Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, Dudjom Rinpoche 1904-1987

Great terton, enlightened yogin, the representative of Padmasambhava whose past lives include Sariputra, Saraha and Dudjom Lingpa; Dzogchen master, prolific author and meticulous scholar; he wrote more than 23 volumes of gong-ter and treatises, including his monumental "Fundamentals and History of the Nyingmapas."

Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche was born on June 10, 1904, into a noble family in the southeastern Tibetan province of Pemako, one of the four "hidden lands" of Guru Rinpoche. He was of royal Tsenpo lineage, descended from Nyatri Tsenpo and from Puwo Kanam Dhepa, the king of Powo. His father Kathok Tulku Norbu Tenzing, was a famous tulku of the Pemako region from Kathok Monastery. His mother, who had descended from Ratna Lingpa and belonged to the local member of the Pemako tribe, was called Namgyal Drolma. Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche has always been specially connected with the Kathok Monastery, as can be seen from his previous incarnations : his ninth manifestation was Dampa Dayshek (A.D. 1122-1192) who founded the Kathok Monastery, and his fifteenth manifestation was Sonam Detsen who was responsible for the revitalization of the Kathok Monastery.

He was recognized as the incarnation of Dudjom Lingpa (A.D. 1835-1904), a famous discoverer of many concealed teachings or "treasures" (Terma), particularly those related to the practice of Vajrakilaya (Dorje Phurba). It had been Dudjom Lingpa's intention to visit southern Tibet to reveal the sacred land of Pemako, but being unable to do so, he predicted that his successor would be born there and reveal it himself. Za-Pokhung Tulku Gyurme Ngedon Wangpo, who was a holder of the teachings of Dudjom Lingpa, and Lama Thubten Chonjor of Ling came to Pemako and enthroned him. Gradually the disciples of the previous Dudjom came and paid their respects to him.

He began his studies with Khenpo Aten in Pemako, absorbing such texts and commentaries as the Dom Sum (Three Precepts), Chod Juk, and many others. At the age of five he began discovering Ter (hidden treasures, mind transmissions), and at eight began to study Santideva's "Bodhicaryavatara" with Lama Urygen Chogyur Gyatso, a personal disciple of the great Patrul Rinpoche (A.D.1808-1887). He studied for 16 years with Tulku Gyurme Ngedon and had great realizations with the Dzogchen teachings. From Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, who regarded Dudjom as his heart son, he received the tantric teachings (Gyud, Lung, and Men-Ngag) of the "Sangwa Nyingthig." From Jedrung Thinley Jampai Jungne (Dudjom Namkhai Dorje) of Riwoche, he received the "Kangyur" lung, "Dam Ngag Dzod," the 17 "Sangchen Ngepe" tantras, "Nyingthig Yabshi," as well as all the Dzogchen teachings. From Tulku Kunzang Thekchog Tenpai Gyaltsan, he also received many deep and important teachings. From Ngagtsun Gendun Gyatso, Rinpoche received all the teachings of Pema Lingpa, the "Dzod Dun" (the Seven Treasures of Longchenpa, 1308-1363), among many others. From the great Khenpo Jamde, Pande Odzer (disciple of Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche), Rinpoche received the "Nyingma Kama," "Kagyed" empowerments, Sangye Lingpa's "Lama Gongdu" and "Sangwa Nyingpo" according to the Zur tradition; as well as the cycle of the "Osel Sangwa Nyingthig." He also received many tantra commentaries like the great commentaries of Mipham himself, the "Nyingthig Yabshi," and so on. Rinpoche considered Khenpo Jamde as his second kindest Lama and took many vows of Pratimoksha, of Bodhisattva, and of Vajrayana from him.

There were many other great teachers from whom Rinpoche had received all the teachings of the Nyingma School. From Togden Tenpa, he received both the wang and lung of the "Dzogchen Nyingthig Yabshi," which was the lineage of the great Khenpo Nyoshul Lungtok Tenpai Nyima. He also received teachings from the great beings who were disciples of the great Khenpo Nyoshul Lungtok Tenpai Nyima: Khenpo Ngawang Palzang, Chadral Sangye Dorje, Lama Urgyen Rigdzin, Kathok Chagtsa Tulku, Pulung Sangye Tulku, and Gyurme Phendei Ozer, among others. He received teachings from them and he also gave teachings to them. Dudjom Rinpoche attended the great monastic universities of Central Tibet, such as Mindroling, Dorje Drak and Tarje Tingpoling, as well as those of East Tibet, like Kathok and Dzogchen. It was to Mindroling that he returned to perfect his understanding of the Nyingma tradition. Thus from the Mindroling Vajracarya, Dorzim Namdrol Gyatso, he learned the rituals, mandalas, songs, dance and music of Terdak Lingpa, along with many other teachings. He possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of all traditional branches of learning, including poetry, history, medicine, astrology and philosophy. Recognized by the highest lamas as possessing great blessing power in communicating the nature of mind. Key figure in the cultural revival among post-invasion Tibetan refugees.

