Tibetan Meditation Center

His Holiness - A Brief Introduction
Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang, Könchog Tenzin Kunsang Thrinlé Lhundrup, was born in 1946 into the aristocratic family of Tsarong in Lhasa. His Holiness was formally recognized and enthroned in 1950 as the head of Drikung Kagyü. At the age of eleven, His Holiness gave his first public teaching and transmission during the 1956 Monkey Year Teachings. Subsequently he began his philosophical studies at the Nyima Changra monastic college of Drikung even as Tibet was on the eve of its darkest period in history. Although most of the heads of the other Tibetan Buddhist lineages fled Tibet when the Chinese Communist government invaded Lhasa in 1959, His Holiness (and His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chungtsang Rinpoché - the other head of Drikung Kagyü) remained despite numerous efforts to have him go into exile. When the so-called Cultural Revolution started in the mid 1960s, life became especially difficult for His Holiness. In 1969 His Holiness was sent to a commune in the countryside to engage in hard labor. Despite the intense suffering he was subjected to during this period, His Holiness maintained great equanimity through it all and always exuded a serenity that provided comfort and hope to those around him. After finally coming into exile in 1975, His Holiness moved to the United States to be reunited with his family. While maintaining his vows and never forgetting his identity and responsibility as the Drikung Kyabgön, His Holiness led a quiet, if unusual, life in the United States. While in the US, His Holiness learned English and worked at McDonalds and other restaurants. Due to the many appeals of Drikung Kagyü followers, His Holiness returned to India in 1978 to reassume his responsibilities as head of Drikung Kagyü lineage. In accordance with the Drikung Kagyü emphasis on actual direct experience of the reality of the Dharma, His Holiness entered a traditional three-year retreat at Lamayuru Monastery in Ladakh under the guidance of the stern retreat-master Kyunga Rinpoché, Zodpa Gyatso (1911-1980).

Aside from receiving all the important lineage transmission from his highly realized teachers in the Drikung Kagyü, His Holiness also received extensive teachings and transmissions from the 14th Dalai Lama, the 16th Karmapa, Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoché, Taklung Shabdrung Rinpoché, Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoché and Drukpa Khenpo Noryang Rinpoché. Since 1987 His Holiness has been giving teachings around the world while working tirelessly to ensure the continuity of the lineage. Today, His Holiness resides at Drikung Kagyü Institute at Dehra Dun, India. The Drikung Kagyü Institute is an educational center, which emphasizes both traditional monastic education, as well as present-day training to meet the needs of these times. The Institute consists of the main monastery (Jangchubling), a nunnery (Samtenling), Songtsen Library (a center for Tibetan and Himalayan studies) and Kagyü College (center for higher Buddhist Studies).

His Holiness has selected the Tibetan Meditation Center as the North American host for the important transmission of the Vajra Nairātmyā Great Empowerment from the Hevajra tantric-cycle. In 2009, His Holiness conferred this same program at the Garchen Buddhist Institute in Germany to over 200 disciples from all over Europe, making it the first European transmission of this practice by His Holiness. His Holiness says that the revitalization of this tradition in the Drigung Kagyü is one of his main priorities in this lifetime. Thus, over the last few decades, despite the enormity of the task of re-establishing the lineage in exile, His Holiness has dedicated his own personal practice to Hevajra-Nairātmyā. Although these days Cakrasamvara is more commonly practiced as the main yidam by most Kagyü followers, Hevajra was in fact the main yidamof Marpa (mar pa chos kyi blo gros, 1012-1097) and his wife Dakmema; both in fact considered to be Hevajra and Nairātmyā in person.

Marpa Chökyi Lodro

The Vajra Nairātmyā Great Empowerment that His Holiness will confer is part of the famous Seven Maṇḍalas of Ngok. The Drigung Kagyü was once the chief holder of this important collection of highest yoga tantras that Marpa transmitted to his disciple Ngok Chöku Dorjé (rngog chos sku rdo rje, 1036-1102), Marpa's disciple most learned in the tantric system. [An equally important transmission of the Hevajra system is maintained in the Sakya lineage, a system that came through Drokmi Lotsawa (993–1050).] At the Germany transmission, His Holiness explained that he is re-establishing this tradition of practicing the Hevajra system in all Drikung Kagyü monasteries and centers. Since the practice of the Hevajra deity itself is elaborate and time consuming, he decided to bestow to disciples in the Western world the empowerment and transmission of the maṇḍala of Vajra Nairātmyā, the consort of Hevajra. Furthermore, in The Life-tree of the Vajrapañjara (gur gyi sog shing) - Marpa's commentary on the Vajrapañjara Tantra (an exclusive explanatory-tantra of the Hevajra Tantra), it is stated that the sadhana of Nairātmyā is an exceptionally swift method for attaining the siddhis. Hence His Holiness compiled the generation-stage Nairātmyā sadhana based on the fourth chapter of the Vajrapañjara Tantra and also drew on the Ngok tradition and supplemental parts from the Kagyü Ngak Dzö (bka' brgyud sngags mdzod), The Kagyü Treasury of Tantric Instructions compiled by Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thayé (1813-1899). His Holiness will bestow the 15-deities Vajra Nairātmyā Great Empowerment.

The Program at TMC - History in the Making
After the empowerment on August 14 & 15, His Holiness will give instructions on the generation-stage practice of Vajra Nairātmyā in the form of a shorter sadhana meant for daily use as well as a more extensive sadhana for retreat use. His Holiness' teachings will draw from Marpa's commentaries on the Hevajra Tantra and Vajrapañjara Tantra. Until recently, both these commentaries were rarely taught, as their contents were considered too precious to be openly disclosed. But in the interest of reviving the Hevajra-Nairātmyā practice within the Drigung Kagyü, His Holiness is now compassionately and skillfully revealing the contents of the two commentaries as he deems fit. His Holiness has also compiled a ganacakra-offering text and a fulfillment fire-puja text for this practice. All texts have been translated into English and will be taught to participants.

[NOTE: In order to attend the teachings, one has to attend the two-day great empowerment on August 14 & 15. We regret that no exceptions can be made on this matter.]

Vajra Nairātmyā - "Adamantine Lady of Selflessness"

Therefore this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - to receive such an important transmission from the head of one of the surviving Kagyü lineages as well as to participate in this history-making event of the revival of an ancient tradition. In this program, His Holiness will bestow the great empowerment (using the superior support of a sand-maṇḍala) and give related oral-transmissions and extremely secret pith-instructions for the practice, lead participants in practice-sessions and close the program with a Hevajra fulfillment fire-puja.