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About Dorje Shugden => General Discussion => Topic started by: Big Uncle on April 09, 2010, 05:21:13 PM
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As quoted from Music Delighting An Ocean of Protectors by Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche:-
THE STORY OF HOW TULKU DRAGPA GYELTSEN AROSE AS DORJE SHUGDEN
When strangled with the scarf by those evil-minded ones,
Through the force of Bodhichitta you arose as an overlord of wrathful ones,
And, day and night, with various terrifying manifestations,
Frightened even the courageous, praise to you!
Then, when he remembered his previous promise, he went to Pehar's temple and said to the Dharma King Nechung, 'Now I remember my previous promise, so what should I do?' The Dharmapala said, 'I can perform the activities to take care of that!' Soon after that, emanations of the Dharma King Nechung, hosts of travelers from all over, including many from Kham, eastern Tibet, came to Lhasa and sought audience and made offerings to Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen at the upper residence, in numbers that seemed to eclipse even those seeking audience with the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama's Ganden Palace was referred to as the lower residence and Dragpa Gyaltsen's Palace was referred to as the upper residence and people were talking as if the upper and lower residences of Drepung were practically equal in stature. Moreover, in the center of the rows of monks attending the great offering and prayer festival of Lhasa they made Dragpa Gyaltsen's throne higher than the Dalai Lama's. By this and other various means, Desi Sonam Chöpel and other attendants at the Ganden Palace were made unbearably jealous and sought a chance to kill Dragpa Gyaltsen. The auspicious time for Dragpa Gyaltsen's promise to be fulfilled had also arrived so, when he was thirty?eight, on the twenty?fifth day of the fourth month of the fire monkey year, he pretended a sudden illness which he said was due to 'nyen' spirits and made his preparations. On the thirteenth of the fifth month, Desi Sonam Chopel's brother named Depa Norbu or Nangso Norbu, in league with the evil Desi, under pretext of illness, came secretly to where Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen was staying in the large bedroom of the house where he was born, called 'ga kha sa pa', with the intention of killing him. No matter how hard he tried to stab him with his weapon, however, it would not penetrate the skin, so he stuffed a silk scarf down his throat until he died.
Furthermore, as the supreme Dalai Lama, the Great Fifth, says in the 'ku la
ka pa' section of his autobiography,
On the twenty?fifth day of the fourth month, the Tulku of the upper residence was suddenly struck with illness caused by nyen spirits, so I wanted to come give him a jenang to dispel the illness. But as I was going to have the ingredients prepared to make torma, the Lhasa district officer told us that there was contagious disease that made travel unsuitable at the time. After I gave the word to return home and had to postpone, they told us that there was no way to avoid the spread of his disease...
also,
On the full moon, coinciding with an eclipse, intending to perform activities for the preparation of 'ma sha' medicine, I had been in very strict retreat since the eleventh day of the month. But, that day, as the day was warming in the morning, having begun recitation of White Manjusri mantra, I was oppressed by sleepiness against my will, so I broke from the session for a while and freshened up. I even sent someone to discuss with Jayi Sang Depa the fact that it didn't look like I would finish a qualified retreat just because this had happened. Also, concerning Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen's being sick from nyen spirits, both the Lingto oracle and the one from the north said that he had been taking care of his health, that he had been fine, and that when I was about to return from Mongolia and Desi Sonam Chopel had given the order dispatching Depa Norbu, there had been nothing wrong with him. But the next morning I suddenly fell sick. At tea in the main prayer hall and at the Nechung temple, Nechung scattered salt and offered the remainder to Jayi Sang Depa who came from Lhasa at daybreak to give me the message that Nechung had said that my postponing the jenang yesterday had given rise to sorrow and that now, by all means, I must go there. As soon as I received this message I went to the upper residence. I gave the Mahakala jenang to clear away all hindering spirits, but forgot the agitation of one spirit, so the jenang that I gave for he who had died on the morning of the thirteenth was ineffective.
