The Nyingma Palyul Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism

1. A brief introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
In the 7th century AD when King Songtsen Gampo ruled over Tibet, Buddhism was introduced into Tibet. At that time the king sent Thonmi Sambhota, a translator, to India to study Indian languages and scripts. This led to the creation of Tibetan alphabet and establishment of classical Tibetan which started the written history for Tibet. Afterwards, the translator translated into Tibetan twenty-one sutras and tantras of Avalokitesvara, and The Powerful Secret and various other texts. Then, the king took as his queens two princesses respectively from China and Nepal, who introduced two images of Shakyamuni Buddha and numerous representations of the Three Jewels into Tibet. The king built the series of temples known as the Thadul and Yangdul, of which the principal one was the Rasa Trulnang. In this way he established Buddhism in Tibet.
Besides the Tibetan script, Buddhism, temples, sutra translation, the king also formulated the law to educate his people. Thus, Tibet Empire gradually became strong, powerful and civilized from then on.
In the 8th century AD, the Tibetan King Trisong Detsen invited to Tibet such Indian Buddhist masters and panditas as Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita, Vimalamitra, etc. To uphold representations of the Buddhas' form, he built Samye Monastery and many other temples. To uphold the Buddha's speech, the authentic Dharma, he also sent 108 translators including renowned Vairotsana from Tibet to India to learn the art of translation and then translated all the main sutras, tantras and sastras then current in the noble land of India. Furthermore, the king selected seven individuals as the “seven to be tested”, in order to observe if the Tibetan people are suitable to be monastic. This formed the Sangha, upholding the Buddha's mind. Subsequently, their efforts completely introduced into Tibet or Land of Snow all dharmas in India ranging from Hinayana to the supreme tantra.

2. A brief introduction to the Nyingma school
Through a series of ups and downs, Tibetan Buddhism has been developed into the four major schools: Nyingma (Red), Gelug (Yellow), Kagyu (White), Sakya (Tri-colored) and the Tathagata teachings and assurances have never been destroyed in the developing period. Therein, the Nyingma school is the oldest among the major four, dating back to more than 1,200 years ago when Guru Padmasambhava started to spread its dharmas in Tibet. It is the Dharma origin of Tibetan Buddhism. Among its teachings, “Dzogchen” is the most famous. From the Nyingma school, derived Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug and other schools one after another. Therefore, the Nyingma Dharma can be called the mother of Tibetan Buddhist dharmas. The Nyingma school has six famous Vajra Practicing Fields or Six Mother Monasteries, that is, Dorje Drak and Mindrolling in west Tibet, Shechen and Dzogchen in central Tibet, and Katok and Palyul in east Tibet. They are the six major lineages in the Nyingma school. Our lineage belongs to Palyul. Through a series of ups and downs, Tibetan Buddhism has been developed into the four major schools: Nyingma (Red), Gelug (Yellow), Kagyu (White), Sakya (Tri-colored) and the Tathagata teachings and assurances have never been destroyed in the developing period. Therein, the Nyingma school is the oldest among the major four, dating back to more than 1,200 years ago when Guru Padmasambhava started to spread its dharmas in Tibet. It is the Dharma origin of Tibetan Buddhism. Among its teachings, “Dzogchen” is the most famous. From the Nyingma school, derived Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug and other schools one after another. Therefore, the Nyingma Dharma can be called the mother of Tibetan Buddhist dharmas. The Nyingma school has six famous Vajra Practicing Fields or Six Mother Monasteries, that is, Dorje Drak and Mindrolling in west Tibet, Shechen and Dzogchen in central Tibet, and Katok and Palyul in east Tibet. They are the six major lineages in the Nyingma school. Our lineage belongs to Palyul.

