The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin

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The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin b.1699 - d.1758

Name Variants: Drubwang Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin ; Dzogchen 02 Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin; Dzogchen 02 Tekchok Tendzin; Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin; Pema Tendzin Tekchok Gyatsoi De ; Pema Wangchen ; Pema Wangdrak ; Tekchok Tendzin; Tutob Wangpo Chokle Namper Gyelwai De

The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin (rdzogs chen 02 'gyur med theg mchog bstan 'dzin) was born in the lineage of the Orod Mongolian kings in 1699, the earth-hare year of the twelfth sexagenary cycle. Details of his birth are not known.

Dzogchen Ponlob Namkha Osel (rdzogs chen dpon slob nam mkha' 'od gsal, d. 1726) identified him as the reincarnation of the First Dzogchen Drubwang Pema Rigdzin (grub dbang rdzogs chen 01 pad+ma rig 'dzin, 1625-1697). With the sponsorship of the king of Derge, Tenpa Tsering (sde dge chos rgyal bstan pa tshe ring, 1678-1738), divinations were done in Lhasa to confirm the selection. As part of the confirmation he was given the names Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin by Minling Trichen Pema Gyurme Gyatso (smin gling khri chen pad+ma 'gyur med rgya mtsho, 1686-1718) and Pema Tendzin Tekchok Gyatsoi De (pad+ma btsan ’dzin theg mchog rgya mtsho'i sde) by either the Second  Dorje Drak Rigdzin Pema Trinle (rdo rje brag rig 'dzin 02 pad+ma 'phrin las, 1641-1717) or Minling Terdak Lingpa Gyurme Dorje (smin gling gter bdag gling pa 'gyur med rdo rje, 1646-1714).

The young boy was brought to Dzogchen Monastery and enthroned by Dzogchen Ponlob Namkha Osel, a close disciple of his previous incarnation and then the head of the monastery. Dzogchen Ponlob, assisted by Zhalam Rabjampa Tenpai Gyeltsen (zhwa lam rab 'byams pa bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, b. 1650) performed his tonsure ceremony and named him Pema Wangchen (pad+ma dbang chen) and Pema Wangdrak (pad+ma dbang drag). He was given teachings, empowerments, and esoteric teachings.

In 1709, at the age of eleven he travelled to U province and visited Osel Drubde in Sindzong (srin rdzong 'od gsal sgrub sde). There he met Nyima Drakpa (nyi ma grags pa, 1647-1710), another close student of his predecessor who have him many teachings on his own revelations. He also received some teachings relating to Nordak Yishin Norbu (nor bdag yid bzhin nor bu) from the First Chakri Nyidrak, Gyelse Orgyen Tendzin (chags ri nyi grags rgyal sras 01 o rgyan bstan 'dzin, d.u.). From there he went to see Drigung Konchok Trinle Zangpo ('bri gung dkon mchog 'phrin las bzang po, d.u.) who gave him teachings including Shinje Trochu (gshin rje khro chu). He next went to Lhasa and made abundant offerings at the holy shrines including the Jokhang and Ramoche after which he proceeded to Dorje Drak and Mindroling monasteries.

There he received vows of upāsaka and bodhicitta from Terdak Lingpa, who became an important tutor. Terdak Lingpa also gave him extensive teachings, empowerments, transmissions, and esoteric instructions on many important deities, and the name Tutob Wangpo Chokle Namper Gyelwai De (mthu stobs dbang po phyogs las rnam par rgyal ba'i sde) to indicate his excellent knowledge of Vajrayāna. Dorje Drak Pema Trinle gave him novice monk vows (śrāmaṇera); Dordrak Choktrul Kelzang Wangchuk (rdor brag mchog sprul skal bzang pad+ma dbang phyug, d.u.) gave him full ordination (bhikṣu).

Some time around 1726, when Namkha Osel passed away, he was enthroned to abbacy of Dzogchen Monastery as its third abbot. During the initial years of his abbacy he worked with the King Tenpa Tsering in establishing, in 1729, the Derge Parkhang (sde dge par khang), one of the most important printing houses in the Tibetan world.

In 1740, at the age of forty-two, he appointed Jewon Pema Kundrol Namgyel (rje dbon pad+ma kun grol rnam rgyal, 1706-1773) to administer the monastery in his absence and travelled a second time to Lhasa. There he had an audience of the Seventh Dalai Lama Kelzang Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 07 skal bzang rgya mtsho, 1708-1757); the Sakya Gongma (sa skya gong ma) at the time, who would have been either the Thirty-first Sakya Trichen Sonam Rinchen (sa skya khri chen 31 'jam mgon bsod nams rin chen, 1705-1741) or his successor, the Thirty-second Sakya Trichen Kunga Lodro (sa skya khri chen 32 kun dga' blo gros, 1729-1783); and the Thirteenth Karmapa, Dudul Dorje (karma pa 13, bdud ’dul rdo rje, 1733-1797). He sponsored public prayer festivals, including the commemoration of the Fifth Dalai Lama, and went for pilgrimage to nearby sites, donating funds for renovations and new installations of sacred items. At Samye he commissioned a golden canopy at Chimpu Pelri Drubde (mchims phu dpal ri rgub sde). He also gave teachings on various topics to devotees.

