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Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö Biography
Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (c. 1893 – 1959) was a Tibetan lama, a master of many lineages, and a teacher of many of the major figures in 20th-century Tibetan Buddhism.
He was a major proponent of the Rimé movement within Tibetan Buddhism, and had a profound influence on many of the Tibetan lamas teaching today.
He was born in 1893 at Sa-ngen or Rekhe Ajam near Katok Monastery in Kham south of Derge. His father was Gyurme Tsewang Gyatso of Amdo, a tantric master. His mother was Tsultrim Tso, granddaughter of Wangchen Tenzin, King of Lingtsang.
In 1900, at age seven, he was brought to Kathok Monastery and Kathok Situ Chökyi Gyatso recognized him ceremonially as the action emanation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, the great Rimé master of 19th-century Tibet.
In the following years of his youth he was tutored by Khenpo Thupten in grammar, astrology, Sanskrit and Buddhist texts. By the time he was thirteen he had received the transmission of the Longchen Nyingthig1- the Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse, the Nyingthig Yabzhi - Four Branches of Heart Essence, and the pointing-out instruction2 to Dzogchen.
When he was fifteen he moved to Dzongsar Monastery, the seat of the previous Khyentse Wangpo. He studied abhidharma and Madhyamaka philosophy and soon began teaching Buddhist canonical texts to several students there.
From the time he was seventeen, he received Sakya school transmissions such as lamdre lopshe and the Hevajra tantra, and many Nyingma terma3 teachings.
In 1919 he went to Dzogchen Monastery and received ordination as a monk. Later in the same year he established a shedra4 at Dzongsar Monastery. At Shechen Monastery, he received transmissions from Shechen Gyaltsap, who became one of his principal masters.
The next few years of his life he visited many monasteries of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism and received transmissions and lineage teachings from various teachers.
Then in 1926 he went on a pilgrimage to Ü-Tsang, and at Mindrolling Monastery, the main Nyingma monastery, took ordination as a monk for a second time. Just before he returned to his home region in Eastern Tibet, Kathok Situ Chokyi Gyatso of Kathok Monastery died.
After this, for the next fifteen years Chökyi Lodrö took part in the administration of Kathok Monastery, which is home of the Kathok lineage teachings of the Nyingma.
He continued to perfect and accomplish the meditations and the sadhanas of all the Tibetan traditions, becoming a true Rimé master who was able to teach both analytical philosophy and the performance of practices leading to realization from the various lineages. During this time-period he also completed a five hundred thousand accumulation of his ngöndro.5
In the 1940s he studied with the leading Vajrayana masters from all over Tibet, and continued receiving transmissions from the Gelug, Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu schools. He developed a reputation during that era as being a Rimé6 master par excellence and many of the new generation of Lamas who would bring Tibetan Buddhism to the West began to see him as their master.
He became a teacher and guide for Dilgo Khyentse, Jigdral Yeshe Dorje (2nd Dudjom Rinpoche) and Sogyal Rinpoche.
He was a major influence on a very young Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, who first met him in 1945, and he is also mentioned with awe by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche in his biography.
He became seriously ill in 1949, when he was fifty-six years old. According to his prophecies and those of Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgon Kongtrul, to remove obstacles to his longevity, and so he could continue to teach Dharma, it was necessary for him to drop his monastic vows and marry. For a Nyingma lama, this was not an unusual circumstance. He married Khandro Tsering Chödrön (b. 1929 d.2011) that same year, and rapidly recovered his health.
In 1955 as the situation for monasteries continued to worsen in Eastern Tibet, he traveled to Lhasa. While there, he was invited to Tsurphu Monastery to give teachings and empowerments to Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa. In turn, the Karmapa gave him an empowerment in the red form of Avalokiteśvara, a historic, personal iṣṭadevatā of the Karmapas.
He then commenced a pilgrimage to India. He visited sites sacred to Buddhism in Nepal and India, and then at the invitation of the King of Sikkim, took up residence in Gangtok, Sikkim. In the final four years of his life, the Tsuklakhang Palace where he resided became a spiritual center.
