About His Holiness Orgyen Kusum Lingpa
His Holiness Orgyen Kusum Lingpa was a pre-eminent
Dzogchen teacher and Nyingma lineage holder. During his life, he was known as one
of the greatest living tertons (treasure revealers) in the world, having revealed the 3 classes of terma; those received
directly from the mind, "crazy" termas which can manifest
in the yogi as unconventional behavior, and secret termas which
can only be revealed by one who is the owner of all 18 families
of terma. His Holiness had been recognized as the incarnation
of the Mahasiddha Drilbupa and of Lha-lung Pelgyi Dorje. His
title, Kusum Lingpa means "Treasure Revealer of the Three
Kayas."
Concerning his life work, His Holiness said: "Much earlier in my life, I made a pilgrimage
to Samye. There, due to the good karma and auspicious coincidence
in conjunction with the needs of these times, I saw all my past
and future lives. I recalled all the teachings I had received
directly from Guru Rinpoche when I was his disciple, and I saw
all the hardships and difficulties of the time in which I am
now living. This made it possible for me to reveal those teachings
which are of particular benefit now, in this time of terrible
suffering."
Long life prayer for Hung Kar Dorje Rinpoche
Gesar
of Ling Empowerment
This empowerment on King Gesar of Ling is
His Holiness' own terma. His Holiness has said that anyone who
accomplishes this practice will be reborn in Shambala and can
avoid a lower realm rebirth in these difficult times.
His
Holiness Kusum Lingpa's Shambala Terma
His Holiness has prophesied that in the future
he will be Tsampa, the eldest son of the 25th Rogden King of
Shambala. This terma will describe the meaning of the Kingdom
of Shambala.
Padmasambhava
Empowerment
This is a terma of Rigzin Gyatso Nyingpo who
lived about 500 years ago in Tibet in the time of the great treasure
revealer Ratna Lingpa. This is the principal yidam of the Nyingmapa
Lama Drugpa. His Holiness has said that this important empowerment
is necessary to accomplish Dzogchen.
Phowa (Transference of Consciousness)
This practice enables one to have confidence
in reaching liberation at the time of death, even if one has
not had the opportunity to devote large amounts of time and energy
to the practice of meditation beforehand. These teachings will
be transmitted according to the Longchen Nying-Thig Lineage of
which His Holiness is a foremost lineage holder.
Tröma
Nagmo (The Extremely Wrathful Black
Mother)
These practices, associated with the Dakini
Troma Nagmo, were propagated by the great Machig Labdron, who
became the most famous female practitioner in Tibet, and attained
complete enlightenment by this method. The particular transmission
which His Holiness will give descends from Dudjom Lingpa, who
received it in a direct vision of the Indian Mahasiddha, Saraha.
This practice emphasizes cutting through grasping at the dualistic
mind to realize complete selfless compassion.
Vajrakilaya
Empowerment
This practice, for overcoming suffering and
misfortunes in general, and more particularly for penetrating
obstacles to spiritual practice, will be given by His Holiness
according to the transmission of Ratna Lingpa. His Holiness feels
very strongly that this practice is crucial now in order to overcome
the many kinds of inner and outer upheavals which are prevalent
in this time
Pema
Nying-Thig (The Lotus Heart Drop
of Great Perfection)
These transmissions were given by Padmasambhava
himself to King Trisong Detsen as a way to realize enlightenment
while still maintaining a demanding secular life with its many
attendant distractions. And indeed, by this method, while fulfilling
his worldly duties, the King was able to achieve the highest
level of realization. His Holiness, as an emanation of Lha-Lung
Pelgye- Dorje, to whom these teaching were given at the same
time, is an unequaled holder of this lineage and feels that they
are particularly applicable in the West at this time.
