“First the pattern of mistaking the actuality; in general. What we call ‘actuality’ is the introspectively known reality that exists just like this, free from the adulteration of present artificial consciousness, originally clear emptiness wherein nothing is intrinsically established. When a person meditates on emptiness without focusing just on that, he falls into the error of cutting off enlightenment at emptiness, by not freeing his mind from the holding on to emptiness. The sign of error is that thoughts arise such as ‘above there is no Buddha, below there is no hell, the utter lack of establishment of anything is emptiness.’ The fault of the error is that the mind that thinks everything is empty, on the positive side, abandons all religious practices such as devotion, purification of perception, refuge- taking, the spiritual conception of love and compassion, and engages in the enterprises of this life, and, on the negative side, all his practice is contaminated by the activities of sin…”
Among the other very interesting teachings given by Vajrapani, he states that Tsong Khapa was the famous Kashmiri pandit (scholar/practitioner) Sumatikirti in a previous life. He also predicts that there will come a time when war will come and the deities and demons of Tibet will be driven out by foreign invasion, but that if the lamas and masters teach and practice well, the Dharma can be restored in Tibet. Now, in the light of the relevance and greatness of the Great Abbot of Lhodrak, Namkha Gyaltsen, how wonderful to meet the present incarnation of that lama, known today as the Lelung Tulku (conscious incarnation), and have his energetic activities to help us out still today. Now with his first book beginning to track the history and search out the works of his predecessors, we can appreciate the impact of the Lelung line over the last half millennium. The first Lelung, Namkha Gyaltsen (1326-1401), was instrumental in empowering Tsong Khapa’s huge renaissance in Tibet, as I already mentioned. His biography shows that he was already a highly developed bodhisattva, an actual manifestation of the bodhisattva Vajrapani, considered the emanation of Vajradhara Buddha, born to collect and guard all Tantric teachings. In the Tibetan tradition, he may be considered the reincarnation of the enlightened soul-continuum of the famous Kadampa Geshe Potowa, a direct disciple of Dromtonpa. The biographies make no suggestions about intervening lifetimes. The second Lelung Jedrung incarnation appeared after 85 years in 1486. He also had a very distinguished life, becoming a heart disciple of His Holiness, the Second Dalai Lama, Gendun Gyatso (1475-1542), and, once matured and realized, being entrusted with prodigious tasks in developing monasteries in the Flower Valley where Gendun Gyatso had constructed the Chokhorgyal monastery, near the “Soul-lake” (gLatso) of the powerful protector goddess, Palden Lhamo. He subsequently became an important teacher of His Holiness Sonam Gyatso (1543-1588), transmitting to him key teachings of all the Unexcelled Yoga Tantras as well as super-secret teachings of various powerful protectors, such as Mahakala. Gendun Tashi, though a member of the “New Kadampa,” Gandenpa, or Gelukpa order, was very much involved in the nonsectarian study and teaching of important Nyingma order teachings, and shared these interests and practices with both Second and Third Dalai Lamas. He passed away from his body into the clear light in 1559. The Third Jedrung Lelung Rinpoche was Tenpa Gyatso, born in 1560. Recognized at the age of three by Sonam Gyatso, he was installed as a youth in Chokhorgyal and also at Jamba Ling in Chamdo. He received all the heart teachings from the Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso that his previous incarnation had given to that distinguished lama. In his twenties, he accompanied Sonam Gyatso to Mongolia to the momentous meeting with Altan Khan, the ruler of Genghiz Khan’s Central Asian empire, whom Sonam Gyatso converted to Buddhism, and was in turn given the Mongolian name, “Dalai Lama” (“Dalai” being Mongolian for Tibetan “Gyatso,” “ocean”), as the emperor felt the “Presence” (Kundun) of Sonam Gyatso as being just like an ocean of compassionate bliss. Tenpa Gyatso was then sent by Sonam Gyatso to the Wanli Emperor (1563-1620) of China’s Ming dynasty (Altan Khan refused to let Sonam Gyatso himself accept the Chinese invitation), where he became the emperor’s root guru, and in return was laden with offering gifts he brought back to Tibet to further the Third Dalai Lama’s works. Around the same time, the Lelung Rinpoche became the root guru of Panchen Losang Choekyi Gyaltsen (1570–1662), the very important Fourth Panchen Lama, who was the key figure in teaching and supporting the Great Fifth Dalai Lama (1617-1682). The Panchen Lama wrote of him as follows:You do not merely masquerade as a learned master, You are free of the artifice of a phony realized master, Your holy conduct is worthy of praise from the holy— Therefore your qualities are reflected in the clear pool of my mind!
