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The great Gyatrul Rinpoche passed away on April 8th, 2023. Born in 1925 and recognized as a Tulku by Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro and Tulku Natsok Rangrol, was instrumental in establishing many Nyingma centers throughout the US. Two of his many students include the outstanding lama and translator Sangye Khandro and B. Alan Wallace.
Rinpoche wrote in his introduction to Kongtrul's The Teacher-Student Relationship,
"All teachers must eventually leave this world, just as did the Buddha himself. Yet, the lineage that we still receive, the legacy of their enlightened awareness, is passed on from generation to generation through the teachings that remain. Since that is inevitable, what we have to call a lineage in their physical absence is the blessing of their unbroken lineage of teachings. This is what we, in turn, are expected to pass on to our and future generations. If we were to depend solely upon the physical presence of the teacher, then the lineages would have been lost long ago. The Buddha said, 'I shall reveal the path that leads to liberation. You must practice the path in order to reach liberation.'"
The Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche was born in the year of the Wood Ox, 1925, in Szechuan Province, China. Born into a noble family, he spent a happy childhood with parents and family members for his first eight years. In his eighth year Rinpoche was formally discovered as the reincarnation of Gyatrul Rinpoche, taken to Dhomang Monastery (an important branch Payul Monastery), enthroned and placed under the strict care of his root guru Tulku Natsog Rangdrol and other tutors. Gyatrul Rinpoche was formally discovered by Dzongzar Khentsey Rinpoche who issued a statement detailing the young tulku's whereabouts, name of parents, place of birth and further particulars. This information was identical to the statement issued by Tulku Natsog Rangdrol.
Once enthroned at Dhomang Monastery, Rinpoche began many years of formal study and training. As a young man he maintained constant company with his root guru Tulku Natsog, spending many years with him in solitary retreat, moving from one isolated location to another. Rinpoche has studied under some of the greatest Nyingmapa mahasiddhas of this century and carries with him all the blessings and knowledge that he received directly from his teachers. Due to the onset of the Chinese invasion of Tibet, Rinpoche was told to flee his homeland, and his principal teachers even foretold the details of his future work propagating the Dharma in foreign lands.
Tulku Natsog Rangdrol, who was one of the five emanations of Dudjom Rinpoche ( that of "concerned activity"), stayed behind, explaining that it was his karma to remain. After one year of tremendous hardship on the road to freedom, Rinpoche, who originally departed with a crowd of 20,000, crossed over the Nepalese border to safety with only 200 survivors.
In the years that followed he worked in the service of H.H. the Dalai Lama as well as H.H. the Karmapa. Later, in 1972, H.H. the Dalai Lama and H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche chose Rinpoche as the Nyingmapa representative to accompany the first group of Tibetans to be sent to resettle in Canada. After arriving in the West, Rinpoche travelled extensively around the U.S.A. and Canada at the invitation of Tibetan and Western disciples alike. In 1976 Rinpoche was asked by H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, during His Holiness' second visit to the West, to be his spiritual representative. Rinpoche accepted this position out of devotion and, since that time, has maintained his loyal devotion to H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche by establishing many Yeshe Nyingpo centers in the U.S., including a beautiful retreat center [Tashi Choling] in the Siskiyou mountain range near the border of California and Oregon. The site was consecrated by H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche and has hosted many great lamas as well as two wangchens (major lineage empowerments) given by H.H. Penor Rinpoche. The retreat center presently consists of 65 acres of isolated forest land and a four-story traditional temple. The temple is also the site of Rinpoche's residence when he is in the U.S.A. Since 1984 Rinpoche has been making regular visits to the Republic of China, Taiwan, where he has hundreds of devoted disciples. His skillful ability to explain the Vajrayana path in simple terms and his unfailing humor and compassion are the noble qualities for which he is most loved.
*Update: In addition to Tashi Choling Gyatrul Rinpoche founded Orgyen Dorje Den in Alameda, CA, near Oakland.
The three texts are:
Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche's dynamic and practical commentaries on each section are specially tailored to the needs of Western students. The result is an indispensable handbook for practitioners at all levels of experience.
When the Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche arrived in the West many decades ago, he was already a receptacle for an abundance of transmissions received from many of the foremost and authentic masters of our times. Since then, his noble disposition and advanced level of meditation practice has assisted innumerable people, and he has established many Dharma centers.
Meditation, Transformation, and Dream Yoga
$24.95 - Paperback
This is perhaps one of the clearest explanations of sadhana practice, and is indispensable for anyone, especially in the Nyingma tradition, who wished to understand the different parts of ritual. It goes through the following and much more"
The Generation Stage in Buddhist Tantra
$24.95 - Paperback
He covers in detail:
$27.95 - Paperback
Gyatrul Rinpoche wrote a length introduction to Jamgon Kongtrul's The Teacher-Student Relationship.
"Since the spiritual teacher is the one who bestows the gift of the dharma and the dharma is the path leading all beings from the three realms of cyclic existence to the state of permanent freedom, accomplishing the purposes of self and all other sentient beings, the importance of this relationship should be obvious. Since Western practitioners are educated, intelligent people, this point should be easily understood. lf, when first embarking upon the path, you are already thinking yourself to be someone very special, how can you expect to receive true benefit from your relationship with the teacher and the dharma? If you are feeling hungry and your mouth is hanging open, then at least you should take the food that you receive into your mouth, chew it, and digest it. In this way, you can avoid hunger, indigestion, and poor health. Otherwise, ingesting food into your mouth, failing to chew it properly, and digesting it poorly so that it contributes to ill health, is similar to the way that many Westerners approach the dharma. Taking too much food into the mouth is also going to produce similar results. Many Western students, although unprepared and under-qualified to receive spiritual transmissions on certain levels, force themselves into the teaching situation. Without a strong foundation, not only are they utterly unequipped to help others, they actually bring harm upon themselves. Children who eat like this will vomit their food, and adults who act like this will end up confused."
The Teacher-Student Relationship
$24.95 - Paperback
"During this time I had a dream in which Gyatrul from Palyul Monastery gave me what seemed like a golden balance, treating me with great respect. I gave the balance back, placing it around his neck, and entrusted both him and Moktsa Tulku to uphold these teachings, reciting prayers of benediction at length. In accordance with my dream, Gyatrul has gone on to bestow the transmission of The Treasury of Precious Hidden Teachings three times."
The Autobiography of Jamgon Kongtrul
$39.95 - Paperback
$22.95 - Paperback
One of Gyatrul Rinpoche's students, Lama Bruce Newman, wrote A Beginner's Guide to Tibetan Buddhism. He relates stories of Gyatrul Rinpoche throughout.
In one example,
"Gyatrul Rinpoche emphasizes cultivating the ability to offer without holding back. You offer your possessions, body, and merit without any hesitation. It is a practice that can truly open your heart and prepare you for the next stage of ngondro—guru
yoga."
A Beginner's Guide to Tibetan Buddhism
$19.95 - Paperback
