Blazing Splendor. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

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СКАЧАТЬ It is not only at this present moment, now, that the tsawé lama, the root master, is with us. In all his kindness, he has never been apart from us in any single one of our lives throughout beginningless time, because he is the manifestation of our mind’s true nature, appearing externally in all kinds of guises, pure and impure, in order to help us, either directly or indirectly. Right now, on account of all the merit we have accumulated in the past, he has taken on the form of our spiritual friend, and because of this powerful karmic connection, we have been able to meet him, he has given us the nectar of the profound and vast instructions, and he has enveloped us in his tremendous kindness. From now on too until enlightenment, he will never be separate from us for even a single instant.

      We could be immeasurably sad now that this great master Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche is lost to the world, and yet, more and more, we can feel joyful, not only because he lives on, in our minds and deep within our hearts, ‘never separate from us, for even a single instant’, but also because he succeeded in ensuring the continuity of his heritage, the teachings that he embodied so completely. His sons, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche, Drubwang Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Yongey Mingyur Dorje Rinpoche are all fully qualified holders of his lineage and his vision, each one displaying their own individual qualities, different and yet extraordinary, and yet each one also bearing the stamp of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Just like him, their familiarity with mind-essence bubbles contagiously just beneath the surface, ready to spring out at any moment. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche had many wonderful western students, among them scientists and Buddhist teachers who are intimately involved in presenting the Dharma to the modern world. His beloved students, Erik and Marcia, have been a source of constant delight to so many people with the books, such as this, which they have created over the years, and I pray that they may continue, without any obstacles.

      Finally, what do they all imply, the stories and memories that you will find in this book? Two things. First, that spiritual realization or enlightenment is actually really possible, if only we dedicate ourselves to it, with consistency and with ardor. Second, this is not simply ancient history, a phenomenon that happened in the past in India or in Tibet. Thanks to masters like Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and his disciples, this living tradition of wisdom and spiritual awakening continues right now in the present, and thanks to them, these teachings of Buddha, with their precious pith instructions, are readily available to people everywhere.

      I pray for the fulfillment of all of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s aspirations; may his emanation appear, just as wonderful and powerful as he was, if not more so, to rise to the challenges of this time. May his sons and his disciples continue his work, without the slightest obstacle, and may his magnificent vision come to pass, of awakening countless beings, and pointing them towards their true nature, the essential innermost nature of their minds!

Introduction

       by Daniel Goleman

      Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was among Tibetan Buddhism’s greatest masters of the 20th century. Blazing Splendor invites us to his side as he looks back over a life that put him at the center of an unparalleled spiritual abundance. Through his unblinking eyes we meet the remarkable contemplative adepts of old Tibet—as friends and teachers. And through the lens of his awakened awareness, we see the world from a fresh, eye-opening perspective.

      Like the Dalai Lama a tulku, or reincarnate master, Tulku Urgyen was among the most renowned and influential modern teachers in the Dzogchen (Great Perfection) tradition, highly instrumental in first bringing this now-popular practice to the West.

      “Blazing Splendor”—referring to the qualities of a realized master—directly translates the name Tulku Urgyen was given by the Karmapa, head of Tibetan Buddhism’s Kagyu order. Blazing Splendor, his spiritual memoir, offers an intimate glimpse into his remarkable reality—and a fascinating journey through a lost culture. In these pages we become familiar with Nangchen, his homeland and a kingdom of spiritual richness, a land where everyone from shepherds to kings were dedicated practitioners.

      The world Tulku Urgyen knew was one in which today’s conventional values were turned upside-down: instead of fame, fortune or celebrity being the marks of “success”, it was inner realization that counted, one where the mark of a life fulfilled was leaving a spiritual legacy for others. And Tulku Urgyen was uniquely positioned to know—and share with us—people who inhabited this landscape of sacred values. Yet his message for readers is not that realization is reserved for an elect few, but something that each of us can move toward, no matter where we begin.

      A theme central to Blazing Splendor is that of terma—a sacred teaching from a mystical source dating back a millennium—which enriches the life and spirit of those who connect to it. Tulku Urgyen’s stories cast a special light on these treasures designed to transform us. They are jewels of our human heritage hitherto largely unknown in the Western world. Tulku Urgyen was the bearer of such treasures, carrying them in his heart and mind over the Himalayas and then transmitting them in the world beyond to thousands of people from every walk of life.

      Blazing Splendor covers more than the years of Tulku Urgyen’s life, from his birth in 1920 to his death in 1996; it weaves a rich tapestry from his family history, and from the contemplative lineages that he himself came to hold. The result is not just a personal memoir, but a spiritual history of Tibet itself. We hear about the teachers who brought the Buddhist teachings to Tibet in the 9th century, and the unbroken line of masters who passed its secrets on through the ages to Tulku Urgyen himself.

      Through Tulku Urgyen’s eyes, we meet some of the most realized and genuine spiritual practitioners of the 20th century Tibet. Not only was he a friend and personal confidant of many of the great religious figures of contemporary Tibet, but his relatives and ancestors were some of the most influential figures in Eastern Tibet over the past centuries.

      Tulku Urgyen’s life spanned an exceptional period in Tibetan history; throughout the story, an ominous drumbeat in the background heralds the coming of the Communists from the East, and the ultimate devastation of the Tibetan culture and all its richness. We get a telling, up-close look at the treachery of Lhasa politics during this endgame, as Tulku Urgyen tells of his days as envoy of the Karmapa to the Tibetan government in its last gasp. And finally, we see how the spiritual greatness that was once Tibet managed to resurrect itself in the world beyond, as Tulku Urgyen—reading ill auguries of what is to come—fled Tibet a year before the Dalai Lama himself.

      Blazing Splendor gives us this access in an earthy, candid and entertaining narrative style: Tulku Urgyen’s own voice. What may be most striking is Tulku Urgyen’s natural humility. Calling no attention to himself or his own stature, he lets us see the world—and a fascinating pantheon of characters—just as he does: with blunt, often wry, candor.

      The book’s voice reflects the cozy circumstances in which this tale was first told—a feeling of sitting at the master’s side, as Tulku Urgyen shared these chapters in his life with his closest Western students. Here they have been organized into a sweeping account that shares with readers a world where miracles, mystery, and deep insight are the order of the day—a world as reflected through the open, lucid quality of Tulku Urgyen’s mind.

      His students, Erik and Marcia Schmidt, were moved to write this book in part because the unique lifestyle and culture of old Tibet was inexorably changed by the Communist takeover in 1959. Tulku Urgyen was widely recognized within Tibetan Buddhist circles as one of the most outstanding lamas to survive the tragedy of the Chinese takeover in Tibet. As the years take their toll, one after another of the great masters who were trained under Tibet’s classical spiritual system have passed away. In an effort to keep the spirit of this tradition alive, the authors felt compelled to present these first-person accounts by one of the last of a dying breed.

      However СКАЧАТЬ