Dudjom Rinpoche's main area of activity was in Central Tibet, where he maintained the Mindroling tradition, and especially at Pema Choling and his other seats in the Kongpo and Powo regions of southern Tibet. In Pemako, Rinpoche established many new monasteries and two colleges for both Gelong (ordained monks) and Ngagpa (yogis). In the Kongpo region, he reconstructed the Thadul Buchu Lhakhang, and close to it he built anew the monastery of Zangdok Palri. He also erected anew the tantric centre of Lama Ling. Dudjom Rinpoche became renowned throughout Tibet for the brilliance of his spiritual achievements, for his compassionate Bodhisattva activities, as well as for his unsurpassed scholarship. In 1958, as Tibet fell to the Chinese, he took his family Kalimpong, India, where they remained until moving to Kathmandu, Nepal in 1975. When the Tibetan culture was at a difficult time, Rinpoche played a key role in its renaissance among the refugee community, both through his teachings and his writings. He established a number of vital communities of practitioners in India and Nepal. At Tsopema (Rewalsar), he established a retreat centre; at Darjeeling, Rinpoche established Tsechu Gompa; in Orissa, he founded Dudul Rabten Ling; and in Kalimpong, Rinpoche founded Zangdok Palri Monastery. Near the Great Stupa at Boudhanath, Nepal, Rinpoche erected the Dudjom Gompa. He also actively encouraged the study of the Nyingma tradition at the Tibetan Institute for Higher Studies in Sarnath, assigning as its director Khenpo Palden Sherab Rinpoche. With his disciples (among them Palden Sherab, Tsewang Dongyal, Sogyal, and Gyatrul rinpoches), he established the sangha in Europe and North America. He founded many Dharma centres in the West, including Dorje Nyingpo and Orgyen Samye Choling in France; Yeshe Nyingpo (Gyatrul Rinpoche); Padmasambhava Buddhist Centers (Khenpo rinpoches Palden Sherab and Tsewang Dongyal); and Orgyen Cho Dzong in the United States. Over the last one-and-a-half-decades of his life, Dudjom Rinpoche devoted much of his time to teaching in the West where he has successfully established the Nyingma tradition. In his first world-wide tour in 1972, Dudjom Rinpoche visited the centre of his Chinese spiritual representative Lama Sonam Chokyi Gyaltsan in Hong Kong, and also visited London at the invitation of Ven. Sogyal Rinpoche. He died January 17, 1987.

Dudjom Rinpoche's Spreading of the Dharma

Unique in having received the transmission of all the existing teachings of the immensely rich Nyingma tradition, Dudjom Rinpoche was famous in particular as a great Terton (treasure revealer), whose Termas are now widely taught and practiced, and as the leading exponent of Dzogchen. Indeed, he was regarded as the living embodiment of Guru Rinpoche and His representative in this time. A master of masters, he was acknowledged by the leading Tibetan Lamas as possessing the greatest power and blessing in communicating the nature of mind, and it was to him that they sent their students when prepared for this "Mind-direct" transmission. Dudjom Rinpoche was the teacher of many of the most prominent lamas active today. As his teachers had prophesized, Rinpoche gave the "Rinchen Terdzod" ("Treasury of Precious Termas") ten times, Pema Lingpa's "Pedling Cho Kor" three times, the "Kangyur" and "Nyingma Gyudbum", the Drupwang of "Kagyed", "Jatson Podruk", the complete empowerment and transmission of the "Nyingma Kama", as well as teachings according to his own Terma ("Dudjom Tersar") tradition, and innumerable other important teachings.

Dudjom Rinpoche's Great Realizations

Taking his practice very seriously, Dudjom Rinpoche went to a secret place called Kenpa Jong (or Phuntsok Gatsel), and accomplished the Dorje Phurba of "Dudjom Namchag Pudri". At Buddha Tse Phuk, Rinpoche did Tse-Drup and his Tse-chang boiled. He further received the auspicious signs when he was practicing the gongter of Dudul Drollo. When in Paro Tak-Tshang (the Tiger's Nest), Dudjom Rinpoche rediscovered the "Pudri Rekpung", the "Tsokye Thugthig" and the "Khandro Thugthig", for which he wrote down the main parts. In short, in all these important holy places where he practiced, Rinpoche always experienced the signs of accomplishment.

Dudjom Rinpoche's Writings

Dudjom Rinpoche was world famous as a very prolific author and a scholar. His writings are celebrated for the encyclopaedic knowledge they display of all the traditional branches of Buddhist learning, including poetics, history, medicine, astrology and philosophy. A writer of inspirational poetry of compelling beauty, he had a special genius for expressing the meaning and realization of Dzogchen with a crystal-like lucidity. His "Collected Works" (Sungbum), numbering twenty-five volumes, did not include his complete output. Among the most widely read of his works are the "Fundamentals of the Buddhist Teachings" and "History of the Nyingma School", which he composed soon after his arrival in India. These works have now been translated into English by Gyurme Dorje and Matthew Kapstein and published by Wisdom Publications, while his Chinese spiritual representative Lama Sonam Chokyi Gyaltsan (Guru Lau Yui-che), with the help of Ming-chu Tulku, had also translated it into Chinese and published by the Secret Vehicle Publications in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Another important and major part of his work was the revision, correction and editing of many ancient and modern texts, including the 58 volumes of the whole of the Canonical Teachings of the Nyingma School ("Nyingma Kama"), a venture which he began at the age of 74, just as Jamgon Kongtrul had collected the Terma teachings.His own private library contains the largest collection of precious manuscripts and books outside of Tibet.