Author Topic: Serkong Dorje Chang  (Read 9259 times)

Mana

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Serkong Dorje Chang
« on: April 05, 2011, 10:57:34 PM »
Serkong Dorje Chang (1856-1918) TSOGCHEN TULKU.

Serkong Dorje Chang,1st properly known as Ngawang Tsultrim Donden (ngag dbang tshul khrims don ldan), was probably one of the greatest and famous masters at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.

He was born in 1856 and given the name Yeshe Bar. At the age of ten, he began studies by relying on the 81st Ganden Throne Holder (term 1879-1884), Ngawang Norbu.2 Then, entering Ganden Jangtse College, he studied the five great classics. He heard teachings on sutra and tantra from many masters, including the Trichen Ngawang Norbu, Yongzin Lobsang Tenzin, Rongpo Pandita Gendun Gyatso, Jangtse Choje Tenzin Rabgye. At age 24, he stood for his Geshe Lharampa degree.

To ensure his long life and success in widely benefiting sentient beings and the doctrine, the Ganden Throne Holder Ngawang Norbu told him many times that it was necessary for him to take a wife, which he finally did. At that time, many people made various criticisms. Taking this as an opportunity to practice purely, without attachment to wealth and possessions, he went and stayed in an isolated location. After a few years, he showed signs of attainment.

At age 40, he was invited to Bhutan and the Mon district; by going there, he achieved great benefit for the doctrine. In Bhutan, he served as a main lama (dbu bla) of the Bhutanese ruler Urgyen Wangchuck (1861-1926, o rgyan dbang phyug), who had earlier united the country after much internal conflict, and who became the first monarch of Bhutan in 1907. Serkong Dorje Chang stayed at the Kurje monastery, which is named after the physical imprints Guru Rinpoche left when he visited the area in 746, located in the Bumthang district of northern Bhutan.

In addition, Serkong Dorje Chang had a vision of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651), the founder of modern Bhutan and an incarnation of Padma Karpo, when he received the 'chi med lcags sdong ma'i chos skor, a cycle of teachings connected with life longevity. He is credited with an initiation text based on these pure visions for longevity (zhabs drung dag snang gyi dbang bskur), which was contributed to the Drugpa Kagyu tradition,3 as well as another cycle based on these pure visions (zhabs drung dag snang ma'i skor).4 These liturgies have all been retained and recently published in Bhutan.

Upon his return to Tibet, he gave many Dharma teachings on sutra and tantra. At age 63, he was requested by the Ninth Panchen Rinpoche Lobsang Thubten Chokyi Nyima (1883-1937)5 to stay at Tashi Lhunpo. They in turn reciprocated many teachings. Other written works of his consist of over a dozen rituals for Chakrasamvara, especially the sixty-two deity Luipa tradition. He was also the lineage holder of the Gelug Kalachakra lineage, passing it on to Khangsar Rinpoche.

A survey conducted of printing blocks in Central Tibet while sTag-brag Rinpoche served as regent lists Trode Khangsar in Lhasa as possessing wood blocks for the Extensive Fulfillment Ritual for the Dharmapala Dorje Shugden (bskang chog rgyas pa), authored by Serkong Dorje Chang.6


FROM: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pabongka-Rinpoche/138308129526649?ref=ts&sk=info#!/photo.php?fbid=10150177037510527&set=a.10150158786175527.416137.564235526&theater


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Serkong Dorje Chang 2nd. TSOGCHEN TULKU.Serkong Dorje Chang (1920–1979)
The great twentieth century yogi who lived for many years at the holy place of Swayambhunath in Nepal; a guru of Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

(there is not a single article or any stories about rimpoche la, but i was told few past stories about rimpoche by my elders in kathamndu-Serkong Dorjeechang fled his homeland and settled in Moti Gomba-swayambhu...ktm..he was very humble and low profile.Rimpoche was out of touch and lost for sometime when-some quarrel took place between 2 groups for monastery property ownership etc....later it was settled and rimpoche return to monastery and stay there till he passed away.

FROM: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pabongka-Rinpoche/138308129526649?ref=ts&sk=info#!/photo.php?fbid=10150177256185527&set=a.10150158786175527.416137.564235526&theater



Below are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd (current Serkong Dorje Chang)


« Last Edit: April 06, 2011, 12:03:30 AM by Mana »

Big Uncle

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Re: Serkong Dorje Chang
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2011, 05:09:05 PM »
Wow! Thank you so much for this wonderful namthar of Serkong Rinpoche's sacred life. If I am not mistaken, it was the 13th Dalai Lama recognizing his high attainments officially bestowed upon him the title Dorje Chang, meaning one with Vajradhara, which is just another epithet of a fully enlightened being.  How can such a highly attained Lama be wrong? He can't be mistaken for composing the ritual text for Trode Khangsar. If Dorje Shugden is so harmful, how can Serkong Dorje Chang not know of it or see it.

