Bhakha Rinpoche

Bhakha Rinpoche

Bhakha Rinpoche is the tenth tulku in a chain of lamas who have returned with the inestimable desire to benefit all beings in all worlds.

The Bhakha Tulkus have been considered incarnations of Dorje Lingpa, the Great terton of the East (who was considered an emanation of one of Tibet's preeminent translators and Dzogchen masters, Vairotsana), the Great Terton of the West, Pema Lingpa as well as the Great Terton of the indeterminate direction, Shikpo Lingpa.

Bhakha monastery is in Powo, located in Guru Rinpoche's hidden land of Pemako, just north of the Indian Border with Tibet.

History of the Bhakha Tulkus

The First Bhakha Rinpoche established Bhakha Monastery right near the place where he planted his walking stick in the ground. The stick miraculously sprouted green and grew into a massive pine tree which can be seen in front of the monastery across the river in the picture below.

Bhakha Tulku's second incarnation was a monk known as Rigzin Chokyi Gyamtso. He focused his life on the practice of dzogchen, particularly the Chetsun Nyinthig tradition, which he fully accomplished. He was a contemporary of the Fifth Dalai Lama, and was famous as the primary teacher of the first Dzogchen Rinpoche, Pema Rigzin of Derge. His hermitage was a cave among the rocks on the slope of a snowy mountain that faces the monastery from across the river. His biography describes how he flew back and forth between the cave and the monastery.

There are also a couple of stones preserved at Bhakha Monastery that demonstrate the power of the Second Bhakha Rinpoche over the elements: his footprint in stone.

At the time, the Dzungar Mongols were ravaging all parts of Tibet. Though remote and difficult to access for the Mongol cavalry, the Powo valley was not spared. They destroyed the castle of the king of Powo and Pemako, Kanam Gyalpo, along with several monasteries. The king was a descendent of Trigum Tsenpo, ruler of Tibet long before the time of the Tibetan empire of Songsten Gampo. Having demolished Kanam Castle, the Mongols saw Bhakha Monastery in the distance and set out to attack it as well. They were stopped by the river, and lacking boats to cross the strong current, their chief summoned Rigdzin Gampo to cross to their side. Rigdzin Gampo approached the river with a single attendant, but they had reversed their identities; his attendant wore an ornate brocade hat, while Rigzin Gampo wore a lotus style hat that had been a terma object found during an earth terma discovery.

With his prodigious power he spread his upper robe on the water like a raft, and together with his attendant, rowed to the other side with a walking stick as an oar. He approached the astonished Mongols and prostrated his body three times before the commander's throne. The commander suddenly fell from his seat, with blood gushing from his mouth, dead. He then instructed the remaining soldiers to return peacefully to their homeland.

The Mongols retired from Powo and never returned. For his service in saving the region from the invaders, Rigdzin Gampo was granted an honorary rank and red seal by the Central Government of Tibet.

The Second Bhakha Tulku was a lineage holder of various terma teachings from the renowned masters of that age including Rigdzin Pema Lingpa, Rigdzin Jatson Nyingpo, Namcho Mingyur Dorje and Rigdzin Dudul Dorje.

There is nothing mentioned in the biography about the third, fourth, fifth and sixth Bhakha Tulkus, but it is apparent from the strength of the following incarnations that they firmly preserved the purity of enlightened intention.

Known as Kunsang Tenpai Gyaltsen, the Seventh Bhakha Tulku was born unfolding the lotus of knowledge of the sutras and tantras in 1799, the year of the Earth Sheep. In that lifetime he was the son of the seventh Pema Lingpa. Pema Lingpa gave his son the aural transmission, treasure teachings (kama and terma), the pure vision lineages of the old translation tradition, and in particular, the complete Dharma cycles of Pema Lingpa: the empowerments, teachings, and special instructions. Among all his father's students Bhakha Rinpoche was the only one to whom the realization of the absolute lineage was transferred. He became the holder of the teachings, and through that, the spiritual heart-son: even more precious than a physical son.

Later, the Eighth Pema Lingpa, Kunzang Tenpai Nyima, became the seventh Bhakha Rinpoche's disciple, and received from this master the old translation tantras (the Nyingma Gyud Bum); the Seven Treasures of Longchenpa; the Trilogy of Ease (Ngalso Korsum); the Whispered Lineage of Thangtong Gyalpo; and the teachings of Guru Chowang and Pema Ledrel Tsal. Bhakha Tulku also gave the Eighth Pema Lingpa (his former father) the complete empowerments, instructions, and stream of transmission of the Pema Lingpa Dharma Cycle, as well as the collected writings of Pema Lingpa's fifth heart-son incarnation (the fifth Thuksey Rinpoche).

The Seventh Bhakha Tulku traveled extensively, spreading the empowerments, transmissions and instructions of the Pema Lingpa teachings among his students, and in this way, he did a great service to the Dharma in general, and to the Pema Lingpa teachings in particular.

