Where is Pabongka Tulku?

[crazycloud]

...and what is he up to?

Anyone heard anything?

[mountains]

Some information:


1. His Holiness Kyabje Pabongkha Choktrul Rinpoche resides permanently in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has a ladrang (private residence) there with his assistants and students.

2. He travelled a few times a year for many years now into Tibet to recieve precious transmission, teachings and rare commentaries from Kyabje Denma Konsa Rinpoche. Kyabje Konsa Rinpoche recently entered clear light. They are in process for searching for his unmistaken reincarnation.

3. Otherwise Pabongkha Rinpoche often travels to riwo tsenga or the 5 peaks of Manjushri, Shanxi Province in China. Rinpoche often travels there to engage in secluded retreats.

4. Rinpoche also travels to Shanghai to give dharma discourses to private citizens at the request of his patrons in small groups.

5. Currently, Rinpoche resides a few months out of the year in Beijing where he discourses to private citizens and engages in retreats.

6. The newly formed Serpom Norling Monastery has officially requested Kyabje Pabongkha Choktrul Rinpoche to ascend the throne as their first Abbot. Kyabje Pabongkha is considering and has not replied them yet.

I pray he accepts their request.

[Vajraprotector]

I have been thinking about this, tell me what you think:

Sera was established by Jamchen Choje Sakya Yeshe in 1419 on the request of his teacher Je Tsongkhapa. Sakya Yeshe was the close disciple of Tsong Khapa who was a “replacement” sent by Tsongkhapa to mentor the Chinese Emperor Yongle of Ming Dynasty on behalf of Tsongkhapa.

He taught extensively in China, particularly in the Imperial court, converting many royal members and in Wu Tai Shan. When he returned to Lhasa from China, he bought along gifts from the emperor, including a set of Tangyur (canons of teachings spoken by Buddha) commissioned by the emperor, a set of 16 arhats, a sandalwood statue of the Buddha. These became the treasures of Sera, along with a Hayagriva statue said to have once spoken. 

It was said that Pabongkha Rinpoche, hinted identification with this lama. I can’t remember the source for this, has anyone read about this before?.

Now we know that one of Pabongkha Rinpoche’s previous lives was also Changkya Rolpai Dorje, who served as Emperor Qianlong's main Buddhist teacher and adviser in matters related to Buddhism, including art, literature, religious initiations and practices, and diplomacy.

Pabongkha Chocktrul Rinpoche is now back and so he is definitely going to continue his holy mission of spreading teachings of Manjushri in the land where Manjushri is said to reside and that includes the holy protector Gyalchen Dorje Shugden.

[Mana]

 
We are informed His Holiness Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche at this very moment is residing in Chengdu (Capital of Sichuan Province), China.

We wish him great success in his spreading of Dharma in China.

Mana

[WisdomBeing]

It's ironic that the Lamas who are ostracised by TGIE, eg HH Pabongka Rinpoche and HE Gangchen Rinpoche, are welcomed by China. This news is similar to the other threads, i.e. the 5000 receiving DS initiation, which show that Dorje Shugden is being openly practiced in Tibet as part of China. Together with other monasteries in Tibet who are able to freely practice without discrimination, it is lovely to see that Dorje Shugden is becoming a mainstream practice in Tibet and China.

[Vajraprotector]

In 1959, The Dalai Lama went to China to speak with Chairman Mao Zedong. Mao told His Holiness, "Religion is poison. ... Tibet and Mongolia have both been poisoned by it."  That was part of the reason why from the beginning of 1956, the so-called "Democratic Reform" was carried out, first in Kham and Amdo, and later (from 1959) in Central Tibet. Monasteries, temples, and cultural centres were systematically looted of all articles of value and then dismantled. That happened purely because of politics.

Now, in the same lifetime of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, China is "welcoming" back the poison that they despise, installing their own Panchen Lama etc, also for political reasons. Such is impermanence! 

One thing's for sure, the teachings of Manjushri will flourish again in the land of Manjushri's abode.

[DharmaDefender]

It's ironic that the Lamas who are ostracised by TGIE, eg HH Pabongka Rinpoche and HE Gangchen Rinpoche, are welcomed by China. This news is similar to the other threads, i.e. the 5000 receiving DS initiation, which show that Dorje Shugden is being openly practiced in Tibet as part of China. Together with other monasteries in Tibet who are able to freely practice without discrimination, it is lovely to see that Dorje Shugden is becoming a mainstream practice in Tibet and China.

