A Brief Biography of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche


H.E. Garchen Rinpoche is one of the four Eminences of the Drikung Kagyu lineage. His incarnations originated from the Siddha Gar Chodingpa, the heart son of Drikung Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon. The first Garchen Rinpoche was born in 1180. He was the emanation of Mahasiddha Aryadeva, a disciple of Nagarjuna. The moment he was born, he was able to recite the Six-Syllable mantra. Later, he took refuge in Lord Jigten Sumgon and received ordination. He became one of the three greatly accomplished disciples of Lord Jigten Sumgon.


The current eighth Garchen Rinpoche, well-known for his great compassion, is an accomplished Tummo practitioner. He is also one of the most important lineage holders of Drikung Kagyu. Rinpoche was born in Nangchen, Qinghai, in 1936. After his enthronement at a young age, he followed Drikung Kagyu’s Jongtrul Rinpoche, Ganchong Rinpoche and Thubten Nyingpo Rinpoche, and attained great accomplishment on the practice of White Tara. The seventh Garchen Rinpoche had even seen the emanation of White Tara in his meditation and received teachings directly from her. Thus he composed the essence of The Uncommon White Tara Sadhana and its pith instruction on meditation.


After the Chinese Communist Party had entered Tibet, Garchen Rinpoche was imprisoned for almost twenty years together with many other rinpoches. As there was a lack of food supply, Rinpoche had once fasted for ninety days, and he trained himself to stay up in the nights without sleep. During this period, Rinpoche met the great Nyingmapa Dzogchen Mahasiddha, Khenpo Munsel Rinpoche, from whom he received the Dzogchen teachings.


All the previous incarnations of Garchen Rinpoche had been the teachers of the two Drikung Holinesses. The current Garchen Rinpoche is also one of the teachers of the Drikung Holinesses. They have praised that Garchen Rinpoche is an important and great yogi of the Drikung Kagyu lineage. Venerable Drubwang Konchok Norbu Rinpoche has also revealed that Garchen Rinpoche has attained above the One Taste Yoga of Mahamudra. He is indeed an experiential and realized practitioner.


Currently, Rinpoche resides in America and he shoulders the great task of rebuilding the Drikung Kagyu monasteries in eastern Tibet. Out of great compassion, Rinpoche travels tirelessly every year around America, the Soviet Union, Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, etc. in order to benefit sentient beings through the teaching of Dharma. Rinpoche has students all over the world.



尊贵的噶千仁波切简介


噶千仁波切是直贡噶举传承的四大法王子之一, 其转世传承始于直贡觉巴吉天颂恭之弟子噶当巴秋丁巴。第一世噶千仁波切生于西元1180年, 乃龙树菩萨弟子提婆菩萨之化身, 一出世便能念诵六字大明咒, 后依止吉天颂恭出家,  成为其法座前三大成就弟子之一。


今世的第八世噶千仁波切, 是以大悲心闻名于世的拙火成就者, 也是直贡噶举教法最重要的持有者之一。生于1936年青海省囊谦县, 自幼昇座后,  即随直贡噶举之钟楚仁波切、甘琼仁波切、图登宁波仁波切在白度母的修持上, 都得到殊胜的成就。上一世的噶千仁波切更在修行中曾亲见白度母示现,  并予以教授,  因而写下了白度母机近法脉不共心要仪轨及观修口诀。


中共入藏后, 噶千仁波切与多位仁波切被关入劳改营中将近二十年, 在食物缺乏下, 曾断食九十天, 并练成夜不倒单。在这段期间, 遇见本世纪宁玛派大圆满著名成就者堪布明色仁波切, 而得到大圆满的教法。历代噶千仁波切都曾是两位直贡法王的上师。此世的噶千仁波切, 亦是现任直贡法王的上师之一。法王赞叹他为当今直贡噶举传承中地位崇高伟大的瑜伽士。竹旺仁波切亦曾透露, 噶千仁波切已臻大手印一味瑜伽以上之成就,  可说是真正具足实修证悟之行者。


目前,  仁波切旅居美国教化众生,  并负起重建东藏直贡噶举寺院的重任。深具悲心的仁波切, 每年皆不辞辛劳, 来往奔波于全美、俄罗斯、德国、新加坡、台湾等世界各地弘法利生,  弟子遍及四海。