Pabongka Rinpoche

[DharmaSpace]

His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche is travelling throughout China and Tibet these days, quietly giving audience to many and teachings to those who are fortunate enough to meet him.

"I had the great honour to be in the presence of Pabongka Rinpoche a few years back. Then ignorant me did not even who I was in the presence of?" I do hope I have the chance to hear more of this great lama and his great great works.

[beggar]

Dharma Space - how fortunate you are to have the merit to meet Heruka himself! Did you see shadows of Red Ladies too? (Many have reported seeing Red Ladies in his place; in a blink of an eye, the lady disappears and they then see Pabongka Rinpoche in her place...!)

There's a collection of biographical articles about Pabongka Rinpoche here: http://dorjeshugden.com/articles/KyabjePabongkaRinpoche.pdf

I have been fascinated with his story - there is so much about his humility, lifelong devotion, study, practice and teaching; and at the same time there are wonderful accounts of miracles that happen around him. It is wonderful to imagine his teachings - he was known for being able to teach both sangha and laypeople perfectly, even the most technical and complex topics, and famous for his gentleness and care for every single person who came to seek audience with him. Even photos of him are so radiant!

Do read the articles everyone, come back and tell us what aspects you've loved most about his biography. It'll make you appreciate it all the more the next time you may have the lottery luck to have audience with Pabongka, like Dharma Space!

[dsiluvu]

Awesome and how lucky you are DharmaSpace to have met Heruka himself... surely there was a great blessing whether you knew or not makes no difference.

One of the greatest thing I love about Pabonka Rinpoche is that he had nothing and he became Greatness!
 
Pabongka Rinpoche was not a high ranking at all and was even considered as a low ranking person when he first started. Pabongka Rinpoche himself often shared how poor he was when he was young.
 
Pabongka himself would tell his story... “When I was young, I had nothing, no wealth at all and on top of that, no food to eat. Everybody had at least a little bag with barley-flour. For several days, I couldn’t get any food. I ran from Sera Monastery down to the sand, filled my bag with sand, and put a little barley on top to smell and taste a bit. I lived on that for several days. This is what I did and look what I am today.”

Can you imagine Pabongka ate sand?! This made me realise that really nothing in life is impossible!
 
Only much later when he became very popular that he was offered a little retreat-area by the Ngakpa College of Sera Mey Monastery. They offered him a large retreat complex on the hillside above Pabongka. The name of this hermitage was Tashi Chuling, or “Auspicious Spiritual Isle”. Pabongka built a small meditation cell around the mouth of a cave located near his residence. When he was not busy on the road for his extensive teaching tours, he would retreat for long periods of time to do his private practice and meditations.

Another great aspect was indeed his pure deep Guru Devotion that he would actually prostrate at the sight of his Guru, Dagpo Rinpoche's monastery and he would walk backwards when He leave.

These simple humbling aspect of Pabongka Rinpoche gives us great inspiration and amazing how a Great Master like Pabongka Rinpoche could be so gentle and humble, and that is the very reasons why his teaching is real...

There is so many great qualities that would put us in awe and of course Him pioneering Dorje Shugden practice throughout Tibet... how would He be wrong? How could Heruka spread something that is wrong???

[DharmaDefender]

Awesome and how lucky you are DharmaSpace to have met Heruka himself... surely there was a great blessing whether you knew or not makes no difference.

One of the greatest thing I love about Pabonka Rinpoche is that he had nothing and he became Greatness!
 
Pabongka Rinpoche was not a high ranking at all and was even considered as a low ranking person when he first started. Pabongka Rinpoche himself often shared how poor he was when he was young.
 
Pabongka himself would tell his story... “When I was young, I had nothing, no wealth at all and on top of that, no food to eat. Everybody had at least a little bag with barley-flour. For several days, I couldn’t get any food. I ran from Sera Monastery down to the sand, filled my bag with sand, and put a little barley on top to smell and taste a bit. I lived on that for several days. This is what I did and look what I am today.”

