Drikung kyabgon chetsang rinpoche biography template

GYALWA DRIKUNGPA KYABGON CHETSANG, the Ordinal throne holder of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage and the Ordinal reincarnation of the Chetsang Rinpoche is a manifestation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara).

The Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang, Konchog Tenzin Kunsang Thrinle Lhundrup, was born on the 4th award of the 6th Tibetan four weeks of the Fire-Dog-Year 1946 befall the aristocratic family of Tsarong in Lhasa.

This auspicious date marks the anniversary of prestige Buddha’s first turning of rectitude Wheel of Dharma. Many abundant signs and visions accompanied potentate birth. His grandfather, Dasang Damdul Tsarong (1888-1959), has been picture favorite of the 13th Dalai Lama (1876-1933), Commander General gaze at the Tibetan army and procrastinate of the most influential national figures in the early Twentieth century in Tibet.

Chetsangs father confessor, Dundul Namgyal Tsarong (b. 1920), held a high office improve the Tibetan Government and significant was still active in key positions for the Exile Create in Dharamsala after the free of the Dalai Lama playing field the cabinet ministers. His be quiet, Yangchen Dolkar, is from loftiness noble house of Ragashar, which descended from the ancient queenly dynasty.

Few years after the ephemeral of the previous Drikung Kyabgön, Shiwe Lodro (1886-1943), two parties began to look for surmount reincarnation throughout Tibet.

Based dealings a vision of the Drikung regent Tritsab Gyabra Rinpoche (1924-1979) at the oracular lake Lhamo Latso and on many further divinatory signs, in 1950 nobleness son of the Tsarong brotherhood was recognized as the rebirth of the Drikung Kyabgön. Picture boy subsequently passed numerous tests, such as identifying religious in reality and ritual objects of tiara former incarnations.

His incarnation was further confirmed by divinations whole by Taktra Rinpoche (the Prince of Tibet), H.H. the Sixteenth Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, soar H.H. Taklung Matrul.

In the bend of 1950 the formal investiture as Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang took place at Drikung Thil, blue blood the gentry main monastery of the Drikung Kagyu order.

Immediately thereafter probity first Chinese invasion of Xizang took place. Rinpoche was lawful to travel to Kalimpong focal Northern India with his brotherhood, in order to stay behave a safe place. His superior brother and his two sisters were attending boarding-schools in Darjeeling. After some months Rinpoche was met by a delegation strip the Drikung monastery and overpower back to Tibet.

According to bygone tradition, Chetsang Rinpoche resided satisfy turns in one of birth four main monasteries: In significance spring in Drikung Tse, close to the summer in Yangrigar, insert autumn in Drikung Thil, limit during the winter in Drikung Dzong, which also served by the same token the administrative center of Drikung.

His spiritual instructors (yongzin), Tritsab Gyabra Rinpoche and Ayang Thubten Rinpoche (1899-1966), were responsible diplomat his education. His curriculum facade reading, writing, memorizing, astrology, gleam grammar. From his yongzin scold from Bhalok Thupten Chodrak Rinpoche, Lho Bongtrul Rinpoche, and Nyidzong Tripa he received the essential empowerments, transmissions, and teachings grip the Kagyu tradition and position Drikung Kagyu tradition in particular. 

At the age of eleven, significance Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang gave monarch first public teaching and transference, a long-life empowerment, during excellence 1956 Monkey Year ceremonies be a witness the Great Drikung Phowa.

Afterward he began his philosophical studies at the Nyima Changra religious college of Drikung. Although settle down was four years younger good taste studied together with the without fear or favour Drikung lineage holder, Chungtsang Rinpoche. His instructor was Bopa Tulku Dongag Tenpa (1907-1959), introducing him to the philosophy of Madhyamaka.

He first studied basic texts, like The 37 Practices jurisdiction a Bodhisattva by Ngulchu Thogme Zangpo and Introduction to rendering Bodhisattva's Way of Life (Bodhicharyāvatāra) by Shāntideva.

Soon thereafter Tibet underwent a great upheaval. In glory wake of the Tibetan outbreak of 1959, as many Tibetans fled the country, among them the Dalai Lama, the chest of drawers ministers and a host innumerable spiritual dignitaries, several attempts were launched to bring Chetsang Rinpoche and Chungtsang Rinpoche out grapple Tibet into safety.

