H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s biography
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Zong Rinpoche (1905-1984 AD) was a highly realized Gelug Lama and disciple of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, junior tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama. He was famous as a sharp analyst and master of philosophical debate, as well as a powerful Tantric practitioner. He was the Abbot of Ganden Shartse monastery.
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Early life, education, and spiritual lineage
Zong Tulku Rinpoche Jetsun Losang Tsöndru Thubten Gyaltsen (or Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, as he is known to countless ordained and lay disciples) was born in 1905 in the village of Nangsang in the Kham province of eastern Tibet. His father’s name was Jampa and his mother’s was Sonam Yangdzom.
His father and both his grandfathers were ngakpa, tantric practitioners of the Nyingma tradition, and two previous incarnations of Kyabje Dorje Chang (“Vajradhara, Lord of Refuge,” as Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was also known) had taken birth within the Zong-go family: Zongtrul Phuntsok Chöpel and Zongtrul Tenpa Chöpel (1836-1899 AD). It is said that already in an early stage of his childhood he performed various magical miracles and was able to invoke a female naga goddess (mystical serpent being) in a nearby lake.
He went to Lhasa in 1916 when he was eleven years old to study Buddhadharma as presented in Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition at Ganden Shartse Monastery, one of the principal Gelug monasteries and seats of learning in Tibet. When he got there, the fourteen-year-old Trijang Rinpoche (who was to become one of the main tutors of the 14th Dalai Lama) guided the new student by taking him through his first lesson in elementary dialectics. He was later to become Zong Rinpoche’s chief mentor.
Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Zong Rinpoche (seated) Kyabje Zong Rinpoche sits devotionally bent towards his lama, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge
An intimate portrait of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche (left), Kyabje Zemey Rinpoche (right) and their guru, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche (seated). Click on image to enlarge
Although recognized as a reincarnate Lama, Zong Rinpoche did not have the privileges accorded to modern-day tulkus. He had no benefactor to support him and lived a spartan existence:
Instead of a table from which to read the scriptures, he made do with an empty tea box supported by bricks. He was completely focused on his studies, which he pursued with unfailing courage and diligence. He seemed uninterested in food or drink, surviving on a very simple diet. With his humble lifestyle and shabby robes, often loose and torn from the physicality of the debate ground, he looked like any other boy from the remote province of Kham who had been fortunate enough to attend this prestigious monastic university.
In a private moment, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche dining together with Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge
Zong Rinpoche received his full ordination from the Thirteenth Dalai Lama at the Potala Palace. At Ganden, Zong Rinpoche studied the Sutras of the Prajnaparamita, Madhyamika, the Abidharma and the Vinaya. He studied effortlessly and became well known throughout the three great Gelug monasteries of central Tibet, Ganden, Drepung, and Sera as a master of philosophical debate who possessed an extraordinary memory. Upon debating the opening verse of Pramanavarttika, the foremost dissertation on Buddhist logic by the famed seventh-century Indian logician Acharya Dharmakirti, Zong Rinpoche’s performance led the famous Geshe “Amdo” Sherab Gyatso to remark: “There would not be a worthier debate on this subject even if Dharmakirti himself were here in person!”
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche seated with Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen and his students of Thubten Dhargye Ling center in Los Angeles. Zong Rinpoche conferred many teachings, transmissions and empowerments to the students of this centre.
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In 1928 Zong Rinpoche debated in front of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (1876-1933) in Lhasa and was subsequently awarded the Geshe Lharampa degree following the Monlam festival examinations. After graduating as the highest ranking Lharampa Geshe at the age of only twenty-five in 1929, he moved on to the Tantric College of Gyuto, where he also successfully completed his examinations.
Professor Robert Thurman translating for Kyabje Zong Rinpoche during the teaching tour of America. Click on image to enlarge
His Spiritual Guide was Trijang Rinpoche. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche often mentioned to his resident students, as an instruction on Guru devotion, that he had never harbored a negative thought for his teacher, Trijang Rinpoche, for even a single instant. Trijang Rinpoche’s own Spiritual Guide was Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo, and Zong Rinpoche deeply revered both Lamas and practiced and promoted their Gelugpa lineage his entire life:
Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche were tutors to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They taught His Holiness everything from basic teachings to advanced levels. Kyabje Phabongka passed all of his lineages to Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang. He often said this in discourses. The purpose of this detailed exposition is to affirm the power of the lineage. If we lose faith in the lineage, we are lost.
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is seated with his student, Geshe Rabten (standing by his right shoulder) along with the other students of Geshe Rabten in Switzerland. Most if not all the great teachers and Geshes in the West were students of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. Click on image to enlarge
is Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in Phari District of Tibet in Richung Podok Monastery. Click on image to enlarge
Achievements
He had impeccable knowledge of all rituals, art and science. Following the completion of his studies he was appointed the abbot of Ganden Shartse in 1937 by the regent Reting Rinpoche Tubten Jampel Yeshe Gyeltsen (1911-1947), and continued in this position for almost ten years. During his tenure as abbot, he brought about new heights of scholarship and monastic discipline among the monks, as well as raising living standards for the poorest of them. As it is described in his biography:
The influence of Zong Rinpoche’s term as Abbot is still felt today. As well as reaching new heights of scholarship, Ganden Shartse became an outstanding example of monastic discipline, something that Zong Rinpoche held to be of vital importance. He also inspired a strong interest in Tantra, Chod, and monastic ritual, and significantly improved the monastery’s administrative structure. Having personally experienced the difficulties faced by its poorer members, Zong Rinpoche introduced reforms that went a long way toward improving their situation.
Zong Rinpoche resigned from his seat in 1946 and went on a long pilgrimage to Tsari, southeastern Tibet. During his travels in the 1940s and 1950s, he is attributed with a number of miraculous events such as subduing local deities and spirits through wrathful rituals, curing physical ailments and the ability to control the weather. He became renowned for healing activities and ‘many actions of powerful magic,’ as a result of which ‘the most marvelous, indescribable signs occurred.’
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His name spread all over the country of being a powerful Tantrika and he gave many empowerments and teachings on those subjects with a special emphasis on the Tantras of Heruka, Hayagriva, Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja, Vajrayogini, Green Tara, Mahakali, White Tara, Vaishravani and others.
His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was the Guru of many great masters. Here he is seated with his eminent and highly realized students. From left to right. Kyabje Kensur Lati Rinpoche, Sokpa Kensur Rinpoche, (His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche), Kari Kensur Rinpoche, Gyuto Kensur Rinpoche and His Eminence Sharpa Choeje Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Nyima. All these highly erudite masters of Sutra and Tantra are from Gaden Shartse Monastery.
Leaving Tibet and life in India
In 1959, after repeated appeals from his disciples and students all over the country who were concerned for his safety, Zong Rinpoche left Tibet and sought asylum in India. In the remote settlement of Buxa in the Indian state of Assam on the Bhutanese border, he joined the surviving members of Ganden, Drepung, and Sera monasteries, as well as monks from other Tibetan monasteries. Zong Rinpoche gave a great number of teachings, and “in doing so, rekindled the flame of Buddha’s doctrine in exile. For the refugee monks, Rinpoche’s inspired commentaries on Buddhadharma offered a revitalizing hope and relief from complete despair.”
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In 1965, Zong Rinpoche became the director of the newly formed Tibetan Schools Teachers Training Program in Mussoorie (north-west India), overseeing 58 scholars from all the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. This educational nucleus proved crucial to the success of the fledgling Tibetan refugee settlements and had far-reaching benefits for all the Tibetan schools that were subsequently established. In 1967, he was appointed as the first principal of the new Central Institute of Tibetan Higher Studies at Sarnath, Varanasi, India. In 1971 Zong Rinpoche moved to Ganden Shartse in the newly established Tibetan settlement in Mundgod, Karnataka and retired from his position in Varanasi. Although he spent his later years engaging in practice he also continued to teach.
After retiring from public life in 1971, Zong Rinpoche spent his time in deep spiritual practices. During these quiet years, he would occasionally give teachings on practical aspects of Vajrayana.
Teachings in the West
In response to requests by Western students, he travelled three times outside India, where he taught on the full range of Buddhist thought and practice and gave many personal interviews. Zong Rinpoche had many devoted Western disciples. One of them described him: “He was one of the last teachers of the old generation with the aura of authority and a kind of aristocratic touch or vajra pride. In his teachings he followed very strictly the original texts. But, concerning his age, he was very open and patient to us Westerners, always kind, polite and helpful to answer our many questions concerning detailed tantra explanations.”
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He visited Manjushri Institute in the UK on several occasions where he gave many teachings and empowerments into the practice of Heruka and Vajrayogini. He also highly praised the disciples of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, founder of the New Kadampa Tradition.
During his travels he gave teachings on both sutra and tantra, including teachings on the Chod (gcod) of the Ganden Ear-Whispered Lineage, a practice he is well-known for, as well as the life-entrustment of his Dharma Protector. Zong Rinpoche also taught numerous western students in India and participated in giving teachings and empowerments during the FPMT’s First Dharma Celebration in Dharamsala in 1981, along with other high-ranking Geluk teachers such at the Dalai Lama, Ling Rinpoche Tubten Lungtok Tendzin Trinle (1903-1983), Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche Ngawang Lobzang Tubten Tobjor (1914-1983) as well as Lama Tubten Zopa (b.1946) and Lama Yeshe.
