The Seed of Faith (5)

The Seed of Faith (5)

By Khenpo Tamdin Gyalpo & Translated by Dr. Gyurme Dorje

General Esteem 

Yangsi has been unanimously praised as the unmistaken reincarnation of the great treasure-finder Dudjom Rinpoche by a large number of learned and accomplished masters of the ancient and new translation schools of the Land of Snows such as the lord of refuges Dzarong Trulzhik Rinpoche, the glorious throneholder of Sakya Ngawang Thekchen Pelbar Rinpoche and Kunzang Trinle Lhundrub Rinpoche who is the present Gyalwa Drigung Kyabgon.

Conclusion 

I, Khenpo Tamdin Gyalpo, have been permitted to publicize this short account of the lord of refuges Yangsi Rinpoche’s sequential acts of service in respect of the sacred teachings and his sequential enlightened activities on behalf of the Buddhist teaching and living beings.

The Seed of Faith (4-3)

The Seed of Faith (4-3)

By Khenpo Tamdin Gyalpo & Translated by Dr. Gyurme Dorje

Pilgrimages (2)

In 2004 (wood monkey year) during the anniversary ceremonies commemorating the passing of the Sugata and lord of refuges Dudjom Rinpoche, in accordance with the wishes of Sangyum Kuzhab Chenmo Rigdzin Wangmo, he spent one day presiding over the ceremony of great spiritual attainment (sgrub chen) of Vajrakila: Razor of Meteor (Phur pa gnam lcags spu gri) at Orgyan Chokhorling, the residence of his predecessor. Consequently the important students and patrons of his predecessor arrived and when they had an audience with him, he pleased them by accepting their mandala offering comprising representative images, books and stupas. When he met the Sangyum Kuzhab Chenmo, he accepted the robes of his predecessor, along with some precious relics retrieved while he had remained seated in meditation after death.

Then in accordance with the invitation of the lord of refuges Dungdzin Garab Dorje Rinpoche, of Lama Nyingkhu who had been a student of his predecessor the great treasure finder, and of others, he visited the whole of Eastern and Western Bhutan, and above all the “valley of good auspices” (Mangal’i ljongs) in Eastern Bhutan. The devout members of the monastic and lay communities and the people as a whole welcomed him with faith, respect and enthusiasm.

The Seed of Faith (4-2)

The Seed of Faith (4-2)

By Khenpo Tamdin Gyalpo & Translated by Dr. Gyurme Dorje

Pilgrimages (1)

From time to time Yangsi has frequented the consecrated places of spiritual attainment, as well as power places, great snow massifs, rocks and lakes, hidden lands and monasteries, such as those in the Ngari Prefecture of Upper Tibet exemplified by Mt Kailash, those in Utsang, including the three glorious places where the wheel of the sacred teachings was initially turned, the power places of upper and lower Dokham, Wutaishan and so forth in China, as well as places in Nepal, exemplified by the three major stupas, the great power places associated with the Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha in India, and those of Bhutan including Paro Taktsang.

Having effectively completed his inspection of the power places and the making of extensive offerings there, he has sealed these acts with a dedication of merit undertaken without reference to any particular objective, for the benefit of the Buddhist teaching and all living beings. Moreover, in all circumstances, he is continuously engaged in uninterrupted acts of offering, including those which are delivered up to the Three Precious Jewels, and donations that are handed down to beggars. Through such composite actions, he is endowed with great generosity.

The Seed of Faith (4-1)

The Seed of Faith (4-1)

By Khenpo Tamdin Gyalpo & Translated by Dr. Gyurme Dorje

Studies, Meditations & Pilgrimages

Studies

Then with regard to his studies, at first the lord of refuges Chatral Rinpoche began by instructing him in writing and reading, preceded by the transmission of the Eulogy to Venerable Manjughosa which starts with the words He Whose Intelligence… (rje btsun ‘jam pa’i dbyangs kyi bstod pa gang gi blo ma) since this has the function of developing higher discriminative awareness.

Then in succession he offered Yangsi the instructions in their entirety, including the complete maturational empowerments, liberating guidance and supporting instructions associated with the graduated path of the preliminaries and main practices of the Three Roots, which accord with his own lineage (rang lugs rtsa gsum).

The Seed of Faith (3-2)

The Seed of Faith (3-1)

By Khenpo Tamdin Gyalpo & Translated by Dr. Gyurme Dorje

The Recognition Process (2)
Then, when the child met the lord of refuges Dungse Rinpoche Jigme Tsewang Trinle Norbu, he conferred the maturational empowerment upon him by means of the Three Roots (rtsa ba gsum), the treasures of enlightened intention revealed by his venerable father, the previous awareness-holder, and by means of the Dudjom terma Vajrakila: Razor of Meteor (bDud ‘joms phur pa gnam lcags spu gri). In this way a virtuous act was performed, ensuring that obstacles and demonic forces would be overcome.

When the lord of refuges and regent of Padmakara, Drubwang Pema Norbu visited the Jyekundo area in Kham, in order to establish the auspicious coincidence for Yangsi’s long-life, he offered a pair of carpets with an auspicious design and issued a favourable written proclamation.

The Seed of Faith (3-1)

The Seed of Faith (3-1)

By Khenpo Tamdin Gyalpo & Translated by Dr. Gyurme Dorje

The Recognition Process

When Jamyang Khyenste Rinpoche of Dzongsar, the regent of the impartial teachings, visited Kham, he said that this son of the enlightened family was certainly a genuine spiritual being of the Nyingma tradition which maintains the ancient translations. Apart from that, on account of certain temporary obstacles that had to be resisted, he did not declare him by name as the reincarnation of Kyabje Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, but nonetheless meaningfully recognized him as such.

By means of the transmission of the prayer to Manjughosa that begins with the words “He whose intelligence…” (gang gi blo ma) and the Yab ka mtsho-skyes thugs thig, a treasure of enlightened intention brought forth by the previous great treasure finder Dudjom Rinpoche, he conferred upon the child the maturational empowerments through which the three secret centres of his body, speech and mind assumed the essence of the immortal Saroruhavajra. He conferred the name Pema Osal upon him—an act that had a genuine purpose.