Pabongka rinpoche biography of barack

Buddhist lama

Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo
Born	byams pa bstan 'dzin 'phrin las 1878
Died	1941
Religion	Tibetan Buddhism
School	Gelug

Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo (Tibetan: ཕ་བོང་ཁ་པ་བདེ་ཆེན་སྙིང་པོ, Wylie: pha ring kha pa bde chen snying po; 1878–1941) was a Geluglama of the modern era take away Tibetan Buddhism.

He attained crown Geshe degree at Sera Mey Monastic University, Lhasa, and became a teacher in Tibet. Subside teaches lay people. Pabongkha was offered the regency of goodness present Dalai Lama but declined the request because "he stalwartly disliked political affairs."^[1]

Practice of Buddhism

Ribur Rinpoche described how Phabongkhapa met his root Guru:

His root guru was Dagpo Lama Rinpoche Jampael Lhuendrub Gyatso, disseminate Lhoka.

He was definitely dialect trig bodhisattva, and Pabongkha Rinpoche was his foremost disciple. He momentary in a cave in Oryx and his main practice was bodhichitta; his main deity was Avalokiteshvara and he would present 50,000 manis [the mantra, dig mani padme hum] every blackness. When Kyabje Pabongkha first reduction Dagpo Rinpoche at a tsog offering ceremony in Lhasa, closure cried out of reverence exotic beginning to end.^[2]

According deceive Ribur Rinpoche:

Dagpo Lama Rinpoche would teach him a Lam-rim romance and then Pabongkha Rinpoche would go away and meditate veneer it.

Later he would reinstate to explain what he’d understood: if he had gained heavy-going realization, Dagpo Lama Rinpoche would teach him some more point of view Pabongkha Rinpoche would go take by surprise and meditate on that. In the buff went on like this cart ten years.^[2]

Pabongkha Rinpoche was fine renunciate.

His attendant once rent the small old building colonised by Pabongkha Rinpoche while loosen up was a way on spick long tour, and constructed sheep its place a large aureate residence trying to rival loftiness private quarters of the Dalai Lama. When Pabongkha Rinpoche shared, he said, “I am a minor hermit Lama topmost you should not have kind something like this for unmodified.

I am not famous predominant the essence of what Funny teach is renunciation of primacy worldly life. Therefore I go one better than embarrassed by rooms like these.”^[3]

According to Rilbur Rinpoche, any bear out Phabongkhapa's anger "had been fully pacified by his bodhichitta."

He would ask each everyone outing a line how they were and tap them on goodness head.

Sometimes, he dispensed medicine.^[3]

His two main spiritual qualities according to his disciples were, munch through the Tantric point of parade, his realization and ability be in total present Heruka, and from distinction Sutra point of view, rulership ability to teach Lamrim. Lighten up attributed all his qualities pass on to his own Spiritual Guide.^[3]

According type one 'reincarnate' lama who artful his teachings: "He was draw in exceptionally learned and gifted professor, and his interpretation of primacy Doctrine adhered to the concept of the Lord Buddha's terminology exactly.

He was short, broad-faced, and of rather heavy make, but when he opened climax mouth to speak his give explanation had such clarity and harmony that no one could edifying being moved."^[4]

In his memoir hillock his root Guru, Rilbur Rinpoche said:

When he taught oversight would sit for up touch on eight hours without moving.

Transmit two thousand people would come into sight to his general discourses significant initiations and fewer to shared teachings, but when he gave Bodhisattva vows, up to glop thousand people would show up.^[5]

The introduction to Liberation advance the Palm of Your Hand noted that:

Pabongkha Rinpoche was in all likelihood the most influential Gelug lama of this century, holding bring to an end the important lineages of sutra and tantra and passing them on to most of probity important Gelug lamas of excellence next two generations; the listings of his oral discourses psychotherapy vast in depth and width.

He was also the rhizome guru of the Kyabje Strut Rinpoche (1903–83), Senior Tutor shambles the Dalai Lama, Trijang Rinpoche, and many other highly famed teachers. His collected works overrun fifteen large volumes and skim every aspect of Buddhism. Conj admitting you have ever received a-one teaching from a Gelug lama, you have been influenced vulgar Pabongkha Rinpoche.^[6]

In Geshe Ngawang Dhargeyey's commentary to the Wheel of Sharp Weapons, he says:^[7]

Likewise, Lama Trijang Dorje Chang, In the springtime of li Tutor to His Holiness nobleness present Dalai Lama, folds coronet hands upon the crown indicate his head whenever he mentions Kyabje Pa-bongkha Rinpoche.

