A biography of His Eminence Jamgon Tulku Rinpoche (Shared by Association of Bhutanese in Perth Inc.)

The enlightened activities of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas are beyond the apprehension of the ordinary beings. The undisclosed accounts of the great beings are difficult to grasp by the ordinary minds. Among different levels of biographies of the great sublime masters, this presentation is an “outer” biography of Jamgon Tulku Rinpoche. Jamgon Tulku Rinpoche was born on 28/10/1983 in an remote region of Goen Amorima in Punakha Bhutan on an auspicious day, corresponding to the day of descent of the Buddha Shakyamuni from the heavenly realms. His birth was marked with numerous miraculous signs such as sacred water turning into milk, a pavilion of rainbow light appearing in the sky. His parents lineage can be traced back to the noble clan who carried the great Jowo Shakyamuni statue from China to Tibet as a dowry to the then King of Tibet, Songtsengampo when he married the chinese Princess Wencheng, popularly known as “Gyasa” or the “chinese wife”. His family’s noble lineage also comes from Demang Tsemang, who was at the helm in carrying out the enlightened activities of King Thrisong Deutsen, The great accomplished master Terkhungpa, the very significantly known and exalted in the history of Bhutan first Desrid Umze Tenzin Drukgyal and Jamgon Ngawang Gyaltsen. As soon as Jamgon Tulku was born, the late Venerable Sangay Thinlay, then the Tshenyid Lopon(one of the high ranking Lopons among the five Lopons in the central monastic body) right away recognized him as the unmistaken reincarnation of the predecessor, Tulku Yeshey Ngodup. When Rinpoche was three years old, His Holiness the late Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche also recognized him through his clairvoyant realization. Furthermore, as Jamgon Rinpoche began to speak, he recalled the names of his relatives and friends of his past life without any need of introduction. These accounts convinced the people on the authenticity of him being a true reincarnation of his predecessor and led to his popularity across the nation. At the age of five, Jamgon Tulku Rinpoche had an audience with His Holiness the 68th Je Khenpo Tenzin Dondrub Rinpoche where he had his first hair cutting ceremony and following it, he entered the central monastic body of Bhutan. From the age of eight up till twelve for the duration of four years, Rinpoche studied under the tutorship of Lopen Jagoed, a retired chant master, at the central monastic body. He began to read and write the classical Tibetan alphabets, learnt very profound Tantric texts such as “Tagpa Nyipa”(Hevajra), “Domsum” (three vows) in memory and also excelled in the art of chanting rituals and hand mudras.

