In the past, the Lord Buddha appeared in India and the teachings of the Buddhadharma spread like the sun shining throughout that holy country. Subsequently, at certain periods in history, these teachings spread to other countries. One of the most complete transmissions of the Buddhadharma took place in the snowy regions of Tibet. This process was aided not only by the great realized masters and scholars of the Indian Buddhist tradition who went to Tibet, but also by the more aware among the Tibetan people–the rulers,the patrons and also the scholars and teachers–who trained with these Indian masters and began to establish a tradition of Buddhism in their own country.
So, in the snowy lands of Tibet, the teachings of the Buddha were transplanted and established. The number of individuals who gained great realization and who upheld and maintained these teachings over the centuries has been like that of the stars and planets reflected in the surface of a vast ocean. Many masters and teachers have contributed generation after generation to upholding not only the theoretical, scriptural aspects of the teachings, but also the experiential aspect because above all else the Buddhadharma is a living transmission maintained in each generation through authentic realization.
In the case of Tibet, the activities of such individuals,lifetime after lifetime, ensured the preservation of these teachings. Even when the unfortunate political events of this century took place, lineages were not completely lost but have been maintained as living transmissions. Now we find that the teachings are coming to the Western Hemisphere, and those dedicated individuals who previously took rebirth in Tibet and other countries where Buddhism was being established are gradually appearing in the West. I have no doubt that among Westerners there are numerous emanations of the enlightened form,speech and mind of great masters of the past. It is not my function or within my capacity to recognize all of them. But wherever there is a connection, dueto teachings and samaya commitment, between myself and an incarnation from previous lifetimes, it is often possible for me to detect this.
I make no claims here for having completely unhindered, inexhaustible psychic powers like a buddha. But occasionally I do have a definite experience, not just a hunch or a whim, during which I actually recall a previous lifetime or connection and can see it manifesting again in this life. I have had this ability from an early age, and while it is not always completely present, it does come to me from time to time. For many years I never spoke of any of these experiences, because many of my own root lamas told me, "It's better not to talk about such things, because it only interferes with your longevity and health–you only impair your own progress and welfare."
But now it seems an appropriate occasion to talk about two such experiences: my recognition of the two young boys whom you see before you,as tulkus of masters with whom I was previously associated. This has been a definite, convincing impression in my mind, not something fleeting or unreliable. It seems better for me to speak publicly than to waste the opportunities of these two individuals by failing to recognize them, lest their potential qualities not unfold as they could. So these two young tulkus are being formally recognized–this is not an enthronement but a naming ceremony,the first step in the formal recognition of an incarnation, in which a name is given and a purification ceremony is done to ward off any obstacles or hindrances to the incarnation's activity.
In the case of my own son and grandson, there has been some question in my mind whether my enthroning them might be seen as nepotism, and whether people would be suspicious of this. But when both Jigme and Orgyen were in Tibet, formal enthronement ceremonies actually took place, saving me the potential embarrassment of being seen as nepotistic. I've already had occasion to recognize two other tulkus, and so now you see before you tulkus three and four.
In the case of Max Rybold, there was a terton named Tulku Padma Dorje in my own family lineage, and Max, now Padma T'hutop Dorje, is his incarnation. So in a sense, I am enthroning somebody from my own family, but at some remove.
In the case of Alexander Snyder, the Tromge clan was divided into two major family groups, and in the group other than my own there were two brothers. The elder one was named Arig; this is not Tulku Arig, one of my teachers, about whom many of you have heard me speak. The younger was named Tsewang Drodul, which means "Power over Life and Tamer of Beings." I had a very strong connection with this individual; because our two families were so close, I simply referred to him as Aku, which in Tibetan means paternal uncle. Alexander is the rebirth of Tsewang Drodul. So his name, Padma Tsewang Drodul Dorje, includes the name of his previous incarnation.
Now we have given these two young incarnations their names and performed the first step, the formal purification and naming ceremony.
