Kunkhyen Choku Ozer: Master of the Kalachakra & Guhyasamaja Tantras
Kunkhyen Choku Ozer.
Click on image to enlarge.
The great Choku Ozer was given the epithet ‘Kunkhyen’, which means “all-knowing”, due to his special insight into the Buddhist teachings. It is said that merely by glancing through the great Buddhist treatises, he was able to penetrate their meaning. This is one of the reasons why he became known as Kunkhyen Choku Ozer. This erudite master is also a part of Dorje Shugden’s incarnation lineage.
Kunkhyen Choku Ozer was born in the Tibetan Year of the Wood Dog (1213 CE), which was the year that Kache Panchen, otherwise known as Shakyashri Bhadra, returned to his homeland of Kashmir after spending over 10 years tirelessly spreading Buddhist practice in Tibet. He studied under Sedengpa Sangye Pel and his nephew, Gunaphala, both of whom were disciples of Nyendon Dorje Yeshe of the Menlung tradition.
Kunkhyen Choku Ozer eventually became a lineage master of the Guhyasamaja and Kalachakra Tantras, as well as the mandalas associated with the Manjushri Namasamgiti Tantra. Within the Manjushri Namasamgiti Tantra, there are seven principal mandalas, each with their own unique form of Manjushri as the central deity. Kunkhyen Choku Ozer is particularly associated with the lineage of two of these forms, known as Manjuvajra and Dharmadhatu Vagishvara. He passed the lineage of these forms of Manjushri to his student Pagod Yontan Gyatso, who in turn passed them to Butön Rinchen Drub. What is interesting to note is that Butön Rinchen Drub was a future incarnation of Kunkhyen Choku Ozer. Hence, these two masters of Dorje Shugden’s incarnation lineage, Kunkhyen Choku Ozer and Butön Rinchen Drub, held the lineage of these rare and esoteric forms of Manjushri.
Kunkhyen Choku Ozer was a lineage master of the Manjushri Namasamgiti Tantra. Click on image to enlarge.
The lineage of the Guhyasamaja Tantra that Kunkhyen Choku Ozer mastered was known as the Go Lineage. It stemmed from the translator Go Lotsawa Khugpa Lhetse, who was actually an earlier incarnation of the Panchen Lamas. Go Lotsawa studied and mastered the entire Guhyasamaja cycle of teachings and then composed the texts known as Go’s Three Scrolls. These texts contain practice instructions and a commentary on the practice of Guhyasamaja. Eventually, this lineage was transmitted to Kunkhyen Choku Ozer, who was able to memorise and retain the texts in his mind after reading them only once. In his writings, Lama Tsongkhapa praised Kunkhyen Choku Ozer (whom he called “Ozer of Deding”) as a lineage holder of Guhyasamaja practice. He lists Kunkhyen Choku Ozer alongside the foremost masters of the lineage such as Arya Nagarjuna, Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa and Butön Rinchen Drub.
Kunkhyen Choku Ozer also held the lineage of Kalachakra practice according to the Dro Lineage. This lineage was transmitted to him by Sherab Ozer, who is also known as Choje Jamyang Sarma or Jamsarwa. Later, Kunkhyen Choku Ozer passed all the transmissions of the major Buddhist treatises and teachings he possessed to his disciple, Kunpang Tukje Tsondru, including the Kalachakra initiation, the explanation of the Kalachakra Tantra, the great Vimalaprabha commentary to the Kalachakra practice, and an experiential transmission of the Kalachakra completion stage practices of the Six Branch Yoga of the Dro Lineage.
Kunpang Tukje Tsondru later founded Jomonang Monastery. It is from this monastery that the Jonang School of Tibetan Buddhism arose. This school places a very strong emphasis on the Kalachakra Tantric system.
Kunkhyen Choku Ozer’s heart son, or main disciple, was Gyara Longchenpa of Barkham in eastern Tibet. Kunkhyen Choku Ozer is also famed for establishing the ancient monastery of Dakpo Tsele known as Tsele Nyingma (‘Old Tsele’) around the 14th Century.
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The great Choku Ozer was given the epithet ‘Kunkhyen’, which means “all-knowing”, due to his special insight into the Buddhist teachings. It is said that merely by glancing through the great Buddhist treatises, he was able to penetrate their meaning. This is one of the reasons why he became known as Kunkhyen Choku Ozer. Kunkhyen Choku Ozer was born in the Tibetan Year of the Wood Dog which was the year that Kache Panchen, otherwise known as Shakyashri Bhadra. Kunkhyen Choku Ozer eventually became a lineage master of the Guhyasamaja and Kalachakra Tantras, as well as the mandalas associated with the Manjushri Namasamgiti Tantra. Hence, these two masters of Dorje Shugden’s incarnation lineage, Kunkhyen Choku Ozer and Butön Rinchen Drub, held the lineage of these rare and esoteric forms of Manjushri. This erudite master is also a part of Dorje Shugden’s incarnation lineage. Thank you very much Rinpoche and Pastor David for sharing another interesing write up of Dorje Shugden incarnation. 🙏😘👍👏🌈
Interesting read of Kunkhyen Choku Ozer was a lineage master of the Manjushri Namasamgiti Tantra. He became known as Kunkhyen Choku Ozer due to his ability to penetrate the meaning of the great Buddhist treatises merely just by glancing at it. He could memolised texts just by reading it once. Reading this post and information at least I can know he is also a part of Dorje Shugden’s incarnation lineage. He is also famed for establishing the ancient monastery of Dakpo Tsele.
Thank you Pastor David for this sharing as many of us would not have known this GREAT Lama was part of Dorje Shugden’s incarnation lineage.
Thank you for the above, Pastor.