Friday, September 30, 2005

Chatral, Dudjom and Dilgo Khyentse, Rinpoches

This is one of the most famously copied pictures in India and Nepal, yet rare to find in high quality. It was also a rare occasion to have such great masters sitting together. The place must be either Kalimpong or Darjeeling in the early 1960s.
Click on the photo for a higher resolution.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Rubin Museum of Art September 29 was SOLD OUT

Blazing Splendor Book Reading event on Thursday, September 29, 2005 in New York City at 7:00pm at the Rubin Museum of Art was SOLD OUT
See the film of the reading on October 21, November 25 or 27 - (open to RMA Members only). For more information contact the Rubin Museum of Art at : 212.620.5000 at info@rmanyc.org www.rmanyc.org
Readings from the newly published Memoirs of the Dzogchen Yogi Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche with Sharon Salzberg, Daniel & Tara Goleman, Mingyur Rinpoche, Erik Pema Kunsang, Marcia Binder Schmidt, Michael Tweed and Tom Lesser. Blazing Splendor provides a first-hand glimpse into what actually took place in the last decades of old Tibet, through the eyes of an insider who held little illusion about what was to transpire in his country. The book spans an exceptional period in Tibetan history and provides a telling, up-close look at the treachery of Lhasa politics during this endgame. Tulku Urgyen describes his days as the Karmapa\'s envoy to the Tibetan government and finally how the spiritual greatness that was once Tibet manages to resurrect itself in the world beyond, as he—auguring what was to come—flees Tibet a year before the Dalai Lama himself. A co-presentation with Tricyle, a Buddhist magazine.

Monday, September 26, 2005

The Big White Gompa in Boudha, ca 1978

Many of you have been to Boudha and visited the Great Stupa and taken a round of the various monasteries. But where did the lamas come from and how were those monasteries first build? Some of them have fascinating stories behind them.

Some fifty ago (in the mid-1950’s), the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpey Dorje, gave a command and prophecy to one of his principal gurus, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Dharma Master of Lachab Gompa in Kham: "If you go to Nepal and build a monastery, it will further the Buddhist Doctrine and bring benefit to sentient beings.” In accordance with Karmapa's wish, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche left his monastery in eastern Tibet and crossed over the Himalayan Mountains into neighboring Nepal where he journeyed in its northern regions. Shortly thereafter, Karmapa placed Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche in charge of Nagi Gompa, a nunnery situated high on the northern slopes of Kathmandu Valley. After settling there, he quickly expanded the nunnery to include a main temple and simple dwellings for about 80 nuns. Early in 1972, Tulku Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Chokling Rinpoche joined their parents, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and his consort, Kunsang Dechen, in Kathmandu. Until that time, the brothers had been studying since childhood at Rumtek Monastery, seat of His Holiness Karmapa, in Sikkim. Within a short time, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and his family began construction of Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery on spacious farmland just north of the ancient legendary Jarung Khashor Stupa in the village of Boudha Nath. Upon completion of the monastery in 1976, His Majesty King Birendra of Nepal performed the official inauguration, the first time he had performed such a ceremony for a Buddhist monastery. Immediately thereafter, the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa appointed 24-year old Tulku Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche abbot of the new monastery.
This picture and text was sent to me by Shenpen Lhamo. Thanks.

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Lachab - Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's monastery in Nangchen

Lachab Jangchub Nordzin Choling was and still is the main monastery of Samten Gyatso and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche in Nangchen. Even though Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche re-established his seat in Nepal, outside of Kham, the lineage of his guru and his former incarnation is still being carried on in Nanchen. Here is a short story about his former life, Chowang Tulku:

Kalpa, Chöwang’s attendant, was quite old when I met him. He had continued his meditation practice, and it seemed to me that he had reached a solid level of experience and realization. Kalpa told me many other interesting stories about Chöwang. They must be true because that old monk never lied.
Tsang-Yang Gyamtso once went up to meet Chöwang Tulku and when Kalpa went in to announce his arrival, Chöwang simply said, “He doesn’t need to see me. There’s nothing he can get from meeting me.” So, the visitor did several circumambulations and left.
Another time, a guest who had traveled quite far came with an offering he had been given to present to Chöwang Tulku—a large brick of expensive Chinese tea. Halfway to Fortress Peak this guest stopped at a river to have a meal and, as he looked at the fine tea, decided to steal half of it.
So he took out his knife and cut it in two. He wrapped one part back up in the white scarf and the rest he hid in his bag, thinking to himself, “The lama doesn’t need more than half, so I’ll just keep the rest.”
When he approached Chöwang Tulku, the guest of course didn’t mention anything about taking some of the tea. As he handed over his offering of tea, he simply said, “This is for you.”
Then he noticed that his knife, which he was especially fond of, was missing. So he said, “Hey, Rinpoche! Could you perform a divination to see if I will find my favorite knife? I lost it somewhere on the way here.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Chöwang Tulku replied, “Don’t you remember where we divided up the tea, half for you and half for me? Go back and you will find your knife lying right there.”
Hearing this, the man was petrified and began to cry. He apologized, confessing the whole story. Weeping, he prostrated and took out the tea he had stolen.Chöwang Tulku said, “Don’t take it so hard! I don’t need that much tea. It’s fine if you take some home. Take it back there and make yourself some delicious tea. Enjoy it—and tell your family that I gave it to you.”

