Gyalwa Kunga Paljor

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རྒྱལ་བ་ཀུན་དགའ་དཔལ་འབྱོར། -(rgyal ba kun dga' dpal 'byor) (1428-1476)


Gyalwang Kunga Paljor (1428-1476)

Small Biography

The 2nd Gyalwang Drukpa Gyalwa Kunga Paljor Rinpoche was the fourteenth throne holder of Ralung Monastery and second Gyalwang Drukchen. Son of Drukpa Sherab Zangpo. Popularly known as Gyalwang Je this famed master of the Drukpa tradition was born in 1428 at Ralung Tagsangkha, Rwa lung Stag tshang kha, son of Drukpa Sherab Zangpo (chos rje shes rab bzang po), a scion of the Gya (rgya) lineage of Ralung, and Kunga Dzom (kun dga' 'dzom), a niece or granddaughter of Tshul bzangs Du dben sha. Although all previous Ralung throne holders had been born into this branch of the Gya family desended from Lha Nyen and Lha Bum the elder brothers of Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje, Kunga Paljor was the first to be recognised as the actual rebirth of Tsangpa Gyare (1161-1211) the founder of the Drukpa School and an emination of Avalokiteshvara. Thus he came to be regarded as the Second Gyalwang Drukchen.

He began his studies at an early age with Lobpon Konchog Dorje (slob dpon dkon mchog rdo rje). He received teachings from such masters as Khenchen Kunga Pal (mkhan chen kun dga' dpal), Ngaripa Yonten Senge (mnga' ris pa yon tan seng ge), Gomde Wangchok Lodro (sgom sde dbang phyug blo gros), Trulshik Yonten Zangpo ('khrul zhig yon tan bzang po), Ngok Jangchup pal (rngog byang chub dpal), his 'uncle' Drungdorwa (drung rdor ba), Kharak Drupchen Sogyalwa (kha rag grub chen bsod rgyal ba), Vanaratna, Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo (ngor chen kun dga' bzang po), Choje Dondrup Pal (chos rje don grub dpal), Choje Sonam Namgyal (chos rje bsod nams rnam rgyal), Go Lotsawa Zhunnu Pal ('gos lo tsa ba gzhon nu dpal), etc.

He was active in spreading Buddhist teachings in Bhutan, where he went three times and spent a number of years in the Bumthang (bum thang) and Paro areas establishing many temples. He died in 1476 after a life rich in spiritual experience. His biography is filled with extremely interesting information about the religious & secular life of the 15th century.

(adapted from introduction to reprint of his collected works)

Literary Works

See: Drukchen 2 Works

Main Teachers

Main Students

Main Lineages

Alternate Names

References

The Collected Works (Gsung 'bum) of Rgyal dbang Kun dga' dpal 'byor, reproduced from the ms. set preserved at Pha jo lding Monastery, Kunzang Tobgey, Thimphu 1977, in 2 vols.

Other Reference Sources

  • Author: Ava duti pa rinchen rnam rgyal; Title: rgyal dbang kun dga dpal ‘byor gyi rnam thar ngo tshar bdud

rtsi’i thigpa.

  • Author: dge 'dun rin chen [1926-1997] ('brug rje mkhan po 69); Title: dpal ldan 'brug pa'i gdul zhing lho phyogs nags mo'i ljongs kyi chos 'byung blo gsar rna ba'i rgyan (lho yi chos 'byung blo gsar rna rgyan).

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