Lama Urgyen Chökyi Dorje (Lama Chodor)
The Spiritual Advisor of CET-Pendê Ling. Born in Belgium in February 1968, in the Year of the Monkey Year or Year of Guru Rinpoche, Lama Chödor is the son of one of the first Western Buddhists of the Tibetan
School and one of the first Tibetan to French translators. At the age of merely eight years he travelled to India and Nepal, by his own decision, to study the teachings of the Buddha. In Nepal he would find one who would become his first Master, Venerable Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, an unparalleled Dzogchen Master, who was also Master of the sixteenth Karmapa, and he received a unique spiritual relationship between master and disciple with Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and many others of the greatest Tibetan masters of the twentieth century. From an early age, Lama Chödor, as he is affectionately called, received from the hands of masters (or lamas) their instructions, transmissions, and spiritual empowerments.
School and one of the first Tibetan to French translators. At the age of merely eight years he travelled to India and Nepal, by his own decision, to study the teachings of the Buddha. In Nepal he would find one who would become his first Master, Venerable Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, an unparalleled Dzogchen Master, who was also Master of the sixteenth Karmapa, and he received a unique spiritual relationship between master and disciple with Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and many others of the greatest Tibetan masters of the twentieth century. From an early age, Lama Chödor, as he is affectionately called, received from the hands of masters (or lamas) their instructions, transmissions, and spiritual empowerments.
Among those masters are counted some who have always been considered the spiritual giants of the Tibetan tradition; besides Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and his Venerable wife Khandro Mayumi Rinpoche, we can name Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, the Sixteenth Karmapa Rigpe Dorje, Thrangu Rinpoche, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Chokling Rinpoche, Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche, among many other Rinpoches, Khenpos, and Lamas. Therefore he would become Lama Urgyen Chokyi Dorje or Lama Chödor, a Kanyinga Spiritual Guide, that is, one following the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
Within the Nyingma School, Chödor Lama has a very close connection with the lineages of Chokling Tersar, Longchen Nyingthig, and the Mindroling Tradition. From the Kagyu School, his lineage holds the Karma Kagyu and Shangpa Kagyu traditions. He has additionally received many other teachings from other Tibetan lineages. From Tulku Urgyen, none other than the father of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Chokling Rinpoche, the current holders of the Chokling Tersar Lineage, and with whom the Lama Urgyen Chödor maintains a close relationship, both through his family as well as spiritual ties, he not only received the instructions of the wonderful lineage of the Termas of Chogyur Lingpa and of the Kagyu Lineage, among others, but he also
received the title of Lama. In this way, Lama Urgyen Chödor has received an unique training — a harmonious
blend between the most profound Tibetan Buddhist culture and an European education. This makes him an incomparable Dharma teacher, transmitting the Dharma in an accessible, practical way, free from the cultural trappings that so often hinder a genuine understanding of Buddhist practice in the West.
received the title of Lama. In this way, Lama Urgyen Chödor has received an unique training — a harmonious
blend between the most profound Tibetan Buddhist culture and an European education. This makes him an incomparable Dharma teacher, transmitting the Dharma in an accessible, practical way, free from the cultural trappings that so often hinder a genuine understanding of Buddhist practice in the West.
Lama Urgyen Chödor is one of the mentor behind the CET - Pendê Ling project and is its spiritual adviser as well as one of its leading teachers (or Lamas); we rejoice that this makes the Center for Tibetan Studies — Pendê Ling a richer and unique center of spiritual learning for the dissemination of Dharma in our country.
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Tulku Urgyen's main monastery was Lachab Gompa in Nangchen, Eastern Tibet. He studied and practiced the teachings of both the Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Among the four greater Kagyu Schools, his family line was the main holder of the Barom Kagyu Lineage.
