Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

451 Pages·2005·55.933 MB·English

by  Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Daniel Goleman, Sogyal Rinpoche

Blazing Splendor
The Memoirs of the Dzogchen Yogi
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
RANGJUNG YESHE BooKs • www.RANGJUNG.coM
PADMASAMBHAVA
Dakini Teachings • Advice from the Lotus-Born
PADMASAMBHAVA & JAMGON KONGTRUL
Light of Wisdom, VoL/ • Light ofWlSdom, VoL//
YESHE TSOGYAL • The Lotus-Born
GAMPOPA • The Precious Garland oft he Sublime Path
OAK PO TASHI NAMGYAL • Clarifying the Natural State
TSELE NATSOK RANGDROL
The Heart oft he Matter • Mi"or ofM indfulness
Empowerment • Lamp ofM ahamudra
CHOKGYUR LINGPA • Ocean ofA mrita, Ngakso Drubchen
JAMGON MIPHAM RINPOCHE
Gateway to Knowledge, VoL I • VoL II • VoL III
TULKU URGYEN RINPOCHE
Blazing Splendor • Rainbow Painting • As It Is, VoL I • VoL II
Vajra Speech • Repeating the Words oft he Buddha
KHENCHEN THRANGU RINPOCHE
Crystal Clear • Songs ofNaropa • KingofSamadhi • Buddha Nature
CHOKYI NYIMA RINPOCHE
Present Fresh Wakefulness • Indisputable Truth • Bardo Guidebook
The Union ofM ahamudra & Dzogchen • Song ofK armapa
TSIKEY CHOKLING RINPOCHE • Lotus Ocean
TULKU THONDUP • Enlightened Living
ORGYEN TOBGYAL RINPOCHE • Life & Teachings ofChokgyur Ungpa
TSOKNYI RINPOCHE
Fearless Simplicity • Carefree Dignity
COMPILATIONS
Quintessential Dzogchen • Dzogchen Primer • Dzogchen Essentials
A Tibetan Buddhist Companion
DICTIONARIES
The Rangjung Yeshe Tibetan-English Dictionary ofB uddhist Culture CD
Blazing Splendor
The Memoirs of the Dzogchen Yogi
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
As told to
ERIK PEMA KUNSANG &
MARCIA BINDER SCHMIDT
Foreword by SOGYAL RINPOCHE
Introduction by DANIEL GoLEMAN
Edited with MICHAEL TWEED
.•
~1\IU~
~II'RU~
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RANGJUNG YESHE PUBLICATIONS
Boudhanath, Hong Kong & Esby ·
2005
RAJ•iGJUNG YESHE PUBLICATIONS
Flat sa, Greenview Garden,
125 Robinson Road. Hong Kong
Address letters to:
Rangjung Yeshe Publications
p.o. box 1200,
Kathmandu, Nepal
blazlngcgrangjung.com
www.rangjung.com
C 2005 Erik Hein Schmidt & Marcia Binder Schmidt
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without
written permission from the publisher.
Distributed to the book trade by:
Publishers Group West I North Atlantic Books
135798642
First edition 2005
Printed in the United States of America on recycled acid-free paper
Publication Data:
Schmidt, Erik Hein; Schmidt, Marcia Binder.
Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of the Dzogchen Yogi Tullcu Urgyen
Rinpoche. Compiled, translated and edited by Erik Perna Kunsang
and Marcia Binder Schmidt, with Michael Tweed. Foreword by
Sogyal Rinpoche. Introduction by Daniel Goleman.
Includes glossary with geographical and bibliographical references.
isbn 962·7341·56·8 (alk. paper.)
1. Eastern travels. 2. Biographies. 3. Tibet-Dzogchen (Nyingma).
I. Title.
Cover art detail: Fortress Peak (Dzong-go Ung), Nangchen; Erik Perna Kunsang
Cover and text designed by Rafael Ortet
Contents
List ofJ Uustrations ............................................................................................................ vii
Foreword by Sogyal Rinpodte .......................................................................................... ix
Introduction by Da1riel Goleman .................................................................................... xua
Preface ............................................................................................................................ XVlll
Pro/ope............................................................................................................................ xi
PART ONE • SPIRITUAL ROOTS
Grandmother~ Mission ..................................................................................... 3
Tibet, a Buddhist Land ..................................................................................... 6
Gampopa and the Early Barom Masters .................................................... 10
The Treasures of the Lotus-Born .................................................................... 2.5
My Great-Grandfatlrer, the Treasure Revealer .......................................... 2.7
Two Sublime Masters ......................................................................................... 41
KHYENTSE ......................................................................................................... 41
KONGTRUL ......................................................................................................... 49
Lord ofA ctivity, the Fifteenth Karmapa ...................................................... 53
Spiritual Sons ....................................................................................................... 62.