3. A brief introduction to Palyul Monastery
It is Palyul’s mother monastery, located in Baiyu County of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichaun Province, China, fully styled “Palyul Holy Bodhi Dharma-Island”. It was a place blessed by Guru Padmasambhava and where the great translator, Vairotsana cultivated himself. Here was also the place where Jirechuejong Wangbo, the first disciple of Ma Chok Rinchen, stayed. Now the visitors to the place can still make a pilgrimage to his spiritual retreat cave. Ma Chok Rinchen was one of the 25 main disciples of Guru Padmasambhava. Jirechuejong Wangbo was an excellent Dharma host and extremely important heir to the Big Magical Net of Tantras. He once preached and practiced the tantras of the net here, and made unsurpassed achievements. Later, the masters like Kadang Badexie in Katok Monastery also came here to practice tantras of the net. Totally, there were about one hundred thousand persons attained the great rainbow body at this place. This is why here was also called Katok’s Holy Island. In addition, masters known as the Palyul Three Father-and-Sons, the great achiever Karma Chagme, the great terton Namcho Mingyur Dorje and the Maha-siddha Kunzang Sherab—all of them passed down their systematic guiding legacy of the Dzogchen Namcho Buddha in the Palm of the Hand from here, too.
In 1665, Rigzin Kunzang Sherab founded Palyul Temple, formerly known as Palyul Holy Bodhi Garden Monastery, and assembled 500 monastics to spread the Dharma. He was the first abbot of the temple. Based on early-period Katok teachings, Namcho Terma, and Ratna Lingpa’s Terma, he rolled the Dharma-wheel. Under his leadership, the temple was developed into a large monastery of more than 3,000 monastics. Later, a huge number of his disciples set up their own dharma-seat temples as hundreds of branches to Palyul Monastery.

His Holiness Jigmed Rinpoche

1. His birth
Our honorable Master is HH Jigmed Rinpoche fully named Khentrul Palden Rinpoche, Ogyen Thangs Dbyangs Drub Tra Palsongpo. He was born on May 10, 1971 (the same day Guru Padmasambhava was born) in today's Barkam County of Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. His father is called Awanggexi and his mother, Jiasiji. His grandfather was a successful practitioner of the Gelug school teachings.
Like other tulkus, his birth displayed inconceivably auspicious signs. After two months of pregnancy, his mother started to urinate milk-white liquid. Despite visits to many famous doctors, the real cause was not found. The phenomenon was not back to normal till she gave birth to our Master. When he was born, he, encompassed by the fetal membrane like a transparent sphere, pressed his palms and sat in a lotus position. With five Buddha-birthmarks representing the five types of wisdom, his body emitted a sandalwood scent. At that time, a double rainbow appeared and lingered in the sky for a long time. (See the official website: www.palyul-tw.org)

2. His spiritual progress and why he came to Taiwan

1. Three days after the birth, he could speak the word "Buddha".
2. At the age of three, he was certified by Galong Rinpoche of Datang Temple.
3. At the age of six, he was found by the Dharma King of the Nyingma school through the astrological sign and led to Palyul Monastery.
4. At the age of eight, he was admitted to Mindrolling Monastery to learn the Tibetan script.
5. At the age of 12, he returned to Palyul Monastery and listened to Longchen Seven Treasuries preached by Musangkan Qianzacuo. Later he was tonsured by the Dzogchen achiever, Tulsong Rinpoche (Gyang Khang Tulku Thubten Balsong) , at Palyul Monastery.
6. At the age of 18, he finished studying all the Tibetan Tripitaka.
7. At the age of 19, he isolated himself for meditation and acquired Thubzang Rinpoche’s Dzogchen teachings. His isolation lasted for three years and three months, during which Dorje Phurba descended and bestowed empowerments on and gave instructions to him. Various senior monks have certified and praised him to have made achievements in his practice, which is as vast as the universe. And since his root guru Tulsong Rinpoche, conferred on him the Buddhist ritual hat and other Buddhist talismans à la Guru Padmasambhava, he has started to fulfill his compassionate vows by travelling the globe to spread the Dharma in order to save sentient beings.
8. He was first invited by Penor Rinpoche to teach the minor tulkus at Namdroling Monastery in India.
9. In 1997, at the invitation of Penor Rinpoche, he came to stay in Taiwan to spread the Dharma for long.
10. In 1998, he founded his first practicing field in Qingshui District, Taichung City, Taiwan, called Palyul Guanyin Temple. Under his leadership, Palyul Tibetan Buddhist Society has set up ten practicing fields in Qingshui, Taichung, Fengyuan, Changhua, Lukang, Huwei, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, Guangzhou in China, and Cape Town in South Africa. Currently, the practicing fields are planned to be set up in the UK, Thailand, etc. Besides, there are more than 50 Dharma-lecturing halls. (See the official website: www.palyul-tw.org)