In the Nyingma tradition, Tulku Urgyen held the complete teachings of the last century's three great masters: Terchen Chokgyur Lingpa, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Kongtrul Lodro Thaye. He had an especially close transmission for the New Treasures, a compilation of all the empowerments, reading transmissions and instructions of Padmasambhava's teachings, which were rediscovered by Terchen Chokgyur Lingpa, his great-grandfather. Rinpoche passed on this tradition to the major regents of the Karma Kagyu lineage as well as to many other lamas and tulkus.
The close relationship between the lineage of the Karmapas and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche came about since the 14th Gyalwang Karmapa was one of the main recipients of Chokgyur Lingpa's termas, receiving the empowerments from the terton himself. Tulku Samten Gyatso, the grandson of Chokgyur Lingpa and the root guru of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, offered the same transmission to the 15th Gyalwang Karmapa Khakyab Dorje. The Gyalwang 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpey Dorje, was offered the major transmissions of the Chokling Tersar by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. In addition, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche also felt fortunate to pass on the transmission for the important Dzogchen Desum, the Three Sections of the Great Perfection, to both His Holiness Karmapa and Dudjom Rinpoche, as well as numerous Tulkus and lamas of the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages.
Tulku Urgyen established six monasteries and retreat centers in the Kathmandu region. The most important of these are at Boudhanath, the site of the Great Stupa, and another at the Asura Cave, where Padmasambhava manifested the Mahamudra Vidyadhara level. He lived at Nagi Gompa Hermitage above the Kathmandu Valley. Under his guidance were more than 300 monks and nuns. He stayed in retreat for more than 20 years, including four three-year retreats.
In 1980 Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, accompanied by his oldest son Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, went on a world tour through Europe, the United States and South East Asia, giving teachings on Dzogchen and Mahamudra to many people. Every year since then a seminar on Buddhist study and practice has been held at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in essential meditation practice, combining the view and meditation of Dzogchen, Mahamudra and the Middle Way. Less concerned with the systematic categories of topics of knowledge or with the logical steps of philosophy, Tulku Urgyen directly addressed the listener's present state of mind. His published works in English include Repeating the Words of the Buddha, As It Is 1 & As It Is 2, Rainbow Painting and the recent Vajra Speech.
The over-all background of the teachings of Dzogchen and Mahamudra, which are tremendously vast and profound, can be condensed into simple statements of immediate relevance to our present state of mind. Tulku Urgyen was famed for his profound meditative realization and for the concise, lucid and humorous style with which he imparts the essence of the 84,000 sections of the Buddhist teachings. His method of teaching is 'instruction through one's own experience.' Using few words, this way of teaching points out the nature of mind, revealing a natural simplicity of wakefulness that enables the student to actually touch the heart of the Buddha's Wisdom Mind.
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Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche was born on 6th June 1943 in the blessed region of Dzachuka, Eastern Tibet. A great many exceptional masters have come from this area, including the great Bodhisattva Patrul Rinpoche and incomparable scholar Mipham Rinpoche. Kyabje Rinpoche’s mother was the sister of the accomplished master Dzogchen Adro Socho and bore many signs of a dakini, including a naturally occurring ah syllable on her tongue. When Kyabje Rinpoche was still in the womb, his aunt dreamed that a luminous white crystal stupa fell on top of the tent where they lived. When he was born the surrounding area was filled with blossoming flowers that had never been seen before. This and many other special signs occurred, the news of which spread throughout the area. Rinpoche’s maternal uncle, the Forth Mura Rinpoche Pema Norbu, named the child Pema Kalsang.
When he reached the age of five, Dzogchen Kontul Rinpoche, who had lived with the Second Pema Banza, Kyabje Rinpoche’s previous incarnation, travelled to Dzachuka and the home of the family. As soon as he saw the master, young Pema Kalsang went to sit on his lap very joyfully, as if he was a good friend. He recognised the knife strapped to Kontul Rinpoche's belt saying ‘This is mine!’ The knife had belonged to the child’s previous incarnation, the Second Pema Banza. Not long after that, the names of Rinpoche’s parents, his place of birth and other details were found to correspond with the prophesies of Jamyang Khyentse Choki Lodro, the Sixth Dzogchen Rinpoche Jigdral Jangchup Dorje, Tulku Drime and other genuine masters, and Pema Kalsang was identified as the third incarnation of the Great Khenpo Pema Banza.