Can you imagine Pabongka ate sand?! This made me realise that really nothing in life is impossible!
 
Only much later when he became very popular that he was offered a little retreat-area by the Ngakpa College of Sera Mey Monastery. They offered him a large retreat complex on the hillside above Pabongka. The name of this hermitage was Tashi Chuling, or “Auspicious Spiritual Isle”. Pabongka built a small meditation cell around the mouth of a cave located near his residence. When he was not busy on the road for his extensive teaching tours, he would retreat for long periods of time to do his private practice and meditations.

Another great aspect was indeed his pure deep Guru Devotion that he would actually prostrate at the sight of his Guru, Dagpo Rinpoche's monastery and he would walk backwards when He leave.

These simple humbling aspect of Pabongka Rinpoche gives us great inspiration and amazing how a Great Master like Pabongka Rinpoche could be so gentle and humble, and that is the very reasons why his teaching is real...

There is so many great qualities that would put us in awe and of course Him pioneering Dorje Shugden practice throughout Tibet... how would He be wrong? How could Heruka spread something that is wrong???

There are so many stories like this...even the one of Lama Yeshe. I mean people made fun of him, that he was not a geshe and he was "no one" and had no qualifications, and he was crazy to spread Dharma to the yellow heads.

Sorry but if you look at the lamas who are doing the greatest work in the West (and no disrespect to those who have the qualifications!), they always seem to be the ones with no recognised qualifications, or have people analysing their qualifications. I mean case in point, Geshe-la, anybody?

That is actually what I love about Lama Tsongkapas tradition, the emphasis on humility. The fact that all these lamas are "no one" (from a qualifications point of view) but are so clearly attained, and bring so much benefit to people, but still act like they are nothing and have nothing, really makes us think twice about our own arrogance.

[hope rainbow]

I am still fascinated by the stories of Pabongka Rinpoche (previous incarnation) contemplating on the lamrim teachings for ten years!
For I have learned it over a much lesser period of time and sometimes, I must admit, felt rather arrogant about it...
This is the difference between the academical knowledge of lamrim and the realized knowledge of lamrim.
The first leads to more arrogance, the second to more humility.
The first brings no beneficial result, or so little, the second leads to enlightenment.

I am really happy to hear the the current incarnation of Pabongka is spreading the Dharma further.
I can't wait to see these great Masters, like also Trijang Rinpoche or Zong Rinpoche blossom when the ban on Dorje Shugden is lifted and a NEW WAVE of spiritual practice takes on the spiritual seekers of all continents.

[dsiluvu]

Another great aspect of Pabongka is that he was asked by Heruka and Vajrayogini to combine the Sakya Vajrayogini teachings with the techniques that Tsongkhapa had given for the Heruka practice.

One of the most important benefits of Vajrayogini practice is that she represents the swiftest path to Enlightenment and one would gain control over their death and birth. At the point of death, one does not lose control over the entire process, but will gain control instead. Due to this, we do not have to go into uncontrolled ordinary bardo and ordinary rebirth either.

And Pabongka Rinpoche actually created the link of an unbroken lineage from the Sakya tradition to Lama Tsongkhapa tradition and made the connection, and made it simple enough for the future, which is now, current people...He also added the Ganden Nyengyu which means not only oral, but it is a sort of teaching that is not given in public. Pabongka combined all these techniques and made it accessible for us lazy people to be able to practice Vajrayogini that is short and requires a lot less effort.

[dsiluvu]

It is also said that Vajrayogini appeared to Pabongka in a vision several times. And in one of those visions, Pabongka was had direct initiation by Vajrayogini. She promised Pabongka that those who received Vajrayogini from him/his lineage for the next four generations, they would be taken to Kechara Paradise within seven lifetimes. The usual is 14 lifetimes. It is literally cut in half!

