Biographies

Tulku Ogyen Nyima

A brief story of the lives of the 5 incarnations of Minyak Rinpoche

5th Minyak Rinpoche - Tulku Ogyen Rinpoche

The 5th Minyak Rinpoche, Tulku Ogyen Rinpoche, was born in the morning of the 15th of August, 1976 of the western calendar and the Fire-Dragon year, 16th Rabjung of the Tibetan calendar. When the time he was born, the house of his family filled up with lights and even his mother didn’t experience any delivery problems. Since his mere childhood, he is a very polite and well disciplined person. In 1984, when he reached the age of sixteen, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the former incarnate succession by his eminent Shugang Matul Choekyi Chok and Sera Yangtul, as instructed to them by the former succession, and was given a spiritual name as Ogyen Garwang Choekyi Nyima. Later, both His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Yeshin Wangyal also formally recognized him as the reincarnation of Gunang monk of Chakro monastery of Gelukpa tradition. He visited Serta monastery along with his parents to receive an audience from Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok. During that time, with a delightful heart, his eminent Khenchen gave him many advices on the importance of studying while staying in that monastery. Three high lamas including Sera Yangtul has repeatedly uttered of his being an acclaimed holy being. After that, he came back to his county and he studied Tibetan reading from the hand of Lama Dorjee at Gukteng hermitage with the sponsorship from Treasurer Yama Tsewang of his predecessor. In 1986, when he reached the age of eleven, he went to Serjong Lama Rung to receive the Kalachakra initiation. He stayed there for three months with his uncle Kalsang Gyaltsen. Afterwards, he was invited to Minyak monastery by its supervisors, Kunsang Je and Tashi Wangyal, and he learned the traditional ritual rites of the monastery. In 1988, along with a company of more than thirty people, such as, the treasurer of his predecessor, monastery supervisor Tashi Wangyal and many others, he went on a pilgrimage to Lhasa to take audience of Jowo, Samye, Sakya, Sera, Drepung, Gaden, Tashi Lhunpo, Je Kubhum and abodes of high Lamas. In 1989, when he was fourteen, he shouldered the responsibility of his monastery and took charge of the chief of the monastery’s ritual rite of the great propitiation of Guhyasamaja and bestowed the empowerment of Avalokitesvara, Longevity initiation, empowerment of thousand Buddhas and so forth to the large gathering of devotees. During that time, all the people of the native county came to say that it is an extraordinary thing that he could perform the welfare of sentient beings even from such a young age, without having any fear and dismay. Since then, he traveled to other places to seek help and support for his monastery. In 1992, he went to Serjong Lama Rung and listened to numerous teachings of Sutra and Tantra, such as, Seven Treasures of Longchen, Relaxation of Mind, Triple Clear Light Mind, Four Limbs of the Heart Teachings, Kalachakra, and many more from the feet of Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok. In 1996, he entered the first year of the Lecture College of Pelyul monastery and thoroughly completed his study and contemplation on Sutra, Tantra and fields of Tibetan grammatical studies in 2006. On top of that, he has received many complementary prizes for scoring first positions in examinations from the hand of his eminent Dupwang Pema Norbu. Alongside his teaching job in Sherab Reldri Ling secondary school of Namdol Ling monastery, Tsogyal Shedup Dhargyal Ling Nyingma Nunnery, Great Nyingma University and others, he has worked four consecutive years in the Ngagyur Rigzoe Editorial Board, and shouldered the responsibility of the president and wise president of the Editorial Board. In many different occasions, he has received teachings of Treasure of Ornament and so on from his eminent Dupwang Rinpoche, transmissions and empowerments of Namchoe, Rata Ling, Jigling Khabhum, Rongsom Khabhum and others from Peltul Gyangkhang Rinpoche, and transmissions and initiations of Jatson Boeduk from the feet of Khamtul Rinpoche. In 2008, his eminent Dupwang Pema Norbu conferred him a special degree of Khenpo and sent him to Taiwan, after giving him a lot of guidance on the need of serving his own monastery. Thus he has been working for the welfare of sentient beings in various foreign countries at present.

