The Thirteenth Throne Holder 

Yangsi Pema Norbu Rinpoche

The activities of the previous Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche were boundlessly kind. His activities benefited people spiritually, but also on an ordinary level.

A manifestation of His Holiness’ immense kindness was to swiftly take rebirth in this human realm. Thus, it was a matter of great joy and pleasure when we were able make the announcement informing all the disciples and well-wishers of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche residing around the globe that our beloved root guru had been reborn in Tibet on the 31st of December in 2011. According to His Holiness Jadrel Rinpoche’s prophecy letter, Penor Rinpoche’s Yangsi (reincarnated being), was born near Leten Tramo Drag or Dung Lung Tramo Drag, the sacred place where the Nyingthing Yabshyi (The Four Cycles of Heart Essence Teachings) was revealed. Based upon this prophecy letter, combined with pure visions of Tulku Thubten Palzang Rinpoche, the Yangsi was authentically recognized.

On 31st July 2014, the auspicious day of the Buddha’s First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, the 4th Day of the Sixth Tibetan month, 2141 Royal Year–the Yangsi was enthroned at Palyul Monastery in Baiyu, Shichuan, China (Kham), given the name “Mingyur Dechen Garwang Zilnon Dorje.” Since then, he has been receiving the tutoring and education befitting his position.

The Twelveth Throne Holder

The Fifth Karma Kuchen Rinpoche

(1970-current)

The 5th Karma Kuchen Rinpoche was born on August 28, 1970, in the year of Iron Dog, along with many auspicious signs in Southern India, to a noble religious family. When he was 2 years old, His Holiness Pema Norbu Rinpoche (the present 11th Throne Holder) notified his parents that their son is the reincarnation of a great mahasiddha, and his food and clothing have to be clean.

When H.H Karma Kuchen Rinpoche was 4 years old, both the late H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche (also the manifestation of Guru Rinpoche) and H.H. Penor Rinpoche confirmed that this child is the unmistaken incarnation of the 4th Karma Kuchen Rinpoche (Karma Thegchog Nyingpo) in their meditations. He was then invited to Namrdoling Monastery where Penor Rinpoche looked after him and provided him with basic education. Karma Kuchen Rinpoche studied and perfected the teachings of Namcho (Sky Teachings) preliminaries (ordinary and extraordinary), Tsalung and up to Dzogpachenpo under the direct guidance of H.H. Penor Rinpoche. He also took the Bhikshu and Bodhisattva vows, and received the Namcho, Ratna Lingpa’s revelations and Rinchen Terzoed empowerments from H.H. Penor Rinpoche. In addition, he received many teachings under the late H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche, and many other great siddhas.
He had displayed infinite wisdom and understanding of Vajrayana and Mahayana teachings when he gave a long discourse at the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute, in the presence of many high Khenpos.

Keeping in view of his wonderful qualities of a master, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche appointed him as the Head of the Palyul Mother Monastery in Tibet in 1994. On 14 August 2000, he was formally enthroned as the lineage holder of The Palyul Lineage and is now the 12th throne holder of The Palyul Lineage. Equipped with inconceivable wisdom, modesty, grace and boundless compassion, he has vowed to bring peace and happiness to all sentient beings and spread the supreme Dharma in the 10 directions. Penor Rinpoche on many occasions appreciated his efforts in holding the pure lineage of Palyul tradition and dissemination of Buddha Dharma in the Land of Snows.

The significant achievement of Karma Kuchen Rinpoche since his arrival in Tibet was that he had built many temples, stupas, prayer wheels, images of deities and other objects of veneration and faith. Under the direction of Penor Rinpoche, he is now planning to build a very grand and magnificent temple within the monastery premises.

Of the many remarkable qualities that he possesses, the most striking quality is his strict and pure observance of all the vows of a monk. He is thus the embodiment of pure conduct in these degenerate times.