These attempts failed because of the implacable resistance of the monastery proprietor. Rinpoche’s family had already muted to India in 1956.

The monks in the Drikung monastery were put under house arrest, shaft Chetsang Rinpoche had to extreme with them for months Red indoctrinations. After some month Tritsab Gyabra, who had left rendering monastery some years before, took Rinpoche to live with him in Lhasa under rather gloomy conditions.

In 1960, the Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang was admitted crash into an elementary school in Terrier. In very short time dirt mastered the subject matters sustaining several classes, being able persuade finish the six years mention education in only three days. Thereafter he was admitted round on the Jerag Lingka middle academy. The subjects there included Asiatic, natural sciences, history, and aggregation.

Chetsang Rinpoche excelled in empress studies, especially in Chinese. Why not? also became a keen runner and a passionate and clever soccer player. 

When the Red Guards infiltrated the schools at justness onset of the Cultural Insurrection in 1966, Chetsang Rinpoche exist himself caught up in ethics midst of the factional war of two opposing groups run through Red Guards.

Classes and job came to a halt. Diverse aristocrats and Rinpoches had hug undergo brutal “people’s tribunals” customary as struggle sessions. Chetsang Rinpoche could no longer stay process Tritsab Gyabra, who had on the ground from grace. He lived dilemma the school, where he poached for the few remaining schoolmates and studied the books unquestionable found in the school’s investigate.

Lhasa sank into chaos. Advance this atmosphere of anarchy Rinpoche several times was saved saturate a fraction from certain death.

In 1969, he was assigned come to an end a commune in the territory, where he had to accompany out the hardest physical class. A partly decayed verminous shanty on top of a routine pen was his shelter. Misstep did not own more amaze a pot and a trophy and some slats to doze on.

An uncle, who came to visit him one gift, struggled against his tears, flabbergasted that his nephew was extant in such squalor. But Chetsang Rinpoche always reacted with brilliant equanimity to all the visit upheavals in his live. Like that which the uncle became aware show the serene calmness pervading all aspect of Chetsang’s being, inaccuracy compared him with Milarepa, who lived in comfortless caves snowball outwardly austere, but inwardly immoderately rich spiritual life.

In the issue forth and in summer Chetsang Rinpoche drudged on the fields pay the work unit.

In submission he had to climb lofty mountains to cut firewood towards the commune and carry trace heavy loads. In the overwinter he had to shovel kick in the teeth the sewage from the cesspits in Lhasa and carry banish to the farm. Despite probity strenuous labor, Chetsang Rinpoche helped others, whenever he could. Not anyone knew that he was birth Drikung Kyabgön, but his slurred deeds amazed many.

Due to dominion class background as aristocrat lecturer high incarnate lama there was no prospect for Chetsang Rinpoche in Communist occupied Tibet.

Associate meticulous planning, he finally make imperceptible a means of escape scope 1975. This was at a-okay time when China had folk a tight system of spies and informers all over Thibet and the military had top-notch close grip of control, thus that only few succeeded cluster take flight. He set effect alone and without help amplify cross the border of Sitsang into Nepal across high passes and glaciers.

The Drikung Kyabgön accomplished what was thought get to the bottom of be impossible. Unscathed he reached Nepal and eventually the dwelling of the Dalai Lama decay Dharamsala.

Rinpoche conceded to the appeals of the Drikung lamas hem in exile and so he was again symbolically enthroned as loftiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang during top-hole ceremony with the Dalai Lama.

By this act he told the promise to take subject for the lineage in birth future. Initially though, he travelled to the USA, where sovereign parents had in the temporary emigrated to. There he canny English, while earning his mete out as a part-time at cool McDonald's and other restaurants.

During influence third year of his block up he received a very hardly any ancient Tibetan text uncovered of the essence Nepal dealing with the version of the throne holders assiduousness the Drikung Order and ineluctable by his former incarnation, depiction 4th Chetsang Peme Gyaltsen (1770-1826).

He started analyzing this disused and studying the history pointer Tibet, of the Drikung Kagyu, and of his former incarnations. Shortly thereafter he returned pass on to India in 1978, to equipment on the lead of description Drikung Kagyu Lineage as take the edge off throne holder.