Dzogchen Bodpa Tulku went especially to Dzachuka, gave Kyabje Rinpoche his first set of saffron robes and looked after him. At the age of seven Rinpoche was taken to Jangma monastery to study reading, writing and astrology with Dzogchen Khenpo Chogyur. He was a very gifted child and mastered his subjects quickly.
At the age of ten, together with Mura Tulku Pema Norbu, his parents and a group of more than twenty others, Rinpoche went to Dzogchen Monastery. A few thousand lamas, monks and lay people rode out for three days to welcome him. They were dressed in all their finery and formed a procession, holding silken parasols and victory banners. When Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche arrived he was taken into the assembly hall at the very top of the lama palace and enthroned in the presence of the Sixth Dzogchen Rinpoche, Great Khenpo Jigme Yonten Gonpo and a large group of khenpos and tulkus.
Kyabje Rinpoche lived in the chambers of Dzogchen Rinpoche for many years, and together they studied under Khenpo Jigme Yonten Gonpo. During that time they received almost every one of the profound Buddhist teachings. In addition to that, Dzogchen Rinpoche gave him many important empowerments. He also received instruction and guidance from Mura Pema Norbu, the great spiritual master Ngawang Norbu, Bodtul Dhonuk Tenpe Nyima, Great Khenpo Tupten Nyendrak and the great scholar Pema Osel.
In 1955, at the age of thirteen, Kyabje Rinpoche received the vows of a novice monk from his tutor Khenpo Jigme Yonten Gonpo. Later he became fully ordained with the famous spiritual master Khenpo Wangde Rinpoche and was given the name Tupten Longdock Tenpe Gyaltsen.
Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche travelled with Dzogchen Rinpoche to the monastery of Dzongsar Khyentse Jamyang Choki Lodru three times especially to receive the empowerments of the old and new traditions, the sutras, tantras, canonical and treasure texts. They also travelled to Central Tibet and Tsang on pilgrimage and met many lamas including His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
From the age of fourteen to sixteen Kyabje Rinpoche lived in the Dzogchen Long Life Retreat Centre with the great Khenpo Pema Tsewang, who taught him personally. During that time he would unfailingly pass every test of memorisation and comprehension of the scriptures without any difficulty. Everyone was amazed at his natural intelligence. Kyabje Rinpoche looks back on those years as the most happy of his life.
In the autumn of 1958, when Kyabje Rinpoche was seventeen, Dzogchen Rinpoche took him to Gyalgi Drakkar, the retreat centre of Great Khenpo Tupten Nyendrak. With tears in his eyes, Dzogchen Rinpoche requested the khenpo to give Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche the empowerment of longevity seventeen times, corresponding to his age. Dzogchen Rinpoche said to the khenpo, ‘Not long from now the Buddhist tradition will face obstruction and destruction. At this time do not worry about me, focus your attention on this young one.’
During the winter of the following year, Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche together with Dzogchen Rinpoche and Great Khenpo Yonten Gonpo, was forced to stay in Dege for political re-education. At one stage Dzogchen Rinpoche and the khenpo managed to return to Dzogchen monastery. When they were leaving, Dzogchen Rinpoche implored Sonam Gyaltsen, the manager of his residence who was with them, to look after Pema Kalsang Rinpoche very well. At that time, Sonam Gyaltsen thought Dzogchen Rinpoche was talking about looking after the young Rinpoche for a few days while he was away. Only later did he realise what he had been told was prophetic. This was the last time they saw either Dzogchen Rinpoche or Khenpo Yonten Gonpo. When Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche was released from prison, they returned to Dzogchen Monastery and lived together as one family, just as Dzogchen Rinpoche had instructed.
