“It is important to be flexible but maintain principles/discipline.”
“Imagine two highly educated and skilled doctors. One is mainly motivated by money and personal success. The other has a genuine wish to help others, with little concern for material gain. Although both have the same medical knowledge, the doctor with sincere compassion often brings better results. Why? Because their good intention and state of mind have a powerful impact on the healing process.” –HE Gyalton Rinpoche (May 2025)
Introduction
For Dakini Day today, am happy to offer this new report from Vietnam and my unplanned/spontaneous attendance at the first year (“Inner Peace”) of H.E. 7th Gyalton Rinpoche four-day teaching (18th-21st May) “Discovering the Buddha Within” course (written by his Guru, HE 12th Kenting Tai Situpa) at the ancient Chua Sui Pagoda, Hanoi, Vietnam.
After attending the United Nations Vesak Day 2025 as an official speaker delegate at their academic conference, I changed my travel plans and decided to extend my stay in Vietnam and travel up to Hanoi, in North Vietnam. I saw that the Buddha’s relics, which had been exhibited in HCMC were moved up to another Buddhist pagoda in Hanoi, and I wanted to visit that pagoda and see the relics there too, more on that in the next post!
Another reason I decided to go to Hanoi afterwards, was seeing that the 7th Gyalton Rinpoche, a close student of H.E. 12th Tai Situpa Rinpoche was starting the first year of the Discovering the Buddha Within three-year course, in a beautiful old temple on the outskirts of Hanoi City. The course was four days, and I was intrigued not only to meet and get teachings from Gyalton Rinpoche (whom I have never met before) but also to see the exquisite temple pagoda it was being held in, which I later discovered is one of the oldest temples in Vietnam!
I was glad I did, the course and the pagoda were both excellent for a variety of reasons, which I detail in the report. There were some minor organizational issues related to translation and worse, the constant and at times, invasive photography/videoing during the meditation sessions in particular, something I have written about before, and detail in the report.
However, overall Gyalton Rinpoche’s teachings (delivered in excellent and clear English) were a joy to listen to and behold. Rinpoche is an understated, and not so well-known Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhist teacher, especially in terms of social media usage and promotion. Nonetheless, what counts is not quantity of followers but quality of teachings and students, and he expertly gave secret, Vajrayana teachings and experiences (to suitable “vessel” recipients) while giving classic Sutra teachings (for the first year of the course) on the four noble truths and the gradual five paths to enlightenment. This first year’s focus was on becoming aware of “awareness” and noticing and being present with the movements of one’s body, speech and mind. In particular, the importance of motivation and remembering karma, death and impermanence and the nature and origin of suffering.
I have received such important foundational Sutra teachings many times and studied them in books too, however, there is nothing quite like getting an “oral transmission” from a qualified Vajrayana teacher with such “hidden penetration” and experience to the depths of the bliss-emptiness Buddha Nature. In particular, the teaching of the five paths of accumulation, joining and so on, started off as a Sutra teaching and developed into a full-blown, secret Vajrayana transmission on the internal “chakras”/thig-le with the “head” climax of full awakening. I was impressed indeed as this is a sign of a great practitioner and master of the channels and winds. It was unexpected and so it was even more profound than I had initially expected it to be. More on Gyalton Rinpoche and the course in my report below.
In this report, the first section I share some photos and information about the ancient Sui Pagoda temple itself. The second part is on the course and its teacher, 7th Gyalton Rinpoche and his prior incarnation. Third, and finally I end with some personal observations and minor constructive feedback in relation to translation and conduct of photographers at such events.
Overall, I was delighted to have been able to attend, especially as with the past few years experiences, and the continuing absence of the 17th Karmapa in person at events and teachings (especially that Tara transmission in Thailand), I had almost given up hope of ever meeting a qualified vajra master at such an intimate teaching in person again. However, thanks to the unfailing truth of karma and aspirations, I was fortunate to meet the vajra master of Palpung Sherab Ling, Gyalton Rinpoche without expectations, and he did not disappoint!
In brief, without revealing any secrets ha ha, Rinpoche expertly and experientially showed some new “angles” on how to experience the bliss-empty nature without clinging, not just once but several times, leaving me with a brilliant smile on my face, and some laughter too, at his personal stories and the classic one about Milarepa showing Gampopa his bare buttocks!