It was also in 1981 that Zong Rinpoche ’s root guru, Trijang Rinpoche, passed away in Mundgod. It was from Trijang Rinpoche that Zong Rinpoche had received numerous important lineages such as those of Cittamaṇi Tārā, Vajrayoginī Naro Kechari, and Heruka Cakrasaṃvara. Zong Rinpoche passed these lineages to his own students, many of whom were also Trijang Rinpoche’s students.
During the teaching in Los Angeles, Rinpoche also talked about a meeting he had with his guru Trijang Rinpoche at the same time.
‘At that time His Holiness Trijang Dorje Chang had a bad illness. I asked Trijang Rinpoche not to pass away before I did. He promised. My hope was that he would live until 83 years of age.
Before I left Dharamsala, he told me, “We are friends. You are my senior student, my friend, and I am your teacher as well. You are my hope, I trust you.”
He showed me the wrinkles on his face. “And look at my hands,” he said. “So skinny, all wrinkles. Come close and touch my forehead with yours.”
We touched each other on our foreheads, and I couldn’t say anything.
When I came to the West, I kept writing letters to him. I wrote and said, “I want to see you.” He said, “There is no reason to meet each other because there is no goodbye between us. So relax.”
Finally, he lived for 81 years. Shakyamuni Buddha also lived for 81 years. He told me that I should live as long as he lived, so I hope to live at least 81 years.
The blessing of the Lama is very special. If I live for 81 years it is the blessing of my Lama. If I don’t, I have no regrets.’
Miraculous Stories of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche
After Zong Rinpoche completed his tenure as the abbot of Gaden Shartse monastery in Tibet, he went to Tsari for pilgrimage. When he arrived at the lake, many people witnessed a huge wave coming from the calm lake. The wave bore globules that were thrown onto his lap. The globules are used as ingredients he needs for certain pujas. This was seen as an offering from the Naga being in the lake. This is because the Naga perceived a highly attained being, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, coming to visit the lake. The Naga made an offering.
When he was on pilgrimage in Tsari and in other parts of Tibet, certain women would take trance of dakinis and these dakinis would say, “I’m going over to so and so place where Zong Lama is as he’s doing tsok, and I want to partake in the tsok.”
Therefore, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche attracted a lot of real dakinis to come to his presence. Dakinis are spiritual beings who would flock to great masters and bless practitioners. Wherever Kyabje Zong Rinpoche travelled on pilgrimage, he would always recite 8-line praises to Heruka and Vajrayogini. He would recite these constantly and all the time to bless people. This was his main practice.
There is a tree in Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s home because he took incarnation within the same family line a few times. Whenever the incarnation of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is alive and well, the tree will produce a lot of fruits. In between incarnations, the tree would not bear any fruit no matter what season it is. It would only flower when the incarnation of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was present.
While in exile in India, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche travelled to Bylakuppe with his assistant, Gen Tsoncha. That area in Bylakuppe didn’t have rain for a long time and the crops were dying and things were difficult for the people there. People invited Kyabje Zong Rinpoche there to do a naga puja for rain. When Kyabje Zong Rinpoche performed the naga puja, everyone saw a large long thick white cobra (pure white) appear in front of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, elevate its head to the same level as Zong Rinpoche and look at him.
Gen Tsoncha got worried and started to move towards Zong Rinpoche. However, Zong Rinpoche gestured to the monks to keep doing their mantras. All the monks stood still and kept quiet. After the snake looked at Zong Rinpoche at eye level for a few minutes, it went down and slithered away. That very night, it rained and rained after many months of no rain. The local Indians and Tibetans were very happy. Everyone was very happy because it started to rain and their crops would be fine. The local Indian and Tibetan people remarked that when Zong Lama comes, he brings rain. The white Naga appearing to Zong Rinpoche during puja was a indication Zong Rinpoche’s puja to benefit others to bring rain was effective.
So, it was concluded that during the puja, the nagas were very happy with Zong Rinpoche’s presence. The Naga King appeared as a white albino cobra and showed Zong Rinpoche that he will do as Zong Rinpoche says. Zong Rinpoche knew this and calmed the monks down because they were scared that the cobra would bite. All the monks and many other people witnessed this. This was not a story narrated by just one person and Gen Tsoncha went to Byllakuppe, narrated the story directly to all of us.
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was a very direct, open and quick lama. He manifested a lot of wrath when necessary. When things are right, he would be very happy and he would immediately acknowledge. When things are wrong, he was not the type to keep quiet about it. He was very verbal about it. Many were quite frightened of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.
In Bylakuppe, there were people who disliked Zong Rinpoche and were jealous of his fame. During one afternoon, when Zong Rinpoche was taking a nap in Bylakuppe in between teachings, he saw a vision of 4-faced Mahakala’s (his protector) face come to him suddenly. Zong Rinpoche was startled and he woke up. He saw someone holding a dagger trying to stab him. Zong Rinpoche held the hand and the attacker dropped the knife, pulled his hand out and ran away. So, even during such times when people tried to harm Zong Rinpoche, his Dharma Protector would appear to him directly and very clearly and precisely.
Another time, while Zong Rinpoche was staying in his personal house in Gaden, while he was doing puja, a lady came to the yard with her relatives. She was screaming, pounding, jumping, pulling her hair out and making a lot of noise. It was because of the noise that Zong Rinpoche came out of his prayer room, asked for a chair and looked at the lady. The monks were quite worried because she looked like she was not well. But Zong Rinpoche signaled them to keep quiet.
After a few minutes of reciting some mantras, Zong Rinpoche shouted at that lady very loudly, “Who are you? What do you want? Get out! Get out!!” When he said get out, immediately the lady collapsed. The spirit that was possessing the woman and making her unhappy immediately left. It was reported later that the spirit never entered the lady again after Zong Rinpoche shouted at that spirit, “Leave! Get out!”
So, Zong Rinpoche didn’t have to do long complicated procedures, prayers and pujas. He only had to order the negative spirit to leave. Immediately the spirit would leave on his command. At times, Zong Rinpoche would sit in his house and due to people who were jealous, there were always people who tried to send black magic to Zong Rinpoche. People would see lights coming from the night sky into his house through the roof and hitting the prayer room and throne room. It never affected Zong Rinpoche ever and he would always recover strongly from it. This was reported by all the old monks. These are just some of the wonderful stories the old monks shared with us.
His disciples
His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche had many disciples in Tibet, India and the West. He was the teacher and root Guru of H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, as well as a teacher of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, current Spiritual Director of the FPMT, Lama Yeshe, the founder of FPMT, Samdhong Rinpoche, Kyabje Zemey Rinpoche, Lati Rinpoche, 100th, 101st and 102nd Gaden Tripa, Rilbu Rinpoche, Kensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche many other tulkus. He was also one of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s teachers. When Lama Yeshe died in 1984 he performed the cremation ceremony (together with Lama Zopa) at Vajrapani Institute in California.
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Greta Jensen, a close student of Zong Rinpoche (he used to call her ‘ama lolo‘ – ‘fat mother’!), recalls her first meeting with him. Previously she had had many inexplicable visions of ‘this old man with a beard.’ Upon discovering who he was, she eventually met him in Los Angeles on a visit with her family to America.
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‘I cried,’ Greta said. ‘He sat there looking nonchalantly away as he does, and said to me, “Don’t think that I am anything special. Think that it is by the power of your own karma that you have the good fortune to meet the dharma. If you like you can come and listen to my teachings and if you feel it is useful I’ll give you more.”
Corin, Greta’s fourteen year old son who has spent periods of months living with Rinpoche at his monastery, says that ‘Rinpoche knew practically everything. He was really kind and always smiling, and always made me feel happy and warm.
‘I had a special seat next to Rinpoche, on his left, and I used to eat my meals with him and go to puja with him.’
Max Comfort, Greta’s husband, said that Zong Rinpoche ‘had tremendous presence and always commanded respect. In the West he was always fascinated with procedure, how things were made and how they worked. And he was so incredibly skilful with his hands, he knew how to do things.’
On a visit to the Tower of London, Max remembers, ‘he captivated a crowd of tourists with his detailed and accurate explanation of the workings of an ancient blunderbuss!’
His Passing
In 1983, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche made his third trip to the West and embarked on a teaching tour that took him to England, Canada, the U.S., Switzerland, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Austria. In June 1984, at age 80, he returned to his home at Ganden Monastery, by then reestablished in Mundgod in southern India. The following month, he gave instructions on the Hayagriva Tantra, followed by the Chittamani Tara initiation, and a long life empowerment for all the Tibetans in Mundgod’s refugee community. Shortly after the last of these teachings, he arranged an elaborate offering ceremony for the Dharma Protector. After a few days of rituals, the students at Zong Labrang, his residential compound, reported that he had fallen ill with a high fever. Although his doctors gave him the best medical care, his condition did not improve.