Thus, he speaks of it as if Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen had died because of a sickness. For how is it possible that the Great Fifth could knowingly utter a lie? Certainly, we must presume that Desi and the others involved were deceitful and very skillful in preparing their lies. As for Nangso Norbu who had committed the evil deed of hidden deceit, as said in the 'ku la ka pa' section of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama's biography,
He of 'ga ka sa pa' house was suddenly killed by some young people, so there may have been others involved, but Nangso Norbu took on the aspect of guilt. Thus, if we think about his use of the word 'guilt', something can be understood from that. After he had died because of these sudden circumstances, his holy relics were cremated in the courtyard of Drepung's Tantric College. When the incense smoke from the cremation rose, as if intentionally, straight upward in three streams of smoke, his attendant, saying, 'Such pretending, even now, after such evil deeds of others' jealousy and bad intentions have befallen you!' whipped his zen robe at the fire, at which time the smoke divided such that two streams still went into the sky but one stream wound down to earth in the direction of the village of Dän Bag and went to Sang Pung while, in actuality, his transcendent wisdom requested Setrab's support at Sang Pung, and arose in a wrathful form. The relics that had not been consumed by the cremation fire were placed at the principal position inside a set of all of the eight types of stupas, all made of silver. But when they were shortly thereafter moved to the Drepung upper residence, those coming to pay their respects could not remain because of the clatter and pounding, voices, and sounds of being squeezed that arose from within them.
Following Nechung's instructions, Desi immediately took the relics out of the stupa and placed them inside a wooden box that was placed in the Kyichu River and eventually came to rest in lower Lhoka Dol in a place known nowdays as the wWhite Spring of Dol.
From the moment Dragpa Gyaltsen died, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama saw
miraculous appearances in his visions and also experienced various miraculous manifestations. As the Fifth Dalai Lama says in his autobiography, in the 'ku' section, to quote it briefly,
I went to the Vajra Master who had begun Palden Remati do kang, effigy and fulfillment ritual, on the seventh.The Great Dharmapala also came, entering him, and said, 'There is disturbance of a demon inside the tea house!' In the meantime, seemingly connected with this, in my visions since the seventeenth. I have been seeing a young monkey, about eight years old, with a black color like that of a bear, and gyrating orange eyes, following Chakar Chotze around, sometimes riding on his neck.
and again,
The Great Dharmapala said that when Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen's body was cremated it was unsuitable to stay nearby so I should go to the Potala. Accordingly, I came to the Potala on the twenty?second. For seven days, in front of the Pagpa Che, Arya Brother, the sacred sandalwood statue of Avalokitesvara, they had been persevering in virtuous practice of making offerings, prayers, reciting mantras, and so forth. I was hoping for some sort of good sign that the karmic obscuration had been alleviated, but one night I dreamt that a monk set before me a bundled up zen, a monk's robe, about a finger width in thickness and a handspan in height as if to represent a person and said, 'Here is the happy Depa!' The moment he said that, the robe became some kind of animal. Other bad things occurred as well. For instance, with troops jammed up on the horse path out of the castle, I had to escape through rain in the midst of darkness, riding on Jayi Sang Depa's shoulders, without even getting the chance to put my shoes on.
and further on,
In the fifth month when Depa had gone to Gongkar to relieve his worries over keeping accounts and so forth, one day in the small bedroom, not thinking of anything, in an amount of time about as long as it would take to have some tea, at first there came slapping noises, primarily from the north, and just as I was preparing to dictate a letter with news that I was unwell, I again felt perfectly fine! So, along with including an account of this interesting event in a letter, not having obtained an amulet for him, I sent Depa an astrological prayer diagram and a carefully made protection cord for him to wear.
and again,
This summer there have been worse disturbances of demons than ever before! From the ninth of the ninth month, practicing most profound Dorje Drolo for a week helped to cut the height of the intensity. Zur Dorje Chang had a dream of a wide field on which there was a sort of human ape?like mother who had given birth to a hundred monkey children all of whom were at the point of death. The mother and the rest appeared to be sick and lying down. With this there was relief from demon manifestations in the palace.
