Khangsar Tenpé Wangchuk

Khangsar Tenpé Wangchuk

Khangsar Tenpé Wangchuk (Tib. ཁང་སར་བསྟན་པའི་དབང་ཕྱུག་, Wyl. khang sar bstan pa'i dbang phyug) aka Tulku Tenpo (1938-2014) was a monk and tertön of the Nyingma school. A revered master of his own tradition, he was also learned in the rigorous Geluk scholastic curriculum. While imprisoned for twelve years during the Cultural Revolution, he continued his dedicated practice alongside other great masters. In his later years, he focused on teaching, writing, and restoring the monasteries of Khangsar Taklung and Panak in the region of Golok, Tibet.

Biography

Khangsar Tenpé Wangchuk was born amidst miraculous signs in Akyong Khangsar in Golok at dawn on January 1st 1938. The time of his birth was marked by the conjunction of 'four tigers': he was born in the Earth Tiger year, in the tiger month, on the tiger day, and at dawn, which is the time of the tiger. He was soon recognized as the incarnation of Payak Önpo Rigdzin Dorje, who was an emanation of Yudra Nyingpo, one of Guru Rinpoche's twenty-five disciples.

He studied with Palyul Choktrul Jampal Gyepe Dorje, Akyong Tokden Rinpoche Lodrö Gyatso and other masters, gaining profound levels of realization, so that he met deities in visions and received prophecies from them, and his understanding of the sutras and tantras expanded to became limitlessly vast. He revealed both earth and mind termas. Some of them he even unearthed in public, before crowds of people. Khenpo Jikmé Phuntsok declared him to be a great bodhisattva who had reached the more advanced stages (bhumis).

He established both Khangsar Taklung Monastery and Payak Monastery.

He passed away at 6pm on April 13th, 2014. His final words of advice to his disciples were:

Compassion for sentient beings,

Respect for cause and effect,

Devotion for the Three Jewels,

Taking to heart for the pith instructions,

Love for Dharma friends,

And for the ordained sangha in particular, let there be harmony, perfect observance of the vows, and service of the teachings--

Please, never forget this advice.

His Writings

His collected writings include commentaries on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, Rigdzin Düpa, Tsik Sum Né Dek, Longchenpa's Neluk Dzö and Chöying Dzö, and Shabkar's Flight of the Garuda.

Publications in Western Languages

• Khangsar Tenpa’i Wangchuk's Collected Works are currently being translated by the Padmakara Translation Group. The following volumes have been published:
  • The Precious Treasury of the Fundamental Nature, Longchenpa with a commentary by Khangsar Tenpa'i Wangchuk (Shambhala, 2022)
  • The Natural Openness and Freedom of the Mind: A Treasure Tantra of the Great Perfection, Deshek Lingpa, with a commentary by Khangsar Tenpa'i Wangchuk (Shambhala, 2024)
  • Khangsar Tenpé Wangchouk, Au-delà des quatre méprises : les pensées qui ramènent l’esprit (on the topic of the four thoughts) (Plazac: Padmakara, 2024)

Other translators:

• Khangsar Tenpe Wangchuk, The Light of the Sun and the Moon—Generation and Perfection Stages, Notes Explaining the Words of the Rigdzin Düpa, the Inner Sadhana of the Longchen Nyingtik Cycle, in Jigme Lingpa, Patrul Rinpoche, Khenpo Chemchok, and Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye, The Gathering of Vidyadharas: Text and Commentaries on the Rigdzin Düpa, Translated by Gyurme Avertin (Boulder: Snow Lion, 2017)
• The Crystal Stairway—A Prayer of Aspiration to Cross Over to the Copper-Coloured Mountain of Glory in the South West, available on Lotsawa House

Further Reading

• Morten Østensen, In the Presence of the Dharmakaya: Dzogchen Practice According to Khangsar Tenpe Wangchug’s Notes on Dza Paltrul’s Extraordinary Teaching of the Wise and Glorious King (mkhas pa shri rgyal po’i khyad chos). M.A. thesis, 2008

External Links

• TBRC Profile