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Home , Dilgo Khyentse, Dudjom Lingpa, Dzogchen, Garab Dorje, Guge, Heruka

~ Biographies of Masters ~

Jigme Lingpa: A Guide to His Works

It is hard to overstate the importance of to the tradition of Tibetan . This itinerant , along with Rongzom Mahapandita, , and-later-Mipham , are like four pillars of the tradition.

He is considered the incarnation of both the great master and the king . After becoming a , he had a vision of Mañjuśrīmitra which caused him to change his robes for the white shawl and long hair of a yogi. In his late twenties, he began a long during which he experienced visions and discovered termas. A subsequent retreat a few years later was the ​ ​ container for multiple visions of Longchenpa, the result of which was the Longchen Nyingthig tradition of texts, , prayers, and instructions.

What many consider the best source for understanding Jigme Lingpa's relevance, and his milieu is Thondup Rinpoche's Masters of ​ and Miracles: Lives of the Great Buddhist Masters of and . While the biographical coverage of him only comprises ​ about 18 pages, this work provides the clearest scope of the overall world of Jigme Lingpa, his line of incarnations, and the tradition and branches of teachings that stem from him. Here is Tulku Thondup Rinpoche's account of his revelation of the Longchen Nyingtik. ​ ​ "At twenty-eight, he discovered the extraordinary revelation of the Longchen Nyingthig cycle, the teachings of the ​ and Rinpoche, as mind ter. In the evening of the ​ ​ twenty-fifth day of the tenth month of the Fire Ox year of the thirteenth Rabjung cycle (1757), he went to bed with an unbearable devotion to Guru Rinpoche in his ; a stream of tears of sadness continuously wet his face because he was not

1 in Guru Rinpoche's presence, and unceasing words of prayers kept singing in his breath.

He remained in the depth of that meditative experience of clear luminosity ('od gsal gyi snang ba) for a long time. While being absorbed in that luminous clarity, he experienced flying a long distance through the sky while riding on a white lion. He finally reached a circular path, which he thought to be the circumambulation path of Charung Khashor, now known as Bodhnath Stūpa, an important Buddhist monument of giant structure in .

In the eastern courtyard of the stūpa, he saw the Dharmakāya appearing in the form of a wisdom ḍākinī. She entrusted him with a beautiful wooden casket, saying:

For the disciples with pure mind, You are Trisong Detsen. For the disciples with impure mind, You are Senge Repa. This is 's mind treasure, The symbolic scripts of Rigdzin Padma[sambhava], and The great secret treasures of the ḍākinīs. Signs are over!

The ḍākinī vanished. With an experience of great joy, he opened the casket. In it he found five rolls of yellow scrolls with seven crystal beads. At first, the script was illegible, but then it turned into . One of the rolls was the Dug-ngal Rangtrol, the of Avalokiteshvara, and ​ ​ ​ another was Nechang Thukkyi Drombu, the prophetic guide of ​ ​ Longchen Nyingthig. Rahula, one of the protectors of the ​ teachings, appeared before him to pay respect. As he was encouraged by another ḍākinī, Jigme Lingpa swallowed all the yellow scrolls and the crystal beads. Instantly, he had the amazing experience that all the words of the Longchen ​ Nyingthig cycle with their meanings had been awakened in his mind as if they were imprinted there. Even after coming out of that meditative experience, he remained in the realization of

2 intrinsic awareness, the great union of bliss and emptiness. Thus, the Longchen Nyingthig teachings and realization, which ​ were entrusted and concealed in him by Guru Rinpoche many centuries earlier, were awakened, and he became a tertön, the discoverer of the Longchen Nyingthig cycle of teachings." ​ ​ The Works of Jigme Lingpa

The Lam Rim

The Treasury of Precious Qualities, in two volumes in English, is a ​ (stages of the path) text that goes from the foundations of Buddhism all the way through Dzogchen.

Volume One covers the basics of the sūtra teachings, but in such vivid and moving detail, it stands alone in its power to move the mind. Topics include: the value of human existence; of the outer world and living beings; the paths depending on beings' capacities; ; the sufferings of samsara; the four wheels of practice; ; the four boundless attitudes; bodhichitta; and the pāramitās.

Volume Two covers the Vajrayāna approach; the tantric teachings of the vidyādharas; the of Dzogchen; the path of the practice of Dzogchen; and the result—the kāyas and wisdoms.

These two volumes received the Shantarakshita Award for Excellence in Translation.

Mind Training

Steps to the Great Perfection: The Mind-Training Tradition of the Dzogchen Masters is a compilation of teachings on the seven contemplations, an ancient system of mind-training () teachings ​ ​ that has been preserved as part of a rare set of instructions on Dzogchen, or the Great Perfection. This book is a unique take on the practice because, although the lojong teachings of the tradition are well known, this is the first time the mind-training teachings from the Dzogchen tradition have been presented in an English translation. Most Western scholars and practitioners are unaware that such

3 mind-training techniques even exist in Dzogchen. The contemplations themselves are vividly described, and some unfold as dramatic stories in which the meditator imagines himself or herself as the main character. Thus, they are quite accessible for beginning practitioners.

Ngöndro: The Foundational Practices

Perhaps the most famous aspect of Jigme Lingpa's Longchen Nyingtik ​ is the ngöndro or foundational practices that all practitioners ​ complete before going on to more specialized practices. It is this text that is the basis for works such as 's Words of My ​ Perfect Teacher, and the Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher. ​ ​ ​ Cortland Dahl compiled and translated a set of works on these practices, Entrance to the Great Perfection: A Guide to the Dzogchen ​ Preliminary Practices, and this includes two works by Jigme Lingpa. ​ The first is Instructions on the Common Great Perfection Preliminaries ​ of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse. This covers the four thoughts ​ (the freedoms and advantages we have, impermanence, the shortcomings of samsara, and karma) and the benefits of liberation and serving a spiritual teacher.

The second is Instructions on the Unique Great Perfection Preliminaries ​ of the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse. This includes the practices of ​ refuge, generating bodhichitta, offerings, purification practice through , and guru .

On the specific subject of guru yoga, part of Jigme Lingpa's cycle of Longchen Nyingtik includes an outer guru yoga practice entitled Wish ​ Fulfilling Jewel. Commentaries on this by Rinpoche are ​ available as Guru Yoga and in slightly longer form as Wish-Fulfilling ​ ​ Jewel: The Practice of Guru Yoga according to the Longchen Nyingthig Tradition (the latter is also included in the third volume of his Collected Works.)

4 and Dzogchen

Deity, , and Wisdom: Development Stage Meditation in Tibetan Buddhist Tantra, includes Jigme Lingpa's Ladder to Akaniṣṭha: ​ ​ Instructions on the Development Stage and Deity Yoga. [Note, the ​ paperback edition releases February, 2020]. As translators Cortland Dahl and Andreas Doctor describe,

"Jigme Lingpa provides an overview of the theory and practice of the development stage, balancing philosophical inquiry with instructions on the more practical aspects of tantric meditation. The first section of the text presents the theoretical framework for development stage practice. . . .

As the basis for his presentation, Jigme Lingpa draws primarily from the Mahāyoga and the commentarial literature of this tradition. Not surprisingly, his discussions often center on the Tantra of the Secret Essence, the most influential Mahāyoga scripture. He also gives considerable attention to less well-known texts, however, such as the Tantra of the Perfect Secret and the Galpo Tantra. In terms of philosophical interpretation, his views often mirror those of Longchenpa (kLong chen pa, 1308–1364), whom he met face-to-face in a series of three transformative visions and whose writings deeply influenced his own.

. . . Jigme Lingpa discusses the links between the various elements found in development stage meditation, the aspects of saṃsāra they are meant to purify, and the result that ensues once the practice has been perfected. In the second section, the focus is on practice. Here, Jigme Lingpa outlines the stages of meditation, practical advice on how to identify and surmount obstacles and progress in practice. The text concludes with a presentation of the fruition of development stage practice. In this section, Jigme Lingpa frames his discussion around the levels of realization and the various aspects of the enlightened state. . . .