So anyone who received the Vajrayogini initiation from Pabongka Rinpoche's lineage (following the four generations) will be granted these special privilege... amazing!

[beggar]

One of the greatest thing I love about Pabonka Rinpoche is that he had nothing and he became Greatness!
 
Pabongka Rinpoche was not a high ranking at all and was even considered as a low ranking person when he first started. Pabongka Rinpoche himself often shared how poor he was when he was young.
 
Pabongka himself would tell his story... “When I was young, I had nothing, no wealth at all and on top of that, no food to eat. Everybody had at least a little bag with barley-flour. For several days, I couldn’t get any food. I ran from Sera Monastery down to the sand, filled my bag with sand, and put a little barley on top to smell and taste a bit. I lived on that for several days. This is what I did and look what I am today.”

Can you imagine Pabongka ate sand?! This made me realise that really nothing in life is impossible!

Pabongka's story is exceptional because it shows us the potential that every single one of us can have. Being called "dull" doesn't necessarily mean you are! and that having the most basic qualities of guru devotion and determination can bring you a long, long, long way. Not excelling in one aspect (like academic studies) does not mean the end-all. There is plenty else to excel in and many routes up to the top of mount meru. pabongka shows us a perfect example of this. How kind he is to manifest this to us, to give us so much hope and energy for our own practice.

The gelugpa lineage is very "democratic" in this way. there is a saying that even a farmer's boy can rise to become the greatest Lama in the land!

So if any of us are feeling down or bullied by people who tell us that we're not good enough, wave them off with a good mudra and remember that the very reason millions of people can practice today is because of one of Tibet's greatest lamas who was called "dull" when he first started out.

[Big Uncle]

One of the greatest thing I love about Pabonka Rinpoche is that he had nothing and he became Greatness!
 
Pabongka Rinpoche was not a high ranking at all and was even considered as a low ranking person when he first started. Pabongka Rinpoche himself often shared how poor he was when he was young.
 
Pabongka himself would tell his story... “When I was young, I had nothing, no wealth at all and on top of that, no food to eat. Everybody had at least a little bag with barley-flour. For several days, I couldn’t get any food. I ran from Sera Monastery down to the sand, filled my bag with sand, and put a little barley on top to smell and taste a bit. I lived on that for several days. This is what I did and look what I am today.”

Can you imagine Pabongka ate sand?! This made me realise that really nothing in life is impossible!

Pabongka's story is exceptional because it shows us the potential that every single one of us can have. Being called "dull" doesn't necessarily mean you are! and that having the most basic qualities of guru devotion and determination can bring you a long, long, long way. Not excelling in one aspect (like academic studies) does not mean the end-all. There is plenty else to excel in and many routes up to the top of mount meru. pabongka shows us a perfect example of this. How kind he is to manifest this to us, to give us so much hope and energy for our own practice.

The gelugpa lineage is very "democratic" in this way. there is a saying that even a farmer's boy can rise to become the greatest Lama in the land!

So if any of us are feeling down or bullied by people who tell us that we're not good enough, wave them off with a good mudra and remember that the very reason millions of people can practice today is because of one of Tibet's greatest lamas who was called "dull" when he first started out.

Dear Beggar,

Thank you for that very inspirational explanation and I do find that democratic aspect of the Gelug tradition rather refreshing and very Buddhist. It allows very ordinary monks to put their great debates, knowledge and meditational experience into practice and bring tremendous benefit. Today, there are so many detractors of 'organized religion' and many upon observing the hierarchy within the monastery would be so quick to dismiss it as something bad.

They don't realize the entire hierarchy allows for great monks elected through democratic means to manifest their attainments when they take up office. Many great incarnations within the monastic system began initially as ordinary monks, elected by the monastery due to their exemplary conduct, knowledge and wisdom. This is highly encouraging to ordinary lay practitioners as well to be sincere in their practice and to gain great attainments.

