Traktung Rinpoche

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A small family lineage within the Nyingma tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism. The existence for this lineage seems to be questionable and doubtful. Some of the ex-followers have informed me that His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Chimed Rigdzin Rinpoche and His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche have never endorsed this lineage. For more informations, [please go to this page.]http://web.archive.org/web/20021007075150/www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/4886/aro00.htm

Aro gTér was founded by Ngakchang Rinpoche (Ngakpa Chogyam) and his consort is Khandro Dechen (as seen on the photograph, the couple on the seats). He said that he was recognised as the incarnation of Aro Yeshe, a siddha from the first half of last century by His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and the incarnation of A-Shul Pema Legden by His Holiness Kyabje Chimed Rigdzin Rinpoche.

This is an interesting comment written by a western Buddhist scholar, Christopher John Fynn (Chris Fynn), and it was posted in the newsgroups many years ago:

"Mary Finnigan, given your usual uncompromising attitude to charlatans, frauds and snake-oil salesmen, I'm somewhat surprised to see you publicly suggesting "Aro gTer" to someone who is new to Tibetan Buddhism without attaching a great big CAVEAT EMPTOR.

As far as I can determine there is little evidence that "ARO gTÉR" and the "Ngak'phang [sic] Tradition" is more than something dreamed up or imagined by "Ngakpa Chogyam" himself.

In Tibetan "Aro" is an unusual name. The only Aro who is at all well known in Tibetan religious history is Aro Yeshe Jungney (a ro ye shes 'byung gnas) the teacher of rBa gom bSod rnams rGyal mtshan who was in turn the teacher of the famous Kha rag sGom chung. This A-ro was so called because, as a child, he was found by a nun laying like a corpse (ro) emitting the sound "AA". She took care of him and called him "A-ro" ("corpse [saying] 'AA'" / "corpse of AA"). This A-ro was the author of a text known as Aro's Mahayana Yoga (a ro'i theg chen naljor) and of "Aro's Great System of Guidance" (a ro'i khrid mo che don khor) which is also known as "The Esoteric Instructions of the Great Perfection according to Aro" (rdzogs chen a ro'i man ngag), "The Essential Spirituality of Aro" (a ro' thugs bcud) or "The Seven Sessions of Aro" (a ro thun bdun). It is a system of the mental class of Dzogchen (rdzogs chen sems sde) known as the tradition of Khams. Aro Yeshe Jungney held both the Chinese and Indian traditions of the Mental Class of Dzogchen during the seventh generation of their transmission. Although Atisha himself praised the oral instructions of Aro Yeshe Jungney, they were later attacked by many including Je Tsongkhapa's disciple Keydrubje.

You might recall that a couple of years ago I asked one of Ngakpa Chogyam's students if their "tradition" had anything to do with that of Aro Yeshe Jungney and I was told that it didn't. Curiously since then they have added something about Aro Yeshe Jungney to their web-site which seems to be based on what I wrote at the time. This and a few similar things give me the impression that they are making things up or filling in the gaps as they go along.

I also asked where the Aro Ter and it's terton were prophesised and authorised by Padmasambhava or Yeshe Tsogyal - since this is usually considered to be one of the important ways of determining the authenticity of a terton and terma - but I was given an answer to the effect that since this is a "mind terma" there is no prophecy etc.

Somehow I wasn't surprised by that answer nor am I surprised that there are no facts which might be easily checked in the History of the A-ro gTer lineage as given at http://www.aroter.org/history/history_toc.htm. I'm thinking about things like the full name of the terma, the title of the texts, any references to this terma or tradition in other texts or biographies etc; the names of places associated with "Jomo Chhi-'mèd Pema", "Gomchenma Pema 'ö-Zér", "Rang-rig Togden", "Khyungchen Aro Lingma", "'a-Shul Pema Legden", "Khalding Lingpa", "Ngak'chang A-Kyong Dudül Dorje" and the other characters associated with this lineage (no body else seems to have heard of any of these figures).

Maybe I'm wrong or overly cynical, but to me this whole thing looks like the product of a fertile imagination and might be rather good fun if it was only supposed to be a humorous work of fiction or a parody about Tibetan yogis. Asking people to take it seriously just seems to be taking advantage of and reinforcing some of the Shangri-la fantasies many people have about Tibet.

- Chris"

Traktung Rinpoche

Ngala Traktung Yeshe Dorje Rang-rig Jagyur Rinpoche (Traktung Rinpoche) claimed that he is recognised as the Direct Mind Incarnation of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje by Rigdzin Namkha Gyamtso Rinpoche.

A letter from the Office of His Holiness Dalai Lama regarding Traktung Rinpoche:

I am to inform you that regarding this person claiming to be what he is baseless, I have already sent a letter to a person who had ealier inquired about this. I still wish to stress my earlier comment that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has never ratified this person as a reincarnation of any late Lama or Rinpoche. I caution you to abstain from having any links or relation with this person and his associates.