One thing you should understand is that a child's being a tulku is not in and of itself enough; that is not where the real benefit lies. It arises when, through study and practice, the potential is awakened in the tulku's mindstream and allowed to unfold as fully as possible in this lifetime. It is well recognized in the Tibetan tradition–there is even a proverb about it-that if tulkus are not well raised they just become wild; they run amuck. So it's important for their spiritual qualities to be identified and nurtured through proper training. Then there is definitely potential for benefiting the teachings and beings.
To the parents of such incarnations, I want to say that I understand that you love your children dearly and want to raise them as best you can, but it is important for you not to spoil them. Do not waste the opportunity that their potential holds for the teachings and for beings, but seriously consider the importance, the crucial nature of the training that a tulku needs in order to function as a teacher of the Buddhadharma.
In the future, when circumstances permit, we can proceed with the formal enthronement of these two tulkus.
In the past, the Lord Buddha appeared in India and the teachings of the Buddhadharma spread like the sun shining throughout that holy country. Subsequently, at certain periods in history, these teachings spread to other countries. One of the most complete transmissions of the Buddhadharma took place in the snowy regions of Tibet. This process was aided not only by the great realized masters and scholars of the Indian Buddhist tradition who went to Tibet, but also by the more aware among the Tibetan people–the rulers,the patrons and also the scholars and teachers–who trained with these Indian masters and began to establish a tradition of Buddhism in their own country.
So, in the snowy lands of Tibet, the teachings of the Buddha were transplanted and established. The number of individuals who gained great realization and who upheld and maintained these teachings over the centuries has been like that of the stars and planets reflected in the surface of a vast ocean. Many masters and teachers have contributed generation after generation to upholding not only the theoretical, scriptural aspects of the teachings, but also the experiential aspect because above all else the Buddhadharma is a living transmission maintained in each generation through authentic realization.
In the case of Tibet, the activities of such individuals,lifetime after lifetime, ensured the preservation of these teachings. Even when the unfortunate political events of this century took place, lineages were not completely lost but have been maintained as living transmissions. Now we find that the teachings are coming to the Western Hemisphere, and those dedicated individuals who previously took rebirth in Tibet and other countries where Buddhism was being established are gradually appearing in the West. I have no doubt that among Westerners there are numerous emanations of the enlightened form,speech and mind of great masters of the past. It is not my function or within my capacity to recognize all of them. But wherever there is a connection, dueto teachings and samaya commitment, between myself and an incarnation from previous lifetimes, it is often possible for me to detect this.
I make no claims here for having completely unhindered, inexhaustible psychic powers like a buddha. But occasionally I do have a definite experience, not just a hunch or a whim, during which I actually recall a previous lifetime or connection and can see it manifesting again in this life. I have had this ability from an early age, and while it is not always completely present, it does come to me from time to time. For many years I never spoke of any of these experiences, because many of my own root lamas told me, "It's better not to talk about such things, because it only interferes with your longevity and health–you only impair your own progress and welfare."
But now it seems an appropriate occasion to talk about two such experiences: my recognition of the two young boys whom you see before you,as tulkus of masters with whom I was previously associated. This has been a definite, convincing impression in my mind, not something fleeting or unreliable. It seems better for me to speak publicly than to waste the opportunities of these two individuals by failing to recognize them, lest their potential qualities not unfold as they could. So these two young tulkus are being formally recognized–this is not an enthronement but a naming ceremony,the first step in the formal recognition of an incarnation, in which a name is given and a purification ceremony is done to ward off any obstacles or hindrances to the incarnation's activity.
In the case of my own son and grandson, there has been some question in my mind whether my enthroning them might be seen as nepotism, and whether people would be suspicious of this. But when both Jigme and Orgyen were in Tibet, formal enthronement ceremonies actually took place, saving me the potential embarrassment of being seen as nepotistic. I've already had occasion to recognize two other tulkus, and so now you see before you tulkus three and four.
In the case of Max Rybold, there was a terton named Tulku Padma Dorje in my own family lineage, and Max, now Padma T'hutop Dorje, is his incarnation. So in a sense, I am enthroning somebody from my own family, but at some remove.