All the students at his residence and monastery offered numerous long life prayers. His Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden (Dorje Shugden took trance of the Gaden oracle to speak) in particular requested him in the name of the Buddha’s doctrine and all sentient beings to regain his health and live for many more years, or at least until the reincarnation of Trijang Rinpoche was legitimately determined. Delegates from Drepung and Sera monasteries, including representatives of the two Tantric colleges, Gyuto and Gyume, and all of the incarnate Lamas of the great Buddhist institutions, came to offer long life prayers. Four months later, at the beginning of November 1984, he declared, “I do not have any of my former illness.” Once again, in apparently good health, he resumed his daily routine and presided over the ceremony to determine the new incarnation of Trijang Rinpoche.
During his teachings at Thubten Dhargyey Ling in Los Angeles in December 1983, he recalled a meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama the same year, seventeen years ago, that he had been requested by him to become principal in Varanasi.
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We received news that it was a difficult year for His Holiness. I was appointed to represent the monks of the three monasteries and the four schools, to go to Dharamsala to request His Holiness to live long.
When I arrived in Dharamsala, it was New Year. “I won’t die,” His Holiness Dalai Lama said to me. “I am glad you came by.” He took my beard and shook it and said to me, “just sit here and relax.”
When he said to me, “I won’t die,” I was so happy I cried in front of him.
He said he was pleased I had accepted the position at Varanasi. “I have no choice,’ I said. His Holiness said I was the right person for the job, but I know my own position; I have a correct estimation of myself. I had bad pains in my knees and breathing problems. I said that maybe I wouldn’t be able to fulfil the demands of my job. I related my history to His Holiness and said I was already over mature age.
He said, “Age doesn’t matter because you can make yourself younger.” I didn’t know how to do this but since he said it I couldn’t ask!
‘But really, I have reduced my age and got younger. At Buxa I had a walking stick, but since that audience I have not had any problems with my knees or my breathing. It really worked that I got younger.’
Zong Rinpoche engaged in the self-empowerment rituals of Heruka Chakrasamvara, Vajrayogini, and Chittamani Tara over long periods of time, and his assistants observed him in “unusual states of absorption”. Zong Rinpoche normally awoke at three o’clock in the morning and finished his daily meditation before dawn. Shortly after 9am on November 15, Buddha’s Descent from Heaven Day, his assistant called a medical doctor from the Dueguling Tibetan Resettlement Hospital. Zong Rinpoche walked from his bedroom into his sitting room, saying that he would like to sit in an upright posture. When the students entered the room a few minutes later, Zong Rinpoche, still seated, had died. His students reported how his body remained as if in a deep sleep, without losing luster or color.
Ceremonies such as gaṅacakra, and the self-entry initiations of Cittamaṇi Tārā, Vajrayoginī and Vajrabhairava were performed, along with other rituals. Following the cremation of his body after the end of his tukdam death-period meditation, a number of relics were found, some of which were enshrined in a stupa, completed in 1986, which stands today at Ganden Monastery in Lama Camp No.1 in Mundgod. It stands five feet high, is covered with precious stones and metals, and is filled with relics and holy objects.
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Sources:
- www.tsemrinpoche.com
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zong_Rinpoche
- http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Zong-Lobzang-Tsondru-Tubten-Gyeltsen/P6037
- http://www.iol.ie/~taeger/bio/zong.htm
- http://fpmt.org/teachers/lineage-lamas/hhzong/
Below are Youtube links for Zong Rinpoche’s teachings:
- Death, Rebirth and Intermediate
- Developing Compassion
- Emptiness and Advice
- General Teaching at TDL, Los Angeles, California
- General Teaching in Hotchkiss, Colorado
- Heart Sutra (Short Commentary)
- Three Principle Paths
- Commentary of The Hundreds Deities of the Land of Joy (Part 1 of 3, Requires Initiation)
- Commentary of The Hundreds Deities of the Land of Joy (Part 2 of 3, Requires Initiation)
- Commentary of The Hundreds Deities of the Land of Joy (Part 3 of 3, Requires Initiation)
- Lama Chopa Commentary (Part 1 of 5, Requires Initiation)
- Lama Chopa Commentary (Part 2 of 5, Requires Initiation)
- Lama Chopa Commentary (Part 3 of 5, Requires Initiation)
- Lama Chopa Commentary (Part 4 of 5, Requires Initiation)
- Lama Chopa Commentary (Part 5 of 5, Requires Initiation)
- Guhyasamaja (Askhobya) The Preparatory Ceremony (Requires Initiation)
- 13-Deity Yamantaka Sadhana Commentary (Part 1 of 3, Requires Initiation)
- 13-Deity Yamantaka Sadhana Commentary (Part 2 of 3, Requires Initiation)
- 13-Deity Yamantaka Sadhana Commentary (Part 3 of 3, Requires Initiation)
- Cittamani Tara (Part 1 of 4, Requires Initiation)
- Cittamani Tara (Part 2 of 4, Requires Initiation)
- Cittamani Tara (Part 3 of 4, Requires Initiation)
- Cittamani Tara (Part 4 of 4, Requires Initiation)
- Chod Initiation (Requires Initiation)
- Chod Practice (Requires Initiation)
- Chod Commentary (Requires Initiation)
- Chanting Chod Tsog and Story of Pilgrimage in Tibet (Requires Initiation)
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[ Compiled from various sources by Pastor Niral, Pastor David and Pastor Jean Ai. Pastor Seng Piow did the arrangements. ]
I was 18 years old when this was taken back in 1983 in Los Angeles, California. Here I am in this photo with my most precious root guru, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. He has profoundly changed my life for the better forever. Not a day goes by I don’t think about him, love him, miss him and yearn for his presence and teachings.
I meditate on him in my heart every single day. He was everything that a high Tibetan lama is said to be and more. From the moment I heard his name before meeting him from a friend who had met him already, faith instantly arose in me. Instantly faith arose in me. I did 100 prostrations to his picture everyday until I met him. I wanted to make a spiritual karmic connection with him so that when I met him, I can receive many teachings and that is why I made the prostrations.
No other spiritual teacher although all of them were great has this sort of meteoric impact on me. It’s unexplainable. 30 plus years down the line, my faith, respect and trust in Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is unshakable. I will always follow and practice what he has taught me and given me. I will never abandon my teacher or any practice he has given me no matter what obstacles come my way.
No matter if my life is threatened, or I am disliked or segregated for following his instructions, I will never abandon any of his teachings. No other teacher will ever have me change my practice I have received from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. May I meet Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in all my future lives too and come under his care. I forever bow to him and place the crown of my unworthy head to his feet. I will follow, meditate, trust and believe in my guru always.
Humbly,
Tsem Rinpoche
这是我与我的至宝根本上师，至尊嘉杰宋仁波切于1983年在加利福尼亚洛杉矶拍下的合照。当年我18岁。他深刻地改变了我的生命，永恒地使我的生命变得更美好。没有那么一天，我不想起他，不珍爱他，不思念他，或是不切盼他的出现与教诲。
每一天，我都在心中忆念嘉杰宋仁波切。他拥有人们眼中一个西藏高僧该具备的一切条件，甚至拥有更多。我从一个曾拜见嘉杰宋仁波切的朋友口中听见宋仁波切的殊胜名字，自那一刻起，我虽未见过仁波切一面，但信心即刻油然而生。在见到仁波切之前的每一天，我都向着他的法照顶礼一百遍，我想跟他结下法缘，那么等到见到他的时候，我能接受到大量的教诲。这是我每日顶礼的原因。
其他所有上师固然殊胜，但没有一个像嘉杰宋仁波切那样对我造成犹如陨星撞击般的影响。这种感受无从解释。我对嘉杰宋仁波切的信心、敬重和信任，三十余载从未动摇。他教过我的，给过我的，我都会一直跟从并且实修。
我永远不会背弃我的上师，或是背弃他赐予我的任何修行，不管我眼前出现什么阻难。即使我因为遵从他的指示而面对生命威胁，或遭受厌弃或排挤，我仍然不会背弃他的任何一个教诲。没有任何一位上师能够动摇嘉杰宋仁波切赐予我的修行。祈愿我生生世世都能遇见嘉杰宋仁波切并得到他的引导。我永世顶礼于嘉杰宋仁波切足下。我将永远遵从上师的教诲，忆念他，信任他，相信他。