Thus, as I “cooled off” from the external sweaty-humid heat in the “inner peace” dusky sanctum of the Mother Prajnaparamita statue room, I gazed at the wisdom statue framed by my dusky pink lotus bag and one of the many free water bottles provided also with a pink lotus and words “The One” written on it, and smiled, laughed and marvelled at how karma (and Buddha nature) works in mysterious (and not so mysterious ways). Vajrayana and the dakini operates through symbols, and the symbolism there was undeniably and all too obvious.
As they say in Vajrayana, for such an event to be auspicious, the time, place, teacher and retinue/participants need to be right. In this case, millions of infinite causes and conditions came together and peaked with the ecstatic sound of AH resonating from the depths of the heart, in the wet blissful heat cooled by the bodhicitta in the Bhagavan Buddha Nature.
Music? White Tara mantra for the Palpung/Tai Situpa lineage, Serenity Under Rain for the warm and wet rainy Hanoi afternoons, Gorecki by Lamb (The One), and Falling in Love Again by Marlene Dietrich, for the symbolism, the guru and the deity Chakrasamvara, who showed his beautiful face several times again.
Dedicated to all beings discovering and revealing the Buddha nature within and to the flourishing of the teachings and activities of Gyalton Rinpoche, and the Palpung lineage of Khenting Tai Situpa in Vietnam and SE Asia!
Written and compiled by Adele Tomlin, 22nd May 2025.
1) THE VENUE: Sui Pagoda
The Venue: Sui Pagoda, Hanoi, one of the oldest temples in Vietnam
The four-day course was held at the Chua Sui Pagoda, in the Gia Lam district of Hanoi. I have never been there before and it takes about half an hour in a taxi ride from the old quarter in the centre of Hanoi.
When I arrived, I had a quick look round, and immediately saw it was a stunning and peaceful place, with a small community of monks staying there. Participants were offered rooms to stay the night there too, in shared rooms, but I decided to stay in central Hanoi.
I asked one of the Vietnamese women participants I sat next to about the temple and she told me it was one of the oldest in Vietnam! She kindly sent me this information about the temple from the internet. Again, like many Buddhist temples in Vietnam, they became sites of military and public resistance to violence by American and internal forces, as well as a medical site for the injured. It is hard to believe that a Buddhist temple would be home (and refuge) to armed soldiers who were killing people, but such is the nature of samsara [1]. In any case:
“According to legend, Sủi Pagoda was built in the 2nd century, during the early period when Buddhism was introduced to the Luy Lâu region. However, historical records from this time remain quite vague. Based on research, the pagoda was constructed during the Đinh dynasty by General Đào Liên Hoa. Initially, the pagoda was just a small shrine made of bamboo and thatch, later rebuilt with a wooden frame, and today it features brick walls and a tiled roof.
Sủi Pagoda is not only a historical and cultural relic but also a symbol of resilience and patriotism. Before the August Revolution of 1945 and during the two resistance wars, Sủi Pagoda served as a gathering place for revolutionary cadres. It was the site of the founding ceremony of the Phú Thị National Salvation Youth Union and also hosted literacy classes for the general public. During the resistance war against the Americans, the pagoda sheltered military units and served as an evacuation site for Gia Lâm General Hospital.”
Below are some photos I took of the pagoda and its peaceful gardens and stunning architecture. There are many lovely trees there too, and hidden alleyways leading into more small corners and gardens, in the nooks and crannies of the temple complex. It was a blissful and “romantic” place to be, full of fruits and flowers, reds, pinks and greens. A beautiful Buddha land place to visit and listen to Dharma teachings.
The Bodhisattva Maitreya statue
The centrepiece of the external gardens was this lovely Maitreya Bodhisattva statue. The seated posture of Maitreya with one foot on the ground and the other on his knee, also known as the “pensive” or “lalitasana” posture, is a common depiction in Buddhist art. This pose signifies Maitreya’s readiness to descend to the human realm and succeed Sakyamuni Buddha. The origin of the Tai Situpas is traced to this senior follower of the Gautama Buddha, Bodhisattva Maitreya.
The mother Prajnaparamita statue room
One of my favourite more “hidden” places in the temple complex was a small hall and shrine with a gorgeous statue of the mother of wisdom, Prajnaparamita.
