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His Eminence Dorje Chanage Kalu Rinpoche History
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| His Eminence Khyabje Kalu Rinpoche was born in 1905 in
Kham province in eastern Tibet. His father, the thirteenth incarnation of Ratak Palsang Tulku
was an accomplished Yogi and well-known Doctor. His mother Drolkar devoted to Dharma from an
early age completed one hundred million recitations of the Vajra Guru mantra,
two hundred million Mani's, and one hundred million Vajrasattva mantras.
Both of Kalu Rinpoche's parents were direct disciples of the initiators of the non-sectarian
(Rime) movement, which emphasized the common ground of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages;
Jamgon Kontrol Lodro Thaye, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Mipham Rinpoche.
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When Rinpoche was born, above his house brilliant rainbows
formed and snow fell gently like a rain of flowers. His mother and relatives described how,
as soon as he was born, he looked around and smiled radiantly, showing no fear or shyness,
and he spoke the Six-Syllable Mantra. His parents and everyone in the region were full of joy,
and his birth was heralded as the birth of a very wonderful incarnation.
As a child, noble virtuous tendencies stirred
within him and noble innate propensities for compassion and devotion arouse
naturally. His compassion for sentient beings would often move him to tears,
particularly for those afflicted and oppressed by suffering. |
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| Kalu Rinpoche was recognized as the activity emanation of
Jamgon Kontrul but his Father refused to give him up to the monastery and instead trained his
son in Buddhist Studies and Medicine. Because his father worked enthusiastically at his own
practice of daily recitations, meditations, and retreats, Kalu Rinpoche endowed with a good
intellect, also had to rise early and retire late, his days filled with meditation, practice and
training. At the age of thirteen, the eleventh Tai-Situ, Padma Wangchuk, gave him ordination and
the name Karma Rangjung Kunchab - Self-Arisen and All-Pervading. In later years, everyone said that
it was an appropriate name. When Kalu Rinpoche was fifteen he went to Palpung Monastery where he
mastered the vast body of Buddhist Teachings and completed two traditional three-year retreats. |
| Kalu Rinpoche had great faith and devotion to the lamas with whom he
formed a connection receiving from them empowerments, which mature one spiritually, and teachings,
which enable one to attain liberation. Before entering his first three-year retreat he spoke on the
three ordinations before an assembly of hundreds of monks, nuns, and lay people. Because he spoke with
no fear, with confidence and a sound understanding, his exposition captured the hearts of everyone.
People commented on his clear intellect, good delivery, and accurate presentation. |
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Kalu Rinpoche took White Tara and Avalokiteshvara as his
yidams and the age of fifteen and undertook a summer retreat. At the age of sixteen,
he entered the three-year, three-month retreat course of practice in the great retreat center
at Tsa-dra Rinchen Drak. This retreat had been the main seat of Jamgon Kontrul whose coming had
been foretold by the Buddha in many sutras and tantras. At this time, his faith in his lamas and
the Dharma and his enthusiasm for practice knew no limit. Some idea of Rinpoche's enthusiasm for
Dharma may be gained from his determination to avoid any waste of time during the three-year
retreat. |
| To ensure that he would wake up in the morning, he would go to sleep leaning against the
door to his room. When the monk kicked open the doors to the rooms to wake up the retreatants in
the morning, Rinpoche was sent flying across his room. If he felt sleepy during the day, he sat on
his window ledge. In this position he would fall onto the floor as soon as he dozed off.
As for his faith, Rinpoche felt such devotion for his teacher, Lama Norbu, that during his life,
he offered everything he owned to him on three separate occasions. |
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| Kalu Rinpoche became a lineage holder for the
Shangpa and Karma Kagyu Traditions and studied with many learned and attained masters
from all of the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism: the 16th Karmapa, the eleventh
Tai-Situ Rinpoche, Padma Wangchuk, Palpung Khyentse Shenpen Ozer, the fifth Dzokchen Rinpoche
(abbot of the major Nyingma monastery in Eastern Tibet), Khyentse Chokyi Lodru, Dudjom Rinpoche
(present head of the Nyingmapa school His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the two tutors of the Dalai
Lama (Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche)a Dingo Khyentse Rinpoche (the mind emanation of Khyentse
Wangpo), Kangyur Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche Songjay Dorje, Sakya Trichen (head of one of the two
principal families of the Sakya School), Dezhung Rinpoche (senior scholar of the Sakya School),
and others. With these holy lamas, Rinpoche continually worked diligently at studying,
contemplating, meditation, and practicing innumerable collections of instructions from both the
sutras and tantras of the Old and New Traditions.
Through his endeavors he became like a spiritual son to all of them. |
| At the age of 25 he renounced all worldly activity and
began approximately 15 years of intensive solitary retreat in the remote mountainous
areas in the manor of the great Tibetan Yogi Milirepa. Upon the request of the Karmapa He
returned to become a retreat master, training many students. In 1962 Kalu Rinpoche went to
Darjeeling West Bengal India where he established his own Monastery and Retreat
Center, Samdrup Darjay Choling Monastery where students from any
tradition may do retreat practices in the Rime Tradition. |
| Upon the request of his Holiness the 16th Karmapa,
Kalu Rinpoche made his first of many trips to the West in 1971, stopping to visit Holy sites
in Jerusalem then visiting Pope Paul VI at the Vatican. Kalu Rinpoche respected all of the world's
religions and spiritual traditions. During his life he made numerous trips around the world,
establishing a large number of Meditation and Retreat Centers. Through his unceasing love and
compassion he turned the
great wheel of the Precious Buddha Dharma worldwide benefiting countless being.
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| The Venerable Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche passed into Paranivana at
his monastery in Sonada, Darjeeling India on May 10 1989. The Holy Lama's body showed
no signs of corruption and has been preserved as a Kardung, which can be seen to this day at his Monastery Samdrup Darjay Choling in Sonada. His devoted disciple and heart son, Bokar Rinpoche wrote about Kalu Rinpoche "The gentleness of his being, the pervasiveness of his kindness, the brilliance of his wisdom and the irresistibly of his
since of humor has touched hearts in every part of the world". |
| From his humble beginnings in a remote location in Eastern Tibet,
to a citizen of the world The Venerable Kalu Rinpoche sought only to benefit others.
Through his enlightened activity countless beings have been set firmly on the path to ultimate
freedom. The Venerable Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche is one of the greatest Buddhist Masters of our
age and is highly respected and loved by countless beings that had the great fortunate to meet
and receive blessings and teachings from this Extraordinary Saint. |
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