Kyabje Maniwa Sherab Rinpoche
Reflections on the Puja for Kyabje Maniwa Sherab Rinpoche
Since leaving Singapore, I have had the precious opportunity to attend the pujas held in honor of the kudung of Kyabje Maniwa Sherab Rinpoche. The entire ceremony lasted more than forty-nine days, filled with profound blessings and continuous practice. I was able to join from the third week onward.
During the third week, the Vajrasattva Puja of the Mindrol Ling tradition was held at Hasantar Nunnery.
In the fourth week, the kudung was invited to Manang Gonpa, where a week-long Red Avalokiteshvara Puja took place. Every day, hundreds and thousands of devotees came to pay their respects to the kudung, creating a deeply moving and devotional atmosphere.
In the fifth week, I had to travel to Pokhara for important work and an event at JCM. During this time, the kudung was moved to Nala Gonpa. I managed to return in time to join the second half of the sixth week, which featured the Kagyu Gurtso Puja, the doha songs of the Kagyu masters.The seventh week was the Amitabha Puja, which I was able to attend daily. Since Nala is quite far from Swayambhu, accommodation was arranged in Bhaktapur, and we drove about 18 minutes each day to reach the gonpa.
After the seventh week, a three-day special puja called Ngagso, meaning “restoration and purification” according to the Vajrayana tradition was performed.
On 26th October 2025, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Thaye Dorje arrived to lead the cremation puja of Kyabje Maniwa Sherab Rinpoche, which took place on 29th October, coinciding with the anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa.
The cremation ceremony was very grand, with five groups of pujas being performed simultaneously. I joined the Red Chenrezig Puja, followed by a Fire Puja led by His Holiness Karmapa. Approximately 4,000 people, including members of the sangha and devotees, gathered for the occasion. With the presence of His Holiness and many revered Rinpoches, the entire event was filled with an atmosphere of immense blessing and devotion.After a few days of rest, I will be traveling to Bhutan to attend the World Peace Prayer on 7th November, by invitation of the Bhutanese government. I will share updates from this event starting tomorrow.
Shangpa
6 November 2025
(I will slowly add photos of the funeral, prayers and cremation of Kyabje Maniwa Sherab Rinpoche)