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SPRING
2 0 0 7

Illuminating the Path of Dzogchen

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PALYUL CLEAR LIGHT

SPRING 2 0 0 7

C O N T E N T S

Foreword Letter About the Cover

by Khen Rinpoche Tsewang Gyatso
History
The Story of Shakyamuni Buddha
Mahasiddha Karma Chagmed
Dharma Teachings
The Qualifications of Master and Disciple
by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche
3 This view of the Zangdogpalri Temple at Namdroling
Monastery in Southern India was taken from the roof of
the Golden Temple. Adorned with an overarching rainbow
5 and cavorting sky dancers, the Zangdogpalri Temple is an
earthly replica of Guru Rinpoche's own palace in his pure
6
land of the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain. The eight-
spoked Dharma wheel or chakra flanked by two deer sig-
nifies that this is a place of the holy Buddhadharma. See
12 the article in this issue for more information about the
Zangdogpalri Pema Odkyi Phodrang Temple.

Buddhism and The Matrix: Reality and Illusion Editors' Note

by Khen Rinpoche Tsewang Gyatso
Practical Instruction
Learning Tibetan: Vowels
15 In transcribing and editing the oral teachings of our
beloved teachers for publication in this magazine, we
have done our best to be true to those teachings and not
23
to add any of our own words or ideas. We have tried to

Dharma Numeration: Threes 24 secure as complete a review as possible by our teachers

of all the articles published herein. If we have failed to
Daily Maintenance of Your Shrine 40 accurately portray any concept or idea, we accept full
responsibility and will strive to correct any mistake in a
Palyul India subsequent issue.
Introducing Tulkus 26
Published by Palyul Clear Light, Inc. © 2007. All rights
Introducing Khenpos 28 reserved. Palyul Clear Light is published annually. Special
thanks to everyone who supports this project, without whose
On the Inauguration of the Zangdogpalri financial and moral support this project would not have
materialized. May all beings benefit.
Pema Odkyi Phodrang Temple 30
Palyul Clear Light is an NYS non-profit corporation and is
Short Stories tax-exempt under §501(c)(3) of the IRC. Please address all
Good Medicine 34 correspondence and donations to:
Palyul Clear Light, P. O. Box 6821, New York, NY 10150-6821
The Merchant of Seri 36 www.palyulclearlight.org
publications@palyulclearlight.org

Art The contents of this publication may be considered sacred text and
Calligraphy by Khen Rinpoche should be treated with respect. Should you wish to dispose of it,
please burn it rather than throw it away.
Tsewang Gyatso 38, 39
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Tashi Delek!

As the Year of the Fire Pig begins, we are happy to welcome you to the sec-
ond issue of Palyul Clear Light. Last year, we formed Palyul Clear Light with the
intention of bringing you information about Tibetan dharma history and the
Palyul lineage, along with teachings on the dharma.
With this issue we continue with our mission by presenting a teaching by
His Holiness Penor Rinpoche on The Qualifications of Master and Disciple, a
teaching on Illusion and Reality, biographies of Palyul teachers, a biography of the
great master Mahasiddha Karma Chagmed, information about the global family of
Palyul centers, stories, comics and more. We hope that this journal inspires you to
strengthen your practice of the dharma and educates you more in every aspect.
For the New Year I wish and hope that every one of you may have a very
healthy, prosperous and happy life with great success in your relative and spiritual
lives, and especially great development and experience in your dharma practices
and meditation.
In addition to bringing you this publication, Palyul Clear Light hopes to be
able, with your help, to publish other materials and assist with bringing many
more Palyul teachers to the West. Our application for federal tax-exempt status is
pending and we will keep you posted on its progress.* We thank those who have
generously supported our efforts so far and hope that you will continue to support
us in the future.
We dedicate this merit for world peace and for the liberation of every being
in accordance with their own prayers and spiritual beliefs. Blessings be with you
all for every virtuous and positive deed.

With best wishes and love to you all,

Khenpo T. Gyatso.

* As we go to press, we have been notified that our application for tax exemption under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal
xxRevenue Code has been approved.

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PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 5
The Story of Shakyamuni Buddha
Khen Rinpoche Tsewang Gyatso
In our last issue, we presented the beginning of Shakyamuni
Buddha's story, describing his birth as the royal prince
Siddhartha, his introduction to the sufferings of birth, old age,
sickness and death, and his desire to find a way to liberate
beings from such suffering.
Part Two: O n h i s q u e s t f o r t h e p a t h of
liberation from the sufferings of the samsara, a sense of
renunciation arose in Siddhartha's mind. He decided to
leave the palace and all his material wealth, to abandon
everything until he could find salvation. He thought to
leave in the night while his beautiful queen and son were
sound asleep.
When Siddhartha finally decided to renounce the
world and everything that he had, it was very difficult
because of his attachment, especially to his family. But he
reminded himself that his purpose for leaving them was
to search for the real path of liberation for the benefit of
all sentient beings. Since he knew that it was very impor-
tant for him to benefit all beings and to bring an end to
the suffering of these beings of the world, he became
determined to leave everything without any attachment.
So he left that night from the palace riding his
horse, with his one devoted servant. When he arrived
near the stupa called Chodten Namdak Dung, near Bodh
Gaya in the northeastern part of India, he cut his own hair
and ordained himself. He gave his princely robes to his
servant in exchange for his servant's clothes. Then he left
in search of masters from whom he could receive com-
plete teachings and instructions for the practice of medi-
tation for the path of liberation.
While Prince Siddhartha was traveling around in
search of teachers, his father, the king, sent his ministers
with five hundred soldiers to bring his son back to the
royal palace to be the king's successor. But Siddhartha
refused to return to the kingdom, as he had not found the
real peace and meaning of life that he sought. At this time
five of the ministers became devoted to Siddhartha and
stayed with him, while the rest of the ministers and sol-
diers returned to the palace.
Siddhartha finally met a few sages and masters
from whom he received many teachings and some medi-
tation instructions, which he applied into practice. He
engaged in practice very sincerely and very strictly while
enduring many hardships. For a while he devotedly con-
tinued his meditation practice in different places, such as
under trees and in certain caves, but he did not have
much experience or development in his meditation.
Finally Siddhartha realized that he would have to
dedicate himself to his practice without any concern for
this life. With that intention he went near the Naranjana
River, where he decided to do his meditation beneath a
tree. He made a commitment that, “Until I gain libera-
tion, I will not move from this place, not even if my blood
runs dry, my flesh disappears or I turn into a skeleton.
Not even if my death comes.”
In that way, Siddhartha started his meditation
practice very seriously, abandoning everything, even food
and drink, except for one pea and a single drop of water
each day. Thus he continued his meditation practice for a
few years. Eventually he gave up eating and drinking any-
thing at all. Then he really did turn into a skeleton with
nothing left other than his bones.
And so Siddhartha continued his meditation
practice in this way for six years with much hardship.
Then one day he gained insight into the reality that he
had to follow the middle path. With this realization he
woke up from his meditation and slowly walked down to
the river for a bath. But he was so weak that he could not
even get out of the river for some time. When finally he
was able to climb onto the bank of the river, Sugata, the
daughter of a Brahman, offered him a bowl of milky soup
from which he instantly gained much energy and
strength. At that point, his five sage friends left
Siddhartha, thinking that he had broken his commitment
to not eat anything until he attained actual liberation.
We will continue Shakyamuni's story in our next issue. 8
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Mahasiddha
Karma Chagmed Rinpoche
A Life Story called Meaningful to Behold
excerpt from
A Garland of Immortal Wish-fulfilling Trees*

He whose nature is the translator Luyi Gyaltsen,

Delighting in the dance of the illusory primordial wisdom display,
Who postpones the unfortunate calamities
Experienced by sentient beings of the degenerate times,
To the accomplished scholar and meditator
Who bears the name Karma,
I bow down.

T h e B u d d h a V a i r o c a n a encompasses sequentially arranged. In each one of these pure realms is

the inconceivable pure realms in the begging bowl he
holds with the mudra of meditative equipoise. Within the
bowl, in the center of the swirling ocean of scented water,
twenty-five pure realms of enlightened body, speech,
mind, pure qualities and miraculous activities are
an entire world system. In the thirteenth pure realm of
the mind's mind is our world system of three thousand
myriads of universes. Within these universes there are
four main continents and one hundred million subconti-
nents, among which our southern continent of

