Khunu lama Archives

II – KHUNU LAMA: Dalai lama called him the Shantideva of our time by Sangmo

22 January 2016

H.H the XIV Dalai lama was 21 years old when he first met Khunu lama briefly in 1956, on the 2500th anniversary of Buddha Jayanti in India. Khunu lama was already 62 years old. The meeting was brief but it set the precursor for the more intimate meetings that took place years later. Rime Scholar at the Buddhist inter-school meeting After the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, Tibetan Buddhism and culture suddenly came under threat. H.H the XIV Dalai Lama organized a Buddhist inter-school meeting in Mussoorie to deliberate on measures to preserve the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in exile. It was a unprecedented meeting of so many prestigious Buddhist lamas coming together. Khunu Rinpoche went to Mussoorie at the Dalai Lama’s request to instruct the Tibetan refugees in grammar and poetry, remaining there for nearly a year. Khunu rinpoche happened to be there at the meeting although he is not known to have taken part formally. Yet he left a lasting impression on many participants because of the depth and range of his knowledge. Surprise Visit After witnessing the depth of Khunu lama’s wisdom, H.H the XIV Dalai lama visited Bodhgaya with just his personal security. Khunu lama was recovering from a serious illness that affected his sight and rendered him weak. He was unable to see properly. When he was informed by the private secretary about who the visitor was, he objected and claimed not to be able to receive Dalai lama as he wore no appropriate clothing and had no chair for His Holiness to sit on. As the Dalai Lama insisted on speaking with him, they both remained standing and had a talk. Transmission of Bodhicaryavatara His Holiness the Dalai lama visited Bodhgaya again and requested Khunu Lama to give him a transmission of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara, also known as A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life. During this transmission, His Holiness was so overwhelmed by Khunu Lama’s knowledge of the text, level of compassion and purity of mind that His Holiness asked for a commentary to be provided with the text. Following the transmission, in the presence of a crowd of people, H.H the Dalai lama prostrated to Khunu Lama in the middle of a road. This public display of immense respect immediately brought him to the attention of many and changed Khunu Lama’s life from one of quiet asceticism to highly revered figure in the Buddhist world. Reference to Shantideva The core teachings Dalai lama received from Khunu rinpoche were the concept of […]

15 January 2016

Khunu lama Rinpoche Tenzin Gyaltsen, also known as Khunu lama or Negi lama was a prominent scholar of Rime, the non-sectarian movement in Tibetan Buddhism. He was born in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh in Northern India. He went to Tibet to study and practice Dharma for about three decades and then returned to India for the remainder of his life. He continued learning and teaching at many sacred places, passing on the rich heritage of Tibetan Buddhism to the leading Buddhist masters in India. H.H the XIV Dalai lama is the most eminent of the student, who duly exalted Khunu Lama as the Shantideva of our time at 1985 Kalachakra in Bodhgaya. Life Account Khunu lama was born in 1894 in Sunam village in the forest clad district of Kinnaur ,one of the administrative district in modern day Himachal Pradesh. It is located in the northeast corner of the state bordering Tibet to the east. His mother was a Drukpa Kagyupa and his father, a Nyingmapa. He was born in an affluent family but left home in his late teenage years to embark on a spiritual journey that lasted a lifetime. He left for Kullu first and then moved to Gangtok to learn grammar, literacy and composition of Tibetan language from the renown literary scholar and grammarian Orgyen Tendzin Rinpoche (1863-1936). Khunu lama was focused on mastering the language as the tool for proper understanding of Buddhist text and teachings. After learning the language rigorously, he moved to Tibet. Tibet Central Tibet He traveled extensively in Tibet, learning from different masters in different monasteries. On his way from Sikkim to Lhasa, he stopped at the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Shigatse where he continued his studies of grammar and poetry and began serious study of Buddhist philosophy. After three years there, he went to Lhasa where he studied further at Sakya, Drepung and Ganden monasteries, the great three of Gelugpa lineage. He taught literary science at the famous Medical and Astrological centre and was a tutor to several noble families. At Drikung Til, he studied with the accomplished Drikung master Drubwang Amgon Rinpoche. He also studied Mahamudra at a Drukpa Kagyu centre called Khamda. At the request of the Sixth Panchen Lama, Chokyi Nyima (1883-1937), he returned to Tashi Lhunpo monastery and taught at the school for prospective civil servants. It was there that he met Katok Situ Chokyi Gyatso, who was on pilgrimage in Central Tibet. His command of Tibetan grammar earned him fame, which also resulted in jealousy that prompted him to move to eastern Tibet, Kham where he stayed for about 15-19 years. Kham, Eastern Tibet […]