Introduction
As I wrote about here (a couple of days ago) in relation to the 8th Tai Situpa Golden relic Stupa at Sherab Ling monastery, and the pure meditative vision of White Tara with Tai Situpa red activity hat, I was fortunate and blessed to be magnetically pulled to Sherab Ling, India with pure devotion and longing for the Gutor pre-Losar Mahakala and Mahakali rituals and the Losar Day event there. In attendance at the events were HH 12th Tai Situpa and 9th Gyalton Rinpoche (the main “pull” for me), along with other Sherab Ling Khenpos, lamas and lay devotees.
I have written before here about the Incinerating Anger Mahakala protector ritual of the Karma Kagyu and the Karmapas, here, and so do not need to say more about that. However, the Palpung Mahakala event was unique and unlike any I had ever witnessed or participated in this lifetime. Vajra masters and monks performed the ritual night and day in the main shrine room of Sherab Ling (see photos below), twenty-four hours per day, and huge tormas were prepared for it including this spectacularly wrathful one of Mahakala (see photo). Like going back in time into Tibet and “old school classic” pure Vajrayana.
Thankfully, the Sherab Ling Khenpos, lamas and monks were notably humble, kind, friendly, welcoming, protective, helpful and communicative when asked questions or spoken to. A protective force and energy not a harmful, bullying or exclusionary one (as I had experienced from some white Europeans while attending the teachings of Gyalton Rinpoche last year). As were the local devotees. HH 12th Khenting Tai Situ Rinpoche also had a grounded, stable and “fatherly” guru energy and presence. One of wrathful compassion but protective, humble and kind too. Like Mahakala!
Here is my report about the event, my personal “inner” visions and experiences and the Losar Day itself, which culiminated in the perfect, priceless gift-union of the guru yidam, Chakrasamavra and Vajaravarahi, with full blessing and permission of the gurus.
Thus riding in the Male Fire-Horse Losar new year in with 9th Gyalton Rinpoche (watched on lovingly by his guru, 12th Khenting Tai Situpa) as guru/consort on an energetic gust of Vajra union passion, protection, love, compassion and wisdom. A totally unforgettable, sacred and auspicious time and event, never to be repeated again, yet seared into the mind forever like a blooming flower, until full awakening. Also showing the clear results of karmic interdependency, merit, devotion and wisdom combined with the vajra siddhis of the gurus, yidams, protectors looking on smiling and laughing while the wisdom blessings descended and wisdom arose up the central channel to a resounding AH aligned with the gya-ling horns. The haunting and powerful music of the yogic spheres resounding and moving the space into pure land territory, with the 8th Tai Situpa image and incredible effort and legacy shining through it all.
Dedicating and sharing the merit and blessings to all beings, and to the 8th Tai Situpa and Palpung legacy and lineage, and long life, health and activities of 12th Khenting Tai Situpa, and 9th Gyalton Rinpoche.
Music? Inner Visions by System of a Down, Know Your Enemy and Take the Power Back by Rage Against the Machine, Gorecki by Lamb.
Gutor (nine-day) Mahakala and Mahakali protector ritual at Palpung Sherab Ling monastery
The Gutor protector rituals were performed in the main shrine room at Sherab Ling, which classic “old school Vajrayana” stunning, with a huge Buddha Maitreya statue as its centrepiece focus of devotion. When I attended the rituals, as the huge bass drums were being beaten with gongs with huge force and wrath, the energy in the air was one of intense and passionate wrathful compassion, with chants invoking and making offerings to Mahakala and his consort Mahakali, and powerful mantras filling and moving the space and energy. I have always loved the energy of the wrathful deities and protector rituals (maybe because I am a little wrathful? ha ha), and it felt like going back in time, to “old school classic” pure Vajrayana, transported back to Tibet, like a deep karmic “coming home”.
I arrived at Sherab Ling on the 14th February 2026 (5 days after the rituals had begun- a romantic date/time for many!). Each day, as I sat following the puja and chanting mantras, each time the huge drums resounded their deep bass roar, energy shot up from my secret space chakra up my central channel causing me to fling my head back and an AH to resound spontaneously aligned in unison with the gya-ling horns. As I have written about before this is not something manufactured or mere performance that can be faked. It happens naturally with the winds and channels without effort when the central channel is open. This must be where the sounds of the Gya-Ling horns (a human invention) came from. They were not created to sound like that without reason.
To add to the incredible energy of offerings and invocation, the Palpung Yeshe Rabgyeling Nunnery performed a 10-day grand Mahakala Puja at the same time. Demonstrating the magnificent Palpung heritage and legacy in India.