3. Enthronement
At the end of February 2003, he was invited again by Penor Rinpoche to Namdroling Monastery for the enthronement ceremony. During the ceremony, various masters like Penor Rinpoche, Maha-siddha Galong Rinpoche of Palyul-Tarthang Monastery, and Palyul Gyang Khang Tulku Tulsong Rinpoche certified him to be Knenchen Palden’s reincarnation, and unanimously recognized his great achievements in practicing Dzogchen With perfect completion of Buddha’s qualities.
This special ceremony was witnessed by Shechen’s Rabjam Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Jiang Qin Tulku, hundreds of great khenpos, tulkus and Dharma princes of various school lineages, and 3,000-strong monastics.
After the ceremony, he led the five chairmen of Taiwan’s Buddhist Society and the cadre to hold a stately Dharma ceremony in honor of the Sangha: more than 200 attending Dharma kings, maha-khenpos, tulkus, Dharma princes and retreat practitioners, and 300-strong monastics including little samaneras and bhikkhunis. Additionally, he donated money to the fund for Penor Rinpoche to establish temples, nunneries, Buddhist institutes, orphanages, etc. (See the official website: www.palyul-tw.org)

4. Master’s nature, virtue and compassionate vows

1. In order to spread the Dharma without any language barrier, he mastered colloquial Chinese with incredible Manjushri-like wisdom in a very short period of time. Ever since, he has been able to unreservedly confer the core and pith of Tibetan Buddhism on his disciples in Taiwan.
2. He lamented that people were little blessed in the Dharma Decline period. Thus, many people even loved the Dharma but they did not understand it. They misunderstood the Dharma to be merely either chanting the Buddha and reciting sutras, or displaying supernatural powers. That was why they were very likely to be fooled and cheated by fake spiritual masters. Therefore, he has emphasized practicing the Dharma as the first top priority, and has required his disciples to lay a solid foundation to begin with the basic vow-making. He has led and guided his disciples step by step up into the profundity of the Dharma.
3. He has not asked his disciples to make any offering to him. He has only wished them to learn the Dharma diligently and practice it in their daily lives. Consequently, they will truly help themselves and others depart from suffering towards joy. Hence, all Buddhist courses he conducts are free of charge.
4. He participated in the full process of the establishment of each practicing field. Especially, he himself planned and designed the mandalas. During the construction period, he even led his disciples to get involved all the way from the removal of old decorations to the final completion. His efforts in this regard have been aimed to build a comfortable and convenient practicing field for the believers to listen to the Dharma with delight.
5. He has contributed what he has been offered by his followers to the Buddhist undertakings: setting up practicing fields, building ten billion mantras prayer wheels, renovating Palyul Mother Monastery, the retreat center and advanced Buddhist Institute, building bridges, paving roads, making offering to monastics, etc. All that he has done indicates his compassionate vows to benefit all the living beings as a buddha or bodhisattva does.