www.ogyenling.org

4th Minyak Rinpoche

The 4th Minyak Rinpoche, Choktul Nyime Se, was born to the family of the former incarnate succession in the 15th Rabjung of Tibetan calendar. He was recognized as the reincarnation of Minyak Repa and installed to the traditional throne. During his childhood, he was so naughty that none of his monastery elders including his tutors could control him, and he had committed lots of mischievous actions which agitated all the people of inferior, equal and superior to him. For that reason, few people even came to admit that they don’t have any faith in him even if he possesses the magical power to fly into the sky. Later, he went alone on a pilgrimage to central Tibet, and attained great benefits from this travel to the holy places of the acclaimed noble beings. After that, he along with his elder brother Chokgyal Nyima and few monk spiritual servants, went to Pelyul Namgyal Jangchup Choeling monastery and resided there in the Buddhist Lecture College. This visit was coincided with the presence of His Holiness the Karmapa in the monastery and both of them become very friendly with each other. He received the Bhikshu vow from his eminent Dupwang Pelchen Duepa and after the completion of his Buddhist philosophical studies, he returned to his county. Thereafter, he and Tul Rinpoche Phatop has jointly renovated the monastery, established new Institutions for Buddhist philosophy and practice and performed many other magnificent religious works in Minyak monastery. Finally, having been agitated by the bustles of worldly affairs, he donated whatever things he possesses to the monastery administration and went before the hermit Yukyok with a strong desire to become a hermit who has forsaken the worldly aims of this life. But Yukyokpa bestowed him the Instruction of the Whispered Lineage of Great Perfection which flourished from Azom Dukgen, and advised him to go back and look after the monastery once again. He couldn’t ignore his command and came back to the county and performed wide range of spiritual activities. As he has received abundance of wealth from his faithful disciples, he brought them and made extensive monetary and food allowance to the sanghas residing in the Pelyul Magon monastery. Following that, he returned to his county along with carrying the sacred things given to him by His Holiness the Karmapa, such as, the customary Pema Thongdol hat of Karmapa and various objects of the basis of divine body, speech and mind of the Buddha. He was tried to rob by many quarry men but they didn’t succeed, and this fame spread to the whole of Tehor County. One time, at the inviting from Chinese government, he went with other acclaimed holy beings of the Kham province to pay a visit to China and there are stories about him importing different kinds of machineries from that trip. During the Cultural Revolution, among the high lamas and personals who lived behind the Chinese prison bars, he has possessed the superior qualities of wise, conscientious and righteous, as if the five faced mighty lion king. This was narrated by all his prison mate intellectuals and ordinary people when they came out of the prison. Later, when he obtained little clemency, he served as the political spokesperson of Dakgo Zong district. In 1972, on the 1st of the 1st Tibetan month, he passed away to the state of eternal peace.