By this time, he was known as a Master of masters, and his presence attracted many lamas from Tibet, who came to receive transmissions from him. According to Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche one could ask him for clarification about some point, in any of the termas from any of the numerous lineages, and he always had an answer.
At the age of sixty-seven, in early 1959 with the Chinese invasion of Tibet underway, he again became seriously ill. Prayers and rituals for his long life were performed day and night, by all the lineages in Sikkim. Despite these devoted spiritual efforts, he died.
According to Sogyal Rinpoche he died in the "sleeping lion's posture", a yogic posture, and remained in a subtle meditative state for three days. His body was kept in state for six months, as disciples throughout the Himalayas came to pay their respects.
According to legend, his body did not display the usual signs of decomposition during this time. This phenomenon has been known to occur at the death of several other tulkus. His cremation was performed at a stupa at Tashiding Monastery, Sikkim, and his remains are kept in the Royal Chapel of Sikkim.
In 1961 Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche was born in Bhutan and was immediately recognized as the incarnation of Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö.
Empowerments and Teachings
He gave many empowerments and transmissions, including:
The Damngak Dzö twice
The Compendium of Sadhanas four times
Lamdré Lopshé three times
Lamdré Tsokshé twice
The great empowerment of the seven mandalas of the Ngor tradition four times
The Nyingma kama three times
The empowerments and reading transmission for the Rinchen Terdzö once
The Nyingtik Yabshyi five times
The reading transmission for Longchenpa's Seven Treasures twice
The Sangwa Gyachen Nyernga of the Fifth Dalai Lama four times
The Minling Tersar four times
The Drupthap Döjo Bumzang three times
The whole of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo's terma revelations and collected writings twice
The revelations of Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa three times
He gave several empowerments at the Samdrup Podrang in Lhasa, including the Chetsün Nyingtik and the Nyingtik Yabshyi. The latter was given only to 25 invited lamas and guests. He gave the empowerment of Rigdzin Düpa in Patan in Nepal. At Mindroling, he gave the Lama Yangtik and Khandro Nyingtik from the Nyingtik Yabshyi.
Writings
Guru Sadhana for Garab Dorje
Nyingtik Saldrön
Opening of the Dharma
Yeshe Saldrön
Disciples
The following are among the most important students of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (in alphabetical order):
Adeu Rinpoche, Alak Zenkar Rinpoche, Apa Pant, Apad Rinpoche Nyagrong Dongag Tenpai Dronmé, Ani Pelu, Ani Rilu, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, Chatral Sangye Dorje, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Chögyal Tashi Namgyal, Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Dagmo Kusho Jamyang Sakya, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dezhung Rinpoche, Dhongthog Rinpoche, Doctor Lodrö Puntsok, Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Döndrup Dorje (aka 'Uncle'), Dordrak Rigdzin Chenpo, Drikung Tertön Ösal Dorje, Drungyik Tsering Tashi, Gendün Chödzin, Gongna Rinpoche, Gönpo Tseten Rinpoche, Gyalrong Tulku Dongak Tenpé Drönmé, Gyalyum Kunzang Dechen Tsomo Namgyal, Gyaltön Rinpoche, Gyurme Kunzang Tenpé Nyima, Jetsün Kushok Chimey Luding, Jikdral Changchub Dorje, John Driver (English tutor of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche), Kalu Rinpoche, Kachu Rinpoche, Karmapa Rangjung Rigpé Dorje, Katok Moktsa Rinpoche, Katok Önpo Rinpoche, Katok Situ Chökyi Nyima, Khamtrul Rinpoche Dongyü Nyima, Khandro Pema Dechen, Khandro Tsering Chödrön, Khangmar Rinchen, Khenpo Appey, Khenpo Drayab Lodrö, Khenpo Kunga Wangchuk, Khenpo Lekshé Jorden, Khenpo Nüden, Khenpo Pema Damchö, Khenpo Rinchen, Khetsün Zangpo Rinpoche, Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen, Lama Chokden, Lama Gyurdrak, Lama Tashi Dorje, Lama Tseten, Mayum Tsering Wangmo, Minling Chung Rinpoche, Minling Khenchen Ngawang Khyentse Norbu, Minling Khochen Rinpoche, Minling Trichen