Mindrolling Trichen
Encyclopedia
The eleventh Mindrolling Trichen (pronunciation: Mìn-drolling), Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal (1930, Lumo-ra, Kham
, Tibet
– February February 9, 2008, Dehra Dun, India
) was a lama of the Nyingma
-school, the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism
and had been responsible for the administrative affairs for the school in exile as the ceremonial head of the lineage. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest Tibetan masters.
(East-Tibet
) and his father was the tenth Mindrolling Trichen. After his father died the family went to Central Tibet and he started his education in the monastery. When he was 18 he went into retreat, lonesome meditation in a cave, and spend a total of fourteen years in retreat during his education. He continued his education with Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
. During this period, he fell in love and married. Within Buddhism celibacy is only a requirement for ordained monks and nuns. Some lamas of the Nyingma lineage are not monks and are married, many of them women. He excelled in his studies and discovered the terma
(hidden treasure) of the Compassionate One, "Jigten Wangchuk Pema Garwang." As a Tertön
, he was therefore instructed to pass the teachings on eleven times to fortunate and worthy students.
In 1959 he escaped from Tibet
and arrived in India
where he was installed as the Eleventh Mindrolling Trichen in 1962. In the years that followed he worked with many other lamas like Dudjom Rinpoche
, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and the 16th Karmapa
, who previously received his education from his father. In 1976 he and his family moved to Dehra Dun in order to oversee the building of the Mindrolling monastery.
Mindrolling Trichen is the father of Khandro Rinpoche
, a female lama with a substantial following in the west. He has been renowned as one of the greatest mahasiddhas in recent history and a direct emanation of Padmasambhava
.
At the age of 78 years, in the evening of the 3rd day of the 1st month of Miracles, without even the slightest discomfort, Kyabje Mindrolling Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal died at his home in India.
asked him to become responsible for the administrative affairs for the Nyingma
-school as one of the main throne holders, taking over for the retiring Penor Rinpoche
. The Nyingma school has always been decentralized, and the position of "head of the school" was established only in the wake of the Tibetan diaspora. However, the lamas selected to fill this role are held in the very highest esteem by the sect.
Kham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
– February February 9, 2008, Dehra Dun, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) was a lama of the Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
-school, the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
and had been responsible for the administrative affairs for the school in exile as the ceremonial head of the lineage. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest Tibetan masters.
Biography
Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal was born in Lumo-ra in KhamKham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
(East-Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
) and his father was the tenth Mindrolling Trichen. After his father died the family went to Central Tibet and he started his education in the monastery. When he was 18 he went into retreat, lonesome meditation in a cave, and spend a total of fourteen years in retreat during his education. He continued his education with Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro
Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö was a Tibetan lama, a master of many lineages, and a teacher of many of the major figures in 20th century Tibetan Buddhism...
. During this period, he fell in love and married. Within Buddhism celibacy is only a requirement for ordained monks and nuns. Some lamas of the Nyingma lineage are not monks and are married, many of them women. He excelled in his studies and discovered the terma
Terma (Buddhism)
Terma are key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his consorts in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times by other adepts, known as tertöns. As such, they represent a...
(hidden treasure) of the Compassionate One, "Jigten Wangchuk Pema Garwang." As a Tertön
Tertön
A tertön is a discoverer of ancient texts or "terma". Many tertöns are considered incarnations of the 25 main disciples of Padmasambhava. A vast system of transmission lineages developed...
, he was therefore instructed to pass the teachings on eleven times to fortunate and worthy students.
In 1959 he escaped from Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and arrived in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where he was installed as the Eleventh Mindrolling Trichen in 1962. In the years that followed he worked with many other lamas like Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche is the title of a prominent line of tulkus of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Dudjom Rinpoche was born in 1904 on the tenth day of the sixth month in the year of the wood dragon in Southern Tibet in a region called the "hidden land" of Pema Ko. He died on January 17, 1987...
, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and the 16th Karmapa
Rangjung Rigpe Dorje
The sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje was spiritual leader of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
, who previously received his education from his father. In 1976 he and his family moved to Dehra Dun in order to oversee the building of the Mindrolling monastery.
Mindrolling Trichen is the father of Khandro Rinpoche
Khandro Rinpoche
Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche is a rare example of a female Tibetan Buddhist lama...
, a female lama with a substantial following in the west. He has been renowned as one of the greatest mahasiddhas in recent history and a direct emanation of Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ; Mongolian ловон Бадмажунай, lovon Badmajunai, , Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighbouring countries in the 8th century...
.
At the age of 78 years, in the evening of the 3rd day of the 1st month of Miracles, without even the slightest discomfort, Kyabje Mindrolling Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal died at his home in India.
Head of the Nyingma school
In 2003, the government of Tibet-in-exileCentral Tibetan Administration
The Central Tibetan Administration , is an organisation based in India with the stated goals of "rehabilitating Tibetan refugees and restoring freedom and happiness in Tibet". It was established by the 14th Dalai Lama in 1959 shortly after his exile from Tibet...
asked him to become responsible for the administrative affairs for the Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
-school as one of the main throne holders, taking over for the retiring Penor Rinpoche
Penor rinpoche
Kyabjé Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche was the 11th throne holder of the Palyul Lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, and said to be an incarnation of Vimalamitra. He was widely renowned in the Tibetan Buddhist world as a master of Dzogchen...
. The Nyingma school has always been decentralized, and the position of "head of the school" was established only in the wake of the Tibetan diaspora. However, the lamas selected to fill this role are held in the very highest esteem by the sect.