KARMEY KHENPO .............................................................................................. 62.
WANGCHOK DORJE ........................................................................................... 66
TSEWANG NORBU .............................................................................................. 70
My Precious Grandmother ............................................................................... 79
My Guru, Samten Gyatso ................................................................................. 86
My Father, the Performer ofM iracles ........................................................... 103
Two Special Uncles and Their Teachers ....................................................... 12.2.
UNCLE SANG-NGAK .......................................................................................... 12.2.
TERSEY TULKU ...; .............................................................................................. 12.4
Shakya Shri, the Lord ofSiddhas ................................................................... 12.9
The Master-Scholar Katok Situ ...................................................................... 135
PART Two • EARLY YEARS
My Childhood ....................................................................................................... 141
The Nunnery ofYoginis ............................................................... ~...................... 157
vi
BLAZING SPLENDOR
Receiving My First Teachings ........................................................................... 163
Speech..................................................................................
An Extraordinary 166
J.-fy Previous Life .................................................................................................. 170
J.-fy Monastery and Enthronement ................................................................. 176
The Young Karmapa ........................................................................................... 186
Grandmother~ Death ........................................................................................ 193
The Colorful Chokling of Tsikey ...................................................................... 204
Transmission at Surmang ................................................................................. 215
The Master in the Hollow Tree ........................................................................ 219
An Eccentric King ................................................................................................ 226
My Last Days with Samten Gyatso ............................................................... 231
My Guru~ Passing ............................................................................................... 234
Meetings with a Remarkable Teacher........................................................... 247
PART THREE • CENTRAL TIBET
At Tsurphu with the Karmapa ....................................................................... 263
Brilliant Moon ..................................................................................................... 280
My Last Visit to Central Tibet ........................................................................ 290
Amazing Masters in Lhasa .............................................................................. 297
DZONGSAR KHYENTSE •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 297
DUDJOM RJNPOCHE ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 303
SHECHEN KONGTRUL •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 307
PART FouR • "IN ExiLE
Leaving Tibet ........................................................................................................ 319
Sikkim ..................................................................................................................... 325
Nepal ························-··················································································· .. ········ 337