谦卑的詹杜固仁波切
སྤྱི་ལོ་༡༩༨༣ ལོར་ལོས་ཨེན་ཇེ་ལེ་ས་ཀལ་ལི་ཕོ་ནི་ཡ་(Los Angeles, California.) ནང་ང་ལོ་ ༡༨ ཡིན་པའི་སྐབས་ཀྱི་འདྲ་པར་རེད། འདྲ་པར་འདི་ནང་ང་དང་བདག་གི་རྩ་བའི་བླ་མ་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང་ལྷན་དུ་ཡོད། སྐུ་ཉིད་ཀྱི་གཏིང་ཚུགས་པའི་སྒོ་ནས་བདག་གི་མི་ཚེ་གཏན་དུ་བསྒྱུར་བར་འཕྲིན་ལས་བརྩོལ་ཡོད་པས། བདག་གིས་སོ་སོའི་རྩ་བའི་བླ་མར་དགའ་བ་མ་སྒོམ་པ་དང་། མི་དྲན་པ། ཁོང་གི་སྐོར་མ་བསམ་པ། ཁོང་གི་མདུན་ནས་སློབ་ཁྲིད་སོགས་ཞུ་འདོད་མེད་པ་ཉིན་གཅིག་ཀྱང་མེད།
ཉིན་ལྟར་བདག་གིས་ཁོང་ཡིད་ལ་སྒོམ་གྱི་ཡོད། ཁོང་ནི་བོད་པའི་བླ་མ་མཁས་པ་ཞིག་ལ་ཚང་དགོས་པའི་ཡོན་ཏན་བླ་ན་མེད་པ་དང་ལྡན། བདག་གིས་ཁོང་མ་མཇལ་གོང་དུ་བདག་གི་གྲོགས་པོས་ཁོང་མཇལ་ཡོད་པས་ངའི་གྲོགས་པོའི་རྒྱུད་ནས་ཁོང་གི་མཚན་ཐོས་པ་ད་སྐབས་བདག་གི་སེམས་ནང་ལམ་སང་དད་པ་སྐྱེས། ཁོང་མ་མཇལ་བར་བདག་གིས་ཁོང་གི་སྐུ་པར་ལ་ཉིན་ལྟར་ཕྱག་ཚར་༡༠༠ འཚལ་གྱི་ཡོད། གང་ཡིན་ཟེར་ན། ཁོང་དང་ཆོས་ཀྱི་འབྲེལ་བ་ཡོང་བ་དང་ཁོང་མཇལ་ནས་ཆོས་མང་པོ་ཞུས་ཐུབ་པའི་ཕྱིར་ངས་ཕྱག་འཚལ་དགོས་དོན་དེ་འདྲ་ཡིན།
བདག་གི་དགེ་བའི་བཤེས་གཉེན་རྣམས་ཁྱད་པར་དུ་འཕགས་པ་ཡིན་ཡང་བདག་ལ་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང་ནི་ཤིན་ཏུ་བཀའ་དྲིན་ཆེ། འདི་གསལ་བཤད་བྱེད་མི་ཐུབ། ལོ་ ༣༠ རྗེས་ལའང་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཆོག་ལ་ངས་དད་པ། རྩི་བཀུར། ཡིད་ཆེས་སོགས་གཡོ་བ་མེད་པ་རེད། ཁོང་གི་གནང་པའི་མཉམ་ལེན་དང་སྦྱོང་བརྡར་སོགས་བདག་གིས་དུས་རྟག་ཏུ་ཉམས་ལེན་བགྱིད། བདག་གི་ཆོས་ཉིད་ཀྱི་ལམ་དུ་བར་ཆད་ཆེ་ཆུང་གང་འདྲ་འཕྲད་ཀྱང་བདག་གི་དགེ་བའི་བཤེས་གཉེན་ཀྱིས་གནང་པའི་མཉམ་ལེན་དེ་དག་དུས་ནམ་ཡང་འདོར་གྱི་མིན།
བདག་གི་མི་ཚེར་ཉེན་ཚབས་བཟོ་ནའང་། བདག་ལ་མ་དགའ་བ་བྱེད་ནའང་། ཡང་ན་བདག་གི་བླ་མའི་བཀའ་སྒྲུབ་པའི་ཕྱིར་བདག་དང་འབྲེལ་ཐག་གཅོད་ནའང་ཁྱད་མེད་བཞིན་བདག་གིས་བླ་མའི་བཀའ་དུས་ནམ་ཡང་མི་འདོར། ༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྐུ་མདུན་ནས་ཐོབ་པའི་མཉམ་ལེན་དང་བདག་གི་དད་པ་དམ་ཚིག་བླ་མ་གཞན་སུའང་ཞིག་གིས་འགྱུར་མི་ཐུབ། བདག་གི་ཚེ་ཕྱི་མར་ཡང་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཇལ་བ་དང་ཁོང་སྐུ་མདུན་ནས་བྱམས་སྙིང་རྗེ་ཐོབ་པའི་རེ་སྨོན་ཡོད། ཁོང་གི་ཞབས་ཀྱི་པད་མོར་ཐུག་ཏེ་དུས་རྟག་ཏུ་གུས་ཕྱག་འཚལ། བདག་གིས་སོ་སོའི་བླ་མ་རྗེས་སུ་བཟུང་ཞིང་། ཡིད་ལ་སྒོམ་ཞིང་། རྒྱུན་དུ་དད་པ་དང་ཡིད་ཆེས་བགྱིད།
གུས་པས་ཚེམས་སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་ནས།།
Precious Footage of His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche
A master of sutra and tantra, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche performed countless holy deeds and gave thousands of Dharma teachings during his lifetime, some of which were filmed for the benefit of sentient beings in the future. Thanks to those recordings, we are able to present you with some very precious footage of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s activities. Be blessed as you listen to the holy voice of the Buddha that is Zong Rinpoche.
Admin
Disclaimer: This footage is presented for strictly educational, non-commercial purposes only. No profit is being made from the display of the footage.
Venerable Lama Yeshe’s Cremation
This video shows the integral role that His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche played in the funeral of his close student, Venerable Lama Yeshe. A highly accomplished tantric master and lifelong Dorje Shugden practitioner, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche led and advised Lama Yeshe’s students on the proper funerary and cremation rites befitting a practitioner of Lama Yeshe’s qualities and attainments.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/LamaYesheCremation.mp4
The Basis of the Spiritual Path
In this teaching translated by Venerable Geshe Namgyal Gangchen of Drepung Monastery, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gives a teaching on the nature of cyclic existence, the first of the Four Noble Truths as taught by Buddha Shakyamuni, as well as the six realms of suffering.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/BasisSpiritualPath.mp4
The Principles of the Spiritual Path (Part 1 of 2)
In this teaching translated by Venerable Geshe Namgyal Gangchen of Drepung Monastery, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gives a clear explanation on the Three Principal Aspects of the Path: renunciation, bodhicitta and the right view of emptiness.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/PrincipleSpiritualPath1.mp4
The Principles of the Spiritual Path (Part 2 of 2)
In this teaching translated by Venerable Geshe Namgyal Gangchen of Drepung Monastery, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gives a clear explanation on the Three Principal Aspects of the Path: renunciation, bodhicitta and the right view of emptiness.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/PrincipleSpiritualPath2.mp4
Melodies of the Ensa Ear-Whispered Chod Lineage
At the request of Venerable Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen in 1983 at Thubten Dhargye Ling in Los Angeles, USA, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche recited and taught the Ensa Ear-Whispered Chod practice from memory. These melodies are chanted according to prayers known as: Cutting through Self-grasping; Dedicating the Illusory Body as Ganachakra; and the Ganachakra Offering according to Chod practice. Zong Rinpoche chose to present the melodies of certain verses of these prayers and remarked that there may come a time when Chod melodies are taught according to this recording.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/ZongRinpocheRecitesChod.mp4
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If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Dear Rinpoche,
Few days ago I watched these videos and I think perhaps Rinpoche or others might be interested.
The title speaks for itself (of content of the videos) ‘ In search of Zong Rinpoche’. https://youtu.be/90Ofbe_wVxA?si=Q3ZlEE0j3Y_BslUW
I was searching for Rinpoche in these videos but luck is not in my side.
Hi, may I know why Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling (Singapore) whose lineage is related to HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche claim that Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling is a Tibetan Gelug Buddhist centre that adheres and abides by the teachings of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. They do not engage in the Shugden practice, and their centre never has and will not propagate any related teachings on it. Kindly advise if they are related to your centre. http://www.drophenling.com/about-us/free-from-dorje-shugden/
Namaste
I would personally extend my deepest gratitude to Tsem Rinpoche and his team for spreading the good work to promote Dorje Shugden practise for all sentient beings. I came across Dorje Shugden shop at Petaling Street last year. I qas going through some health issue but gradually now doing better and better.
Then had the opportunity to visit Kechara House in Aman Suria. Frequently i have been following Dorje Shugden practise, recite it’s mantra and do small dharma sharing whenever I can.
The most interesting thing is when i feel connected with HH Zong Rinpoche. First when i saw his image, something like strong bondage and closely connected with him which can’t be explained.
I hope more about Zong Rinpoche can be spread to benefit all the sentient beings. Whenever i chant DS mantra i can feel Zong Rinpoche image appearing.
My humble request maybe Tsem Rinpoche could promote more about Zong Rinpoche for all the sentient beings to benefit.
Maybe teaching to chant his Zong Rinpoche guru mantra and etc. It will be nice if he can have a dharma class or sharing on Zong Rinpoche.
Thank you.
Sarwa Mangalam
With Love for Dharma Sharing
Be loyal to your guru. Be close to your guru. Be honest with your guru. Never give your guru excuses but always accomplish your assignments that your guru has given you. Be loving, devoted and sincere with your guru. If you conduct yourself in this way, you will see positive transformations in your mind. ~ Tsem Rinpoche
Be blessed with these rare videos featuring explanation and advice about Dorje Shugden practice by His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in his own voice. The teaching was requested by Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the earliest masters who taught Tibetan Buddhism in the West.
