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![]() ![]() The Gangteng Tulku
in His first major incarnation as the
great Longchen Rabjampa
Dear Friends,
His Eminence Gangteng Rinpoche will be making His third Teaching-Visit to CAS of and belonging to Thousand-Arm Chenrezig is honoured to be the host-organizer of Gangteng Rinpoche who is the recognized incarnation of Longchen Rabjampa and the sole recognized Body Emanation of Pema Lingpa ¡§C one of the ?¡ã5 King Tertons?¡À. bb @ CAS is glad to, in relation to Gangteng Rinpoche?¡¥s programme, send all our friends a short account of Gangteng Rinpoche?¡¥s past emanated-incarnation as Longchen Rabjam, THE colossal figure in Tibetan Buddhism, specifically that of the Nyingma Tradition. The below contains a succinct account of His Outer biography culled from Tulku Thondup?¡¥s collected biographies of the Longchen Nyingthig Masters, Amnyi Trulchung?¡¥s website and Nyoshul Khenpo?¡¥s official biographies of the major Lineal Masters of the Nyingma Tradition, specifically that of the Longchen Nyingthig Lineage. Longchen Rabjampa ¡§C The Gangteng Tulku?¡¥s first major emanated-incarnation
Nyoshul Khenpo*, towards the end of His life, would ask his close attendants to chant a prayer to Longchen Rabjampa?.. a song of yearning that invokes His blessings, as if calling out to Him from afar: ?¡ãBeloved Matser, precious one, Father of Mine, You are forever one with all the Buddhas. Now show your kindness and love to your devoted child, You who took birth intentionally In the form of a supreme bodhisattva ¡§C Lord of all victorious buddhas, Longchenpa, Father of mine ???.?¡À [ *Nyoshul Khenpo is one of the main lineage-holders of the Nyingma Tradition and who has exchanged teachings with HH Penor Rinpoche, Tulku Urgyen ( who is Himself one of the Teachers of the late 16th Karmapa ) ] Longchen Rabjam lived from 1308-1363 and is revered as one of the greatest Masters in the Nyingma tradition. He carried the title Kunkhyen - All-Knowing. Longchen Rabjampa, together with Sakya Pandita and Je Tzongkhapa, is famed as the three greatest manifestations of Lord Buddha Manjushri in A fortunate and gifted disciple Even when as a child, Longchenpa studied the Dharma in great depth. At 12, Longchenpa was ordained at the first monastery of At 16, He studied with the Teacher Rinchen Trashi and received from him the Lam Dre cycle, the 6 Yogas of Naropa, Vajravarahi, Ghantapa?¡¥s Heruka and Maha charka Vajrapani. He studied too the great Kalachakra Tantra, Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja and other major tantras with the Third Karmapa and the Master Wangchuk Yeshe. At 19, he studied The Five Treatises of Maitreya, The Detailed Commentary on the Compendium of Valid Cognition, The Compendium of Valid Cognition as well as all the main texts and commentaries related to the great Prajna Paramita and valid cognition. Mastering both the words and the underlying meaning of these great classic scholarly texts, he gained universal acclaim as a great scholar, undisputed and unparalleled, as with the great Buddhist scholars of ancient At 19, too, after he entered the famous Shedra Sangpu, the behaviour of some of the scholars disgusted him, and he eventually chose to practise in the solitude of the mountains. His main Teacher is the Enlightened Master, Rigdzin Kumaradza whom he received the great Dzogchen instructions and whom he relied upon faithfully, keeping the purest samaya and offering his every activitiy to practicing and upholding of the precious instructions of this great Master. His works Longchenpa wrote more than 250 treatises on a wide variety of topics, but is best known for his works on Dzogchen, especially the extensive analysis of the Dzogchen tantras known as the Seven Treasures, the Ch?ying Dz?d. He gathered together the heart-essence teachings of Guru Rinpoche, Vimalamitra and Yeshe Tsogyal. A great and renowned Teacher Longchenpa had literally countless students spanning the many centuries since his emergence as a great Lord of the Dharma. Not a single spiritual lineage or major Master of Longchenpa?