The next twenty years brought terrible suffering, even before the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution began. Six thousand monasteries and one million Tibetan people were eradicated. From the oppression of the Buddha Dharma to great physical hardships, all kinds of negative conditions raged like a storm. During this time Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche prayed day and night for the revival of the precious Buddhist teachings. He risked his life to secretly store even the smallest piece of scripture or representation of the Buddha that came into his possession. He did not waste any time resting from the exhausting daily labour, but tirelessly practised the approach and accomplishment of the Yidam, and the practices of generation, perfection and great perfection. In this way he embraced the bad conditions into the path of Dharma.
In Kyabje Rinpoche's thirtieth year, the sun of the Buddha's teachings once again rose over the cool land of Tibet. He began to re-establish the great monastic seat of Dzogchen and re-unite members of the spiritual community. During the years 1978 and 1979 Kyabje Rinpoche managed to recover many important texts and statues, most of which had to be brought on foot from the Central and Tsang regions of Tibet.
In 1981, Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche, together with Zankar Rinpoche, established the first Tibetan Language College of Sichuan Province on the site of Shira Sing Buddhist University. He invited great non-sectarian masters, the chief holders of the Dzogchen teaching lineage, to come and teach. This was like adding new oil to the dying flame of the Tibetan scholarly tradition. In the same year he managed to rebuild the first story of the historical lama palace of Dzogchen Monastery.
In 1982, at the age of thirty-two, Kyabje Rinpoche set out to make a pilgrimage to India, but was involved in a terrible car accident. He was seriously injured and almost died. Kyabje Rinpoche was forced to spend a year in hospital. In the words of Kyabje Rinpoche himself, ‘I had managed to survive all the obstacles that threatened my life. I was the only one left of all the lamas and monks who had lived in the lama palace of Dzogchen. That I was able to continue to work for the Dharma at that time of extreme weakness of the Dzogchen teachings was certainly due to the power of Dzogchen Rinpoche’s prayers, and the blessings of Khenpo Tupten Nyendrak's seventeen long life empowerments.’
Not disheartened, Kyabje Rinpoche recovered his strength, and relying on two walking sticks travelled to India and Nepal. He made a pilgrimage to all the major holy sights and met Dzogchen Rinpoche in South India. From there he visited Europe and the United States of America, where he gave teachings to many fortunate Westerners.
Having returned to Tibet, Kyabje Rinpoche took responsibility for the completion of the lama palace as well as the reconstruction of the Grand Temple of Dzogchen Monastery. Despite the physical hardships, he worked on the construction personally every day. Pooling all his resources he built a golden reliquary stupa adorned with precious jewels to enshrine the relics of the Sixth Dzogchen Rinpoche, which he had risked his life keeping for twenty-five years.
From a prophesy of the Great Treasure Revealer Pema Namdrol Lingpa:
On the great fearless lion throne
Of Shira Singha practice centre
Padma[sambhava]’s mind emanation, named Pema,
Will illuminate like the sun
The excellent and virtuous wisdom
Of the conqueror's teachings,
And the thousand-petal lotuses
Of many young Pemas bloom.
In 1988 this prophesy came true when the reconstruction of the great Buddhist University of Shira Sing began. Kyabje Rinpoche used the small amount of money he received in compensation from the road accident to start the building work. Working with a group of fifty monks, Kyabje Rinpoche constructed accommodation buildings for two hundred monks and a large temple. He invited scripture masters, and once again the great fire of teaching and contemplation of the sutras and tantras blazed. The Dzogchen valley, that had been dark and empty for thirty years, was once again illuminated with the holy light of Buddha Dharma.
In 1998 Kyabje Rinpoche began the construction of the Lotus Ground Retreat Centre in the secluded meadow of Dzogchen Pema Tung. This is the site of his previous incarnation's retreat centre. Having completed the stunning Temple of Great Perfection in 2003, Kyabje Rinpoche established the Pema Tung annual teachings and empowerments of the secret Heart Essence of Dzogpa Chenpo, for great numbers of fortunate students.