Rigdzin Khamsum Yongdrol, the Eighth Bhakha Tulku, was known as a united incarnation of Dorje Lingpa and Pema Lingpa. From early childhood on, the lotus of his intelligence unfolded. He attended the Eighth Pema Lingpa (his disciple in his previous lifetime), receiving the common treatises on logic, the uncommon sutras and tantras, the general oral and treasure lineages, and, in particular, the complete Pema Lingpa Dharma Cycle. The eighth Pema Lingpa directed the master, Bhakha Tulku, to go to Kham, where he received an abundance of teachings from various spiritual masters, including Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye. Of particular interest is the fact that he received from Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo the empowerment lineage of Pema Lingpa's Tsedup Norbulam Khyer ("Integrating the Jewel of Long Life"), which had heretofore been lost. Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo had received these empowerments and instructions in a pure vision directly from Pema Lingpa himself. Thus Bhakha Tulku became the first to receive this particular short lineage. Bhakha Tulku passed it on to Jigme Rangdrol Dorje, also known as Lama Phuntsog, who in turn greatly spread the transmission lineage of this empowerment. The Eighth Bhakha Tulku then offered the complete empowerments and instructions of the Pema Lingpa Dharma Cycle back to his teacher, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye.

Rigdzin Khamsum Yongdrol practiced in all these places: Tharpaling, Kundrak, Shugdrag, Tamshing, and at Dorje Lingpa's seat, Buli Ogmin Lhundrup Choling. He also compiled information about holy places such as Shugdrag and Kundrak. The Eighth Bhakha Tulku was an accomplished artist, and in Bumthang in the temple of Uru Rangbi he made statues of the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, as well as an image of the Eighth Pema Lingpa which we can still see today. He compiled and collected the Norgyam Thinley Nyingpo, Ngakso Yeshe Chugyun, Tsedrup Norbu Lamkhyer, Phagmo Yangsang Lame, and the sadhana of Chagdor Tumpo. Many years later, the great treasure finder Dudjom Rinpoche gave great praise to his compilation of Khamsum Yongdrol, as well as that of the Fifth Thugsey Rinpoche.

In the latter part of his life, the Eighth Bhakha Rinpoche settled in Lagyap Khenlung and Lhalung, in Bhutan. He was also the throne holder and main teacher of Lhalung Monastery where he cherished all the monks, giving them Dharma teachings as well as material support. Thus this master greatly served the Dharma in general, and in particular, the lineage of Pema Lingpa.

The Ninth Bhakha Tulku, Rigzin Khamsum Yongdrol was a friend and contemporary of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche; both were born around the same time. He was well known in Bhutan as he was the royal priest of the first Bhutanese King Jigmed Ugyen Wangchuk. The Ninth Bhakha Tulku was a student of Jamgon Kongtru the Great and also the chief disciple of Lhalung Sungtrul Tenpai Nyima. He spent most of his time in Bhutan and in Lhodrak Lhalung, Pema Lingpa's seat. The king of Bhutan made him offerings of many fine religious articles such as an ivory gyaling, damaru and water vase, as well as other precious implements of gold and silver. All these things were sent back to Powo to Bhakha Monastery. The Ninth Bhakha Tulku was also an accomplished artist: he built a huge Guru Rinpoche statue in Bhumthang in Bhutan. He also had a son who married the daughter of the Karmapa, Khakyab Dorje.

He was considered very handsome, and women used to sing a song about him that goes:

O Bhakha Tulku Rigzin Gyamtso,
seeing your face
I only long to see you more
you are the jewel of my heart!

Unfortunately, he was unable to benefit the monastery very much due to his death at the early age of 32. When he died his patrons in Powo were entrusted with the responsibility of the monastery, and the present Bhakha Tulku was reborn to these patrons.

The present Bhakha Rinpoche was first recognized as the incarnation of Pema Lingpa by Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, who asked his family take good care of him and to keep him safe from defilements and impurities.

After receiving the empowerments and transmissions of the Rinchen Terzod and Dudjom lineages from His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche at Yurigon Monastery in upper Powo, Bhakha Rinpoche went to Kongpo with His Holiness, where he received more precious teachings including the 13 cycles of the Pema Lingpa treasures. He then practiced intensely under His Holiness' guidance.

After the Chinese invasion of Tibet, he escaped to Bhutan, where he again received all 13 cycles of the Pema Lingpa treasures from Tamshing Lama Phuntsok, Bhutan's main holder of the Pema Lingpa lineage. He practiced thoroughly all the teachings he received with Thuksey Rinpoche in retreat in holy places such as Shugdrag and Kundrag.

Today, the Tenth Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche is venerated as the holder of this great unbroken lineage by all his contemporary teachers at the main Pema Lingpa seat, Lhalung Monastery in Tibet, as well as at Tamshing Monastery in Bhutan.