Tagpu Pemavajra

[vajratruth]

Tagphu Pemavajra is famously known for being the first lama to transmit the lineage of Dorje Shugden that we are practicing now, as well as for being the most influential teacher to Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche, the father of the Gelugpa lineage, teachings and practices as we know it today.

Tagphu Pemavajra’s line of incarnations can be traced all the way back to Buddha Shakyamuni’s time, when he was Mahasiddha Dharmati. From that time onward, he emanated several great lineages, each being well respected and remembered as a great practitioner. In this line of incarnations are Sherab Dorje of the Kadampas, Milarepa’s disciple Sewan Repa, Ra Lotsawa’s disciple Trehor Lobsang and the Sakya Lama Shakya Chogden. Incarnations like Tagphu Pemavajra’s teach us that all lineages within the Buddhist sect are pure and ultimately, all of them can lead us equally to enlightenment.

The first recognized and official reincarnation of the Tagphu lineage was Lobsang Tenpai Gyaltsen, who lived between the years of 1714 to 1762. This incarnation was one of the earliest Gelug masters to have written commentaries on the Naro Kacho form of Vajrayogini, which came down from Naropa. It was written at the request of Changkya Rolpai Dorje. Both of these great lamas are known to have passed many teachings and practices to each other, preserving these holy teachings throughout the generations. In recent years, it has been recognised that Pabongkha Rinpoche – Tagphu Pemavajra’s disciples – is an incarnation of Changkya Rolpai Dorje. This shows that the connection established between these two great masters in previous lives has been maintained over many lifetimes.

Today, most of what we know about Tagphu Pemavajra is only found in the writings of Pabongkha Rinpoche, his closest disciple with whom he eventually shared a mutually beneficial relationship. The relationship of Guru and disciple between Tagphu Pemavajra and Pabongkha Rinpoche was a very unique one in that they both requested and shared teachings with each other, as equals.

Mahasiddha Tagphu Pemavajra was also known for having miraculous abilities to astral travel to the pure lands of the Buddhas. On one occasion, Tagphu Pemavajra astral travelled to Tushita Heaven and had an audience with Lama Tsongkhapa and his Eight Great Disciples. It was here that he requested Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen to elucidate Dorje Shugden’s practice. In response, a miraculous rainbow streamed from Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen’s heart to Lama Tsongkhapa’s heart, then streamed back again to Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen. Another rainbow then shone from Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen to underneath Lama Tsongkhapa’s throne. As this happened Dorje Shugden and his 32-deity mandala manifested out from under Lama Tsongkhapa’s throne and Dorje Shugden himself came forth to expound the teachings directly to Tagphu Pemavajra. Upon completion of the teachings, the mandala dissolved back under Lama Tsongkhapa’s throne.

As soon as Tagphu Pemavajra’s consciousness returned to his physical body, he began to write down all that he had learnt in Tushita. Later, he also composed a praise to Dorje Shugden that he named Infinite Aeons. This practice, along with many other practices was passed down to Pabongkha Rinpoche who later promoted Vajrayogini’s Tantra and Dorje Shugden practice intensively throughout his teachings.

http://www.dorjeshugden.com/introduction/spiritual-lineage/descended-from-tushita/

[DharmaSpace]

It matches perfectly the story of how Tagphu Pemavajra received the the lineage from Duldzin who is none other than Dorje Shugden himself. Lord Duldzin despite not being as famous as Lama Tsongkhapa's two disciples Khedrupje and Gyalsabje was deemed to have the same level of attainment as Je Tsongkhapa and was the key person behind the building of Gaden.

Tagphu Pemavajra was an essential lama who could travel to the buddha realms to get teachings and practices. A secret form of Tara was through Tagphu Pemavajra's visions and transmitted by him. So at his time he was highly revered for his ability to to have visions and visit buddha realms. No one dare to cast a shadow or a rock on this eminent mahasiddha at his time. So 40 years later we dare to proclaim the lineage of dorje shugden from Tagphu Pemavajra is rubbish and all who practice it no better than Tirthikas? The Gaden Oral Tradition was made richer through Tagphu Pemavajra's contribution.