Video 1: H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche Explains Dorje Shugden Initiation and Benefits (With English Subtitles)
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was an erudite scholar, ritual master and practitioner of the highest degree from Tibet. At the request of Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the pioneers who taught Tibetan Buddhism in America, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gives clear explanation and advice about the life-entrustment initiation of Dorje Shugden and how to go about the practice and get the maximum benefits in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzFMvlxAqtc&feature=youtu.be
Video 2: H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche speaks on the History and Lineage of Dorje Shugden (With English Subtitles)
In this video, an erudite scholar, ritual master and practitioner of the highest degree from Tibet, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche talks about the incarnation lineage of Dorje Shugden and how the practice arose, with examples of Dorje Shugden’s previous lives that reveal his powerful spiritual attainments and contributions. This very rare teaching was given at the request of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s student, Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, one of the pioneers who taught Buddhism in the West to many disciples since the 1970s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzKSJgK618&feature=youtu.be
For more information: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/kyabje-zong-rinpoches-advice-on-dorje-shugdens-practice.html
Beautiful picture of His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. It is amazing I was able to meet him and learn from him. It was such an amazing opportunity. Tsem Rinpoche
Beautiful a story of a Living Buddha. …..H.H. Zong Rinpoche . I do always enjoyed reading biography of any inspiring people or any thing of history . Reading and seeing images of such a great master H.H Kyabje Zong Rinpoche indeed truly blessed for all of us. Wow…there were so many miraculous stories of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche ……very interesting which I do enjoyed reading. The fruit tree will bear lot of fruits when the incarnation of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was present. And the story of real dakinis coming to his presence. We are fortunate to be H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s students and receiving teachings from Rinpoche from a unbroken pure lineage.
Thank you Rinpoche with folded hands for this sharing and the writers team.
H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche is very devoted to his root guru, H.H. Zong Rinpoche.
Do watch this short video of H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche ?
https://video.tsemtulku.com/chat-videos/chat-1508414004.mp4
Lama Yeshe was a very devoted student of His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. Lama Yeshe very much loved and respected Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and was the first lama to invite Kyabje Zong Rinpoche to the west. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche gave vast amount of empowerments, oral transmissions, teachings and sogtae of Dorje Shugden to many of Lama Yeshe’s senior students. Towards the end of Lama Yeshe’s fruitful life, he was in the hospital and physically shutting down. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was giving teachings in Switzerland and was requested to fly in which Kyabje Zong Rinpoche most graciously did. Here in this picture is Kyabje Zong Rinpoche doing special prayers for his student Lama Yeshe. Lama Yeshe was already partially paralyzed, but true to a meditation master, his mind was extremely clear and bright. You can see Lama Yeshe leaning towards Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in deep respect and devotion. Lama Yeshe practiced all the lineages, yidams, protectors such as Dorje Shugden given to him till the end of his life. He never gave up on any of his practices as he has great devotion to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and his other lamas. Lama Yeshe’s samaya with Kyabje Zong Rinpoche was so pure, intact and perfect till the end. A great inspiration.~Tsem Rinpoche
耶喜喇嘛是至尊嘉杰宋仁波切的忠诚弟子。耶喜喇嘛十分敬爱嘉杰宋仁波切，他是第一位把宋仁波切邀请到西方弘法的上师。嘉杰宋仁波切曾为耶喜喇嘛的许多资深弟子传授灌顶、口传、教诲和多杰雄登托命灌顶。在耶喜喇嘛即将走完丰富人生旅程之际，他躺在医院病床上，身体已经逐渐衰败。当时正在瑞士弘法的嘉杰宋仁波切被邀请前去探望他，宋仁波切欣然答应了。这张照片显示嘉杰宋仁波切正为弟子耶喜喇嘛进行特殊的法会。耶喜喇嘛那时已经处于半瘫痪状态，但作为一位禅修大师，他的心识却极度清醒。在这张照片中，可见耶喜喇嘛以无限的敬意和依止心，把身体倾向宋仁波切。耶喜喇嘛终其一生都修持上师所传授的传承、本尊、护法修持如多杰雄登法门等。他从不放弃任何上师所传授的教法，因为他对嘉杰宋仁波切和其他上师均拥有极大的依止心。耶喜喇嘛由始至终都对嘉杰宋仁波切保持清净、完整和完美的三昧耶。这真是一个启发人心的典范。～詹杜固仁波切
I was 18 years old when this was taken back in 1983 in Los Angeles, California. Here I am in this photo with my most precious root guru, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. He has profoundly changed my life for the better forever. Not a day goes by I don’t think about him, love him, miss him and yearn for his presence and teachings. I meditate on him in my heart every single day.
He was everything that a high Tibetan lama is said to be and more. From the moment I heard his name before meeting him from a friend who had met him already, faith instantly arose in me. Instantly faith arose in me. I did 100 prostrations to his picture everyday until I met him. I wanted to make a spiritual karmic connection with him so that when I met him, I can receive many teachings and that is why I made the prostrations. No other spiritual teacher although all of them were great has this sort of meteoric impact on me. It’s unexplainable.
30 plus years down the line, my faith, respect and trust in Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is unshakable. I will always follow and practice what he has taught me and given me. I will never abandon my teacher or any practice he has given me no matter what obstacles come my way. No matter if my life is threatened, or I am disliked or segregated for following his instructions, I will never abandon any of his teachings. No other teacher will ever have me change my practice I have received from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.
May I meet Kyabje Zong Rinpoche in all my future lives too and come under his care. I forever bow to him and place the crown of my unworthy head to his feet. I will follow, meditate, trust and believe in my guru always.
Humbly,
Tsem Rinpoche
这是我与我的至宝根本上师，至尊嘉杰宋仁波切于1983年在加利福尼亚洛杉矶拍下的合照。当年我18岁。他深刻地改变了我的生命，永恒地使我的生命变得更美好。没有那么一天，我不想起他，不珍爱他，不思念他，或是不切盼他的出现与教诲。每一天，我都在心中忆念嘉杰宋仁波切。他拥有人们眼中一个西藏高僧该具备的一切条件，甚至拥有更多。我从一个曾拜见嘉杰宋仁波切的朋友口中听见宋仁波切的殊胜名字，自那一刻起，我虽未见过仁波切一面，但信心即刻油然而生。在见到仁波切之前的每一天，我都向着他的法照顶礼一百遍，我想跟他结下法缘，那么等到见到他的时候，我能接受到大量的教诲。这是我每日顶礼的原因。其他所有上师固然殊胜，但没有一个像嘉杰宋仁波切那样对我造成犹如陨星撞击般的影响。这种感受无从解释。我对嘉杰宋仁波切的信心、敬重和信任，三十余载从未动摇。他教过我的，给过我的，我都会一直跟从并且实修。我永远不会背弃我的上师，或是背弃他赐予我的任何修行，不管我眼前出现什么阻难。即使我因为遵从他的指示而面对生命威胁，或遭受厌弃或排挤，我仍然不会背弃他的任何一个教诲。没有任何一位上师能够动摇嘉杰宋仁波切赐予我的修行。祈愿我生生世世都能遇见嘉杰宋仁波切并得到他的引导。我永世顶礼于嘉杰宋仁波切足下。我将永远遵从上师的教诲，忆念他，信任他，相信他。
谦卑的詹杜固仁波切
སྤྱི་ལོ་༡༩༨༣ ལོར་ལོས་ཨེན་ཇེ་ལེ་ས་ཀལ་ལི་ཕོ་ནི་ཡ་(Los Angeles, California.) ནང་ང་ལོ་ ༡༨ ཡིན་པའི་སྐབས་ཀྱི་འདྲ་པར་རེད། འདྲ་པར་འདི་ནང་ང་དང་བདག་གི་རྩ་བའི་བླ་མ་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང་ལྷན་དུ་ཡོད། སྐུ་ཉིད་ཀྱི་གཏིང་ཚུགས་པའི་སྒོ་ནས་བདག་གི་མི་ཚེ་གཏན་དུ་བསྒྱུར་བར་འཕྲིན་ལས་བརྩོལ་ཡོད་པས། བདག་གིས་སོ་སོའི་རྩ་བའི་བླ་མར་དགའ་བ་མ་སྒོམ་པ་དང་། མི་དྲན་པ། ཁོང་གི་སྐོར་མ་བསམ་པ། ཁོང་གི་མདུན་ནས་སློབ་ཁྲིད་སོགས་ཞུ་འདོད་མེད་པ་ཉིན་གཅིག་ཀྱང་མེད།
ཉིན་ལྟར་བདག་གིས་ཁོང་ཡིད་ལ་སྒོམ་གྱི་ཡོད། ཁོང་ནི་བོད་པའི་བླ་མ་མཁས་པ་ཞིག་ལ་ཚང་དགོས་པའི་ཡོན་ཏན་བླ་ན་མེད་པ་དང་ལྡན། བདག་གིས་ཁོང་མ་མཇལ་གོང་དུ་བདག་གི་གྲོགས་པོས་ཁོང་མཇལ་ཡོད་པས་ངའི་གྲོགས་པོའི་རྒྱུད་ནས་ཁོང་གི་མཚན་ཐོས་པ་ད་སྐབས་བདག་གི་སེམས་ནང་ལམ་སང་དད་པ་སྐྱེས། ཁོང་མ་མཇལ་བར་བདག་གིས་ཁོང་གི་སྐུ་པར་ལ་ཉིན་ལྟར་ཕྱག་ཚར་༡༠༠ འཚལ་གྱི་ཡོད། གང་ཡིན་ཟེར་ན། ཁོང་དང་ཆོས་ཀྱི་འབྲེལ་བ་ཡོང་བ་དང་ཁོང་མཇལ་ནས་ཆོས་མང་པོ་ཞུས་ཐུབ་པའི་ཕྱིར་ངས་ཕྱག་འཚལ་དགོས་དོན་དེ་འདྲ་ཡིན།
བདག་གི་དགེ་བའི་བཤེས་གཉེན་རྣམས་ཁྱད་པར་དུ་འཕགས་པ་ཡིན་ཡང་བདག་ལ་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང་ནི་ཤིན་ཏུ་བཀའ་དྲིན་ཆེ། འདི་གསལ་བཤད་བྱེད་མི་ཐུབ། ལོ་ ༣༠ རྗེས་ལའང་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཆོག་ལ་ངས་དད་པ། རྩི་བཀུར། ཡིད་ཆེས་སོགས་གཡོ་བ་མེད་པ་རེད། ཁོང་གི་གནང་པའི་མཉམ་ལེན་དང་སྦྱོང་བརྡར་སོགས་བདག་གིས་དུས་རྟག་ཏུ་ཉམས་ལེན་བགྱིད། བདག་གི་ཆོས་ཉིད་ཀྱི་ལམ་དུ་བར་ཆད་ཆེ་ཆུང་གང་འདྲ་འཕྲད་ཀྱང་བདག་གི་དགེ་བའི་བཤེས་གཉེན་ཀྱིས་གནང་པའི་མཉམ་ལེན་དེ་དག་དུས་ནམ་ཡང་འདོར་གྱི་མིན།