Thank you for inquiring and for the informations you have provided.

with best wishes, Tenzin Wangden ohhdl@vsnl.com

Also, please read Traktung Rinpoche's reply in his website On the Issue of Tulku.

This is another interesting comment written by someone who wishes to be remained annonymous to avoid possible online retaliation from disgruntled Aro gTer and Traktung Rinpoche devotees, but if you have questions/comments your mail can be forwarded directly. There was an extensive discussion on Tricycle boards on this subject if anyone needs to look into it further:

"July, 2002

My apology for not making grammar spelling, punctuation or other corrections, or actually even finishing these comments below. I had thought to mention several more aspects of their websites that further illustrate how these people are disseminating misinformation that can cause obstacles and confusion/wrong views. But I felt in another way it was a waste of precious time anyway to worry about such people, so I just abruptly stopped writing, as you will notice below. Better to focus more on my own path. But I am sending this rough series of comments to because it gives some new information.

I just took a look at the aro and traktung/flaming jewel sites for the first time in many months because I was told they had retracted a number of statements and claims which were hotly defended when criticized in these lists, but now abandoned without comment? One thing i noticed is that many( not all) instances of the word 'ngakphang' are now rewritten, having been replaced by the correct term "Ngak-pa "(alternate english spellings exist for this) Recall from earlier discussions, "ngak phang' turned out to be an inauspicious word that does not at all equate to the well known "Ngagpa", as claimed by Aro, but appears to be an insult, meaning 'one who throws mantra away(i.e. wastes it). So that silliness is now largely a thing of the past. What I wonder is what happened to the statements previously posted about how 'ngagphang' was the correct word and that they was going to seek to reestablish the use of this esoteric term in lieu of "Ngak-pa". Also as noted by others in this Tricycle forum, the claim by traktung to be recognized by the Dalai Lama as a famous reincarnation/Tulku, which was implied to be public knowledge, (then later said to be derived from ' private conversations with His Holiness ' during some visit to New York City,) now has disappeared all together. Instead, now there are various disparaging remarks made about how the Dalai Lama should stay out of Nyingma affairs where he is not welcomed to say who is a Tulku anyway ( a vicious and obvious lie in so many ways, not least of which being the high regard held by Nyingmapas everywhere for the Dalai Lamas astonishing erudition in the Dzogchen teachings. Moreover the Dalai Lama is often asked to confirm high Tulkus,it is not a necessary thing, but always welcomed, and it is something which there would be a formal letter stating concurrence, a letter with his personal seal to attest to it's authenticity. No such letter was ever shown by aro, or traktung, etc. No one has seen the original text of their "terma" either.etc etc

Looking at the latest version of the aro site, I saw some weird things, for example;

Why in the women Lamas section are such important current well known names excluded, e.g. Mindroling Khandro Rinpoche, Sakya Jetsun Kusho, Rigdzin Wangmo, and Khyentse Chokyi Lodro's Sangum (I can't recall her name, but her image is in the Rigpa calendars last time I looked) who have given teachings and empowerments to many thousands of disciples in the West These women mentioned above and others are also deeply respected by Tibetans, whereas no Tibetan Lama or otherwise I know has heard of most if not all of the 'women lamas cited at the aro site. Where is the listing for great Sera Khandro, who so many living Nyingma masters revere and whose Terma cycle were bestowed in the West at the request of Chagdud Tulku in 1996 by Dzongsar Khyentse, an event Chagdud Tulku considered to be of overwhelming importance, and that he spent many years eagerly waiting for the chance to have them given to his students, as he told us at that time. Why omit these women Lamas from the list, Aro Website?

Oh it goes on, but I just thought to raise some questions see if anyone can explain, perhaps Nakma Shardol who have responded - officially- and extensively in the past on behalf of aro?

Note also there is a group which has collected old versions of websites as an historical archive, and these old versions of the websites can be seen, I will find their URL if anyone wants to check these old versions of Aro et al previous incarnations.

Note also there is a group which has collected old versions of websites as an historical archive, and these old versions of the websites can be seen, I will find their URL if anyone wants to check these old versions of Aro et al previous incarnations.

Other changes noted;

In the section on Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, a previous prominent reference to recognition of Ngagpa Chogyam as the 'aro tulku' are gone ( as well as something about how Rinpoche gave Chogyam a special skull damaru, or something like that)."

http://www.flamingjewel.org/
http://www.tsogyelgar.org/
http://www.inji.net/
http://www.dakinitantra.org/
http://www.rigdzin.org/
http://www.tantricbuddhism.org/
http://www.dakinitsogyel.org/
http://www.dzogchen-tantra.org/
http://www.westernbuddhism.org/
http://www.padmasambhava.info/

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