The principal Tulkus of Thrangu Monastery
The Traleg Rinpoches, the Lodro Nyima Tulkus and the Zuru Tulkus are the four main incarnations of Thrangu Monastery along with Thrangu Rinpoche.
1. The Ninth Thrangu Tulku- Karma Lodro Ringlug Mawai Senge (1933)
The Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche was born in the small village of Ralungda in Kham, eastern Tibet in 1933. At the age of five, he was recognized as the Thrangu Tulku by the Sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje and the 11th Tai Situ Rinpoche Pema Wangchuk Gyalpo and enthroned at Thrangu Monastery by Traleg Kyabgön Rinpoche. At the age of seven, he began his studies of reading, writing, and ritual and also received empowerments, transmissions, and teachings from visiting lamas including the Gyalwang Karmapa, the Second Jamgön Kongtrul Rinpoche, and Terton Rolpay Dorje. In 1943, he traveled on pilgrimage to visit the sacred sites of Central Tibet and see the Gyalwang Karmapa, who gave him the empowerment of White Tara and had him do a one-month White Tara retreat at Tsurphu Monastery. After returning to Thrangu Monastery, he continued his studies for a year and then spent from 1945 to 1947 in retreat, doing the preliminary practices and certain other important practices.
In 1948, he began his studies of Buddhist philosophy. The Shechen Kongtrul Pema Drimey gave him the transmission of the collected works of Ju Mipham as well as the transmission and explanation of the Treasury of Knowledge. For the next five years, he studied the Way of the Bodhisattva, the Five Great Texts of Buddhist philosophy, and the Dharmas of Maitreya with Khenchen Lodrö Rabsel. Rinpoche was diligent in his studies, studying during meals and by the light of a stick of incense at night.In 1953, Traleg Kyabgön Rinpoche, the main lama of Thrangu Monastery, suddenly passed away, and then the Second Jamgön Kongtrul Rinpoche, who had come to officiate over the cremation of Traleg Kyabgön, also passed away at Thrangu Monastery.
Rinpoche thus became responsible for overseeing Thrangu Monastery and spent the next few years performing these duties. In 1954, he went to see the Gyalwang Karmapa at Palpung Monastery and received full monastic ordination, the bodhichitta vows of the two traditions, and the tantric vows of the empowerments of Tukdrup Barchen Kunsel and Jinasagara (Red Chenrezig). In 1957, Khenpo Gangshar Wangpo visited Thrangu Monastery and gave him mind instructions of dzogchen and mahamudra.
In 1958, Rinpoche and a group from Thrangu Monastery fled advancing Chinese armies and made their way to Central Tibet, where Rinpoche saw the Gyalwang Karmapa, who left for India soon afterwards. Rinpoche followed by a different route in early 1959, traveling through Bhutan to India. Not long thereafter, the Gyalwang Karmapa arranged for Rinpoche to join him at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim.
From 1960 onward, he spent several years serving the Karmapa at Sikkim, assisting in the construction of the new Rumtek monastery and teaching young monks philosophy. Rinpoche also received many empowerments, transmissions, and teachings from the Gyalwang Karmapa during this period. In 1967, he traveled to Bhaksa in Assam where he took the examinations for the Geshe degree in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He was awarded the highest degree, Geshe Lharampa, and when he returned to Rumtek, the Gyalwang Karmapa granted him the title of Khenchen, or Great Abbot, of the Karma Kamtsang. Rinpoche remained at Rumtek for several more years, teaching the Four Heart Sons and other monks philosophy. When the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa arrived in India in 2000, the Dalai Lama appointed Rinpoche to be his tutor, and Rinpoche several months over a few years in Dharamsala teaching him abhidharma and other subjects. In this way, Rinpoche has played a critical role in preserving the Karma Kagyu lineage of teachings at a time when it was in danger of disappearing due to the Cultural Revolution.
On a pilgrimage to Nepal in 1974, the Sixteenth Karmapa had suggested to Rinpoche that he should build a monastery in Namo Buddha, Nepal. In 1976, Rinpoche came to Nepal and began construction of a three-year retreat center in Namo Buddha and a small monastery near the Great Stupa of Boudhanath. Eventually, the monastery in Boudhanath would be enlarged, and a monastic college, school for young monks, and large new temple—the Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery—were built at Namo Buddha. Rinpoche also established the Thrangu Tara Abbey for nuns near Swayambhunath in Nepal; the Vajra Vidya Institute monastic college in Sarnath, India; the Sekhar Retreat Center in Bhaktapur; and the Nar Satek Retreat Center in Manang. He has also helped rebuild Thrangu Monastery in Qinghai twice, once after the Cultural Revolution and also following the 2010 earthquake. Rinpoche’s monastic sangha has now grown to include nearly a thousand monks and nuns, all of whom are being given equal opportunities for monastic and secular education as well as retreat.
2. Zuri Rinpoche the 8th
The 1st Zuri Rinpoche was originally based in Tsurphu Monastery of Tibet. Located near Lhasa, it has been the main seat of the Karma Kagyu Lineage (one of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism) and residence of the successive incarnations of the Gyalwang Karmapas. The 1st Zuri Rinpoche went to Qinghai later in his lifetime. Following the Karmapa's wishes and due to karmic connections, he settled there and stayed in Thrangu Monastery until his seventh incarnation. Traditionally he is one of the four main Rinpoches of Thrangu Monastery.
