The eleventh Mindrolling Trichen (pronunciation: Mìn-drolling), Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal bo, འགྱུར་མེད་ཀུན་བཟང་དབང་རྒྱལ་ (January 1, 1930, Lumo-ra,
Kham,
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...
– February 9, 2008,
Dehra Dun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislativ ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
) was a lama of the
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
-school, the oldest school of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
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.
[''Shambhala Sun'', Precious Jewels, November 2001, page 6]
link
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Biography
Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal was born in Lumo-ra in Kham (East-Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...
) and his father was the tenth Mindrolling Trichen. After his father died the family went to Central Tibet
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
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 Chökyi Lodrö (c. 1893 – 1959) was a Tibetan lama, a master of many lineages, and a teacher of many of the major figures in 20th-century Tibetan Buddhism. Though he died in 1959 in Sikkim, and is not so well known in the We ...
. 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. He excelled in his studies and discovered the terma (hidden treasure) of the Compassionate One, "Jigten Wangchuk Pema Garwang." As a Tertön
Tertön () is a term within Tibetan Buddhism meaning a person who is a discoverer of ancient hidden texts or '' terma''. Many tertöns are considered to be incarnations of the twenty five main disciples of Padmasambhava ( Guru Rinpoche), who fores ...
, he was therefore instructed to pass the teachings on eleven times to fortunate and worthy students.
In 1959 he escaped from Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...
and arrived in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
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
Kyabje Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje (, THL ''Düjom Jikdrel Yéshé Dorjé'') was known as Terchen Drodül Lingpa and as Dudjom Rinpoche (10 June 1904 – 17 January 1987). He is considered by many Tibetan Buddhists to be from a line of importan ...
, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
Tashi Paljor, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche () (c. 1910 – 28 September 1991) was a Vajrayana master, scholar, poet, teacher, and recognized by Buddhists as one of the greatest realized masters. Head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism from 198 ...
and the 16th Karmapa, who previously received his education from his father. In 1976 he and his family moved to Dehra Dun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislativ ...
in order to oversee the building of the Mindrolling monastery.
Mindrolling Trichen is the father of Khandro Rinpoche
Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche (birth name Tsering Paldrön; born August 19, 1967) is a lama in Tibetan Buddhism. Born in Kalimpong, India and the daughter of the late Mindrolling Trichen, Khandro Rinpoche was recognized by Rangjung Rigpe D ...
, 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 ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...
.
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-exile asked him to become responsible for the administrative affairs for the Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
- school as one of the main throne holders,simhas.org
Biography Mindrolling Trichen. (Retrieved: September 16, 2006) taking over for the retiring
Penor Rinpoche
Kyabjé Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche (), 1932 – 27 March 2009, was the 11th throneholder 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 Bu ...
. The Nyingma school has always been decentralised, 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 lineage.
See also
*
Mindrolling Monastery
Mindrolling Monastery (, English: "Sublime Island of Ripening Liberation"), is one of the "Six Mother Monasteries" of the Nyingma school in Tibet. It was founded by Rigzin Terdak Lingpa in 1676. Tendrak Lingpa's lineage is known as the ''Nyo'' ...
References
External links
The Parinirvana of Kyabje Mindrolling Trichen RinpocheMindrolling Dedicated to Vajrayana Dharma Activities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trichen, Mindrolling
1930 births
2008 deaths
Nyingma lamas
Tibetan Buddhists from Tibet
Rinpoches
Tertöns
Tibetan Buddhists from India
Tibetan emigrants to India