More recently Kyabje Rinpoche has been invited to the great monastic seats of Dorje Drak, Mindroling, Palri, Jigme Lingpa’s seat Tsering Jong, Samye and Drigang as well as over fifty of Dzogchen’s branch monasteries to give teachings and empowerments of the Nyingma scriptures and treasure texts. He has sent financial support, as well as tulkus and khenpos to these and many other monasteries and universities, all around Tibet and world-wide, to spread the Buddhist teachings. Kyabje Rinpoche was the first master to give the vows of ordination in Samye Monastery after the Chinese take-over, in the same temple where the first seven Tibetans became monks. He has also established extensive community aid programmes through his charitable organisation the Kalsang Foundation. In these and countless other ways Kyabje Rinpoche continuously extends his gracious efforts and the teachings of our precious tradition to benefit all beings.
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(Master of Lama Urgyen Chokyi Dorje (Lama Chodor) and Tulku Sherab Dorje (Tulku Serdor))
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche passed away on the 13th of February at his hermitage Nagi Gompa on the southern slope of the Shivapuri mountain. He was born in eastern Tibet on the tenth day of the fourth Tibetan month in 1920. He was recognized by H.H. Khakyab Dorje, the 15th Gyalwang Karmapa, as the reincarnation of the Chowang Tulku, as well as the emanation of Nubchen Sangye Yeshe, one of the chief disciples of Padmasambhava. Guru Chowang the First (1212-70 AD) was one of the five Terton Kings, the major revealers of secret texts hidden by Guru Padmasambhava.
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Biography Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche passed away on the 13th of February at his hermitage Nagi Gompa on the southern slope of the Shivapuri mountain. He was born in eastern Tibet on the tenth day of the fourth Tibetan month in 1920. He was recognized by H.H. Khakyab Dorje, the 15th Gyalwang Karmapa, as the reincarnation of the Chowang Tulku, as well as the emanation of Nubchen Sangye Yeshe, one of the chief disciples of Padmasambhava. Guru Chowang the First (1212-70 AD) was one of the five Terton Kings, the major revealers of secret texts hidden by Guru Padmasambhava.
Tulku Urgyen's main monastery was Lachab Gompa in Nangchen, Eastern Tibet. He studied and practiced the teachings of both the Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Among the four greater Kagyu Schools, his family line was the main holder of the Barom Kagyu Lineage.
In the Nyingma tradition, Tulku Urgyen held the complete teachings of the last century's three great masters: Terchen Chokgyur Lingpa, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Kongtrul Lodro Thaye. He had an especially close transmission for the New Treasures, a compilation of all the empowerments, reading transmissions and instructions of Padmasambhava's teachings, which were rediscovered by Terchen Chokgyur Lingpa, his great-grandfather. Rinpoche passed on this tradition to the major regents of the Karma Kagyu lineage as well as to many other lamas and tulkus.
The close relationship between the lineage of the Karmapas and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche came about since the 14th Gyalwang Karmapa was one of the main recipients of Chokgyur Lingpa's termas, receiving the empowerments from the terton himself. Tulku Samten Gyatso, the grandson of Chokgyur Lingpa and the root guru of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, offered the same transmission to the 15th Gyalwang Karmapa Khakyab Dorje. The Gyalwang 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpey Dorje, was offered the major transmissions of the Chokling Tersar by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. In addition, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche also felt fortunate to pass on the transmission for the important Dzogchen Desum, the Three Sections of the Great Perfection, to both His Holiness Karmapa and Dudjom Rinpoche, as well as numerous Tulkus and lamas of the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages.
Tulku Urgyen established six monasteries and retreat centers in the Kathmandu region. The most important of these are at Boudhanath, the site of the Great Stupa, and another at the Asura Cave, where Padmasambhava manifested the Mahamudra Vidyadhara level. He lived at Nagi Gompa Hermitage above the Kathmandu Valley. Under his guidance were more than 300 monks and nuns. He stayed in retreat for more than 20 years, including four three-year retreats.
