Blazing Splendor
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Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of the Dzogchen Yogi Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Publication Data
- Schmidt, Erik Hein; Schmidt, Marcia Binder.
- Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of the Dzogchen Yogi Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.
- Compiled, translated and edited by Erik Pema Kunsang and Marcia Binder Schmidt, with Michael Tweed.
- Foreword by Sogyal Rinpoche. Introduction by Daniel Goleman.
- Includes glossary with geographical and bibliographical references.
- ISBN 962-7341-56-8 (alk. paper.)
- 1. Eastern travels. 2. Biographies. 3. Tibet—Dzogchen (Nyingma). I. Title.
- Cover art detail: Fortress Peak (Dzong-go Ling), Nangchen; Erik Pema Kunsang
- Design: Rafael Ortet
Contents
- Contents 5
- List of Illustrations 7
- Foreword by Sogyal Rinpoche 11
- Introduction by Daniel Goleman 15
- Preface 19
- Prologue 23
- PART I: SPIRITUAL ROOTS 25
- Tibet, a Buddhist Land 27
- Gampopa and the Early Barom Masters 30
- The Treasures of the Lotus-Born 42
- My Great-Grandfather, the Treasure Revealer 45
- Two Sublime Masters 58
- Khyentse 58
- Kongtrul 65
- Lord of Activity, the Fifteenth Karmapa 69
- Spiritual Sons 77
- Karmey Khenpo 77
- Wangchok Dorje 80
- Tsewang Norbu 84
- My Precious Grandmother 92
- My Guru, Samten Gyatso 98
- My Father, the Performer of Miracles 113
- Two Special Uncles and Their Teachers 130
- Uncle Sang-Ngak 130
- Tersey Tulku 132
- Shakya Shri, the Lord of Siddhas 137
- The Master-Scholar Katok Situ 142
- PART II: EARLY YEARS 146
- My Childhood 146
- The Nunnery of Yoginis 159
- Receiving my First Teachings 164
- An Extraordinary Speech 166
- My Previous Life 170
- My Monastery and Enthronement 174
- The Young Karmapa 183
- Grandmother’s Death 189
- The Colorful Chokling of Tsikey 198
- Transmission at Surmang 207
- The Master in the Hollow Tree 210
- An Eccentric King 216
- My Last Days with Samten Gyatso 220
- My Guru’s Passing 223
- Meetings with a Remarkable Teacher 235
- PART III: CENTRAL TIBET 246
- At Tsurphu with the Karmapa 246
- Brilliant Moon 260
- My Last Visit to Central Tibet 269
- Amazing Masters in Lhasa 275
- Dzongsar Khyentse 275
- Dudjom Rinpoche 280
- Shechen Kongtrul 284
- PART IV: IN EXILE 292
- Leaving Tibet 292
- Sikkim 296
- Nepal 305
- The Chokling of Neten 308
- The Hearing Lineage from Bomta Khenpo 313
- Conclusion 319
- Afterword 322
- Acknowledgements 326
- Art Credits 328
- Appendix I: The Lineage of the New Treasures 329
- Endnotes 332
- Glossary 333
- Activities and information connected to the lineage of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche 356
List of Illustrations
1 Tsewang Chokdrub Palbar—Blazing Splendor 9
- 2. Trisong Deutsen—the great Dharma king 27
- 3. Samye—the castle of the early Dharma 28
- 4. Chimphu—a view from the caves above Samye 28
- 5. Padmasambhava—the Lotus-Born master 28
- 6. Vajradhara—the dharmakaya buddha 30
- 7. Gampopa—the forefather of the Kagyu masters 30
- 8. Chokgyur Lingpa—the revealer of hidden treasures 45
- 9. The lotus crown of Chokgyur Lingpa 46
- 10. The Lotus Crystal Cave—sacred place of the Three Sections 46
- 11. Kala Rongo—where the Tukdrub was revealed 46
- 12. Yeshe Tsogyal—the great dakini disciple of the Lotus-Born 55
- 13. Longchenpa—the great Dzogchen master 61
- 14. Vairotsana—the great translator of Buddhist scriptures 65
- 15. Mipham—the famous scholar 66
- 16. The Great Dakini of Tsurphu 71
- 17. King Jah—the master of Mahayoga 80
- 18. Tara—the female buddha of compassion 95
- 19. Fortress Peak—the lofty hermitage 100
- 20. Tsewang Dechen—the tulku of Samten Gyatso 112
- 21. Tsechu monastery in Nangchen 117
- 22. Shakya Shri—the Lord of Siddhas 137
- 23. Druk Kharag Yongdzin Rinpoche 138
- 24. Cool Grove charnel ground in India 140
- 25. On the road from Lachab to Dechen Ling 149
- 26. Dechen Ling 152
- 27. Tsangsar County—on the road to Dechen Ling 152
- 28. View of Fortress Peak from the road to Lachab 156
- 29. Gebchak Gompa—the nunnery of meditators 159
- 30. Gebchak nuns sitting in their meditation box 162
- 31. The Derge royal family 167
- 32. The Situ of Palpung 168
- 33. Pages from the writings of Chowang Tulku 171
- 34. Lachab monastery 175
- 35. View from Lachab monastery 175
- 36. On the road from Fortress Peak to Lachab 175
