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Bo Gangkar Rinpoche An
account of the birth and early life of |
It was in the south of our universe to the North, in the Land of Snows, in Do-Kham province, under Jamda district of Tibet where a daughter, Tsering Palkyi, was born to a family of good repute, devoted to the Dharma. Kindhearted, loving and giving towards the poor and needy, Tsering Palkyi was dedicated to her practice of the Buddha’s teachings, courageous and hard-working, tall and beautiful, having the pure morals of a virtuous person.
At the age of 13 her mother passed away, and before the corpse she made a solemn vow to undertake a great pilgrimage. Keeping her promise she began her long travels with a visit to the Great Dege Printing Press, and from there she journeyed to every holy place in Kham, and onwards to central Tibet and Lhasa - the capital city. She sought blessings from Jowo Sakya Muni, the most famous statue in Tibet, and continued her progress through every centre of blessings, both big and small, throughout the country.
Several years later into her pilgrimage she met and married Tsewang Rigzin, who belongs to the family of Hor Bo Karchung Gye of Dhergye province. Tsewang Rigzin is, by nature, very soft-spoken, kind-hearted, gentle, broad-minded and very loving to his wife.
When Tsering Palkyi became pregnant she had dreams in which she was being garlanded with precious beads and white scarves, (Kattak), by a holy Lama. And she was never in discomfort during her pregnancy but remained peaceful and content even when her womb would, at times become large, sometimes small; but always she remained light in weight and agile.
When she was traveling around Mount Kailash with her husband they met a sage who had been meditating his whole life in a cave. The holy Lama predicted that the child that she was carrying in her womb was no ordinary baby but a very auspicious and special one, and he advised her to keep very clean, avoid eating meat, and to shun food served by people unable to have children. He also predicted that if she followed this advice then all of her wishes would be fulfilled. With great joy in their hearts they continued the pilgrimage throughout the region of Mount Kailash and from there left for Nepal.
Traveling through Nepal Tsering Palkyi followed the advice strictly, even though it sometimes caused her great hardships.
One day, while she was prostrating before the great holy stupa at Bodhanath, she heard some sounds coming from within her. Coincidently Yega, the uncle of Kyidrak Tenngying Rinpoche, was circumambulating the stupa, and to him and his colleagues they heard the voice predicting the rebirth of Bo Gangkar Rinpoche. Yet others who were present heard the mantra of the Bodhisattva of wisdom - Manjushri (Jampalyang). Everyone who witnessed this occasion were simply astonished, and they paid their heartfelt respects with scarves.
Then, on the 8th day of the 12th month of the water-dog year (1982) they left for the birthplace of the Buddha - Bodhgaya, to attend the Great Kalachakra initiation being given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. While seated amongst the crowds gathered to see and hear His Holiness, people again reported hearing mantras from Tsering Palkyi’s womb. Two days after their arrival, on the auspicious day of the 10th, he was born amidst many miraculous signs, in the morning between 9am to 10am. When he was only 7 days old the Dalai Lama gave a special audience to new arrivals from Tibet, and the new family attended too. HH the Dalai Lama advised Tsering Palkyi to keep her child very clean, and offered him an auspicious scarf.
After visiting Lumbini, where the Buddha Sakyamuni gave his first teaching, they left for Tso-Pema in the state of Himachal Pradesh, Northern India, where Tsering Palkyi has a relative. Tso-Pema is a sacred lake where Guru Rinpoche once transformed a burning pyre into a lake. The relative, Mrs Tashi Dolma, is the consort of the venerable Ontrul Rinpoche of the Drikung Kagyu lineage, who has his monastery at Tso-Pema, and they remained there for three months.
During that time Tai Situ Rinpoche realized, through his sacred foresight, that the rebirth of Bo Gangkar Rinpoche had occurred and that he lived in either Nepal or Tso-Pema. He sent out a search party headed by Lama Tobchu and two elder Lamas from Sherab Ling Monastery. The recognition letter from the Tai Situpa states that both parents are from the Dhergye province of Tibet and that the father’s name is Tsewang Rigzin and the mother is Tsering Palkyi. They have a son born in the year of the water-dog (1982), and when located they are to be immediately received in Sherab Ling monastery without delay.
They arrived at Sherab Ling where the Tai Situpa blessed the boy, Karma Jamyang, with holy water for 10 days, and he was given the name of Karma Lungtok Tenpai Gyaltsen. The parents expressed their wish to return to Tibet, but Rinpoche advised them to remain at Sherab Ling, and further that if they feared for their livelihood then for them not to worry as he would look after them too. Also that the forest, hills, and mountains surrounding Sherab Ling would be as ideal a place as that of Tibet.
The venerable Bo Gangkar Rinpoche Karma Lungtok Tenpai Gyaltsen began his training aged 7 and studied under several Lamas before receiving his present tutor Lama Karma Lobsang who has been his tutor since 1993.
In 1998 Bo Gangkar Rinpoche had a personal audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama during which His Holiness performed the hair-cutting ceremony giving the name Tenzin Jigme Chodrak, and taught profoundly from the Tantras, and also his personal account of the life of the previous Bo Gangkar Rinpoche - Shedrup Chokyi Senge. His Holiness then presented him with a special protection amulet and scarf.
In 1999 he was enthroned in a grand ceremony in Sherab Ling by the Tai Situpa that was attended by tulkus from Nepal and Tibet. A ceremony that was repeated by popular request when he traveled to the seat of Gyaltsab Rinpoche at Mirik to receive the Kagyu Ngadzo collection of empowerments. There Gyaltsab Rinpoche together with Bokar Rinpoche and Kalu Rinpoche repeated the enthronement ceremony which was a cause for great celebrations throughout the region.
In the summer of 1999 Bo Gangkar Rinpoche returned to his monasteries: Bo Gangkar and Kham Sudra monastery, (which contains the relics of his prevous incarnation) where he was received amidst great joy and celebrations by thousands of people of all lineages who had gathered to see him from near and far. Upon his arrival and during his stay there were many auspicious signs and events such as many suns in the sky, rainbows on cloudless days, rains of snow-flowers, and a snow-leopard that circumambulated his throne.
Rinpoche bestowed the Tsepamay empowerment for the long life of everyone, gave teachings, advice, and established a monastic university. During his two month visit he inspired great faith and great joy, and when he departed there was much crying and entreating for him to return soon.
On his return journey he was fortunate to receive an audience with His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa in Tsurphu monastery near to Lhasa, and upon arrival in India he made a short pilgrimage to Buddhist holy sites.