Acharya Pema*
It is generally true that
there exist countless emanations and numerous synonymous names
for Guru Rinpoche. For this reason, aside from Guru Acharya Pema
sporting different garb and accoutrements from Guru Rinpoche,
they are truly no different at all. So various emanations of
Guru Rinpoche appear in accordance with what is appropriate to
the place, the times and to people's ideas. They employ different
skillful means as well, in order to bring about various benefits
to sentient beings.
For each treasure revealer
from the land of Tibet who is an emanation of Guru Rinpoche,
there is a distinct practice method for accomplishing the Guru.
So this practice of Rigdzin Acharya Pema is the `accomplishment
of the Guru' practice from the treasury of revealed teachings
of Orgyen Kusum Lingpa. The natures and powers of the Eight
Peaceful Indian Vidyadharas and of the Eight Wrathful
Herukas of the Nyingma generation stage practice of tantra
are all complete within this deity. Practice of this deity is
like the central life supporting column for doing all other deity
and meditation practices. It is particularly true for doing the
Dzogchen `Heart Essence of Pema' meditation practices.
The excellent qualities of this dharma teaching such as accomplishment
of one's aims in this life and guidance to the pure realms in
future lifetimes are beyond our ability to grasp.
The Shib Chay Chod*
The term Chöd means cutting
off in order to pacify. In this context it is an unparalleled
method of deliberately looking at things in a specific way in
order to free oneself from the stranglehold of thoughts which
hold tightly and dearly to the notion of one's self and what
belongs to oneself _ thoughts like "me" and "my
own body".
The origin of the transmission
of Shib-chay Chöd is with the fivefold Tröma or "wrathful
lady" deities who are extraordinary manifestations of Samantabhadri,
the primordial female Buddha . These are in fact Prajnaparamita
(perfection of wisdom) teachings which were spread far and
wide in the god realms. Gradually, a lineage or succession of
countless Siddhas appeared who brought and spread these teachings
into the world of humans. Most highly renowned among these Siddhas
were Guru Dampa Gya Gar (Padampa Sangye) and Tod Pa
Bhatra in India and Ma Chig Lab Kyi Drolma (Ma Chig Lab
Dron) and others in Tibet. They all held the lineage and
spread these teachings. Although there are many different systems
of Chöd that have been taught by great Lamas in Tibet, Orgyen
Kusum Lingpa is known and famed for being a rebirth of Jang
Murtu Nyonpa, one of the actual disciples of Ma Chig Lab
Dron. So he is directly linked to her formal instructions
with-out any intermediary, like an unbroken bridge.
Therefore, whoever puts these
Chöd teachings into practice receives an unparalleled fine
bounty, such as the alleviation of sickness in this life and
the ability to accomplish the welfare of sentient beings in future
lifetimes.
Kar Ling Shi Tro*
This practice is called "Shi
Tro" because it contains all of the forty-one peaceful (Shi
wa) and the fifty wrathful (Tro wo ) deities. Moreover, according
to the secret mantra tradition, one's own body is the mandala
of Victors. The entire assembly of peaceful and wrathful deities
is present within the body of each and every sentient being,
though not in a visibly evident way. When the time comes to cast
off the associations of this life, the assembly of peaceful and
wrathful deities appear clearly as in a dream. Then sentient
beings observe those deities and by even recognizing or evoking
faith in any one of them they are able to take rebirth in the
sambhogakhaya pure realm. For this reason the great masters of
Tibet have transcribed no shortage of Shi Tro dharma cycles from
the treasuries of their own individual mighty intellects. All
of these masters cherish the Shi Tro treasure teachings of Karma
Lingpa as the jewel of their own heart because of the beautiful
composition and great blessings. If you are able to practice
this dharma teaching and establish excellent propensities, the
benefits you actualize such as obtaining an excellent physical
form in future lifetimes suitable for accomplishing the welfare
of many sentient beings are impossible to express.
* These explanations were written
by the one who holds the name of the incarnation of Do Khyentse
Yeshse, Rigdzin Hung Kar Dorje.
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