On the final day of the Mahakala ritual (the day before Losar), I seemed to become possessed by Mahakali/Remati in union with her consort Mahakala, and spontaneously started moving my arms about with the implements and could not stop it. This has happened before when I participated in online Mahakala rituals with 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche and 17th Karmapa, but never in person at a ritual itself. My worldly ego was saying “stop” and I felt very self-conscious and embarassed but the energy continued unstoppable and beyond all ego-pride. Some young child monks near me were laughing and pointing their fingers in a sweet way but even that could not stop it (although I found myself laughing out loud more than a few times myself) and so their laughter was actually joyful and playful in that context. So, I allowed the energy (and magic) to flow in the sacred Vajrayana context.
Sacred Vajrayana Lama Cham dances
On the two days before Losar itself, there were lama vajra dances (Cham) held in the main hall of Sherab Ling, just below the main shrine temple. The first day was without masks, the second day with masks. I had seen 9th Gyalton Rinpoche dancing at Sherab Ling on a video reel before (and was amazed at how beautiful and powerful it/he was, the most amazing I had seen), the divine blissful energy flowing through his vajra body in perfect unison with the movements of the protectors and deities.
The Sherab Ling lama dancers also gave excellent, disciplined and intense performances, tiptoeing and running, leaping and dancing. Manifesting the divine movements with passion, discipline and excellence.
HH 12th Khenting Tai Situpa and 9th Gyalton Rinpoche attended both days of the vajra dances, and I went into some kind of ecstatic trance and meditative union with Gyalton Rinpoche as Mahakala, a private vajra dance that lasted the whole ritual, making the whole event full of joy and bliss.
Here are a selection of the spectacular photos from the Palpung Facebook page:
Second and final day of the Cham (lama dancing): Mahakala wisdom messages and pure wrath
On the second day in particular, during the vajra dance with the masks on, Mahakala appeared with consort Mahakali /Remati, and huge effigies were paraded around the dance, and Mahakala showed his passion and love for his consort in union. It was an intensely erotic experience but wrathfully powerful too.
Various messages pervaded the air (in Tibetan mainly) , some of sheer rage and wrath that people in admin or Dharma teaching roles or points of contact for Dharma courses were acting like gatekeepers and not very kind, friendly, communicative, responsive, helpful or supportive of those who asked simple questions about a Dharma schedule and timings, even just to say they did not know. He was literally shouting that if such people really understood how rare it is for beings to show any interest in Dharma or attaining awakening in this degenerate day and age and they were genuinely wanting to help the Dharma and beings, they would literally be jumping out of their seats and spending all hours trying to help and support interested humans who approached them. Especially if part of their role was a point of contact for Dharma teachings and events and they were considered to be teachers.
Also, he screamed loudly that “those who spend more time on clothes and hair and physical appearance than on Dharma are not worthy as consort, nor of competition, and that no one should ever feel they have to compete with that.”
Another message was that all talk of age of consorts and women was “kukpa kecha sheya” in Tibetan this means stupid/idiotic talk. I knew then that this was Mahakala speaking because I never (if ever use) this term of speech although I know its meaning. He loudly bellowed, that such talk was idiotic and that for Mahakala and Mahakali there is no age or time (lo yo ma re). That such talk should and would never come out of the mouths or minds of Karma Kagyu practitioners, but maybe out of the mouths of Gelugpas. At this point I laughed out loud and could not stop laughing for a while. It seemed as if he had a great sense of humour too.
He also declared about me three times, “she is not a bad person (mi nagpo ma re), she is helping preserve and promote the Dharma”.
At first, the wisdom being Mahakala was gently moving around the room, looking at people, huge and powerful but gentle in his approach, tiptoeing. The energy was incredibly beautiful, loving, compassionate yet capable of fierce and violent wrath and power. A primal energetic force but a kind one.
After almost going out of control in his wrath towards self-centred teachers and administrator people who do not help the few rare beings interested in Dharma and attending courses and stabbing his knife into the air at them. He became more quiet and looked at Tai Situpa, and again he said similar things at how humble and kind he was and that he had been subjected to huge slander and lies and his relation with the 17th Karmapa had been blocked and intervened by not only the other Karmapa faction, but also Gelugpa sectarians who had appointed Thrangu Rinpoche as the 27th Karmapa’s main teacher, when in fact the Karmapa’s main teacher was and should always have been Tai Situpa and Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche. This intervention led to what the 17th Karmapa spoke about in 2019 (see video clip here with English subtitles) as the reason why he never properly (and correctly) received the monastic vows from his main Karma Kagyu lineage teacher, 12th Tai Situpa.