The other eminent lama in Je Pabongka's life was Dagpo Rinpoche, Dagpo Rinpoche is still in our world spreading the Lamrim like his previous lives doing excellent dharma work. And Dagpo Rinpoche another lama who relied on Dorje Shugden is back in a perfect human body despite engaging in Dorje Shudgen practice. It seems to me that Dagpo Rinpoche represents all the Sutric teachings that were passed on to Je Pabongka and Tagphu Pemavajra represents the essence of the Tantric teachings that were passed to Je Pabongka. How wonderful to know Pabongka Dorjechang, Dagpo Rinpoche and Tagphu Pemavajra.

[yontenjamyang]

It is through the Guru and Gurus like Pabongka Rinpoche Dorjechang that the lineage of the Lama Tsongkhapa and the Great Protector is passed to us. It represent the purest view of Sunyata and it is also the rarest, but I suspect for this lineage to taught and propagated in this most degenerate times it must also be the most potent. Like most potent medicine, initially some find it beneficial, some cannot believe it. Hence the Buddhas in their Nirmanakaya forms promotes it via a great dramatic way to transmit it to the most number of being possible to benefit them. Hence, we are seeing the "dramatic" manifestations of good merits of some and the negative karma of others.

It is like the "mother of all purifications" and manifestations of the best merits.

[Lineageholder]

http://www.dorjeshugdenhistory.org/among-shugden-texts-1876.html

[lotus1]

Thank you Vajratruth for sharing the story of Tagpu Rinpoche and Lineageholder for sharing the article on Tagpu Rinpoche.
From the article shared dorjeshugdenhistory.org, it has listed down the earlier lineage of Tagphu Padmavajra (1876-1935).

The great Gelug master Longdol Lama was a teacher of Tagphu Garwang Chokyi Wangchuk and enumerated the spiritual Tagphu incarnation lineage as:

    The Bodhisattva Dharmati, a disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni,
    The Nepali Pandita Vanaratna,
    The Kadampa Sherab Dorje,
    Milarepa’s disciple the Mahasiddha Sewan Repa,
    Ra Lotsawa’s disciple Trehor Lobsang,
    Chag Choje Pel (Chag Lotsawa),
    Sonam Senge of Throphu,
    Terton Zangpo Dragpa,
    Chenga Dragpa Jangchug,
    Tagphu Gushri Palden Dondrup,
    Je Lodro Tenpa,
    The Sakya master Shakya Chogden,
    Tagphu Gushri Chogyal Tenzin,
    Tagphu Je Ngawang Chodak Zangpo,
    Tagphu Tulku Lobsang Tenpai Gyaltsen

We can see that Tagpu Rinpoche’s lineage is not any Tom Dick and Harry. It can go all the way back to as the disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni and disciple of Milarepa. Therefore, we can trust Tagpu Rinpoche on his vision. 

[christine V]

This is a very interesting article! Especially on this fact " Tagphu Pemavajra,  the father of the Gelugpa lineage.  Composed a praise to Dorje Shugden that he named Infinite Aeons. "

The father of Gelugpa Lineage compose a praise! If Dorje Shugden is bad, this mean the father of Gelugpa Lineage was wrong. How can it be?! This mean the whole Gelugpa lineage is wrong! It does not make sense at all!

[Big Uncle]

It is really neat that our modern Dorje Shugden lineage descended from Lama Tsongkhapa and Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen in Tushita. It's incredibly short lineage and must have potent blessings to be close to Dorje Shugden should we receive the life entrustment (sogtae) . I don't have the life entrustment but I imagine that for those who chose to go against their vows just to be in-line with the Dalai Lama would incur tremendous negative karma with the lineage as the beings that this practice descended from is Lama Tsongkhapa and Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen himself. Better to lay low and pretend not to practice than to give it up and go against the practice.