བདག་གི་མི་ཚེར་ཉེན་ཚབས་བཟོ་ནའང་། བདག་ལ་མ་དགའ་བ་བྱེད་ནའང་། ཡང་ན་བདག་གི་བླ་མའི་བཀའ་སྒྲུབ་པའི་ཕྱིར་བདག་དང་འབྲེལ་ཐག་གཅོད་ནའང་ཁྱད་མེད་བཞིན་བདག་གིས་བླ་མའི་བཀའ་དུས་ནམ་ཡང་མི་འདོར། ༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་སྐུ་མདུན་ནས་ཐོབ་པའི་མཉམ་ལེན་དང་བདག་གི་དད་པ་དམ་ཚིག་བླ་མ་གཞན་སུའང་ཞིག་གིས་འགྱུར་མི་ཐུབ། བདག་གི་ཚེ་ཕྱི་མར་ཡང་༧སྐྱབས་རྗེ་ཟོང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་མཇལ་བ་དང་ཁོང་སྐུ་མདུན་ནས་བྱམས་སྙིང་རྗེ་ཐོབ་པའི་རེ་སྨོན་ཡོད། ཁོང་གི་ཞབས་ཀྱི་པད་མོར་ཐུག་ཏེ་དུས་རྟག་ཏུ་གུས་ཕྱག་འཚལ། བདག་གིས་སོ་སོའི་བླ་མ་རྗེས་སུ་བཟུང་ཞིང་། ཡིད་ལ་སྒོམ་ཞིང་། རྒྱུན་དུ་དད་པ་དང་ཡིད་ཆེས་བགྱིད།
གུས་པས་ཚེམས་སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་ནས།།
Dear Rinpoche
Thank you for sharing this teaching and biography of HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.
There are so many great teachings and points here that makes this sharing invaluable. The most outstanding points for me were:
1) Exceptional and pure Guru devotion which leads one to higher attainments and only through this that one can gain the attainments to help others without agenda to gain ultimate peace.
2) Highest humility displayed that proves one can gain attainments even with sparse resources. Zong Rinpoche had very sparse ritual items and offering table and GE attained such a high level of practice,
I am deeply touched and awed by Zong Rinpoche’s life in benefitting others.
Humbly yours
Lum Kok Luen
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastors for spending the time and resources to trace back and compile the precious biography of H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche for us to learn and being blessed by our lineage master, H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche through His inspiration and motivation in serving His Guru, H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and teaching the Buddhadharma in various monasteries. We are truly fortunate and blessed to receive the Buddhadharma teachings from H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche through our Guru, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche as H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is our Rinpoche’s root Guru.
H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s contributions in preserving and spreading the Buddhadharma from His very young age until His older age are extraordinary through His consistent determination, hard work and full concentration in order to pass down the pure and authentic Buddhadharma to our current generation. The acceptance of H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche by many high lamas has proven that all the teachings given by H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche are accurate, authentic and 100% reliable, especially when we receive the Dorje Shugden’s practice from H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche through our Guru, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche.
Thank you Rinpoche for showing us the right way of holding our vows taken from our kind and precious Guru. May all the spiritual guides and lineage masters live long and stay with all sentient beings until samsara ends.
With folded hands,
kin hoe
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this post on the biography of the amazingly brilliant Zong Rinpoche, Rinpoche’s root Guru. I will just focus in my comment on 2 of the many scintillating aspects presented here of this most powerful master of both sutra and tantra.
1)Zong Rinpoche’s Guru Devotion for Trijang Rinpoche.
When Zong Rinpoche first went to Gaden Shartse to study the Buddhadharma of Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition, at age 11, he met the 14 year old Trijang Rinpoche who immediately took him under his wings. Trijang Rinpoche later became Zong Rinpoche’s chief mentor . Zong Rinpoche’s devotion to Trijang Rinpoche was such that he never harboured , even for an instant, any negative thought about Trijang Rinpoche. Trijang Rinpoche’s Guru was Pabongka Rinpoche who passed to him(his heart son)all of his lineages, teachings and practice.Zong Rinpoche deeply revered both Lamas and practiced and promoted their Gelugpa lineage his entire life. This powerful lineage was ever present in Zong Rinpoche’s mind and in Tsem Rinpoche’s mind too,when Zong Rinpoche became his root guru. The lineage was important.
The specially close relationship between both teacher and student , and the great faith and trust that Trijang Rinpoche had for Zong Rinpoche is described here in very vivid details.Trijang Rinpoche had told him that he (Zong Rinpoche) was his senior student and friend. “You are my hope, I trust you”.
Zong Rinpoche had asked Trijang Rinpoche to live on to 83 years. In the end Trijang Rinpoche lived to 81 years. Trijang Rinpoche told Zong Rinpoche that he should live as long as he did. Zong Rinpoche, true to his Guru Devotion, said that if he lived to be 81, it would be by the blessing of his Guru Trijang Rinpoche.If not he would have no regrets too. Theirs was such a close relationship that when Zong Rinpoche was in the West, and he wanted to see Trijang Rinpoche very badly,as he missed him, the latter responded that there was no need to see each other. ” There is no goodbye between us. So relax”. As it was with Zong Rinpoche towards Trijang Rinpoche, so too is his Guru Zong Rinpoche very much alive in Tsem Rinpoche’s mind and his heart up to today.
There was a most touching moment , when Trijang Rinpoche showed Zong Rinpoche his wrinkled hands and the wrinkles on his face. He urged Zong Rinpoche closer to touch his forehead “Come close and touch my forehead with yours.” So they touched each other’s forehead and Zong Rinpoche was bereft of words.
2)Zong Rinpoche’s early life in Gaden Shartse.
As he had no benefactor, Zong Rinpoche led a spartan existence. The details about how he led this life also touched and impacted me deeply. As he could not afford a study table, he made do with an empty tea box supported by bricks. He was completely focused on his studies, which he pursued with unfailing courage and diligence. He seemed uninterested in food or drink, surviving on a very simple diet. On top of living this humble lifestyle , he wore shabby robes, that were often loose and torn from the physical exertions on the debate ground. He thus looked “like any other boy from the remote province of Kham who had been fortunate enough to attend this prestigious monastic university”.
His makeshift table impressed upon me the fact that Zong Rinpoche(even at that early age)was not concerned with whether he had a proper conventional table or not. Anything that could function as a table would do.His table was just a box to serve as a tabletop and in place of the 4 legs, there were 4 brick supports. He devoted himself with selfless focus to his studies, caring neither for food nor drink. It never bothered him that he was shabbily dressed. All that mattered was his mind. He developed it to become famed as a sharp analyst and master of philosophical debate! So powerful and sharp did his debating skills become that when he debated the opening verse of Pramanavarttika, “the foremost dissertation on Buddhist logic by the famed seventh-century Indian logician Acharya Dharmakirti”, Zong Rinpoche’s brilliant performance led the famous Geshe “Amdo” Sherab Gyatso to remark: “There would not be a worthier debate on this subject even if Dharmakirti himself were here in person!”
I really like the miracles by Zong Rinpoche. These stories shows that Zong Rinpoche is an extraordinary being where his wrath can scare spirits out of the lady’s body. He can bring rain to places where it has not rained for months. Even mother nature knows the presence of Zong Rinpoche because the fruit tree at his home will only bloom and bear fruits when Zong Rinpoche is around.
The most miracle thing is that he can make himself younger and heal himself of his ailments. He no longer needs a walking stick and bad knees cured.
Thank you Rinpoche for this post. HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche does possess all the great qualities a reincarnated high lama. From the post, the sorts of miracles happened during Zong Rinpoche’s life is unbelievable and i think it is something out of this world. He displayed many great qualities throughout his life, and even got himself reputation of a healer and very good in chasing spirits away (without having to do any particular rituals). Zong Rinpoche is also have very close relations with High Lamas such as Trijang Rinpoche, HH Dalai Lama etc, taking turns to be tutors of each other. I have very high regard to HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.