again,
In late evening of the first of the third month of the earth dog year, Nyashur Kyaril conveyed news received through Jayi Sang Depa that Depa Norbu was sick, so I sent him an astrological prayer diagram, blessed images and soforth. I sent for a mounted escort to go to him before dawn but they did not arrive until about daybreak. That morning of the second I went to Lhasa. As he was experiencing very heavy seizures, it did not seem that it would be possible for him to recover, but still I made an astrological prayer diagram, performed expelling of poison, and various medical treatments were attempted. Nothing helped and by noon of the third he could live no longer and I performed powa, transference of consciousness. As much as our people of the north cry out, by just that much we seem to be missing the point.
and,
The Great Dharmapala said, 'Depa was struck by a ghost. Last year, when you had gone to the Tolung hot springs and the stupas had to be moved elsewhere, though the two geko, disciplinarians, were told to do this, they dared not take them any farther than just hurriedly putting them out. It was because of that fault that he got sick. Now the disturbance has grown so you must move the upper residence!' There was much discussion about whether it was necessary to destroy the building or not, that it could serve as a sort of gyäl dzong, a king's castle, yet whatever the truth may be, as long as the eight stupas were not taken out, people thought they heard sounds raised by ghosts such as voices and sounds of being squeezed. Since there was no unanimity about it, the possessions were taken to lower Tolung and the wood was taken out to the river. As the building was being destroyed without anger felt at the college having been fully pacified, hundreds of sangha of the three colleges recited scriptures. Morevoer, in the Fifth Dalai Lama's dreams, a turning parasol of saffron color, of the highest rank, kept appearing over and over. Each time it turned there was some sort of outer or inner turbulence. When he was giving Hayagriva jenang to Wang Gyal Dorje of Rinchen Gang, without the slightest breeze or anything else to cause it, the initiation torma fell over onto the table. When he was served meals, the plates of food would overturn for no reason. One time it even seemed that the entire Potala Palace was rocking back and forth. Such miraculous manifestions appeared again and again.
As said above, during Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen's life he heard many teachings from the Fifth Dalai Lama, and again, as stated above, he thoroughly examined every word of the verses of the secret teachings. He was never lax in his devotion to his gurus nor did he experience the slightest reversal of faith or commitment. Yet because of the brief moment of torment and disappointment he felt because of Desi Sonam Chopel's evil deed, he demonstrated various miraculous manifestations in order to raise the greatness of the Dalai Lama. Thus, this great being who can overwhelm all of the wrathful spirits in the world, from the provisional point of view, had to demonstrate manifestions that could create turbulence for even the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, as he is praised in this verse.
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Dear Big Uncle,
Thank you for posting this passage from Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche's work. So far, I think this is the most reliable of all the sources concerning Tulku Dragpa Gyeltsen's murder and his arising as Dorje Shugden. From the writing, it can be gathered that the Great Fifth did not know of the murder for he spoke as if Tulku Dragpa Gyeltsen had died of an illness. He would not knowingly utter a lie.
I'm also struck by Dorje Shugden's great compassion because he allowed himself to be killed in order to fulfill his promise to Nechung, to become the protector of Lama Tsongkapa's teachings. Even in death, he demonstrated guru devotion. By creating turbulence, Dorje Shugden raised the greatness of the Dalai Lama, his teacher.
Only great beings are capable of great deeds. May the practice of Dorje Shugden flourish in the world and bring about world peace.
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By creating turbulence, Dorje Shugden raised the greatness of the Dalai Lama, his teacher.
The Dalai Lama was NOT Dorje Shugden's teacher.
The holy Master Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen's teacher was the Venerable Panchen Lama. The Dalai Lama was another disciple of the Panchen Lama...
Whatever turbulence our holy Lama Drakpa Gyaltsen created (he was rather the victim of turbulence I would say), believe me, had nothing to do with seeking the DL's greatness, I just don't understand where this comes from. If he accepted to endure violence and he rose as a Protector it was for the sake of protecting Je Rinpoche's teachings.