I think they send a strong message - the Chinese are just as in need of the Dharma, as the Tibetans. Once you can see everyone as equal and as human, how can you hurt someone who is basically the same as you?

Now, in the same lifetime of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, China is "welcoming" back the poison that they despise, installing their own Panchen Lama etc, also for political reasons. Such is impermanence!

Yeah that never made sense to me - kidnap one kid and spirit him away, and install your own...in an era where you claim that religion is poison. It's not just impermanence for me, but an example of how destructive selectiveness can be.

[triesa]

I have the great fortune to meet HE Pabongka Rinpoche in Nepal in 2004 in his ladrang. I will never forget the audience with such a high lama.

May Pabongka Rinpoche live long and continue to turn the wheel of dharma to benefit more sentient beings wherever he goes.

[beggar]

I have heard that even a Lama as great as Pabongka Rinpoche had many obstacles with sponsorship because of this DS issue. Promises to help build a monastery in Nepal were withdrawn because of his DS practice... He is very courageous to continue and, as with every high Lama, continue his great works in other places where there is also a growing need for Dharma (such as China, maybe).

With these lamas, if their works are suppressed in one, place they will simply find another place to make the teachings grow. So restrictions, bans... they don't mean too much to the enlightened mind!

Any more news as to his whereabouts would be very welcome.

I understand that Serpom had requested him to join them... have there been any further developments on this?

[DSFriend]

I have heard that even a Lama as great as Pabongka Rinpoche had many obstacles with sponsorship because of this DS issue. Promises to help build a monastery in Nepal were withdrawn because of his DS practice... He is very courageous to continue and, as with every high Lama, continue his great works in other places where there is also a growing need for Dharma (such as China, maybe).


With these lamas, if their works are suppressed in one, place they will simply find another place to make the teachings grow. So restrictions, bans... they don't mean too much to the enlightened mind!

I love knowing what these great young lamas Trijang Rinpoche, Pabongka Rinpoche, Ling Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche and many more are up to. Their previous incarnations have done incredibly beneficial works and I agree with you that no matter how these lamas are suppressed, they will simply manifest their works somewhere else.

This in itself is a great lesson...to see how attained beings work through obstacles, how they turn it into opportunities.

[Big Uncle]

I have been thinking about this, tell me what you think:

Sera was established by Jamchen Choje Sakya Yeshe in 1419 on the request of his teacher Je Tsongkhapa. Sakya Yeshe was the close disciple of Tsong Khapa who was a “replacement” sent by Tsongkhapa to mentor the Chinese Emperor Yongle of Ming Dynasty on behalf of Tsongkhapa.

He taught extensively in China, particularly in the Imperial court, converting many royal members and in Wu Tai Shan. When he returned to Lhasa from China, he bought along gifts from the emperor, including a set of Tangyur (canons of teachings spoken by Buddha) commissioned by the emperor, a set of 16 arhats, a sandalwood statue of the Buddha. These became the treasures of Sera, along with a Hayagriva statue said to have once spoken. 

It was said that Pabongkha Rinpoche, hinted identification with this lama. I can’t remember the source for this, has anyone read about this before?.

Now we know that one of Pabongkha Rinpoche’s previous lives was also Changkya Rolpai Dorje, who served as Emperor Qianlong's main Buddhist teacher and adviser in matters related to Buddhism, including art, literature, religious initiations and practices, and diplomacy.

Pabongkha Chocktrul Rinpoche is now back and so he is definitely going to continue his holy mission of spreading teachings of Manjushri in the land where Manjushri is said to reside and that includes the holy protector Gyalchen Dorje Shugden.

I have not read or heard about Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche being Jamchen Choje Sakya Yeshe's incarnation. However, I read that he was the incarnation of Tsako Ngawang Drakpa, also a great student of Lama Tsongkhapa and a contemporary of Jamchen Choje Sakya Yeshe. Tsako Ngawang Drakpa built 108 monasteries in eastern Tibet culminating in the great Dhe-tsang Monastery in honor of his Guru, Lama Tsongkhapa. Dhe-tsang today is still standing and a great monastery propagating Dorje Shugden practice.

