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About Dorje Shugden => General Discussion => Topic started by: DSFriend on July 24, 2011, 04:01:09 PM
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Reading great master's life story never fails to inspire. Just over the weekend, i reread Zong Rinpoche's life story and thought I'd share a summary in here. It sure makes me think what would i would like to achieve in this life and leave behind..
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Zongtrul Jetsun Losang Tsondru Thubten Gyaltsen (or Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, as he is known to ordained and lay disciples) was born in 1905 in the village of Nangsang in the Kham province of eastern Tibet.
Upon entering Ganden Shartse Monastery at eleven years old, he studied under the guidance of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche who was then 14 years old. Zong Rinpoche's life is one of great inspiration. Though he was a recognized tulku, Zong Rinpoche did not have any privileges nor have any benefactor to support him.
Zong Rinpoche received full ordination from the 13th HHDL and went on to become a great scholar, master of philosophical debate who possessed an extraordinary memory, excellent knowledge of all rituals and powerful Tantrika, arts and science. Zong Rinpoche served 9 years as Abbot of Ganden Shartse College, during which he brought about new heights of scholarship and monastic discipline among the monks.
Zong Rinpoche taught extensively in Tibet, India, the US, and UK. This illustrious master remained a devoted Dorje Shugden practitioner until his passing on November 15th, 1984.
Extracted from http://dorjeshugden.com/articles/KyabjeZongDorjeChang.pdf (http://dorjeshugden.com/articles/KyabjeZongDorjeChang.pdf)
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Thank you, DS Friend.
This is a wonderful sharing. Imagine Trijang Rinpoche guiding and teaching Zong Rinpoche at 14 years old!
There is a nice article on this great master, Zong Rinpoche in http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=1308
Here's an extract from that article -
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche Zongtrul Jetsun Losang Tsondu Thupten Gyaltsen was born in 1905 in the Tibetan province of Kham in the female wood serpent year. He entered Ganden Shartse Monastery at the age of eleven. The late HH Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, who was then fourteen years old, helped the new incarnate lama by going with him through his first lesson in elementary dialectics; he was later to become his chief mentor. At twenty five Zong Rinpoche entered the geshe lharampa examinations of the famous Lhasa Monlam ceremonies. He was extremely successful.
This would be followed by an equally successful examination at Gyuto Tantric College. After these crowning achievements, which marked the completion of his studies, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s name as an accomplished scholar became firmly established. Some months following his studies, Zong Rinpoche was appointed abbot of Ganden Shartse Monastery, the seat of which he held for nine years.
In the following year he went to the Tantric College of Gyutö for further studies and in 1937 he became abbot of the Shartse college, putting special emphasis on the art of debate, monastic disciplin and the performance of tantric rituals. In 1946, he resigned from the abbot’s throne to work as a magician against black magic, disturbances caused by various ghosts (Pretas) and lower gods, became a ‘weather-maker’, performed many fire rituals and lived in different parts of Tibet, being on a kind of continuous pilgrimage. So his name spread all over the country of being a powerful tantrician and he gave many empowerments and teachings on those subjects with a special emphasis on the tantras of Heruka, Hayagriva, Yamantaka, Gyelchen Shugden, Guhyasamaja, Vajrayogini, White Tara, Vaishravani and others. As a philosopher he was a follower of the Middle-Way school and gave many teachings on Madhyamika and Abhidharma.
In 1959 following the Chinese invasion he went to India and worked there as a teacher at Serme College, in 1965 as principal of a college in Mussoorie, 1967 as principal of the Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies and in 1970 he settled at Mundgod in South India. He was also know as a talented astrologer and artist. Since 1978, on the request of Lama Yeshe he travelled together with Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa on several world tours to give tantric teachings, empowerments as well as sutra teachings.
Zong Rinpoche passed away the 15th of november 1984. His new incarnation was born in the Kullu valley (place in Northern India), later on duly recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and enthroned at Ganden Shartse monastery in India. Like his previous incarnation he also shows many heart moving signs confirming that he is the real Zong Rinpoche and has only changed his physical outlook. The present Zong Rinpoche is currently fully engaged in the study of Sutra and Tantra at Ganden Shartse Monastic University under the care of Khensur Lati Rinpoche.
This is what I managed to extract from Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zong_Rinpoche
[b]
Leaving Tibet and life in India[/b]
In 1959, after repeated appeals from his disciples and students all over the country who were concerned for his safety, Zong Rinpoche left Tibet and sought asylum in India. In the remote settlement of Buxa in the Indian state of Assam on the Bhutanese border, he joined the surviving members of Ganden, Drepung, and Sera monasteries, as well as monks from other Tibetan monasteries. Zong Rinpoche gave a great number of teachings, and "in doing so, rekindled the flame of Buddha's doctrine in exile. For the refugee monks, Rinpoche's inspired commentaries on Buddhadharma offered a revitalizing hope and relief from complete despair."
