Akong Rinpoche: Difference between revisions
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In 1959, in the aftermath of the occupation of [[Tibet]] by [[China]], he fled to [[India]] at age 20. The journey was difficult and dangerous and of the 300 in his party only 13 arrived safely in India {{citation needed}}. They were so hungry at one point that they boiled leather shoes and bags to make soup {{citation needed}}. |
In 1959, in the aftermath of the occupation of [[Tibet]] by [[China]], he fled to [[India]] at age 20. The journey was difficult and dangerous and of the 300 in his party only 13 arrived safely in India {{citation needed}}. They were so hungry at one point that they boiled leather shoes and bags to make soup {{citation needed}}. |
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After spending time in refugee camps he was asked to teach at a school for young tulkus in [[Dalhousie, India|Dalhousie, NW India]]{{citation needed}}. Then in 1963 a sponsor {{citation needed}} paid for Akong and [[Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche]] to go to [[Oxford]] to learn [[English language|English]]. As only Trungpa had a bursary |
After spending time in refugee camps he was asked to teach at a school for young tulkus in [[Dalhousie, India|Dalhousie, NW India]]{{citation needed}}. Then in 1963 a sponsor {{citation needed}} paid for Akong and [[Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche]] to go to [[Oxford]] to learn [[English language|English]]. As only Trungpa had a bursary Akong worked as a hospital orderly in the [[Radcliffe Infirmary]], supporting himself as well as Trungpa and Lama Chime Tulku Rinpoche of [http://www.benchen.org/en/monastery-tibet.html Benchen] who had joined them. |
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He worked diligently to introduce Western people to Tibetan religion and some of its culture, as an effort to counter the destruction in his native Tibet. He co-founded with Trungpa the Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan centre in [[Scotland]], and also founded ROKPA, a charity working to alleviate poverty in Tibet, Nepal and [[South Africa]]. The charitable aims of ROKPA are listed as |
He worked diligently to introduce Western people to Tibetan religion and some of its culture, as an effort to counter the destruction in his native Tibet. He co-founded with Trungpa the Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan centre in [[Scotland]], and also founded ROKPA, a charity working to alleviate poverty in Tibet, Nepal and [[South Africa]]. The charitable aims of ROKPA are listed as |
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Revision as of 17:20, 31 August 2010
Chöje Akong Rinpoche | |
|---|---|
 Akong Rinpoche at his 65th Birthday celebration in 2005 | |
| Personal | |
| Religion | Tibetan Buddhism |
| School | Kagyu |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Sechen Kongtrul Rinpoche |
Chöje Akong Rinpoche is a tulku in the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and a founder of the Samye Ling Monastery. He was born in 1939, near Riwoche in Kham, Eastern Tibet. At the age of two he was discovered by the search party seeking the reincarnation the previous (1st) Akong, Abbot of Dolma Lhakang monastery in the Chamdo area of Kham. The search party was following instructions given by the 16th Karmapa.
At four he was taken to Dolma Lhakang to receive an education that included religion and traditional Tibetan medicine. When only a teenager, he travelled performing religious ceremonies and treating the ill. Later he went to the great monastic university of Sechen where he received transmission of the Kagyu lineage from Sechen Kongtrul Rinpoche, one of two tulkus of the first Jamgon Kongtrul. He also received instruction from the 16th Karmapa, who also certified him as a teacher of Tibetan medicine[citation needed]. He styles himself "Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche" (lit. Dr. Akong, the precious one, a reincarnation of a high-ranking lama)[1]. He submitted a paper on medical treatments using mantras and prayers at the Seventh International Congress on Traditional Asian Medicine held in Bhutan, 2009.[2]
In 1959, in the aftermath of the occupation of Tibet by China, he fled to India at age 20. The journey was difficult and dangerous and of the 300 in his party only 13 arrived safely in India [citation needed]. They were so hungry at one point that they boiled leather shoes and bags to make soup [citation needed].
After spending time in refugee camps he was asked to teach at a school for young tulkus in Dalhousie, NW India[citation needed]. Then in 1963 a sponsor [citation needed] paid for Akong and Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche to go to Oxford to learn English. As only Trungpa had a bursary Akong worked as a hospital orderly in the Radcliffe Infirmary, supporting himself as well as Trungpa and Lama Chime Tulku Rinpoche of Benchen who had joined them.
He worked diligently to introduce Western people to Tibetan religion and some of its culture, as an effort to counter the destruction in his native Tibet. He co-founded with Trungpa the Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan centre in Scotland, and also founded ROKPA, a charity working to alleviate poverty in Tibet, Nepal and South Africa. The charitable aims of ROKPA are listed as
- To promote Buddhism and to foster non-sectarian inter-religious dialogue and understanding. To provide medical care and therapy. To provide education. To relieve poverty.[3]
In 1992, Akong Rinpoche was one of the main people to discover one of the two claimed reincarnations of the 16th Karmapa, Urgyen Drodul Trinley Dorje, and took him to two of the regents, Tai Situpa and Goshir Gyatsabpa [4] responsible for locating the reincarnation.
Akong Rinpoche has written a book Taming the Tiger:Tibetan Teachings for Improving Daily Life.[5] The book aims to help those seeking the truth about suffering and happiness. The first part deals with Buddhist topics and the second part is devoted to exercises, meditations and relaxation techniques for body and mind and include exercises designed to provide a base of self-knowledge, mind-therapy and self-healing which have been found beneficial in therapy workshops and in the treatment of psychological problems.[6]
In his words
- At present the mind can be compared to a wild tiger, rampaging through our daily lives. Thus the mind becomes wild and uncontrollable and our freedom is effectively destroyed. Normally we are so blind that we are unaware of how wild our minds really are. When things go wrong we tend to blame other people and circumstances, rather than look inside ourselves for the causes of the suffering. But if we are ever to find true peace or happiness it is that wildness within which must be faced and dealt with.
Akong Rinpoche's younger brother Lama Yeshe Losal, has now taken over some of his duties as abbot of Samye Ling.
References
- ^ "Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche". Kagyu Samye Ling, Eskdalemuir. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
- ^ Akong Trulku Rinpoche (Shetrup Akong Tarap) (7 - 11 September 2009). Treatments with Mantras and Prayers (sgnags) (PDF). Seventh International Congress on Traditional Asian Medicine (ICTAM VII). Thimpu, Bhutan.
{{cite conference}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameters:|booktitle=and|coauthors=(help) - ^ "ROKPA trust". Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
- ^ 12th Goshir Gyaltsap Rinpoche
- ^ Rinpoche, Akong Tulku (1994). Taming the Tiger:Tibetan Teachings for Improving Daily Life. Rider. ISBN 0-7126-6220-0.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ "Search result". Retrieved 2010-08-29.