It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our Great Teacher
and Tulku His Holiness Penam Rinpoche. His passing was on the 10th
of March. It was the anniversary "The Day of the Tibetan Uprising"
and also within days of the new moon. In accordance with the tradition
of the Jonang Lineage, we will be having a very special ceremony
this Sunday March 16th, at 10:30am. Our regular scheduled Green
Tara practice will not be held in lieu of this ceremony.
We are asking all sangha members to please come and
participate in this very important puga. As is our tradition, we will
be lighting 100,000 butter lamps to honor our Great Teacher and Tulku.
We are asking that all sangha members who are interested
in attending to please bring butter lamps, flowers, and any other
special alter item you wish to dedicate to His Holiness. Sangha members
are also encouraged to do meditations on a daily basis during this
time and Vajrasattva mantra recitations. 100,000 recitations during
the next two months would be appropriate, but members are asked to
do as many recitations as possible.
It is the desire of all great Tulku's to reincarnate
for the "sake of all sentient beings." It is our prayers
and mantras, and aspirations that will help to bring about the reincarnation
of our Great Teacher.
Ngagwang Pedma Namgyal Palzangpo (His Holiness Penam
Rinpoche) was born in 1925 between the Machu River and the Machen
Pomra Mountain in Amdo, Tibet. He was identified and honored since
childhood by many high lamas and tulkus as a highly enlightened being
and the upholder of the Jonang doctrine and the Kalachakra Tantra.
At the age of 3, a high lama from the Nyima lineage
identified him as the incarnation of a supreme being. At the age of
5, Chempa Chozin, another high lama from the Nyima lineage came to
him to pay high respect as if greeting a great yogi who has many deep
realizations. At the age of 7, Palyo Chukdrup Rinpoche, the highest
lama of the region, visited him with great reverence recognizing him
as a highly enlightened being, and asked his parents for permission
to take him to his monastery. His parents were reluctant to have their
child leave, but two years later he was invited to Lama Tsenpa Monlam
Sangpo's Monastery (a modern Milarepa Monastery).
H.H. Penam Rinpoche received numerous instructions
and commentaries on the Sutras as well as numerous quintessential
instructions, transmissions, and the empowerments and commentaries
for the Four Tantras, especially the Completion Stage of the Kalachakra
from Lama Monlam Sangpo.
Lama Monlam Sangpo said to him, "Son of good
fortune! You have come into this world for the purpose of the doctrine
and sentient beings. In particular you should hold the lineage of
the Kalachakra Tantra. I have great hope that you will possess armor-like
perseverance." Later Lama Monlam Sangpo enthroned Penam Rinpoche
as his spiritual heir and successor.
As one of the unrivaled lineage holders, H.H. Penam
Rinpoche studied under many great gurus from several schools and traditions,
so that his training would be based on a non-sectarian approach.
H.H. Penam Rinpoche has been proclaimed to be the
Lord of the Jonang Doctrine by numerous Lamas and Tulkus during the
recent revival of spiritual life in Tibet. He is likened to a fully
blossomed Lotus flower due to his work as an important spiritual founder
and leader of Dharma. He has continued to be a great leader and inspiration
to his people.
H.H. Penam Rinpoche is a great yogi actualizing the
awareness of the illusory nature of phenomenal existence. It is simply
not possible to express the full extent of his enlightened abilities.
Dorje Ling Buddhist Center
New York, NY, Atlanta, GA, Taipei, Taiwan
www.Jonang.org (website does not exist anymore)