Traktung Rinpoche
Traktung Rinpoche (a.k.a. Stuart Alan Kirkpatrick) is the lama of the [[Ann
Arbor]]-based Vajrayana Buddhist community Flaming Jewel[1]. He lives as a ngakpa together with his wife and children in Ann Arbor. Since
1990, he has taught through out the US, Europe and Latin America, and has sanghas in
Germany [2], New York, and Michigan.
Traktung Rinpoche is considered to be a tulku of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, a Tibetan mystic who lived in the 19th century. Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje in turn is believed to be an incarnation (tulku) of Jigme Lingpa and an emanation of Dorje Trollo (one of the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche).
Traktung Rinpoche considers Dungsay Thinley Norbu to be his root lama. Dungsay Thinley Norbu is the eldest son of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, former head of the Nyingma lineage.
In 2001, Traktung Rinpoche founded Vision Builders, a not-for-profit educational charity that provides aid to children in remote Himalayan regions. With Lopon Ogyan P. Tanzin of the family of Pema Lingpa, Traktung Rinpoche founded Lhundrüp Topgyé Ling[3], a ngakpa dratsang in the Pemako region of India. In 2006, he built the Sengcham Drukmo Home for Girls [4]in Golok, Tibet with Dockpo Tra of the family of Ngakpa Kalzang Norbu.
Traktung Rinpoche was born Stuart Alan Kirkpatrick, the son of former U.S. ambassador to the UN Jeane Kirkpatrick, and Evron Kirkpatrick.
Notes
ArborWiki. (2006). Traktung Rinpoche. Accessed 12/29/06 from http://arborwiki.org/city/Traktung_Rinpoche
Crazy Cloud Dharma Center. (1994). "What Is Tantra? Riding the Wisdom Tiger". Accessed 12/29/06 from http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/tib/tantra.htm
Flaming Jewel. (2002). "On the Issue of Tulku: An Interview with Traktung Rinpoche". Accessed 12/29/06 from http://web.archive.org/web/20020618165303/www.flamingjewel.org/teachings/tulku.html
International Campaign for Tibet. (2006). "Obituary: Jeane Kirkpatrick". Accessed 12/29/06 from http://www.savetibet.org/news/newsitem.php?id=1069
Links
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/
Podcasts
PC or Mac itunes users can get the podcast here:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=156620461
PC or Mac non-itunes users can get the podcast here:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/vajracast/