DSFriend

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Re: Serkong Dorje Chang
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2011, 07:25:34 PM »

To ensure his long life and success in widely benefiting sentient beings and the doctrine, the Ganden Throne Holder Ngawang Norbu told him many times that it was necessary for him to take a wife, which he finally did. At that time, many people made various criticisms. Taking this as an opportunity to practice purely, without attachment to wealth and possessions, he went and stayed in an isolated location. After a few years, he showed signs of attainment.


How do we usually react to criticisms? The end results for us are usually not a positive one. Even great beings are subjected to criticisms,..what more us with so much negativities. It is inspiring how beings like Serkong Dorje Chang handles criticisms by recognizing it as an opportunity to practice...and the result is attainment.

DharmaSpace

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Re: Serkong Dorje Chang
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2011, 09:10:17 PM »
Serkong Dorje Chang wrote a praise to Dorje Shugden
Part of a praise written by Serkong Dorje Chang says:

Dorje Shugden, you are Manjushri/your power of keeping the Dharma is like Vajrapani. Vajrapani holds the secret teachings/Vajrapani shows demons/nagas his power, all he can destroy and control. You are Vajrapani, Dorje Shugden I consecrate you, the powerful one like Vajrapani, the protector of Tsongkhapa’s teachings.

Dorje Chang said “I can teach and manifest myself as a student, lama, yidam, protector all at once.” Manjushri in the past kalpa attained Buddhahood but he showed himself as a Bodhisattva, a disciple of Buddha Sakyamuni to help sentient beings. He was Buddha but didn’t finish working for sentient beings. Tsongkhapa praised him saying “in the kalpa gone by you attained enlightenment but still you act and work as a Bodhisattva, helping beings. Dorje Shugden was Sambhogakaya Buddha, compassion caused him to show this kind of body.

beggar

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Re: Serkong Dorje Chang
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2011, 04:25:44 PM »
indeed! Rejoice in all the virtues of the masters!

Serkong Dorje Chang is indeed back with us. He is definitely in Gaden Shartse now, as a young boy, engaging in monastic study again to continue the great works of his previous lives.

Could his practice of Dorje Shugden have harmed him? If it did, how can he be back in this very perfect condition to practice Dharma again? Impossible!

Maybe it was BECAUSE of his dharma practice - dharmapala, lamrim, lojong and everything else! - that he is able to return. It is a pure practice (or not!) that makes us come back (or not come back!). Beings like Serkong Dorje Change are very perfect in their attainments. It is impossible to say that a "spirit" would harm their lives. That is to say that a spirit is more powerful than the enlightenment thought.

Big Uncle

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Re: Serkong Dorje Chang
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2011, 08:29:07 AM »
Did you notice this Lama always seem to tilt his head to his right as if in the pose of Vajrayogini. This master is a great Vajrayogini practitioner and if my memory serve me well, this master in his previous live passed away through cremation and when they were burning his holy remains on the funeral pyre, the body miraculously stood up and assumed the position of Vajrayogini. Many eyewitnesses saw this and folded their hands in veneration because he is obvious one with Vajrayogini. No way he could have made another mistake of writing a prayer to a spirit. He must have been able to perceived Dorje Shugden's qualities easily.

Helena

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Re: Serkong Dorje Chang
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2011, 05:23:01 PM »
Isn't it amazing that people these days would question great masters and their teachings? I mean, based on what? What have they done and what track record have they achieved? By track record, I mean, lifetimes of attainments and they are all consistent. It never fails to baffle me how these people can even question when they can't even control their own irritated state of mind.

I am so grateful that this website and forum are documenting all the great lamas' life stories. More people should come and read. And the rest of us should share these stories with as many people as possible.

I come into this sacred space and I always feel like I am walking into a temple that has assembled all the magnificent masters of our time and of the past. We do not need to be in a physical building to get blessings and to become holy. In here, it gives me the same sacred experience.

I cannot thank the admin enough in putting up all these beautiful life stories of great masters. And the fact that they will and have return again and again proves only too well that Dorje Shugden is not a worldly spirit nor evil. So, how can the masters be evil as well.

If such highly attained masters can be influenced by evil and all of us are evil as well. No matter how you want to put it - all our teachings and prayers came from the very same sources, if we trace it all the way back to Pabongka Rinpoche.

What need is there to say much more?

There is only one real fallacy and it is all in the lies TGIE spins for all ignorant minds.

One can only be ignorant to believe or stands in to benefit from the lies TGIE creates to really buy all this nonsense of how Dorje Shugden and all the lamas who practise this Protector are evil.

May the Buddhas have mercy on their souls!
Helena

WisdomBeing

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Re: Serkong Dorje Chang
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2011, 09:15:45 AM »
It is interesting that Serkong Dorje Chang (1856-1918) TSOGCHEN TULKU had as his Guru, the 81st Ganden Throne Holder (term 1879-1884), Ngawang Norbu, who told him to take a wife. Although he endured many criticisms for this, he still listened to his Guru.

This is a perennial problem - that monks are criticised for Guru devotion, which is the mainstay of Tibetan Buddhist practice. It is very sad that people can still criticise him when he is following his Guru's advice, and his Guru has the highest stature at the time as the Gaden Tripa!



Kate Walker - a wannabe wisdom Being