“For these reasons, in brief, when the successive Karmapa incarnations visited central Tibet, they there was a tradition of them visiting Taglung Marthang. When they visited Do-Kham region, there was a tradition of them visiting Taglung Yarthang. In brief, it is said that the spiritual and samaya connection between Taglung Kagyu and Karma Kamtsang (Kagyu) has never deteriorated until now.”
“I believe it is crucial to continue studying, contemplating, and meditating on the unique practices and oral instructions of the Taglung Kagyu lineage. Similarly, it is extremely important to preserve, maintain, and spread the special oral instructions and all aspects of the Taglung tradition with a pure and selfless attitude. Especially for us Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet, many important tasks remain in preserving the Taglung Kagyu lineage.” —17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje (17th January 2025)
On 17th January 2025, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje gave a short speech about the Taglung Kagyu (སྟག་ལུང་བཀའ་བརྒྱུད།) for a special commemoration event (the 19th day of the 11th Tibetan month) of the founder of Taglung Kagyu, Chenpo Tashi Pel. This was a low-key event, not announced publicly and I only found out about it today, on the Layjung FB page.
From my own research, the only place I could see the commemoration event was in Malaysia, where 12th Tai Situpa recently gave teachings. at the Taklung Kagyu Tashi Pal Dharma Society Selangor and Kuala Lumpur . However, I could not see any photos of Taglung Rinpoche or of Pagchog Rinpoche (said to represent the Riwoche lineage). In fact, it was slightly confusing as to who exactly is the Taglung Kagyu leader. The Taglung Rinpoche seems to have been picked by the 14th Dalai Lama and a Gelugpa appointment who studied in Dharamsala at IBD and more affiliated with Gelugpa. Whereas Phagchog Rinpoche seems to be more affiliated with Nyingma and Nepal. In any case, it seems that the 17th Karmapa was referring to the Dalai Lamad/Gelugpa appointed Taglung Rinpoche.
For the benefit of those who would like to know what the 17th Karmapa said, I have quickly translated it into English (apologies for any errors). In sum, he spoke about the importance of Taglung Kagyu as a not only as a Dagpo Kagyu Lineage, but also in terms of its connection with the Karmapas and the Karma Kagyu lineage, in particular the 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje, whose care-giver and secret father was said to be the Riwoche lineage founder, Jigten Wangchug. After the translation, I give some brief background information on the Taglung Kagyu.
Written and translated by Adele Tomlin, 20th January 2025.
The 17th Karmapa’s speech on Taglung Kagyu, 17th January 2025
“On the nineteenth day of the eleventh Tibetan month (17th January 2025), there is a commemoration ceremony for the great Kyabje Taglung Chenpo, the precious Dharma Lord of Taglung Kagyu. Therefore, today on this day, it is a time when the holders of the glorious Taglung Kagyu lineage, both in exile and in the homeland, and those upholding the tradition, are celebrating a grand commemoration ceremony. In particular, Taglung Kagyu Rinpoche of the Riwoche Monastery has requested that in connection with this special religious occasion, I should give a brief teaching on the biography of the Great Taglung Chenpo, as well as on how the doctrine was previously upheld, how it is being protected, and how to prevent its decline and degeneration.
However, I only received this letter two days ago, so I have not had enough time to prepare properly. Therefore, it is difficult for me to immediately organize something well at this moment. Especially since the subject matter is important, if I were to speak whatever I feel like without proper preparation, it would not be good. However, just to not break the auspicious connection for this year, then, I would like to humbly present my own thoughts. If I have the opportunity in the future, I hope to be able to express it in greater detail.
As everyone generally knows, Taglung Kagyu is one of the most important lineages within the Dagpo Kagyu. Similarly, among the various traditions of practice in the Drogon Pagmo Drupa lineage, it stands out as the most excellent in three ways. Similarly, it is a lineage that is highly esteemed in all respects. Additionally, it is a religious tradition that is historically revered in both spiritual and secular contexts.
However, at present, the general Buddhist teachings have reached a critical stage of decline. Particularly, the Kagyu teachings are in a period of slight decline. Therefore, this is a time when all of us need to exert collective effort and vigilance.
The exceptional practitioner of Taglung Thampa Chenpo
Generally, if we look back at past history with hindsight, the great Taglung Thampa, Tashi Pel (1142-1210) was once a disciple of Drogon Phagmo Drupa (1110-1170), and founded the great Tashi Palden lineage of Taglung Kagyu. Similarly, he was an exceptional practitioner and an extremely excellent person with a respectful demeanor. Also, relying on a long-term relationship with the his teacher, Phagmo Drupa, he becomes like the greatest recipient of Dharma and oral instructions in the presence of the Lama.