During his examinations in the presence of the assembly of the sangha members, Rinpoche at a very young age proved his excellence and his fame of high intellect and learnedness thus spread far and wide. In 1995, corresponding to the 3rd month and the 10th auspicious day of the lunar calendar, His Holiness the late 69th Jekhenpo Gedun Rinchen organized a grand auspicious ceremony, enthroning the reincarnation of Jamgon Rinpoche in Punadewachenpoi Phodrang (the celestial palace of great bliss in Punakha). From His holiness Gedun Rinpoche, Rinpoche received many profound Empowerments, discourses and pith instructions in the Drukpa kagyud lineage. From 1995 till 1996, Rinpoche diligently attended the daily monastic etiquette and discipline of the central monastic body during which he participated in the many hours of ritual ceremonies such as the “Lhamoi drubchoed” or the great accomplishment ceremony of Lhamo in Thimphu and “Goenpoi Drubchok chenpo” or the great accomplishment ceremony of Mahakala in Punakha. At that point of time, despite his still tender age, Rinpoche never showed any signs of exhaustion, distractions and immature conducts but rather conducted in a dignified manner the chanting and the hand gestures in accordance to the ancient tradition. In 1994 at the feet of now His Holiness the 70th Je Khenpo Tulku Jigme Chodrak Rinpoche, then serving as the Vajra Acharya or Dorji Lopon, Rinpoche received the first two vows of individual liberation, the vows of refuge and of a novice monk. Rinpoche also received the entire oral transmission on the writings of Kunkhen Padmakarpo, Kargyud Serthreng (the golden rosary of the Kagyue) and many others as well. Rinpoche successfully accomplished the preliminary “Nyondro “accumulation practice” on a strict retreat when he was thirteen years old at his monastic residence in Seula Gonpa. In the following year, on the 14th of the 7th month in the lunar calendar, for the benefit of sentient beings and the propagation of Buddha dharma, with the authorization and guidance from His Holiness the 70th Je Khenpo Tulku Jigme Chodrak Rinpoche, a Shedra for the study of Buddha Dharma was set up at Sewala Gonpa. It was there where Rinpoche learnt and mastered the Buddhist sciences beginning from Tibetan grammar, Buddhist philosophical texts such as Madhymika (the philosophy on emptiness), Prajnaparamitra (transcendental wisdom), Abidharma (metaphysical studies), Vinaya (ethical codes of monastics) and so forth. In 2000, starting from the 4th month of the lunar calendar for the duration of four months, Rinpoche received the oral transmission of the complete set of Kangyur (the sacred words of the Buddha) from His Holiness the 70th Je Khenpo in Dechen Phodrang. Soon after this, Rinpoche went to Tango and spent more than a month receiving the oral transmission of Tengyur (the collection of Indian commentaries on the Buddha’s words) from His Eminence the late Seng Drak Rinpoche.

In 2002, Rinpoche generously granted funds from his private expense to extend the Shedra and build a school for the younger monastics. In the same year, Jamgon Rinpoche kindly granted teachings on various texts to the fortunate assembly of disciples at the monastery. In 2003 Jamgon Rinpoche entered the Meditation centre at Chagri Dorjiden in Thimphu, the leading Meditation centre in Bhutan. It was there under the compassion and guidance of His Holiness Tenzin Dondrub Rinpoche that Rinpoche received the entire Empowerment that ripen one’s mind stream and explanation that liberates one from the cyclic existence in accordance to the Drukpa Kagyud Tradition. In addition to this profound transmission, Rinpoche also got the supporting pith instructions in its entirety that can bring a diligent practitioner from an ordinary state to a fully awakened state of Buddha in one life span and in one human life. For three years and three months, Jamgon Rinpoche stayed strictly sealed in retreat at Chagri Dorjiden. Upon completion of his three-year retreat, Rinpoche again started over, beginning with the preliminary practice of Nyondro on the four trainings (Refuge practice with prostrations, Vajrasattva practice, Mandala practice and Guru Yoga). He also trained again on the Lama’i Druba or the extensive and intense retreat on accomplishing the absolute Guru, which is the inner Buddha that is inherent in us. Rinpoche persevered himself in the meditation on the six yogas of Naropa and the ultimate view of Mahamudra. In 2006, releasing himself from the strict retreat, following in the footsteps of the great Kagyu Lamas such as Gyalwa Goedtshangpa, Milarepa and so forth, Jamgon Rinpoche retreated himself further into isolated mountains called as the Naropa mountains and spent about a year continuing on the profound practice of Mahamudra. In 2007, returning back to his residential seat at Sewala Geoenpo, Rinpoche stayed in a retreat propitiating on Guru Dragpa (wrathful Guru Padmasambhava) for two months. In the same year Rinpoche also kindly taught at the monastery on various subjects of Buddhist studies. In January 2008, realizing the importance of learning the international language English and to be able to spread the precious Dharma teachings through the medium of English language and benefit sentient beings, Rinpoche travelled to Boulder, CO United States of America, where he took English language classes for several months. Returning back to his monastery, in 2009 Rinpoche also got a Tutor who came all the way from the US to teach Rinpoche and his monks written and spoken English language at Sewala Goenpa. Since 2010, Jamgon Rinpoche has been teaching abroad as well as in the country for the benefit of the Buddha Dharma and sentient beings.