In 1965, Zong Rinpoche became the director of the newly formed Tibetan Schools Teachers Training Program in Mussoorie (north-west India), overseeing 58 scholars from all the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. This educational nucleus proved crucial to the success of the fledgling Tibetan refugee settlements and had far-reaching benefits for all the Tibetan schools that were subsequently established. In 1967, he was appointed as the first principal of the new Central Institute of Tibetan Higher Studies at Sarnath, Varanasi, India.
After retiring from public life in 1971, Zong Rinpoche spent his time in deep spiritual practices. During these quiet years, he would occasionally give teachings on practical aspects of Vajrayana.[3]
He remained a devoted Dorje Shugden practitioner until his death.[6]
Teachings in the West
In response to requests by Western students, he travelled three times outside India, where he taught on the full range of Buddhist thought and practice and gave many personal interviews. Zong Rinpoche had many devoted Western disciples. One of them described him: "He was one of the last teachers of the old generation with the aura of authority and a kind of aristrocratic touch or vajra pride. In his teachings he followed very strictly the original texts. But, concerning his age, he was very open and patient to us Westerners, always kind, polite and helpful to answer our many questions concerning detailed tantra explanations."[2]
He visited Manjushri Institute in the UK on several occasions where he gave many teachings and empowerments into the practice of Heruka and Vajrayogini. He also highly praised the disciples of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, founder of the New Kadampa Tradition.
Thank goodness for great lamas like Trijang Rinpoche and Zong Rinpoche who worked so relentlessly to bring Dharma into new horizons, such as the West.
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Thank you DS for sharing about Zong Rinpoche. Some say he is an emanation of Heruka.
Zong Rinpoche previous incarnation I heard was a huge DS practitioner and use to have huge DS pujas in the monastery. It is amazing how the current incarnation of Zong Rinpoche is now in Gaden keeping a low profile on his DS practice. Another great example towards Guru devotion to Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang. These great highly attained lamas sacrifice so much.
Yet they are calm, they a firm and remain low key, like Samdhong Rinpoche, and speak when the time is right.
I just cannot wait for that picture of all the high lamas that practice DS be taken and posted!
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Master Zong Rinpoche, I had read a lot of material regarding this high lama. He is very powerful in the sense of his high intelligent, wisdom and full of compassion. Zong Rinpoche is fierce because what he need us to do for others benefit. He is very busy and as a student, we need to do our part.
Same with other high Lama, according to the article that Zong Rinpoche is emanation Buddha, hehe....do you really believe that??
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The book 'The Oral instructions of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche- Chod in Ganden Tradition' , has a biography of Zong Rinpoche, 14 pages long. It's a book worth getting, just for the biography alone.
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I am not surprised that Zong Rinpoche is a devotee of DS till the end even in his current incarnation. Loyalty has always been a trait of all great beings what more a highly incarnate tulku like Zong Rinpoche whose attainments may be equivalent to the Buddha himself.
Great beings never change their allegiance under threat or pressure. They do what is right despite difficulties and challenges they have to face. Another example of such a being is Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. It would have been so easy for him if he would have listened to HHDL and give up his DS practice. He would have all the support and priviledges from the TGIE. Instead, he chose to be loyal to his DS practice and even had disrobe and leave the monastery in order to be able to practise DS safely.
We should learn from the examples of these great Lamas who have shown fortitude in standing up for what they believe is the right thing to do in spite of all the threats and difficulties.
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Master Zong Rinpoche, I had read a lot of material regarding this high lama. He is very powerful in the sense of his high intelligent, wisdom and full of compassion. Zong Rinpoche is fierce because what he need us to do for others benefit. He is very busy and as a student, we need to do our part.
Same with other high Lama, according to the article that Zong Rinpoche is emanation Buddha, hehe....do you really believe that??
It is said that if we consider and take our Guru as a friend, then we will get the benefits of a normal friendship. If we see our Guru as a Buddha, then we receive the blessings of the Buddhas.
Logically, let's think through this by asking very simple questions.
What would we loose if we believe Zong Rinpoche is a buddha?
Will he harm us?
How have he lived his life and what is it that he is devoted to?
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I am very inspired by His Holiness's integrity and trust over Lord Dorje Shugden, it's so moving to learn that Zong Rinpoche actually trusted Lord Dorje Shugden and He held this holy practise until the day He went into clear light, such an inspirational master.