6
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Dzambuling is supreme. It is only in our world of
Dzambuling that the one thousand and two Buddhas of
this fortunate aeon will come to achieve enlightenment
under the great Bodhi tree. On this earth there are twen-
ty-four regions within which the miraculous deeds of the
Buddhas will be carried out; among them, to the north,
lies the snow land of Tibet. In Tibet's lower province in
the Nyomtöd region of Zalmo Gang, close to where the
golden river flows gently southward, the great
Mahasiddha Karma Chagmed Rinpoche was born.
One of Padmasambhava's prophecies states,
“You who are presently known as Luyi Gyaltsen will be
born in the heart of DoKham (lower Tibet) bearing the
name Karma. Adorned by moles on your front and back,
symbolizing your spontaneous accomplishment of the
three kayas, if you, the fortunate one, connect with the
profound dharma, the measure of your life will be per-
fected by fulfilling the needs of sentient beings and
increasing the precious doctrine.”
As it was prophesied, Chagmed Rinpoche's
father was of the ancestral heritage of the great dharma
kings of Tibet. His name was Pedma Wangdrag and not
only was he an extremely learned scholar, he was also well
accomplished in the generation and completion stage
practices. Pedma Wangdrag received many visions of
Padmasambhava, Dorje Phagmo and other meditational
deities, who gave him direct blessings. At the time that he
passed beyond this world, Pedma Wangdrag's heart,
tongue and eyes remained untouched by the cremation
fire. Countless precious relics issued from his teeth and
self-originating images of Mahakala (with four arms) and
the syllables Ah and Hung were embossed in his bones
and teeth.
Chagmed Rinpoche's mother's name was
Chökyong Kyid. She displayed all the signs of a primor-
dial wisdom dakini and her continuum was wet with love
and compassion for all sentient beings. One night, while
Chökyong Kyid was carrying this child in her womb, she
had a dream that the Protector Charog Dongchen (Raven-
faced Protector) came to her, clearing all obstacles and
blessing her. She also dreamed that she was flying up a
valley on a white horse, while she held a butter lamp.
Through the union of their method and wisdom,
Chagmed Rinpoche was liberated from the lotus womb of
his mother in 1613, the tenth Tibetan rabjung year. At the
moment he was born, his father, the Mahasiddha Pedma
Wangdrag, bestowed Tertön Ratna Lingpa's Tsegug
(Restoring Life) and Tsepag Sangdu-kyi Torwang (Amitayus'
Condensed Secret Torma Empowerment) upon the infant.
His father then named him Wangdrag Sung (Powerful
Speech) because he had been introduced to the dharma,
and especially Ratna Lingpa's revelations, at the moment
he entered into the world.
As a child, the young Wangdrag Sung would reg-
ularly see gods, spirits and non-human entities. While at
play, he would perform various sadhanas and create mate-
rials used in dharma ceremonies. At the age of six, his
father taught him reading and writing, which he learned
without any difficulty and within a very short time, he was
reading Milarepa's One Hundred Thousand Songs. On one
occasion, while singing verses from Milarepa's songs, he
sat in full lotus posture and silencing the eight states of
cognition, entered into peaceful abiding meditation for an
extended period of time.
At nine years of age, Wangdrag Sung received
many minor empowerments and transmissions from his
guru-father, as well as learning daily sadhanas, mandala
construction, astrology and other subjects. At this time, he
became well-known for his keen intelligence in learning.
When he was eleven years old, Wangdrag Sung
once again met with his karmic guru of many past life-
times, the great hidden yogi, Prawashara, from whom
Wangdrag received many important empowerments and
transmissions. It was during this time that he resolved to
become a powerful tantric adept. With this strong deter-
mination, from age eleven to nineteen he wandered in the
charnel grounds, including Palri-tseri, accomplishing the
meditational deity, gathering the dharma protectors as his
servants and suppressing the four demons and harm-
doers. It was after this that Wangdrag Sung began his
accomplishment practices with Kundril Yidshin Norbu (All
Wish-fulfilling Jewels Condensed Together) practice and
then Gur Drag (Wrathful Guru), Damchen (Protector), the
outer accomplishment of De Gon Trelmai Gonpa
(Mahakala), Tadrin Naga Lu Dul (Taming the Nagas with
Hayagriva), Chagdor, Khyung (Vajrapani-Garuda) and oth-
ers. Each one of these root recitation and accomplishment
practices of various meditational deities he performed, in
accordance with the scripture, for a one month period.
During this time, through the intensity of his enthusiastic
perseverance, he received true signs of accomplishment
for each of the deities he practiced. Maintaining strict
retreat, Wangdrag Sung never allowed the warmth to
leave his meditational seat and, in order to avoid sleep, he
placed his cushion on a small stool where he was forced
to sit up during the night, the stool being so small and
7
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precarious that if he leaned to one side or the other, he
would fall off.
From Kunga Namgyal of Drungpa Tserlung,
Wangdrag Sung received the transmissions for the medi-
tation and recitation of Avalokiteshvara and Chagchen
Lhenchig Kyejor (Mahamudra). After practicing, he told his
guru of his realizations and was then given a direct intro-
duction to the nature of the mind.
At the age of nineteen, Wangdrag Sung realized
that the doctrine of the unequaled Lord Buddha, the Holy
Dharma, which is the indivisibility of teacher and teach-
ings, is dependent on the foundational vinaya (code of
ethics). Understanding how difficult it is to achieve a pre-
cious human rebirth and how easily this opportunity is
lost, he resolved to renounce family life in order to spend
this precious life practicing pure dharma without any dis-
tractions.
On the fourteenth day of the first month of that
year, Wangdrag Sung took refuge and genyen (lay) vows
from Drungpa Kunga Namgyal. He then received the
name Karma Samdrub. On the fifteenth day of the tenth
month of that same year, he traveled to the seat of the
Karmapa at Tsurphu monastery. Within the great temple,
containing the incomparable statue of the Lord Buddha
that had been built by the miraculous activities of the sec-
ond Karmapa Karma Pakshi, and in the presence of
countless other supports of the Three Jewels of Refuge,
Karma Samdrub took getsul (novice) ordination. His ordi-
nation master was the great khenpo and vinaya master,
Palden Garwang Chökyi Wangchuk Chöglei Namgyal.
His lelob (action teacher) was Zurri Drungpa Dechog and
his sangton (secret teacher) was Gelong Nyima. The cor-
rect number of monks were present. In the morning he
became a novice, receiving the name Karma Lobpon and
that very evening, according to the Solshi Sadhana, he
received gelong (full) ordination, receiving the name
Karma Chagmed. During the eleventh month of that
same year, Karma Chagmed joined the sangha at the
Thupten Nyinling monastery of the Zurmang tradition.
Karma Chagmed diligently served the sangha
through his body and speech, undergoing many hard-
ships as an ordinary monk. He studied the major inter-
mediate and minor texts on logic, the five principal scrip-
tures of India, Drigung's Gongchig (One Mind) and other
texts with consistent courage and determination. Karma
Chagmed would regularly confer with other great schol-
ars to voice his doubts and clarify his understanding. At
Zurmang monastery the vinaya was extremely strict and
8
Karma Chagmed never compromised the disciplined
quality of his honorable character.
In the year of the Dragon, the Gyalwang
Karmapa and his two spiritual sons (Gyalsap Rinpoche
and Sharmar Rinpoche) came to Zurmang monastery.
During their visit, Karma Chagmed was fortunate to
receive directly from the Karmapa the great commentary
on Chagchen Lhenchig Kyejor (The Co-emergent
Mahamudra), Dechog (Chakrasamvara), Phagmo (Vajra
Varahi), Menlha (Medicine Buddha), Drigung Gongchig
(Drigung's One Mind), Jamcho De Nga (Five Classes of
Maitreya's Dharma) and many other empowerments,
transmissions and teachings for six successive months.
Following this, Chagmed Rinpoche accompanied the
Gyalwang Karmapa and his two spiritual sons to the
upper region of Tsang to the place called Shelkar Gyang
Tser. Remaining there with these precious gurus, he stud-
ied very hard for a year and a half. Later, in the year of the
Snake, when the Great Prayer Festival of the Karma
Kamsang tradition was performed, Karma Chagmed was
examined in the presence of a gathering of twelve thou-
sand monks, during which time his fame as a scholar
became as all-pervasive as space.
When Karma Chagmed was in his twenty-second
year, the Gyalwang Karmapa Chöying Dorje passed into
the sphere of truth. Following his passing, some seventy
thousand monks of the Kagyu tradition gathered to make
an inconceivable amount of offerings in his honor. As it
was a tradition for highly realized bodhisattvas of the past
to offer one thousand butter lamps on their body, Karma
Chagmed offered one finger on his right hand as a butter
lamp. During the time that he made this offering, Karma
Chagmed relaxed the great bliss sphere of the originally
pure empty nature of pure awareness. By the power of his
dedicational prayer, in the state of three-fold non-concep-
tual awareness, his merit became equal to the results of
Samantabhadra's prayers. As a sign of the result of his
irreversible accomplishment, several hundred witnesses
became intoxicated with overwhelming faith and devo-
tion. Karma Chagmed himself experienced, in a pure
vision, the Gyalwang Karmapa bestowing blessings upon
him. Seven days later, the physical wound became infect-
ed and Karma Chagmed came very close to death. During
this experience of intense pain, the depth of his confi-
dence expanded without a single instant of remorse.
While studying Dagpo Rinpoche's text Thargyen
(Jewel Ornament of Liberation), Karma Chagmed decided
to travel to Lhasa, the holy city, to receive the bodhisattva
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 9
vows in the Gyachen Chödpa (Great Expansive Offerings)
tradition. In the presence of the holy Jowo Shakyamuni
statue, Karma Chagmed offered a finger on his left hand
as a butter lamp offering, following which he received the
bodhisattva vows. Many astonished pilgrims from Nepal
and Mongolia witnessed this devotional act.
Karma Chagmed returned to his native region
and built a retreat house at Palri Hill, making this his per-
manent seat. He daily practiced the Chöchöd (General
Prayers) and a session of the Six Yogas of Naropa. In order
to benefit sentient beings, he continually performed spe-
cial ceremonies for the living, the dying and the dead
without any concern for his own personal or material
gain. For those fortunate disciples with faith and fervent
regard, he offered extensive ripening empowerments and
liberating commentaries. Although Karma Chagmed had
the power to perform black magic and mantras, he never
harmed even the hair of any living being.
It was at this time that Karma Chagmed knew
his precious father-guru's passing was imminent and he
received from him all the remaining empowerments,
transmissions and methods for performing sadhana prac-
tices. Then his father passed beyond this world and
Karma Chagmed used everything he owned to make
offerings for his father's after-death offering ceremonies.
He later resolved to accomplish Thugje Chenpo
Gyalwa Gyatso (Avalokiteshvara from the Nyingma Gyud
Bum) as his meditational deity and twice received exten-
sive empowerments and teachings from Karma Namrol
and the mahasiddha-scholar, Lungrig Nyima, both of
whom were direct disciples of Gyalsap and Zurmang
Garwang Rinpoche's predecessors. One night in a dream,
Karma Chagmed received all four empowerments direct-
ly from the Karmapa Chöying Dorje, which pleased him
very much.
From age eleven until thirty-seven, Karma
Chagmed had entered into solitary retreat at least one or
two months of each year to accumulate root and accom-
plishment mantras. Of the Three Roots and dharma pro-
tectors there was not a single mantra he had not accom-
plished. He received many auspicious visions, dreams
and signs of accomplishment with Samantabhadra,
Padmasambhava and various primordial wisdom deities
exactly in accordance with the scriptures. Many of these
inspiring accounts are clearly documented in full detail in
Karma Chagmed Rinpoche's autobiography.
At the age of thirty-seven, in the year of the Bird,
Karma Chagmed began a strict thirteen year retreat, per-
severing in the practice of Avalokiteshvara, Gyalwa Gyatso
and the Mahamudra. Between these sessions he occasion-
ally gave empowerments and commentaries to those for-
tunate and persistent disciples through a hole in the wall
of his retreat house.
At the end of the year of the Horse, Karma
Chagmed, through his eye of primordial wisdom, recog-
nized and enthroned the great Tertön Migyur Dorje,
whose coming was prophesied repeatedly in the terma
revelations of Padmasambhava. Karma Chagmed offered
the young Tulku Tertön (a realized being taking rebirth
who is the finder of hidden scriptures) the most profound
empowerments and teachings as well as offering many
regular prayers for his long life. Through these efforts,
many obstacles were pacified and Tulku Migyur Dorje's
innate primordial awareness awakened. He recalled
countless past lifetimes, had visions of multitudes of
deities of the Three Roots and gave oral transmission lin-
eage teachings for which Karma Chagmed was the scribe.
Karma Chagmed's kindness to the doctrine of the
Nyingmapa was exceedingly vast.
At the age of fifty, during the first month of the
year of the Dog, his retreat came to an end. Thereafter,
wherever he performed the great accomplishment cere-
monies of the Thugchen Sangdu (Condensed Secret
Essence of Avalokiteshvara), Lama Gongdu (Condensed
Enlightened Mind of the Lama) and others, those present
would see Avalokiteshvara, smell sweet smells and wit-
ness various rainbow-like pitched tents appearing in
space.
Karma Chagmed Rinpoche opened the door of
the dharma by giving the empowerments for the revela-
tions of Nam Chö; (Space Treasure) and Ratna Lingpa,
composing an extensive commentary to Sangye Lagchang
(Buddha in the Palm of the Hand), the naked teaching of
Avalokiteshvara Chö Dru Dunpa (The Seven Dharma
Syllables), tsa-lung (channels and winds), Richo
(Mountain Retreat) and many others. Among his fore-
most disciples were Chöwang Trinley, Pedma Rigzin,
Wappa Tulku, Lhopa Tulku, the great Vidyadhara
Kunzang Sherab, the Dharma King Ratna Bidza, his sons,
and the Nangchen king and his principal aids. More than
one hundred disciples achieved realizations and were of
great benefit to sentient beings. Gatherings of up to four
thousand would attend his teachings and transmissions
and the golden lineage of his transmissions continued
without interruption.
In particular, the great Vidyadhara Kunzang
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PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 10
Sherab received many major transmissions from
Chagmed Rinpoche, including all of Tertön Ratna
Lingpa's revelations, the extensive commentary to
Buddha in the Palm of the Hand, The Seven Dharma
Syllables and tsa-lung, making these his innermost heart
practices. From the time of Kunzang Sherab, all of the
great throne holders and greater sangha community of
the powerful and glorious Palyul tradition have practiced
and upheld this lineage so that the bridge has never been
broken; this lineage being the innermost secret jewel
treasury of the Palyul tradition.
As the great Tertons Migyur Dorje and Duddul
Dorje had said many times, Karma Chagmed was the
incarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Vajra Master
Padmasambhava, the Dharma King Songtsan Gampo,
Gyalsei Sednaleg, Luyi Gyaltsen and the Mahasiddha
Milarepa. More information concerning his past lifetimes
has been written by Karma Chagmed in his secret autobi-
ography. Based on this information, one may accurately
conclude that according to definitive truth, this great
master accomplished the two-fold nature of purity and
remains in the permanent state of full-awakening. His
ocean-like pure qualities, which ripen and liberate the
minds of sentient beings, are truly inexpressible. In the
eyes of the sentient beings of these very degenerate times,
he perfected all possible stages of practice and every sin-
gle miraculous deed that is possible for the sake of bene-
fiting others.
At the beginning of the year of the Fire Snake,
Karma Chagmed was sixty-five years old when, in a pure
vision experience, he met the Buddha Amitabha indivisi-
bly one as Sharmar Tulku. He spoke to Karma Chagmed
saying he was displeased that he had not come. When
Karma Chagmed heard the sound of these words, he
understood that it meant it was time for him to go to
Dewachen (The Pure Realm of Great Bliss). Thus, on the
second day of that month, Karma Chagmed seemed to
suddenly become very ill. In spite of his severe illness,
that autumn he gave many final teachings and words of
advice to his disciples, once again assisting them to clari-
fy doubts in their practice.
When Karma Chagmed was sixty-six, in the west-
ern year of 1678, and the eleventh rabjung year of the
Earth Horse, he spoke of changing realms. His disciples
made persistent requests for him to remain firm and he
actually promised to return to this realm on the auspi-
cious days of the waxing and waning moon. On the first
day of the sixth month of that same year, with astonishing
10
signs, he condensed his mind into the heart of Buddha
Amitabha.
For seventeen consecutive days, over one-hun-
dred-fifty monks performed extensive after-death offering
ceremonies in honor of the precious guru. The cremation
was done in conjunction with the generation of the man-
dalas of the four classes of tantra. During that time, white
clouds in the shape of the eight auspicious symbols
appeared in the sky and various rainbows, like pitched
tents, were witnessed by everyone present. Karma
Chagmed's brain, heart and tongue remained untouched
by the fire and clear images of Chem Chog (Heruka),
Gurdrag (Wrathful Guru), Drölod (Extremely Wrathful
Guru) and the syllable AH appeared in his organs. In his
precious bone relics, the eight auspicious symbols were
embossed with images of Avalokiteshvara Gyalwa Gyatso,
Dechog (Chakrasamvara) and Phagmo (Vajra Varahi).
These self-originating images and bone relics were used
to make a gold and silver statue of Padmasambhava and a
one-story high Bodhi Stupa, in order to create the cause
and condition through which future disciples could accu-
mulate merit and virtue.
Having fully abandoned the delusive net
of phenomenal existence,
Remaining with ease in the originally pure
sphere of truth,
The all-good Kuntuzangpo, the Primordial
Buddha,
Is the omniscient scholar and Mahasiddha
Karma Chagmed Rinpoche,
Possessing one-hundred-thousand marvels.
***
This biography has been written to bring benefit
to whomever sees it.
Although the words themselves may not be
eloquent like precious jewels,
The meaning is unquestionably sublime and
uplifting like the natural quality of the face of a
beautiful maiden.
Those who appreciate direct, clear facts with the
power of the consciousness of mental activity,
Will surely be attracted to this biography, without
a trace of doubt!
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 11