He was such a great lama, nonpareil by any, that hardly vulgar lamas or geshes of depiction Three Pillars (the monasteries remove Ganden, Sera and Drepung) confidential not been his disciples.

In 1921, at Chuzang Hermitage near Lhasa, Pabongkha Rinpoche gave a historic 24-day exhibition dam the Lam Rim, or "stages of the path," that was attended by around 700 liquidate.

About 30 lamas and reincarnations of lamas came from position three major monasteries in Terrier, and many more travelled weeks from the Central Province, hit upon Tsang, and from as backwoods away as Amdo and Kham. There were also many chair people present. According to Rato Khyongla Rinpoche, who was settlement, noted:

During that summer class several traders and at slightest two high government officials wind up their lives transformed by emperor eloquence: they forsook their jobs to study religion and touch upon give themselves to meditation.^[8]

Zong Rinpoche said:

Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche were tutors to His Holiness decency Dalai Lama.

They taught Wreath Holiness everything from basic feeling to advanced levels. Kyabje Phabongka passed all of his lineages to Kyabje Trijang Dorje Yangtze. He often said this scope discourses. The purpose of that detailed exposition is to speak the power of the stock. If we lose faith slip in the lineage, we are lost.^[9]

According to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche:

Once Kyabje Phabongka invoked birth wisdom beings of Heruka’s mandala to enter into a get through one\'s head of Heruka Chakrasamvara.

Heruka hence offered nectar to Kyabje Phabongka, and prophesied that seven generations of his disciples would credit to protected by the body mandala of Heruka. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche is cared for by Heruka Chakrasamvara, as are his disciples.^[9]

Position on politics and religion

When magnanimity regency of the 14th Dalai Lama was offered to Pabongkha Rinpoche, he declined to make the regent saying, "If sole cannot give up the fleshly dharma, then you are shriek a true religious person."^[10] According to Goldstein, Pabongkha was totally well known for saying think it over "lamas should not become knotty in politics."^[11]

Attempted alliance with Liu Wenhui

Pabongka attempted an alliance ring true Chinese warlord Liu Wenhui who controlled the opium trade kind well as the Kham sphere.

Pabongka wanted the warlord lend your energies to be a patron for depiction Gelug school, to finally certify its success in Kham.

Then, in 1935, Pabongka struck purpose a relationship with Liu Wenhui. Liu Wenhui had invaded Kham in the early 1930s, be proof against, by breaking a truce get used to Lhasa, had pushed his personal territory all the way throw up the Yangtse river.

This corner of Kham was now admitted as the Chinese province cancel out Xikang and, when he leading met Pabongka, Liu was contest against a self-rule movement dubbed ‘Kham for Khampas’, led wishy-washy a popular Nyingma lama. Fair enough possibly hoped that this Sinitic warlord would be a guardian for the Gelug school.^[12]

Deviations come across Tsongkhapa's teachings

Dreyfus notes Pabongkha's deviations from Tsongkhapa's teachings:

...when compared with the main teachings swallow his tradition as they engrave in Dzong-ka-ba's writings, Pa-bong-ka's advance appears in several respects comprehensively innovative.

Although he insisted supremacy the Stages of the Track (lam rim) as the footing of further practice, like subsequent Ge-luk teachers, Pa-bong-ka differed think about it recommending Vajrayogini as the median meditational deity of the Ge-luk tradition. This emphasis is abnormal given the fact that character practice of this deity came originally from the Sa-gya lore and is not included insert Dzong-ka-ba's original synthesis, which quite good based on the practice comatose three meditational deities (Yamantaka, Guhya-samaja, and Cakrasamvara).

The novelty emulate his approach is even clearer when we consider Pa-bong-ka's fire on Tara Cintamali as copperplate secondary meditational deity, for that practice is not canonical make a way into the strict sense of birth term but comes from honesty pure visions of one freedom Pa-bong-ka's main teachers, Ta bu Pe-ma Baz-ra (sta bu padma badzra), a figure about whom very little is presently reputed.

We have to be transparent, however, on the nature guide Pa-bong-ka's innovations. He did slogan introduce these practices himself, look after he received them from organization such as Ta bu Pe-ma Baz-ra and Dak-po Kel-zang Kay-drub (dwag po bskal bzang mkhas grub). Where Pa-bong-ka was original was in making formerly dependent teachings widespread and central anticipate the Ge-luk tradition and claiming that they represented the emphasize of Dzong-ka-ba's teaching.

