Venerable
Gyatrul Rinpoche
Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche, the spiritual guide of Tashi Choling, was born in Gyalrong, a region in eastern Tibet, in 1924. Rinpoche trained with many of the great Tibetan masters of that time. His root guru Tulku Natsok Rangdrol was one of the five emanations of the renowned master Dudjom Lingpa. Rinpoche also took teachings and empowerments from Terton Kunzang Nyima, another of the five emanations of the great Dudjom Lingpa, and studied with Khenpo Norten, Yukok Chatral, and Payul Chogtrul Rinpoche, among others.
After fleeing Tibet at the time of the Chinese Communist invasion in 1959, Rinpoche lived for 12 years in Buxa, a refugee camp in India where over a thousand lamas, monks, and nuns resided cooperatively, trying their best to regather their precious teachings, after having lost their country, monasteries, and sacred libraries.
In 1972, HH the Dalai Lama asked Gyatrul Rinpoche to move to the West to help bring dharma here. Rinpoche was one of the first Tibetan lamas to arrive in America, and he has been a trailblazer in establishing the Tibetan Buddhist teachings. In addition to founding Tashi Choling, Rinpoche developed several other centers, including Orgyen Dorje Den in Alameda, California; Dorje Ling in Portland, Oregon; and Yeshe Nyingpo Mexico in Ensenada. Now in his 90s, Rinpoche has retired from much of the activity that filled his earlier decades. Rinpoche is the author of several books. A collection of his teachings is also available as downloads on Vimala’s website.
The Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche is well-known for his wit and humor, his ceaseless compassion, his insight and genuine humility, and for presenting the traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings in a way that is accessible and contemporary yet true to the traditions he embodies and upholds. Through uniquely skillful teaching techniques he continues to bring students to the profound Vajrayana path and provide the sublime guidance that is indispensable to its practitioners.
Three traditional Nyingma texts selected by Gyatrul Rinpoche because of their relevance to contemporary practitioners who must combine formal spiritual practice with work and sleep. Rinpoche’s commentaries on these teachings are both practical and incisive.
An invaluable guide for anyone who wishes to understand generation stage practice more fully, this commentary is based upon a well-known root text by the famous Tulku of Kathog, Tsewang Chogdrub, a great scholar who became famous for his explanations of kye rim or generation stage practice. Includes photographs of mudras and tormas.
Practical Instructions on the Union of Mahamudra and Atiyoga by Karma Chagme, a 17th century Tibetan master, with commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche.
In this classic 17th-century presentation of the union of Mahamudra and Dzogchen, Karma Chagme begins with an overview of the spirit of awakening and the nature of actions and their ethical consequences. He then gives exceptionally lucid instructions on the two phases of Dzogchen practice followed by an accessible introduction to the practice of the transference of consciousness at the time of death. The concluding chapters present a detailed analysis of Mahamudra meditation in relation to Dzogchen practice.
Padmasambhava’s Teachings on the Six Bardos, rediscovered as a terma or mystical revelation by Karma Lingpa in the 14th century, and accompanied by a lucid commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche. These are rare teachings on how to utilize each phase of experience, or bardo, as an opportunity for spiritual transformation.