谢谢仁波切的分享。 谢谢仁波切让我们知道更多关于至尊宋仁波切的生平。
了解我们的传承上师故事、生平及成就让我们对我们的传承更有信心， 修行上可以得到成就， 因为如果没有传承的加持的话我们的修行是不会得到成就。
我很庆幸我可以皈依上师詹杜固仁波切， 上师来自一个纯净的传承， 上师的根本上师更是20世纪的一位伟大的上师。 至尊宋仁波切的弟子不只是限于西藏和印度地区， 宋仁波切的弟子也遍布西方国家。 上师詹杜固仁波切也是在美国遇到宋仁波切， 也和宋仁波切相处了半年时间。
上师詹杜固仁波切也是当时答应了宋仁波切会到印度出家为僧。 也是因为这样身在马来西亚的我们会遇到上师詹杜固仁波切。 如果不是宋仁波切的话我们也不会有这个福分遇到上师。
谢谢
Tsem Rinpoche has said that studying and reading biographies of high lamas blesses our minds and mindstream. Lamas like Trijang Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche and Tsem Rinpoche dedicate their entire lives to holding and propagating the lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa and serve only to benefit others therefore their entire life biography is such a huge inspiration and further solidifies the faith that one has, not only for the lamas, but in the Buddhist doctrine as well.
Zong Rinpoche displayed many miracles throughout his life, and even healed himself, from manifesting frail and using a walking stick to standing and walking upright without needing the aid of a walking stick almost overnight. Because of his devotion that the incarnation of Trijang Rinpoche, his guru, is found and enthroned, Zong Rinpoche ensured that he saw it through.
Like Zong Rinpoche, Tsem Rinpoche also has very much devotion to his gurus, especially towards his root guru, Zong Rinpoche. Tsem Rinpoche always speaks with much respect and esteem for Zong RInpoche, like what is said in the 50 stanzas of Guru Devotion, referring to Zong Rinpoche’s titles everytime Rinpoche speaks of him, and folding his hands and placing it on Rinpoche’s forehead everytime when mentioning Zong Rinpoche’s name . In that, Rinpoche also instills tremendous faith and reverence in us for Zong Rinpoche.
Reading this article again only served to deepen my inspiration in my practice.
I simply love reading and hearing from my lama, Tsem Rinpoche about H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. All stories regarding this particular root guru of Rinpoche always moves me until today.
I remembered a couple of years ago when I was very fortunate to be able to assist Kensur Lobsang Phende Rinpoche (Ex abbot of Shar Gaden) for his medical check up in Bombay upon Rinpoche’s care and instruction, Kensur Rinpoche told me about Zong Rinpoche in Baxa (which is actually a prison area in India) when they first escaped from Tibet. At that time, due to the weather difference between Tibet & India and also malnutrition the monks were facing in the camp, a lot of the older monks actually passed away during that time. However Kensur Rinpoche remembers Kyabje Zong Rinpoche very well in the camp cause Kyabje Rinpoche taught passionately everyday to the monks in the camp so that the monks will have the will to live. Things were not very pleasant and yet Krabje Rinpoche tirelessly continue on his teaching to others, for others.
What touches me the most about Kyabje Rinpoche is the stories Tsem Rinpoche spoke about his care towards Rinpoche. It still moves me until today. And because of Kyabje Rinpoche, we have Rinpoche here with us today and that I will be grateful to.
Many Gelug high lamas are the students of Zong Rinpoche. These lamas also contribute a lot in spreading Dharma such as Lama Zopa, His Holiness Dalai Lama, Lama, Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, Tsem Rinpoche, etc. Without Zong Rinpoche, many teachings would not have been passed down and we would not have the opportunity to receive these teachings.
We have the very good fortune to meet Tsem Rinpoche, we must cherish it and learn from Rinpoche. Rinpoche’s teachings come from a very authentic and pure lineage.
尊贵的第廿五世詹杜固仁波切的根本上师，至尊宋仁波切，格鲁派一代伟大的传承上师，更曾是甘丹寺丹萨济住持，在任期内为僧人们提供奖学金和重新整理寺院纪律（成为寺院里纪律的代表），以及提高对大家的生活水平，更是激发起大家学习有关密续，荟供，仪轨及法器的运用，并且给予过无数高级密续的灌顶，当中包括如意摩尼宝已经金刚瑜伽母。
至尊宋仁波切可以说是弟子桃李满天下，无论东方西方都有着无数的弟子，这伟大上师的一生都为佛法毕恭毕敬，造福无数的人们，备受僧人与大家的尊重与拥戴，宋仁波切也是同样有修持多杰雄登护法法门，更是给予无数次的多杰雄登护法，我们都相信伟大的至尊宋仁波切是佛菩萨的乘愿再来，而且透过种种历史记载，我们都相信至尊宋仁波切是伟大的佛法上师，那么他选择了多杰雄登护法，并选择给予我们这个护法的修持，那么多杰雄登护法肯定的是能够帮助我们在佛法修行增长直至我们获得证悟，所以我们可以全心全意的去修持这多杰雄登护法法门，我们非常有幸的能够在这一个传承上，从宋仁波切传给詹杜固仁波切，在把佛法与护法传给我们。
谢谢
Jerry Sito
Dear Rinpoche
This is a very good article. Many of the stories are amazing. A story of a Living Buddha.
Some of the story in this article made me quite shock
1) H.H Zong Rinpoche live in poor stage during young time. Yet, he do not border on the stage of wealth, instead, he learned the dharma well.
2) People can be so jealous that they dare to send the black magic to H.H Zong Rinpoche who have manifest many miracle. They do it to harm him just because of jealousy. They do not see how much this high attain Lama have benefited the people.
3) H.H. Zong Rinpoche are very devoted to His Guru – H.H Trijang Rinpoche. Even when taking the photos, he will show respect.
4) His Holiness never tired of learning. When H.H is in the west, he would see how the machine work.
Thank you Rinpoche for the information on H.H Zong Rinpoche and also the team who compile the information.
With folded hand,
Freon
how lucky am I jampa although he does not visit often is one of my best friends how lucky is am I? I’m talking about the venerable jampa wangdu brother of the geshe in chenrezig institute in Eudlo and mate of sonan father of tenzin the roller of the dough can you ?
well and truly noted .look at the big tall young monk not yet ordained but committed to the future look . I’m an old man my job is preserving the mother so the mother will feed the endless sentient beings here on earth and this work is done in various and inexplicable ways
lam rim
Wow ,The elephant appearing is cool, maybe it was him ition or the dharma protector.
I dreamt about this guru and spent ages trying to find out about him, In my dream I was being rude and proud and he told me off a bit ,I said do you have compassion for me or am I annoying or some thing like that and he said I am more concerned about how your behaviour affects other people..
Thank you Rinpoche and the writers for this excellent biography. Is is always interesting to read biographies of erudite masters as such articles are filled with dharma teachings. And they act as role models for the masses to emulate and learn from.
Thank you for this biography! I feel so blessed being able to read about and see images of such a great master as H.H Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. Beautiful and strong are his image,very charismatic.
Reading about Zong Rinpoche’s namtar one learns so much about the conduct and kindness and actions of the great lama who benefits sentient beings. So much dharma and Lojong teachings through reading the conduct of Zong Rinpoche one can learn from the actions of Zong Dorje Chang. Inspiring information for future generation of Gelug teachers and practitioners to emulate especially devotion to one’s teacher. No one who is unkind or critical to their teachers have ever reach the peak of their ultimate potential. Which is an important lesson all great lamas leave us they teach us that we ned to loyal and devoted to our lamas who is the ultimate source of our buddha, dharma and sangha.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thanks Rinpoche and Pastors for all the intensive research and sharing of HH Zong Rinpoche’s biography. This article open my eyes to learn more about Guru Devotion of High Lamas especially our beloved root Guru, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche…
HH Zong Rinpoche’s biography let me have a deep contemplate about Tsem Rinpoche. Rinpoche follow 100% of HH Zong Rinpoche’s instructions without fail to benefit countless sentient beings.
Salute to Rinpoche unlimited kindness to bring unbroken authentic Tsongkhapa Lineage to beautiful Malaysia. We will keep up our practice to help Rinpoche spread the Holy Dharma to ten directions to repay Rinpoche kindness.
I sincerely wish that Rinpoche long life, stable health and remain with us (with folded hands from the bottom of my heart)…
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the biography of H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is such a elite master. A great Mahasidha like Him started His monastic life in a very young age so that not a single day wasted but to indulge himself only in Dharma, Sutra and Tatric practice. 1937, in the age of 32, H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche already the Abbot of Ganden Shartse Monastery. H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche is the pure lineage holder from H.H. Trijang Rinpoche, H.H. Pabongka Rinpoche, Lord Tsongkhapa and all the way up to the Buddha Shakyamuni. We are very blessed to be H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s students. Because of Rinpoche we are able to receive teachings from Rinpoche through this unbroken pure lineage.
“… I decided to let go of my attachments, silly samsaric expectations and selfish reasonings and suddenly your instructions became so much easier for me to follow through and carry out…”
Thank you Rinpoche for the teaching above… This is a simple yet very powerful words to encourage all of us who are fortunate enough to be near Rinpoche and Dharma in this life. Thank you Rinpoche.