The second Akanishtha Pure Realm, the Palyul

lineage of Accomplishment,
Is the lineage and tradition of the Lord Father
Guru and his Sons,
With the strength of a Chakravartin Ruler's
wheel of one thousand spokes.
This tradition is fully victorious in all directions
over all classes of misguided and perverted
beings.
I pray that this place of Full-Awakening will
remain firm until the end of phenomenal
existence!

***

This short biography of the great scholar and

accomplished meditator Karma Chagmed Rinpoche, was
written by Jampal Gyepai Loden (the name was given by
Je Khentsey Wangpo), Khenpo Namdrol, with the prayer
that the unsurpassed profound truth of the Guru of the
Three Times (Padmasambhava) may transfer into the
hearts of the human beings of this world. With humility
and a pure motivation, this was written at the Palyul
monastery in South India, based on Karma Chagmed
Rinpoche's own autobiography.

May good fortune and virtue prevail! 8

*Reprinted from A Garland of Immortal Wish-fulfilling Trees, by

Ven. Tsering Lama Jampal Zangpo, trans. by Sangye Khandro,
pp. 35-44, with permission from Snow Lion Publications,
Ithaca, NY, www.snowlionpub.com.

11
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 12
The Qualifications of Master
and Disciple
His Holiness Penor Rinpoche
S i n c e y o u a r e r e c e i v i n g these great
and profound Dzogchen teachings, you should know and
contemplate the characteristics of a qualified master and
a qualified disciple. What are these characteristics, and
how should one depend or rely upon the master? What
exactly is the relationship between master and disciple? A
very detailed commentary in six sections explains these
things as well as the great benefits of teaching and of lis-
tening and so on, but here we will mainly concentrate on
the characteristics of a master and a disciple and the rela-
tionship between them.
There is a text called the Fifty Stanzas of Guru
Devotion (Lama Nga Chupa) which says, regarding the
characteristics of a qualified master, if you think that the
lama and yourself are in some way equal or on the same
level, then you are actually breaking your samaya, your
words of honor, and that both the lama and the disciple
will be negatively affected by that kind of violation of the
samayas. This is why Guru Padmasambhava explained
that in the very beginning it is most important to exam-
ine the master.
So then, just what are the characteristics of a
qualified lama? Who is really authorized to give these
Dzogchen teachings?
First the faults of unqualified lamas are
explained. Unqualified masters are those who have not
themselves received enough teachings; who have very
arrogant minds and are full of pride; who do not have
enough wisdom or knowledge; who have not had experi-
ence of the realization of the absolute true nature of mind
12
and phenomena; and who do not carry through the prac-
tices of the generation stage and completion stage. These
unqualified lamas also have strong grasping onto the self
and have strong egos. Lamas also are at fault if they do
not have devotion and pure perception toward other
lamas or if they make distinctions among disciples, think-
ing things like, “Oh, these are my students, but those are
not my students.” These are the faults of unqualified
lamas.
Orgyen Rinpoche (Guru Padmasambhava) fore-
told that there would be very degenerate times when no
practitioners could actually become qualified lamas
because they would not be able to maintain the proper
view, meditation, and behavior or conduct. In such times,
there will be those who listen to just a little bit of teaching
and then start to give teachings to others; those who
haven't received an empowerment in a proper way and
then want to confer the empowerment on others; those
who do not apply the teachings into actual practice them-
selves and then want to instruct others; those whose own
mindstreams have not been liberated yet still they brag
that they have accomplished great practices and show off
as if they have achieved great qualities. However, since
their own mindstreams have not been liberated, they can-
not truly help to liberate others. Their minds will not real-
ly be stabilized. For example, when they are in an isolated
retreat area, they will long to go to the city, and then when
they are in the city, they want to go back to the retreat
place. Their minds will be unstable and shaky, but they
will try to deceive their disciples by pretending to have
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 13
achieved some kind of realization or to have had some
special experience or to have great knowledge. Even those
who actually do some practices or prayers will always be
criticizing others, thinking that they themselves are the
greatest master, and, as they worry about losing their rank
or authority, they will not want to receive teachings,
instructions or empowerment from any other lamas.
These kinds of lamas are false. Qualified lamas do not
think or behave in these ways. These false lamas may
have names such as Cho Je, King of Dharma, or
Rinpoche, the Precious One, or Khenpo or some other
precious name, but these will just be empty titles. Still,
they will deceive and confuse many disciples with these
high kinds of names. Guru Padmasambhava warned that
all these kinds of false lamas may appear in future gener-
ations, so it is very important for you to examine the lama
to see whether he or she is really qualified or not.
In a way, it can be very difficult to examine the
master in these degenerating times. It is possible that
devils and maras or other negative forces may appear in
the form of masters, and it may seem like they are really
qualified and that they have great knowledge. Orgyen
Rinpoche predicted that in the future there will be non-
enlightened beings who pretend to be enlightened, who
say they are manifestations of this or that enlightened
being. From their external appearances they will seem so
noble and so gentle that on seeing them one may develop
faith and devotion toward them. So one must be careful
not to judge through external appearances, external
behaviors, or even manners and methods of teaching.
Abandoning, then, these unqualified masters,
one should follow a qualified master as described by
Orgyen Rinpoche, Guru Padmasambhava. In general, the
master should have a great deal of knowledge of sutra
and tantra and especially the Dzogchen practices and
teachings. The master should have the actual recognition
of the Dzogchen view, meditation and behavior, with
some experience and realization of the ground, path and
fruition. The qualified master should carry through the
actual practices in order to benefit others and to help
them apply the teachings into practice. The master
should have the experience of realization and should have
great compassion for other beings to lead them in the
path of the dharma. The master should have pure percep-
tion regarding other masters and other practitioners. He
or she should know the outer and inner tantra teachings
and explanations and should have received the blessings
of an unbroken lineage which has been transmitted from
master to disciple in a proper way. If a master has these
characteristics then you can consider him or her to be a
qualified lama. The most important thing is that a mas-
ter, the lama, has achieved some kind of liberation of his
or her own mind and some realization of the true nature
of phenomena. It is only through such a truly qualified
master that you can really benefit your own mindstream
by carrying through the practices.
If one cannot find such a completely qualified
master, then one needs to use one's best judgment as to
whether the master has more faults or more good quali-
ties. Someone who has mostly good qualities can be
13
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 14
accepted as one's master, as is explained in the
Kalachakra Tantra.
As the disciple should carefully examine the
master, so should the master examine the disciples.
Orgyen Rinpoche, Guru Padmasambhava, said, “Not
examining the disciple is the devil of the dharma.” If a
disciple is not qualified, there will be no benefit from the
teachings. The characteristics of unqualified disciples are
those who are sweet-mouthed but mean-minded, those
who are stingy and miserly and who are very attached to
themselves and their worldly life. Unqualified disciples
do not maintain their words of honor and their precepts
in a proper way; they are always debating and arguing;
they try to ingratiate themselves by saying, “Oh, I have
done this for you and given that to you”; and they do not
really understand the qualities of the lama but instead
point out the lama's faults. These are characteristics of
unqualified disciples.
The qualifications of a disciple are very impor-
tant. Just as the snow lion's milk should only be kept in a
golden container, so in the same way these Dzogchen
teachings should only be given to qualified disciples.
Qualified disciples should have a great deal of wisdom, be
devoted to their practice, and have great inclination, faith
and pure perception toward the master and toward dhar-
ma practice. They should be willing to sacrifice them-
selves in such a way that they carry on no matter what
kind of hardships or difficulties they may face. They
should have the determination to really want to carry
through the actual practices. Their minds should be very
stable and full of devotion and belief in the master and
the teachings, and they should follow the whole, complete
instruction of the master in a proper way instead of just
making their own choices or judgments about how to
practice.
If these Dzogchen Great Perfection teachings are
taught by a qualified master to a qualified disciple, then it
is possible to achieve the complete enlightenment of the
Great Perfection within one lifetime, within one body. As
it is also difficult to find a completely qualified disciple,
the most important qualities of the disciple are that he or
she have very firm devotion and faith and the kind of con-
science and courage to really carry through with the prac-
tices. If disciples have these, then they are qualified to
receive the Dzogchen teachings. Giving these Dzogchen
teachings to persons who are not qualified, who have no
inclination or respect toward the dharma or the master, or
who hold wrong views will not really liberate their mind-
14
streams and may even become the cause for them to fall
into the three lower realms.
The Dzogchen Great Perfection teachings are the
peak of the nine yanas, the most profound teachings, and
if one is not really qualified they can be dangerous. It is
like trying to take a precious wish-fulfilling gem from the
head of a poisonous snake: there is the danger that you
could be bitten. For this reason one needs to have com-
plete devotion to one's master and to the teachings. But if
both the master and the disciple are qualified, it will fol-
low that one can become liberated within one lifetime.
Guru Padmasambhava has explained that when
you find a qualified lama, you need to perceive that mas-
ter as a completely enlightened Buddha. With such per-
ception you should devote yourself completely and follow
whatever teachings, instructions or commands the lama
gives you, not caring about enduring physical hardships,
even to where one is willing without any kind of hesita-
tion to offer one's eyes or one's heart or even to sacrifice
one's life if that is what pleases the master.
Those then are the qualifications of the master
and disciple and the proper relationship between the
lama, the master, and his or her disciples.
In receiving these profound Dzogchen teach-
ings, it is also important to maintain the words of honor,
the samaya. If one does not maintain them in a proper
way it can be very dangerous for oneself. These Dzogchen
teachings are the heart essence of Guru Padmasambhava,
the highest teachings, and they are protected by the
Dzogchen dharma protectors: Shenpa Marnag, the
Rahula Tsotu, Ekadzati and Damjen Dorje Legpa. These
dharma protectors are watching us, and if one does not
maintain the words of honor in a proper way, one could
experience many obstacles or very negative occurrences
in this lifetime and perhaps in future lifetimes. One could
be reborn as a donkey or something worse, perhaps even
for five hundred lifetimes. So in order to receive these
teachings, it is always very important to maintain the
words of honor properly and purely, and to try to cultivate
one's devotion and pure perception.8
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 15

Buddhism and
T o n i g h t o u r t o p i c i s Buddhism and

The Matrix:
The Matrix: Reality and Illusion. I know a lot of you are
really interested in the movie, The Matrix, and in what

Reality and
Buddhism can offer in relation to that. In approaching
this we need to have the right intention, because the
intention or motivation is what leads us and determines

Illusion
whether something can become meritorious or not. That
is why I want you all to have a very open mind, so that
whatever tiny bit of wisdom I can offer in relation to
Buddhism and The Matrix you could take with you and
apply in your field of expertise. I hope that you can come
Oral Teaching by away from this teaching with a better understanding of

Khen Rinpoche Tsewang Gyatso

reality and phenomena and also an increase in your spir-
itual understanding.
presented at the With that approach then, you know that The

Fischer All-Faith Chapel, Hiram College,

Matrix, of course, is a movie. And Buddhism is generally
a religion. The Matrix is not Buddhism, and Buddhism is
Hiram, OH not The Matrix, but Buddhism and The Matrix both

on January 14, 2004

describe illusion and reality.
This world that we understand as real, where we
exist and have all kinds of experiences, this world that we
think we know and understand, is our relative world. But
there is another aspect of it, which is called absolute
truth. Based on absolute truth, this, our present world, is
just illusion. But somehow, because of what are called
obscurations, we do not really understand this.
Sometimes, once in a while, we may have a sense that
things are not actually happening as they seem. We think,
“Oh, that looks like an illusion,” but this feeling is not sta-
ble, because we have these senses with which we deal
with all these objects and feelings in our day-to-day life.

