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Shakyamuni Buddha was fully enlightened from the very beginning, in the form of
Dharmakaya Buddha. Therefore, Dharmakaya Buddha was the source of all the Buddhas,
Bodhisattvas and teachings. The Dharmakaya Buddha was the founder of Great Perfection.
In the state of Dharmakaya, he gave his teachings to the five self-manifesting Buddhas
of the Sambhogakaya Buddha, who are the same essence with the transmitted directly
to their Wisdom Mind, without using words or any other indication. We call this
the Lineage of transmission of the Wisdom Mind of the Buddha.
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Dharmakaya Buddha Samanta Bhadra
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Sambhogakaya Buddha Vajra Sattva
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In the state of Sambhogakaya, Sambhogakaya Buddha Vajrasattva transmitted all the
empowerments and teachings to the Nirmanakaya Prake Vajra (Gharab Dorjee), the first
human master, through the sign, light, and pronouncing a mantra. Here, they don’t
teach through regular speech. This lineage is known as Symbol Lineage.
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Nirmanakaya Buddha Gharab Dorjee
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Nirmanakaya Buddha Gharab Dorjee was the emanation of Vajrasattva Buddha. Gharab
Dorjee was fully enlightened from this birth and had no need to study or practice.
Gharab Dorjee could debate and discuss about anything with the 500 great masters
when he was only 7 years old. So no one could challenge through debates or spiritual
power. He knew all the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana teachings. In particular,
he understood the meaning of six million four hundred thousands verses of the Dzogpa
Chenpo (Great Perfection) teachings. From his advice, his student, a Dakini, compiled
all his instructions into books. The master himself later became rainbow body and
dissolved into the Dharmakaya state. According to the students experience, the master
received “great light initiation” (the final initiation) from Sambhogakaya Buddha
Vajrasattva and immediately became fully enlightened, the ultimate stage of Buddhahood,
and started to teach humans. He was the first human master.
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Jam Pal Shes-Nyen
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Jam Pal Shes-Nyen, the second human master of the Dzogpa Chenpo great perfection,
was the emanation of bodhisattva Vajrapani. Born into a Brahmin family in a city
west of Vajrasana, he mastered Philosophy, logic, Sanskrit, linguistic, and art
while he was still a child. According to the prediction of Manjusri, he went to
see his Dzogchen master at the cremation ground at Sitvana. There he studied for
seventy-five years with Gharab Dorjee (Hasya Vajra) and received all the Dzogpa
Chenpo teachings, initiations, and innermost secret pith-instructions. He divided
the six million four hundred thousand verses of Dzogpa Chenpo into three sections:
mind section, vast expanse section, and esoteric instruction section. Later he got
enlightenment and dissolved into a mass of light (attained rainbow body). After
that, he reappeared to his best student Sri Singha in a vision and gave him the
final instruction and presented him with a box containing the six meditation experience.
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Shri Singha
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Great master Shri Singha was born in 289 B.C. in the country known as the Black
Expanse, in western China. From age 15, he started studying Astrology, and many
other things from master Hastibhala. Also, Shri Singha studied inner and outer tantra
from the master Bhela Kriti for seven years in WuTai Mountain in China. Later, when
he was in meditation retreat, Buddha Avalokiteshvara appeared and predicted him
that if he wanted to get enlightenment within his lifetime, he should go to India
and see his master. So he went to India and met great master Jampal She-Nyen and
later Nirmanakaya Gharab Dorjee. He spent 25 years with them, and received all the
initiations, teachings, and pith instructions of Great Perfection, the Dzogpachenpo.
He practiced and became fully enlightened. Later, he became rainbow body and became
one with Dharmakaya Buddha. He transmitted his lineage to the second Buddha Guru
Padmasambhava, to Vimalamitra, Buddhaguhya, and to Tibetan master Vairotsana Raksita.