There are four Rinpoches who have guided and benefited this magnificant monastery: the Venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, Thrangu Rinpoche, Zuri Rinpoche and Lodro Nyima Rinpoche. These masters have all taken rebirth at this monastery many times in order to uphold this sacred and holy place with the compassionate wish that beings in the future may continue to benefit from the Buddha Dharma.
In each of his past lives, Zuri Rinpoche was renowned for his practice of Vajrakilaya. The 7th Zuri Rinpoche, for example, have attained enlightenment by reciting the Vajrakilaya Mantra 1,300 million times in his small retreat hut overhanging the cliff of the Princess Wencheng Temple in Qinghai. This is still recounted by his disciples and the ederly monks there by this day. The 7th Zuri Rinpoche passed away in Bhutan, thus created the origination of his next incarnation in this Himalayan kingdom. The 8th Zuri Rinpoche has carried on the powerful tradition of Vajrakilaya practice and Tsok offerings unceasingly for the benefit of sentient beings.
Born in Bhutan, the Venerable 8th Zuri Rinpoche was recognized by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa at two months old. At two, His Holiness presided over his enthronement ceremony in Bhutan in the presence of the Karmapa's four heart sons and many renowned Rinpoches. He was bestowed the Dharma name Karma Migyur Tenpei Gyaltshen Jigme Gocha.
At a young age, Rinpoche entered Rumtek Monastery, the Karmapa's seat in Sikkim, India, to receive intensive tradtional Buddhist education. He studied at the Karma Shri Nalanda Institute and performed brilliantly under the guidance of the Karmapa. He then proceeded to Nepal to further his studies in the three yanas, the five major treatises and the four tantras in the Namo Buddha Institute. Moreover, he studied extensively in India and Bhutan. He had also received empowerments and teachings of various lineages such as from the Kagyu masters the Very Venerable 9th Thrangu Rinpoche, the 1st Kalu Rinpoche, and the Nyingma master Tullku Urgyen Rinpoche and etc. He started the spreading of Dharma in 1993.
A qualified lineage teacher and a great reincarnation master, the Venerable 8th Zuri Rinpoche is highly commended by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Rinpoche said in his teachings that being a Rinpoche (meaning the "precious one" in Tibetan), his mission is to benefit all sentient beings for them to attain true happiness. At the same time, being a member of the "Golden Rosary" of the Karma Kagyu lineage, he is obliged to contribute to the prosperity of the Karma Kagyu Lineage and Buddhism as a whole. Committed in the Bodhisattva Path to spread the Dharma and liberate all sentient beings from samsara, Rinpoche travelled to and from Bhutan, Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan, setting up Buddhist centres, giving teachings, conducting pujas, holding retreats and animal protection activities.
3. Lodro Nyima
Venerable Lodro Nyima Rinpoche is one of the four principal Rinpoches of Thrangu Monastery.
Lodro Nyima Rinpoche was recognized by Tai Situ Rinpoche as the reincarnation of the Karma Kagyu master Bengar Jamaal Sangpo. He is an experienced leader, entrusted with managing several important monasteries, including Princess Wencheng Temple and Qinghai Zen (Thrangu) Monastery. He is also a member of several Buddhist associations and committees in China.
4. Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche
Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche IX (1955-2012) was born in Nangchen in Kham, eastern Tibet. He was recognized by His Holiness XVI Gyalwang Karmapa as the ninth Traleg tulku and enthroned at the age of two as the supreme abbot of Thrangu Monastery.
Rinpoche was taken to Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim at the age of four where he was educated with other young tulkus in exile by His Holiness Karmapa for the next five years. Rinpoche began his studies under the auspices of His Eminence Kyabje Thuksey Rinpoche at Sangngak Choling in Darjeeling.
He also studied with a number of other eminent Tibetan teachers during that time and mastered the many Tibetan teachings with the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions in particular including the Havajra Tantra, Guhyasamaja Tantra, and the third Karmapa’s Zabmo Nangdon (The Profound Inner Meaning) under Khenpo Noryang (abbot of Sangngak Choling).
Rinpoche studied the Abhidharmakosha, Pramanavarttika, Bodhisattvacharyavatara, Abhidharmasamuccaya, Six Treaties of Nagarjuna, the Madhyantavibhaga, and the Mahayanuttaratantra with Khenpo Sogyal. He also studied with Khenpo Sodar and was trained in tantric ritual practices by Lama Ganga, who had been specifically sent by His Holiness Karmapa for that purpose.
In 1967 Rinpoche moved to the Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, and studied extensively for the next five years. He studied Buddhist history, Sanskrit, and Hindi, as well as Longchenpa’s Finding Comfort and Ease (Ngalso Korsum), Seven Treasuries (Longchen Dzod Dun), Three Cycles of Liberation (Rangdrol Korsum), and Longchen Nyingthig with Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsondru.
When Rinpoche had completed these studies at the age of sixteen, he was sent by His Holiness Karmapa to study under the auspices of the Venerable Khenpo Yesha Chodar at Sanskrit University in Varanasi for three years. Rinpoche was also tutored by khenpos and geshes from all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism during this time.
Rinpoche was subsequently put in charge of Zangdog Palri Monastery (the glorious copper colored mountain) in Eastern Bhutan and placed under the private tutelage of Dregung Khenpo Ngedon by His Holiness Karmapa to continue his studies of Sutra and Tantra. He ran this monastery for the next three years and began learning English during this time.
From 1977 to 1980, Rinpoche returned to Rumtek in Sikkim to fill the honored position of His Holiness’ translator, where he dealt with many English-speaking Western visitors.
