Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s retreat room was located in the holy
mountain of Lapchi at an altitude of 4,500 meters above sea level.
Even in June and July, its summer temperatures are extremely low,
well under 0 degree centigrade, with frequent snow and hail falls.
The air is thin and there are no bridges, roads, electricity or
water supply. The area was sparsely populated and flying in with a
helicopter was the only feasible transportation method. Bone
chilling winds blew into Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s retreat room
through the crevices of its wooden wall. The room temperature
remained under the freezing point all the time even it was
summertime. The mist hovering above the floor would freeze as well.
During the retreat, the door was locked and it was prohibited for
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche to get out of the retreat room, to talk, to
murmur to himself, to see others, to wash his face, to take
showers, to shave, to cut his hair, or even to trim his finger and
toe nails. Only a great practitioner with few or no desires would
manage to conduct a retreat in such a hostile and difficult
environment. It could never have been achieved by an ordinary
practitioner.
Just like his other retreats, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche practiced
with great selfless compassionate aspiration and the determination
to even face death in the retreat room. Being as bony as Jetsun
Milarepa, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche still cultivated diligently for 3
consecutive months. Everyday Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche began his
practice at 4 am and rested at 10 pm. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once
recalled birds singing every morning during his retreat, as if they
were trying to wake Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche up. Nevertheless, their
singing was no longer heard once the retreat was completed. When
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche achieved perfection of the retreat, even
the attending lama of His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang praised
Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for his accomplishment. This served as
another proof of what Most Venerable Drubwang Norbu Rinpoche had
said, “Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche is a rare practitioner with great
capacities.” Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche clarified that Rinpoche would
not have been able to perfectly complete this retreat of Hevajra
practice if Rinpoche had not attained the accomplishment of Tummo.
In addition, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ’s severe scoliosis almost
recovered after the completion of the retreat.
During the retreat, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche once woke up
abruptly with a heart rate of 150 bpm and failed to breathe. At
such a life-threatening moment, instead of worrying about his own
well being, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche prayed to the Dharma Protectors
and the Yidam, “If my body can no longer be helpful or beneficial
to the sentient beings, please take me. If I can still help and
benefit the sentient beings, let me stay then.” Dharma Protector
Achi bestowed a nectar pill to Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, and Rinchen
Dorjee Rinpoche thereby was able to continue the retreat and came
out safe and sound. It could be seen that Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s
incredible aspiration to benefit the sentient beings is blessed by
the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Read more at : http://www.gloje.org/en/perfection-in-hevajra