[dsiluvu]

It's amazing and awe inspiring to read such accounts of attained masters and to know where our lineage come from and who these enlightened masters are. It always gives me goose bumps reading such miraculous stories of great Mahasiddhas like Tagphu Pemavajra. It gives me further conviction and reaffirms my faith in Dorje Shugden even more. These highly attained masters cannot be wrong, if they are wrong and done a mistake with recognising Dorje Shugden as an Enlightened Dharma Protector, than all their other teachings must be scrutinised and would be also wrong.

How can they be right in so many things and wrong in this one which affects millions of people and the future? It just makes no logical sense. It makes no sense that the world should just ignore these facts and accounts of other enlightened masters and only listen to one - The Dalai Lama. It is only The Dalai Lama and no one else who started this ban and implementing it giving illogical reasons of how an "unenlightened" spirit could harm him, who is supposedly a Buddha? Everything The Dalai Lama has done to ban Dorje Shugden has without a doubt makes no sense except for political sense and propaganda to which also makes no sense because it is dividing Tibetans even further. Strategically it is foolish.

Will The Dalai Lama accumulate heavy negative karma for this act I wonder? Because it is said in the Buddhist scriptures and stories, even when Lord Buddha killed the thief that was on a boat to prevent the their from killing the passengers, the Buddha still collected the negative karma of killing and went to hell for a split second. Even though the BUddha's motivation was good, He still collected some negative karma from the act of "killing". Karma does not pardon anyone, not Buddha and I don't think Chenrezig. Is this be a sacrifice the Dalai Lama is willing to make to spread Dorje Shugden, with the benefit of the doubt that it is to promote Dorje Shugden in the most unconventional way? Perhaps this is the only way to by pass all the political crap that's going on in the Tibetan community?     

[Freyr Aesiragnorak]

... even when Lord Buddha killed the thief that was on a boat to prevent the their from killing the passengers, the Buddha still collected the negative karma of killing and went to hell for a split second. Even though the BUddha's motivation was good, He still collected some negative karma from the act of "killing". Karma does not pardon anyone, not Buddha and I don't think Chenrezig. Is this be a sacrifice the Dalai Lama is willing to make to spread Dorje Shugden, with the benefit of the doubt that it is to promote Dorje Shugden in the most unconventional way? Perhaps this is the only way to by pass all the political crap that's going on in the Tibetan community?   

Hello, from what I know (which is very little and may not even be correct) I was under the impression that the story of Lord Buddha killing the thief on the boat, was actually in one of his earlier lives as recounted in the Jatakamala, and not after he became a Buddha. Therefore it was an early life of the Buddha and not the Buddha (whom is implied to be enlightened already) that suffered the negative karma of being reborn in a hell, despite his good motivation.

You are right... Karma does not pardon anyone accept if you are enlightened already, which means you are no longer bound to the law of Karma. As for Chenrezig, as a fully enlightened being manifesting in the form of a Tenth-Ground Bodhisattva, he is not actually bound by Karma. Therefore the Dalai Lama, if you believe him to be an emanation of Chenrezig, cannot suffer from Karma, just like how Lord Siddharta was no longer bound by karma after attaining full enlightenment.

By I digress, I wanted to talk about Tagphu Pemavajra. For such a great master, with such an illustrious line of incarnations, to teach and spread the lineage of a practice he received directly from the source is something to praise, as it is such a short lineage the blessings are immense. There is no doubt about that in my mind, but what is sad is that there are people who are trying to destroy this very important lineage of practice. It is very sad...

Lineages are being lost already, because no one is interested in those practices or teachings, and rather than ensuring we preserve that which already exists, there is a whole movement back by the CTA to destroy an entire lineage of practice. Sigh....we truly live in the Kali-yuga.   