15
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 16
And so it all seems very, very real. That is why how we
think and how we relate and what concepts we have con-
stitute reality.
In Buddhism there is a deep level of teachings on
what is called emptiness. It is only when we have some
sense of this emptiness that we can have some under-
standing of the illusory world presented in The Matrix.
Buddhist teachings on emptiness are based on the idea of
interdependent origination, which explains that all phe-
nomena are dependent on their respective causes and
conditions. Because of causes and conditions, phenome-
na appear in relative reality, but still they are just a kind of
illusion. If we don't have that understanding, we cannot
understand The Matrix. Though Hollywood got the idea
to create the movie based on science, there are many
things in it that are similar to the Buddhist point of view.
So The Matrix is a very good example for me to use in
many of my teachings on emptiness. I know that many
people say, “I didn't see that movie but now I will have
to.” And then they do. Now, I don't get any commission
from The Matrix. But if people get some idea about spiri-
tuality, about absolute reality, about absolute truth, then I
think the movie is planting seeds in their minds that
could develop in a positive way.
Buddhist teachings explain the two truths of all
phenomena: relative truth and absolute truth. Relative
truth is based on this, our present world, to which we
relate with our six senses. Absolute truth is absolute real-
ity and explains the non-duality of appearance and empti-
ness. All phenomena, all appearances, are by their nature
non-dual with or inseparable from what is called empti-
ness. Where there is any sort of appearance, there is the
emptiness nature. And wherever there is the emptiness
nature, of course, there are phenomena. The direct mean-
ing of emptiness is that phenomena do not have an inher-
ent existence, do not have an inherent true nature.
The absolute reality of phenomena, or the empti-
ness nature, is not a kind of philosophy or belief system
or discovery or invention. It is simply the nature as it is of
all phenomena. For example, this table in front of me
appears as a table, as an object we call a table. In the rela-
tive world, the moment we see this table, we invoke that
name, table, and through that, we create an image in our
minds: A table is something that looks like this.
But in reality, table is merely a name. Other than
the name, all we can find of the table are the parts of the
table, the parts and portions, and including its particles.
But we cannot find the inherent existence of the table, the
16
inherent true nature of the table.
At the beginning of this teaching, I did a prayer
that says,
I pay homage to the Great Mother of the Buddhas
of the three times [past, present and future],
The Prajnaparamita, which is inexpressible,
inconceivable, and ineffable.
Since it is unborn and ceaseless in nature,
It can only be realized by self-arisen individual
awareness.
Something that is inconceivable and inexpressible is
beyond our ordinary mind. That which transcends our
relative mind is called prajnaparamita or transcendental
wisdom. It is only with transcendental wisdom that we
can realize what is meant by absolute nature or absolute
reality or absolute truth.
Shakyamuni Buddha taught a major sutra called
the Prajnaparamita Sutra. In the seventh and eighth cen-
turies at Nalanda University in India, great scholars such
as Nagarjuna, Chandrakirti, Archarya Shantideva and
Shantarakshita, wrote many commentaries on this sutra.
Shantideva's commentary, called the Madhyamakavatara,
teaches the Middle Way or Middle Path. This Middle Way
refers to not falling into any extremes, neither the
extreme of existence nor the extreme of non-existence. By
not falling into extremes, you can fall into a middle path.
The proper or logical reasoning in this text is the method
that helps to establish the object or phenomenon into
emptiness
So, with this table, we try to investigate or exam-
ine or analyze just where the table is. We start by break-
ing it down into its parts, examining whether each part is
the table or not. That one leg is not necessarily the table.
And the other leg is also not the table, and then all these
legs are not the table. The upper portion itself is not the
table, the shape is not the table, and the color of the table
is not the table. We could examine it by cutting it into
pieces but even if we do so, even if we reduce it to its parts
and portions, even if we break it down into particles as
small as atoms, even if we try to look beyond the atoms,
still we cannot find the table. However we analyze or
investigate or examine where the table is, there is still no
way that all these parts and particles and portions are the
table. There is no table, since every portion or particle of
this table is not the table. Then where is the table?
According to this logical reasoning, the table does not
really exist. There is no inherent true nature of this table;
there is no inherent true existence of the table.
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 17
Because of our habitual tendencies of how we
grasp with our minds, the moment we see an object, we
think, “Oh, this is a table. It is really here.” We think,
“This is a cup; this is a computer; this is a camera; this is
my body; this is someone else's body,” and so forth. The
moment we see any object, we have a habitual tendency
to grasp and cling, to hold onto it as truly existing. This is
the reality of our relative world. At the same time, when
you think the table exists, relatively it does exist and
according to that has its own kind of ability or function. It
holds things; it works.
When you examine the nature of phenomena
with the intellectual mind, there are four main reason-
ings that can be applied, one of which is called the
Reasoning of One and Many. Another is the Reasoning of
Interdependent Origination. The Reasoning of One and
Many, as applied according to Archarya Shantarakshita's
text, is that this table as one entity with one single true
nature cannot exist, because it is just a collection of all
these parts and portions and particles.
Something that is not existent in each and every
part and portion as a table cannot become a table regard-
less of how many of these parts and portions and particles
may combine. When you don't analyze, the table is just
there. But when you use proper reasoning to analyze,
when you apply intellectual investigation, when you thor-
oughly look into it, somehow the table disappears; some-
how you cannot really find the table. But, at the same
time, the appearance of the table is there. So that explains
that the appearance of the table and the emptiness nature
of the table are inseparable. Relatively we only think of the
appearance; we never investigate whether this table is real
or not. If somebody says, “Is this table real or not?” the
answer is, “What, are you crazy? Of course, this is a real
table. Why, I bought it and brought it here. What you talk-
ing about?” It seems like only a crazy person would ask,
“Is this a real table?” It seems like a very stupid question.
But really we're not asking if this is a table. Relatively it
appears as a table, you use it as a table, and it looks like a
table. It is only at a deeper level of spiritual practice, at the
level of absolute truth or absolute nature, that we have
this kind of question. In spiritual practice, for instance,
we may ask whether all these phenomena, including our-
selves, our bodies, our senses, our consciousness and
everything, continue to exist when we attain enlighten-
ment. Do all these phenomena disappear, or do they still
exist in that state? We may have the questions: Who am I?
Why I am here? When was the beginning of this exis-
tence? What is my purpose?
When you try to look on a deeper level, when you
ask, “Who am I?”, sometimes it is funny. But at that time
you are not talking about your relative appearance or rel-
atively who you are, whether you are Mr. A, Mr. B or Mrs.
C, Mrs. G or F. We all have these kinds of relative names,
and in that way we have our identity, our mode of com-
municating with the relative world. Rather these ques-
tions relate to a deeper sense of just who we are, a deeper
sense of what our purpose here is and of what we really
need to do. When we can understand on a deeper level as
the bodhisattvas do, then we have the possibility of liber-
ation.
Buddhism explains that when we attain com-
plete enlightenment, none of these phenomena exists. So
then we think if, when we attain enlightenment, these
phenomena do not exist, then nothing exists. But
Buddhism says no, neither way is right. When we attain
complete enlightenment, that phenomena exist is not the
right answer, and that nothing exists is not the right
answer either. So you think, maybe both is the answer.
But that both exist is not the right answer, and that nei-
ther exists is also not the answer. These are called the four
extremes. So what is beyond the four extremes? How can
we really understand the completely enlightened mind,
the omniscient mind, where phenomena exist or do not
exist or both or neither? How can we understand that
kind of nature?
Based on absolute nature, Buddhism explains
that relative phenomena are illusory, as when one enters
into the Matrix World in the movie. According to Tibetan
Buddhism, to tantra, to the Great Perfection, in the very
beginning of existence, there is something called the fun-
damental ground. In that arises the possibility of either
getting confused or of recognizing the true nature. The
moment you recognize the true nature, you attain
enlightenment right away at that spot. And the moment
you get confused, even for a split second, you enter into
this relative world, which we can call the Matrix World.
In The Matrix movie, there are two pills between
which Neo must choose. He asks, “What is the differ-
ence?” They tell him that if he takes the red pill, every-
thing will be as it truly is. So that is more in relation to
what is reality. If he takes the blue pill, he will re-enter the
illusory Matrix World. This is similar to the moment in
the fundamental ground where you can either recognize
the true nature or get confused.
In The Matrix, after eating the red pill, Neo has to
17
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 18
go through all sorts of processes to enter reality. Later,
while his real body is lying down, his consciousness
enters into the Matrix World through a computer. In the
movie, Neo is the Chosen One and only the Chosen One
can realize or recognize the Matrix World. But according
to Buddhism, in this relative world, because we have the
possibility to recognize everything as illusion, everything
as a dream, which is the method through which we can
be liberated, everybody is a chosen one. There is not even
a tiny bit of difference among beings because, as
Shakyamuni Buddha taught, every being has the potential
for recognition. And these teachings are not just explana-
tions or aspirations. Shakyamuni Buddha described every
aspect of the nature with many examples and many prop-
er reasonings. A proper reasoning is the same as a scien-
tific experiment, where a scientist does the experiment
repeatedly and, according to that method, learns many
things and finally discovers something.
It is like that with these proper reasonings. You
have a validating logic. If there is no validating logic, it
cannot be true. Whether it is the relative world or the
absolute world, we rely on validating cognition, on logic
that validates according to the reality. It is not enough to
merely believe something or to just feel or think in some
way. You have to examine for yourself and use your intel-
lect to go deeply into some kind of proper reasoning to
understand that truth, that reality.
Though all these proper reasonings establish
that every single sentient being is a chosen one, some-
times the world is so vast that we become confused. We
wonder if it can actually be true because we see so many
negative things. There are so many different kinds of
creatures, many we haven't encountered, many we are
not familiar with, many, many creatures we have no idea
of. But an enlightened mind, an omniscient mind, sees
everything from beginning to end. Each and every single
phenomenon, each and every aspect and stage, is com-
pletely clear to that kind of mind, in the same way that the
sun shining in a very clear sky illuminates everything.
The enlightened or omniscient mind that knows all these
hidden or obscured or very, very unfathomable natures
explains that, since every single sentient being has the
potential to have the realization of the true nature, then
everyone is a chosen one.
So, taking this table as an example, if we don't
apply any sort of investigation or examining to it, it just
appears as it is. But when we apply that kind of method,
it dissolves. With that same kind of proper reasoning, that
18
same kind of analysis or examination, you can investigate
your own body. You think, “This is my body and it is
strong and healthy.” But then you look more closely into
where your actual body is. You go through every part and
portion: Is my head my body? No, my head itself is not
my body. Is my right hand my body? No, by itself my right
hand is not my body. And your left hand itself is not your
body. Your chest itself is not your body. Your backbone
and your heels are not your body. Your right arm and left
arm and right leg and left leg, all those toes and fingers
and other parts are not the body. Every part by itself is not
the body; it is a part of the body.
We investigate every part and portion and do the
same with particles until we get to atoms, but still, we
cannot find that which is called the body. So a body is just
a name, something imputed to this kind of form, a whole
collection of particles and parts and portions, which, put
together, connotes something that we call a body. When
we don't investigate there is still a body. When we do
investigate, it seems that the body doesn't exist, although
the complete appearance never disappears. Yet you know
with a kind of intellectual wisdom that if you do apply that
kind of investigation then it will seem like there is no
body.
That is the method of One and Many. When you
apply it, there is the emptiness. And this emptiness
negates not the appearance, but the inherent true exis-
tence of that appearance. So there is no single phenome-
non or single entity that has inherent existence or inher-
ent true nature. But if you don't apply that method, the
relative appearance of phenomena is there.
Somehow, it seems that this present world is
real. But actually it is a delusion, it is a dream, it is just
like a magical illusion. When we don't realize that, then
of course it appears real. It is the same as when you
dream. You might dream that you are going with your
friends, that you are meeting your parents, or that you are
playing or skiing. In the dream itself, there are your
friends, there are all those actions, there are all those
landscapes, and there are all those experiences.
Sometimes even your pet animals are there. In the dream
itself everything seems very real. But the whole complete
phenomena of that dream are totally a projection of your
mind. Your mind projects your form, your body, your
friends and your actions. Everything.
The moment you wake up, you know you were
only dreaming. If it was a nightmare, you think, “Even
though this was only a dream, I was so frightened. Such
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 19
bad things were happening to me.” But you realize it was
only a dream and so you recognize that it was not true,
but rather an illusion. When, in the dream itself, you
don't realize that you are dreaming, that it is illusion, you
experience all sorts of emotions, all sorts of suffering, all
sorts of joy or pain.
That is what is being described in The Matrix. As
Neo enters the illusory Matrix World through the comput-
er, he appears where his enemies are and they start fight-
ing. At the time they are fighting, notice how they
breathe. In the middle of the fight they have to sit down,
they are panting so hard, but are they really breathing like
that in their actual bodies? No, it is only in the Matrix
World. Nothing is real. Their real bodies are just lying
there. When you don't realize that you are in the Matrix
World, you have all those kinds of feelings and breathings
and worries and if somebody hits you, you get injured
and blood comes out. But when you realize how phenom-
ena are illusory in nature, then there is nothing to be
scared of. At the same time, in this, our relative world,
however it appears, we also have lots of fun and we do
enjoy ourselves. So, even if it is not real on an absolute
level, if we think we are having fun, it is simply fun.
In the movie, Cypher, the one who is betraying
Neo and Morpheus, is eating steak with the agent. He
knows that the food is an illusion, but it's delicious and he
says, “Ignorance is bliss.” He is saying that in the Matrix
World everything is unreal, is an illusion, is not true. But
if you don't know that it is illusion, then you think that
the food is real and that you are real and that you are real-
ly eating the food. You taste it and enjoy it and you say,
“Ignorance is bliss.”
When we think that there is some kind of enjoy-
ment, that is fine, even if it is not real. But at the same
time, we also have lots of suffering, emotion and pain in
this world, nasty things that we don't like and don't want
to experience. And we experience these things because
we do not realize that we are in the Matrix World. We
don't realize that everything is like a dream, like a mirage,
or like a drug-induced hallucination.
For some people, taking drugs and having hallu-
cinations can seem good for a moment, a time when one
can forget one's emotions. But of course, all those hallu-
cinatory objects are projected. Not even the tiniest bit of
those appearances is real. All those phenomena are just
drug-created. Though one sometimes feels relieved of
pain or suffering or depression or stress, in reality it is not
healthy. In reality, those drugs are not helping that per-
son. Scientifically, based on the relative existence of our
corporeal body, all those chemicals and substances nega-
tively affect our health, our lungs, our nerves and chan-
nels, and our blood circulation. Those substances destroy
our bodies even if we think it is just illusion. The illusion
itself destroys. It's the same as in the Matrix World, when,
though everything is illusion, they start shooting at each
other, ripping and killing each other, and somebody actu-
ally dies, something actually happens. When they don't
realize that it is illusion, it seems like something is really
happening.
If we are smart, we should really try to abandon,
give up, or not even try any of these drugs. In the West,
there are so many drug problems. And those problems
are self-created, though one may not realize how drugs
affect oneself. So this is my own wish, that, as a friend, as
a brother or sister, as a human being, we try to help each
other. It is my wish that students in colleges and schools
and universities would not get involved with drugs. If you
could pass along the message not to do that, I think it is
worthwhile; it benefits everyone, including our parents,
our friends, our relatives, our teachers.
I have a lot of these kinds of conversations with
our many students. Sometimes I myself think that since
I never had any kind of drug, I should try some, just to
understand the experience. I think, maybe I'll try some,
not to get addicted, but to see how much it affects my
mind and body, how much illusion it creates, how long it
lasts, and how much it can help in relation with my spir-
itual experiences, see whether it can be some sort of tool
or method to increase my spiritual understanding in rela-
tion to emptiness and illusion. But since we know that
drugs are really damaging, and are like poison, I know it
is better to not try them.
All these hallucinations are not real at all. For
instance, in Nepal there is a road with a big gate. There
was a man who had taken some kind of hallucinatory
drug. As he stood in front of the gate, he felt like he was
very huge, too big to pass through the gate. He was just
kind of stuck there. He started shouting in an intoxicated
way, “How I can go in? This gate so small, I cannot get
in.” Some people came and were very mean to him. They
said, “There is nothing wrong. If you just turn like this…”
Then they pulled the man from his right and left sides
through the gate. When he got inside, he cried out, “I
have lost both my ears!” The poor man thought both ears
were gone. Though in reality nothing had happened, he
still had that experience.
19
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 20
The most important part of The Matrix is where
it relates to the Buddhist teachings of emptiness. Having
the realization of emptiness is what makes the real differ-
ence. When you don't have the realization of the illusory
nature of the Matrix World, you feel that this is all so real.
Part of the practice in Buddhism is to have a very clear
and spacious mind where there are no afflictive emotions,
doubts, hesitations, or confusions. When you clear out all
those afflictive emotions and doubts, when your mind
becomes completely pure and clean, then everything is
perfect and you can do anything.
In the beginning of The Matrix, Neo's teacher,
Morpheus, tells Neo, “Just free your mind.” Then
Morpheus runs and jumps from one building to another.
“Free your mind.” But Neo doesn't get the instruction.
That is the biggest problem. The master knows that Neo
is the Chosen One, but still Neo doesn't get the instruc-
tion right away without any hesitation or doubts. He does-
n't get it. The teacher jumps from one building to anoth-
er and survives. Then he gives the instruction: “Free your
mind.” Instantly Neo thinks, “I cannot do this.” That is
why he is surprised at what his teacher is able to do.
So Neo starts repeating the instruction, “‘Free
your mind.’ Okay, no problem, just free my mind.” But
just repeating the instructions doesn't work. You have to
realize the instruction. That is the whole purpose of the
instruction. Even parrots can repeat, but there is no
meaning in that.
On the other hand, though Neo doubted that he
could jump, he still believed his master. That was the
good part of him. He believed his master: “Okay, I have to
free my mind.” So he tried really hard and jumped, but
since he didn't realize the instructions, he could not free
his mind. Because he could not free his mind, even
though he tried to jump, he fell down.
In Buddhism, we have two methods for being
able to realize the instruction to “Free your mind.” First
there is shamatha or tranquility meditation, where you sit
with single-pointed mind. When you have that single-
pointed mind where you are completely tranquil, where
your mind is concentrated on one single point, then what-
ever happens around you does not disturb you. You can
continue to do that shamatha practice until you can real-
ize the instruction. And then there is vipassana
(Sanskrit), which means insight meditation. Through this
meditation you can have insight into the absolute true
nature of phenomena. You can realize that the emptiness
nature is non-dual with appearance.
20
Yet, in emptiness, all these appearances do not
necessarily vanish. Emptiness explains that there is no
inherent existence or inherent true nature. If, in this
world, there were any single entity or phenomenon that
had inherent existence or inherent true nature, it would
be permanent. But there is no such phenomenon, no
such entity in this whole world, including all these mod-
ern scientific discoveries. In this way, the emptiness
method negates the true existence of objects or phenom-
ena. And the moment you see something is not really
true, is just illusion, you instantly get released from
grasping, from attachment or aversion.
Take, for instance, a flower. We have lots and lots
of fake flowers. They look so beautiful, just so nice. And
many times we get confused: “Is this a real flower or a
fake flower?” We try to touch it, “I think this is real.”
When you think it is real, you have so much desire in
your mind for it. But the moment you know it is a fake,
you relax. “Okay,” you say, “I'm not even going to look at
it. It's just a fake.”
That is one example of how, just as in these
Buddhist teachings, we can realize that all phenomena
are like illusions. Because all phenomena are illusory, we
can try to let them go. The moment we let something go,
strong emotions such as attachment or aversion cannot
be created. No matter what is happening, whether good or
bad, even if the worst, worst things are happening, you
still have a sense of understanding that it is just an illu-
sion. At the very least you can have some sort of relaxation
in your mind instead of becoming emotional and
depressed and perhaps doing all sorts of negative things.
The understanding of emptiness can help to relax one-
self.
Because we think everything is real, we have
attachment or aversion to all these things, and then we
struggle. We struggle our whole life just to get through it.
If you realize it is all just illusion, then it doesn't matter
at all whether you have something or not. At the same
time, no sort of suffering or pain or even any weapon can
harm you at all, because you realize that your body and
the weapon are illusory.
At the end of the movie, Neo still doesn't know
he is the Chosen One, and he still doesn't recognize the
illusory nature no matter how many times Morpheus
explains it to him. Even with all his training, he doesn't
get that understanding. He doesn't get the instructions.
But still he has the potential; still he is the
Chosen One. So that is why, even though at the end the
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 21