In the case of Alexander Snyder, the Tromge clan was divided into two major family groups, and in the group other than my own there were two brothers. The elder one was named Arig; this is not Tulku Arig, one of my teachers, about whom many of you have heard me speak. The younger was named Tsewang Drodul, which means "Power over Life and Tamer of Beings." I had a very strong connection with this individual; because our two families were so close, I simply referred to him as Aku, which in Tibetan means paternal uncle. Alexander is the rebirth of Tsewang Drodul. So his name, Padma Tsewang Drodul Dorje, includes the name of his previous incarnation.
Now we have given these two young incarnations their names and performed the first step, the formal purification and naming ceremony.
One thing you should understand is that a child's being a tulku is not in and of itself enough; that is not where the real benefit lies. It arises when, through study and practice, the potential is awakened in the tulku's mindstream and allowed to unfold as fully as possible in this lifetime. It is well recognized in the Tibetan tradition–there is even a proverb about it-that if tulkus are not well raised they just become wild; they run amuck. So it's important for their spiritual qualities to be identified and nurtured through proper training. Then there is definitely potential for benefiting the teachings and beings.
To the parents of such incarnations, I want to say that I understand that you love your children dearly and want to raise them as best you can, but it is important for you not to spoil them. Do not waste the opportunity that their potential holds for the teachings and for beings, but seriously consider the importance, the crucial nature of the training that a tulku needs in order to function as a teacher of the Buddhadharma.
In the future, when circumstances permit, we can proceed with the formal enthronement of these two tulkus.
In the past, the Lord Buddha appeared in India and the teachings of the Buddhadharma spread like the sun shining throughout that holy country. Subsequently, at certain periods in history, these teachings spread to other countries. One of the most complete transmissions of the Buddhadharma took place in the snowy regions of Tibet. This process was aided not only by the great realized masters and scholars of the Indian Buddhist tradition who went to Tibet, but also by the more aware among the Tibetan people–the rulers,the patrons and also the scholars and teachers–who trained with these Indian masters and began to establish a tradition of Buddhism in their own country.
So, in the snowy lands of Tibet, the teachings of the Buddha were transplanted and established. The number of individuals who gained great realization and who upheld and maintained these teachings over the centuries has been like that of the stars and planets reflected in the surface of a vast ocean. Many masters and teachers have contributed generation after generation to upholding not only the theoretical, scriptural aspects of the teachings, but also the experiential aspect because above all else the Buddhadharma is a living transmission maintained in each generation through authentic realization.
In the case of Tibet, the activities of such individuals,lifetime after lifetime, ensured the preservation of these teachings. Even when the unfortunate political events of this century took place, lineages were not completely lost but have been maintained as living transmissions. Now we find that the teachings are coming to the Western Hemisphere, and those dedicated individuals who previously took rebirth in Tibet and other countries where Buddhism was being established are gradually appearing in the West. I have no doubt that among Westerners there are numerous emanations of the enlightened form,speech and mind of great masters of the past. It is not my function or within my capacity to recognize all of them. But wherever there is a connection, dueto teachings and samaya commitment, between myself and an incarnation from previous lifetimes, it is often possible for me to detect this.
I make no claims here for having completely unhindered, inexhaustible psychic powers like a buddha. But occasionally I do have a definite experience, not just a hunch or a whim, during which I actually recall a previous lifetime or connection and can see it manifesting again in this life. I have had this ability from an early age, and while it is not always completely present, it does come to me from time to time. For many years I never spoke of any of these experiences, because many of my own root lamas told me, "It's better not to talk about such things, because it only interferes with your longevity and health–you only impair your own progress and welfare."