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Recent holder of the Hearing Lineage

One of the more outstanding masters in recent times was Khenpo Ngawang Palzang of Khatok, usually known as Khenpo Ngakchung.
Several of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s teachers had studied with this master, but especially Bomta Khenpo (Polo Khenpo Dorje). Here is a story about him from Blazing Splendor:

One day Bomta Khenpo told me, “In my life I have received plenty of teachings on the view and the scriptures of the Great Perfection, as have many others. But I’m one of the rare people who have met both Vimalamitra’s emanation and Vimalamitra in actuality.”
“Please, Rinpoche,” I requested, “tell me the story.”
“Vimalamitra’s emanation is my teacher Khenpo Ngakchung. Once every hundred years, Vimalamitra sends an emanation to Tibet to clarify the innermost essence of the Dzogchen teachings. Paltrul once told his disciple Lungtok of Nyoshul that he didn’t get to meet this emanation of Vimalamitra, but ‘you will probably meet him in your time.’ Lungtok identified his own disciple Khenpo Ngakchung as an unmistaken emanation of Vimalamitra and Khenpo Ngakchung became my root guru.
“When I met Khenpo Ngakchung, I already had a fairly good comprehension of emptiness, but that degree of theoretical learning didn’t satisfy me. I still felt an acute need to clarify every point and gain a thorough understanding, to the fullest degree.
“So I asked for the job of Khenpo’s tea server—not that I was that young at the time, but I thought it would be a good way to get close to the master. Each time I poured him a cup of tea, I whispered a short question and each time I received an answer. That was the only practical way to approach him; otherwise you had to advance to the position of assistant teacher to be allowed to ask questions. For eight years, I held on to my menial chore, serving his tea—and at the end of that time, I couldn’t find a single question that I still needed to ask.”
Later on, I got a chance to ask the Karmapa about Bomta Khenpo’s teacher, “What do you think of Khenpo Ngakchung?”
“Oh, he’s definitely an emanation of Vimalamitra,” he replied in his deep voice.
That settled it.

For more details about the nature of the pointing-out instruction, see:
http://www.rangjung.com/authors/tulku_urgyen_rinpoche-interview.htm

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Young Lamas Home School in Dalhousie


The British woman Frida Bedi arranged in the early 1960s for many of the young tulkus -- recently arriving from Tibet and Kham -- to continue their education in a school in Dalhousie. Standing, third from the right, is Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche who was one of the teachers at the time. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was also asked to send his two sons -- Chokyi Nyima and Chokling who remained for six months before they were summonded by the Karmapa to Rumtek.
If you know any of the other lamas on the picture, please click on "comment" and write them in.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Rare snow at Nagi Gompa

After spending a couple of years in Sikkim and in the mountains of Nepal, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was asked by the 16th Karmapa to take residence at Nagi Gompa, situated on the northern slope of the Kathmandu Valley. In those days, the early 1960s, there was no road, and all provisions and building materials were carirried by hand -- a real hermitage. Over the years, a road was laid, and there is now electricity, water in pipes from the spring above to the more than hundred nuns, two centers for three-years retreats, and the main temple where Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche lived until 1996. This photo was taken last year during the yearly Ngakso Drubchen ceremonies, graced by a gentle descent of beautiful snowflakes.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Tulku Rabsel Dawa - Brilliant Moon

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche first appears in Blazing Splendor as one of the teachers of Tulku Urgyen's uncle, Tersey Tulku, who received the transmission for the black Vajra Yogini from him. There is also a long, intimate story of Dilgo Khyentse revealing a terma from a scroll with dakini script which Tulku Urgyen had received from his grandmother. Here is en early photo from either Lhasa or Kalimpong.
Here is a short biography: http://www.shechen.org/sub_teachers_dkr.html

Thursday, September 08, 2005

A talk on the life of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche in Halifax, Canada

Talk by Erik Pema Kunsang & Marcia Binder Schmidt co-authors of Blazing Spendor: The Memoirs of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche will give a talk on the life of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche Friday, September 9 7:00 pm, $10, open to all
Intimate in tone, these personal memoirs recount the influences and experiences that shaped one of the great spiritual teachers of our time. Blazing Splendor is both of spiritual and historical import. Erik Pema Kunsang began translating with Tulku Urgen in 1980. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was among Tibetan Buddhism's greatest masters of the 20th century, and was highly instrumental in bringing the practice of Dzogchen (Great Perfection) to the West.
http://www.halifax.shambhala.org/class_details.html#blazing

