A Glimpse into the life of His Eminence Khensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche. (Part 3 of 3)

(A former abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery and Acharya degree holder of higher buddhist studies from Central Tibetan Institute of Higher Studies in Varanasi, India)

Life after Retirement as Abbot

In 1990, after completing his tenure, Rinpoche appealed to His Holiness to retire as abbot and to be allowed to go into remote solitary retreat for the rest of his life. His Holiness Dalai Lama, however, asked him to continue to live and give teachings at the monastery, while spending a portion of every day in a retreat of 13 Deity Yamantaka (a wrathful aspect of Buddha) for several years. Following the guidance of His Holiness, Rinpoche engaged in delivering Dharma discourse while doing his Yamantaka retreat. During the course of the retreat, he was diagnosed with diabetes and was hospitalized, and it took over a month of treatment at a city hospital before he could return to the monastery. Even in his hospital bed, he would meditate from early in the morning each day. He told his attendants to continue making his daily offerings on his shrine table at the monastery in order to continue with his daily sessions, as this was the only way he could adhere to the commitment of his retreat practice. Even with such obstacles, Rinpoche never gave up, and after a few years he was able to complete a 3-year retreat followed by a daily fire puja for over a month.

In 1993, while still in charge of education in the monastery, Rinpoche gave vast teachings on Abhisamayalamkara (Perfection of Wisdom) that had been originally transmitted by Maitreya to the Indian master, Asanga. This text is comprised of eight chapters and presents all paths of Mahayana and Theravadan practice. At Gaden Monastery a minimum of five years is required to complete the study of the Abhisamayalamkara. When Rinpoche gave the complete commentary on this topic to the entire Monastery it took more than a month.

Three years later, Rinpoche gave an extensive commentary on Uma Gongpa Rabsel, Je Tsongkhapa's Clarification Of The Supplement To The Middle Way that deals with the philosophy of emptiness. It was given at the request of Gaden Shartse Library's 4th Committee members. It took almost a month and was attended by over eleven hundred senior and junior monks. Afterwards, Rinpoche received a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During the audience, His Holiness was very moved that Rinpoche had tirelessly given such a series of extensive commentarial teachings, such teachings being very auspicious for their long-term preservation, and thus the happiness of living beings. His Holiness then happily requested Rinpoche to teach Tsongkhapa's commentary to Abhisamayalamkara, Lekshed Sertreng (Golden Rosary Of Eloquence). This text is known for its older classical writing style and refutation of some of the assertions of great scholars prior to Je Tsongkhapa's time. Rinpoche accepted a request of Gaden Shartse Library's 4th Committee members to give the commentary on this work, and delivered it in 1997 to a gathering of about nine hundred lamas at Gaden Shartse Monastery.

Overseas Teaching Trips, Students & Setting up Dharma Centre outside India

Despite having an open invitation for many years from numerous Dharma students in Malaysia and Singapore, Rinpoche had never traveled. One of the leading spiritual mentors for over one thousand monastics, he was engaged up to seven hours weekday in conferring spiritual guidance on the hosts of students who flocked to him. Finally, in 1998, Rinpoche acquiesced to the earnest requests of students abroad, ensuring that his vast knowledge and practice of Buddhism would not be confined to Tibetan society.

Numerous overseas students had the opportunity to receive Rinpoche’s noble teachings and be inspired by his example to follow the path of Buddha. Rinpoche established Dharma centers in both Singapore and Malaysia with the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, and himself, our most kind teacher, Venerable Khensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche.

In the winter of 1999, Rinpoche and a group of his students from the two overseas centers had the honor of receiving a private audience with His Holiness Dalai Lama in India. His Holiness expressed appreciation of Rinpoche's work, presenting two identical paintings of Shakyamuni Buddha for the two centers, where they have since become holy shrines. Cherishing the significance of these gifts, Rinpoche named both centers  "Sakyamuni Dharma Centre".

In 2004 Rinpoche was invited to various Buddhist Centers in Spain: Gaden Choling Center in Madrid and La Coruna; Amitabha Center in Malaga, Tamdin choling in Sevilla. These centers were founded by Venerable Geshe Tamdin Gyatso, who later became abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery. He also delivered teachings at Casatel Tibet, Tibet House in Barcelona. Overall Rinpoche spent a few months giving teachings at those Dharma centers on both Sutra and Tantra. The audiences greatly enjoyed Rinpoche's remarkable teachings translated into Spanish, and their devotion was reaffirmed by his presence.

Rinpoche is now in his mid-70’s, and although he remains busy with his daily meditation practices, he continues to give classes to monastic scholars and acts as guardian, taking care of their monastic discipline and requisites. In the midst of his heavy schedule he also still finds the time and energy to teach at his centers in Malaysia and Singapore every year.

[Colophon: This biography is written by Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim Ngo-nang in the winter of 2004 in Dharamsala, India. Sincere acknowledgment owes to Rebecca Novick from TDL Center for her literarycontribution.]

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