It's very possible that the moment he chose to arise as a Protector ... at the time of the inauguration of the Dalai Lamas as political leaders ... is significant precisely because it was there that the sacred teachings of Je Tsongkhapa started being mixed with politics. This is not scriptural, but it is a reasonable speculation.
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As quoted from Music Delighting An Ocean of Protectors by Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche:-
THE STORY OF HOW TULKU DRAGPA GYELTSEN AROSE AS DORJE SHUGDEN
When strangled with the scarf by those evil-minded ones,
Through the force of Bodhichitta you arose as an overlord of wrathful ones,
And, day and night, with various terrifying manifestations,
Frightened even the courageous, praise to you!
Then, when he remembered his previous promise, he went to Pehar's temple and said to the Dharma King Nechung, 'Now I remember my previous promise, so what should I do?' The Dharmapala said, 'I can perform the activities to take care of that!' Soon after that, emanations of the Dharma King Nechung, hosts of travelers from all over, including many from Kham, eastern Tibet, came to Lhasa and sought audience and made offerings to Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen at the upper residence, in numbers that seemed to eclipse even those seeking audience with the Great Fifth Dalai Lama.
Hi all,
I'm interested in this link with Nechung - that it was Nechung who had encouraged Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen / Dulzin to arise as a Dharma protector to protect Je Tsongkhapa lineage... So it is particularly funny that the DL side is now saying that they were advised by Nechung that Dorje Shugden is not a correct practice and should not be propitiated.
I'm wondering if anyone has any information on this - is this is really what happened during audience with Nechung in trance? What was said? Is there any record / documentation of this or was it just errr... made up? I mean, how can they think to get away with this when it is so blatantly inconsistent with what is recorded historically and illogical?
Confusing!
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It is possible to have more than one guru. I know that the Panchen Lama was the main guru of both Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen and the Fifth Dalai Lama, but according to the text, Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen also "heard many teachings from the Fifth Dalai Lama". So there must have been a bond created between the two, like that of a teacher and a student.
And I have to disagree with Trinley Kalsang that "if you were a disciple of a previous incarnation of a lama, your commitment is to that lama" and that the lama and his reincarnation should be "treated as separate individuals."
I'm not referring to the line of Dalai Lamas, but if I were the disciple of a certain lama, and I had the good fortune to meet his reincarnation, I would remain steadfast in my devotion and regard the two as one because it is the same mind although the physical form is different.
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The problem with your post Midakpa was not that in reality the 5th DL was not "his teacher" as you state it but rather mainly a brother to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen through their common Guru the Panchen Lama.
The problem was your arbitrary fantasy that the "turbulence" that our holy Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen had to endure was for the sake of the 5th Dalai Lama's glory. Where did you go get such invention?
Rather remember that after several life times of having promised for the first time to become a Protector he finally became one when the time for protection came. The teachings of Je Rinpoche and his lineage started being mixed with politics with the advent of the 5th Dalai Lama, and oh coincidence, then and there our holy one had to arise as a Protector of those teachings.
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It's sad but true, Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen had to arise as Dorje Shugden to protect Je Tsongkhapa's tradition from the Dalai Lamas! Since the 5th, only the 7th, Kelsang Gyatso, has shown any real spiritual promise.
The 5th, 13th and 14th are all degenerate, mixing traditions and mixing Dharma with politics out of desire for worldly power and it's even more sad that Dorje Shugden is needed today more than he's ever been needed because the threat is ever greater.
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Dear A Friend,
Thanks for correcting me. I really must have been fantasising about the teacher-student bit. It's not easy to read these translations. The English is really wierd. But I mustn't blame others when I'm the one not doing the homework. And thanks for not calling me a "nube". You guys are really patient.
Dear Lineageholder,
I agree that Dorje Shugden is needed more than ever today. Personally I feel that his role is bigger in the modern world than just "protecting Je Tsongkhapa's tradition from the Dalai Lamas". That is a narrow view. Dorje Shugden's practice has spread to many parts of the world which is a very good thing. He belongs to the world now, not just Tibet. He's gone global. And Je Tsongkhapa's teachings are spreading. Just look at us in this forum. We argue but we have one thing in common, our practice!