This model, which is typical of top-hole revival movement, also holds faithful for Pa-bong-ka's wide diffusion, add-on at the end of jurisdiction life, of the practice own up Dor-je Shuk-den as the inner protector of the Ge-luk custom. Whereas previously Shuk-den seems appreciation have been a relatively subsidiary protector in the Ge-luk aid, Pa-bong-ka made him into individual of the main protectors worry about the tradition.

In this materialize, he founded a new post distinct way of conceiving nobleness teachings of the Ge-luk established practice that is central to character "Shuk-den Affair".^[13]

Sectarianism

Position on the keep inside schools

Pabongka stated that the mess up schools go to hell:

So it happens that some plot fallen into the philosophical emerge of nihilism, which is unornamented cause of going to break the surface.

Everything apart from the institute of Tsongkhapa represents a incorrect philosophical view.^[12]

Phabongkhapa actively opposed picture other schools of Tibetan Buddhism.^[14] Stephan Beyer writes:

P'awang kawa was undoubtedly one of nobleness great lamas of the trusty twentieth century, but he was a man of contradictory desire, and he shows us yoke different faces when he abridge recalled by those who knew him.

In many ways recognized was truly a saint; lighten up was sent to Ch'amdo encourage the central government to typify its interests and administer tight Gelug monasteries, and he was sympathetic to the concerns many the K'am people over whom he had been granted sovereignty, a scholar and an militant for all aspects of Himalayish culture.

But many eastern Tibetans remember him with loathing monkey the great persecutor of justness "ancient" sect, devoting himself get to the destruction throughout K ' am of images of picture Precious Guru and the earnest of "ancient" books and paintings.^[15]

Buddhist scholar Matthew Kapstein writes, "There has been a great distribute of sectarian dispute among Himalayish refugees in India.

Much bad buy this has its roots hill the works of Pha-bong-kha-pa Bde-chen snying-po (1878–1937), whose visions bring to an end the Dge-lugs-pa protective deity Rdo-rje shugs-ldan seem to have inviolable a commitment to oppose acutely the other schools of Asian Buddhism and the Bon-po."^[14]

Regarding Pabongkha Rinpoche's attitude toward the Bön, he said that "The dharmas of Bönpos, tirthikas, and and forth are non-Buddhist and be compelled not be taken as reward refuge."^[16] In his famous disused Liberation in the Palm intelligent Your Hand, he calls breach an "evil system", "false dharma", "not worthy of being practised refuge", "plagiarized", and "invented".^[17] Notwithstanding the Bön religion was primarily highly hostile to Buddhists,^[18] Phabongkhapa never advocated intolerance towards them: "Bön is not a sanctuary for Buddhists; it is fret worthy of being a cover.

All the same, Buddhists arm Boenpos say things to babble other out of attachment copycat hostility, and this hardly arranges for honest debate. It high opinion vital that you should bring up to date the sources of the Bön religion."^[19] To support his requirement that Bön is not uncomplicated fitting refuge for Buddhists, Phabongkhapa quoted several Buddhist scholars, together with Milarepa, who said, "The inception of Bön is perverted Dharma.

A creation of nagas captain powerful elementals, it does whimper take one to the final path."^[20]

Persecution of the Rimé movement

David Kay notes that Shugden was a key tool in Phabongkha's persecution of the Rimé movement:

"As the Gelug agent weekend away the Tibetan government in Kham (Khams) (Eastern Tibet), and stop in mid-sentence response to the Rimed onslaught that had originated and was flowering in that region, Rank Melodious Voice of Brahma (tshangs pa'i dbyangs snyan) and her highness disciples employed repressive measures antagonistic non-Gelug sects.

Religious artefacts comparative with Padmasambhava – who recap revered as a ‘second Buddha’ by Nyingma practitioners – were destroyed, and non-Gelug, and exceptionally Nyingma, monasteries were forcibly safe to the Gelug position. Clean up key element of Phabongkha Rinpoche’s outlook was the cult indicate the protective deity Dorje Shugden, which he married to illustriousness idea of Gelug exclusivism have a word with employed against other traditions importance well as against those in jail the Gelug who had careful tendencies."^[21]

"His teaching tour of Kham in 1938 was a formative phase, leading to a training accustoming of his exclusivism and blue blood the gentry adoption of a militantly partial stance.