In characteristic style, Jigme Lingpa does not shy away from difficult points and controversial topics when discussing the

5 development stage. His tendency to tackle difficult issues head-on does not always make for easy reading, but it does offer the reader an insight into the depth and subtlety of tantric theory and the difficult issues that have occupied some of the great saints and scholars of the Vajrayāna tradition. For this reason, Ladder to Akaniṣṭha is valuable not only as a manual on the theory and practice of the development stage, but also as an introduction to the complex tantric philosophy of the Tantra of the Secret Essence and the Mahāyoga tradition as a whole."

Here is Andreas Doctor, one of the translators, discussing the book:

The Fearless Lion's Roar: Profound Instructions on Dzogchen, the Great Perfection by Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche includes his commentary on Jigme Lingpa’s The Lion’s Roar That Vanquishes the Diversions and Errors of Hermits Who Meditate upon the Heart Essence which is translated here in full.

Both the above work and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's third volume of his Collected Works (and the ebook-short entitled Pith Instructions) includes A Wondrous Ocean of Advice for the Practice of Those in Retreat in Solitude along with the respective commentaries by each.

His Holiness the Dalai brings up Jigme Lingpa throughout his Dzogchen: Heart Essence of the Great Perfection. A new edition is out in April, 2020.

In July of 2020, we are reissuing Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse, a collection of translations by Anne Carolyn Klein of Jigme Lingpa, Adzom Paylo, Mipham Rinpoche, and Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche. This will include access to audio of chants that act as supports to the practices of the Longchen Nyingtik in both English (with Professor Klein and her ) and Tibetan by the incredibly voiced Jetsun Kacho Wangmo. Here is one of the tracks of her chanting Calling the Lama from Afar.

One of the most important practice cycles from Jigme Lingpa's Longchen Nyingtik is the "Rigdzin Düpa", or "Gathering of Vidyādharas". This sadhana, the main inner Guru sadhana, includes of

6 ritual and meditation manuals which bring together tantra and Dzogchen. The book Gathering of the Vidyadharas: Text and Commentaries on the Rigdzin Düpa, includes three works by Jigme Lingpa: a prayer invoking his incarnations, The Casket of which is a recitation manual, and The Crucial Points of Visualization for the long-life practice. Other contributors to this work include Patrul Rinpoche, Chemchok, Khangsar Tenpé Wangchuk, , and .

Jigme Lingpa's Yeshe Lama [a new revised and updated edition will be available in April, 2020] is the most important practice manual on the Great Perfection teachings of the Nyingma tradition. Jigme Lingpa stated, "Realization of the pure awareness that transcends the mind is the specialty of the Great Perfection." Beginning with the preliminary prerequisites, the entire Great Perfection path is spelled out clearly and succinctly in this work, which is meant to be studied and practiced by qualified practitioners who are committed to completing the prerequisites before entering the path of Dzogchen.

Note that even to open this book, one must have received empowerment and have been introduced to the of the mind by a qualified master. The teachings and practices taught in Yeshe Lama encompass the innermost cycle of upadesha teachings and clearly define the Dzogchen practices of trekchö, cutting through to original purity, and tögal, crossing over with spontaneous presence. These are the swift practices that can lead to the attainment of the and the complete attainment of , and this is the same path that has been followed by many of the great spiritual adepts of India and Tibet. Consequently, if one studies and trains in the Yeshe Lama correctly and with deepest respect and diligence, the possibility of enlightenment within one lifetime is within reach.

Original Source

7 Chokgyur Lingpa

Chokgyur Lingpa. (1829-1870). A treasure revealer and contemporary of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgon Kongtrul. Regarded as one of the major tertons in Tibetan history, his termas are widely practiced by both the and Nyingma schools. Chokgyur Lingpa means ‘Sanctuary of Eminence.’

“Chokgyur Lingpa was the “manifestation,” meaning the , of King Trisong Deutsen’s son, Prince Damdzin. Another of his former lives was the great terton, Sangye Lingpa, who revealed the Lama Gongdu. Chokgyur Lingpa was the last of the 100 major tertons. He was the owner of seven transmissions and is regarded as the universal monarch of all tertons. One of the reasons for this is that no other terton has revealed a teaching that includes the Space Section (Longdey) of Dzogchen. There are several Mind Section (Semdey) revelations and all major tertons have revealed the Instruction Section (Men-ngakdey), but only Chokgyur Lingpa transmitted the Space Section. This is why the Dzogchen Desum is considered the most extraordinary terma that he ever revealed. Chokgyur Lingpa’s main consort was Dechen Chodron (Lady Degah) and predicted that his three children would be emanations of the three family lords: Avalokiteshvara, and Vajrapani. I don’t like saying this, for it may sound like I’m bragging about my family line, but such a prophecy does exist. The Manjushri emanation was supposed to be Wangchok Dorje, the Avalokiteshvara emanation Tsewang Norbu and the Vajrapani emanation my grandmother, Konchok Paldron.”

–extract from Blazing Splendor, the memoirs of ​

8 Chokgyur Lingpa

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche describes Chokgyur Lingpa in his Commentary on the Essence Manual of Instructions, handprints of Chokgyur Lingpa:

“Quoting the omniscient Yonten Gyatso (Jamgon Kongtrul), ‘Your excellent aspiration is to consider the beings of the dark age; your excellent activity is to manifest in accordance with those to be tamed; your excellent life example is to uphold an unprecedented treasury of secrets; I supplicate you who are endowed with this threefold excellence.’ In accordance with these words, the embodied forms of the activity of the king (King Trisong Deutsen) and his sons who will never forsake the beings of this world are to an increasing degree unimpeded, even in this period of the dark age. And thus, there arose a new auspicious coincidence, the wonderful nature of which resembles the appearance of the Buddha in the world.”

“The most important among the profound termas of this great revealer of Dharma treasures was the Four Cycles of Guru Sadhana, belonging to the Sadhana Section, and the Seven Profound Cycles, belonging to the Tantra Section, the latter of which were expressed in a terminology that is in harmony with the Oral Transmission (of ). Each of these were endowed with the complete aspects of empowerment, sadhana, tantra, development stage and completion stage, each of which again were adorned with wonderful and profound details. In this way his Dharma treasures were totally unmatched.”

“Together with these Dharma treasures he (Chokgyur Lingpa) also revealed sacred substances and innumerable most amazing representations of Body, speech, and mind. He was an unprecedented lord of a treasury of secrets, as if Dharmevajra had appeared in person.”

“Moreover, the activity of his enlightened deeds was beyond partiality in both exposition, practice, and action, to such an extent that an untold number of learned and accomplished

9 masters of , Geluk, Kagyu and Nyingma — headed by the two lords of the Land of Snow, who are like the sun and moon in presiding over the chariot of the Dharma in this world, as well as their disciples and holders — all directly or indirectly accepted the nectar of his deep teachings; and thus the sunlight of these profound and extensive termas has shone far and wide for the Buddhadharma and all beings.”

“Chokgyur Lingpa was assigned to become a master over one hundred sacred places and treasure troves and would have done so had the auspicious circumstances all been perfected. Nevertheless, there are thirty-seven profound termas well-known within the general domain of experience. The most complete and concise is the root of blessings, the Heart Practice of the Vidyadhara Guru, endowed with an outer, inner, secret, and innermost section.”

The Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo belongs to this fourth, the Innermost Cycle Dorje Drakpo Tsal.

Original Source

Mingyur Peldron

Mingyur Peldron (mi 'gyur dpal sgron) was born in 1699 at Mindroling (smin grol gling) Monastery, a Nyingma monastery in central Tibet that her father, Terdak Lingpa Gyurme Dorje (gter bdag gling pa 'gyur med rdo rje, 1646-1714), had established in 1670. Her mother was named Puntsok Pelzom (phun tshogs dpal 'dzoms). Terdak Lingpa and his brother, the monk Lochen Dharmaśrī (lo chen d+harma shrI, 1654-1717/18), who had been instrumental in the establishment of Mindroling, were descendants of the Nyo (gnyos) clan.