During some of the breaks I would rest and sit there out of the humid heat (and sometimes rain) outside and do practice. Some blissful memories were made in that room, getting a real taste of the innate bliss Buddha Nature, thanks to the skilful means of Gyalton Rinpoche. There was a photo of a prior Vietnamese Buddhist abbot on the wall, as well as one of the Drugpa Kagyu lineage head meeting the present-day abbott of the temple.
2) THE COURSE AND TEACHER
The first year (four-day) course on Inner Peace: Shamatha meditation and Sutra and Tantra combined
As for the Discovering Buddha Within course and teacher, I had not met the 7th Gyalton Rinpoche before but was aware that he is a close student of HE 12th Tai Situpa Rinpoche and have seen his photo and his Facebook page on social media. He generally seemed to be a rather “understated” simple teacher, not prone to constantly posting on social media and “blowing his own trumpet” as we say (unlike other tulku Rinpoches and their communities who shall remain nameless ha ha). Anyway, as the causes and conditions had clearly manifested, and the course was kindly donation-based, I decided to participate without knowing much about him, and “examine” him there (and be “examined” too) for his abilities and knowledge.
I attended the course “incognito” and gave my Tibetan name when registering. Not that it was needed, I discovered that most of the Vietnamese people attending the course (unlike when I was an official speaker at the Vesak Day 2025 event in Saigon) were not aware of my work or website, and were generally newcomers to Tibetan Buddhism and Vajrayana. As a survivor of lama misconduct (and with various haters who attack me online because of what I write about and represent), I politely requested the Tibetan Buddhist monk photographer and organisers not to take photos during meditation sessions, or at least not with me in them ha ha ha. Sadly, this request although “respected” seemed to intensify the photo-taking around and about me by the suddenly “very active” Vietnamese male photographers. They had been generally discreet about it all until then. Perhaps my request as a single, lone foreign female was like a “red rag to a bull in a china shop” as we say to do it more, ha ha ha.
As for the course itself, it was advertised as a three year one on the innate Buddha Nature. The first year is focused mainly on shamatha (calm-abiding) type meditations on the breath, emotions, the body and our innate awareness. The philosophy teachings were on the “external” level classic Sutra teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the stages of the five-fold path.
As an English native speaker from England, I was impressed by Rinpoche’s fluent language ability in English, his calm, patient, gentle and stable nature, and his experience and realisations as a Vajra master. Afterwards, I decided to do more research on his background, and was again impressed by his close connection with the 16th Karmapa and the Sikkimese royal family. For more on his background and bio (see below).
Rinpoche gave a classic Sutra teaching on the five stages of the path that developed into a secret Vajrayana transmission on the channels and winds, and four (or five joys). I entered into a profound state of bliss ecstasy and never really left it during the whole course. Proving (via experience) that the innate bliss Buddha Nature, is indeed pervasively and spontaneously present at all times.
As readers of my work will know, my first book/postgraduate degree was on Taranatha’s Commentary on the Heart Sutra which clearly, as the Shen-tong view. In particular focuses on how all the teachings of Sutra, Theravada, Mahayana as well as Vajrayana teach the ultimate Buddha nature view (full of the Buddhahood qualities) but in more indirect ways.
The course was four days and there were also daily practice sessions led by a French translator monk, associated with Palpung monastery, Damien Jampa. I have known Jampa many years, not as a close friend, but since I did some study of Tibetan in Dharamsala at Esukhia (which he set up with his friend, another Frenchman, Ngawang Trinley) and so it was also nice to see him again and debate a few topics/issues!
Again, there was that “requisite” (but also unnecessary) photo of the 14th Dalai Lama on the throne, next to the one of HE 12th Tai Situpa (or HH as some now refer to him), a remnant of Gelug sectarianism in Tibet, still practiced in exile. Yet, I did not see any photo on the thrones of the actual Karma Kagyu lineage head, HH 17th Gyalwang Karmapa! What happened?
Taking refuge vows ceremony and final day
The final day ended with Rinpoche bestowing refuge to those who requested the hair-cutting and names. I participated in the refuge ceremony, which involved a blissful visualization of the Shakyamuni Buddha whose energy appeared directly in front of me, having recently spent two months in Bodh Gaya, india at the Bodhi tree, Bodh Gaya, and he seemed to be mentally saying that he was always there and seeing and loving. I started spontaneously weeping tears of joy and devotion as we began to all recite the refuge prayer, only to have it abruptly (and rudely) interrupted by one of the male Vietnamese photographers with a huge camera right next to me who started clicking away!