[DharmaSpace]

Je Pabongka was a realised lama, having passed the test that the 13th Dalai Lama put to him to verify the lineage of the Lamrim he was teaching and he taught thousands not in a auditorium filled with the latest audio and visual, he taught without a microphone and everyone could hear him clearly much like how Shakyamuni his voice and words everyone understood it at their own level and language. He had so much devotion to his root gurus Dagpo Rinpoche and Tagphu Pemavajra. The Lamrim Liberation in the palm of your hand was the result of Je Pabongka's teaching, he still benefits us from the work he did a few lifetimes back.

So in Je Pabongka we can trust and so is all that he had written about Tagphu Pemavajra, we are so fortunate to know about Tagphu Pemavajra from Lama Pabongka.

Shakyamuni when he was that captain spent a moment in hell, but that act of compassion furthered his spiritual practice. Not a bad trade off?

[icy]

When Ngatrul Dragpa Gyaltsen, the last human incarnation, manifested as the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden (as he had predicted he would do), the 5th Dalai Lama initially developed the mistaken idea that he was a spirit and tried to subdue him through performing wrathful fire pujas. Although he and many high Lamas tried to destroy Dorje Shugden, they were not able to because he is a Buddha. This is explained by Tagpo Kelsang Khedrub Rinpoche in his praise of Dorje Shugden, Infinite Aeons:

"Then, although four undisputed powerful Tantrikas,
With concentration, began wrathful rituals to strike you down,
Through the power of having completed Guhyasamaja's two stages,
You would not be silenced, and showed signs of heroism; praise to you!"

[Big Uncle]

Did you guys know that besides Dorje Shugden practice, Tagpu Pemavajra had revealed the Maha-anuttarayoga practice of Chittamani Tara. This practice is a unique higher-tantric practice centering around Tara. It is revealed by Arya Tara in a vision to Tagpu Pemavajra and he was the one to receive the initiation directly from Tara herself. This Tantric practice is unique only to be found within the Gelug tradition. If Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche and Tagpu Pemavajra was wrong about Dorje Shugden, then this practice must be wrong too.

[psylotripitaka]

Vajratruth, just to clarify, as there is a slight misunderstanding about this subject. People are confusing the following people - Dagpo Kelsang Khedrup, Dagpo Jampel Lhundrup, Tagpu Pemavajra.

Trijang Rinpoche's commentary is to the poem called Infinite Aeons, and the author of that poem is Dagpo Kelsang Khedrup, NOT Tagpu Pemavajra.

Dagpo Kelsang Khedrup was the Guru of Dagpo Jampel Lhundrup who was the Guru of Je Pabongkhapa.

Tagpu Pemavajra was the Guru of Pabongkha Rinpoche who went to Tushita and brought back the  special close lineage Protector teachings.

There are several reasons for the misunderstanding:

1) The names sound very similar, and it is easy to mix up if there is a reference simply as Dagpo Rinpoche for instance.
2) Admin made a mistake in the English translation of Trijang Rinpoche's commentary by putting a picture of Dagpo Jampel Lhundrup instead of Dagpo Kelsang Khedrup

[Joo Won]

This is a very interesting article! Especially on this fact " Tagphu Pemavajra,  the father of the Gelugpa lineage.  Composed a praise to Dorje Shugden that he named Infinite Aeons. "

The father of Gelugpa Lineage compose a praise! If Dorje Shugden is bad, this mean the father of Gelugpa Lineage was wrong. How can it be?! This mean the whole Gelugpa lineage is wrong! It does not make sense at all!

You are right! The whole Gelugpa lineage will be wrong - started from Tahphu Pemavajra to HH Pabongka Rinpoche to HH Trijang Rinppche to HH Zong Rinpoche and many more great Gelugpa masters. And, many of the teachings of today's great Gelugpa masters are getting directly or indirectly from These great masters...

[psylotripitaka]

Joo Won, please refer to my post directly before yours...the poem was NOT composed by Tagpu Pemavajra.