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Padmasambhava
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Padmasambhava, the embodiment of Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya of the
Buddha and Vidyadhara of all forms of enlightened knowledge, transmitted the innermost
secret teachings of Vajrayana to Tibet. Through his teachings and empowerments,
he established the basis of the Nyingma Kama and Terma transmission and consecrated
the land of Tibet. He guided, taught, and protected whoever is devoted to the practice
of Vajrayana. He manifested in the ten directions and in the three periods of times,
showing different forms and teachings in different cultures to benefit living beings.
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Khandro Yeshi Tshogyal
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Yeshi Tshogyal was Padmasambhava’s mystic consort and greatest disciple. She was
the incarnation of Vajra Varahi and was instrumental in the transmission of essential
teachings of the Nyingma tradition. She was also one of the three disciples who
received the Vajrakila teaching from Padmasambhava. She practiced and accomplished
these teachings. After Padmasambhava departed from Tibet, she continued the teachings
and guided many hundreds of disciples.
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Kunkyen Longchen Rabjam
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Kunkyen Longchen Rabjam (1308-1363) was the greatest Dzogchen master in the Nyingma
tradition, and also the most brilliant and famous writer. He wrote about 270 works,
of which only about 25 survived and among which where the “Seven Treasuries” (Longchen
Zod Dun) and the “Three Trilogies”. He explained about 17 main tantras of Dzogchen
teaching and 9 yanas. Also, longchenpa collected his own Terma and Dzogchen teachings
of guru Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra, which is known as “Nyingtik Yabzhi”, i.e.,
Khandro Nyingtik of Padmasambhava, the Vima Nyingtik of Vimalamitra, the Lama Yangtik,
the Khandro Yantik, and the Zabmo Yangtik of his own explanation of Dzogchen. So
he was the greatest exponent if the Great Perfection. His “Seven Treasures” (m Dzod
bDun) books are very famous and well known to this very day.
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Rigzin Jigme Lingpa
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Jigme Lingpa (1729-1798) was the combined emanation of Vimalamitra, King Trisong
Detsen and Gyalse Lhaje. He received the complete Dzogchen Nyingtik teachings from
Guru Rinpoche, Yeshi Tshogyal and Longchen Rabjam, through the state of pure vision.
He saw Longchen Rabjam three times and received his blessings of body, speech, and
mind. Thus he became inseparable from the Longchenpa and attained the realization
of the Dzogchenpo. He write nine volumes of “Dharma treasures” (Terma), and became
the founder of Longchen Nyingtik. His incarnation included Do-Kyen-Tse Yeshi Dorjee
(1800-1866) as his body incarnation, Patrul Jigme Choyi Wangpo (1808-1887) as his
speech incarnation, and Jamyang Kyentse Wangpo (1820-1892) as his mind incarnation.
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Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu
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Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu (1765-1843) was the illustrious disciple of Rigzin Jigme Lingpa.
Rigzin Jigme Lingpa had three principal disciples, Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu, Jigme Trinlay
Woeser and Jigme Kundrol. Among them, Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu was the main Dzogchen
lineage holder. After spending a considerable time with his master in central Tibet,
he returned to Kham. There he practiced and realized the actual nature of mind.
He spent 21 years in the same place and gathered many thousands of disciples, the
mains ones were Dza Patrul Rinpoche and Jamyang Kyentse Wangpo Rinpoche. Through
those two great disciples, his lineage, the practicing lineage of the Pith-instruction
of Dzogpa Chenpo, spread widely.
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Pa-trul Ogyen Jigme Choe-kyi Wangpo
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Patrul Rinpoche (1808-1887) was the incarnation of Shanti Deva and the principle
disciple of Jigme Gyalwai Nyu-gu. He received all the Nyingtik teachings, transmissions,
and whispered pith instructions from his master. He also received other Dzogchen
teachings from many other Lamas, including the first Dodrup Chen Rinpoche.
Patrul Rinpoche wrote many commentaries about Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
His book “Kunsang Lama’i Shelung” (The Words of My Perfect Teacher), the explanation
of the Preliminary practice, is well known and widely used by the four schools of
Tibetan Buddhism. He had many famous students through teaching and practice, including
Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche., who wrote more than thirty volumes about Tibetan Buddhism
philosophy. Among all the students, Lama Longtok was the best, to whom Patrul Rinpoche
gave pith-instruction of Dzogpa Chenpo.
