Vajrayana Master of our present Era
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the Present lineage holder , His Holiness Chetsun Rinpoche
The Drikung Kagyu lineage
The Drikung Kagyu Lineage is one of the Kagyu lineages which was founded 852 years ago, by the great spiritual master, Kyoba Jigten Sumgon. This lineage directly came from Buddha Shakyamuni and the primordial Buddha, VajraDhara. All their precious Dharma teachings came to Gampopa from three lineages, through fully enlightened masters.
The first lineage was called the Magnificent Blessing Realization lineage. From VajraDhara, it was passed on to Tilopa, from Tilopa to Naropa, from Naropa to Marpa, from Marpa to Milarepa, and then from Milarepa to Gampopa.
The second lineage was called the lineage of Profound View. It came from Buddha Shakyamuni, and it was passed to Nagajuna, then to Chanta Kirti and so forth, on to Atisha, and then from Atisha to Gampopa.
The third lineage was called the lineage of the Most Excellent Practice. It came from Buddha Shakyamuni to Manjushri, from Manjushri to Maitreya, from Maitreya to Ashanga and so forth, on to Atisha, and then from Atisha to Gampopa. Gampopa received profound teachings, secret oral transmissions, blessings, and so forth of all these three lineages.
Then all these teachings were given to PhagmoDrupa by Gampopa. Although Kagyu came from the same root, at that time the Kagyu lineage was divided into several different branches, each carrying the complete teachings and enlightened blessings. Like the wish-fulfilling tree, which comes from the same root, but is divided into different branches, each giving many wonderful blossoms and fruits. -
Dzongsar Khyentse Thubten Chökyi Gyamtso
(b. 1961)
The present Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, Thubten Chökyi Gyamtso, was born in 1961. He was recognized by H.H. Sakya Trizin, and received empowerments and teachings from many of the greatest lamas of Tibetan Buddhism, including H.H. the Dalai Lama, H.H. the 16th Karmapa, and his own grandfather, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche. His main guru was Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and further studied with more than 25 great lamas from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. While still a teenager, he was responsible for publishing many rare texts that were in danger of being lost entirely after the destruction of thousands of libraries in Tibet. He has established several colleges and retreat centres in India and Bhutan. As the political atmosphere in Tibet eased in the 1980s, he began the restoration of Dzongsar Monastery which had been completely destroyed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In accordance with the wishes of his teachers, he has travelled and taught throughout the world, establishing dharma centres in Australia, Europe, North America, and Asia. His organisation Siddharthas Intent organises Rinpoche's teachings, while Khyentse Foundation is dedicated to providing for the needs of Rinpoche's responsibilities.
In this time when the traditional structures of Tibetan Buddhism are facing challenges, and when Buddhism is reaching new audiences, Rinpoche is known for the freedom with which he moves between cultures and people, and his uncompromising dedication to bringing the philosophy and the path of enlightenment to anyone with an open heart. Details on RinpocheÂ’s activities and teaching programs can be found on siddharthasintent.org. -
Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche. A short autobiography
For more information about Lama Zopa Rinpoche and his work, see Lama Zopa's page on the FPMT website.
Introduction
Rinpoche was born in Thami, Nepal, in 1946. At the age of three he was recognized as the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama, who had lived nearby at Lawudo, within sight of RinpocheÂ’s Thami home. RinpocheÂ’s own description of his early years may be found in his book, The Door to Satisfaction (Wisdom Publications). At the age of ten, Rinpoche went to Tibet and studied and meditated at Domo Geshe RinpocheÂ’s monastery near Pagri, until the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959 forced him to forsake Tibet for the safety of Bhutan. Rinpoche then went to the Tibetan refugee camp at Buxa Duar, West Bengal, India, where he met Lama Yeshe, who became his closest teacher. The Lamas went to Nepal in 1967, and over the next few years built Kopan and Lawudo Monasteries. In 1971 Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave the first of his famous annual lam-rim retreat courses, which continue at Kopan to this day. In 1974, with Lama Yeshe, Rinpoche began traveling the world to teach and establish centers of Dharma. When Lama Yeshe passed away in 1984, Rinpoche took over as spiritual head of the FPMT, which has continued to flourish under his peerless leadership. More details of RinpocheÂ’s life and work may be found on the FPMT Web site, www.fpmt.org. RinpocheÂ’s other published teachings include Wisdom Energy (with Lama Yeshe), Transforming Problems, and a number of transcripts and practice booklets (available from Wisdom Publications at www.wisdompubs.org). -
His Eminence 4th Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche
His Eminence Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche is the founder and spiritual director of United Trungram Buddhist Fellowship.
Among the highly realized masters, scholars and ordinary people of Tibet, Rinpoche is well known as the emanation of the great twelfth-century yogi Milarepa.
As the reincarnation of the Third Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche - a legendary Buddhist master of the 20th Century, he was carefully tutored by accomplished lineage masters such as H.H. the Sixteenth Karmapa and H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche - his main gurus. Rinpoche's lineage transmissions came from them as well as other prominent teachers including Lama Gendun Rinpoche and his own tutor Khenchen Rinpoche. Rinpoche is a renowned teacher and lineage holder of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Like his previous incarnation, Rinpoche is also a practitioner of Remay teachings - the lineage transmitted mainly from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
Rinpoche has gone through seventeen years of traditional training in monastic settings which led to his acharya degree and years of modern academic studies and research at Harvard University which resulted in his PhD in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.
http://www.utbf.org