For this reason, as stated by Drikung Jigten Sumgon said: “Guard the mind, the protector of the world. Maintain the continuous flow of body, speech and mind protection of the spiritual friend, Taglung Thampa.”
He also became a special person respected and revered by other disciples of Phagdru Rinpoche. Not only that, later, as prophesied by Phagmo Drupa, Taglung Thampa established a monastery in that place, and then achieved realization there. Not only that, later as prophesied Phagdru, Taglung Thampa set his mind on renunciation and attained realization in that place.
From then on, even the lineage holders had extremely pure life stories of such accomplishments. When many such things occurred, in reliable Tibetan historical works considered authoritative, such as the Blue Annals and many other historical records, all the disciples and lineage holders of Taglung Thangpa Chenpo were granted great renunciation.
Close connection between the Karmapas and Taglung Kagyu, in particular the 8th Karmapa
Now, taking Karma Kamtsang (Kagyu) as a specific example: The Khamtsang family and Taglung Kagyu lineage have a particularly close and deep connection between each other. If we look at the biography of Taglung Thampa Chenpo, there is a historical account of Taglung Thampa Chenpo offering a horse to the Dharma Lord Dusum Khyenpa of Taklung. Similarly, Namkha Özhu, who was a disciple of both Dusum Khyenpa and Taklung Tampa, later became part of the lineage of the successive incarnations of the Red Hat. There are a huge amount of such historical connections.
In particular, the one who looked after Eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje when he was young was Riwoche Chochen, Jigten Wangchuk [1]. Similarly, in some biographies of the Eighth Karmapa, when explaining his secret father among the three outer, inner, and secret fathers, it is said that the secret father is Jigten Wangchug. There seems to be such a tradition of saying this.
Additionally, the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje’s main spiritual advisor, Chakchen Ngedön Gyatso, was one of the close attendants who cared for his body. He was also from Riwoche. There were others like this.
For these reasons, in brief, when the successive Karmapa incarnations visited central Tibet, there was a tradition of them visiting Taglung Yartang. When they visited Do-Kham, there was a tradition of them visiting Taglung Martang. In brief, it is said that the spiritual and samaya connection between Gyalwa Taglung Kagyu and Karma Kamtsang (Kagyu) has never deteriorated until now, which seems to have become a new custom.
Especially, the special and profound connection between Taglung Martang and Karma Kamtsang is indescribable. For this reason, whether speaking from the perspective of the Dagpo Kagyu tradition in general, or from the perspective of Karma Kamtsang specifically, or from the perspective of an individual like myself, in any case, I feel that it would be good if these two Kagyu traditions of Gyalwa Taglung could be preserved and not decline, and if any decline could be restored. Even if there is no more than a hope or prayer for this, I see that it is important for this to continue. Such is the view of those who seem to consider this crucial.
The importance of maintaining and preserving the Taglung Kagyu lineage
In the past few years, all the senior lamas, acharyas, and spiritual friends of the Taglung Kagyu lineage have, with great effort, focused on preserving, maintaining, and spreading the Taglung lineage teachings. As a result, they have achieved many notable accomplishments. This fills my mind with immense joy and I am deeply grateful. To all of you who have done this, I offer my heartfelt thanks.
I believe it is crucial to continue studying, contemplating, and meditating on the unique practices and oral instructions of the Taglung Kagyu lineage. Similarly, it is extremely important to preserve, maintain, and spread the special oral instructions and all aspects of the Taglung tradition with a pure and selfless attitude. Especially for us Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet, many important tasks remain in preserving the Taglung Kagyu lineage.
That is extremely important, especially now that we Tibetans in both Tibet and exile have many important responsibilities as upholders of the Kagyu lineage. It is important that we all get along harmoniously. It is also important for us to humbly seek pure support from them. It is important that we follow and obey whatever instructions they give us. The harmonious blending of single-pointed concentration and diligence is an important goal. Such a thing is seen.
Therefore, whether we are called outsiders or insiders, or Yarthang or Marthang, without making such distinctions, everyone should consider how to make the teachings of Taglung Chenpo, the beloved object of our gaze, flourish without decline. How should we maintain it with threefold purity? I feel that contemplating these matters is an important task.
From my own perspective, if there is any direct or indirect opportunity to serve, then from my own side, I pray for the chance to accomplish service through spiritual attainments. In particular, I pray that this webcast about the Taglung Chenpo, the Dharma Lord, may become a reminder of the teachings. Similarly, I hope that this may become a condition for good karmic imprints of the Dharma to be planted in the minds of all beings. Likewise, I pray and hope that it may transform into a means to deepen one’s faith and pure intention towards one’s own teacher and the teachings.