But now it seems an appropriate occasion to talk about two such experiences: my recognition of the two young boys whom you see before you,as tulkus of masters with whom I was previously associated. This has been a definite, convincing impression in my mind, not something fleeting or unreliable. It seems better for me to speak publicly than to waste the opportunities of these two individuals by failing to recognize them, lest their potential qualities not unfold as they could. So these two young tulkus are being formally recognized–this is not an enthronement but a naming ceremony,the first step in the formal recognition of an incarnation, in which a name is given and a purification ceremony is done to ward off any obstacles or hindrances to the incarnation's activity.
In the case of my own son and grandson, there has been some question in my mind whether my enthroning them might be seen as nepotism, and whether people would be suspicious of this. But when both Jigme and Orgyen were in Tibet, formal enthronement ceremonies actually took place, saving me the potential embarrassment of being seen as nepotistic. I've already had occasion to recognize two other tulkus, and so now you see before you tulkus three and four.
In the case of Max Rybold, there was a terton named Tulku Padma Dorje in my own family lineage, and Max, now Padma T'hutop Dorje, is his incarnation. So in a sense, I am enthroning somebody from my own family, but at some remove.
In the case of Alexander Snyder, the Tromge clan was divided into two major family groups, and in the group other than my own there were two brothers. The elder one was named Arig; this is not Tulku Arig, one of my teachers, about whom many of you have heard me speak. The younger was named Tsewang Drodul, which means "Power over Life and Tamer of Beings." I had a very strong connection with this individual; because our two families were so close, I simply referred to him as Aku, which in Tibetan means paternal uncle. Alexander is the rebirth of Tsewang Drodul. So his name, Padma Tsewang Drodul Dorje, includes the name of his previous incarnation.
Now we have given these two young incarnations their names and performed the first step, the formal purification and naming ceremony.
One thing you should understand is that a child's being a tulku is not in and of itself enough; that is not where the real benefit lies. It arises when, through study and practice, the potential is awakened in the tulku's mindstream and allowed to unfold as fully as possible in this lifetime. It is well recognized in the Tibetan tradition–there is even a proverb about it-that if tulkus are not well raised they just become wild; they run amuck. So it's important for their spiritual qualities to be identified and nurtured through proper training. Then there is definitely potential for benefiting the teachings and beings.
To the parents of such incarnations, I want to say that I understand that you love your children dearly and want to raise them as best you can, but it is important for you not to spoil them. Do not waste the opportunity that their potential holds for the teachings and for beings, but seriously consider the importance, the crucial nature of the training that a tulku needs in order to function as a teacher of the Buddhadharma.
In the future, when circumstances permit, we can proceed with the formal enthronement of these two tulkus.
In the past, the Lord Buddha appeared in India and the teachings of the Buddhadharma spread like the sun shining throughout that holy country. Subsequently, at certain periods in history, these teachings spread to other countries. One of the most complete transmissions of the Buddhadharma took place in the snowy regions of Tibet. This process was aided not only by the great realized masters and scholars of the Indian Buddhist tradition who went to Tibet, but also by the more aware among the Tibetan people–the rulers,the patrons and also the scholars and teachers–who trained with these Indian masters and began to establish a tradition of Buddhism in their own country.
So, in the snowy lands of Tibet, the teachings of the Buddha were transplanted and established. The number of individuals who gained great realization and who upheld and maintained these teachings over the centuries has been like that of the stars and planets reflected in the surface of a vast ocean. Many masters and teachers have contributed generation after generation to upholding not only the theoretical, scriptural aspects of the teachings, but also the experiential aspect because above all else the Buddhadharma is a living transmission maintained in each generation through authentic realization.
In the case of Tibet, the activities of such individuals,lifetime after lifetime, ensured the preservation of these teachings. Even when the unfortunate political events of this century took place, lineages were not completely lost but have been maintained as living transmissions. Now we find that the teachings are coming to the Western Hemisphere, and those dedicated individuals who previously took rebirth in Tibet and other countries where Buddhism was being established are gradually appearing in the West. I have no doubt that among Westerners there are numerous emanations of the enlightened form,speech and mind of great masters of the past. It is not my function or within my capacity to recognize all of them. But wherever there is a connection, dueto teachings and samaya commitment, between myself and an incarnation from previous lifetimes, it is often possible for me to detect this.