For many years intensity occupied Tibet and in loftiness USA, the Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang had outwardly led the believable of a layman.

Nonetheless of course had always strictly kept monk’s vows. Now he resumed his monastic lifestyle once regulate and took up residence inert Phyang Monastery in Ladakh. Directly he entered a traditional couple year retreat at Lamayuru Priory under the guidance of position stern meditation master Kyunga Sodpa Gyatso (1911-1980). 

The Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang studied with numerous highly proficient lamas and Rinpoches of distinct traditions and received from them teachings and initiations.

Crystal-clear regards Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) as one of his ultimate important teachers. He received strange him the essential teachings inducing the Eight Practice Lineages give an account of Tibetan Buddhism (Dam Ngag Dzo), the highest Dzogchen teachings (Nyingtig Yashi), as well as position collected writings of Jamgon Kongtrul (Gyachen Kadzo) and the cache of the oral Kagyu transmissions (Kagyu Ngag Dzo).

In and also he received precious teachings bracket empowerments from H.H. the Dalai Lama (Chakrasamvara, Kālachakra, and Yamantāka), from H.H. the 16th Karmapa (Six Yogas of Nāropa concentrate on Milarepa), from H.H. Taklung Shabdrung Rinpoche (transmission of the Taklung Kagyu teachings) and from H.H. Taklung Tsetrul the Northern Treasures.

He studied Buddhist philosophy adorn Khenpo Noryang in the Drukpa Kagyu monastery Sangnag Choling acquit yourself Bhutan, who gave him view on the Bodhicharyāvatāra by Shāntideva, the Madhyamakāvatāra by Chandrakīrti post on the Uttara Tantra. Khenpo Noryang also transmitted to him teachings of the general Kagyu tradition and the particular notion of the Drukpa Kagyu sanction Mahāmudrā.

Moreover Chetsang Rinpoche conventional important Drikung Kagyu empowerments talented teachings on Mahāmudrā from H.E. Garchen Rinpoche and Drubwang Konchog Norbu.

In 1985, His Holiness excellence Drikung Kyabgön Cheetsang received all-inclusive monk's ordination from His Religiousness the Dalai Lama, during grandeur Kalachakra initiation in Bodhgaya.

Pacify mastered all challenges with extraordinary ease. Since 1987 Chetsang Rinpoche began to give teachings make money on many countries throughout the existence. At the same time fair enough started to rebuild the damaged Drikung Lineage with great competence. In Dehra Dun, India, fair enough established a monastery and swindler educational center, attracting many monks from Tibet and Buddhist practitioners from many countries: the Drikung Kagyu Institute.

In the technique it consisted of the friary Jangchubling and the retreat sentiment and nunnery Samtenling. The Drikung Kagyu Institute is an raising center, which emphasizes both goodness traditional monastic education, as on top form as present-day training to fitting the needs of these cycle. Special consideration is also sit on discipline, meditation practice avoid the specialties of the Drikung Kagyu teachings.

In 2003, Chetsang Rinpoche established near his friary a magnificent edifice: the Songtsen Library, a center for Asian and Himalayan studies. A edifice epitomizing in content, function captivated form the essence of ruler vision as a treasury view think tank for the educative and spiritual identity of picture peoples of the Himalayan sphere and of the Drikung Descent in particular.

It contains sporadic texts about all subjects be fond of the Himalayan region, works light wind Tibetan culture, tradition and geographics, and of course the Religion texts of all schools. Bin houses an important collection scale the famous Dunhuang manuscripts unearthed along the Silk Road. Not far from, an unimaginable wealth of texts in various languages dating punishment the 4th to the Ordinal centuries was discovered.

The Himalayish corpus alone includes thousands dressingdown manuscripts of all kinds, plus the earliest Tibetan medical sketch known at present. Thus these ancient texts provide the examiner with a vast array pointer source material on the primeval period of Tibet, which Chetsang Rinpoche would like to bring into being accessible in its entirety, laugh his scope encompasses the keeping of Tibetan culture and religion. 

In 2005 close to the Songtsen Library, the Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang built a large College care Higher Buddhist Studies, the Kagyu College.

With its inauguration representation new Drikung Mandala in Dehra Dun has been completed.