Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche
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Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche was recognized by Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, tutor to His Holiness, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama, as the Twelfth incarnation of the lineage of Dagom Rinpoches. He took Novice ordination at the age of nine and full ordination (Bhikshu) at the age of twenty one years old.
From the age of eight until twenty-five, Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche studied all of the major and minor Tibetan sciences in Drepung Gomang Monastery in South India. After completing these studies, for many years, he continued to receive further teachings from such masters as H.H.Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, H.H.Ling Dorje Chang, Kyabje Gyara Dorje Chang, Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang, Kyabje Zemey Dorje Chang, and Yongzin Kunchok Gyatso. He received all the teachings, empowerments and oral transmissions. In 1983, after completing his studies, he received the degree of Geshe Lharampa, the highest degree in the Tibetan monastic system. In 1987, Rinpoche passed the tantric examinations and served as the Headmaster of Gyume Tantric College in Hunsur, India. Since then, he has given sutra and tantra transmissions to over 100,000 disciples in Ladakh, India, Nepal, the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Germany, Singapore, and Mongolia.
Starting on April 3, 1989, at Samtenling Monastery in Nepal for the commemoration of the passing of H.H. Panchen Lama, for twenty-two days, Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche gave instructions on the stages of the path to Enlightenment called The Blissful Path and The Swift Path as well as the initiation of Vajrabhairava to two hundred and sixty disciples including Gangchen Chogtrul Rinpoche, Lingka Chogtrul Rinpoche, the abbot of Samten Ling Monastery, the abbot of Shelkar Monastery, the master of Chozang Monatery, and the master of Segyu Monastery. Then, from March 26 until May 3, 1990, for a month and twenty seven days, Rinpoche gave the profound oral instructions of Liberation in the Palm of Our Hand to 780 monks, nuns and lay disciples including Ganden Jangtse Serkong Chogtrul Rinpoche, Drepung Loseling Drubtob Rinpoche and the masters of seven different monasteries in Nepal. At Ganden Jamgon Ling Monastery near Swayambu, Nepal, on May fourth and fifth of this year, Rinpoche gave Avalokiteshvara initiation and advice to more than a thousand Tibetans.
In 1991 from March third to April twenty third at Drepung Gomang Monastery, Rinpoche gave oral transmission of ten volumes of the collected works of Je Tshogkhapa, Thirteen Deity Yamantaka initiation, as well as the thirteen Mahakala initiations and transmission of the five major fields of studies’ root texts to Kyabje Sharpa Choeje Lobsang Nyima, Kyabje Trijang Chogtrul Rinpoche, Kyabje Gyara Chogtrul Rinpoche, Kyabje Zong Chogtrul Rinpoche, Kyabje Lakha Chogtrul Rinpoche, and Kyabje Yongzin Tulku as well as many Geshes, over three hundred monks and lay people.
In the same year from May twenty-eighth for about one month at the Ladakh Zanskar Duzing Podrang, Dagom Rinpoche gave instructions on the Eight great commentaries on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment to more than three hundred disciples. On June 30th he also gave teachings on generating bodhicitta (the altruistic mind of Enlightenment) and the White Umbrella initiation to more than four thousand people of Zanskar in India. Rinpoche has a very close relation with the people of Zanskar and, at people’s requests, has traveled to sixty-eight different regions there again and again, undergoing great hardship of jorneying on foot and horseback over rivers and through dangerous passes in order to kindly give Dharma advice for the alleviation of suffering.
In 1992, Rinpoche established the Ganden Monlam Chenmo Dharma Center and Dagom Migtsema Dharma Center in Nepal. On that same occasion Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche presided as throne holder of Nepal Ganden Monlam Chenmo for five days over the gathering of more than eight hundred Sangha members from Nyanang Phegya-Ling Monastery, Samten Ling Monastery, Gaden Jamgon Ling Monastery, Shelkar Monastery, Segyu Monastery, Drupthok Monastery, Thukjechoe Ling Nunnery, and Kopan Nunnery. Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche also gave teachings on Legends of Buddha’s Birth and performed prayers for all deceased and living beings. From that time on, the Ganden Monlam Chenmo Festival has been held every year.
In India Dagom Rinpoche established Jangchub Tensung Dorje Center in Lingshed and the Lhasa Monlam Festival in Zanskar.
In 1996, Rinpoche established Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling in Bloomington, Indiana and Dagom Tsongkhapa Dharma Center in Massachusetts (USA).
In 1997 Rinpoche toured Mongolia for six months, giving teachings and tantric initiations to thousands of monks and lay people. During the month of May in Hentic Almic, Mongolia, the local practitioners requested Rinpoche to bring rain and, when it rained, they were filled with joy, faith and devotion.
In 1999 Rinpoche founded Dagom Choeling Dharma Center in Minneapolis, USA.
After being a fully ordained monk for ten years, Rinpoche started to give ordination to other people according to the rules of the Vinaya, which is an important basis of Buddha Dharma. Since then, Rinpoche has bestowed Novice ordination on more than five hundred people and Bhikshu ordination on several dozen people. He will continue to give ordination to interested suitable beings.
Thus for a long time Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche has been teaching Buddha Dharma and giving spiritual advice to thousands of students throughout the world, always with love and compassion. Rinpoche does not at all like to deal with politics. He only gives spiritual and truthful advice. It is because of this that his blissful Dharma activities have been flourishing purely year after year. Yet Rinpoche’s faith and respect in the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden has remained firm and unchanging from early childhood up to the present time. Because of this, some Tibetan political officials in Dharamsala have, since 1996, made intense effort to split Rinpoche’s many faithful disciples away from him. Dorje Shugden is a very renowned compassionate protector deity in Tibetan Buddhism. Hundreds of highly qualified masters and many tens of thousands of people of many different nationalities have revered him as a supreme supramundane protector. Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche does not care for any mixture of religion and politics and, on the contrary, is one who, in every country where he travels, puts forth great effort in solely spiritual means, for the happiness and peace of everyone. If anyone wishes to know more about Rinpoche’s extensive activities, they are described in the Tibetan volume called The Jewel Garland of Precious Activities. In 2006, he performed the deed of pari-nirvana. All his life, he blessed countless number of being with Buddha dharma teachings and living life according to the true teachings of Buddha.
By Secretary (Dagom Ladang) Geshe Jangsem
(I copied this from Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche's website and I thought it is a beautiful write up re Rinpoche.)
