Rinchen Gyeltsen

Rinchen Gyeltsen (rin chen rgyal mtshan) was born in the region of Gyarong (rgya rong), in a family of the Go (sgo) lineage. He learned the art of reading and writing at an early age and later moved to U (dbus) and Tsang (gtsang) where he met his root-master, the famed Nyamme Sherab Gyeltsen (mnyam med shes rab rgyal mtshan, 1356-1415), the founder of the Menri (sman ri) monastery and the fifteenth lineage holder of the Atri (a khrid) lineage.

At the feet of his root-master, Rinchen Gyeltsen first received teachings on sutras (mdo), abhidharma (mdzod), and monastic discipline ('dul ba), eradicating all his doubts by carefully listening (thos), reflecting (bsam) and meditating (sgom) on these teachings. He eventually took the vows of drangsong (drang srong, fully ordained monk) and received at that time the name Rinchen Gyeltsen. He soon became a perfect example for the others monks and exhorted them to preserve, as he himself did throughout his life, their vows and tantric samayas as if they were the pupils of their eyes.

Rinchen Gyeltsen was also trained by Nyamme Sherab Gyeltsen in the teachings of Tantras and received numerous initiations (dbang) and reading authorizations (lung) based on the teachings of the two Stages (rim gnyis), namely the Generation Stages (bskyed rim) and the Perfection Stage (rdzogs rim). After that, Sherab Gyeltsen gave him all the essential instructions associated with the practice of Dzogchen (rdzogs chen), in the manner of a vase poured into another one.

Rinchen Gyeltsen applied the instructions of Dzogchen during long retreats in the solitude of the high plateaus above Menri, until manifest realization was born in him. It is said that he was capable of miraculous deeds and that he reached liberation by recognizing the undifferentiation of his mind and phenomena (bon sems dbyer med), within the Expanse of limitless emptiness (mtha' bral stong pa’i klong). The later tradition reports that when Self-Arisen Wisdom (rang byung ye shes) emerged in his continuum, he realized the principle of Buddhahood entirely. He was then endowed with foreknowledge and other miraculous capacities.

After the demise of Nyamme Sherab Gyeltsen in 1415, he took over the position of main abbot in Menri and kept the tradition of debates, etc., initiated by his predecessor. He was thus able to maintain the high level of education in Menri and to guide his disciples on the various stages of the path, until his death (most apparently during the later half of the 15th century).

His main disciple and heir in the lineage of the Atri transmission was Namtrul Namkha Yeshe (rnam sprul nam mkha' ye shes, b. 1446).

Sources

Achard, Jean-Luc. 2007. Les Instructions sur le A Primordial — Volume I : Histoire de la Lignée. Sumène: Editions Khyung-Lung, pp. 78-79.

Shar rdza bkra shis rgyal mtshan. 1990. Man ngag rin po che a khrid kyi bla ma brgyud pa'i rnam thar padma dkar po'i phreng ba ces bya ba. In Shar rdza bka' 'bum, vol. 13, pp. 1-90. Chamdo.

Jean-Luc Achard
March 2011