Dear Rinpoche and Pastors,
Thank you for this really informative and inspiring post to educate us on where our lineage comes from as well as the erudite and attained masters who have upheld the lineage to pass it on to us fortunate ones who have the merits to stumble across the path of Dharma in today’s age and time.
Reading Zong Rinpoche’s biography, and knowing and experiencing Rinpoche’s life together with Rinpoche here with us invokes so much reverence within me, because this silly student of yours, Rinpoche, is amongst the fortunate ones who has the good fortune to be able to meet a higher path of purpose in what would otherwise just be ‘life’ due to the kindness of Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche, Pabongka Rinpoche and so forth. Rinpoche, like Zong Rinpoche, is a lineage holder, and like what Zong Rinpoche has done to elucidate the Dharma, Rinpoche is also doing the same here in Malaysia and beyond. There are so many parallels between Rinpoche’s and Zong Rinpoche’s life – because both lives are guided by the sole intention of spreading the Buddhadharma far and wide.
Thank you Rinpoche, for showing us what devotion is, thank you for bringing Zong Rinpoche to us. We did not meet Zong Rinpoche, but he is still very much alive within us, and it is like we personally know him because of Rinpoche’s devotion to Zong Rinpoche, and Rinpoche constantly remembering and sharing with us stories of Zong Rinpoche fondly.
Love,
Carmen
Thank you for Rinpoche and the team’s effort to prepare the biography of HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. I like the photos and details of descriptions which let me more understand who is Zong Rinpoche. It close our gap to him.How strong the Guru Samaya that holding by Zong Rinpoche which can be viewed from the photos. How fortunate we are able to meet Tsem Rinpoche and the true lineage.
Thank you Rinpoche and US pastors for the careful and painstaking research that went into this biography of H.H.Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.
Guru devotion resounds in every line – our Guru , Tsem Rinpoche’s devotion to his Guru and Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s devotion to his Guru, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. Zong Rinpoche “had never harboured a negative thought for his teacher” in his entire life. Moreover, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche deeply revered both Lamas – Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche’s Guru, Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche.
Moreover, the power of this lineage of Gelug teachings passed from Pabongka Rinpoche to Trijang Rinpoche, from Trijang Rinpoche to Zong Ripoche, from Zong Rinpoche to Tsem Rinpche is undeniable. THus are the precious teachings of Je Tsongkapa passed down without break, and through him, the teachings from Buddha Shakyamuni.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing HH Zong Rinpoche’s biography. I now have a better understanding of the importance of lineage in Buddhism. I enjoyed reading this post very much!
His Holiness Zong Rinpoche is amazing. Thank you for sharing!
谢谢仁波切及讲法师们的深入研究宋仁波切的生平和事迹说明。其中包括博学的喇嘛的共同特征，都拥有强烈不可动摇的依止上师心和对教学佛法无私奉献，对无知愚昧的我得益匪浅！
Thank you Rinpoche and tell mages in-depth study of the life and deeds of Song Rinpoche explained . Common features including learned Lama , have strong unshakable devotion to teaching Dharma teacher heart and dedication, I am ignorant of ignorance benefited greatly !
Thank you very much Rinpoche and all the Pastors’ hard work and effort in researching and compiling this very extensive and detail biography of our great lineage master, HH Zong Rinpoche. It is important for us to know our lineage master and our pure lineage so that we will eliminate any of the doubts that we might have towards the teachings passed down and perhaps its effectiveness. All of these lineage masters had been there, done that and proven with solid results. By reading on the biography of theses masters, we will understand more and deeper.
Besides, Rinpoche is also known for His strong devotion towards His root guru, HH Zong Rinpoche, even up till today. May all of us develop this devotion towards our guru who will lead us to the path of enlightenment. Thank you once again to Rinpoche and the Pastors for posting the biography of HH Zong Rinpoche. Now it’s just one click away.
Thank you Rinpoche and all who wrote this biography. It is a very detail and well written. This really assist me on the understanding of our lineage gurus.
Thank you all.
Dear H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche,
Thank you for the crystallized and detailed written bio of His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. Holy being and great master he is, in this Gelugpa pure lineage. It is reflecting Guru Devotions, very strong, you love your Guru so much, and it is an example for us to follows. Thank you.
With folded hands,_/\_
Dear Rinpoche and Pastors,
Thank you for the wonder write up of His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. I have always heard His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche speaking of his guru, HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, and today, I manage to read and learn up more about this wonderful great master.
As per the “Lineage” [https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/lineage.html] article, my holy and great guru, HE Tsem Eminence came from a pure, long lineage of Gelug practice, and I am proud to be a student of HE Tsem Rinpoche.
Thank you.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this biography of H.H Zong Rinpoche. I only knew a few pieces of his life. Thank you for filling in the rest! I love reading biographies of Enlightened masters, not just for inspiration or to collect merit from rejoicing in their activities but to see fully that the methods of the past leading all the way back to Buddha himself really can apply to everyone with sincere effort and devotion. H.H Zong Rinpoche was truly exceptional.
Dear Rinpoche,
Although Rinpoche was with H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche only for a short period of time, Rinpoche’s guru devotion is very strong. The first time I saw Rinpoche cry was at the opening ceremony of Kechara Saraswati Arts. Rinpoche was talking about H.H. Zong Rinpoche. There was so much respect and devotion. At that moment, I understood what guru devotion is. I’m very fortunate to belong to this lineage and I’m very proud of my lineage gurus. They are a real inspiration to me.
Thank you Rinpoche for your kindness to compile and share the biography of H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche with us, to help us understand this great master and the lineage of Rinpoche belongs to.
Thank you all Pastors for working so hard, worked into wee hour to complete the compilation of H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche’s biography.
There are so much Dharma that we can learn from the Rinpoche which comes from the great masters, and pure lineage. It is us, our minds that setting our own limitation. If we can let go of our attachment and selfishness and follow guru’s instruction. Things that are impossible with become possible and easier to achieve.
May we develop strong guru devotion as demonstrated by Rinpoche and all the great masters.
Thank you Guruji and the Pastors for sharing this inspiring & powerful biography of His Holiness Zong Rinpoche. I was thoroughly engaged the entire time I was reading this post.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you so much for this article on Zong Rinpoche. Over the last 6 years with Rinpoche, I have heard so much about Zong Rinpoche from Rinpoche. Each time when Rinpoche spoke about Zong Rinpoche, Rinpoche’s eyes will be red and will tear. Especially more when Rinpoche spoke about Rinpoche’s time with Zong Rinpoche.
Ever since then, I wanted to know more but all the text and his biography available were all in Tibetan. Now, I am able to read and understand the Guru which Rinpoche made the “Promise” to 30 years ago which led to what Rinpoche had to endure i.e. : loneliness/betrayal/hardship/deception/ungratefulness and etc
On the other hand, because of the above & also Rinpoche’s background, Rinpoche has become inspiration to many of us. And that I will forever be grateful for. Without Rinpoche, many of us will be still very much stuck in our own created pain & suffering.
From your humble and even more ridiculous student,
Su Ming
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastors for the extensive research and explanation of HH Zong Rinpoche’s biography and great deeds throughout HH’s life. The common traits amongst erudite lamas I noticed are strong guru devotion and selfless devotion towards teaching the dharma.
The article is inspiring as it shows the endless possibilities we can achieve that are beyond our self limiting mind. It also shows that Tsem Rinpoche’s dharma knowledge came from erudite masters like HH Zong Rinpoche. When we doubt Tsem Rinpoche, we are also indirectly doubting all the high lamas including HH Zong Rinpoche, HH Trijang Rinpoche and HH Pabongkha Rinpoche. In this case, Gaden Monastery and all Gelug monasteries are also questionable.
Reading this article also showed the love and devotion that Tsem Rinpoche has for HH Zong Rinpoche to this day. These are fine examples that we should all adopt if we want to gain real transformations in our practice. Once again, thank you Rinpoche.
We read this biography again and i realised that the part i commented on i had misunderstood who was
speaking, now i understand it was Zong Rinpoche speaking to Trijang Rinpoche. Excuse this mistake please.
His Holiness Zong Rinpoche’s biography has deeply touched my heart/mind with the glorious ever presant Lineage of which i am humbled to be within. The photo of ‘AH’ relic is AWESOME, and can feeeel the blessings from it. Thank you Rinpoche for demonstrating this powerful Lineage with very important detail and precision. Om Ah Hum
May You Live A long Life and Your Wish to Live (at least) till 81 be so
With hands folded and mind alert i offer my deep respect to This Unbroken Lineage.
To Your Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, The work, practices and assignments you have given me are REALLY HARD AND NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO DO. I decided to let go of my attachments, silly samsaric expectations and selfish reasonings and suddenly your instructions became so much easier for me to follow through and carry out. Until the end of my life, I will carry out your instructions my precious guru. Your instructions are much better than the ‘instructions’ given to me by my parents, peers, friends, elders and many people I met along the way. I know I will not heed what they say but will follow what you say all the way. I look at your qualities and the way you lived your life and I know your advice is correct. I just let go of my attachments and it becomes easier. I love you Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. Your humble and ridiculous student, Tsem Rinpoche