From a story recounted by Eric Pema Kunsang about H.H. 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje:
One night, the Karmapa called out for his body servant, who at that time was Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. The Karmapa asked him to arrange a shrine and bring a certain text as they needed to do a name-burning ceremony. So Chokyi Nyima woke up the monks, and they set up a small shrine at the Karmapa’s bedside with the tormas etc. As soon as everything was ready, Karmapa opened the text and started chanting while he performed the name-burning. Afterward, His Holiness sat quietly gazing into midair, as if he could see something there in space. Then he shouted the sacred syllable several times and snapped his fingers. Eventually, he finished chanting the text, wrapped it back up and motioned for the monks to take the shrine away. There was no explanation as to what had just happened. Chokyi Nyima was used to this sort of thing, and so he went back to bed.
Several hours later a monk came running into the quarters shouting, “Yishin Norbu! Wish-Fulfilling Jewel! The King of Bhutan has just passed away, and we have received a call from the Bhutanese Court requesting you to perform the name-burning ceremony for him. They said that you are the one in whom they have the most faith and asked that you do it immediately.” The Karmapa turned calmly toward the panting monk and said, “Tell them I already did it.”
Later, he confided in Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, “Whomever I have had a link with in this life, either good or bad, they always come before me when they are passing through the bardo. Even though they no longer have a physical body, I always recognize who they are. They also know who I am since the spirit in the intermediate state is clairvoyant. If they have a pure karmic connection they will remain in my presence until I liberate them. If not, they will fly off and never come back for they have taken on some new form in a new life.”
Yishin Norbu! Yishin Norbu! Please wait for me. I am coming with you!
Jon Norris:
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