Finally, Tenpa Gyatso served as an important teacher of the young Mongolian Fourth Dalai Lama, Yonten Gyatso (1589–1617), before he “manifested the appearance of dissolving his body and mind into the sphere of ultimate reality,” as the traditional expression goes, in 1625. This Lelung Jedrung Rinpoche thus served two Dalai Lamas and a Panchen Lama, among thousands of other disciples, as well as a Chinese emperor. The Fourth Lelung Jedrung lama, Gendun Choegyal Wangchuk (1646-1696), was recognized, ordained, and initiated by His Holiness the Great Fifth Dalai Lama Losang Gyatso, and became as well one of the root gurus of the Fifth Panchen Rinpoche, Losang Yeshe (1663–1737), who wrote his biography and praised him very highly. Like the Fifth Dalai Lama, he was born in an illustrious Nyingma order family, was educated in all the vast teachings of the Gaden order,and had many visionary experiences of the great precious Guru, Padmasambhava and many Nyingma deities. The Fifth Lelung, Jedrung Lobsang Trinley (1697-1740) was recognized as a small child by the Nyingmapa master, Terton Choeje Lingpa, and was much admired by the mystical adept and poet, the Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso (1683-1706?). As he grew up he received major teachings form both the great Nyingma masters of Mindroling and the mainstream Gelukpa masters such as the Panchen Rinpoche Losang Yeshe. He suffered through the dislocations that happened due to the Mongolian warlords’ interventions in Tibet, beginning with the deposing and (supposed) death of the Sixth Dalai Lama in 1706, the war between two factions of the Mongols in the next decade, and finally the installation of the Seventh Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso (1708-1757) and the overwhelming intervention of the Manchurian empire in 1720. He had very close relations with the Seventh Dalai Lama during the latter’s youth. The Sixth Lelung Rinpoche, Jedrung Losang Lhundrup Trinley Gyaltsen (1641-1811), was recognized at the age of three by the Seventh Dalai Lama, and considered His Holiness to be his root guru for his whole life. He was educated at Drepung and afterward at the Gyuto Tantric University in Lhasa, where he served as abbot for some time. The Seventh Lelung, ölkha Jedrung Rinpoche Losang Ngawang Tenzin Gyatso (1812-186?), participated in the brief lives of the 9 th (1805-1815), 10 th (1816-1837), 11 th (1838-1856), and 12 th (1857-1875) Dalai Lamas, which is probably why little is known about him in comparison to the other Lelung incarnations. Nobody really knows why all these Dalai Lamas were so short-lived but during this period, the Manchurian emperors had representatives (Ambans) and garrisons in Lhasa, and they often interfered with the Tibetan government and society, which was made easier for them by no Dalai Lama coming into a spiritually and socially fully developed majority with the ability and experience to oversee personally the development of the country. The situation of the Eighth Lelung Jedrung, Kalsang Tenzin, was even less clear. His birth and death dates not clearly known, and with a report circulating that he pssed away before finishing his education. The Ninth Lelung Jedrung (1905-1909) passed away as a child. The Tenth Lelung Jedrung, Thubten Lungtok Choekyi Wangchuk (1909-1962) was recognized by the Great Thirteenth Dalai Lama (1876-1933), who very effectively stabilized Tibet, defeated a plot to assassinate him in youth, coped with the British invasion and the last bit of Manchurian interference in Tibet, discovered the world of international politics during the terminal phase of European imperialism, and proclaimed and maintained Tibetan independence as a recognized nation from 1913 until 1951. The Lelung Rinpoche worked with him during all these difficult times and helped him with all his powers. In 1959, he did not succeed in escaping the Communist Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet, and passed away in 1962. Finally, after a gap of 21 years, the Eleventh Lelung Jedrung Rinpoche was found in 1983, and he is with us today.Jul 31 - Aug 06, 2023
We are honored and delighted to welcome to Menla His Eminence the 11th Lelung Rinpoche, who will bestow the Yamantaka abishekam “empowerment” to participants and give precious teachings on the mild and fierce Mañjushrī deity practices. Rinpoche will open the door to these wisdom teachings during this practitioners’ retreat, which will include Mañjushrī mantra accumulation, […]
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