I make no claims here for having completely unhindered, inexhaustible psychic powers like a buddha. But occasionally I do have a definite experience, not just a hunch or a whim, during which I actually recall a previous lifetime or connection and can see it manifesting again in this life. I have had this ability from an early age, and while it is not always completely present, it does come to me from time to time. For many years I never spoke of any of these experiences, because many of my own root lamas told me, "It's better not to talk about such things, because it only interferes with your longevity and health–you only impair your own progress and welfare."
But now it seems an appropriate occasion to talk about two such experiences: my recognition of the two young boys whom you see before you,as tulkus of masters with whom I was previously associated. This has been a definite, convincing impression in my mind, not something fleeting or unreliable. It seems better for me to speak publicly than to waste the opportunities of these two individuals by failing to recognize them, lest their potential qualities not unfold as they could. So these two young tulkus are being formally recognized–this is not an enthronement but a naming ceremony,the first step in the formal recognition of an incarnation, in which a name is given and a purification ceremony is done to ward off any obstacles or hindrances to the incarnation's activity.
In the case of my own son and grandson, there has been some question in my mind whether my enthroning them might be seen as nepotism, and whether people would be suspicious of this. But when both Jigme and Orgyen were in Tibet, formal enthronement ceremonies actually took place, saving me the potential embarrassment of being seen as nepotistic. I've already had occasion to recognize two other tulkus, and so now you see before you tulkus three and four.
In the case of Max Rybold, there was a terton named Tulku Padma Dorje in my own family lineage, and Max, now Padma T'hutop Dorje, is his incarnation. So in a sense, I am enthroning somebody from my own family, but at some remove.
In the case of Alexander Snyder, the Tromge clan was divided into two major family groups, and in the group other than my own there were two brothers. The elder one was named Arig; this is not Tulku Arig, one of my teachers, about whom many of you have heard me speak. The younger was named Tsewang Drodul, which means "Power over Life and Tamer of Beings." I had a very strong connection with this individual; because our two families were so close, I simply referred to him as Aku, which in Tibetan means paternal uncle. Alexander is the rebirth of Tsewang Drodul. So his name, Padma Tsewang Drodul Dorje, includes the name of his previous incarnation.
Now we have given these two young incarnations their names and performed the first step, the formal purification and naming ceremony.
One thing you should understand is that a child's being a tulku is not in and of itself enough; that is not where the real benefit lies. It arises when, through study and practice, the potential is awakened in the tulku's mindstream and allowed to unfold as fully as possible in this lifetime. It is well recognized in the Tibetan tradition–there is even a proverb about it-that if tulkus are not well raised they just become wild; they run amuck. So it's important for their spiritual qualities to be identified and nurtured through proper training. Then there is definitely potential for benefiting the teachings and beings.
To the parents of such incarnations, I want to say that I understand that you love your children dearly and want to raise them as best you can, but it is important for you not to spoil them. Do not waste the opportunity that their potential holds for the teachings and for beings, but seriously consider the importance, the crucial nature of the training that a tulku needs in order to function as a teacher of the Buddhadharma.
In the future, when circumstances permit, we can proceed with the formal enthronement of these two tulkus.
In the past, the Lord Buddha appeared in India and the teachings of the Buddhadharma spread like the sun shining throughout that holy country. Subsequently, at certain periods in history, these teachings spread to other countries. One of the most complete transmissions of the Buddhadharma took place in the snowy regions of Tibet. This process was aided not only by the great realized masters and scholars of the Indian Buddhist tradition who went to Tibet, but also by the more aware among the Tibetan people–the rulers,the patrons and also the scholars and teachers–who trained with these Indian masters and began to establish a tradition of Buddhism in their own country.
So, in the snowy lands of Tibet, the teachings of the Buddha were transplanted and established. The number of individuals who gained great realization and who upheld and maintained these teachings over the centuries has been like that of the stars and planets reflected in the surface of a vast ocean. Many masters and teachers have contributed generation after generation to upholding not only the theoretical, scriptural aspects of the teachings, but also the experiential aspect because above all else the Buddhadharma is a living transmission maintained in each generation through authentic realization.