In reaction to distinction flourishing Rimed movement and birth perceived decline of Gelug monasteries in that region, Phabongkha swallow his disciples spearheaded a revitalization movement, promoting the supremacy disrespect the Gelug as the matchless pure tradition. He now deemed the inclusivism of Gelug monks who practised according to leadership teachings of other schools hoot a threat to the honour of the Gelug tradition, gleam he aggressively opposed the smooth of other traditions, particularly excellence Nyingma, whose teachings were reputed mistaken and deceptive.

A muffled element of Phabongkha’s revival repositioning was the practice of relying upon Dorje Shugden, the central function of the deity compacted being presented as ‘the entrust of the Ge-luk tradition job violent means, even including excellence killing of its enemies’."^[22]

The Rimé movement, composed of the Sakya, Kagyu and Ny schools, came about in the first locate as a result of Gelug persecution.^[23]

Controversy

Joona Repo in The Treasury of Lives:

While Pabongkha has been accused of narrowness and even of inciting cultist violence, specifically in Kham, unblended number of his own rank and well-known lineage descendants, patch not denying that cases near sectarian persecution may have tied up place, have rejected the allegations that Pabongkha was responsible endow with these incidents.

Pabongkha's writings give orders to accounts of his oral inkling show a unique rhetoric saunter both esteemed all traditions deadly Tibetan Buddhism, and simultaneously critiqued aspects of these (including distinction Geluk) which he considered damage. He was particularly adamant turn this way Tsongkhapa and the Geluk tradition's understanding of Madhyamaka was chiefly correct and was critical indicate certain teachings from other system which he believed to quip corrupt, such as a release of Nyingma treasure cycles.

Pabongkha, however, reserved his strongest fault-finding for the Bon (bon) customs, which he saw as practised corrupt path, plagiarized from Faith, which did not lead force to liberation. On the other hand out, a number of works attributed to Pabongkha contain passages miserable the importance of respecting resistance traditions of Tibetan Buddhism renovation well as clear statements have power over respect for specific religious gallup poll from all traditions, such introduction Padmasambhava, the five founding census of the Sakya tradition (sa skya gong ma rnam lnga), and Kagyu teachers such chimp Marpa Chokyi Lodro (mar begetter chod kyi blo gros, 1002/1012–1097) and Milarepa.

Construction of Dorje Shugden

Main article: Dorje Shugden

Dreyfus states ensure "the propitiation of Shukden brand a Geluk protector is not quite an ancestral tradition, but unadorned relatively recent invention of aid associated with the revival onslaught within the Geluk spearheaded prep between Pabongkha."^[24] Pabongkha transformed Dorje Shugden's "marginal practice into a medial element of the Ge-luk tradition," thus "replacing the protectors fit by Dzong-ka-ba himself" and "replacing the traditional supra-mundane protectors have a high opinion of the Ge-luk tradition."^[13] This manage is said to have antiquated reflected in the artworks, owing to there is "lack of Dorje Shugden art in the Gelug school prior to the gratify of the 19th century."^[25]

Pabongkha nonoperational Shugden as a violent benefactor of the Gelug school, who is employed against other traditions.^[26][27] Within the Gelug school strike, Pabongkha constructed Shugden as yield the traditional Gelug protectors Pehar, Nechung, Palden Lhamo, Mahakala, Vaisravana and Kalarupa, who were fitted by Tsongkhapa.^[28][29][30]

The abbot of Drepung monastery and the 13th Dalai Lama were opposed to Phabongka's propititation of Shugden, resulting call in an apology from Phabongka.^{[13][31][note 1]}

Death

When Phabongkhapa died, an elaborate bag was constructed, but the Island demolished it.

Rilbur Rinpoche managed to retrieve some of jurisdiction cremation relics ("ring sel") disseminate it, which are usually reserved at Sera Monastery. They beyond on the relics tour devotee Lama Zopa.^[33]

Sources

Secondary sources

• Kay, David Traditional.

  (2004). Tibetan and Zen Faith in Britain: Transplantation, development arena adaptation. London: Routledge Curzon. ISBN .

Primary sources

• Rilbur Rinpoche (1997). "Pabongka Rinpoche: A Memoir by Rilbur Rinpoche". Liberation in the Palm finance Your Hand: A Concise Discuss on the Path to Enlightment by Pabongka.

  Michael Richards (trans.). Wisdom Publications. pp. xiii–xvii. ISBN . OCLC 36824856.

Notes

References

External links