Finally, from my own perspective, may the teachings of the protector of beings, Taglung Thampa Chenpo, flourish in the world. I offer prayers and vast hopes for that.”
Other biographical background
The Taglung Kagyu tradition was established by Taklungtangpa Tashi Pel, a disciple of Pakmodrupa Dorje Gyelpo, who founded Taklung Monastery in 1180. In 1276 Sanggye Won, who was forced from the abbacy of Taklung Monastery, went to Kham and established Riwoche, which became a second seat of the tradition and is one of the oldest and largest monasteries in Kham, eastern Tibet. The Riwoche lineage also fully integrates the Nyingma teachings descended from the great 9th-century Master, Padmasambhava.
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
“This portrait was created for Riwoche monastery in eastern Tibet, a branch of Taklung monastery. The central figure and the assembled abbots are not directly named on the painting. Nonetheless, two inscriptions allow a lineage identification: the epithet Jnanatapa (“heat of wisdom”) appears on the painting’s veil, a name denoting a famous Indian mahasiddha, the spiritual fathers of Tantric Buddhism. The second is the identity of presiding deity above the central figure, named as Avagarbha. The importance of these two clues is revealed by their presence in the official history of Taklung monastery, which tells that the first abbot of Riwoche monastery was an incarnation of “the peerless mahasiddha Jnanatapa” and that his Tantric teacher was Avagarbha, a Bengal siddha. Hence, this portrait is intended to invoke the spiritual lineage of Taklung and Riwoche monasteries through the person of mahasiddha Jnanatapa.”
Endnotes
[1] Jigten Wangchuk (1454-1532) was abbot of the Kagyu Taglung branch monastery of Riwoche in Kham, but is principally renowned as a teacher, and notably for the transmission of the Kalachakra to Eighth Gyalwa Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje (1507-1554), see Amy Heller, Tibetan Art: Tracing the Development of Spiritual Ideals and Art in Tibet, Milan, 1999, p. 196. The format of the painting, with the large central enthroned image of the master against a background of stylised multi-coloured mountain staves, and surrounded by Taglung lineage, is based on the Taglung portraits of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, see Jane Casey Singer, ‘Taklung Painting’ in Jane Casey Singer and Philip Denwood, eds, Tibetan Art: Towards a Definition of Style, London, 1997, pp. 52-67: the dates of Jigten Wangchuk preclude an attribution of the painting earlier than mid-sixteenth century. Heller suggests this thangka, together with the portrait of Palden Rinchen in the following lot, may have been done in the traditional style to accompany an existing series of portraits from the earlier period, Heller, op. cit.
The Tibetan inscription at verso can be translated as follows:
Praises at the feet of ‘igten Wangchuk, he who fully liberates the followers of the profound tantric path and who upholds the doctrines of tantric realization in the Land of Snows. We pray for the benediction completely liberating all sentient beings. At the summit of the powerful mountain where merits and wisdom unite, born of the precious tree of paradise-giving knowledge of the profound path, its branches spreading full of leaves of the multitude of perfect ritual acts, our praise to you, hightest among men.
Born from the strength of pure merit, the glory of your name covers the ten directions. We venerate the body of the lama, whose body is the great accumulation of good qualities. We venerate the speech of the lama which is the liberating holy dharma without error, whose sound is the pure unobstructed lion’s roar to stifle the heretic wild animals. We venerate the mind of the lama, for the mind’s clear light stops the clouds of sudden illusion in the celestial realm of great joy without differentiation.
Spontaneously realizing the increase of knowledge, zealously fulfilling all desires, we venerate you for satisfying all in accordance with the power of the thought of the beings still to be liberated.
Sovereign over immovable time, particularly overcoming strife in the world, we venerate you as the hero victorious in all directions over disharmony.
To you whose very body is the prefection of good qualities of the five sorts of ritual acts, by our prayers and praise to you, we hope that you will reveal yourself as our lama.
You who are the treasure of all virtues, wisdom and merits, make the accumulation like the precious tree of paradise bringing to all beings a rainfall of riches and all happiness and prosperity throughout the phenomenal world. (NB: “Jigten Wangchuk” means “the powerful riches of the phenomenal world”, so this is a special way of imploring the lama).
O, incomparable lama, may you accomplish this prayer, abandoning the illusions of the mind, may you be the power of memory guiding all beings. By all the virtuous acts placed here may you reveal yourself in the eastern region Kham near those who remember, the Dharma master and his son. May you obtain the perfect rainbow body of Dharma.