In the case of Tibet, the activities of such individuals,lifetime after lifetime, ensured the preservation of these teachings. Even when the unfortunate political events of this century took place, lineages were not completely lost but have been maintained as living transmissions. Now we find that the teachings are coming to the Western Hemisphere, and those dedicated individuals who previously took rebirth in Tibet and other countries where Buddhism was being established are gradually appearing in the West. I have no doubt that among Westerners there are numerous emanations of the enlightened form,speech and mind of great masters of the past. It is not my function or within my capacity to recognize all of them. But wherever there is a connection, dueto teachings and samaya commitment, between myself and an incarnation from previous lifetimes, it is often possible for me to detect this.
I make no claims here for having completely unhindered, inexhaustible psychic powers like a buddha. But occasionally I do have a definite experience, not just a hunch or a whim, during which I actually recall a previous lifetime or connection and can see it manifesting again in this life. I have had this ability from an early age, and while it is not always completely present, it does come to me from time to time. For many years I never spoke of any of these experiences, because many of my own root lamas told me, "It's better not to talk about such things, because it only interferes with your longevity and health–you only impair your own progress and welfare."
But now it seems an appropriate occasion to talk about two such experiences: my recognition of the two young boys whom you see before you,as tulkus of masters with whom I was previously associated. This has been a definite, convincing impression in my mind, not something fleeting or unreliable. It seems better for me to speak publicly than to waste the opportunities of these two individuals by failing to recognize them, lest their potential qualities not unfold as they could. So these two young tulkus are being formally recognized–this is not an enthronement but a naming ceremony,the first step in the formal recognition of an incarnation, in which a name is given and a purification ceremony is done to ward off any obstacles or hindrances to the incarnation's activity.
In the case of my own son and grandson, there has been some question in my mind whether my enthroning them might be seen as nepotism, and whether people would be suspicious of this. But when both Jigme and Orgyen were in Tibet, formal enthronement ceremonies actually took place, saving me the potential embarrassment of being seen as nepotistic. I've already had occasion to recognize two other tulkus, and so now you see before you tulkus three and four.
In the case of Max Rybold, there was a terton named Tulku Padma Dorje in my own family lineage, and Max, now Padma T'hutop Dorje, is his incarnation. So in a sense, I am enthroning somebody from my own family, but at some remove.
In the case of Alexander Snyder, the Tromge clan was divided into two major family groups, and in the group other than my own there were two brothers. The elder one was named Arig; this is not Tulku Arig, one of my teachers, about whom many of you have heard me speak. The younger was named Tsewang Drodul, which means "Power over Life and Tamer of Beings." I had a very strong connection with this individual; because our two families were so close, I simply referred to him as Aku, which in Tibetan means paternal uncle. Alexander is the rebirth of Tsewang Drodul. So his name, Padma Tsewang Drodul Dorje, includes the name of his previous incarnation.
Now we have given these two young incarnations their names and performed the first step, the formal purification and naming ceremony.
One thing you should understand is that a child's being a tulku is not in and of itself enough; that is not where the real benefit lies. It arises when, through study and practice, the potential is awakened in the tulku's mindstream and allowed to unfold as fully as possible in this lifetime. It is well recognized in the Tibetan tradition–there is even a proverb about it-that if tulkus are not well raised they just become wild; they run amuck. So it's important for their spiritual qualities to be identified and nurtured through proper training. Then there is definitely potential for benefiting the teachings and beings.
To the parents of such incarnations, I want to say that I understand that you love your children dearly and want to raise them as best you can, but it is important for you not to spoil them. Do not waste the opportunity that their potential holds for the teachings and for beings, but seriously consider the importance, the crucial nature of the training that a tulku needs in order to function as a teacher of the Buddhadharma.
In the future, when circumstances permit, we can proceed with the formal enthronement of these two tulkus.
