[An excerpt from His Holiness’ speech on 13th June, 1978] When Nechung told me it was not right to propitiate Gyalchen, thinking that this might create disturbances in the minds of many should any chaotic situations ensue if these words of prophecy from Nechung were to be openly spoken out in public, with a genuine sense of concern, I asked Nechung to keep quiet; since then Nechung did not utter even a single word on the matter. However, this gave birth to a new cautious attitude in me. I had a feeling that receiving the life-entrusting initiation [of Gyalchen] was not good, although at the time I was also fond of Gyalchen. There was this View pagefondness for him since I was also in the line of lineage of Phabongkha Rinpoche’s teachings. Under this sky, if you asked who would know Nechung most intimately, apart from those with clairvoyance, among ordinary people, I would be the one who knows him best; and most probably, Nechung would also be the one who knows me best.
Generally, it is said that Nechung had implored Gyalchen [to arise as a Dharma protector]; as such, Trijang Rinpoche reiterates this in his work Commentary on the Eulogy of Gyalchen to affirm that no disharmony could exist between them. Whatever people might speculate, it is for sure that Nechung and Gyalchen do not get on well with one another. On my part, Nechung is a longtime-known god to me, and I, a longtime-known human friend to him, whereas Gyalchen is a newly acquainted god to me, and I, a person newly known human to him. If I have to choose one of them, I would have to choose Nechung; there is no way I could choose Gyalchen. Thinking thus, I decided on not receiving the life-entrusting initiating [of Gyalchen]. As it was not easy to decide instantly, first, I had a discussion with Serkong Rinpoche. I shared with him all that concerned the matter. At that time I was receiving the oral transmission of The Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment’by Atisha from him. When Serkong Rinpoche and I were having a discussion on the matter during the teaching-break, I heard a thunderous sound of a stone hitting my rooftop.
After that, while relating to him all that occurred in due course of time, I sought the advice of Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and asked him: ‘What should I do now?’ Ling Rinpoche felt that as it was a matter of great importance, it would be better if I did not receive the life-entrusting initiation. However, as I had already requested Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche for the initiation, I approached him to explain in detail all the recent events that had unfolded, and retreated from receiving the initiation. At the time, although I decided against receiving the initiation, I continued with the daily recitation of Gyalchen’s Invocation–Ritual for Swift Action [Trinchol] and the yearly elaborate Propitiation and Revival Ritual on the third day of the Tibetan New Year.
