To all those around the world who have a connection, direct or indirect, with the Lord of Refuge, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche:
With great regret, we would like to share some sad news with you. On May 5, 2023, the fifteenth day of the third Tibetan month of the Water Hare Year, at the age of ninety-one, the Lord of Refuge Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, tutor to the Gyalwang Karmapa, displayed the appearance of ill health.
When his disciples requested him to go to the hospital, he refused at first but relented when asked again, and was brought to the hospital.
At that time, His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa, out of his immeasurable compassion, spontaneously wrote a powerful long life prayer, instructed all the Kagyu shedras to perform long life practices on Rinpoche’s behalf, and kindly gave much advice and guidance. The sanghas of all lineages and in particular the Kagyu monasteries inside and outside Tibet as well as many faithful students put great effort into long life practices. Chamgön Kenting Tai Situ Rinpoche, Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche, and other great lamas came specifically to see Rinpoche in the hospital. They showed inconceivable kindness by performing long life empowerments and life summoning practices as well as offering representations of body, speech, and mind and making extensive prayers.
Even so, Rinpoche was unable to recover, so he returned to his monastic seat, Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery in Namo Buddha. Finally, on June 4, the full moon day of the fourth Tibetan month, Saga Dawa-the sacred anniversary of the Buddha Shakyamuni, our incomparably kind teacher, passing into parinirvana-Rinpoche decided that he had completed his activity for this life.
At 1:30 PM, he lay down in the same posture as the Buddha Shakyamuni had lain in when passing into parinirvana and then displayed the appearance of his mind dissolving into the undefiled, luminous dharma expanse and passing into peace. Immediately, Kyabje Lodrö Nyima Rinpoche offered Rinpoche a reminder of the tukdam meditation. (click here for more info on this)
The Gyalwang Karmapa instructed that, as Rinpoche needed to be in a peaceful environment, this news should not be announced for four days. This is the reason why no announcement has been made until now.
Thrangu Tashi Chöling Monastery
June 8, 2023
As for Tukdam Meditation, see the illuminating documentary: Tukdam: Between Worlds, a new film by Finnish-Irish-American filmmaker Donagh Coleman (available for streaming), which gives a glimpse into a contemporary exploration of death and dying through renowned neuroscientist Richard Davidson and his team’s investigation into the Tibetan Buddhist phenomenon of tukdam (var. thukdam). Blurring the line separating life and death, this documentary provides a rich discussion in its search to understand one of life’s great mysteries.
Tukdam means to hold or bind (dam) the mind (tug). In this advanced state of meditation, the practitioner’s consciousness remains in a state of awareness or deep meditation focused at the heart center. In Himalayan Buddhist traditions, those who practice tukdam at the time of death are reportedly able to slow down the decomposition of their body and remain in this meditative state. Practitioners who achieve this consciously controlled death reportedly display certain characteristics: the body remains fresh for days and even weeks after death; there is no rotting scent of decomposition; the skin remains supple; a warmth around the heart area remains, even though there is no heartbeat; and the body often remains upright in a meditative posture. Tibetan Buddhists consider this an advanced meditative state of “mind over matter,” and such control of consciousness during dying can reportedly lead to full awakening, or, at least, to a positive reincarnation.
A Prayer for the Swift Return of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
A Prayer for the Swift Return of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche by His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa.
Prayer for the Swift Return of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (PDF file)
Guru Yoga
New Guru Yoga composed by His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa
June 18 marks the beginning of the third week after the Parinirvana of the Venerable Kyabje Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. As instructed by H.H. the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, monastics of Thrangu Monastery began the practice of Vairochana, which will continue for seven days.
On June 19, H.H. the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa also gave the monastic and lay disciples of Thrangu Monastery worldwide the online oral transmission of the “Invoking Compassion Swiftly: A Guru Yoga for Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche” and the “Prayer for the Swift Return of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche” which he composed.
You can listen to the reading transmission of these prayers given by His Holiness Karmapa here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVi_7TLBTe4
The “Swift Return” starts at 37:20 and ends at 39:18
The “Invoking Compassion Swiftly” starts at 40:00 and ends at 44:35.
Notice also that His Holiness makes a few comments in English starting at 44:48 and ending at 46:45.
Pema Chödrön
Kyabje Thrangu Rinpoche, Abbot of Gampo Abbey, passed into Parinirvana on June 4, 2024.
Dear Noble Sangha:
Gampo Abbey’s beloved Abbot Kyabje Thrangu Rinpoche, was the greatest of masters. His vast mind and vast heart were always available. He was the kindest, most compassionate and wisest of teachers. Meeting him was like meeting the Buddha in person.
Although I feel brokenhearted at his passing, what I mostly feel is overwhelming gratitude for having had the immense good fortune to work closely with him for many years and to have received many empowerments and teachings, as well as personal guidance in my practice.