Even though I had already requested the organisers two days before, to not take photos with me in them, and especially not during the meditation sessions, this request seemed to have “fallen on deaf ears” as we say. Or it was heard but had the opposite effect of making them want to disturb the meditations even more. Who knows! In any case, it kind of “marred” the course somewhat to have photographers taking photos during such sacred moments, even suddenly coming up right behind me and clicking away (see photo below)! A sign of our degenerate times indeed, when such events and transmissions are more about having photos and a record of them on media.
During the refuge ceremony, I had strong memories of taking my first refuge vows with the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje in a private audience in 2005 at Gyuto monastery, where he was residing in India. He also personally gave me my Tibetan name at that time. As I wrote about previously, when I first met the 17th Karmapa, he was the first Tibetan guru I had ever met, and interestingly the day I had been told to come to the monastery to get the refuge vows I had personally requested after meeting him in a public audience, the 12th Tai Situpa turned up at the same time as a visitor, and I waited there a bit while he met the Karmapa. I was called up to see the Karmapa, who kindly told me I would not be able to get the refuge vows from him that day and to come back in another week. This involved me changing my flight back to the UK, but I decided to do it. The rest is history as we say! In any case, I decided not to go up and get a new name from Gyalton Rinpoche, as I already had one, and rejoiced at those who had taken them for the first time there.
Then I went up to offer a traditional Tibetan scarf and donation to Rinpoche (with others) and each of us got a blessing from a small Buddha statue. I asked Damien Jampa where the statue had come from but he did not know, so I went back and asked Rinpoche and he told me it was from previous Gyalton Rinpoche incarnation. What a lovely blessing indeed!
Then, group photos were taken with Rinpoche and a cake was served. There seemed to be “a bit of a mad rush” for the cake afterwards, but after everyone had got their slice, I was handed one, and so able to have my “cake and eat it”, as we say ha ha ha. Although am more a croissant than cake person ha ha ha.
HE Gyalton Rinpoche: Khenchen of the Kagyupa, spiritual teacher to the King of Sikkim and close to the 16th Karmapa
Last and not least, here is some information about the the teacher, HE 7th Gyalton Rinpoche (1979 – ), he is a close student of the current 12th Kenting Tai Situpa. On the final day of the course, he gave a teaching on the history of the Tai Situpa and Palpung lineage and tradition.
The previous Gyalton Rinpoche, Orgyen Jigma Chokyi Senge Gyalton Rinpoche (1908-1970), was the spiritual head of Chungpo monastery in Eastern Tibet. He was one of the principal students of the 11th Tai Situpa, and of Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro. While in Tsurphu Monastery, the seat of the Karmapa, the 16th Karmapa bestowed on him the title of Khenchen, meaning Great Learned One, as did Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Choling Rinpoche in recognition of his high attainments and learning. He also performed many of the practices for Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö when he was ill and after he passed away in 1959.
Born in 1908 in Khyungpo in Kham, East Tibet he was recognized as the tulku of Saltong Shogom, an incarnation of one of Gampopa’s three main disciples known as ‘the three men of Kham’. He studied with Situ Rinpoche at Palpung Monastery in Tibet, and then with Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, becoming one of his foremost disciples. He completed more than 100 million mantras of Amitabha and accomplished the practice of many other deities in retreat. He prostrated all the way from Kham to the Jokhang in Lhasa and then from Lhasa to Tshurphu.
He accompanied H.H. the 16th Karmapa during His Holiness’ visit to the holy places in India in the year 2500 Buddha Jyanti (1956). Gyalton Rinpoche was appointed as Spiritual Guru to the Chogyal (the King) of Sikkim by H.H. the 16th Karmapa at the request of the late Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal of Sikkim. Rinpoche gave many Empowerments and Reading Transmissions in many monasteries throughout Sikkim and was very highly respected by the people of Sikkim who were deeply devoted to him. He remained in the Royal Palace Monastery until he passed away in the Kalachakra Calendar Iron Dog Year, 1970.