- 37. The sixteenth Karmapa—a willful incarnation 183
- 38. The terma site above Tsikey and the present tulku 189
- 39. Karsey Kongtrul—the son of the fifteenth Karmapa 190
- 40. The tulku of Karsey Kongtrul 190
- 41. Tsikey monastery 201
- 42. The king of Nangchen 216
- 43. Prince Achen of Nangchen 217
- 44. The young Karmapa 246
- 45. Mural of Tsurphu monastery 246
- 46. Lotus Garuda Fortress above Tsurphu monastery 247
- 47. Shri Singha—the early master of Dzogchen 251
- 48. The young Dalai Lama 254
- 49. The inner retreat room at Lachab 259
- 50. Dudjom Rinpoche—flanked by Dordrak Rigdzin and Minling Chung 259
- 51. A tulku named Rabsel Dawa, Brilliant Moon 261
- 52. Early photo of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche 261
- 53. Pawo Rinpoche of Nenang monastery 269
- 54. The Moon Cave at Drak Yerpa 273
- 55. View from the Moon Cave 273
- 56. The young Dudjom Rinpoche 274
- 57. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche 275
- 58. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in Lhasa 279
- 59. Dudjom Rinpoche 280
- 60. Chatral Rinpoche 281
- 61. The Kongtrul of Shechen 284
- 62. Chökyi Nyima, Chokling and their mother Kunsang Dechen 292
- 63. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche early photo 293
- 64. The family in Sikkim 297
- 65. The Vajra Throne in Bodhgaya 299
- 66. Dzongsar Khyentse under the Bodhi Tree 299
- 67. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche 303
- 68. Trinley Norbu Rinpoche with his wife and the tulku of Dzongsar Khyentse 303
- 69. The sixteenth Karmapa 303
- 70. Trulshik, Dudjom and Tulku Urgyen, Rinpoches 305
- 71. Dudjom and Nyingma lamas in exile 305
- 72. The Great Stupa in Boudhanath 305
- 73. Swayambhu Stupa 306
- 74. Lama Tashi Dorje of Nubri 307
- 75. The third Chokling of Neten—Pema Gyurmey 308
- 76. The Chokling of Neten with his oldest son Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche 308
- 77. The fourth Chokling of Neten 308
- 78. Chökyi Nyima and Chokling, Rinpoches 309
- 79. View of Nagi Gompa 311
- 80. Bomta Khenpo 313
- 81. Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche 313
- 82. Vimalamitra—the Dzogchen master 314
- 83. Khenpo Ngakchung 314
- 84. The Black Crown ceremony of the Karmapa 317
- 85. The Boudha Stupa and Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery—old air photo by Toni Hagen 319
- 86. The sixteenth Karmapa with the tulkus at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery 319
- 87. The sixteenth Karma & King Birendra of Nepal at the inauguration 319
- 88. Chatral, Dudjom and Dilgo Khyentse, Rinpoches 320
- 89. Enacting the drama of Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita and King Trisong Deutsen—Dilgo Khyentse, Trulshik & Chökyi Nyima, Rinpoches 320
- 90. Lamas at the Boudha Stupa, at the end of the transmission for the New Treasures 321
- 91. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche with lamas at the Yak & Yeti 321
- 92. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche with Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s family 321
- 93. Five lamas in Boudha—Tulku Urgyen, Trulshik, Dilgo Khyentse, Dabzang and Depuk, Rinpoches 321
- 94. Tulku Urgyen with Tsoknyi and Mingyur, Rinpoches, and their mother Sonam Chodron at Nagi Gompa 324
- 95. Tsoknyi Rinpoche with Adeu Rinpoche of Nangchen 324
- 96. Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche—the youngest son 324
- 97. Tenga Rinpoche with Tenpa Yarpel 324
- 98. Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Boudha 324
- 99. The temple at Asura Cave in Parping 324
- 100. Ngedon Osel Ling monastery 324
- 101. Chatral and Tulku Urgyen, Rinpoches, with Kunsang Dechen and Phakchok Tulku 324
- 102. Chokling Rinpoche with his first son—Phakchok Tulku 324
- 103. Chokling Rinpoche with his second son—the incarnation of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche 324
- 104. The fourth Chokling of Tsikey in Nepal 324
- 105. The fourth Chokling of Tsikey in Kham 324
- 106. Neten Chokling and Tsikey Chokling 324
- 107. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche with Tsikey Chokling, Dechen Paldron and the incarnation of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche 325
- 108. Three sons and Phakchok Tulku at Nagi Gompa 325
- 109. Marcia Binder Schmidt in Nangchen 2003 327
- 110. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and Erik Pema Kunsang at Nagi Gompa 327