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Tokden-meditators in Nangchen

Many of the stories in Blazing Splendor mention the tokden style of meditator in Nangchen. Often they are monks who during long retreats never cut their hair, and then continued to leave it uncut -- perhaps a sign of naturalness. These days, the tradition remains unbroken. Here is one tokden I just had to take a photo of in 2003, and he didn't mind. In Nepal and India, the monks and nuns cut their longs braids after the three-year retreats, as in the retreat centers Tulku Urgyen established at Nagi and Asura.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

The sublime shape of human existence

As a humerous touch, I add a link where you can stay fit while reading Blazing. http://www.trackyourdiet.com/Books/reviews/9627341568/default.aspx

Dudjom Rinpoche - flanked by Dordrak Rigdzin and Minling Chung

One of the greatest masters of recent times, Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, was seen by many of his contemporaries with the pure perception of seeing Padmasambhava in person. Here is he photographed in the mid-1950s, at Samye transmitting the Treasury of Precious Termas. It must have been just before Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche met him in Lhasa and offered the Three Sections of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen Desum). Lobpon Norbu La graciously allowed it to be scanned one fine day I brought my laptop and portable scanner around Boudha. Thanks go out to Lobpon Norbu La! (Click on the photo to get the large, un-touch-up'ed format.)
Here are more details of his precious life: http://www.rangjung.com/rootfiles/authors.htm

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Short biography of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, for the web


In all these postings, which are meant to celebrate the life and lineage and teachings of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, I see that various places need short biographical data. On his first tour around the world with Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, we wrote something in New York which was later edited to this page: http://www.rangjung.com/authors/tulku_urgyen_rinpoche-info.htm

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Samye - early photo of the Glorious and Spontaneous Fulfillment of Boundless Aspirations

It was in the Year of the Ox when King Trisong Deutsen, who had reached the age of twenty, gave rise to the thought of practicing the holy Dharma and this deep aspiration took root in him: “The former king, Songtsen Gampo, constructed many temples in this pitch-black darkness of Tibet. He had many texts of the holy Dharma translated and he was extremely kind to Tibet. Now, I shall cause the holy Dharma to spread and flourish! I will construct a temple that will be a palace for the Three Jewels, a site of devotion and respect for all the people. I shall build a temple to fulfill my sacred aspiration. What kind of temple should I construct?” He then decided, “I shall build a temple that resembles the four continents and Mount Sumeru, surrounded by the ring of iron mountains!”
--From The Lotus-Born

Earlier, I mentioned that Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was born at Yeshe Tsogyal's Life-Lake near Samye in Central Tibet, and here is an old photo of Samye. It appears in Blazing Splendor in a small size and I am happy to share a larger one with you here. One of you may know who took this picture and when.

First book-signing in the US

Last night we -- Danny, Tara, Marcia and I -- read from Blazing Splendor and shared some memories at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Massachusetts. Here is the words from their announcement:
Blazing Splendor paints an intimate portrait of the lost culture of Old Tibet and of a remarkable man who inspired thousands. A memoir in the form of tales told by Rinpoche toward the end of his life, the book spans his lifetime -- a lifetime rich in adventures of both spirit and body. His reminiscences weave a rich tapestry of family history and also describe the lives of some of the most realized and genuine practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) announces Blazing Splendor

Sept. 29
Readings from the newly published Memoirs of the Dzogchen Yogi Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche with Daniel & Tara Goleman, Mingyur Rinpoche, Erik Pema Kunsang, Marcia Binder Schmidt, and Tom Lesser. Blazing Splendor provides a first-hand glimpse into what actually took place in the last decades of old Tibet, through the eyes of an insider who held little illusion about what was to transpire in his country. The book spans an exceptional period in Tibetan history and provides a telling, up-close look at the treachery of Lhasa politics during this endgame. Tulku Urgyen describes his days as the Karmapa's envoy to the Tibetan government and finally how the spiritual greatness that was once Tibet manages to resurrect itself in the world beyond, as he—auguring what was to come—flees Tibet a year before the Dalai Lama himself. A co-presentation with Tricyle, a Buddhist magazine.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

1976 in Boudha, Kagyu Lamas

The time is 1976. The place is the roof of Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Boudha. The occasion is the transmission of the Treasury of the Tantric Teachings of the Kagyu Masters, on of the famous five collections of Jamgön Kongtrul. This transmission was conferred by the 16th Karmapa on many tulkus and lamas, monks and nuns, and took place at the request of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.
Seated in the middle: the Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpey Dorje.
Standing from left: Andzin Tulku, Tsikey Chokling, Thrangu, Tharig, Dabzang, Shamar, Gyaltsab, Sabchu, Tulku Urgyen, Salche, Chokyi Nyima, Rinpoches.
Sitting, from the left: Lowa Tulku, Drupon Rinpoche, Ponlop Rinpoche, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Surmang Garwang Rinpoche, Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche, Nando Tulku.