I was surprised there was no biographical entry on the Treasury of Lives website for Gyalton Rinpoche. Especially as there are so many biographies of politically appointed tulkus without any real intellectual or spiritual legacy. So I have now written to Alex Gardner the Director of TOL and requested he at least create a name and space for him that people can use when they have done a biography for him!”For a more detailed biography see here.
The present, seventh reincarnation, Karma Palden Lungtok Trinley Rangye, was born in Sikkim and identified as Gyalton Tulku in 1983 by the Tai Situpa and shortly after enthroned when he was four years old in the palace temple in Gangtok, Sikkim. Rinpoche speaks fluent English, Hindi and Nepali. He was also appointed the Vajra Master of Palpung Sherab Ling, Himachal Pradesh, India, by Kenting Tai Situpa and often resides there when he is not teaching.
3) CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK/PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
A question of accurate translation and knowing the background of the oral interpreter
The oral interpreter was a Vietnamese female, who did a thankless job of tirelessly translating 7 hours per day of teachings and meditations, without much break. When I first met her at a dining table, I asked her what her “Dharma background” was and she did not appear to understand the question and asked me to repeat it. When I asked again, she did not answer, I asked her if she had understood my question and she said she had but wanted to eat in a rather rude, abrupt manner. I explained to her that as I was a Dharma translator too, I was interested to know who she was and her background. But she refused to answer. Perhaps she was hungry and tired though. I would have been!
However, as the course progressed I realized (when I heard her speak English) that her level of spoken English was not that of a fluent native speaker, and at times I could not follow at all what she said due to her heavy accent and grammar mistakes etc. This surprised me because with oral translation in particular, it is essential the person has a near-native speaker level of fluency. Whereas with written translation, this is not so essential. In any case, I left still none the wiser as to who she is, her study and Dharma background, and why she was chosen for the job. I was told by Damien that she had been resident in the UK for many years, and follows Tai Situpa but that (as we know) is not sufficient to make someone a qualified Dharma interpreter.
For me, like examining a teacher, it is essential to know who is translating, especially if you do not understand the teaching language. One needs to know and make sure that one is getting a good translation that is accurate and clear. This is not invasie or offensive. After all, people query my qualifications to translate even though my CV, publications, commendations, references, translations and study/practice are all available online to see. Yet, the reaction to my question was excessive and overly defensive not just from the translator herself, but from people close to her on the course, who she seemed to have informed about the conversation, even though none of them spoke English fluently nor were present at the conversation.
For me, this defensive reaction answered my question though, because qualified people normally would not react like that to such a simple question. Also, if other people genuinely cared about the accurate transmission of Dharma, they would get an independent and objective bi-lingual native speaker of both languages (who is familiar with Dharma terminology but independent of that community) to check an oral interpeter’s competence for the job. Not attack anyone who might dare suggest that.
Respect for people’s privacy and inappropriate timing/invasive photography
| In addition, despite my politely requesting the organisers, for reasons due to a wish for privacy and wanting to focus on the teachings and meditation, not to have photos taken of (or near me) and even to refrain from doing so during the meditation sessions. As is often the case, this request seemed to have the opposite effect though, and the following day two rather burly Vietnamese men started using their huge cameras constantly next to me, behind me, and during the meditation sessions, and I had to request them to stop on more than one occasion (see photos below). What happened to using the zoom function on this huge professional cameras?
It is important to note that forty years ago such use of photography at meditation events and empowerments was non-existent. Yet with the advent of the internet and social media, they are full of people with mobile phone cameras taking photos of everyone at some of the most sacred moments, as I wrote about during the empowerment given by 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche in Bodh Gaya last year. |
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| I wondered how such people would feel if I took photos of them during a teaching, and proceeded to “mirror’ their inconsiderate and inappropriate actions. By the looks on some people’s faces when I did, they did not appreciate it at all, or they did not care, because they were too busy looking at their mobile phones ha ha ha. |
In any case, these were minor issues and overall the course was most excellent in every way, in terms of the teacher and venue in particular and I felt grateful and fortunate to have been able to attend. May it be of benefit!
Thank you for this and all your wonderful posts! In addition the vicarious enjoyment I feel that I also benefit from your experience. Be well and safe dear Adel
Very welcome Andrew! Thank you for your kind and continual support and words of encouragement 🙂