10 Mingyur Peldron and her five siblings were raised at Mindroling. She is said to have received a rigorous religious education beginning in her early childhood, although it is noted in her hagiography that she was not trained in the secular arts (rig gnas). ​ ​ Until the age of eighteen, her primary teachers were her father and, after his death in 1714, her uncle Lochen Dharmaśrī. Several sections of her hagiography are dedicated to long lists of the teachings she is said to have received from them. From Terdak Lingpa, these included transmission and training in teachings found in revealed treasure texts (gter ma). These included Terdak Lingpa's entire collection of ​ ​ revealed treasures, as well as the Jangter, or Northern Treasures (byang gter), Nyangrel Nyima Ozer's (nyang ral nyi ma 'od zer, ​ ​ 1124-1192) treasure text, called the "Eight Pronouncements, the Union of the Sugatas" (bka' brgyad bde gshegs 'dus pa), Guru ​ ​ Chowang's (gu ru chos dbang, 1212-1270) Vajrakīlaya (phur pa spu ​ gri) treasure text, and Lhatsun Jigme's (lha btsun nam mkha' ​ 'jigs med, 1597-1650) revealed treasure called Attainment of the Vidyādhara Life (lha btsun pa'i rig 'dzin srog sgrub skor). She also ​ ​ received teachings from her brother Pema Gyurme Gyatso (pad+ma 'gyur med rgya mtsho, 1686-1718).

Mingyur Peldron was said to be a great Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) ​ ​ master, and received initiation and training in the three classes of Dzogchen: the Mind Class (sems sde), Spatial Class (klong sde), and ​ ​ ​ ​ Esoteric Instruction Class (sman ngag sde), as well as Terdak Lingpa's ​ ​ Ati Zabdon Nyingpo (a ti zab don snying po) revelations. Additionally, ​ ​ she also received instruction and initiations for, and later taught the Khandro Nyingtik (mkha' 'gro snying thig), Khandro Yangtik (mkha' ​ ​ ​ 'gro yang tig), Narak Dongdruk (na rag dong sprugs), Machik ​ ​ ​ Labdron's (ma gcig lab sgron, 1055-1149) Chod (gcod) practice, the ​ ​ Magical Display of the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities (sgyu 'phrul zhi ​ khro), Zhije (zhi byed) practices, and many others. All of these were ​ ​ ​ passed on to students and disciples.

She is said to have maintained a celibate life and to have rebuffed proposals from Lelung Zhepai Dorje (sle bzhad pa'i rdo rje, 1697-1740), the Third Olga Jedrung ('ol dga' rje drung 03). This was a

11 high-profile proposition, as Lelung Zhepai Dorje was a teacher to Lhazang Khan, the Mongol ruler of Tibet from 1705 to 1717.

In 1717 the Dzungar invaded Tibet, driving out the rival Khoshot Mongols who had ruled since the middle of the seventeenth century. Radical partisans of the dominant Geluk tradition, they unleashed a wave of anti-Nyingma violence. The destruction of Nyingma institutions reached Mindroling, and those inhabitants who were not arrested or killed escaped to other locales. Lochen Dharmaśrī and Pema Gyurme Gyatso were arrested and executed in , as were many other male leaders of the Nyingma community. Mingyur Peldron's brother Rinchen Namgyel (rin chen rnam rgyal, 1694-1758) managed to escape to , and Mingyur Peldron fled to , and was shortly followed by her mother and sister. After their departure, most of the buildings at Mindroling were destroyed, and many of the remaining inmates killed. As might be expected, this was a traumatic time for all members of Mindroling, and Mingyur Peldron experienced significant loss, as well as hardship and illness during her journey to Sikkim.

In Sikkim they were hosted by a lama named Traktung Jigme Dorje (khrag 'thung dpa' bo 'jigs med rdo rjes), who had been trained at Mindroling, and with whom she exchanged teachings. During this time, her sister married the young Sikkimese king Gyurme Namgyel ('gyur med rnam rgyal, 1707-1733), who also became her disciple. During this period, Mingyur Peldron is said to have given public teachings to large crowds numbering in the thousands, as well as to individual members of the Sikkimese royalty.

She left Sikkim in 1720 or 1721 and began the reconstruction of Mindroling in advance of the return of Rinchen Namgyel and the rest of the Mindroling leadership. This initial active position in Mindroling's redevelopment was, according to her hagiography, perceived as a threat by unnamed members of the Mindroling leadership. As a result, after her brother returned to Mindroling, she was sent to Kongpo for one year. She was later called to Lhasa, where she met with Polhane Sonam Tobgye (pho lha nas bsod nams stobs rgyas,1689-1747), by then the political ruler of Tibet and her patron

12 at the time. Polhane would support Mingyur Peldron's teaching activities throughout his lifetime. He arranged a meeting between Mingyur Peldron and the Seventh , Kelzang Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 07 bskal bzang rgya mtsho, 1708-1757), who bestowed on her the name Sherab Drolma (shes rab sgrol ma). From here she returned to Mindroling to pursue a life of teaching, interspersed with periods of retreat, and regional pilgrimage. Following Polhane's death his daughter continued to support Mingyur Peldon, who enjoyed the patronage of other aristocrats as well.

Mingyur Peldron was then allowed to participate in the revival of Mindroling and its affiliates by supporting the construction of retreat centers and temples, and, according to her hagiography, giving teachings to literally thousands of disciples. She taught men and women, lay and monastic, often in groups of several hundred, and also as individuals. Among her students were her nephews, the Fourth Minling Trichen, Pema Tendzin (smin gling khri chen 04 pad+ma bstan 'dzin, 1737-1761) and the Third Minling Khenchen, Orgyen Tendzin Dorje (smin gling mkhan chen 03 o rgyan bstan 'dzin rdo rje, b. 1742), as well as many previous disciples of her father.

She also exchanged teachings with several well-known figures, including the Dzogchen master Traktung Jigme Dorje (khrag 'thung 'jigs med rdo rje, 17th century) Katok Zhabdrung Gyurme Zhenpen Wangpo (kaH tog zhabs drung 'gyur med gzhan phan dbang po) the Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin ('gyur med theg mchog bstan 'dzin, 1699-1758), and her brother, the Third Minling Trichen, Rinchen Namgyel (smin gling khri chen rin chen rnam rgyal, 1694-1768).

Mingyur Peldron was an active practitioner and throughout her lifetime was said to have spent more than a decade in retreat. She composed several texts, including liturgies and practice manuals for empowerments and rituals related to Narak Dongdruk as well as generation and completion stages of tantric practice. She composed gur (mgur), or songs of spiritual attainment, as well as instructions for ​ ​ Dzogchen practice associated with her father's treasure texts.

13 Khyungpo Repa Gyurme Osel (khyung po ras pa 'gyur med od gsal, b. 1715) was her personal attendant from about 1723 until her death in 1769. Thirteen years after she passed away, he completed her hagiography, a work which is highly fantastic, full of miraculous occurrences and expressions of Mingyur Peldron's high level of realization.

Original Source

Jetsun Rigdzin Choying Zangmo

Jetsun Rigdzin Choying Zangmo (rje btsun rig 'dzin chos dbyings bzang ) was born to a poor family of the Kheme Clan (khe smad), in northern India (probably in the Mandi area) in 1853, the year of the water-ox in the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, when her parents went to Tso Pema (mtsho pad ma) on a pilgrimage. Her dates are not entirely settled, however; scholar Hanna Havnevik argues that she was born around 1865. At birth she was named Chonga Lhamo (co lnga lha mo) meaning "Goddess of the Fifteenth," likely because she was a girl born on the full-moon (fifteenth) day of the month. Her father was Dondrub Namgyel (don grub rnam rgyal) and her mother was a Nepalese woman, probably born in area, named Penpa Drolma (spen pa sgol ma). While pregnant, Chonga Lhamo's mother is said to have carried, unsuccessfully, "boy stones" (bu rdo) ​ ​ on her back as a way of ensuring the child in her womb would be a son.

As a young child, Chonga Lhamo travelled with her itinerant parents throughout the region on pilgrimages to Lahaul, Spiti, , Rampur, , and Garwal. They visited Alchi (a lci) in to see the murals, as well as the region of the former kingdom of western Tibet, and to Barga Tazam, Khorchak, and Yolmo in Nepal. During this time the family's base was at Tso Pema, where they wintered. They spent summers in Zanskar at Sani Monastery (sa ni).

14 The family chose to live their lives as pilgrims, begging for their food as they traveled between religious sites.

The young Chonga Lhamo had a sharp intellect and keen interest in dharma. In her youth, she earned a living for herself and her family as a maṇipa (reciter of ) and was renowned for her beautiful ​ voice, attracting large crowd to her performances. Her autobiography describes her father as unfaithful and cruel, periodically erupting in abusive episodes that were fueled by alcohol. Yet he also encouraged her religious activities and saw to it that she studied with various prominent . She and her mother enjoyed a loving relationship, so much so that when her mother died in the early to mid 1920's her grief pushed her to the edge of suicide. At some point, her parents separated, though later in life her father reappeared in her life, when she settled at Shukseb Monastery (shug gseb dgon).