3rd Minyak Rinpoche

The 3rd Minyak Rinpoche, Minyak Repa Drodul Lekyi Dorjee or Sonam Dhondup was born to a same family line of the previous incarnation. Since when he was a little child, he was manifested with the qualities of a noble being and possesses the strong sense of renunciation and repentance to cyclic existence. He was very talented in displaying the Mudras and dancing postures of the protector deities and acquires the supreme qualities of divine eyes and clairvoyance. At the same time, he quickly learned Tibetan reading and writing and ritual rites of appeasing the deities and many more, just through showing a mere sign. He then visited to central Tibet and during his stay in Tsurphu, the monastery of His Holiness the Karmapa; he endeavored to the insights of the tradition of Karma Kagyue section, such as, Mahamudra Buddha Dharma and others. As a consequence, he became an acclaimed holy being who was capable of lifting the practice lineage of the Buddha Dharma of Drogon Kagyuepa tradition. Since then he traveled back and forth to the upper, lower and central part of Tibet with a single pointed mind to accomplish the essence of Buddha Dharma and displayed varieties of extraordinary deeds in many different places. For this reason, even today, the fame of Minyak Repa can be heard in North Nagchu and in many other places of Tibet. When he was touring the entire country of Tibet, he had shown many spiritual masters regardless of their religious sections, Sakya, Geluk, Kagyue and Nyingma section. He returned to his county in his early forties with an intention to do the renovation of the old monastery of the past but out of bias attitude rooted in religious section and tenet, few people didn’t permit him, and the restoration work remained undone for a while. Later, he invited a Lama holding the religious tradition of Nyingmapa and offered the monastery including its objects of reliance and reliant to him. He then remained absorbed in the practice of Mahamudra and Great Perfection in the Meditation Cave of Lhalung Pelkyi Dorjee and passed away to the sphere of emptiness.

2nd Minyak Rinpoche

The 2nd Minyak Rinpoche, Tsedup Rinpoche was born to the family of his former incarnation amidst special signs and auspicious omens. He thoroughly studied beginning from Tibetan reading to the ritual rites of Karma Kagyue tradition from his uncle. Since his childhood, he was very compassionate to inferior sentient beings and possessed mental attitude superior to ordinary people. It was evident from his extraordinary expressions. He powerlessly cries when hearing about the sufferings of cyclic existence. And when hearing about the benefits of Nirvana, he generates the genuine wish of accomplishing the path of omniscience by wearing the armor of perseverance from this day itself. As he grew up a little, with the company of his uncle, alongside doing pilgrimage in Lhasa, he stayed few years in Tsurphu, the monastery of His Holiness the Karmapa. After that he once again came back to his county with a strong intention to carry out great service to the Buddha Dharma and in his monastery. However, in dependence upon the unfavorable conditions of the particular place and the time, he couldn’t make significant contribution to the Buddha Dharma, such as, establishing Institutions for Buddhist philosophy and practice and so on. Nevertheless, he always remained focused on practicing the essence of Buddha Dharma in solitary places and finally shown the deed of passing away into the sphere of emptiness.

1st Minyak Rinpoche

The 1st Minyak Rinpoche, Thinley Dhondup was born in Teshoe, a junction between Bhubor Gang and Marza Gang of Chushe Gangduk in Dokham province. His Holiness the 1st Karmapa, the knower of three times, was also born at this mountain base, which is situated near the monastery of Chokro Sherab Wangchuk, one of the six Ngawa Khampa disciples of Lachen Gongpa Rabsel, holy site of Dhado Lhawang Karpo Snow Mountain, and scared site of guardian Genyan Dorjee Daktsel. Later on, when he was returning from the central part of Tibet, His Holiness the 1st Karmapa resided in this place and founded the monastery and named it as Mila Gon. But the name of the monastery has been changed with the passage of time and it came to known as Minyak Gon. Later, H H the Dupwang Pema Norbu has bestowed a new name to the monastery as Pal Ogyen Sangchen Ngagyur Donyak Khedup Ling. Venerable Thinley Dhondup was born only after the foundation of the monastery. From the time when he was very young, he has perfected in Tibetan reading and writing, and about the traditional ritual rites of noble ones. Later, renouncing all the activities of this life like that of the throwing away of phlegm, he remained absorbed in the practice of Buddha Dharma in solitary places. Especially, he visited the monastery of His Holiness the Karmapa, the knower of three times, and thoroughly studied about the Six Instructions of Naropa and Mahamudra. As a result, he experienced the eternal bliss free of diminution and growth. And as he has pacified the fetters of discriminating good and bad into the sphere of emptiness, he gained the power capable of accomplishing the well being of others. But he decided not to carry out such activities, thinking that it might become hindrance to the activities of others. After that, he lived a pure spiritual life by practicing Buddha Dharma and passed away to the state of peace.