Kyabje Ling Dorjechang

[Zach]

Did Kyabje Ling Dorjechang practise Dorje shugden does anyone know ?

[emptymountains]

http://www.dorjeshugdenhistory.org/misc-ling-rinpoche.html

[Zach]

Thanks for that i needed some clarification as it is often cited by DL that Ling wasnt approving of Dorje shugden i take it Dorje shugden was his main Dharmapala ?

[crazycloud]

Generally it is said that Ling Rinpoche did NOT practice Dorje Shugden. I have never seen any convincing evidence that he did. The Dorje Shugden History link above shows that he held the general view that DS was to be practiced as an enlightened Dharmapala, however.

[Zach]

Generally it is said that Ling Rinpoche did NOT practice Dorje Shugden. I have never seen any convincing evidence that he did. The Dorje Shugden History link above shows that he held the general view that DS was to be practiced as an enlightened Dharmapala, however.

So who did he take as his main Dharmapala ? Is there any futher documented evidence to suggest that his views on Dorje shugden where not in opposition to that of Dorje Shugden ?

[crazycloud]

Mainly you can find references to the fact that many of the statues in India that were destroyed in the Tibetan Cultural Revolution of 1996 were blessed by Trijang Rinpoche, Ling Rinpoche and Zong Rinpoche.

Anyway, Ling Rinpoche was a great Tantric practitioner, and his Root Lama taught the practice widely, so there can be no doubt that he regarded DS as Enlightened. I imagine that he practiced quietly, as he seemed to do everything.

Generally, Dharmapalas are in the nature of secrecy. When many High lamas can to Manjushri  Center in the 80's they NEVER even spoke his name, referring to him as "the protector" or just "Dharmapala." It is only as a result of the Dalai Lama's actions that this is a public issue at all.

As to who Ling Rinpoche's main protector was, it seems as though he felt that it was really his own business.

[a friend]

Crazycloud:

Anyway, Ling Rinpoche was a great Tantric practitioner, and his Root Lama taught the practice widely, so there can be no doubt that he regarded DS as Enlightened. I imagine that he practiced quietly, as he seemed to do everything.
Generally, Dharmapalas are in the nature of secrecy.

This is very true.
And one thing that I can tell for sure is that Ling Rinpoche deeply respected Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and followed his lead. There is this funny expression used for them "senior tutor" "junior tutor". This is very misleading, it was just a matter of dates. The one everybody looked to, including Ling Rinpoche, was Trijang Rinpoche.
It was a well known fact that they were always in agreement and had an extraordinary friendship. Anything that contradicts what I am saying now about them is a fabrication after the facts.
Many many things have been fabricated.

[crazycloud]

This is correct.

Ling Rinpoche was the Junior Tutor while Taktra was senior tutor, then Trijang became junior Tutor when Ling moved to senior tutor. It's a matter of appointment date. Trijang Dorjechang was the Lama who passed the Ganden Ear Whispered lineage to Ling Rinpoche and had the personality that put him in the forefront of the times, where Ling Rinpoche was diffident and retiring by all accounts.

Trinley Kelsang wrote something very interesting on his blog about the word "Yongdzin." Tutor, at least in the west, means someone who helps you out, an assistant or slightly more knowledgeable friend. It is important to realize that Trijang Rinopoche was the root guru of the Dalai and the Lama from whom he received the most important Gelug lineages.

sweet.

[Zach]

I would love to hear some more stories of this great master if anyone has the time to post them 

[WisdomBeing]

There's a nice teaching by Kyabje Ling Dorjechang, given at the conclusion of the Yamantaka initiation in Dharamsala, 24 April 1982. Click here for the full article: http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?p=1042

"The purpose of taking an initiation is not to send yourself to the lower realms but to lead yourself to the state of Vajradhara. This is what you should do with the initiations you receive; they are to be practiced, not merely collected."