The Chokling ofN eten ........................................................................................ 340
The Hearing Lineage from Bomta Khenpo .................................................. 347
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 354
Afterword •.•••••••...•.•..•..•..•••••....•..••••.••••..••.•....•..••.•••..•..••••.•..•....•••••..•.•....•••.••..•..•..••.•..•.•..•. 3 59
Acknowledgetnents .•••.•.•..•••....•.•.•.••••.•.•..•••••••.....••.•••••..•.•••••..•.••••••••••••.••••••........••••••.••••.•• 364
Art Credits •....•....•••..••.••••.••..•.•.•.••.•..••••••..•.•..••.••.•.............•.....••.••....•..•.••....•...•...•.••.•..•..•.• 367
Appendix: The Lineage oft he New Treasures ................................................................. 368
Endnotes ........................................................................................................................... 3 72
Glossary .....•....................••.•....•...•.••..•....•..••••..•..•.•••••••••••••••.•...••.•••••.•••••.•••.••••.••.••••.••••.•••• 398
Activities and information connected to the lineage ofTulku Urgyen Rinpoche ••••••••..• 433
List ofI llustrations
1. Tsewang Chokdrub Palbar-Blazbrg Splendor 30. Gebchak nuns sitting in their meditation
xxil box 161
2 Trisong Deutun-the great Dharma king 7 31. 1he Derge royal family 166
3. Samye-the CllStk oft he early Dharma 7 32 1he Situ ofP alpung 168
4. Chimphu-a view from the caves above .ll Pages from the writings ofC howang Tulku 172
Samye7 34. Lachab monastery 174
5. Padmasambhava-the Lotus-Born master 8 35. V~ew from Lachab monastery 177
6. Vajradhara-the dharmakaya buddha 10 36. On the road from Fortress Pc4k to Lachab 178
7. Gampopa-the forefather of the Kagyu 37. 1he sixteenth Karmapa-a willful
masters 11 incarnation 187
8. Chokgyur Ungpa-the revu~ler ofh idden 38. 1he terma site above Tsikey and the present
treasures 27 tulku 193
9. 1he lotus crown ofC hokgyur Ungpa 28 39. Kaney Kongtrul-the son oft he fifteenth
10. 1he Lotus Crystal Cave-sacred place of the Karmapa 194
Three Sections 28 40. 1he tulku ofK aney Kongtru/197
11. Kala Rongo-where the Tukdrub was 41. Tsikey monastery 201
revealed28 42 1he king ofN angchen 226
12 Yeshe Tsogyal-the great dakini disciple of 43. Prince Achen ofN angchen 227
the Lotus-Born 38 44. 1he young Karmapa 263
13. Longchenpa-the great Dzogchen master 44 45. Mural ofTsurphu monastery 264
14. Vairotsana-the great translator of 46. Lotus Garut/4 Fortress above Tsurphu
Buddhist scriptures 49 monastery 265
15. Mipham-the famous scholar so 47. Shri Singha-the early master ofD mgchen 269
16. 1he Great Dakini ofTsurphu s6 48. 1he young Dalai Lama 272
17. King Jah-the master ofM ahayoga 66 49. 1he inner retreat room at Lachab 278
18. Tara-the female buddha ofc ompassion 82 SO. Dudjom Rinpoche-flanked by Dordrak
19. Fortress Peak-the lofty hermitage 89 Rigdzin and Min ling Chung 279
20. Tsewang Dechen-the tulku ofS am ten 51. A tulku named Rabsel Dawa, Brilliant Moon
Gyatso 102 28o
21. Tsechu monastery in Nangchen 108 52 E4rly photo ofD ilgo Khyentse Rinpoche 281
22 Shakya Shri-the Lord ofSiddhas 129 53. Pawo Rinpoche ofN enang monastery 291
21 Druk Kharag Yongdzin Rinpoche 130 54. 1he Moon Cave at Drak Yerpa 294
24. Cool Grove charnel ground in India 133 55. View from the Moon Cave 294
25. On the road from lAchab to Dechen Ung 144 56. 1he young Dudjom Rinpoche 295
26. Dechen Ung 148 57. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche 297
27. Tsangsar County-on the road to Dechen 58. Dilgn KhymtY. Rinpoche in Lhasa 301
Ung149 59. Dudjom Rinpoche 303
28. View ofF ortress Peak from the road to 60. Chatral Rinpoche 304
Lachab 152 61. 1he Kongtrul ofShechen 307
29. Gebchak Gompa-the nunnery of 62 Chiikyi Nyim4. Chokling and their mother
meditators 158 KunsangDechen 319
viii BLAZING SPLENDOR
63. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche Mrly photo 320 93. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche with Tulku Urgyen