The Palyul Tibetan Buddhist Society

www.palyul-tw.org

1.Practicing fields in Taiwan and overseas
He has established ten practicing fields in central and southern Taiwan, China and South Africa. They are Palyul Guanyin Temple (headquarters in Qingshui District of Taichung City), Five-Jinas Practicing Field (branch in Nantun District of Taichung City), Padmasambhava Practicing Field (branch in Fengyuan District of Taichung City), Shakyamuni Buddha Practicing Field (branch in Changhua City), Qianshou-qianyan Guanyin Practicing Field (branch in Lukang Township of Changhua County), Amitabha Practicing Field (branch in Huwei Township of Yunlin County), Manjushri Practicing Field (branch in Chiayi City), 21- Taras Practicing Field (branch in Kaohsiung City), Palyul Six-Armed Mahakala Dharma Center (branch in Guangzhou City, China), and Medicine Buddha Practicing Field (branch in Cape Town, South Africa). Currently, the practicing fields are planned to be set up in the UK, Thailand, etc. Besides, there are more than 50 Dharma-lecturing halls. (See the official website: www.palyul-tw.org)

2. Dharma-spreading courses
So far in Taiwan’s practicing fields, he has successively lectured on Mahayana sutras and supreme tantras, such as Ａguide to the Preliminaries for the Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse from the Great Perfection—Words of My Perfect Teacher, The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, Uttara Tantra, An Interpretation of Adornment of the Middle Way, Six in the Self-Release Guidance, The Great Perfection Rest on Three, Utpattikrama, On the Interpretation of Definite Solution Treasure Lights, On the Theory of Brightness and Tibetology, etc.

3. Annual Dharma Assemblies
In addition to the regular Dharma classes and co-cultivation activities, he annually holds such major Dharma assemblies as "Prayers to Twenty-One Fortuna Pujas”, “Ten Thousand People’s Prayers to Wenwu-Baizun to Bless the Living and Save the Dead”, “Prayers to Dharmapalas ”, “Prayers to Longevity Buddha”, “Prayers to Dorje Phurba to Remove Obstacles for Safe Shelters”, etc., so as to help all his disciples and believers resolve adversities that have caused all obstacles, and increase good bond relationships that will bring about wealth, health, blessings, and wisdom. The virtues gained from such Dharma assemblies will also go to all the living beings in the six realms. And all the cash donations collected in the Dharma assemblies have been used in the Three-Jewels undertakings such as founding practicing fields, building temples, providing protection and care for the monastics, etc. (See the official website: www.palyul-tw.org)

吉美法王﹙堪珠巴滇仁波切．烏金蒼央朱扎巴松波﹚簡介

吉美法王3歲時得到塔唐寺嘎隆仁波切的認證；19歲的時候進入大閉關，得到根本上師圖桑法王傳大圓滿教法。閉關三年三個月期間，現前證悟大圓滿境界，並且由圖桑法王親自授予蓮師法帽和法器，開始了全世界慈悲弘法、普渡眾生的佛法事業。 　　吉美法王於1997年應貝諾法王邀請來台弘法，1998年在台灣成立了第一個道場。 　　法王上課，要求弟子首重實修，強調從基礎開始，從最根本的發心開始，一路循序漸進引導弟子，逐步進入甚深的佛法。

　　吉美法王﹙堪珠巴滇仁波切．烏金蒼央朱扎巴松波﹚自幼便顯現出不可思議的天賦資質......三天能開口「佛」字、三歲時得到大唐寺嘎隆仁波切貝瑪德千．嘎隆庸巴贊的認證、六歲被寧瑪巴紅教法王觀天象而尋獲引領至白玉寺，八歲時進入敏珠顯密法林寺學習藏文書寫，十二歲時來到白玉尊勝菩提法林寺﹙白玉寺﹚，在穆桑堪千扎措尊前聽聞《龍欽七寶藏》，在白玉寺大圓滿成就者圖桑仁波切(蔣康祖古．圖滇巴桑) 尊前座下剃度出家，得到《天法灌頂與口傳》，《惹那林巴灌頂》等等。