Around the age of fifteen she worked with her mother as servant of a female practitioner called Tsering Butri (rnal 'byor ma tshe ring bu khrid). This allowed her to study dharma while also also earning a living. By the age of about sixteen she was performing the lama maṇi ​ (bla ma ma Ni), a method of teaching basic Buddhist doctrine with the ​ ​ aid of paintings. She then had the opportunity to study under Lama Tashi Gyel (bla ma bkra shis rgyal, d.u.) who served as chief lama to the King of Ladakh. With him she learned about delok ('das log), ​ ​ ​ people who have returned from the dead, primarily through the biographies of Nangsa Obum (snang sa 'od 'bum), Khampa Adrung ( pa a khrung, b. circa 1508), and Gyelpo Yulha Lekpa Dondrub (rgyal po gyu lha legs pa'i don grub). She became skilled in publicly reciting their morality tales.

Later a King of Zahor (za hor gyi rgyal po), whose name is not currently known, invited Chonga Lhamo to his palace and requested she perform rituals and prayers in order that the queen give birth to a son. When the queen gave birth to a boy, Chonga Lhamo was apparently asked to stay on as a ritualist specialist for the household. However, it appears she did not remain long, instead travelling to Kyirong (skyid grong) in western Tibet near the border of Nepal.

15 In Kyirong she first encountered Lama Pema Gyatso (skyid grong bla ma pad+ma rgya mtsho d.u.), who had been a student of the famous tantric adept Zhabkar Tsokdruk Randrol (zhabs dkar tshogs drug rang grol, 1781-1851). As a poor beggar she was not easily welcomed into Pema Gyatso's community, but eventually he became her main teacher and she, a close disciple. Following several years of receiving Pema Gyatso's teachings, Chonga Lhamo sat in retreat for three years in a remote hermitage called Belung Heri Ritro (sbas lung he ri khrod) in Nubri. She practiced the guru sādhana of (mi la ras pa, 1104-1123) and mastered the "wind-vase" meditation (rlung bum ​ can), a subtle-body practice involving the formation of air into a ​ vase-shape at the navel level. As Pema Gyatso's disciple, she exchanged her beggar's clothing for the white cotton robe of a lay tantric practitioner.

Chonga Lhamo remained with Pema Gyatso when he moved his disciples to Nubri Valley, but there she seems to have run into trouble, no doubt connected to her growing confidence in her practice; charismatic women in Tibet were almost universally viewed as threats by male lamas. Pema Gyatso beat her for alleged arrogance. He branded her on her forehead with a hot iron and banished her to Pokhara in Nepal. She eventually was able to return, and rejoined the group at Thak. There she began to have revelations, supposedly having visions of treasure texts and receiving from a local deity birch bark and ink to record them. A male teacher named Chozang (chos bzang) kicked her in the head and burned her writings, forbidding her from ever speaking of them. Pema Gyatso's male disciples maintained a hostile environment for her, refusing to allow her to visit Pema Gyatso's own teacher, Dharma Sengge (khams smyon d+harma seng ge) when the elder lama was dying, and they refused to give her the objects the lama had bequeathed her.

When Chonga Lhamo was twenty-three, she went with Pema Gyatso and his followers to the Kathmandu Valley where they whitewashed the three holy stūpas of Nepal: Swayaṃbhūnāth ('phags pa shing kun), Boudhanāth (bya rung kha shor mchod rten), and Namobuddha (stag mo lus sbyin mchod rten). She then travelled on her own back to Dingri (ding ri) in Tibet, from where she set out on a pilgrimage

16 across central Tibet, visiting Shritsib (shri rtsibs), Dechen Phuk (bde chen phug), and Dramtso (gram mtsho). Around this time she reconnected with Pema Gyatso's group, which traveled together to Sakya (sa skya), Tashilhunpo (bkra shis lhun po), Pelkhor Chode in Gyangtse (dpal 'khor chos sde), and ultimately Lhasa, where she toured the (lha sa gtsug lag khang), Potala (po ta la) and other holy sites. While in Lhasa in around 1887 she and other followers of Pema Gyatso had an audience with the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho).

Staying in Lhasa she sat in retreat at Jatson Chumik ('ja' tshon chu mig), a spring near Lhasa, and from there Pema Gyatso dispatched her to find a suitable location for him and his followers to settle down. She chose Zangyak Drak (zang yag brag), where Pema Gyatso went into retreat. Rather than stay in retreat with him, she continued her peregrinations, traveling southeast into Olkha (ol 'kha) and other regions.

She returned to Zangyak Drak by 1889, when an incarnation of Zhabkar Tsogdruk Randrol arrived there to visit Pema Gyatso; which Zhabkar incarnation this was is not clear. He gave teachings and empowerments, staying for several months. During this time, he gave Chonga Zangmo the name of Rigdzin Choying Zangmo, the name by which she became commonly known, and transmitted to her the complete works of Zhabkar, providing her with a solid foundation of Nyingma teachings. Soon after this visit Pema Gyatso fell ill, and she was tasked with performing long-life rituals for him. She was unable to prolong his life, and he died while traveling to Zangyak Drak from Lhasa.

At the suggestion of a Lama Sangye Tendzin (bla ma sangs rgyas bstan dzin, 19th century), who was a disciple of Patrul Rinpoche (dpal sprul rin po che, 1808-1887) around 1890 Rigdzin Choying Zangmo received novice monastic vows from Khenchen Ngawang Tenpai Nyima (mkhan chen ngag dbang bstan pa'i nyi ma, b. 19th century). She continued to receive Nyingma teachings, notably from Trulzhik Kunzang Tongdrol ('khrul zhig kun bzang mthong grol rdo rje, 1862-1922), the previous incarnation of the late Trulzhik Rinpoche

17 Ngawang Chokyi Lodro ('khrul zhig ngag dbang chos kyi blo gros, 1924-2011). She began to spend her winters at Shukseb, and at some point sat another three year retreat at Zangyak Drak. She also continued to travel, visiting the sacred mountain Yarlha Shambu (yar lha sham bu) in Southern Tibet to engage in Vajrasattva practice.

Her reputation as a teacher was by this point fairly well established. Her early experience as a maṇipa and a reciter of the lama maṇi had ​ ​ provided her a foundation on which to expound the dharma before large and prominent audiences. For example, she was employed to read the Pajñāparamitā Sūtras to the noble Lhalu (lha klu) family, for which she received a full bucket of grain per day. She later wrote in her autobiography that monks from Dreyul Kyetsel Monastery ('bras yul kyed tshal) were enraged that a woman had been hired for the distinguished job and challenged her to a debate, which she won.

In about 1904 Rigdzin Choying Zangmo moved to Shukseb Monastery in the of Chushur (chu shur) in the south-west of Lhasa, where the Lhasa and Yarlung rivers flow together. The monastery had been founded in 1181 by Gyergom Tsultrim Sengge (gyer sgom tshul khrims seng+ge, c. 1122-1240) and was run as a Kagyu institution and the seat of the Shukseb Kagyu tradition. The location is also said to have been a practice site of Machik Labdron (ma gcig labs sgron, 1031-1129). Just above Shukseb is Gangri Tokar, (gangs ri thod dkar) an important activity site of Longchen Rabjam Drime Ozer (klong chen rab 'byams pa dri med 'od zer, 1308-1364). Pema Gyatso had considered it for his residence back in the 1880s when he settled in the Lhasa area.

When Rigdzin Choying Zangmo arrived at Shukseb the administration of the site was apparently a matter of controversy and the monastery was in disrepair. She and her followers spent years rehabilitating the site, collecting donations from nearby families.

Around 1912 she gave a Chod empowerment at Shukseb according to the tradition of Machik Labdron to a gathering of about hundred devotees. She frequently engaged in Chod practice and at numerous

18 points in her life she was recognized as a manifestation of Machik Labdron.