Even when he was far away, I always felt that he was accessible to me. Just to think of his smiling face has always connected me with the wide open, unbiased, fresh nature of mind.
That is what, I pray, will continue now in this and in future lifetimes.
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
What a great master he was, Kyabje Thrangu Rinpoche. In all manners of his mindfulness, in every action, and simply upon seeing him, I have always felt that he must be in the awakened state just like the Buddhas and the great masters of old. I had the immense opportunity of meeting him in my early teenage years, but did not have the chance to receive teachings until later in my life while in America. Over the years I have had the great fortune to receive his teachings on the Sutrayana Prajnaparamita, the Mantrayana Mahamudra, and Vajrayogini initiations. I thus consider him to be one my root teachers. As sad as it is that he is no longer in this world, I have no doubt that he is always accessible, and that his mind is all-pervasive without obstruction like the sky itself.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
It is with tremendous, poignant sadness that we acknowledges the passing into parinirvana of the great master, Kyabje Yongzin Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.
Thrangu Rinpoche was the principal abbott of the Karma Kagyu lineage. He was a very dear and important teacher to Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Rinpoche’s boundless enlightened activities by no means were restricted to the formal, monastic institution of the lineage. His many books which tackled complex Dharma topics in a remarkably gentle, digestible fashion, have benefitted countless Dharma students, from beginners all the way up through the most advanced practitioners. For years, Rinpoche toured the Earth, fully presenting the view of the Karma Kagyu in a complete, genuine, and always utterly kind way. Rinpoche’s compassion extended even beyond formal Dharma, including many formidable philanthropic efforts in many regions of the world. His activities were unparalleled.
While the presence of his teachings will remain strong, due to the force of his compassionate and enlightened aspiration prayers for the benefit of all sentient beings, still, the departure of his form kaya from this world is a difficult loss for those who follow the Buddha’s teachings in general, and the followers of the Karma Kagyu tradition in particular.
We sincerely pray for Thrangu Rinpoche’s swift rebirth, and for his enlightened intentions to be fulfilled without any obstruction. We offer our sincere condolences to Thrangu Rinpoche’s disciples and his network of spiritual communities, and all who are feeling affected by his passing.
Ri-mé Society
It is with both bottomless sadness as well as immense appreciation for his life that we announce Thrangu Rinpoche has entered into Parinirvana, passing beyond an extraordinary life of realization, teaching, and immense service and benefit to countless beings. Thrangu Rinpoche was an inestimable force in the preservation and continuation of the Mahamudra tradition, practice, and realization. He was a victory banner fluttering free and brilliantly at the crest of the Kagyu lineage. He was the teacher to a whole new generation of lineage holders, including the 17th Karmapa, many other tulkus and lineage teachers, as well as many thousands of practitioners everywhere. He was a precious link with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, his vajra brother, as well as a direct link to the vital transmission teachings of Khenpo Gangshar. He combined extraordinary mastery of the Buddhist teachings with his living realization of the essence of all those teachings. In person, he radiated incredible warmth to and genuine regard for everyone he met. His broad smile was like the midday sun and simultaneously like an ever-caring cosmic grandfather. His teachings were like a continual flow of brilliant jewels. Thrangu Rinpoche was and is family in the most vast sense of the word, the family of the Buddha and the family of all sentient beings. May we all live our lives igniting in us the amazing blessings, insight, and direct experience that Thrangu Rinpoche bestowed on us!
Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s Humble Autobiography.
I, Karma Lodrö Ringluk Maseng, am said to be his reincarnation, the Ninth Thrangu Tulku. I gained a precious human body in the Female Water Bird Year of the sixteenth cycle (1933).
Though I myself have no confidence or proof at all, Situ Pema Wangchuk Gyalpo and the Sixteenth Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje recognized me in a wondrous way, and so I had the opportunity to enter the gate of the Dharma.
Subsequently, Traleg Shedrup Chökyi Nyima invited Khenpo Lodrö Rabsal from Shechen to found a monastic college, and though I lacked enough intelligence or diligence to develop any qualities, I did have the fortune to listen and contemplate.
Later I encountered many difficulties during a tumultuous time, but because of the cool shade of the Sixteenth Karmapa’s compassion, I was very fortunate to at least develop an unmistaken virtuous mind.
This is my own story.
Thrangu Rinpoche’s Vajra Vidya Retreat Center in Crestone, CO, on June 4, Vaishakha day. The day of Kyabje Yongdzin Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s parinirvana. © Clark Johnson
No further information is yet available but we will provide here on our KCCL homepage any further instructions regarding practices and their timing as soon as they are known, as well as any other important messages that will be forthcoming. So please check in here from time to time.