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Midakpa,
I bow to your patience.
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Lineageholder,
I for one am in total darkness about the motivations of the Dalai Lamas that were true political leaders so I wouldn't be able to judge them.
I rather presume that they found themselves in the situation of being political leaders, that's the way they were raised up so maybe they even never had a motivation for being political leaders, "they were that" so to speak, they didn't plan it.
I don't think it helps to impute them evil motivations beforehand.
One thing is to acknowledge the wrong actions the one we know is doing. Another thing is to be able to judge the actions of those of another age, in circumstances that we barely know.
But one thing is sure, we might wish from now on to try to protect the Sangha from politics. I wish it were possible.
Zhalmed Pawo: how about promoting the adding of a clause to the Vinaya, forbidding monks to assume political responsibilities? I know this is almost impossible to acheive right now, due to the effects of the Lamas having been involved in politics for so many centuries. For instance, the Panchen Lama, who used to be the spiritual leader of Tibet, has been forced into political action by the Chinese government in his previous incarnation and plays a political role today ... that he didn't choose, obviously. But if little by little we tried to convince our Tibetan Lamas that we should modify this state of affairs ... it might take another century or so to reach the objective, but it would be worthwhile to try. What do you think?
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It is not possible that Tulku Dragpa Gyeltsen had arisen as Dorje Shugden with a political purpose, for eg. "to protect Je Tsongkhapa's tradition from the Dalai Lamas" as Lineageholder suggested.
Enlightened beings are a-political. Politics, which means "having an agenda", is part of samsara.
The ultimate aim of all holy beings, our gurus (and that includes the Dalai Lama if he is your guru), is for us to become enlightened. Politics would stand in the way because politics and religion are like black and white. They cannot mix and shouldn't be allowed to mix. Otherwise there will be no spiritual advancement. There may be many things happening around us, a lot of turbulence, but we must not allow that to disturb the inner peace.
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The Vehicle that passses the Teachings of Lord Buddha from his lips to our time,
There is no other moment than this One
This is what We Defend from one who edits the Prayers as he wishes!
One cannot call one who breaks the Sangha, a Buddha
It's just not right to hide in any corner of the Universe.
When One Who Destroys the Faith of the Sentient Beings
He risk the wrath of the Dharma Protectors
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Rabten Study Centres
Lake Geneva
Feldkirch/Austria
Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang
At the time when Buddha was living his life as Prince Siddhartha in the palace of his father he made a request to tour his kingdom. On three occasions the king arranged visits for his son to various destinations in Magada, carefully preparing in advance every detail to make sure that his son would not encounter any unpleasant sights. Nevertheless on these three occasions Prince Siddhartha was confronted with sickness, old age and death. He asked his friend and charioteer, Channa, about the meaning of these unexpected sights and each time Channa replied with the appropriate answer, leading the Prince to a complete realisation of suffering. Filled with renunciation, the Prince secretly fled from the palace, leaving all his attendants and friends behind, with the exception of Channa and his horse who were the only ones allowed to accompany him.
After Buddha's enlightenment Channa became his disciple and attained the state of an Arhat. This closest friend of Buddha Shakyamuni continued to serve the Buddha's teachings in innumerable incarnations, repeatedly appearing as a key master for the pure continuation of the teachings.
In India he emanated as the Arhat Madhughosha, as Master Vimala Shri, as Chandrakirti, as Shanta Rakshita, who founded Buddhism in Tibet and as Master Atisha, whose appearance in the year 1100 caused the faultless teachings of the Buddha to again be installed in Tibet.
Channa appeared in Tibet as the Kadampa Master Langri Tangpa and as the Sakya Master Jampel Dorje. As Je Tsongkhapa, known as the "Jewel Ornament of the Sages of the Land of Snow", he was the founder of the Gelug tradition. The Eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje is known as one of his incarnations as well as the Nyingma Master Sur Chöying Rangdröl. As the sixty-fourth successor of Je Tsongkhapa's throne he was known as Tri Jangchub Choephel, whose name in short form is Trijang and has remained with the line of the Trijang Rinpoches until this day.
