A Brief History of Tulku Ashak Thutob Rinpoche's Lineage:
The 1st significant event in the history of Tibetan Buddhism
occurred in 641, when King
Songtsen Gampo (C609-650) unified Tibet and took 2 Buddhist wives (Princess
Wencheng from China and Princess
Bhrikuti Devi from Nepal). Before long, King
Gampo helped spread Buddhism to Tibet.
However, the most important event of Tibetan Buddhist history was the arrival of the great
tantric mystic Padmasambhava (
top picture) in 774 at the invitation of King
Trisong Detsen. It was
Padmasambhava or Guru
Rinpoche who merged
Tantric Buddhism with the local
Bon religion to form what we recognised now as Tibetan Buddhism. In summary according to the Tibetan Buddhist Text, after a series of changes as various births in many different intermediate
existences, it was His Holiness
Terchen Nyidrak Garwang Drodul Lingpa (
picture below, 1647-1710) who mastered and practiced
contemplation and meditation without hearing, he reappeared as the great Treasure
Revealer, the Great Treasure Founder of
Vidyadhara,
Dharma-King and
Nyima Drakpa Tsal. Through the
Nyingma (means the ancient one) practice, from
the
beginning until today, many practitioners have achieved enlightenment of rainbow body.
Nyingma is the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism and HE
Tulku Ashak Thutob Rinpoche is the spiritual master of
Terchen Nyima Drakpa Centers in
Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. He was
born in 1971 and came from a family of great spiritual practice and attainments. At the age of 3, he started to talk about his past life to his parents and
sangha. He was ordained as a monk at the age of 5. He was recognised as a
Tulku (reincarnation master) by HE
Phentul Chogyal Drakpa Rinpoche and His Holiness
Dzarong Trulshik Shatrul Rinpoche and His Holiness
Penor Rinpoche. He received his English Education in
Dharamsala. He then studied in
Rumtek Monastry in Sikkim to study Buddhism for which he obtained 1st Class Honors. He was also educated in Medicine since the previous
Ashak Rinpoche (past life) was renowned for his spiritual Traditional Tibetan healing ability. He also studied and received numerous teachings from many realised masters including
HH the 17
th Karmapa,
HH Penor Rinpoche,
Kempos, high lamas and yogi masters. Learning the
Kalachakra tradition, twice from
Dalai Lama,
Rinchen Terdrog from both
Taklong Tsetul and
Namkha Rinpoche, and the
Dzogchen teaching from
Donse Thinly.
Tulku Ashak Thutob Rinpoche was enthroned by HH Terchen Nyima Drakpa, HE Gyalse Rinpoche and HE Chongpo Lobsang Rinpoche and also an abbot of
Driyal Drudul Sang
Ngak (
Ashak's Monastery), Pal
Ratna and
Samtem Choling Nunnery with 500 monks and nuns including
Nyidrak lineage
Sanghas in Eastern
Kham Nangchen.
01/09/2010: We had the privilege to visit Gechak Gonpa Nunnery with 350 nuns/anis who devote their entire lives in meditation in Nangchen. The joy of having this opportunity to meet some of these nuns is beyond words and Venerable Zomkyi with her Aunt (5th pic from top: a practioner herself). Group picture with Venerable Chongpo Lobsang a highly respectable monk in Nangchen.
the beginning until today, many practitioners have achieved enlightenment of rainbow body.
Anyone of us have at one time or other found the world hard to bear. Stress, Responsibilities, Depression are some of the diseases of modern times that leaves us yearning for a solution. More and more people are turning to meditation as they fail to find the answer to worldly path.