While Rigdzin Choying Zangmo was developing Shukseb, a lama named Semnyi Rinpoche (sems nyid rin po che, d.u.) seems to have been given control of the community by its custodians. She herself appears to have brought him there; her mother had apparently asked him to take her daughter as a disciple, and it was he who is said to have consoled her after her mother passed away in the 1920s. Rigdzin Choying Zangmo went into long-term retreat at Gangri Tokar, during which time Semnyi Rinpoche appointed another woman, Orgyen Chodzom (o rgyan chos 'dzom) to be his successor at Shukseb. He is also said to have turned away several prominent figures who had come to gain audience with Rigdzin Choying Zangmo, which suggests he was attempting to prevent her from becoming the leader of the community. Orgyen Chodzom, however, was taken by another lama as a consort and went with him into retreat, but she died soon after, around 1933. Despite these actions, Rigdzin Choying Zangmo apparently maintained her faith in Semnyi Rinpoche; she later identified and trained of both him and Orgyen Chodzom.

Semnyi Rinpoche died sometime in the 1930's, at which point Choying Zangmo, who apparently was not yet the official head of the community, briefly considered moving from Shukseb to Jomo Kharek (jo mo mkha' reg) in Tsang, a site associated with Yeshe Tsogyel (ye shes mtsho rgyal). Instead she remained at Shukseb and led the community from then on. The monastery grew considerably under her direction, with as many as three hundred women coming to live at the site. Choying Zangmo had the women take novice vows and Shukseb was thereafter considered a proper nunnery.

Many prominent figures visited Shukseb to have an audience with Choying Zangmo, including the Fifth Reting Rinpoche Thubten Jampel Yeshe Tenpai Gyeltsen (rwa sgreng 05 hu thog thu 05 thub bstan 'jam dpal ye shes bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1912/1919-1947), the King of Lingstang (gling tshang rgyal po), Trulzhik Rinpoche, the Sixteenth Rangjung Rikpai Dorje (karma pa 16 rang byung rig pa'i rdo

19 rje, 1924-1981), the Sixth Shechen Rabjam, Nangze Drubpai Dorje (zhe chen rab 'byams 06 snang mdzad grub pa'i rdo rje, 1911-1959), the Tenth Peling Sungtrul, Pema Osel Gyurme Dorje (pad gling gsung sprul 10 pad+ma 'od gsal 'gyur med rdo rje, 1930-1955), and the father of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Chokyong Tsering (chos skyong tshe ring, 1899-1947).

The prominent government official and scholar Lobsang P. Lhalungpa (lha lung pa blo bzang phun tshogs, 1926-2008), whose family were devoted followers of Choying Zangmo, and who had aunts living as nuns at Shukseb, recalls meeting her there as a young man, in the mid 1940's, during his travels throughout central Tibet:

I met with Jetsun Lochen for several hours a day, sometimes in the company of her main disciples. She was an extraordinary woman, small in stature, with a serene face radiating compassion and sensitivity. Only her white hair betrayed her age: she died a few years later at the age of one hundred thirteen. In her presence we felt an awesome power that permeated her whole stream-being. Her teachings and blessings have given me inner strength ever since. To me she was the personification of the great woman teachers of Tibet.

Endorsing my eclectic attitude, she said to me: "I always looked upon every Buddhist order as being a different vehicle capable of transporting fortunate seekers across the great ocean of samsara." (Tibet: The Sacred Realm, p. 33.) ​ ​ Her disciples repeatedly requested her to compose an autobiography but she did not begin to tell her story until 1937, working on it only briefly. She returned to the project in 1949 and completed it that year. Gen Trinle (rgan 'phrin las) a nun-disciple who later died in , and Drubchen Dawa Dorje Rinpoche (grub chen zla ba rdo rje), the reincarnation of Pema Gyatso, were tasked with scribing the work. The woodblocks were completed and readied for printing in 1951.

Jetsun Rigdzin Choying Zangmo passed away in 1951. Her age at the time of her death is not known; she may have been ninety-eight, or, following Havnevik, she was eighty-six. Other accounts, such as the

20 passage from Lhalungpa included above, considerably exaggerate her age.

Original Source

Sera Khandro

Sera Khandro Kunzang Dekyong Wangmo (se ra mkha' 'gro kun bzang bde skyong dbang mo) was born into a wealthy, politically powerful family in Lhasa. Her father, Lhase Jampa Gonpo (lha sras byams pa mgon po), was descended from Mongolian royalty. Her mother, Tsering Chodzom (tshe ring chos 'dzom), was from the powerful Tibetan Nub clan.

From an early age, Sera Khandro was drawn towards religion; instead of playing games with other children, she recited the six-syllable mantra and encouraged other children to practice religion. She reported that revealed her first treasure when she was seven, pulling a ritual dagger part-way out of a rock at Drak (brag yer pa) near Lhasa. In her biography she records that throughout her life she had many visionary experiences interacting with ḍākinīs and and traveling to many extraordinary Buddhafields. (All ages from her biography have been adjusted to accord with the international standard.)

Despite Sera Khandro's proclivity towards leading a religious life, her father insisted that she be educated in literary Chinese in order to follow his footsteps into the life of the Lhasa political elite. When she was only ten years old, her father arranged a marriage to a Chinese leader's son, a union the religiously-minded young girl opposed. Despondent at the prospect of losing her chance to practice the dharma, Sera Khandro attempted suicide by drinking a mixture of opium and alcohol.

21 Traumatized by this and by the death of her beloved mother, at the age of twelve, Sera Khandro experienced a vision of Vajravārahī that changed the course of her life. Vajravārahī empowered Sera Khandro in the two treasures that would be her life's main teachings: The ​ Secret Treasury of Reality Ḍākinīs (chos nyid mkha' 'gro gsang mdzod) and The Ḍākinīs' Heart Essence (mkha' 'gro thugs thig). ​ Emboldened by ḍākinīs' prophecies, Sera Khandro courageously escaped from her home and her imminent marriage to join a group of Golok (mgo log) pilgrims, never to return to Lhasa or see her family again. From the moment she saw the Golok pilgrims' lama, Drime Ozer (dri med 'od zer, 1881-1924), great faith and devotion arose in her. Yet the road ahead was full of obstacles. Sera Khandro's wealthy upper-class Lhasa upbringing was no match for the harsh terrain and sub-zero temperatures of life on the road as a traveling pilgrim. She nearly starved and froze to death en route to Golok.

When the group finally arrived at Dartsang (brda/r tshang) the religious encampment of Drime Ozer's father (bdud 'joms gling pa, 1835-1904) in the high pasture lands of Golok, Sera Khandro's presence was met with jealous hostility from Drime Ozer's consort Akyongza (a skyong bza'), and she was forced to live elsewhere. She worked as a servant girl for a local nomadic family and began her preliminary practices. Quickly, she became renowned for her diligent practice, eloquent speech, and religious devotion.

Sera Khandro later became the consort of Gara Gyelse (mgar ra rgyal sras), son of the treasure revealer Gara Terton Dudul Wangjuk Lingpa (mgar ra gter ston bdud 'dul dbang phyug gling pa, 1857-1911) of Bennak Monastery (ban nag/pan nag) in Golok. They had two children, a daughter named Yangchen Dronma / Choying Dronma (dbyangs can sgron ma / chos dbyings sgron ma, b. 1913), and a son, Rigdzin Gyurme Dorje (rig 'dzin 'gyur med rdo rje, 1919-1924), who did not live past childhood.

Life with Gyelse proved difficult for Sera Khandro; he disapproved of Sera Khandro's calling as a treasure revealer and forbade her from writing or propagating religious teachings. Her health worsened as

22 she became increasingly afflicted with an arthritic condition in her legs. Meanwhile, her devotion for Drime Ozer only grew stronger. These factors contributed to Gyelse's decision to send her back to live with Drime Ozer when she was twenty-nine years old. Sera Khandro credited her reunion with Drime Ozer with curing her of her illnesses. Together they revealed many treasures. After Drime Ozer's death only three years later, his disciple Sotrul Natsok Rangdrol (bsod sprul sna tshogs rang grol, d. 1935) invited Sera Khandro to live at his monastery in Golok named , the place from which she derives her title.

Sera Khandro traveled widely throughout Golok with her attendants, the monks Tubzang (thub bzang) and her scribe Tsultrim Dorje (tshul khrims rdo rje). Her main teachings were the treasures of Dujom Lingpa and Drime Ozer as well as her own. She died in Riwoche at the age of forty-eight. It is said that before her body was burned, it dissolved into light until it was the size of a seven-year-old child's body.

