Kunkhyen Pema Karpo () (1527–1592 CE) was the fourth

Gyalwang Drukpa The Gyalwang Drukpa () is the honorific title of the head of the Drukpa Lineage, one of the independent Sarma (new) schools of Vajrayana Buddhism. This lineage of reincarnated masters started from Tsangpa Gyare, the first Gyalwang Drukpa and fou ...

, head of the Drukpa lineage 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 ...

. He was the most famous and learned of all the Gyalwang Drukpas. During his lifetime, he was known as the grand lama amongst all grand lamas, and was a teacher to many lamas and disciples all over Tibet. Pema Karpo authored twenty-four volumes writing on philosophy, logic, literature, history, and astrology which have since formed a widely studied corpus of work. He is also quite famous for his writings on

Mahamudra Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmudr ...

. He founded Druk Sangag Choeling monastery at

Jar A jar is a rigid, cylindrical or slightly conical container, typically made of glass, ceramic, or plastic, with a wide mouth or opening that can be closed with a lid, screw cap, lug cap, cork stopper, roll-on cap, crimp-on cap, press-on c ...

in southern

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 ...

, establishing it as the new seat of the Drukpa lineage. This omniscient master was the first Gyalwang Drukpa to concoct the famous enlightenment pill known as Ja-Tsukma, utilizing esoteric ingredients offered by the dakinis. Before he died, Pema Karpo promised that he would have two incarnations to propagate the spiritual teachings. In accordance with this prophecy, two incarnations were discovered.

Texts

*Practice Guidelines of the Simultaneous School of

*The Oral transmission of the Six Cycles of Same Taste: Rolled into a ball ath walkinginstructions *A Casket of Sacred Dharma: Stages of Meditation on Dependent Arising *Commentary on the ''Bodhicharyavatara''

Trivia

The multi-award winning Druk White Lotus School in Shey,

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu ...

, is named after him.link to the school's website.
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Monasteries

Important monasteries of the Drukpa order include: *

Ralung Monastery Ralung Monastery (), located in the Tsang region of western Tibet south of Karo Pass, is the traditional seat of the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1180 by Tsangpa Gyare, 1st Gyalwang Drukpa, a disciple of Lingje Répa ...

in central Tibet just north of Bhutan * Druk Sangag Choeling Monastery *

Hemis Monastery Hemis Monastery is a Himalayan Buddhist monastery (''gompa'') of the Drukpa Lineage, in Hemis, Ladakh, India. Situated 45 km from Leh, it was re-established in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal. The annual Hemis festival honourin ...

* Thimphu Dzong, which houses the

Central Monk Body The Dratshang Lhentshog ( Dzongkha: ; Wylie: ''grwa-tshang lhan-tshogs'') is the Commission for the Monastic Affairs of Bhutan. Under the 2008 Constitution, it is the bureaucracy that oversees the Drukpa Kagyu sect of Buddhism, which is the s ...

of Bhutan in summer *

Punakha Dzong The Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungthang Dewa chhenbi Phodrang (meaning "the palace of great happiness or bliss"), is the administrative centre of Punakha District in Punakha, Bhutan. Constructed by Ngawang Namgyal, 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche, in ...

, the winter home of the Central Monk Body * Namdruk Monastery

References

External links

Drukpa facts and a biography of H.H. the Twelfth Gyalwang DrukpaThe award-winning Druk White Lotus School in LadakhDrukpa PublicationsNamdruk InstituteNangchenH.E. the Ninth Khamtrul Rinpoche Shedrup Nyima b. 1980 (the site is presently under construction)H.E. the Ninth Khamtrul Rinpoche Jigme Pema Nyinjadh b.1981The European Centres of Gyalwang DrukpaDrukpa Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunkhyen Pema Karpo Gyalwang Drukpas Religion in Tibet 1527 births 1592 deaths Lamas 16th-century Tibetan people Tibetan philosophers