At the turn of this century he took birth as Tri Losang Yeshe, known as Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, the junior tutor of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. As it is well known, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang was the foremost Tibetan Buddhist master of our time. Passing away in 1981 at the age of eighty-one, he followed in age as well as activities the exact example of the Enlightened Buddha. With his extraordinary method and capacity of teaching he fulfilled the purpose of countless beings through the teachings of the Buddha, particularly the tradition of Je Tsongkhapa. All the great masters and followers of this tradition were brought up under his compassionate spiritual guidance. The most outstanding personage amongst his disciples is His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself. The founder of the ‘Tashi Rabten’ monastery at the Letzehof, the Venerable Geshe Rabten Rinpoche, was one of his closest disciple. "
So this is the Lama that the Dalia Lama tore out of the Lama Choepa!
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'Why You are not a Buddhist').
Here are the first few verses:
What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows him as the wheel of the cart follows the beast that draws the cart.
What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with a pure mind, joy follows him as his own shadow.
'He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me.' Those who think such thoughts will not be free from hate.
'He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me.' Those who think not such thoughts will be free from hate.
For hate is not conquered by hate: hate is conquered by love. This is a law eternal.
Many do not know that we are here in this world to live in harmony. Those who know this do not fight against each other.
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Dear Lhakpa Gyaltshen,
Thank you for this account of Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang's spiritual incarnations. It's incredible. I didn't know about his previous incarnations until now. This has inspired me to read up and find out more about Trijang Rinpoche.
And thank you for sharing your thoughts and Buddha's teachings. As Atisha's disciple, Dromtonpa said: "I cannot see that there is a single word amongst Buddha's teachings that is not meant for training our minds".
Everything is dharma.
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Thank you! Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche gave me a series of color plates depicting his incarnations. If I figure out how to scan them onto the web site, it will make you go goose bumps!
Given the vastness of the Masters depicted on this site is just a glimmer of the majestic evervescence one might experience in their real presence. The internet is still abstract and cannot convey the true essence of the living presence within our Master's Wisdom.
I do think the seeds have been planted to dissuade the Dalia from doing to much more harm to the sentient beings. He cannot call us Demon People and not have it thrown back in his face.What goes around, comes around. In for a penny in for a pound. We should not stop redefining this lama and wear down his halo.
Misunderstanding Buddhism in general will be the result once he is found out to be as we say, a despot with political agendas that do not serve the dharma for the rest of us.
This is in the short term bad news for all Buddhist, not matter who wins, so to speak. There are no winners.
As we find him guilty of persecuting others for their Religious Beliefs and their Basic Human Rights to decide for oneself is the foundation block on which he will topple and fall. Just like Humpty Dumpty, no one will be able to put this lama back together again.
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I'd love to see those colour plates. Thank you.
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Gonsar Tulku Rinpoche
During the time of the 7th Dalai Lama, a young man from Amdo requested acceptance at the house of his countrymen in the Sera monastery near Lhasa. His appearance was so poor and shabby, that he was refused. Turning away from the house he met an old woman in the grounds of the monastery who suggested that he request admittance to Chadrel House and ensured him that he would be accepted there. He did as he was told, and after joining the monastery he showed great enthusiasm in his studies. Soon the extraordinary qualities of a great master became apparent. He became famous as Master Ngawang Thöndrup and extensively served the teachings of the Buddha as Abbot of the Sera Je monastery and as one of the tutors of His Holiness the 8th Dalai Lama. He spent a lot of time in meditation in a cave in the mountains near Lhasa, where later the Gonsar retreat monastery was built. When the people of Lhasa observed the new monastery they immediately started to call him ‘Gonsar’ which in Tibetan means ‘the lama of the new monastery'. This name has remained with the lineage of the Gonsar Rinpoches until today. The old woman that had led the first Gonsar Rinpoche to his college came to be known as an emanation of Palden Lhamo.
