HH Kathok Motsa Rinpoche
Any practitioner can attain accomplishment. There are certainly people who attain realisation in this body. Lay-practitioners can also attain realisation in this body. There are past examples of this happening. When I was young, I went to Kathok Monastery to seek alms. In Derge, there was this old man who attained rainbow body through reciting the Mani mantra.
In the earlier part of his life, he did everything that was sinful and non-virtuous. He hunted animals for a livelihood. Later, he felt the weight of his negative karma and decided to stop all non-virtues. He corrected all his wrong behavior and began to accumulate virtue. He kept reciting the Mani mantra and finally attained rainbow body, leaving behind his hair and nails. At that time, another person even wore his old man’s hair and nails around his neck as a protective amulet.
At that time, I was 17 years old. Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro Rinpoche said to me, “This is still considered a good age because people are still attaining rainbow body in Derge.” This old man only knew how to recite the Mani mantra. Moreover, he lived on hunting for the first half of his life. Due to his diligence in Dharma practice and due to his faith, he attained realisation and even accomplished the rainbow body. Therefore, (I say that) any practitioner can gain accomplishment.
