The
lineage of the Thrangu Rinpoche incarnations
began in the fifteenth century when the 7th
Karmapa, Chodrak Gyatso visited the region
of Thrangu in Tibet. At this time, His Holiness
Karmapa established Thrangu Monastery and
enthroned Sherap Gyaltsen as the 1st Thrangu
Rinpoche, recognizing him as the re-established
emanation of Shuwu Palgyi Senge, one of the
twenty-five great siddha disciples of Guru
Padmasambhava.
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche is the ninth incarnation
of this lineage and was born in Kham, Tibet
in 1933. |
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When
he was four, His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa
Karmapa and Palpung Situ Rinpoche recognized
him as the incarnation of Thrangu Tulku
by prophesying the names of his parents
and the place of his birth.
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Entering
Thrangu monastery, from the ages of seven
to sixteen he studied reading, writing,
grammar, poetry, and astrology, memorised
ritual texts, and completed two preliminary
retreats. At sixteen under the direction
of Khenpo Lodro Rabsel, he began the study
of the three vehicles of Buddhism while
staying in retreat.
At twenty-three he received full ordination
from the Karmapa. When he was twenty-seven,
Rinpoche left Tibet for India at the time
of the Communist invasion. |
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He was called to Rumtek, Sikkim, where the
Karmapa had his seat in exile. At thirty-five,
he took the geshe examination before 1500
monks at Buxador monastic refugee camp in
Bengal, and was awarded the degree of Geshe
Lharampa. On his return to Rumtek he was named
Abbot of Rumtek monastery and the Nalanda
Institute for Higher Buddhist studies at Rumtek.
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He has been the
personal teacher of the four principal Karma
Kagyu tulkus: Shamar Rinpoche, Situ Rinpoche,
Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche.
Thrangu Rinpoche has travelled extensively
throughout Europe, the Far East and the USA.
He is the abbot of Gampo Abbey, Nova Scotia,
and of Thrangu House, Oxford, in the UK. In
1984 he spent several months in Tibet where
he ordained over 100 monks and nuns and visited
several monasteries. He has also founded Thrangu
Tashi Choling monastery in Boudhnath; a retreat
centre and college at Namo Buddha east of
the Kathmandu Valley, and has established
a school in Boudhnath for the general education
of lay children and young monks. He also built
Tara Abbey in Kathmandu. In October of 1999
he consecrated the college at Sarnath which
will accept students from the different traditions
of Buddhism and will be open to Western students
as well. |
| Thrangu Rinpoche,
a recognised master of Mahamudra meditation
has given teachings in over twenty-five countries
and is especially known for taking complex
teachings and making them accessible to Western
students. More recently, because of his vast
knowledge of the dharma, he was appointed
by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be the personal
tutor for the recently escaped 17th Karmapa.
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