The fourth Gonsar Rinpoche, the previous incarnation to the present one, also studied in Sera monastery. After completing his studies with the Geshe examinations in his early twenties, he travelled to Mongolia and became one of the greatest masters amongst the later Buddhist masters of Mongolia. Teaching there for more than thirty years and frequently showing supernatural powers, he was greatly cherished by the population and almost all of the contemporary masters of Mongolia became his disciples. He returned to Tibet at the outbreak of the Bolshevik revolution and continued his vast activities there. The family of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama also belongs to his distinguished disciples.
The present Gonsar Rinpoche was born in 1949 in Shigatse, Tibet, to an aristocratic family known to be descendants of the ancient Tibetan kings. At that time his father was governor of the province Tsang, in western Tibet. At the age of three Gonsar Rinpoche was recognized as the fifth incarnation in the line of the Gonsar Rinpoche’s, which was confirmed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At the age of six he entered Sera monastery, the second largest Monastic University of Tibet at that time. From the very beginning he was raised and tutored under the kind care of Venerable Geshe Rabten. Gonsar Rinpoche received a great number of teachings and transmissions from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and many other masters, in particular from his root gurus Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang and the Venerable Geshe Rabten.
In 1959, when Tibet fell under the power of Red China, Gonsar Rinpoche fled with his master to India and continued his studies there. At the same time he learnt English and Hindi. In 1969 he started to translate into English the Buddhist teachings given to western students by his master Geshe Rabten.
Ever since the Venerable Geshe Rabten passed away in 1986, Gonsar Rinpoche, after spending thirty-three years as his closest disciple, has continued his master's activities. At present Gonsar Rinpoche is director of the center ‘Rabten Choeling’ in Mont Pèlerin, as well as the centers in Austria and Germany. He gives regular teachings directly in French, English, German or Tibetan.
The first Gonsar Rinpoche was famous for his particularly vast and profound teachings on the complete path of mental development to full enlightenment. The present Gonsar Rinpoche is renowned as one of the very few contemporary masters capable of transmitting every aspect of the Buddha's teachings as a clear and moving experience to Western as well as Tibetan audiences.
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Thank you for posting Gonsar Tulku Rinpoche's history and lineage.
Tibet has produced many great Buddhist masters. I like to read their biographies because they are so inspiring. They have contributed to the spread of Buddhism in the world. Many are now living and teaching in different countries and bringing happiness and meaning to people's lives through dharma. This might not have happened if they had remained in Tibet. I feel very sad about the fall of Tibet but as many have commented, Tibet's loss is the world's gain.
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Geshe Rabten Rinpoche
"From the time I was a small child, I met monks in their maroon robes returning from the great monastic universities near Lhasa. I admired them very much. I also occasionally visited the large monastery in our region; and when I watched the monks debating, I was again filled with admiration. When I was about fifteen years old I began to notice how simple, pure and efficient their lives were. I also saw how my own home life, in comparison, was so complicated and demanding of tasks that were never finished. In order to be counted as a qualified monk in the nearby Dhargye Monastery, one had to spend at least three to four years studying and training one's mind in the Buddha Dharma in one of the three monastic universities near Lhasa. With the thought of becoming such a monk in Dhargye Monastery, I decided at the age of seventeen to go to one of these monastic universities, although at that time I had no desire to become greatly learned in the Dharma".
Extract from Geshe Rabten's Biography, "Life of a Tibetan Monk", Edition Rabten, 2000
When he was eighteen Geshe Rabten went on a three month journey from his birthplace in Kham in the Eastern province of Tibet to Lhasa in central Tibet where he became a monk in the monastic university of Sera. Very soon teachers and fellow students became aware of his magnificent character traits. While studying and meditating he went through unbelievable hardship. Hence teachers and fellow students gave him the name ‘Milarepa’. Due to his clear and precise way of logical debate, people compared him to Dharmakirti, the great Buddhist logical thinker. After having studied for about twenty years, he passed the Geshe exam in front of monks from the three great monasteries. He was given the title of the highest rank, ‘Geshe Lharampa’. This is the greatest honor, which is given by the examiners and by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
In 1964 Geshe Rabten was chosen to be the philosophical assistant of the H.H. Dalai Lama. In 1969 the Dalai Lama first of all sent Western students to Geshe and then later, due to the amount of Western students that had accumulated he asked Geshe to move to the Tibetan monastery in Rikon, Switzerland to become the Abbot of that monastery. At that time Geshe had many students in the big monastic universities in India and as his master Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was getting old and because Geshe did profess to have any interest in the comfort and money of the West, he would have preferred to have stayed in India. Only when his master pointed out that his teachings would be a great blessing to the people of the West did Geshe agree to go.