Sera Khandro's main disciples include the First Adzom Drukpa Pawo Dorje (a 'dzom 'brug pa dpa' bo rdo rje) and his son Gyurme Dorje ('gyur med rdo rje) and daughter Chime Wangmo ('chi med dbang mo); Dujom Lingpa's sons Pema Ledrel/Drime Ozer (pad+ma las 'brel/ dri med 'od zer) and Dorje Dradul (rdo rje dgra 'dul); the Fourth Katok Chaksa Pema Trinle Gyatso (kaH tog phyag tsha pad+ma 'phrin las rgya mtsho); Pelyul Gochen Tulku Jiktrel Chokyi Lodro (dpal yul sgo chen sprul sku 'jigs bral chos kyi blo gros); the Riwoche Zhabdrung Tulku Tsewang Drakpa (ri bo che zhabs drung sprul sku tshe dbang grags pa); Abo Soge Tulku Natsok Rangdrol (a bob sod dge sprul sku sna tshogs rang grol) and Jikga Tulku ('jigs dga' sprul sku) from Sera Monastery in Serta; Trakya Lama Sherab Ozer (khra skya bla ma shes rab 'od zer), Tromge Khandro Dawa Dronma (khrom dge mkha' 'gro zla ba sgron ma); Dzogchen Khenpo Norbu Wangyal (rdzogs chen mkhan po nor bu dbang rgyal); Chadrel Sanggye Dorje (bya bral sangs rgyas rdo rje, 1913-2015); the king and queen of Ling (gling); and her own daughter Choying Dronma (chos dbyings sgron ma).

23 Original Source

Sera Khandro: A Reader's Guide

Sera Khandro (1892 - 1940), also known as Kunzang Dekyong Wagmo, was one of the great masters of the early 20th century and the English speaking world is fortunate now that both her story and her writings have been emerging more and more over the past few years.

Her story is at once fascinating, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting.

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, in his remarkable Incarnation: The History ​ and of the Tulku Tradition of Tibet gives a superb overview: ​ "This great was known as a tulku of , the consort of Guru Rinpoche and many others. She is an exemplar, similar to many who pursued the missions of their incarnation from childhood, even when it seemed almost impossible to succeed. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, and even into adulthood, she received transmissions and prophesies in many pure visions of wisdom and adepts. Sera Khandro Dewe Dorje was born as a beautiful princess in a rich and influential noble family in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. While she was still in her early teens, her father arranged her future marriage. The princess strongly wished to dedicate her life fully to Dharma, and she vehemently opposed the marriage arrangement. Finally, after attempting to commit suicide, she successfully undid the arranged engagement. One day, a group of rugged nomad pilgrims from Golok province arrived in Lhasa, after many months on the harsh trail. By chance, they camped on the compound of Sera Khandro Dewe Dorje’s family palace. Through a window, the young princess looked down on the compound and glimpsed Tulku Drime Ozer (1881–1924), the leader of the pilgrims. She instantly felt an immense devotion to

24 the tulku, and from that point forward, he became the innate symbol of her spiritual direction.

"Before long, the time came for the pilgrims to return to their home. The fourteen year old princess renounced her possessions and made a dangerous escape in order follow the pilgrims. From that day forth, Sera Khandro Dewe Dorje’s life changed drastically. She had to learn how to beg for food to survive. Her fancy clothes gave her little protection when crossing the harsh terrain of the high northern plateaus of Tibet. And her fancy, flimsy shoes gave up on her. The young princess had to keep up with the caravan by walking and running barefoot month after month with little or sometimes no food. Because of their ignorance and prejudice, no pilgrim would extend any support or protection to the princess. She hardly had any opportunity to exchange words with the tulku, as he was always strictly guarded. But she used all of these difficult circumstances to invigorate her spiritual dedication.

"The party finally reached their home in Golok, and even there Sera Khandro Dewe Dorje endured harsh treatment from wild and jealous nomads. For over a decade she survived by taking on the lowly job of caring for the animals of nomad families. Despite these hardships, she didn’t once consider returning to the luxuries of her home in Lhasa. And during this time, she continuously received transmissions and prophesies in pure visions, enjoying the highest spiritual ecstasies with total dedication to serving the dharma and the lineage of Guru Rinpoche — the sole mission of her reincarnation.

"At the age of thirty, Sera Khandro Dewe Dorje became the consort of Tulku Drime Ozer. For the last few years of Tulku Drime’s life, the two of them discovered many ters (the mystical revelations of esoteric teachings) together. Sera Khandro Dewe Dorje also wrote a number of scholarly texts and became a highly respected teacher of esoteric Dharma, with many mystic followers."

25 Tulku Drime Ozer was the son of Dudjom Lingpa (and brother of the third Dodrubchen Rinpoche) and his tulku was Rinpoche.

Tulku Thondup also discusses Sera Khandro in several places in his classic Masters of Meditation and Miracles. ​ ​ The most comprehensive treatment of Sera Khandro to date is Sarah Jacoby's Love and Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of the Tibetan ​ Buddhist Visionary Sera Khandro. This is an academic work, though of ​ great value for anyone interested in this amazing master's life and work.

An excerpt from Love and Liberation can be found on the Yogini Project website.

For a concise biography see the entry at the Treasury of Lives.

She is also discussed in Wisdom Nectar: Dudjom Rinpoche's Heart ​ Advice and The Light of Fearless Indestructible Wisdom: The Life and ​ Legacy of HH Dudjom Rinpoche. ​ Sera Khandro's Works

The most significant full work of Sera Khandro's in English is Refining ​ Our Perception of Reality: Sera Khandro's Commentary on Dudjom Lingpa's Account of His Visionary Journey. ​ This book contains four Tibetan texts in translation. First, The ​ Excellent Path to Liberation explains how to give our attention to the teachings, and how to ground our in harmonious relationships with others and the world at large.

Second, Dudjom Lingpa’s account of his visionary journey, Nangjang, ​ Enlightenment without Meditation, translated elsewhere as ​ Buddhahood without Meditation, teaches by example that as ​ practitioners we should ask ourselves sincere questions concerning our perception of reality, and that we should not be content with superficial answers.

26 In the third text, Sera Khandro presents Dudjom Lingpa’s work within two frameworks. She first clarifies the on which the spiritual path is founded, the path of meditation; the ensuing conduct that reflects and enriches meditative experience; and the path’s result—awakening and enlightenment. Next she illuminates the subtleties of the great perfection view, the four tantric bonds: nonexistence, a single nature, pervasive insubstantial evenness, and spontaneous presence.

Termas

Sera Khandro's termas are included in four volumes, only a portion of which have been translated into English.

One of the termas she discovered was The Immaculate White Lotus: ​ The Life of the Master from by Dorjé Tso, one of Guru Rinpoche's consorts who Sera Khandro is considered an incarnation of This come from the treasure cycle called The ’s Secret ​ Treasury of the Nature of Reality that was concealed by Guru Rinpoche. It is ten short chapters that fill 17 pages in English.

This appears in Guru Rinpoche: His Life and Times, a collection of ​ ​ biographies of Padmasambhava.

Note that the translator of this book referred to her birth year was 1899 and the discovery of this text as 1927 (she wrote she discovered it when she was 27), but the consensus now puts her birth year at 1892. So this was likely discovered around 1920.

This treasure is still popular in eastern Tibet, where she spent most of her life.

Original Source

27 Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche: A Reader's Guide

This edition of the Great Masters Series focuses on Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991). This, like the other posts in this series, is not meant to be an exhaustive biography, but rather a look at the life and teachings of this great master through the lens of his works published in English. For a more detailed treatment, there is no better place to start than his autobiography, Brilliant Moon. "Brilliant Moon " is a ​ ​ translation of Rabsel Dawa, which was the ordination name given by ​ ​ the great Rimé master, Khenpo Shenga at the time Khyente Rinpoche became a novice monk. This is not only a beautiful autobiography, but, since Khyentse Rinpoche grew up in the presence of and was educated by some of the most renowned scholars, adepts, and lamas active at the turn of the twentieth century, his life provides a bridge from the flourishing teachings of the nineteenth century to us today. The back section of Brilliant Moon includes reminiscences from his ​ consort Khandro Lhamo, his grandson Shechen Rabjam, , , and many more. There is also an excellent film about his life, also entitled Brilliant Moon, with some ​ ​ amazing footage that you can see on the film's website.