Here is a link to a writeup on him :- http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/index.php?s=Ngawang+Drakpa

[Vajraprotector]

Thank you for clarifying Big Uncle. It's good that we can discuss/check on info like this on the forum. I think I could have got them mixed up

I just remembered another interesting point that one of Pabongka Rinpoche's main disciples was Khangsar Rinpoche, and Khangsar Rinpoche has a Chinese disciple who started a Buddhist movement in China that survived till the present day.

Master Nenghai (1896-1967),  was one of the important monk who permitted the spreading of Tibetan Gelugpa teachings among Han Chinese in the first half of the 20th century and he had studied under Khangsar Rinpoche in Drepung monasery in Lhasa.

According to his brief biography in Chinese, Master Nenghai was inspired to study Tibetan Buddhism because he read the index of Tibetan sutras in Yonghe Gong (Beijing Lama Temple).

For more information:

1. Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, Table des Matières récapitulative des nos. 1-15
http://www.digitalhimalaya.com/collections/journals/ret/ret_contents.pdf

2. Master Nenghai's short biography in Chinese
http://baike.baidu.com/view/655864.htm

[Helena]

I love Pabongkha Rinpoche! Anything news about the current incarnation of Pabongkha would really be great.

Triesa, you are so lucky that you had an audience with the current Pabongkha Rinpoche! What a great blessing that is!

Yes, it is amazing to read about all these great Lamas and yet alarming to find out that even great Masters such as them face immense obstacles. It is definitely not due to their bad karma for they can't possibly have any! So, it must be our collective bad karma. Even if we have the good fortune to meet with a Great Master, they can't even stay with us for long because we have not created the causes for their great works to manifest. Great Masters, Lamas and Gurus are really dependent on their students in this respect. They can't realise their fullest potential when we do not realise ours or transform ourselves. We are all inter-connected and inter-dependent in such a unique and delicate manner.

May all the great Masters and Gurus return and manifest again and again.

[thor]

I have the great fortune to meet HE Pabongka Rinpoche in Nepal in 2004 in his ladrang. I will never forget the audience with such a high lama.

May Pabongka Rinpoche live long and continue to turn the wheel of dharma to benefit more sentient beings wherever he goes.

Triesa, how lucky you are to have audience with Pabhongka Trulku. I visited Nepal in summer 2009 on a pilgrimage with some monk friends and actually visited his nepalese ladrang to make offerings. Unfortunately, he was not there at the time, and an assistant told us he was in China. a disappointment, but at least we had a chance to offer katag to his throne.

I don't think i will be visiting the East for a long time to come, but seeing your post brought back the memories! 

[whitelion]

Buddhism can really makes my brain think.
TGIE always claims that because of China, they lost their country, this is fact , but is this just a political problem or some highly being had done something for the bigger picture? which means even by "losing" Tibet might be one of the plan too ?

TGIE might be thinking it's such a shame to lost their country, but think positively, it's because of the lost of Tibet, it's because H.H. Dalai Lama decided to left Tibet that brings "Tibet" to all around the world. It's because of H.H.'s actions brings million of people to the dharma, no matter they are sincere practitioner  or just click into any dharma teacher website and browse, they do kept some imprints in them.

Same thing applied, because of this protector issues, many high lama have to choose to leave where they belong before, and because of this critical issue, high lama such as H.H. Trijang Chocktrul Rinpoche , H.H. Pabongkha Chocktrul Rinpoche., H.E. Gangchen Rinpoche  have to live outside the monastery, and it's because of a lots of high lamas not allowed to stay in the monastery, which create the courses for us the lay people to receive direct teaching to them.

So is it a really bad thing to lost Tibet? I'm not too sure, but it's very beneficial for us, the lay people to meet the high lama because of these issues. All the Buddha (high lama) will not mind to scarified anything as long as it's beneficial for all, so why are we keep our view so shallow, to me no matter people practice Dorje Shugden or praise to Dalai Lama or not, they don't care. But both of them brings Dharma and Tibet to all around the world, without we actually knowing that.  And the result is in front of our eyes, so please do not criticize  H.H. Dalai Lama or Lord Dorje Shugden, both of the holy beings is doing their job to benefit others.

Thanks