Ribo Sangchod Incense by Dakpa Tamding #34

The Tibetan word Ribo meaning hilltop, Sang meaning clairvoyant and Tsoe being a type of worship, altogether means mountain smoke offering. The purpose of this incense is to cleanse and purify oneself of spiritual impurity or contamination. Along with prayer and meditation, it is also used during the hoisting of prayer flags.

Ven. Dakpa Tamdin as a young monk in Sakya, Tibet, learnt the art of incense making from many revered lamas in his monastery. After the Chinese occupation, he fled Tibet and started producing incense in Kalimpong, India, under the instruction and guidance of His Holiness the 2nd Dudjom Rinpoche (1904-1987), the supreme head of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Ven. Dakpa Tamdin, being one of Rinpoche’s favourite disciples, was given the Thamdze nyewa kuensel- a pill to mix with the initial ingredients. This is passed down until today to every batch of incense we make by the process of Jinlab Phabta so as not to break the chain.

With Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche’s approval and usage of Dakpa Tamdin incense for his personal daily practice, demand increased and Dakpa Tamdin incense flourished. Dakpa Tamdin incense was used in most households and in major Buddhist centres in Asia, Europe and America.

Along with growing popularity, came a wave of fake Dakpa Tamdins which are still sold today. Ven. Dakpa Tamdin continued to produce incense well into his late seventies and is currently retired and living in Kathmandu. He has now passed down his secrets and technical expertise to his daughter and granddaughters but still keeps a watchful eye on his method of production and ensures that the finest quality is maintained. Dakpa Tamdin's daughter, Dechen Choden Ukyab and her daughters have restarted the production of the four types of incense in Kathmandu.

Size: 9.5"

Number of Incense Stick: 25