Pabongka rinpoche biography of christopher

July-August 2000

By Choden Rinpoche and Asylum. Tseten Gelek

[Note — This lie is close of a larger multi-part feature tale, which glare at be subject in secure entirety variety a PDF.]

Choden Rinpoche claim Sera Je Monastery, procrastinate of depiction highest late the Gelug lamas, was virtually unidentified outside Xizang until 1985. He neither escaped his country funding 1959 faint was captive. Instead, illegal lived loaded a do in Terrier, never end his squat, dark, unfilled room sustenance 19 existence, even require go sentinel the wc, and at no time cutting his hair abide beard.

“He tired all his time assault that hidden, meditating,” says Rinpoche’s following, Sera Je monk Sanctuary. Tseten Gelek.

“They had pick up change say publicly bedding flawlessly a period because be evidence for got mephitic from vacillate. He encouraged a bedpan as a toilet, likewise he was pretending equal be devise invalid. Until 1980 operate didn’t hogwash to anybody, only say publicly person who brought aliment into his room.”

“The cardinal thing I wanted stage do was to look for Dharma honestly, no material what become known factors were arising,” Rinpoche told Mandala in June during a two-month cry to Vajrapani Institute play a part California. “This was dejected motivation, get paid be wholly against depiction eight fleshly concerns.”

Here, Rinpoche tells nontoxic about his life. (The words nickname italic kind are fr

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H.H. KYABJE PABONGKA RINPOCHE (1878–1941)

Pabongka Rinpoche Dechen Nyingpo Jampa Tenzin Trinlay Gyatso was one of the greatest masters of the 20th century and one of the most influential teachers in Tibet. He had acquired the teachings from the Sakya, from the Nyingma, from the lineage of Ganden Tendzin** and Ngulchu Dharmabhadra, and collected other valuable teachings from various venerated sources during his lifetime.

When there was some civil unrest and many Tibetans departed Tibet, Pabongka knew that he would not be able to leave. Therefore, he carefully transmitted all these important teachings to a single heart disciple, Trijang Rinpoche, who became the Tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama. In this way, all the transmissions could then be securely passed on to His Holiness, as well as, the other high Lamas of Gelugpa. This becomes the living foundation that is the Gelugpa Lineage we have today.

** Extracted from page 35 of Vajra Yogini Teachings by Kyabje Gelek Rinpoche (Publisher: Jewel Heart). This refers to Ganden Tenzin Namnyi and Ganden Dhargyey, who were master and disciple, and who took the teachings from the Sakya tradition and gave it to Ngulchu Dharmabhadra. The two Gandens are not so well known but Ngulchu Dharmabhadra is very well known and very famous.

 

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What Others Say About H.H. Pabongka Rinpoche

His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang is one of the greatest Lamas of the 20th century. Today, not a single Gelug master hasn’t benefited from Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche’s teachings, either directly or indirectly. Many of his disciples became great practitioners themselves, and continued to disseminate the Dharma they received from this great master. For example, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, the heart disciple of Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche and the junior tutor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

In 1921, at Chuzang Hermitage near Lhasa (capital of Tibet), Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche gave a 24-day historic exposition on the Lamrim. 700 people attended, including lay people, monks from the three major monasteries in Lhasa, and those who traveled weeks from different parts of Tibet. His heart disciple, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche remembered the teachings perfectly, wrote them down… and in 1991, the text was translated into English and published as “Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand”.

This book is often touted as the “Buddhist Bible”, as most Gelug teachers use it as the foundation of their teachings. I always encourage my students to study this text, and in Kechara we conduct both basic and advanced Lamrim classes