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Lungtok Tenpai Nyima
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Lungtok Tenpai Nyima (1829-1901) was the foremost disciple of Patrul Rinpoche for
twenty five years. He received all the teachings, initiations and practical instruction
of Longchen Nyingtik from his master, and practiced for many years. According to
his prediction of his master, he started to teach Dzogchen in his fifties. Eventually,
Lungtok had five great disciples, among them Khenpo Ngawang Palsang was the supreme
one.
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Khenpo Ngawang Palsang
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In the state of Sambhogakaya, Sambhogakaya Buddha Vajrasattva transmitted all the
empowerments and teachings to the Nirmanakaya Prake Vajra (Gharab Dorjee), the first
human master, through the sign, light, and pronouncing a mantra. Here, they don’t
teach through regular speech. This lineage is known as Symbol Lineage.
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Kyabje Jadrel Sangye Dorjee Rinpoche
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Living Buddha, Kyabje Jadrel Rinpoche was born in 1913, the day when Guru Rinpoche
took the form of Dorjee Drollod Tsal. Guru Padmasambhava, Yeshi Tsogyal and many
masters had predicted about Kyabje Rinpoche, saying that he was the emanation of
Padma Sambhava. The prediction says:
The supreme manifestation of Padma Sambava's (Lotus Born Buddha) mind. The holy son,
blessed by Vimalamitra. Born in the Ox year, by the name of Sangye Dorjee. Will
spread the lineage of Vajrayana practice.
Jadrel Rinpoche received many special teachings, instructions, and initiations from
many great masters; among them Khenchen Ngawang Palsang was the main master from
whom he received all the innermost secret Dzogchen teachings, instructions and initiations.
He practiced and realized the nature of mind and became one with his master. So
Jadrel Rinpoche was the main lineage holder of Kama. Terma, Terser, and especially
Dzogpa Chenpo Longchen Nyingtik, Dudjom Terser, Sera Khandro's Treasures and Zogchen
Rigzin Sogdrub. Jadrel Rinpoche always live in quiet and peaceful places, which
is free from worldly activities and politics. All his activities have been in practicing
and giving teachings.
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Rigzin Dorjee Rinpoche
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H.E. Rigzin Dorjee Rinpoche was born on 1954 and at the age of fifteen Rinpoche
was ordained monk and studied at the Higher Buddhist Institute in Varanasi. He graduated
with the degree of “Acharya”, master in philosophy.
In his earlier ages, Rinpoche received many empowerments and teachings from H,H.The
Dalai Lama, Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, Kyabje Dhilgo Kyentse Rinpoche, Kyabje Penor
Rinpoche, Nyingma Khenchen Palden Sherab, Khenchen Dhaser, Khenchen Khasdrub, Khenchen
Wanglo, Kyenchen Tsundue, Kagyud Khenchen Yeshi Chodar, Sakya Khenchen Rinchen,
Gyelug Khenchen Tsultrem and many other masters in all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
Through many years of study and meditation retreat, he has mastered the three Tripitakas
and the four sections of yoga, and received the honor of Khenpo at the age of 25.
Especially, Rigzin Rinpoche received the complete Dzogchen teachings, initiations,
pith instructions from his root Guru Kyabje Jadrel Rinpoche and also from Dilgo
Kyentse Rinpoche. He was acknowledged by Jadrel Rinpoche as his heart son, and was
being compared as equal to himself and other Dzogchen masters in the lineage. Advised
him to teach Dzogchen to his students and all over the world.
Rigzin Rinpoche devotes all his life to Buddhist education, with emphasis on both
philosophical understandings and actual Dharma practices. Since 1988, Rinpoche has
founded a Nyingma Institute and Retreat Centers. In 1998, Rinpoche founded Longchen
Nyingtik Institute, USA. He has also taught extensively in institutions, universities
and other Buddhist centers in Bhutan, Nepal, India, Canada, the Netherlands and
USA. His wish is to bring peace and the enlightenment to all over the world.
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