Over the course of his life he received teachings from some forty teachers in all traditions, including, in addition to those already mentioned, the thirty-fourth Ngor Khenchen, Pelden Chokyong (ngor mkhan chen 34 dpal ldan chos skyong, 1702-1760); the Eighth Zhamar Chokyi Dondrub (zhwa dmar 08 dpal chen chos kyi don grub, 1695-1732); Minling Lochen Dharmaśrī (smin gling lo chen d+harma shrI, 1664-1718); the Fourth Bakha, Kunzang Lodro (rba kha 04 kun bzang blo gros, d.u.), Dratang Khenchen Kunga Khyentse Puntsok (grwa thang mkhan chen kun dga' mkhyen brtse phun tshogs, b. 1655); Nyidrak Lama Kelzang Wangden (nyi grags bla ma skal bzang dbang ldan, 1673-1757); and the First Zhechen Rabjam Tenpai Gyeltsen (zhe chen rab 'byams 01 bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, b. 1650). He composed two volumes of notes on the teachings he received.

Between 1741 and 1755 he gave extensive teachings to his disciples on both sūtra and tantra. He also spent extended periods of time in retreat, practicing a wide range of practices including Dzogchen, purification and preliminary practices such as regular confession, prayers of Twenty-one Tārā, and Padmasambhava. He is said to have recited the Six-syllable mantra of Avalokiteśvara over two-hundred million times.

Towards the development of Dzogchen he commissioned two complete sets of the Kangyur; one complete set of the Tengyur; several sets of the Nyingma Gyubum (rnying ma rgyud 'bum); the Śatasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra; the seven treatises of Longchenpa (klong chen mdzod bdun); and so forth totaling over thousand texts of sūtra and tantra. He also sponsored the painting of nearly one hundred tankas and a number of embossed images of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and dharma protectors.

Following a disastrous fire in 1753 he arranged for the repairs, which are said to have greatly improved the monastery. He installed a magnificent golden reliquary of his principal lama, Ponlob Namkha Osel; introduced the regular offering of butter-lamps; and erected over ten-thousand flags. He also introduced the study and practice of the teachings of Longchen Rabjam Drime Ozer (klong chen rab 'byams dri-med 'od zer, 1308-1364), Cakrasaṃvara, Yamarāja, and other traditions.

His compositions, collected into two volumes, include a commentary on the preliminary practice of the Khandro Nyingtik entitled Tarlam Droche Shingta Zangpo (thar lam bgrod byed shing rta bzang po). It is not clear if any of his works are extant.

Among his many disciples were Drime Zhingkyong Gonpo (dri med zhing skyong mgon po, b. 1724); the Second Dzogchen Ponlob, Pema Sangngak Tendzin (rdzogs chen dpon slob 02 pad+ma gsang sngags bstan 'dzin, 1731-1805); the Third Zurtrul Trinle Gyatso (zur sprul 03 phrin las rgya mtsho, d.u.), the Second Nyidrak, Pema Tekchok Tenpai Gyeltsen (nyi grags 02 pad+ma theg mchog bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1712-1771); the Second Zhechen Rabjam, Gyurme Kunzang Namgyel (zhe chen rab 'byams 02 'gyur med kun bzang rnam rgyal, 1713-1769); the Third Khamtrul, Kunga Tendzin (khams sprul 03 kun dga' bstan 'dzin, 1680-1728); the Fourth Khamtrul, Tendzin Chokyi Nyima (khams sprul 04 bstan 'dzin chos kyi nyi ma,1730-1780); the First Nyidrak Gyelse, Orgyen Tendzin (nyi grags rgyal sras 01 o rgyan bstan 'dzin, d.u.); Minling Jetsunma Mingyur Peldron (smin gling rje btsun mi 'gyur dpal sgron, 1699-1769), and Gyelse Pema Namgyel (ral sras pad+ma rnam rgyal, d.u.).

Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin passed away either at age of fifty-nine in 1757, the year of fire-ox in the thirteenth sexagenary cycle or in early 1758, the earth-tiger year at the age of sixty. Pema Kundrol Namgyel arranged an extensive prayer for the parinirvāṇa in the monastery and also sponsored prayers held at many places throughout Tibet. A marvelous golden reliquary was built in his memory.

Pema Kundrol Namgyel was his successor on the abbot chair. His reincarnation was found in Ngedon Tendzin Zangpo (nges don bstan 'dzin bzang po, 1759-1792).




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Samten Chhosphel
August 2011