In 1980 Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, accompanied by his oldest son Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, went on a world tour through Europe, the United States and South East Asia, giving teachings on Dzogchen and Mahamudra to many people. Every year since then a seminar on Buddhist study and practice has been held at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in essential meditation practice, combining the view and meditation of Dzogchen, Mahamudra and the Middle Way. Less concerned with the systematic categories of topics of knowledge or with the logical steps of philosophy, Tulku Urgyen directly addressed the listener's present state of mind. His published works in English include Repeating the Words of the Buddha, As It Is 1 & As It Is 2, Rainbow Painting and the recent Vajra Speech.
The over-all background of the teachings of Dzogchen and Mahamudra, which are tremendously vast and profound, can be condensed into simple statements of immediate relevance to our present state of mind. Tulku Urgyen was famed for his profound meditative realization and for the concise, lucid and humorous style with which he imparts the essence of the 84,000 sections of the Buddhist teachings. His method of teaching is 'instruction through one's own experience.' Using few words, this way of teaching points out the nature of mind, revealing a natural simplicity of wakefulness that enables the student to actually touch the heart of the Buddha's Wisdom Mind.
—written by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Erik Pema Kunsang, New York, 1981.
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(Master of Lama Gyurme and Lama Chodor)
Kyabje Dzogchen Pema Kalsang Rinpoche
BiographyKyabje Dzogchen Pema Kalsang Rinpoche
Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche was born on 6th June 1943 in the blessed region of Dzachuka, Eastern Tibet. A great many exceptional masters have come from this area, including the great Bodhisattva Patrul Rinpoche and incomparable scholar Mipham Rinpoche. Kyabje Rinpoche’s mother was the sister of the accomplished master Dzogchen Adro Socho and bore many signs of a dakini, including a naturally occurring ah syllable on her tongue. When Kyabje Rinpoche was still in the womb, his aunt dreamed that a luminous white crystal stupa fell on top of the tent where they lived. When he was born the surrounding area was filled with blossoming flowers that had never been seen before. This and many other special signs occurred, the news of which spread throughout the area. Rinpoche’s maternal uncle, the Forth Mura Rinpoche Pema Norbu, named the child Pema Kalsang.
When he reached the age of five, Dzogchen Kontul Rinpoche, who had lived with the Second Pema Banza, Kyabje Rinpoche’s previous incarnation, travelled to Dzachuka and the home of the family. As soon as he saw the master, young Pema Kalsang went to sit on his lap very joyfully, as if he was a good friend. He recognised the knife strapped to Kontul Rinpoche's belt saying ‘This is mine!’ The knife had belonged to the child’s previous incarnation, the Second Pema Banza. Not long after that, the names of Rinpoche’s parents, his place of birth and other details were found to correspond with the prophesies of Jamyang Khyentse Choki Lodro, the Sixth Dzogchen Rinpoche Jigdral Jangchup Dorje, Tulku Drime and other genuine masters, and Pema Kalsang was identified as the third incarnation of the Great Khenpo Pema Banza.
Dzogchen Bodpa Tulku went especially to Dzachuka, gave Kyabje Rinpoche his first set of saffron robes and looked after him. At the age of seven Rinpoche was taken to Jangma monastery to study reading, writing and astrology with Dzogchen Khenpo Chogyur. He was a very gifted child and mastered his subjects quickly.
At the age of ten, together with Mura Tulku Pema Norbu, his parents and a group of more than twenty others, Rinpoche went to Dzogchen Monastery. A few thousand lamas, monks and lay people rode out for three days to welcome him. They were dressed in all their finery and formed a procession, holding silken parasols and victory banners. When Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche arrived he was taken into the assembly hall at the very top of the lama palace and enthroned in the presence of the Sixth Dzogchen Rinpoche, Great Khenpo Jigme Yonten Gonpo and a large group of khenpos and tulkus.