Geshe was the first Buddhist master to introduce the complete Vinaya-tradition and the original study of Buddhism to the West. Hence Geshe became the ‘path breaker’ of the complete and complex teachings of Buddhism in the West. Many masters, who are famous in the West today, were Geshe’s students, namely: Gonsar Rinpoche, Khamlung Rinpoche, Sherpa Rinpoche, Tomthog Rinpoche, Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, Geshe Penpa, Geshe Tenzin Genpo, Geshe Thupten Ngwang, Geshe Thubten Trinley etc.
Almost unlike any other, Geshe Rinpoche was able to bring the essence of the thoughts of Buddha close to the listeners. No matter if the listener was from the West or the East, whoever followed his words felt all the unclearness disappear and in its place a clearness and calmness started to spread in one’s mind. His examples encouraged people to adopt a sincere way of acting. Whatever he explained, gave the pupil a feeling of hearing a description of the past, the future or of hearing deepest secrets as if all these things were in Geshe’s hand.
Geshe founded the center for higher Tibetan studies, Rabten Choeling at the lake of Geneva (originally Tharpa Choeling), the Tibetan center in Hamburg, Tashi Rabten at the Letzehof, Puntsog Rabten in Munich and Gephel Ling in Milan.
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Rabten Tulku Rinpoche
When Geshe passed away in 1986, his pupils were able to experience the extraordinary signs of a complete master passing away. During the months after his death, many students had the feeling that during their meditation Geshe was unusually close to them. Three years later, Gonsar Rinpoche, Geshe’s dearest and closest pupil discovered Geshe's incarnation, who, through various unconnected sources, amongst whom was the Dalai Lama, was confirmed to be the righteous incarnation.
In the spring of 1998 the ten year old Rabten Rinpoche gave his first teaching in front of a group of two hundred people in the monastery Rabten Choeling at the lake of Geneva. Unexpectedly and unprepared the young Rinpoche gave people advice on taking refuge. He spoke in the clear manner and way of impressing people, which had been Geshe Rabten’s own special way. The listeners were deeply moved and many of Geshe Rabten's former students had tears in their eyes.
The memory of Geshe through his incarnation, who even in his young years already showed clear traits of a great master makes one believe that there is nothing more precious that could be given to one in this life even if one were to meet the enlightened Buddha in person.
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Buddhas! Do Not Exclude Others,
Now remind me how was it the demons were tamed?
If we are demons?
Why does the Dalia Lama threaten to destroy Lord Shugden and his Followers throughout the Universes?
If he were a Buddha, he would not say such silly things.
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If he were a Buddha, he would not say such silly things.
I dare say that this is a perfect reason ... :D :D :D
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Lhakpa Gyaltshen has given a moving account of Geshe Rabten Rinpoche's life. From the description, it is clear that to become a "qualified monk" and especially a "Geshe Lharampa" is no easy task. Geshe Rabten studied for 20 years! It is also interesting to note that he didn't want to go to Switzerland but finally agreed to go out of compassion, to benefit people in the west.
It is not easy for these Tibetan masters to teach people from other cultures and traditions. It requires a lot of patience and above all, great compassion. This is why we must be grateful to them and support them in their work. This way, we make sure that they will reincarnate and continue their work.
Geshe Rabten's students are very fortunate to have discovered their guru's incarnation. This is because they have guru devotion. I'm very happy for them and wish them well.