Lochen Ratnabhadra

Lochen Ratnabhadra, born in 1489, was famed as an emanation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. He was a great master of the Kālacakra and was a lineage holder of these teachings in the Jonang tradition. He studied with many teachers, such as Panchen Namkha Pelsang (paN chen nam mkha' dpal bzang, 1464-1529) and Druk Nyon Kunga Lekpa ('brug smyon kun dga' legs pa). Ratnabhadra was especially devoted to the twentieth holder of the monastic seat of Jonang Monastery,Orgyen Dzongpa Chokyong Gyeltsen (o rgyan dzong pa chos skyong rgyal mtshan, c.1455-c.1520), the Sakya master Jegyur Sonam Sengge (byas 'gyur bsod nams seng ge), and the great translator of Zhalu, Chokyong Sangpo (zhwa lu lo tsA ba chos skyong bzang po).

Except for when he was teaching, Ratnabhadra spent most of his time in solitary meditation, and in particular spent four years and eight months in retreat practicing the six-branch yoga of Kālacakra. He frequently taught the six-branch yoga and the practical guiding instructions (dmar khrid) of Avalokiteśvara, as well as many other teachings such as Sakya Lamdre. He was also very involved with the tradition of the wandering mani devotees (ma Ni pa), who received that name because of their dedication to the repetition of Avalokiteśvara's mantra: Om maṇi padme hum.

Ratnabhadra founded many monasteries, such as Mending (sman sdings) close to Ngamring (ngam ring) in the Jang (byang) district, where he spent most of his time. He also carried out important restorations of the great adept Tangtong Gyelpo's (grub chen thang stong rgyal po) monastery of Chung Riwoche (cung ri bo che) and Drokmi Lotsawa Shākya Yeshe's ('brog mi lo tsA ba shAkya ye shes) hermitage of Mangkar Mugu Lung (mang mkha mu gu lung). Ratnabhadra taught the Jonang tradition of the Kālacakra and the instructions of the six-branch yoga to Kunga Drolchok (kun dga' grol mchog) and Lochen Gyurme Dechen (lo chen 'gyur med bde chen, 1520-1615). Although usually know by the Sanskrit form of his name, Ratnabhadra is less frequently referred to by the Tibetan form, Rinchen Zangpo (rin chen bzang po).

His subsequent incarnation was Lochen Trinle Wangchuk (lo chen sprul sku 'phrin las dbang phyug, d.u.), the father of the Third Yolmo Tulku, Tendzin Norbu (yol mo sprul sku 03 bstan 'dzin nor bu, 1589-1644).

Sources

'Jam mgon a mes zhabs ngag dbang kun dga' bsod nams. 2000. Dpal dus kyi 'khor lo'i zab pa dang rgya che ba'i dam pa'i chos byung ba'i tshul legs par bshad pa ngo mtshar dad pa'i shing rta. In The Collected Works of A-mes-zhabs Ngag dbang kun dga' bsod nams, vol. 19: 1-532. Kathmandu: Sa skya rgyal yongs gsung rab slob gnyer khang.

Khetsun Sangpo. 1973. Biographical Dictionary of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. Dharamsala: LTWA, vol. 3, p. 781. TBRC W1KG10294.

Cyrus Stearns
August 2008