Kyabje Rinpoche lived in the chambers of Dzogchen Rinpoche for many years, and together they studied under Khenpo Jigme Yonten Gonpo. During that time they received almost every one of the profound Buddhist teachings. In addition to that, Dzogchen Rinpoche gave him many important empowerments. He also received instruction and guidance from Mura Pema Norbu, the great spiritual master Ngawang Norbu, Bodtul Dhonuk Tenpe Nyima, Great Khenpo Tupten Nyendrak and the great scholar Pema Osel.
In 1955, at the age of thirteen, Kyabje Rinpoche received the vows of a novice monk from his tutor Khenpo Jigme Yonten Gonpo. Later he became fully ordained with the famous spiritual master Khenpo Wangde Rinpoche and was given the name Tupten Longdock Tenpe Gyaltsen.
Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche travelled with Dzogchen Rinpoche to the monastery of Dzongsar Khyentse Jamyang Choki Lodru three times especially to receive the empowerments of the old and new traditions, the sutras, tantras, canonical and treasure texts. They also travelled to Central Tibet and Tsang on pilgrimage and met many lamas including His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
From the age of fourteen to sixteen Kyabje Rinpoche lived in the Dzogchen Long Life Retreat Centre with the great Khenpo Pema Tsewang, who taught him personally. During that time he would unfailingly pass every test of memorisation and comprehension of the scriptures without any difficulty. Everyone was amazed at his natural intelligence. Kyabje Rinpoche looks back on those years as the most happy of his life.
In the autumn of 1958, when Kyabje Rinpoche was seventeen, Dzogchen Rinpoche took him to Gyalgi Drakkar, the retreat centre of Great Khenpo Tupten Nyendrak. With tears in his eyes, Dzogchen Rinpoche requested the khenpo to give Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche the empowerment of longevity seventeen times, corresponding to his age. Dzogchen Rinpoche said to the khenpo, ‘Not long from now the Buddhist tradition will face obstruction and destruction. At this time do not worry about me, focus your attention on this young one.’
During the winter of the following year, Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche together with Dzogchen Rinpoche and Great Khenpo Yonten Gonpo, was forced to stay in Dege for political re-education. At one stage Dzogchen Rinpoche and the khenpo managed to return to Dzogchen monastery. When they were leaving, Dzogchen Rinpoche implored Sonam Gyaltsen, the manager of his residence who was with them, to look after Pema Kalsang Rinpoche very well. At that time, Sonam Gyaltsen thought Dzogchen Rinpoche was talking about looking after the young Rinpoche for a few days while he was away. Only later did he realise what he had been told was prophetic. This was the last time they saw either Dzogchen Rinpoche or Khenpo Yonten Gonpo. When Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche was released from prison, they returned to Dzogchen Monastery and lived together as one family, just as Dzogchen Rinpoche had instructed.
The next twenty years brought terrible suffering, even before the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution began. Six thousand monasteries and one million Tibetan people were eradicated. From the oppression of the Buddha Dharma to great physical hardships, all kinds of negative conditions raged like a storm. During this time Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche prayed day and night for the revival of the precious Buddhist teachings. He risked his life to secretly store even the smallest piece of scripture or representation of the Buddha that came into his possession. He did not waste any time resting from the exhausting daily labour, but tirelessly practised the approach and accomplishment of the Yidam, and the practices of generation, perfection and great perfection. In this way he embraced the bad conditions into the path of Dharma.
In Kyabje Rinpoche's thirtieth year, the sun of the Buddha's teachings once again rose over the cool land of Tibet. He began to re-establish the great monastic seat of Dzogchen and re-unite members of the spiritual community. During the years 1978 and 1979 Kyabje Rinpoche managed to recover many important texts and statues, most of which had to be brought on foot from the Central and Tsang regions of Tibet.