Another account of his life is 's beautiful, full-color Journey to Enlightenment. Though that volume is now out of print, ​ many of the photos and all the text appear in volume one of the Collected Works. And yet another short biography can be found on the wonderful Treasury of Lives site.

His Life

Khyentse Rinpoche was born in 1910 to the family of Dilgo in eastern Tibet near Dege on the day that Mipham Rinpoche (see previous Great Masters post) was there completing a feast offering after six weeks of teaching. Shortly afterward he blessed and named the infant Tashi Paljor. Though Khyentse Rinpoche was only two when Mipham passed away, the latter's impact on him was immense, as it was for so many in Eastern Tibet. Throughout his life, Khyenste

28 Rinpoche taught extensively from Mipham Rinpoche's teachings, and we will see in a few examples below.

While still an infant, he was recognized as the tulku of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, and when he was fourteen, he went to where he was enthroned as Khyentse Wangpo's tulku by Shechen Gyaltsap. Over the next four years he was immersed in study and practice of , Tantra, and Dzogchen, primarily with Shechen Gyaltsap and Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro (whose tulku is Dzongsar Khyentse), but also with Khenpo Shenga, Adzom Drukpa, and many more.

Rinpoche wrote the The Great Biography on the life of Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro which forms the second half of The Life and ​ Times of Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro. ​ Throughout his life, Rinpoche had over sixty teachers from all the main schools of .

A few years later, Shechen Gyaltsap passed away, and the eighteen year old Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche went into solitary retreat for the next thirteen years, mostly living and practicing in caves in Eastern Tibet. After he emerged from retreat the next fifty years of his life were devoted to practicing, teaching, and helping invigorate all the practice lineages. After fleeing Tibet and the communist repression in 1959, he settled in as the spiritual advisor to the Bhutanese Royal family, but he also continued to teach widely in Nepal, India, and later, the West. He also made three trips back to Tibet in the 1980s, teaching, giving empowerments, and helping to restore monasteries and other institutions, regardless of their lineage. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a student of Khyentse Rinpoche, said, "you see his basic belief, basic attitude, is nonsectarian, which I very much appreciate. "

The Books

Rinpoche's writing in Tibetan are contained in twenty-five volumes consisting of over ten thousand pages. Including those mentioned above, there are altogether fourteen books plus some translations of

29 his poetry, all of which are contained in the three volumes of his Collected Works, except where indicated below. ​ There exists a tradition in of masters composing short, easy-to-memorize texts that serve almost like crib sheets, making up practical instruction texts based on the classical teachings. With the proper instructions, these can serve as keys that open up a whole range of teachings and enable them to be put into practice. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was a master at unpacking these pith instructions for practitioners, and there are four examples of this in English: commentaries on texts by Padampa Sangye, Zurchungpa, and two by Thogme Sangpo.

Khyentse Rinpoche has two books based on the teachings of Ngulchu Thogme Zangpo, the fourteenth-century Sakya master-and teacher to greats like Buton Rinchen Drup-whose teachings are a core part of the study curricula for all Tibetan Buddhists. Enlightened Courage, gives ​ ​ a detailed explanation on the Thogme Zangpo's commentary of the Seven Points of Mind Training, a core lojong text. ​ In The Heart of Compassion, Rinpoche gives a commentary on Thogme ​ ​ Zangpo's most famous text, The Thirty-Seven Verses on the Practice of ​ a . This also contains a fourteen-page biography of ​ Thogme Zangpo.

This is also available as an audiobook, and here is a clip:

In 1987 Khyentse Rinpoche gave a teaching on a text by the Padampa Sangye, which was published as The Hundred Verses of ​ ​ Advice. In his commentary on this text in which Padampa Sangye ​ addresses the people in his adopted home of Tingri on the Nepal-Tibet border, Khyentse Rinpoche explains why and how laypeople can and should lead a life completely in accordance with dharma, overcoming pettiness, emotional afflictions, and the trials and tribulations of life. His advice on these matters are all as applicable today in the West as they were for the villagers of Tingri in the eleventh century.

In Zurchungpa's Testament, Rinpoche wrote a commentary on his own ​ ​ teacher, Shechen Gyaltsap's, annotations to Zurchungpa's Eighty ​

30 Chapters of Personal Advice. In it Khyentse Rinpoche expands on ​ what was really Zurchungpa's last teaching, his testament before dying.

Dilgo Khyentse often used the writings of his own teachers, their teachers, or their previous incarnations as the basis of his teachings.

In The Excellent Path to Enlightenment: Oral Teachings on the Root ​ Text of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Rinpoche gives a commentary on a ​ short Ngondro practice composed by the great treasure revealer and master Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, the previous incarnation of his own teacher, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro.

While The Excellent Path to Enlightenment contains a pithy ​ explanation of guru yoga, Khyentse Rinpoche also wrote a more elaborate commentary on that specific component of the practice in The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel: The Practice of Guru Yoga according to the Longchen Nyingthig Tradition. The Nyingthig tradition, which is ​ covered in detail in Tulku Thondup's classic Masters of Meditation and ​ Miracles, came from Guru Rinpoche via Jigme Lingpa. ​ Dilgo Khyentse gives a separate commentary on the same section of that text in Guru Yoga According to the Preliminary Practice of ​ Longchen Nyingtik. This book, not included in the Collected Works, is ​ ​ ​ a distinct take on the practice and includes some brief contributions by Dzongsar Khyentse, Dzigar Kongtrul, and Tsikey Chokling.

Khyentse Rinpoche also offers commentary on another text by Jigme Lingpa, written at his simple hermitage in Tsering Jong, A Wondrous ​ Ocean of Advice for the Practice of Retreat in Solitude. This work, ​ which is really an exhortation on how to practice correctly in order to actually achieve the goal, appears in volume three of the Collected ​ Works. ​ Rinpoche gives a wonderful commentary on a text by Mipham Rinpoche (see Mipham Rinpoche post in the Great Masters series) entitled The Wheel of Investigation: An Explanation of Jamgon Mipham ​ Rinpoche's Instructions for Examining the Mind. In this short text and ​ commentary, which appears only in the Collected Works volume two, ​

31 the two masters analyze the mind that is responsible for the close identification we have with the sense of self. The point is that through this rigorous methodical examination, one realizes the empty nature of both mind and all phenomena and sees how the roots of samsara have taken hold.

The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones: The Practice of View, Meditation, and Action contains Khyentse Rinpoche's commentary on a text by Patrul Rinpoche. The first section is an exhortation to reflect on the defects of cyclic existence. The second part explains how the antidote is Dharma and what we need to do to put it into practice within the context of the (refuge, generating , purification, and offering) and tantra (empowerment, pure perception, development and completion stages). The final section details how the results of practice are expressed in a life that is in harmony with the teachings and not caught up in worldly busy-ness.

While it is hard to categorize the works of a master like Dilgo Khyentse when a teaching on the so-called basics come from the highest possible view, there are three works that are explicitly on and Dzogchen.

The first is Pure Appearance: Development and Completion Stages in ​ Vajrayana Practice , which is based on a set of teachings Rinpoche gave at Karma Dzong in Boulder, Colorado, shortly after officiating at the of Chogyam Trungpa in 1987. This offers an overview of Tibetan tantric practice that explains its concepts, clarifies its terminology, and shows how its myriad pieces fit together, including an extensive teaching on the , or “between states”—essential for those new to the topic and a source of illumination for longtime students.

After the teaching in Boulder, Rinpoche went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and again taught, this time on 's famous text, Three Words ​ That Strike the Vital Point, a vital Trekcho text. This was the basis for ​ the book Primordial Purity: Oral Instructions on the Three Words That ​ Strike the Vital Point. This text is based on the famous seminal ​ statement by Garap Dorje that is said to encapsulate all the myriad

32 dzogchen tantras. The key instructions on it by Patrul Rinpoche—the verses known as “The Special Teaching of Khepa Shri Gyalpo”—form the basis for the discourse in Primordial Purity. It explains that in dzogchen, when one has fully recognized that all the confusion of samsara is the expressive power of great emptiness, confusion is spontaneously liberated into the primordial purity of mind’s essential nature. Compassion spontaneously arises, accomplishing the benefit of sentient beings. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche illuminates this beautifully in this profound work, which will inspire students of Buddhism and deepen their experiential appreciation of the teachings.

