About 2500 years ago Lord Buddha appeared in this world and taught three levels of teachings renowned as Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. The Vajrayana, which contains profound skillful means for the swift attainment of enlightenment was given only to a select group of worthy recipients while the other teachings were spread wide and far.
At the verge of passing into nirvana, the Buddha foretold the coming of Padmasambhava, a great master who would be the chief propagator of the Vajrayana teachings. Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche, was an emanation of the Buddha himself and was miraculously born from a lotus flower in the country of Uddiyana.
In accordance with the Buddha’s prophesy Padmasambhava spread the Vajrayana teachings and tantric rituals in India, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and many other countries. Through a special short lineage of hidden Dharma treasures known as terma as well as through an unbroken lineage of transmission from master to disciple, Guru Rinpoche’s legacy and instructions of the innermost essence of Buddhism is still kept alive.
The terma teachings were hidden by Padmasambhava in caves and in the minds of his close disciples. They were sealed with his sacred aspiration to be revealed at certain times for the benefit of future generations by a terton, a treasure revealer, a reincarnation of one of the close disciples and an emissary of Padmasambhava himself.
One of these incarnated tertons was Chokgyur Lingpa who appeared in this world in 1828, born in the eastern part of Tibet. His name, birth place, the chief recipients of his revealed teachings and the effect of the spread of his teachings were all prophesied by Padmasambhava.
14th Karmapa Thegchog DorjeThe revealed termas of Chokgyur Lingpa have had an immense impact on Vajrayana Buddhism in the 150 years that followed and are being widely practiced throughout the world. Karmapa Khakyab DorjeOne of the main reasons for this was that the 14th and 15th Karmapa were among his chief disciples. Moreover these noble recipients, the masters propagated the teachings that Chokgyur Lingpa revealed.
His Eminence Chokgyur Lingpa Rinpoche was recognized and enthroned as the authentic reincarnation and as a terton by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. Rinpoche has completed an arduous education at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim under the guidance of numerous outstanding Buddhist masters headed by His Holiness himself. Tenga Rinpoche of BenchenUnder H.E. Thrangu Rinpoche he studied Buddhist philosophy, with Venerable Tenga Rinpoche he went through the detailed training in Vajrayana rituals, from H.E. Kalu Rinpoche he learned the Six Doctrines of Naropa. Moreover, Chokgyur Lingpa Rinpoche has received the essential transmission of entire Nyingma lineage from Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche. From his father, Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, he has received several times the transmission for the lineage of New Treasures, the termas revealed by the first Chokgyur Lingpa. In short, he is a upholder of the termas of Padmasambhava, qualified to spread the teachings to flourish to the four corners of the world.
After arriving in Nepal, he now holds the position of Vajra Master at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling, one of the largest monasteries in Nepal, where he presides over the Vajrayana rituals performed for the living and the dead.
Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery was build by Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and inaugurated by H.H. the 16th Karmapa. The abbot and head teacher is his older brother Ven. Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche.
Additional Information:
Born in 1953, the second son of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Lungtok Gyatso, was recognized by His Holiness, the 16th Karmapa, as the 4th reincarnation of Terchen Chokgyur Lingpa of Nangchen, eastern Tibet.
Chokgyur Lingpa the First was the 13th reincarnation of Trisong Deutsen’s son, Lhasey Lotsawa, who incarnated 13 times in succession as a terton, or revealer of Guru Padmasambhava’s secret hidden texts. Tukdrub Barchey KunselHe was very close to Jamyang Khyentse the Great. At the age of 27, he presented a sater of the Tukdrub Barchey Kunsel to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo who announced that he had himself received almost an identical text in the form of a gongter. The two termas were combined as the Tukdrub Barchey Kunsel and is, hence, common to both lamas. Subsequently, Chokgyur Lingpa discovered many termas which are gathered together as the cycle of the Chokling Tersar, a compilation of all the empowerments, textual authorizations, and oral instructions of Guru Rinpoche. Padmasambhava.
The 4th reincarnation is known as the Kela Chokling, recognized at Tsurphu, who fled Tibet in 1959 with his father during the Chinese takeover. He and his older brother, Tulku Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, were educated at Rumtek, Sikkim, the seat of the Karmapa. In 1975, both lamas joined their father, Tulku Urgyen in Kathmandu, Nepal and established the Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery where Tulku Chokling Rinpoche now resides.
He is a terton and lay practitioner with a wife and four children. His oldest son has been recognized by His Holiness Dalai Lama as an important Taklung Kagyu tulku. The youngest son was recently recognized by Trulshik Rinpoche as being the reincarnation of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.