¡¥s students include the then Tai Situ Rinpoche, one of the greatest Masters of the Karma Kagyu Tradition. Tai Situpa hosted Longchenpa for a long time, showing him great honour and Longchenpa transmitted the Nyingthig empowerments and teachings to Tai Situpa together with more than two thousand fortunate disciples. Tai Situ was awed by the superior wisdom of this lord of the dharma and gave him the title ?¡ãLongchen Rabjampa?¡À, meaning ?¡ãMaster of the Vast Array of the Supreme Expanse?¡À. Henceforth and to all subsequent generations, the Masters is known by this title. A humble Master Although he was one of the most realized sages of For him, nature's peaceful and clear environment inspired peace and clarity, enabling practitioners to unite with ultimate joy, to attain the oneness of universal openness and luminous clarity. He avoided building monasteries and lived in solitude, advising his followers to do the same. On the tenth day of each month, Longchenpa would offer two-thirds of whatever donations had come into his hands from the faithful and use only the remaining portion for his immediate needs. No matter how fine the things his patrons offered him, he would simply comment, ?¡ãthis possession would only be wasted if they were to sell it,?¡À and he would give a gift in return. But when poor and humble people offered him whatever they could, however meager, he would be delighted and offer prayers of dedication on their behalf. His visions Longchenpa had frequent visions of buddhas and bodhisattvas as well as the Dharma Protectors who all offered their pledge to protect Him and His teachings. While he stayed at Gegong, he traveled to the Pure Land of Khecari** where he taught the dharma to the dakinis there. They cast flowers of auspicious benediction on him ?? At Ge-ur, he had visions of bodies of light ¡§C standing forms of Red Vajravarahi, Vajrasattva, Hayagriva, Tara and Amitayus. At { ** Khecari is the His Great Showing of Passing Away At the age of 56, at He adopted the dharmakaya posture and passed into the primordial state of resolution. At that time, the clear sky was filled with canopies of rainbow light and a rain of flowers fell. Wild roses and other flowers began to bloom. Some people experienced the stable realization of utter lucidity. These and other marvelous signs continued to manifest throughout the month of funeral ceremonies?.. an odor more fragrant than sandalwood or camphor was perceptible everywhere. As his remains were taken to the pyre, the earth shook three times. His heart, tongue and eyes were unscathed by the fire. In addition, his skull survived intact, yellowish white and as hard as stone, by nature a holy relic. As well, relics representing the fine Buddha families and countless smaller eelics, along with many images of Amitayus and other deities, formed in the ashes. Paltrul Rinpoche ¡§C author of the classic text, ?¡ãWords of my Perfect Teacher?¡À - composed the following prayer of praise to Longchenpa: ?¡ãI pay homage to one endowed with the mandala of true perfection ¡§C the limitless qualities of victorious onbes without exception ¡§C the Omniscient Teacher who serves as the courageous regent of all victorious ones.?¡À Longchenpa?¡¥s incarnated as one of the 5 King Tertons ¡§C the great Pema Lingpa. The great Pema Lingpa subsequently emanated-incarnated into 3 great Masters: a) The Bodily-Emanation ¡§C Peling Gyalse ( who is the present Gangteng Rinpoche ) b) The Speech-Emanation ¡§C Peling Sungtrul c) The Mind-Emanation ¡§C Peling Tukse ?¡ãIn order to pass on the profound teachings, the tulkus have alternated as each other?¡¥s guru and student, the three incarnation lineages having become renowned as those of the ?¡ãtriad of the father Pema Lingpa and his descendants?¡À?? through them, the sunlike splendour of the teachings of the essence of utter lucidity has spread from the central, south central, and southern regions of Tibet to China, India, Mongolia, and beyond, to the entire world.?¡À n excerpted from ?¡ãA Marvelous Garland of Rare Gems?¡À by Nyoshul Khenpo
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