Changling Rinpoche
Encyclopedia
Changling Rinpoche
Ngawang Lekshey Gyaltso is the fifteenth in the lineage of Changling Rinpoches. His lineage was started by the Tibetan Rechungpa who lived in the eleventh century.-Recognition:...
s. His lineage was started by the Tibetan Rechungpa who lived in the eleventh century.
Recognition
In 1985, Khabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and Khabje Penor RinpochePenor rinpoche
Kyabjé Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche was the 11th throne holder 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 Buddhist world as a master of Dzogchen...
recognized Changling Rinpoche as the main tulku
Tulku
In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is a particular high-ranking lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one, who can choose the manner of his rebirth. Normally the lama would be reincarnated as a human, and of the same sex as his predecessor. In contrast to a tulku, all other sentient beings including other...
of Changchub Ling Monastery in the Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang , or Tsang-Ü, is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the other two being Amdo and Kham. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered the central and western portions of the Tibetan cultural area, including the Tsang-po watershed, the western districts surrounding and extending past Mount...
region of Central Tibet. The news came to Rinpoche’s family in Kalimpong via a letter written by the Khabjes.
Rinpoche’s grandmother, surprised by the news, took it upon herself to look into the situation. She traced the source to an old yogi, Lama Trakden, a student of the previous Changling Lingpa. Lama Trakden had gone to see Khyentse Rinpoche who was giving teachings in Mysore at Penor Rinpoche
Penor rinpoche
Kyabjé Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche was the 11th throne holder 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 Buddhist world as a master of Dzogchen...
’s monastery and requested him to recognize the tulku
Tulku
In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is a particular high-ranking lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one, who can choose the manner of his rebirth. Normally the lama would be reincarnated as a human, and of the same sex as his predecessor. In contrast to a tulku, all other sentient beings including other...
of his root teacher. This is how it came about that both Khyentse Rinpoche and Penor Rinpoche made the recognition together.
Studies
As an 11 year old boy, Rinpoche entered Shechen MonasteryShechen Monastery
The Shechen Monastery is one of the primary monasteries of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, in Tibet. It is located in Derge between Nangdo and Dzogchen Monastery...
and was enthroned by Khyentse Rinpoche and ordained by Trulshik Rinpoche
Trulshik Rinpoche
Trulshik Rinpoche Ngawang Chökyi Lodrö born in Yardrok Taklung, Central Tibet was one of the main teachers of HH the 14th Dalai Lama and of many of the younger generation of Nyingma lamas today including Sogyal Rinpoche...
. In the first year Rinpoche learned how to read and write Tibetan. The following year Shechen opened its philosophical college and Khyentse Rinpoche put Changling Tulku into the program when he was twelve, an age considerably younger than usual. When Rinpoche was fifteen, his root teacher Khyentse Rinpoche died. At age sixteen Rinpoche began to give teachings to others students in college. At eighteen Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, abbot of Shechen Monastery, sent Changling Rinpoche to complete his studies of the Heart Sutra
Heart Sutra
The Heart Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra. Its Sanskrit name literally translates to "Heart of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom." The Heart Sūtra is often cited as the best known and most popular of all Buddhist scriptures.-Introduction:The Heart Sūtra is a member of the Perfection of...
under the tutelage of the great khenpo
Khenpo
The term khenpo is a spiritual degree given in Tibetan Buddhism. In the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya traditions, the title is awarded usually after a period of 3 years of intensive study after secondary school level studies, and is considered much like a spiritual Bachelor's. Similar titles of lower...
s of Penor Rinpoche’s college in Mysore. Rinpoche took full monk’s ordination at age twenty with Trulshik Rinpoche. Rinpoche graduated with a khenpo
Khenpo
The term khenpo is a spiritual degree given in Tibetan Buddhism. In the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya traditions, the title is awarded usually after a period of 3 years of intensive study after secondary school level studies, and is considered much like a spiritual Bachelor's. Similar titles of lower...
degree at the age of twenty-one.
Election and career
In 1998, during the annual Nyingma Prayer Festival in Bodhgaya, the teachers who are responsible for the continuity of the Northern Treasures tradition elected Changling Rinpoche to be the next head of the lineage. Since the death of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Rinpoche’s main tutors are Khabjes Trulshik Rinpoche, Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Penor RinpochePenor rinpoche
Kyabjé Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche was the 11th throne holder 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 Buddhist world as a master of Dzogchen...
, Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche and Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche. Rinpoche teaches the senior students at Shechen College and those in a traditional three-year retreat, and teaches ritual and Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
tantra to senior students.
In previous years Changling Rinpoche was in charge of a section of the Shechen Monastery called dratsang, "the collection of monks". He has been a director of Shechen Monastery. Currently he is devoting his time to writing commentaries on the works of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and searching out missing texts of the Northern Treasure Lineage. As the abbot of the Sechen Monastery shedra (monastic college), he holds a post previously held by such lamas as Mipham Rinpoche, Sechen Gyaltsap
Shechen Gyaltsab
Shechen Gyaltsab was a principal lineageholder of Tibetan Buddhism. As an ecumenical, he studied with Nyingma and Sarma schools.-Nomenclature and etymology:Shechen Gyaltsab's full name was Shechen Gyaltsab Gyurme Pema Namgyal.-Birth and youth:...
and Khenpo Gangshar
Gangshar Wangpo
Khenpo Gangshar Wangpo was a highly respected lama in Eastern Tibet and one of the primary teachers of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Thrangu Rinpoche...
.