The final work is a commentary on Mipham Rinpoche's The Lamp that ​ Dispels the Darkness: Instructions That Point Directly to the Nature of Mind According to the Tradition of the Old Meditators. Mipham ​ Rinpoche, whom Khyentse Rinpoche said was Manjusri in human form, wrote this short text that really contains the whole of Dzogchen practice. Rinpoche said that Mipham Rinpoche's words fall into the category of martri, literally "red instructions, " thus called "because they show the essential points of practice as if someone had opened his chest and shown the red of his heart. "

There are two other works in English should be mentioned here. The first is the recent On the Path to Enlightenment edited by Matthieu ​ Ricard, which was inspired by Khyentse Rinpoche who features very prominently in it. The second is The Life of Shabkar, in which is found ​ ​ information about Khyentse Rinpoche's connection with this amazing nineteenth-century yogi. When he once stopped under a tree where Shabkar had sat singing , the tree let down a shower of flowers on him, which Khyentse Rinpoche indicated to be a sign of a special karmic connection.

There are also a few short translations available online from the good folks at Lotsawa House.

Some words that Rinpoche wrote in his commentary to Jigme Lingpa's advice to those on retreat certainly applies to all his work: "as you read this precious text and my commentary on it, please do so with the perfect motivation of bodhicitta to establish all beings under

33 the sky in the supreme level of the vajradharas and the profound view of the Mantrayana. "

Dilgo Khyentse's written works are in themselves a great treasure, but just as important a part of his legacy are the great teachers still with us who were educated at his feet, making the warmth of his realization still so present to all who yearn to practice for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Original Source

Dudjom Rinpoche

Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe Dorje (1904-87)

His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdral Yeshe Dorje (1904-87) was appointed by His Holiness Dalai Lama XIV as the first supreme head of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He was an enlightened yogi and meditation master, a discoverer of concealed treasure teachings inseparable from Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). He was one the greatest Tibetan scholars, and an incarnate lama who intentionally emanated for the sake of sentient beings through seventeen successive lives.

In ancient India, these emanations included: Buddha Shakyamuni’s foremost disciple Shariputra; the , ; Krishnadhara, the religious minister of King ; and Rishi Humkara. In Tibet, they included: Khyeuchung Lotsawa, one of Padmasambhavas twenty-five disciples; Smritijnanakirti, whose lifetime demarcated the transition from the ancient to the new system of translation; Rongzom , who was among the first to compose major treatises within the Nyingma tradition; Katok Tampa Deshek (1122-92), who founded the monastery of Katok in East Tibet; Chogyal Phagpa (1235-80), who

34 established a Sakya administration in Central Tibet; Rigdzin Dudul Dorje (1615-72), who is famous for his discovery of concealed treasure teachings (terma) in the Puwo region of southeastern Tibet; Gyelse Sonam Detsen, who was responsible for revitalizing Katok; and the treasure-finder Dudjom Lingpa (1835-1904) who discovered the New Treasures (tersar).

Like many of his predecessors, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche was also renowned as a great discoverer of concealed treasure teachings, which are now widely practiced and propagated. These are primarily the direct treasures of intention or mind treasures of the awareness-holders concerning the inner tantras of the Secret Mantra Vehicle, which can bring about the unsurpassed enlightenment of the rainbow body in one lifetime.

He took birth in the Pemako region on the frontier of Tibet, on the twenty-third day of the fourth Tibetan month of the Wood Dragon year, 1904. Amazingly, this birth occurred while his predecessor, Dudjom Lingpa was still alive. Dudjom Lingpa himself gave the specific instructions of how to find his authentic emanation. He told them that his father was Tulku Jampel Norbu, who was a Prince of Kanam and a direct descendant of King Trisong Deutsen, and his mother was Namgyel Drolma.

In his youth, His Holiness received the transmissions and direct blessings of Guru Rinpoche, Yeshe Tsogyal and Manjushri in person. He receied his first terma instructions at the age of 6 when Guru Rinpoche appeared to him. At the age of 13 Guru Rinpoche appeared to him again and gave him the teachings on the Great Perfection, which he kept secret until he reached the age of 21. When he was 16 years old, various Mahasiddha’s appeared to him. Notably, Longchen Rabjam and debated on his treatise. He mastered every tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Astonishingly, at the age of fourteen he gave the full empowerment and oral transmission of the Rinchen Terdzod (Store of Precious Treasures), which are the collected treasure texts of the Nyingma lineage. Later, he also had the vision of many deities and received oral and mind to mind transmission from them. He received all the lineages of the Nyingma school from his lamas: Phungong

35 Tulku Gyurme Ngedon Wangpo, Jedrung Trinle Champa Jungne, Gyurme Phendei Ozer, Namdrol Gyamtso of Mindroling, Gendun Gyamtso and Khenpo Aten, amongst others. From that time on, he gave major empowerments relating to different treasure cycles, and at the same time composed many means for attainment, or sadhanas, that elucidated the profound teachings of the buddhadharma. He wrote commentaries both on his predecessors teachings and on his own revealed treasures. When he was seventeen years old, he composed his first celebrated treatise on the Great Perfection (dzogchen). He became widely renowned as a scholar and meditation master and was followed by many students. Among his students in Tibet and throughout the Himalayan regions, and most recently even in the West, many have shown signs of full enlightenment.

He maintained the lineage of the Mindroling tradition in Central Tibet, and above all at Pema Choling (Lamaling) and at his other seats in the Kongpo and Puwo areas of southeast Tibet. Subsequently, forseeing the incipient Chinese invasion, His Holiness and family left Tibet for India in 1958, following the prediction of Dudjom Lingpa that the lineage of his New Treasures would spread to all the continents of the world, and especially to the West.

After his arrival in India, Nepal, and Sikkim, he established many vital communities of Buddhist practitioners. These include Zangdok Pelri and Jhangsa in Kalimpong, Dudul Rapten Ling in Orissa, Orgyen Herukai Podrang in Tsopema (Rewalsar), and Urgyen Dongag Choling in Boudha, Nepal. In addition, he actively encouraged the study of the Nyingma tradition at the Tibetan Institute for Higher Studies in . In all these locations he continued to grant the empowerments and literary transmissions for the Nyingma Kama and Nyingma Gyudbum (The Collected Transmitted Precepts and Tantras of the Nyingmapa), and the Rinchen Terdzod, not to mention the entirety of the Dudjom Tersar, among others. His prolific scholarship is attested by the publications of his Collected Works and his edition of the Nyingma Kama, a fifty-five volume work, which he began at the age of seventy-four. At the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he also wrote a Political .

36 In the final phase of his teaching activity, His Holiness traveled widely throughout Asia, Europe, and North America, where he brought many students to the Dharma. He continued the buddha-activity of formal teaching, empowerment and personal supervision of meditation practice and retreat, which is the essence of the transmission of Vajrayana Buddhism. He established these meditation and retreat centers: Vajrayana Esoteric Society of Hong Kong and Taiwan, Dorje Nyingpo and Urgyen Choling in France, and Yeshe Nyingpo and Orgyen Cho Dzong in the United States.

His Holiness passed into , dissolving his emanation body into the pure space of the dharmakaya (buddha-body of reality) on the 17th of January, 1987, the eighteenth day of the eleventh month of the fire tiger year, shortly before the advent of a new sixty-year cycle. He was at his residence overlooking the Vezere valley in Dordogne, France. His passing was accompanied by miraculous signs of his enlightened realization and buddha-attributes. Passing away in France is of great significance because it enacts the unification of East and West into a single mandala of enlightened mind. His embalmed body was placed in a in his monastery in Boudha, Nepal on the 5th of February, 1989, in order to continue his bodhisattva activity of benefitting sentient beings.

He was a guru whose accomplishment is to be seen not so much in the outward form of elaborate monastic establishments, but in the direct, clear awareness of the mind, free from elaboration. This enlightened mind is displayed by many of his monastic and lay disciples. On this basis, the purity of his lineage is established and maintained to this day in an unbroken succession.

~ by H.H. Shenphen Rinpoche

Original Source

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