Mindrolling Trichen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tibetan Buddhism |
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|---|---|
| Name: | His Holiness Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal, the 11th Mindrolling Trichen |
| Birth: | 1930 Lumo-ra, Kham, Tibet |
| School/tradition: | Nyingma |
| Notable ideas: | Compassionate One (Jigten Wangchuk Pema Garwang) |
The eleventh Mindrolling Trichen (pronunciation: Mìn-drolling), Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal (1930-present) is a lama of the Nyingma-school, the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism and is responsible for the administrative affairs for the school in exile as the ceremonial head of the lineage. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest living Tibetan masters.[1]
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[edit] Biography
Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal was born in Lumo-ra in Kham (East-Tibet) and his father was the tenth Mindrolling Trichen. After his father died the family went to Central Tibet and he started his education in the monastery. When he was 18 he went into retreat, lonesome meditation in a cave, and spend a total of fourteen years in retreat during his education.[1] He continued his education with Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö. During this period, he fell in love and married. Within Buddhism celibacy is only a requirement for ordained monks and nuns. Most lamas of the Nyingma lineage are not monks and are married, many of them women. He excelled in his studies and discovered the terma (hidden treasure) of the Compassionate One, "Jigten Wangchuk Pema Garwang."[2] He was therefore instructed to pass the teachings on eleven times to fortunate and worthy students.[3]
In 1959 he escaped from Tibet and arrived in India where he was installed as the Eleventh Mindrolling Trichen in 1962. In the years that followed he worked with many other lamas like the 16th Karmapa, who previously received his education from his father. In 1976 he and his family moved to Dehra Dun in order to oversee the building of the Mindrolling monastry.
Mindrolling Trichen is the father of Khandro Rinpoche, a female lama with a substantial following in the west.
[edit] Head of the Nyingma school
In 2003, the government of Tibet-in-exile asked him to become responsible for the administrative affairs for the Nyingma-school as one of the main throne holders,[4] taking over for the retiring Penor Rinpoche. The Nyingma school has always been decentralized, and the position of "head of the school" was established only in the wake of the Tibetan diaspora. However, the lamas selected to fill this role are held in the very highest esteem by the sect.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Shambhala Sun, Precious Jewels, November 2001, page 67 link
- ^ Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche Biography Mindrolling teachers (Retrieved: September 16, 2006)
- ^ Mindrolling.org Biography Mindrolling Trichen. (Retrieved: September 16, 2006)
- ^ simhas.org Biography Mindrolling Trichen. (Retrieved: September 16, 2006)
