AKSHOBYA CHANGCHOGSakya Tenphel Ling

When we were young we remember our parent bring us to our grandmother and grandfather’s grave to offer foods and cake together with joss-stick and paper money just a day before the arrival of the new year. Although we did not know of any deep implication but we always felt that by doing such offerings our deceased beloved one will somehow benefit from the action. A day of memory that’s all we can get. Then later when our parents passed-on, we again went to visit their urns at the columbarium, although at a different place but have similar feeling even it is of a different memory.

When the skilful mean of the Changchog ritual was introduced in the 80s in our Centre we are very fortunate indeed. This is because we have another way of offering to our beloved deceased ones. Through the Vajrayana tantric method it becomes the superior method of offering. This method is so different from our traditional ones. We no more offer physical stuff like food (which we consume later) and paper money (the equivalent to our monies that we are using which is most of the times the root of all evil actions and thoughts), We also not even just offer incense and mantra like “Om mani

Padme Hum to them to arise compassion and with serene atmosphere which are so common in many columbarium.

The Vajrayana skilful means literally invoke the non-dualistic nature of our mind in the form of deities to bless and purify the deceased consciousness from sufferings then liberated them to the pure-land by skilful ways through chanting, visualization, mudras and activities. The ritual master is very important and must be well qualified through retreats to perform the ritual so that it becomes very effective.

After adopting Changchog ritual as the alternative standard way to serve our community for the deceased especially during the three occasions of the year when families organize memorial services and trips to their rest place, Changchog ritual has becomes the ‘best gift’ we can ever offer to the deceased for their purification and liberation, who now only existed in our memories without the slightest notion how we can connect them in the most beneficial way.

We encourage those who know the benefit of Changchog and how it can bestows benefit effectively to the deceased through the performance by a well qualified ritual master to spread the good news so that more people can benefit from this very skilful means of offering to the deceased.

Sarva mangalam.

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