bad guy, Agent Smith, shoots Neo and kills him, some- moment we can get into the kind of reality called absolute
how Neo only dies in the Matrix World, not in the real reality. And now we are back to the question of whether
reality. As Neo dies he realizes that dying in the Matrix these phenomena exist in absolute reality or not when
World is not a real death and he realizes that he is the you attain complete enlightenment.
Chosen One. The moment he realizes, the moment he When you have complete realization, when you
recognizes this not real at all, he slowly wakes up. He attain enlightenment, then these ordinary phenomena
slowly gets up. And then you see how relaxed he is. You and ordinary conceptions, ordinary senses, ordinary
see through his posture as he gets up how his body and objects, do not exist at all in the enlightened nature. There
mind are completely relaxed. He has no fear now. No fear, is the appearance of all these phenomena, but it is not
no kind of emotions, no hesitation. At that point, even ordinary appearance. Rather, it is pure appearance.
though Agent Smith starts shooting at him, Neo is not To an enlightened being, it is not that nothing
scared of the bullets. Instead, because of his new quality, exists. Instead everything is in its pure celestial nature.
his power, he starts to play a game. He realizes no bullet All beings are enlightened beings, and all objects and
can harm him. He's not scared or worried like before; he phenomena are as pure as absolute reality. When one
just stops all the bullets, like in a computer game, like all realizes that nature, there is a million times more pleas-
those illusory games where you can do lots of funny ure and joy and fun. You can take your skating and your
things, lots of interesting things. All the bullets come pizzas and your McDonald's and all that ice cream and in
toward him and then they drop. Even when Agent Smith that enlightened field it is 100 million times better than
comes and fights him, Neo is completely relaxed. He what exists in this, our Matrix World.
fights with one hand, just playing games. To his opponent So that is what of Buddhist philosophy about
it seems so real and he must work so hard, but actually it emptiness and illusion that you can understand from The
is like a baby and a grown-up playing. Matrix. 8
When you have the recognition of how the
Matrix World is just illusion, then nothing happens in
reality. In a way, our present world is the Matrix World. It
is our Matrix World, but we haven't got that recognition
and realization, so that is why we think everything is so
real, that is why we have all these afflictive emotions, all
this anger and hatred, all sort of pain and suffering, all
sorts of obstacles and difficulties. To alleviate all these
problems we have to work very hard. But we're not get-
ting anywhere, because it is all just illusion. It is just like
you are dreaming. You are dreaming that something is
happening, but you are asleep. It is like in The Wizard of
Oz, or Groundhog Day. Both movies have a similar theme,
some sense of understanding that nothing is actually hap-
pening.
It is important to understand, though, that in
Buddhism emptiness, or what in Sanskrit is called shun-
yata, is not just a kind of nothingness. Emptiness is not
nothingness. Emptiness is the nature of phenomena, that
phenomena do not have an inherent existence. When
phenomena do not have inherent existence or inherent
true nature, they are the same as all these magical illu-
sions. The Matrix and Buddhism both explain illusion
and reality. Still, The Matrix is illusion, but if through
Buddhism we could recognize the truth, the absolute
nature, as we have that kind of potential, then at that

21
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 22

If you can’t
even be a nice
person,
then
forget about
enlighten-
ment.
© 2006 Mannie Garcia, used by permission

- Khen Rinpoche
Tsewang Gyatso

22
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 23

learningTibetan:
VOWELS
The four vowels /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/ are formed by adding 4 signs
above or below the consonants. The /a/ is not marked, but is
implicit.

