About His Holiness Orgyen Kusum Lingpa

His Holiness Orgyen Kusum Lingpa is a pre-eminent Dzogchen teacher and Nyingma lineage holder. He is known as one of the greatest living tertons (treasure revealers) in the world today, 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 has 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 recently: "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."

"His Holiness is a force of nature, a living repository of Tibet's most exalted spiritual traditions... He is not to be missed!"

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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