Khengen Tulku

Khengen Tulku was a renowed incarnate lama in upper Pemakö, Powo, and the father of Dudjom Rinpoche. He was recognized as the incarnation of Japhur Lama, son of Katok Gyalse Sönam Deutsen, and grandson of Longsal Nyingpo from Katok Monastery.

On the family side, as a son of King Kanam Depa, Khengen Tulku descended from the royal clan of the Tibetan dharma monarchy, and became the ruler of the Powo kingdom. His monastery Khang Kheng was located in the upper valley of Pemakö, near Lhotod Kha.

According to Dudjom Rinpoche:

Khengen Tulku, although not a monk, wasn’t married. He was living at his monastery of Khang Kheng and performing beneficial activities. Once again, a dakini, and also Lama Chabdo Phagpa Lha, told him to go to the Terkong Nang area, where he would meet a karmically connected dakini, establish a monastery, ad have a very special son who would benefit the dharma and sentient beings greatly.

Following their instructions, Khengen Tulku eventually arrived there and found the area populated by about thirteen large families and fifteen or sixteen retinue families. Among the large families was one that had emigrated from eastern Bhutan and was descended from the great Nyingma tertön Ratna Lingpa. Khengen Tulku asked that family to host him, and with great joy and respect they agreed. This family had a young sixteen-year-old daughter named Namgyal Drolma. He slept with her that night and many beautiful signs and indications came. In the early morning he told the daughter’s parents, “I want to stay in this area ad build a monastery near the mountain, but I will need our help. I would also like your daughter to be my wife.” The parents joyously agreed.

They sought out a perfect location for the monastery and found a beautiful site about three miles from the village. In that area, however, there were no stones, and everyone said, “If the temple is not built of stone, it won’t last long.” The lama prayed to the Three Roots and especially to Guru Padmasambhava, performed many ganachakras and made many offerings to the local land deities. He had auspicious dreams that night. Early in the morning, he told his students and dharma patrons, “Today I am going to reveal a treasury of stones, but I will need the assistance of a man named “Stone””.

Everyone was trying to think of some one with that name. Someone remembered a very good craftsman from Puwo named Dorje Dragpa, and there was general agreement that he must be the man. They located this man, and then all of them accompanied the teacher to the selected location where they did fire puja Jinsek and dharmapala offerings. Khengen Tulku said to Dorje Dragpa, “Dig in the dirt.” Dorje Dragpa struck with his pick, and when he did, many stones of different sizes emerged looking like they had been prepared by a mason. With them, they were able to complete the construction of the monastery”.

In the mid 1920’s, a war broke out between Central Tibet and Powo kingdom, and afer much resistance, Khengen Tulku had to leave Powo and settled on the border of India.

Internal Links

• Dudjom Rinpoche Family Lineage