand mandala) 1-½ inches high under it, with two footprints pointing towards the gompa, exactly like Geshe-la's feet. We then covered this one up again, on Lama Lhundrup's advice, and then when we looked again the lotus petal was higher, up to 2" high, and there was a crown on top of the lotus.
The footprints indicate that Geshe-la will definitely return.
At 2.30 PM we invited Geshe-la's relics to the gompa, with music and auspicious banners, and flowers. In the gompa the request for Geshe-la's incarnation to come quickly was repeated. Then the relics were taken in procession to Geshe-la's house. In the entrance of the house there was a table with three types of food prepared: bowl of milk, tsampa mixed with three whites and three sweets and 6 medical substances, and also auspicious sweet rice. This was offered to all coming into the house. All the monks and nuns and many lay people came to look at the relics.
There is still one big container with ashes and relics that needs to be looked through and we are working at it every day. Lama Lhundrup said it is like Geshe-la's whole body was a precious jewel.
The relics will be kept in Geshe-la's room, together with a large picture of Geshe-la, and many of his holy objects, and this will be accessible to everyone.
This morning there was a meeting with Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup, Gelek Gyatso Rinpoche, Tenpa Choden, in which we discussed the building of a huge stupa in the space where the cremation stupa was. The stupa will be around 20 feet high, and surrounded by statues of the 5 Dhyani Buddhas. There will be beautiful gardens surrounding it. The motivation for building this stupa is to fulfill all Geshe-la's wishes, and for his incarnation to come to Kopan, to be able to help Lama Zopa Rinpoche and to serve all FPMT students and all sentient beings.
It will be dedicated to all Geshe-la's students, to those who knew him and to those who didn't. Just by seeing the stupa extensive merit will be accumulated, and so much negative karma will be purified. It will be there for everyone to meditate and to make offerings there. The building of the stupa will start on the 13th December.
It is very sad that Geshe-la left his body and is now away from us. He gave us the opportunity to feel fortunate to have met him and to rejoice in his great realizations, which he manifested in his relics. Definitely, Geshe-la will come back as soon as possible.
His prayers and blessings are always with us and our prayers make us never to be separate from him. For me he is without doubt right now Buddha. He did convince us of this at the end of his life by taking on the aspect of Buddha. He tried to show as that while he was alive. His humility and simplicity and our own extensive delusions prevented us from seeing this while he was alive. However there is no doubt now.
I am planning to make a book about Geshe-la's life story, as well as a video; that will be a one-year project. I am hoping to show Geshe-la's activities to all his disciples and students.
Thank you very much for all your messages and a special thanks to those who offered money towards pujas for Geshe-la. Tenzin Zopa