Mahakala also said that the year of the Fire-Horse would be the year that Tai Situpa’s legacy, lineage, activities, artistic and creative talents would get the attention and recognition they fully deserved.
Here are some photos of the second day below:
Burning up the negativities
On the final day, when the Mahakala effigy and tormas were taken outside to be burned up, burning up all the negativities, Mahakala seemed to shout that “one should never waste time or energy on those who seek to harm or block our progress in Dharma, that we should look for those who support and help us, and align with that. To never go back to competing with people over superficial things like temporary age and appearances.”
I went outside the temple and watched as they threw the effigy and tormas onto the fire and I also threw all my negativities of the past year into it, and again Mahakala shouted “this year will be the year Tai Situpa gets the f**king recognition and attention he deserves!”
Afterwards, returning to the hall, when everything had been cleared away and people had left, I sat down and started weeping at the sheer majesty and beauty of Mahakala and Mahakali’s energy and presence, and started to miss it terribly. A secret voice of Mahakala whispered: “I will always be with you in your heart, keep the samaya, good intentions, don’t intentionally harm others, and practice Dharma. I will always protect that and only that.”
Losar Day Bliss-Wisdom Union: the perfect time, guru, consort, place and retinue with the guru’s full blessing
On the New Year (Losar) Day itself, the 12th Khenting Tai Situpa and 9th Gyalton Rinpoche came to the main shrine room and devotees, including myself were able to offer scarves and donations. I was very happy to see Gyalton Rinpoche in attendance, as he had been the main “pull” (so to speak) of my coming there, even though he had not been giving audiences during the pre-Losar events, our vajra connection and union remained strong and felt even more so, seeing him in person in the temple, and at the cham dances.
The Losar gathering was grand and yet humble at the same times, traditional khabsey and sweet rice were offered. Foreign devotees were kindly given seats in the main shrine room too. I spoke to some of the Indian people there who had travelled long distances from places like Ladakh and Spiti.
An unforgettable Losar gift from the Guru: Riding into the male Fire-Horse New Year in perfect, timeless union
As we sat down in the shrine room on Losar Day, and mandala offerings and aspirations for auspiciousness began, I immediately and naturally went into union with Gyalton Rinpoche as guru, yidam and protector, with 12th Tai Situpa lovinginly and compassionately looking on as the “father guru” and giving his full blessings and permission. It was the perfect union gift and perfect time, place, setting, retinue. A male fire-horse year indeed. Despite all the obstacles and challeneges our connections had faced in Europe in particular, our intense vajra connection thankfully remained stable and unbroken.
The divine Buddha Nature within all of us, revealed within the bliss-wisdom emptiness union of devotion, merit, compassion and wisdom. Tai Situpa’s blessing showered on the union and everyone there, and he seemed to mentally declare: “this is how it should be done, with the guru’s full blessing and permission.” I wept with gratitude and joy. Insecurities and kleshas were pacified within the bliss union state.
After everyone had left, I went back into the main shrine room, alone and to sit a while in the energy there. A reminder of impermanence and how fleeting time is. But that some moments are so divine, previous, sacred, timely and “right” that it felt like really “coming home” to where the heart is. Such moments are hard to manifest and repeat and so we should cherish them as priceless jewels. Forever etched in one’s heart and mind, like a beautiful flower blooming, enjoy the moment while it lasts and let go when it is finished. However, these Vajra moments, unlike worldly impermanence, last forever, reflections and manifestations of the divine inner state with us all.
As when Mahakala “left the room” in the effigy, as I stood next to the throne of Gyalton Rinpoche where he had been sititng only a short time before, I felt a sense of sadness and melancholy that he was gone, and touched my mala beads to his cushion seat and throne for blessings, gently running my hand over it for the blessing energy. The devotion and longing was almost erotic in its intensity and the taste of bliss-emptiness energy lingered on. I turned round and saw a packet of biscuits on the offerings on Tai Situpa’s higher throne called “Dark Fantasy” and I chuckled at the symbolic signs spontaneously appearing.
Thus, the Losar at Sherab Ling became a teaching and manifestation/direct experience of the bliss-emptiness-wisdom nature of the Buddha within. In particular, how great love and meaningful accomplishments, generally require great courage and taking risks. That staying in “comfort zone” leads to stagnation and lack of real growth and improvement. Wisdom arising, emaho!