Sunday, March 10, 2013

Live Story from the Oral Tradition (14): Dzogchen Master - Tokden Lama Lodoe Gyatso (5) 大成就者阿江多丹•洛珠将措

Posted by sonam yeshi

Chat with H.E. Kunde Rinpoche.(herein address as Tulku) on 1 March 2013
Q= sonam yeshi, A=Kunde Rinpoche, Bracket ( ) – notes added for clarity, [ ] – expression

Q: Tulku Thus far I had yet found any written document about the auspicious spiritual life of Master’s Root Lama, Tokden Lodoe Gyatso (should be ‘our’ Root Lama) written in English. Can Tulku kindly narrate some biographical history of this accomplished Great Dzogchen Master perfected the Lama Yangtig transmission from Jigme Yonten Gonpo (no. 39 in the lineage transmission)?
A:  My Dzogchen Master, Tokden Lama Lodoe Gyatso , our Root Lama, hails from Golok (Tibet), when he was very young age, he knew whom he was! He left home himself and walked to Dzogchen Shriseng Monastery to study! Master narrated to us that along the journey, he received offering of ‘zamba’ food, He eat it with natural water (sea, rivers) once a day!

 Q: wow, such right effort?
A: It was said that this Great Master was able to remember perfectly whatever Dharma Sutras and Trantra transmitted to him once by His root Lama, Jigme Yonten Gonpo and His Teachers (Khenpos) in Dzogchen Shriseng Monastery!

Q: : Sounds a genius in modern time!
A: During the early 50an when religion was being prohibited by the communists, all monks had to disrobe and put to do hard labourous works such as building roads, bridges etc., many famous monks were put into jail! Master was one of them (early twenties). But He taught the Great Perfection to the jail mates secretly.

Q: Wasn’t him be discovered and life threatening?
A: yes, the jail officer had ransacked his jail cell where He was staying with Bano Wangtrul (his first student in the jail) but could not find the pitch instructions written on the empty tea pack papers and cigarette wrappers!

Q: How did he get writing tools such as pencil or chalk?
A: It was narrated that He mentioned able to find writing tool to His students, no one knew how he got it. But they believed it was given by the Dzogchen Dharma Protector, Ekajati (the One-Eye Dharma Protector)

Q: His attainment was such inconceivable?
A: Yes, Master was given a name by the jail officers – Stone Man, someone who was hit and wacked but showed no pain!

Q: What was your personal experience with this Dzogchen Master?
A: He is a Buddha to me! I knew He did not sleep in lying down posture, He sat in Meditation posture throughout resting time! He seems not sleeping, meditating throughout the nights!!! Daily at 4.00A.M., He started reciting the texts of Dzogchen Great Perfection practices.

Q: Was Master been recognized as any reincarnation of any Great Master of the Past in Vajrayana Tradition?
A: Before He entered into Nirvana, He informed us while teaching us Yeshi Lama (those receiving Great Perfection teachings oral transmission from the Master, less than 30 senior Khenpos and Rinpoches), He is the ‘Dharmakaya of Bodhisattva, Shantarakshita’.

(note: later, cross reference information was found from Chinese blogs written by  students of His student such as Bano Wangtrul and others mentioned this and more details,please see below referred weblink)  

Q: Can we say He reveals the Truth only before His Body Dissolved?
A: Even one has mundane level of doubt , Master had reached the age after 70, there was not any point for such senior Lama who held no material possessions offered to Him from the beginning till He enter Nirvana said anything untrue!

Q: [laughter] agree! My personal observation and reading from life history of Great Masters, one amazing ‘authentication’ was the way they passed away, and the Relics from physical body.
A: Yes! We had shared this in earlier conversation. Master announced the date He was physically dissolving, and before His Vajra Body diminishing completely, it was cremated. During the cremation, dew-like misty smoke surroundings like dizzling, and Relics were fallen from the sky!

Q:Wow, what other quality of the Bodhisattva that impressed you till today?
A: The unwavering confident and perfect diligent in Dzogchen Meditation, He had lived an example that this modern time it is difficult for many to emulate even with many facilities and right conditions to study and practice. He advised us that with the facilities of butter lamps, we could study the Sutras at night; comparatively, He could only afford to burn an incense and read under that little dim bright. Master even made used of Moonlight to study, it was said he followed the Moon and study till he reached the top of the hill during the time He was receiving all the Sacred Teachings in Dzogchen Shriseng Monastery!

Q: Thanks for sharing, Tulku. There has been a common concerned: How to recognize a Vajra Master?
A: The ‘Lineage of Transmission’ (传承) is the Key (golden chain) in Great Perfection. The ‘Lineage’ has not been stained by broken Samaya lapses! (note: Example for Dzogchen Masters, please refer the book, p.68, A Garland of Flowers / Kunde Rinpoche). Further, the quintessential is the ‘Bodhicitta’ (菩提心) of a Teacher – one’s activities benefit all Sentient Beings

Q: Did our great Grand-Master, Lama Tokden Lodoe Gyatso left any pitch instructions before His Nirvana?
A: Yes! I was informed that He said nothing more to teach, but Two Things He had lived throughout his life: He Venerated His Dzogchen Master, Jigme Yonten Gonpo like a Buddha with no broken Samaya; secondly, He lived with Bodhicitta through His life!

Q: It is very moving, Tulku. You are such lucky! Thank you very much for sharing the live experiences of Dzogchen Master, Lama Tokden Lodoe Gyatso.
A: [smiling], Thank you

Tashi Delek扎西德勒!

Thus have i heard… posted by sonam yeshi in 2013
(Note: Translated & Transcribed by Sonam Yeshi. Any mistakes herein were the ignorant of the translator and transcriber, kindly feedback and notify at sonamyeshi09@gmail.com – posted by Sonam Yeshi

Other Resources for references [Chinese]:
 

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