These are the four vowels:

AA - /i/ A /u/ AJ- /e/ AR- /o/

How to spell the vowels:

a a khiku i

a shapkyu u

a trengpu e
Now you can try to add these vowels into the consonants
by using the lesson in the first issue of Palyul Clear
Light.
a naro o
Example:

ra khiku ri : "mountain"

sa shapkyu su : "who"

ma trengpu me : "fire"

la naro lo : "year"

23
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 24
Dharma Numeration:
T H E T H R E E DOORS
1. Body: the door for all kinds of physical action;
2. Speech: the door for all sorts of verbalization;
3. Mind: the door for all kinds of thoughts and emotions.
THE THREE KINDS OF FAITH
1. Clear Faith: a sense of clear mind toward the object of
refuge, whether a deity or the Three Jewels of Buddha,
Dharma, or Sangha, and including the teachers;
2. Desirous Faith: a sense of desire or attraction to the holy
object of refuge;
3. The Faith of Belief: when one sees the true qualities of
the objects of refuge and teachers as trustworthy.
THE THREE OBJECTS OF REFUGE
1. The Buddha: one who is completely enlightened with
perfect qualities and knowledge of everything without the
tiniest bit of obscuration;
2. The Dharma: the flawless teachings of the enlightened
beings, which are the path of truth and the truth of cessa-
tion;
3. The Sangha: the realized beings of the lesser and high-
er vehicles who are on the paths and the bhumis.
THE THREE KINDS OF GENEROSITY
1. The Generosity of Material Wealth: giving or being gener-
24
ous with material wealth;
2. The Generosity of Protection: giving life by protecting a
being in danger of harm or loss of life;
3. The Generosity of Dharma: giving dharma teachings
properly to benefit beings by leading them into the spiri-
tual path of liberation.
THE THREE KINDS OF MORALITY
1. The Morality to Refrain from Wrong Discipline: to main-
tain one's precepts in accordance with the vows one has
received; for example, the pratimoksha or bodhisattva
vows;
2. The Morality of All Action Leading to Virtue: all actions of
body, speech, and mind concentrated towards the virtu-
ous and meritorious;
3. The Morality of Benefiting Sentient Beings: with positive
intention, concentrating on benefiting all sentient beings
impartially.
THE THREE KINDS OF PATIENCE
1. The Patience of Accepting Suffering: while practicing the
dharma, having the patience to accept whatever suffering
may ensue;
2. The Patience of Not Thinking Bad Thoughts about Those
Who Do Harm: understanding and having patience with
those who do any harm;
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 25
3. The Patience for Hardship in the Practice of Dharma: hav-
ing patience with all sorts of hardships that one may
encounter while engaging in dharma practice.
THE THREE KINDS OF PERSEVERANCE
1. Armor-like Perseverance: engaging in vigorous practice;
2. The Perseverance of Constantly Engaging: diligently
engaging in one's practice no matter what might happen;
3. The Perseverance of Striving to Do More Than is
Considered Enough: not being satisfied with one's practice
until one actualizes enlightenment.
THE THREE KINDS OF SAMADHI or MEDITATION
1. Worldly Meditation: shamatha meditation;
2. Meditation of Clarifying Meaning: the concentration of
the mind through meditation that clarifies the meaning of
the true nature of phenomena;
3. The Meditation of the Tatagathas: a single-pointed mind
fully concentrated on the absolute truth of vipassana med-
itation.
THE THREE KINDS OF WISDOM
1. The Wisdom of Listening: the potential to gain insight by
listening to teachings;
2. The Wisdom of Reflection: the wisdom gained through
contemplation of the meanings of those teachings;
3. The Wisdom of Meditation: the wisdom gained through
actual meditation on the true nature of phenomena.
THE THREE ROOT DEITIES
1. The Guru: as the root blessing;
2. The Deva: as the root of accomplishment through the
practice on the deity;
3. The Dakini: as the root of all spiritual activity to benefit
all beings.
THE THREE KAYAS
1. The Dharmakaya: the ultimate nature of phenomena as
the great emptiness free of elaboration;
2. The Sambhogakaya: the pure forms of the buddhas with
the five excellent qualities, which are only perceived by
realized beings;
3. The Nirmanakaya: the reflection or emanation of the
sambhogakaya, which appears to all beings to benefit
them in accordance with their needs. 8
calligraphy by Khen Rinpoche Tsewang Gyatso
left to right:
Chöku Nangwa Thayé
(Dharmakaya Limitless Light Amitabha)
Longku Thugjé Chenpo
(Sambhogakaya Great Compassionate
Avalokiteshvara)
Tülku Padma Gyüngné
(Padma Sambhava Nirmanakaya)
25
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 26
introducing TULKUS
K a r m a K u c h e n Rinpoche
Karma Kuchen Rinpoche was born with wonderful signs
in 1970 as the son of father, Dorje Namgyal, and mother
in South India. At an early age, he possessed the sublime
qualities of a noble being: compassion, loving kindness
and courage. Both His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche and
His Holiness Penor Rinpoche recognized him as the
unmistaken incarnation of Karma Thegchog Nyingpo,
the fourth Karma Kuchen Rinpoche.
He was invited to Namdroling Monastery, where
H.H. Penor Rinpoche gave him basic religious education.
Karma Kuchen Rinpoche excelled in all the monastic
training and mastered all the traditional knowledge of the
Palyul lineage. He received the whole cycle of Nyingma
Kama, Rinchen Terzod and other numerous Nyingma
teachings from such great masters as H.H. Dilgo
Khyentse Rinpoche and H.H. Penor Rinpoche.
He joined the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute at an
early age and studied all the major Buddhist philosophies
as well as the minor sciences, including poetry, logic, lit-
erature and grammar.
Kuchen Rinpoche has gone through extensive
Dzogchen practice from the Nam Chö cycle of teaching,
beginning with the ngondro and tsalung through the
Dzogchen tögyal and trekchöd, with the direct instruction
and guidance of H.H. Penor Rinpoche.
Recognizing in Kuchen Rinpoche the wonderful
qualities of a master, H.H. Penor Rinpoche appointed
him as the head of the Palyul Mother Monastery in Tibet
in 1994. In 2000, he was formally enthroned as the line-
age holder of the Palyul tradition and will become the 12th
throne holder of the Palyul lineage.
One of the most striking qualities of Karma
Kuchen Rinpoche is his strict and pure observance of all
the vows of a monk. Karma Kuchen Rinpoche has built
many temples, stupas, prayer wheels, and images of
deities since his arrival in Tibet. He is now planning to
build a temple on the monastery premises with the guid-
ance of H.H. Penor Rinpoche.
26
left to right:
Karma Kuchen----
--Rinpoche,
Mugsang Kuchen ------
--Rinpoche,
Fourth Gyangkhang------
- Rinpoche
M u g s a n g K u c h e n Rinpoche
Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche was born with miraculous
signs to Penpa Dorjee (father) and Sonam Yangzom
(mother) on the tenth day of the fourth Tibetan month
in 1974.
Mugsang Thubten Sangngag Chöling Monastery
is located in a sacred place in Tibet, southwest of Kathok
Monastery. “Mugsang” means to clear oneself from slug-
gishness. The monastery is built at the location where
Terton Migyur Dorje spent his final days before passing
into the empty sphere of truth while sitting in meditative
equipoise.
At the age of two, His Holiness Dudjom
Rinpoche and His Holiness Drubwang Penor Rinpoche
recognized Mugsang Kuchen as the unmistakable rein-
carnation of Chogtrul Kunzang Sherab. Penor Rinpoche
looked after him from the age of three with great compas-
sion and care. At four years old, Mugsang Kuchen
received the Rinchen Terzod empowerment cycle from
His Holiness Drodrub Rinpoche. Starting at the age of
five, he learned to read and write Tibetan and began train-
ing in the distinct rituals of the Palyul tradition.
He received Kama empowerments and instruc-
tions on ngondro, tsalung and Dzogchen directly from
His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. He studied the common
sciences such as grammar, poetry, and logic, as well as the
uncommon sciences of Buddhist philosophy at Ngyagyur
Nyingma Institute at Namdroling in South India.
Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche continues to uphold the
supreme activities of his predecessor.
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 27
F o u r t h G y a n g k h a n g Rinpoche
The Fourth Gyangkhang Rinpoche was born in India. His
Holiness Penor Rinpoche, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche and
H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche recognized him as the
authentic incarnation of the Third Gyangkhang
Rinpoche.
At the age of four, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche
invited Gyangkhang Rinpoche to stay at Namdroling
Monastery. When he was 15, he received the esoteric
teachings of tantra, laying the foundation for the higher
practices. Gyangkhang Rinpoche studied general
Buddhist philosophy as well as the distinct Nyingma
teachings at Ngagyur Nyingma Institute, and proved bril-
liant in his studies.
In his fifth year at the Shedra, Gyangkhang
Rinpoche displayed his scriptural knowledge by giving a
lengthy discourse on Sangwa Nyingpo (Magical Net
Tantra, a Mahayoga teaching) in front of His Holiness the
Fourteenth Dalai Lama and an assembly of thirty thou-
sand people from the different religious traditions of
Tibet. His Holiness the Dalai Lama praised his wisdom.
From His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche,
Dodrubchen Rinpoche, Jadrel Rinpoche, Khenpo Jigme
Phuntsok Rinpoche, and Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche,
Gyangkhang Rinpoche received the empowerments, oral
transmissions and pith instructions on the whole Kama
and Terma teachings (the distinct Nyingma teachings of
the Transmitted Precepts and the Rediscovered Treasure
teachings).
In 1994, under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya,
Gyangkhang Rinpoche received the vows of full ordina-
tion from His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. In 1995, he com-
pleted the nine years of Shedra and Penor Rinpoche
bestowed on him the title of “Tulku Khenpo.”
Before receiving the title of Khenpo, he gave
teachings, empowerments and oral transmissions on
many occasions at various Namdroling centers in
America. At present, he is teaching at the Ngagyur
Nyingma Institute as well as assisting His Holiness
Penor Rinpoche in shouldering monastic responsibil-
ities.8
27
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 28
introducing KHENPOS
K h e n c h e n P e m a Sherab
Khenchen Pema Sherab was born in 1936, at Riphu in
the Kham Province. In 1953, Shechen Kongtrul Rinpoche
bestowed novice vows upon him. Khenchen then met
His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, from whom he
received most of his teachings, including the
Guhyagarbha Root Tantra, Longchenpa's Treasury of Pith
Instructions, Kagyud Ngag Dzod (Treasury of Tantra
teachings of the Kagyu lineage), the Rinchen Terdzod,
Jigme Lingpa's Yonten Dzod (Treasury of Enlightened
Qualities), and many other sutra and tantra teachings.
On various occasions, he has received many teachings,
including the Rinchen Terdzod empowerments and its
oral transmission from H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche and
H.H. Penor Rinpoche. He received all the teachings relat-
ed to Jang-ter (Northern Treasure Teachings) from H.H.
Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche.
In 1968, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche invited
Khenchen Pema Sherab to come to Namdroling to teach
the Dharma. Khenchen has been teaching at the Institute
out of compassion and kindness to the students for 25
years. The teachings that he has dispensed include the
common traditional sciences of Tibetan grammar,
spelling and poetry as well as the uncommon traditional
teachings that illustrate the distinct view, meditation,
conduct, and fruition of the Nyingma lineage.
Khenchen has composed many books on
Buddhist philosophy, including a biography of Guru
Padmasambhava; an Exposition on Two Truths, Lorig
and Tagrig, Sun of Mind; an exposition of logic; and
many others.
28
K h e n c h e n T s e w a n g Gyatso
Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche was born in 1954 in
a village in the southern region of Tibet. From his birth,
his parents had a strong feeling that they should place
him in the nearby monastery of Nub Namkha'i Nyingpo.
In 1969 Khenchen entered the Central Institute of
Higher Tibetan Studies at Sarnath, India, where he com-
pleted a nine-year curriculum in Buddhist studies and
general education under his principal teacher, Khenpo
Palden Sherab. After graduation he was invited to teach
at Palyul Namdroling Monastery in South India, where
he taught in the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute. In 1983 he
was enthroned as a khenpo by His Holiness Penor
Rinpoche.
Khenchen has received all major lineage
empowerments and transmissions of the Nyingmapa
school, including the Dudjom Tersar from Kyabje
Dudjom Rinpoche; the Longchen Nyingthig Yabshi and
Nyingma Kama from H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche;
and the Rinchen Terdzod and Nam Chö from H.H. Pema
Norbu Rinpoche. He has practiced Dzogchen intensively
under the guidance of H.H. Penor Rinpoche, Khenpo
Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche.
H.H.Penor Rinpoche has authorized Khenchen to repre-
sent the monastery, to teach, confer empowerments and
give personal instruction in Buddhist practice. Khen
Rinpoche has traveled and taught extensively both in
Asia and in the West, where his open, direct and heart-
warming style of teaching is very well received.
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 29
K h e n c h e n Namdrol
Khenchen Namdrol was born in 1953 at Dege. In 1968,
he did Bum-Nga (the five hundred thousand accumula-
tions of the preliminary practice).
Khenchen received teachings on the Thirty-
Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, Vishestava, and
Mipham Rinpoche's Tong Thun Sengei Ngaro from
Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche. Khenpo Khedrub taught him
Mipham's Commentary to Abhidharmakosha. He
received teachings on Mipham Rinpoche's Notes on
Nagarjuna's Mulaprajna and other Madhyamika treatises
and teachings on Prajnaparamita, Madhyamika, and
Pramana from Khenpo Tsondrue.
Since 1978, in accordance to His Holiness Penor
Rinpoche's wishes, Khenchen Namdrol has been a key
teacher and administrator at the Ngagyur Nyingma
Institute at Namdroling Monastery. In 1983, His
Holiness Penor Rinpoche enthroned him as a khenpo.
In 1988, he traveled to Serta in Kham Province, Tibet, to
receive teachings from H.H. Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok
Rinpoche. Again in 1992, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok
bestowed on him Longchenpa's Treasury of Precious
Meaning of Words and many other esoteric teachings.
In 1998, under the guidance of His Holiness
Penor Rinpoche, Khenchen Namdrol established the
Palyul Retreat Center, Samten Osel Ling, in Pharping,
Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Khenchen spends much of his
time at the center, as well as teaching abroad and at
Ngagyur Nyingma Institute. Khenchen has contributed
greatly with the sole intention of preserving the dharma
in these degenerate times.
K h e n p o T e n z i n Norgey
Khenpo Tenzin Norgey was born in the Tashigang
District of Bhutan in 1965. He joined Ngagyur Nyingma
Institute in 1986, the prestigious Buddhist studies and
research center at Namdroling Monastery in Mysore. At
the Institute he studied under Khenchen Pema Sherab,
Khenchen Namdrol Tsering and Khenchen Tsewang
Gyatso and other visiting professors, including
Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok and Khenpo Pema Tsewang
from Tibet. He completed the Shedra program at the
Institute in 1995 and joined the Institute staff. He was
enthroned as a khenpo by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche
in 1998 and was assigned by His Holiness to teach at
Palyul Monastery in Tibet. He has received all the major
empowerments of Rinchen Terzod, Nam Chö, Nyingthik
Yabshi and Nyingma Kama from H.H. Penor Rinpoche
as well as the Mipham Kabum from H.H. Dilgo
Khyentse Rinpoche. Because of his knowledge and expe-
rience and fluent command of the English language,
H.H. Penor Rinpoche has assigned him to teach stu-
dents in the United States in conjunction with the ongo-
ing teaching programs offered by Khen Rinpoche
Tsewang Gyatso. Khenpo started the cyber shedra in the
U.S., coordinated by Palyul center in Montana. He is cur-
rently the resident khenpo at Ningma Palyul Dharma
Center in New York City. 8
29
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 30
On the Inauguration of the
Zangdogpalri Pema Odkyi
Phodrang Temple
(Lotus Light Palace of Guru
Padmasambhava on the Glorious
Copper-Colored Mountain)*
O n D e c e m b e r 1 3 , 2 0 0 4 , a Zangdogpalri
(Copper-Colored Mountain) temple was inaugurated at
Namdroling Monastery in southern India. Presided over
by His Holiness XIV Dalai Lama and His Holiness Penor
Rinpoche, the event was attended by thousands of guests,
including monastic and lay sangha as well as other hon-
ored visitors from all over the globe.
The architecture of the Zangdogpalri Temple in
general and the wall paintings and statues inside in partic-
ular are inspiring for Dharma practitioners and tourists
alike. The history of Buddhism in Tibet is extensively
depicted in paintings on the temple walls.
The temple is 106 feet high and its circumference
is 80 feet. The construction of the temple was begun on
April 21, 2002 and completed on November 4, 2004. The
completion date corresponds to the 22nd day of the ninth
month of the Wood-Male Monkey year of 17th Rabjung,
Tibetan Royal year 2131.
The temple at Namdroling was constructed based
on numerous descriptions of the “actual” Zangdogpalri
Pema Odki Phodrang Temple drawn from teachings of
great scholars proficient in the Three Baskets of Sutrayana
Teachings and the Four Classes of Tantra, as well as from
the experiential realization of treasure revealers, who have
been praised in prophecies by the great Acharya
30
Padmasambhava himself.
The temple consists of the Mansion of Three
Kayas (a three story structure) supported by a base shrine.
Generally, explanation of the Zangdogpalri Temple can be
classified into three divisions: outer, inner, and secret. The
first division speaks to the physically apparent mansions
of the nirmanakaya. The second or inner speaks to the
concentration of the Five Pure Essences at the heart cen-
ter, which are primordially perfected with the qualities of
the enlightened bodies. The third, the secret division,
speaks to the unchanging and all-pervading primordial
wisdom, which is effortlessly abiding in the natural state
of mind.
The outer nirmanakaya Zangdogpalri mansion
can appear anywhere in the three thousand universes,
provided there are beings to be tamed who have the poten-
tial to attain Buddhahood. Here in Namdroling, the Land
of Liberation, through the power of his realization, His
Holiness Penor Rinpoche, as both Vajradhara and an
indisputable emanation of Guru Padmasambhava, dis-
plays the Pema Odkyi Phodrang Temple to the eyes of for-
tunate beings in this dark age as a means of blessing
them. The three stories of the Zangdogpalri Temple signi-
fy the three kayas: the dharmakaya (third floor), the samb-
hogakaya (second floor), and the nirmanakaya (first floor).
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 31
In the center of the dharmakaya temple of
Zangdogpalri, on a throne supported by lions, is a statue
of Amitabha Buddha, perfected in nirmanakaya attire and
radiating one thousand rays of blessings. He is surround-
ed by Buddha Vajradhara and the Five Victor Families in
a clockwise direction and all in sambhogakaya attire. The
paintings and statues of the dharmakaya mansion of
Zangdogpalri represent the masters of the Intentional
Lineage of the Victorious Ones.
On the sambhogakaya level of the Zangdogpalri
Temple is a statue of Buddha Vairochana appearing as
Avalokiteshvara, perfectly ornamented with the costume
of a sambhogakaya Buddha with four arms. This middle
story of Zangdogpalri Temple represents the Symbolic
Lineage of the Awareness Holders and the sambhogakaya
form of the Buddhas.
31
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 32