64. The family in Sikkim 326 Rinpoche'sfamily 358
65. The Vajra Throne in Bodhgaya 328 94. Tulku Urgyen with Tsoknyi and Mingyur.
66. Dzongsar Khyentse undu the Bodht 1"rte 329 Rinpoches. and their mother Sonam
67. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche 333 Chadron at Nagi Gompa 361
68. Trinity Norbu Rinpoche with his wife and 95. Tsoknyi Rinpoche with Adeu Rinpoche of
the tulku ofD zongsar Khyentse 333 Nangchen 361
69. The sixteenth Karmapa 334 96. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche-the youngest son
7ll Trulshik. Dudjom and Tulku Urgyen. 361
Rinpoches 335 97. Tenga Rinpoche with Tenpa Yarpt/361
71. Dudjom and Nyingma lamas in exile 336 98. KA-Nying Shtdrub Ling monastery in Boudha
72 The Grtllt Stupa in Boudhanath 338 362
73. Swayambhu Stupa 338 99. The temple at Asura Cave in Parping 362
74. Lama Tashi Dorje ofN ubri 339 100. Ngedon Ostl Ling monastery 362
75. The third Cholding ofNeten-Puna Gyurmey 101. Chatral and Tulku Urgyen, Rinpoches,
340 with Kunsang Dtchen and Phakchok
76. The Chokling ofN eten with his oldest son Tulku 362
Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche 341 102 Chokling Rinpoche with his first son
77. The fourth ChoklingofNeten 341 Phakchok Tulku 363
78. Chokyi Nyima and Chokling, Rinpoches 342 103. Chokling Rinpoche with his second
79. View ofN agi Gompa 344 son-the incarnation ofD ilgo Khyentse
80. Bomta Khenpo 347 Rinpoche 363
81. Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche 348 104. The fourth ChoklingofTsikey in Nepal363
82 Khenpo Ngakchung 349 105. The fourth ChoklingofTsikey in Kham 363
83. Vimalamitra-the Dzogchen master 349 106. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche with Tsikey
84. The Blade Crown ceremony oft he Karmapa Chokling, Dechen Paldron and the
353 incarnation ofD ilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
85. The Boudha Stupa and Kil-Nying Shtdrub 363
Ling Monastery-old air photo by Toni 107. Neten Chokling and Tsikty Chokling 363
Hagtn354 108. Three sons and Phakchok Tulku at Nagi
86. The sixteenth Karmapa with the tulkus at Gompa363
Ka-Nying Shtdrub Ling Monastery 355 109. Marcia Binder Schmidt in Nangchen 2003
87. The sixteenth Karma & King Birendra of 365
Nepal at the inauguration 355 110. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Erik Pema
88. Chatral. Dudjom and Dilgo Khyentse, Kunsang at Nagi Gompa 365
Rinpoches 356
89. Enacting the drama ofP admasambhava,
Shantarakshita and King Trisong
Deutsen-Dilgo Khyentse, Trulshik &
Chokyi Nyima, Rinpoches 356
90. Lamas at the Boudha Stupa, at the end of
the transmission for the New Treasures
356
91. Five lamas in Boudha-Tulku Urgyen,
Trulshik, Dilgo Khyentse. Dabzang and
Depuk. Rinpoches 357
92 Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche with lamas at the
Yak & Yeti 357
Foreword
by Sogyal Rinpoche
Here in. this book, you will read about extraordinary practitioners of meditation
and exponents of the teachings of Buddha, about great masters whose compassion,
understanding and capacity defy ordinary criteria, and about a world in which a
very particular definition prevails, quite different to the one promoted all around
us today, of what is possible to be achieved by a human being. However, you will
not learn so much in these pages about the author of these memoirs, the Tibetan
master Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. This is inevitable, because of his humility
and his discretion. And yet he is the heart of this book, not only because it is his
eyes witnessing these amazing events, his voice recounting them and his mind
making sense of them for us, but also because he was of the very same caliber
as the exceptional individuals he is describing. He inherited their wisdom com
pletely, and he embodied their incredible qualities. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was,
in fact, one of the greatest masters of meditation of the twentieth century, and one
of the most outstanding and prolific teachers of the Dzogchen and Mahamudra
teachings that lie at the heart of the Buddhist tradition of Tibet.
I first met Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche when I was very young, because, as he ex
plains in this book, he came many times to receive teachings from my master
Dzongsar Khyentse, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro. When, years later, I re
quested Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche for teachings, he recalled how he had always seen
me at the side of Jamyang Khyentse, and our mutual bond through our proxim
ity to this great teacher gave us both a deep feeling of closeness. In the Nyingma
and Kagyii schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was an im
mensely important lineage master, and was the teacher and representative of the
16th Gyalwang Karmapa. He also passed on transmissions to the greatest lamas
of the Nyingma tradition, Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche and Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse
Rinpoche. Both of them, along with Nyoshul Khenpo Jamyang Dorje and so many
other great holders of the teachings, held Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche in the highest
regard, as someone who had fully realized the view and practice of Dzogpachenpo,
the Great Perfection.
As a teacher, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was unique, in a class of his own. One
fact that struck you straight away was that whatever he taught was saturated with
the flavor of Dzogchen. Of course, he possessed a complete mastery of all aspects