[Carpenter]

Dear Begger,

Thank you for the explanation, I do assume that every great lama will not always shows how powerful they are and most of the time, they will be very humble and look “dull”. But by acting dull doesn’t mean they are really dull or useless, mainly the reason is because they are not chasing after any luxury life, or to pursue any career achievement, they are very simple and the only motivation they have is to spread dharma and to help people to liberate from suffering. Great Lamas are always very compassion
 

[Big Uncle]

Dear Begger,

Thank you for the explanation, I do assume that every great lama will not always shows how powerful they are and most of the time, they will be very humble and look “dull”. But by acting dull doesn’t mean they are really dull or useless, mainly the reason is because they are not chasing after any luxury life, or to pursue any career achievement, they are very simple and the only motivation they have is to spread dharma and to help people to liberate from suffering. Great Lamas are always very compassion
 

Also, I read that Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche achieved Bodhichitta while meditating at his Guru's monastery. Hereafter, his Guru ordered that a throne be set up for Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche. It was also at this time that he was starting to become very famous with his public teachings. Just because he was dull doesn't mean he will stay dull. I am sure Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche was not stupid and he was just manifesting that as a teaching for all of us. I think it was the blessings of his Guru and his training that he achieved Bodhichitta and became who is now known today. Amazing achievement!

[kris]

Lamrim - Liberation in the palm by Pabongka Rinpoche is such a great text. I have a lot of friends who studied Lamrim by other authors told me that it is so difficult to understand, but the Lamrim by Pabongka Rinpoche has been structured in such a way it is much easier for lay person like us to study.

[Ensapa]

If you would want to learn more about Pabongkha Rinpoche, do read the book called Chod of the Ganden Tradition by Zong Rinpoche. There he explains that one of Pabongkha's previous incarnations include the Mahasiddha Krishnapada who "missed" his chance to go to the pure lands when the Yidams manifested as actual people to try to invite him to there. Normally it would be the dakinis or the dharma protectors, but in Krishnapada's case, it was the actual Yidams.

Yamantaka appeared as a dark colored man outside of the retreat cave of Krishnapada and kept trying to convince him to come out and if he did, he would have been taken to the pure land. Vajrayogini came and invited him in the form of a leper lady who asked for his help to cross the river, but his disciple helped her instead and was carried by Vajrayogini to Kechara. So in that way, Krishnapada "did not manage to go to the pure lands".

To some people, this might seem to be that Krishnapada made the mistake of not going to the pure lands and attain enlightenment, but this is not true. It takes a lot and a lot of compassion and strength to resist the peace and quiet of the pure lands in exchange for the nightmare that is samsara, teaching students, training them, having to face all sorts of problems with them and giving teachings to people who are resistant…

In reality, Krishnapada avoided the pure lands and yidams on purpose because his compassion for beings in samsara was strong enough to resist the peace and ease of the pure lands. The fact that the actual Yidams themselves came to invite Krishnapada shows you what kind of being he is. And he is Pabongkha Rinpoche today.

[michaela]

Sometimes, I am amazed about how high lamas such as Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche left such great legacies of teachings that still can be accessed until today.  Even reading their work, their thoroughness, I am in awe.  To meet such great beings in persons is definitely a great fortune.

However, in the end, we can make the best use of their legacies by studying, comtemplating, work to spread the teachings, making them accessible to people who otherwise will not have access to them, and applying them on our lives. 

[Tenzin Gyatso]

Sometimes, I am amazed about how high lamas such as Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche left such great legacies of teachings that still can be accessed until today.  Even reading their work, their thoroughness, I am in awe.  To meet such great beings in persons is definitely a great fortune.

However, in the end, we can make the best use of their legacies by studying, comtemplating, work to spread the teachings, making them accessible to people who otherwise will not have access to them, and applying them on our lives.

I agree with you. So that is why it is important to follow the advice of HHDL.

His advice is always for our benefit. It serves him in no way at all.