In the center of the nirmanakaya mansion is a

throne supported by four lions, which symbolizes mas-
tery over the four types of fear. At the top of the throne is
a lotus flower with one thousand petals upon which rests
a seat of sun and moon discs, symbolizing perfection of
wisdom and method. On this seat we find Guru
Padmasambhava, his body beautified with auspicious
signs symbolizing actualization of the state of the three
enlightened bodies. The statue of Guru Rinpoche is cir-
cled by his eight manifestations. The two dakinis,
Mandarava and Yeshe Tsogyal, stand at his right and left
sides respectively. The statues and paintings on the nir-
manakaya level of Zangdogpalri Temple depict the
enlightened masters of the Oral Lineage.
The Mansion of the Three Kayas is supported by
the base shrine, which was constructed in keeping with
Tibetan architectural tradition. This shrine depicts the
enlightened deeds performed by Guru Padmasambhava,
the embodiment of the entire enlightened kinds of speech
of the Victorious Ones. The square shape of the shrine
symbolizes the Four Immeasurables, which are the root
of the Mahayana approach to enlightenment. The white
walls represent the purification of negativities and the
increasing of the merits of faithful beings, as well as the
splendid Palri Pema Odkyi Phodrang erected amidst bil-
lows of white clouds spread over the peak of the Glorious
Copper-Colored Mountain. This temple has two gates
with decorative canopies on top, signifying the accom-
plishment of the two purposes of self and other. At each
of the four corners a victory banner flies, symbolizing vic-
tory over the four Maras.
Inside the temple, on the central throne, is a stat-
ue of Buddha Shakyamuni, flanked by Guru
Padmasambhava, Avalokiteshvara, and Buddha Amitabha
to his right, and by the Buddhas Amitayus, Vajrasattva
and Manjushri to his left.
It is through the ripening aspiration of H.H.
Penor Rinpoche and the meritorious actions of sentient
beings that the construction of Zangdogpalri Pema Odki
Phodrang, a priceless object for accumulating merit, was
made possible. The financial assistance for this project
was charitably rendered by Mrs. Palmo and her family, as
well as other generous sponsors.8