Rinpoche, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, Neten Chokling Pema Gyurme, Ngapö Ngawang Jikmé, Ngari Tulku, Ngawang Tutop Wangdrak (the 41st Sakya Trizin), Ngawang Yönten Gyatso, Ngor Thartse Khen Rinpoche, Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche, Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, Palpung Situ Pema Wangchok Gyalpo, Pema Kunzang Rangdrol, Pewar Rinpoche, Polu Khenpo Dorje, Robert Godet, Sakya Dagchen Rinpoche, Sakya Trizin, Sangharakshita, Shechen Kongtrul Pema Drimé Lekpé Lodrö, Sogyal Rinpoche, Tarthang Tulku, Tashi Namgyal, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, Tokden Atrin, Tokden Semdor, Trogawa Rinpoche, Trulshik Pawo Dorje, Trulshik Rinpoche, Tsering Wangyal, Tsering Yudrön, Tsewang Paljor, Tulku Kalzang, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Yeshe Sengé, Yönru Lhasé Jamyang Sonam.
Sources
• https://www.rigpawiki.org
• https://en.wikipedia.org
Footnotes
1. Longchen Nyingthig is a terma, revealed scripture, of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, which gives a systematic explanation of Dzogchen. It was revealed by Jigme Lingpa (1730-1798).
2. The pointing-out instruction (ngo sprod) is the direct introduction to the nature of mind in the Tibetan Buddhist lineages of Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen. In these traditions, a "root guru" gives the "pointing-out instruction" in such a way that the disciple successfully recognizes the nature of mind. The tradition of conferring such instructions outside the context of formal empowerment (Sanskrit: abhiṣeka) is unique to the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages. Whether or not such instructions are valid without the formal empowerment has historically been a point of contention with the more conservative Gelug and Sakya lineages. The pointing-out instruction is often equated with the fourth formal vajrayana empowerment.
3. Terma (hidden treasure) are various forms of hidden teachings that are key to Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhist and Bon spiritual traditions. In the Vajrayana Nyingma school tradition, two lineages occur: an oral Kama lineage and a revealed Terma lineage. The Terma teachings were originally esoterically hidden by Vajrayana masters Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal during the 8th century, for future discovery at auspicious times by treasure revealers, who are known as tertöns. As such, terma represent a tradition of continuous revelation in Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhism. Termas are a part of tantric literature.
4. Shedra is a Tibetan word meaning "place of teaching" but specifically refers to the educational program in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries. It is usually attended by monks and nuns between their early teen years and early twenties.
5. The Tibetan term Ngöndro (Sanskrit: pūrvaka) refers to the preliminary, preparatory or foundational practices or disciplines (Sanskrit: sādhanā) common to all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and also to Bon. They precede the Generation stage and Completion stage. The term ngöndro literally denotes meanings in the range of "something that goes before, something which precedes." The preliminary practices establish the foundation for the more advanced and rarefied Vajrayana sādhanā which are held to engender realization and the embodiment of Dzogchen, Heruka and Mahamudra.
6. The Rimé movement is a movement involving the Sakya, Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism, along with some Bon scholars. Having seen how the Gelug institutions pushed the other traditions into the corners of Tibet's cultural life, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892) and Jamgön Kongtrül (1813-1899) compiled together the teachings of the Sakya, Kagyu and Nyingma, including many near-extinct teachings. Without Khyentse and Kongtrul's collecting and printing of rare works, the suppression of all other Buddhist sects by the Gelugpas would have been much more final. The Rimé movement is responsible for several scriptural compilations, such as the Rinchen Terdzod and the Sheja Dzö.
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