In 1981, Kyabje Pema Kalsang Rinpoche, together with Zankar Rinpoche, established the first Tibetan Language College of Sichuan Province on the site of Shira Sing Buddhist University. He invited great non-sectarian masters, the chief holders of the Dzogchen teaching lineage, to come and teach. This was like adding new oil to the dying flame of the Tibetan scholarly tradition. In the same year he managed to rebuild the first story of the historical lama palace of Dzogchen Monastery.
In 1982, at the age of thirty-two, Kyabje Rinpoche set out to make a pilgrimage to India, but was involved in a terrible car accident. He was seriously injured and almost died. Kyabje Rinpoche was forced to spend a year in hospital. In the words of Kyabje Rinpoche himself, ‘I had managed to survive all the obstacles that threatened my life. I was the only one left of all the lamas and monks who had lived in the lama palace of Dzogchen. That I was able to continue to work for the Dharma at that time of extreme weakness of the Dzogchen teachings was certainly due to the power of Dzogchen Rinpoche’s prayers, and the blessings of Khenpo Tupten Nyendrak's seventeen long life empowerments.’
Not disheartened, Kyabje Rinpoche recovered his strength, and relying on two walking sticks travelled to India and Nepal. He made a pilgrimage to all the major holy sights and met Dzogchen Rinpoche in South India. From there he visited Europe and the United States of America, where he gave teachings to many fortunate Westerners.
Having returned to Tibet, Kyabje Rinpoche took responsibility for the completion of the lama palace as well as the reconstruction of the Grand Temple of Dzogchen Monastery. Despite the physical hardships, he worked on the construction personally every day. Pooling all his resources he built a golden reliquary stupa adorned with precious jewels to enshrine the relics of the Sixth Dzogchen Rinpoche, which he had risked his life keeping for twenty-five years.
From a prophesy of the Great Treasure Revealer Pema Namdrol Lingpa:
On the great fearless lion throne
Of Shira Singha practice centre
Padma[sambhava]’s mind emanation, named Pema,
Will illuminate like the sun
The excellent and virtuous wisdom
Of the conqueror's teachings,
And the thousand-petal lotuses
Of many young Pemas bloom.
In 1988 this prophesy came true when the reconstruction of the great Buddhist University of Shira Sing began. Kyabje Rinpoche used the small amount of money he received in compensation from the road accident to start the building work. Working with a group of fifty monks, Kyabje Rinpoche constructed accommodation buildings for two hundred monks and a large temple. He invited scripture masters, and once again the great fire of teaching and contemplation of the sutras and tantras blazed. The Dzogchen valley, that had been dark and empty for thirty years, was once again illuminated with the holy light of Buddha Dharma.
In 1998 Kyabje Rinpoche began the construction of the Lotus Ground Retreat Centre in the secluded meadow of Dzogchen Pema Tung. This is the site of his previous incarnation's retreat centre. Having completed the stunning Temple of Great Perfection in 2003, Kyabje Rinpoche established the Pema Tung annual teachings and empowerments of the secret Heart Essence of Dzogpa Chenpo, for great numbers of fortunate students.
More recently Kyabje Rinpoche has been invited to the great monastic seats of Dorje Drak, Mindroling, Palri, Jigme Lingpa’s seat Tsering Jong, Samye and Drigang as well as over fifty of Dzogchen’s branch monasteries to give teachings and empowerments of the Nyingma scriptures and treasure texts. He has sent financial support, as well as tulkus and khenpos to these and many other monasteries and universities, all around Tibet and world-wide, to spread the Buddhist teachings. Kyabje Rinpoche was the first master to give the vows of ordination in Samye Monastery after the Chinese take-over, in the same temple where the first seven Tibetans became monks. He has also established extensive community aid programmes through his charitable organisation the Kalsang Foundation. In these and countless other ways Kyabje Rinpoche continuously extends his gracious efforts and the teachings of our precious tradition to benefit all beings.