* excerpts from Inauguration of the Zangdogpalri souvenir

brochure

32
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 33

32
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:36 PM Page 34
O n c e upon a t i m e , King Chandra Dev
ruled the kingdom of Dakshinapuri. He was a very right-
eous king with a kind heart. He governed his kingdom
peacefully, taking good care of his subjects. His ministers
and all his subjects liked him as their ruler.
Unfortunately the king did not have a prince as
his successor. Out of his five queens, only one gave birth,
and that was to a daughter. This princess was named
Lakshami. Lakshami grew up to be a very beautiful young
lady, with a strong character. The king raised her like a
son. Besides learning the use of different weapons and
the art of administrating the kingdom, she was taught all
aspects of warfare by many different teachers. She was a
talented young woman and became skilled in many ways.
As she grew up and became ever more able to assist her
father in the administration of the kingdom, she ensured
that her father the King did not miss the presence of a
son.
But one day the King suddenly became very ill.
He was unable to eat or drink anything for several days
and experienced much pain and discomfort. His health
worsened day by day. The King's physicians tried every
possible treatment and medication without success. They
then called in many well-known physicians from other
lands, yet they too were unable to help the King.
Lakshami was terribly worried as she witnessed the dete-
rioration of her father's health. After discussing the mat-
ter with the chief minister, the decision was made, with
the permission of the King, to announce that whoever
could cure the King would be rewarded with half the kingdom.
But no one from the kingdom, whether physi-
cian, sage, saint or anyone else, could cure the King,
regardless of their potions, medicines, medicated ashes
or what have you. Instead, the King's health continued to
worsen. Everyone was disappointed and concerned.
To the south of Dakshinapuri's capital lived a
poor man called Sri Sathya in a small village. Sri Sathya's
parents had died while he was still a child and he had no
other relatives. He could hardly survive day by day.
Sometimes the only food he had was from various plants
he found in the forest.
34
short Story:
Good Medicine
Sri Sathya really wished for a wife but no one
wanted to marry his daughter to such a poor man. Yet in
spite of his poverty, Sri Sathya was an honest and trust-
worthy person. He was devoted and sincere in his daily
prayers and worship and had confidence in his fate and
his karma. Even though his life was very difficult with lots
of suffering, still he chose to live rather than to die.
Early one morning, as Sri Sathya did his morn-
ing prayers, he asked for guidance in his life with full
devotion. Suddenly, he felt that he should go to the forest
beyond the hills. Feeling full of joy, he ran into the forest.
He was deep within when he heard a strange voice com-
ing from a rocky cave. Coming nearer, he found an
ancient sage, sitting outside the cave. The sage asked Sri
Sathya to sit beside him. He then told him, “Our King
Chandra Dev has been sick, yet no one can cure him
because of clinging to fame, wealth and desire. You are
the only one capable of performing this task.
“Because of right conditions, you can cure him
now with my medicine. Take it and go straight to the
palace before tomorrow's sunrise. When you get there,
immediately give the King the medicine in this red bag
with warm water. Do not allow it to be touched by any
other person. Then follow up with the rest of medicine
bag until it is finished. The King will improve day by day.
After a week, he will completely recover.”
Sri Sathya did exactly as he had been instructed
by the sage and the King was soon cured of his ailment.
Then, according to his promise, the King tried to reward
Sri Sathya with half of the kingdom, but the young man
would not accept it. He asked only for thirteen acres of
land and a few cows and horses, which would provide
him with enough wealth for his life. He then returned to
his village with this huge gift from the King and was soon
able to marry the girl of his dreams.
The King celebrated his recovery with a grand
party among the ministers in the palace as well as a gen-
erous distribution of food, clothing and other material
goods to his subjects. He also declared the marriage of his
daughter Lakshami to the Prince of Varanasi and that
occurred in due time. 8
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 35

1 2

3 4

October Butler

35
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 36
The Merchant of Seri
T h e r e w a s o n c e a merchant of Seri called
Sattya Sri who sold tinware and brass. He went from town
to town in the company of another man who also sold
metalware. The second man was greedy, getting all he
could for nothing and giving as little as he could for what
he himself bought.
Whenever they went into a town, the two mer-
chants divided the streets between them. Each man went
up and down the streets they had chosen calling, “Tin
ware for sale, brass for sale,” and people would come out
on their doorsteps and buy or trade with them.
In one town there lived a poor old woman and
her granddaughter. The family had once been rich, but
now the only thing they had left of all their riches was a
golden bowl. The grandmother did not know it was a
golden bowl, but she had kept it because her husband had
always eaten out of it in the old days. It stood on a shelf
among the other pots and pans, and was not often used.
The greedy merchant passed this house, calling out, “Buy
my water-jars! Buy my pans!”
The granddaughter said “Oh, grandmother, do
buy something for me!”
“My dear,” said the old woman, “we are too poor
to buy anything. I have nothing even to trade.”
“Grandmother, see what the merchant will give
us for the old bowl. We do not use it and perhaps he will
take it and give us something we want.”
The old woman called the merchant and showed
him the bowl, saying, “Will you take this, sir, and give the
little girl here something for it?”
The greedy man took the bowl and scratched its
side with a needle. Thus he found that it was a golden
bowl. He wanted to get it for nothing so he threw it on the
floor, asking, “What is this worth? Not even half a penny.”
Then he went away. Later the other merchant passed the
house, for it was agreed that either merchant might go
through any street that the other had left. He called, “Buy
my water jars!”
The little girl heard him and begged her grand-
mother to see what he would give for the bowl. “My
36
short Story:
from the Jakata Tales*
child,” said the grandmother, “the merchant who was just
here threw the bowl on the ground and went away. I have
nothing else to offer in trade.”
“But grandmother, that was a cross man. This
one looks pleasant; ask him. Perhaps he will give us a lit-
tle tin dish.”
“Call him then and show it to him,” said the old
woman.
As soon as the merchant took the bowl in his
hands, he knew it was gold. He said, “Ah, all I have here
is not worth as much as this bowl, for it is made of gold.
I am not rich enough to buy it.”
“But sir, the merchant who passed by here a few
moments ago threw it on the ground, saying it was not
worth a penny, and then went away,” said the grandmoth-
er. “It was worth nothing to him. If you value it, take it
and give the little girl a nice dish.”
But the merchant would not have it so. He gave
the woman all he had and all his wares in exchange for
the bowl and then asked for only eight pennies. He took
the pennies and left, going to the river and paying the
boatman the eight pennies to take him to the city across
the river.
Soon the greedy merchant came back to the old
woman's house and said, “Bring that bowl to me, and I
will give you something for it.”
“No,” the old grandmother replied. “You said the
bowl was worthless. But another merchant gave a great
price for it and took it away.”
The greedy merchant ran down the riverside
and, seeing the boatman, called out for him to stop. But
his passenger said, “Do not stop.”
When the honest merchant got to the other side
he lived happily for a short time on the money that the
bowl brought him. 8
*Editor's note: The Jataka tales are ancient tales told by the Buddha.
This story was taken from an adaptation by Ellen C. Babbitt and is
in the public domain.
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 37

37
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 38

calligraphybyKhen Rinpoche
Tsewang Gyatso

Guru Rinpoche Mantra

OM AH HUNG BENZA GURU PEDMA SIDDHI HUNG

38
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 39

Avalokiteshvara Mantra

OM MANI PEDMA HUNG

39
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 40
Daily Maintenance
of Your
Shrine
T h e m o s t b a s i c s h r i n e consists of a
statue or picture of a deity or lama elevated above a set of
seven offering bowls and one butter lamp. The offering
bowls are placed in a straight line along the front of the
shrine table, and are spaced apart no more than the
length of a grain of rice. Do take care also that the bowls
are not too close together or touching; a neat and regular
order and spacing is auspicious. A butter lamp, tea light,
or decorative electric candle or light is set in the middle of
the row of bowls between the fourth and fifth bowl, as the
sequence of the offerings represented by the bowls and
light are, from left to right: argham, fresh water for drink-
ing; padyam, perfumed water for bathing; pushpe, flowers;
dhupe, incense; aloke, light; gendhe, perfume; nevidya,
celestial food; and shapda, music.
You may offer fresh water daily in all seven of the
bowls, along with a fresh light, or you may have physical
representations of some of the offerings that would
remain on the shrine from day to day. In that case, you
would offer water in the first two bowls (argham, padyam);
then place fresh, silk or dried flowers in the third (push-
40
pe); sticks of incense in the fourth (dhupe); then your
lamp (aloke); then fresh water in the fifth bowl (gendhe); a
torma or piece of fruit or candy in the sixth (nevidya); and
finally a shell to represent sound or music in the seventh
bowl. The permanent offerings should be placed on a bed
of rice or semi-precious stones in their respective bowls.
When opening the shrine in the morning, with
the intention that all beings may benefit from your gen-
erosity and with the view that all the Buddhas and holy
beings are indeed present, fill the bowls from left to right
with fresh water. Try to fill them evenly, neither too full,
at different levels, nor too empty. Pour the water in an
even stream while reciting the dedication prayer shown
below. Mentally make your offerings as vast, pure, per-
fect, and delightful as you can. After filling the bowls, you
offer a butter lamp or tea light and a stick of incense.
The shrine should be closed every evening. Close
the shrine by emptying the bowls from right to left. No
verse is necessary here. Water from the bowls should not
be poured down the drain or dumped out where people
walk. It may be used to water plants or simply poured out
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 41
on clean ground. Then the bowls are dried with a clean
cloth kept for that purpose and placed upside down in
their places on the shrine.
Your shrine may be much more elaborate than
this, with vajra and bell placed on the same level as the
statues, and with tormas and other ritual objects. Ask a
lama for help in properly organizing your shrine and try
to make it as clean and beautiful as your means allow.8
Dedication Prayer
CHAG TSAL WA DANG CHOD CHING SHAG PA DANG
By paying homage, making offerings, confession and
JE SU YI RANG KUL SHING SOL WA YI
Rejoicing, requesting and beseeching,
GE WA CHING SED DAG GI CHI SAG PA
Whatever virtue I have gained through these efforts,
THAM CHED DAG GI JYANG CHUB CHIR NGO'O
I dedicate it all to the enlightenment of all beings! 8
see the light
read the light
be the light
Palyul Clear Light
our intention
To aid and support the dissemination of the
pure Dharma of the Palyul lineage.
our action
With the blessing of H.H. Penor Rinpoche, and
under the guidance of Khen Rinpoche Tsewang
Gyatso, Palyul Clear Light was formed for the
dual purposes of bringing our teachers to the
west and publishing their teachings. This jour-
nal, now in its second issue, is but our first proj-
ect. We hope to publish many other items on
Palyul, including Tibetan texts and their transla-
tions, transcriptions of teachings by Palyul mas-
ters, calendars, and CDs and DVDs of teachings
and events. We hope, with your help, to raise
funds to bring more Palyul teachers to the west.
our dedication:
Through this merit may all beings swiftly enjoy
the state of enlightenment!
where you come in:
Membership in PCL is available for a donation
of $20 or more per year and will bring you the
current issue of Palyul Clear Light. We ask those
with the means to do so to consider making a
substantial gift to PCL to help us with our start-
up costs or to sponsor a publication or the visit
of a particular teacher. If you can offer this
level of support, please contact us for details.
Those with skills in transcription, editing, trans-
lation or illustration who wish to volunteer are
also invited to contact us.
Please contact us at: Palyul Clear Light
P. O. Box 6821, New York, NY 10150-6821
www.palyulclearlight.org
publications@palyulclearlight.org
Palyul Clear Light, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation and any dona-
tions to PCL, past and future, are deductible from federal and state
income taxes by the donor (minus the value of any gift received).
Palyul Clear Light is staffed completely by volunteers. No one
involved with the corporation is paid compensation of any kind.
41
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 42

(On Meditation)
It’s like a hurricane.
The cyclone has a peace-
ful center. The energy
around it is disturbing
© 2006 Mannie Garcia, used by permission

and destructive.
The point is to be
in the center.

- Khenpo
Tenzin Norgey
Rinpoche

42
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 43

KALACHAKRA 2007
Prayers For World Peace
Bestowed by His H o l i n e s s
Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche

June 24 - July 1, 2007

A powerful practice in the Buddhist

tradition and a means for finding
one's own unique spiritual path,
Kalachakra is a meditation on space
and time, compassion, impermanence
and emptiness.

Carrying a message of great hope

and healing, Kalachakra teaches the
interrelationship between the outer
world, the body, and the mind.

His Holiness Penor Rinpoche

will grant the Kalachakra Initiation
on the occasion of the 10th
Anniversary of the Palyul Retreat
Center. His prayer in offering the
Kalachakra is for us to find peace
within ourselves, with those around
us, within our communities, and,
finally, throughout our world com-
munity. This is the second time
His Holiness will grant this Initiation
in the U.S.

Palyul Retreat Center

McDonough, NY

www.kalachakra2007.com
PCL spring2007 5/29/07 11:37 PM Page 44

Liberation
Is InThe
Palm of
Your Hand
Annual
• Ngondro Weekend
Summer
• Tsalung Wangs:
Retreat with
LAMA
His Holiness
•Tögyal
• Trekchöd YANGTIK

Penor
from the
• Pith
Nyingtihk

Rinpoche
Instruction
Yabshi

July 10 - August 10, 2007

Palyul Ling Retreat Center, McDonough, N.Y.
www.palyul.org