　　又以七年時間在佛學院從白玉堪布扎措尊前聽聞諸顯密教法。十五歲大藏經典全部研習完畢，十九歲進入大閉關，根本上師圖桑仁波切( 蔣康祖古．圖滇巴桑仁波切) 視其為心子，竭盡所能傳授一切白玉清淨而殊勝的教法，在接受上師傳授大圓滿心法時，有系統的了解了大圓滿，六百四十萬續，在那剎那中，吉美法王清楚憶起過去無數世的情形，閉關圓滿之後，修行已達空性無礙境界，於三年三個月閉關期間，還蒙本尊普巴金剛的親自降臨給予灌頂傳法。

　　吉美法王是修行大圓滿證悟且成就者，獲得法王高僧共同認證、讚揚仁波切的修行廣大似虛空、並由圖桑仁波切授予蓮師法帽及法器等，並請仁波切擔任一百多座佛寺之總主持，巡迴修法為期四年之時間，開始其全世界弘法渡眾的悲願。至26歲時並應寧瑪巴精神領袖貝諾法王之請，前往印度總寺 (南卓林寺)中，擔任所有轉世小活佛之老師。

　　並於2003年2月底吉美法王受寧瑪巴紅教精神領袖貝諾法王邀請至印度南卓林寺舉行坐床大典。

經由我等大眾之供養對象至尊怙主自在上師貝諾法王﹙吉美吐滇謝竹卻吉札央巴松波﹚，以及白玉塔湯寺大持明嘎隆仁波切﹙貝瑪德千．嘎隆庸巴贊﹚，白玉蔣康活佛圖桑仁波切 ﹙圖滇巴桑﹚等..多位法王以心意本慧觀察，皆無誤地認證其為堪珠巴滇的轉世，一致認為吉美法王在古今世上，大圓滿修行已達到現今斷證大成就者，這場殊勝坐床大典是在雪千寺的冉江活佛，頂果法王，蔣欽佛爺及數百位來自各教派傳承的大堪布、活佛、法王子及三千多餘名出家眾的見證下所舉行。 　 　吉美法王並在這場坐床大典之後，又為眾生做了一個供僧大法會，吉美法王不僅對六道眾生有著無比的慈心與悲心，對諸佛菩薩更有著無比的虔信供養心，他認為身為白玉傳承的一份子，有義務也有責任完成佛的事業並分擔法王的辛勞。

　　吉美法王並率領在台灣佛學會所有的會長、幹部，在南卓林寺舉辦盛大的供僧，貝諾法王、頂果法王、冉江活佛及所有大堪布、活佛、法王子、閉關修行者、共二百餘名及出家眾、小沙彌、比丘尼等三百餘名、另外還供養法王建廟基金、佛學院、阿尼寺廟、孤兒院。

吉美法王（堪珠巴滇仁波切．烏金蒼央朱扎巴松波）為眾生解脫輪迴痛苦，累積福德智慧資糧，離苦得樂即身成佛，應台灣弟子恭敬地祈請及累世緣分而開始在台弘法，自1998年以來至今，目前分別於台灣中南部及國外已成立十個道場與數十個講堂，並依次第傳授《大圓滿前行》、《生起次第》、《定解寶燈》、《入菩薩行論》、《佛子行三十七頌》、《光明藏論》、《六中有自解脫導引》等金剛乘無上密法。且於上課傳法中時時教誨弟子思考觀察心的自性，具器量寬宏的菩提 心，處處思惟發心動機，利樂眾生使教法遠傳。一生淡泊、嚴守戒律，對所有弟子供養的任何財物，全部化為佛的事業，不論成立道場、建百億心咒的轉輪經，修建白玉祖寺大殿、閉關房及高級佛學院，供養出家人衣食，都由自己付出，他確切要求弟子認真修行，讓佛法確實落實在生活中。