I have consolidated and closed the separate Buddhist News topics
created by Nahahwu into a single one for better referencing.
Instructions to construct a new monastery and temple for the
monastic community in this area were revealed to Kunzang Dechen
Lingpa Rinpoche in a dream, along with an exact vision of where the
structure should be placed. After a short search, Rinpoche located
the land for the temple as described in his dream, including its
relationship to four major mountains, local caves located in the
four directions, and additional environmental and geographical
details http://www.zangdokpalri.org/map.html. With his own
limited resources, Rinpoche acquired the land and started work on
building Zangdokpalri Monastery as a future oasis of Buddhist
scholarship, sacred art and meditation.
Kunsang Rinpoche was born in the Earth Snake Year 1928, in Southern
Tibet in Lhodrak (map). He is the13th reincarnation of the Buddha
Rinchen Tsug Tor Gyen. From childhood he was only interested in
spiritual things. At 16 he went into full time spiritual retreat,
and studied with Dudjom Rinpoche for 10 years.It was prophesized,
and he became a terton or treasure revealer at age 20. Rinpoche was
recognized by H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche as the Lodhak Terton, the
reincarnation of Terton Longsel Nyingpo, of the Drubchen Melong
Dorje lineage.
Based on premonitions of the ensuing diaspora, Kunzang Dechen
Rinpoche left Tibet for the famous "hidden land" of Pemakod in
1955, 4 years before the Chinese takeover of Tibet. After 7 years
in meditation retreat there he eventually settled in Assam, the
northeastern extremity of India. There he received prophecies in
his dreams from Guru Padmasambhava that two gonpas or monasteries
should be built in that area. Acting on his vision, Rinpoche first
built Tashi Choling nunnery in Assam. Over a decade later, in the
neighboring state of Arunachal Pradesh Rinpoche discovered the
exact location as depicted in his previous dream for the
Zangdokpalri Temple. The local people have donated this mountaintop
and the temple is now under construction to precise specifications,
according to Rinpoche’s vision of Guru Rinpoche’s palace in the
Copper Colored Mountain pure land.
Rinpoche is renowned for his "pure vision" treasure revelations of
Dorje Drollo, Throma Nagmo and many others he directly received
from Padmasambhava. His unique Healing Chö practice has brought
healing and relief from suffering to countless beings around the
world. In these times of rampant degeneration Rinpoche's teachings
illuminate and dispel the darkness of ignorance, delusion and
suffering. Ven. Kunsang Dechen Lingpa personifies wisdom,
compassion, spiritual power, integrity and delight in life.
http://www.zangdokpalri.org/art/teacherlineage.jpg
About a month before he passed Rinpoche spoke to the monks close to
him that there would be specifically 5 incarnations. On occasions
when traveling in the past he had indicated that his incarnations
would be reborn even in different countries. Rinpoche had often
expressed his wish to pass in the presense of his monks and nuns at
the Zangdolpalri Temple site.
All indications are that he passed at will, having finished the
drupchens at both the nunnery and the monastery and having given
the Longevity Buddha Initiation (Tse Wang) to nearly 10,000 people.
Afterwards he was not feeling well but refused to go to the
hospital. Dungse and Ani Tsering Paldron determined that his
condition seemed dire and took him anyway to the local military
hospital; before leaving the temple project grounds his last words
to his senior administrator monk, Tsewang Dondup were “ you go on
putting the mantras in the statues and I will return.” Rinpoche’s
vital signs ceased about an hour after arriving at the hospital. He
was then returned to his room at the gompa (monastery) where
Rinpoche remained in a state of deep meditational awareness sitting
upright unassisted for 2 and half days (Tib: TUKDOM) When I asked
the monks how they knew he had left tukdom they explained that
Dungse (his son) wrote him a letter requesting him to leave tukdom
as there were many students and sponsors waiting to pay respects to
his body and that he knew it was not good to stay in that state of
deep meditation too long. Dungse placed the letter before him and a
storm rolled in during this particularly dry period. A bolt of
lightening struck the pray flag pole in the center of the court
yard and a down pour of rain began, and then a rainbow appeared
just above his room. . His body had than lost its luster. Now the
body is packed in dry salt and puja is to be constantly performed
for 49 days. The salt is changed every 5 or 6 days and distributed
to the faithful. A special stupa is being constructed which will
contain the body in perpetuity. Rinpoche instructed the monks in
this process during the last few months.
Rinpoche passed away while preparing for another tour to the west
with a group of his most accomplished nuns and monks. His goal of
obtaining donations to finish the Zangdokpalri temple that the
Buddha Guru Rinpoche had specifically directed him in a dream to
construct in order to bring peace to these troubled times drove him
to leave his Himalayan meditation retreat and travel. Now that goal
is just a thought.
http://www.zangdokpalri.org/rebirth2.pdf