The Eleventh Throne Holder

The Third Drubwang Pedma Norbu Rinpoche

Thubten Leshed Chokyi Drayang

Also Known As

Do-Ngag Shedrub Tenzin Chog-Lei Namgyal

(1932-2009)

Thubten Do Ngag Leg Shad Chokyi Drayang
Buddha's Doctrine Sutra Tantra Eloquent Speech Dharma Melodious Sound
(The Eloquent Melodious Sound of Dharma Speech of the Buddha's Doctrine)

His Holiness Pema Norbu Rinpoche was the 11th Throneholder of The Palyul Lineage of Nyingma. He was considered one of the of the foremost masters of the Buddhist tradition of Tibet. Throughout the Buddhist community he was respected for his vast knowledge and accomplishment and for the integrity and strength with which he upheld the Buddhist teachings. His Holiness attained Paranirvana on March 27, 2009.

The fifth Dzogchen Rinpoche, Thubten Chokyi Dorje, prophesized, “In a supreme and sacred place, in the upper region of Powo, close to an attractive, large, rocky mountain that is adorned with various trees, surrounded by large and small lakes and a large cold river flowing from the south, a child of noble birth will be born in the year of the Water Monkey. His parents of method and wisdom, will bear the names Sonam and Kyid. I have received indications that this child will be of great benefit to the doctrine and sentient beings.” The great Khenpo Ngaga Rinpoche supported this prophecy and recognized the new incarnation, composing his long life prayer.

The third Drubwang Pedma Norbu was born in 1932, the year of the Water Monkey, in the twelfth month. He was born in the ancestral heritage of Terton Duddul Dorje. His father’s name was Sonam Gyurmed and his mother’s name was Dzom Kyid. The third Drubwang Pedma Norbu was invited to the Palyul monastery in 1936, the year of the Fire Rat, and took his vows of refuge from the great Khenpo Ngaga Rinpoche.

One day at play, while still a small child, he accidentally broke the horn of a very old and precious vajra. Fearing that his teacher would reprimand him, Pedma Norbu quickly glued it back together with his own saliva, making the vajra much stronger than it had been originally. On another occasion, during the Cha-sum ceremony, he accidentally dropped his ritual bell onto the stone floor. Everyone present assumed that the bell had broken and yet, when Pedma Norbu picked it up, the ring was much more melodious than ever before. As a small child, the third Drubwang Pedma Norbu displayed many miraculous signs of accomplishment.

Pedma Norbu took upasaka (lay) ordination from the second Chogtrul Rinpoche and received the name Thubten Lekshed Chokyi Drayang. At Dago monastery, he received the Nam Cho Great Perfection one month preliminary practice teachings of Buddha in the Palm of the Hand and successfully completed all of the practices.

When Pedma Norbu was thirteen years of age, at the Dago retreat centre, he took novice ordination. During the ceremony Khenpo Legshed Jordan was his khenpo, Khenpo Khentse Lodro was his sangton (secret teacher) and Tsamdo Khenpo Sonam Dondrub his helper.

From Pedma Jigmed, the third Drubwang Pedma Norbu Rinpoche received the transmissions of Jigmed Lingpa’s Nine Volumes; the thirteenth chapters of Karma Chagmed’s Ah Cho; and So Wangdrag Gyatso’s Ka Bum. While receiving these transmissions, Pedma Norbu made intricately woven knots in blessings cords with his tongue. These sacred tongue-woven blessing cords are extremely rare and can be made only by a highly accomplished lama. He continued to make these wondrous special blessing cords until 1958.

On another occasion, Pedma Norbu casually drew in ink the syllable “Ah” on a white conch shell. Later, when the ink wore away, the syllable was luminously embossed on the shell. This shell, cherished as an object of veneration, is presently kept in the Palyul monastery in Tibet . The third Pedma Norbu twice completed the full retreat of the Illusory Body of Manjushri (a mind Treasure of Mipham Rinpoche). Just at the conclusion of the second retreat, a very melodious sound could be heard coming from his room and brilliant light radiated from the mirror on his altar.

In the Darthang monastery, Pedma Norbu received all the transmissions of the precious Kagyur and Tengyur, as well as completing a Vajrakilaya retreat. He then entered into retreat with his root guru, Chogtrul Rinpoche, for four consecutive years. During these four precious years that they remained together, Chogtrul Rinpoche, who was already quite elderly, suffered from extremely poor vision. It was with great personal difficulty and hardship that he gave the third Drubwang Pedma Norbu Rinpoche all the empowerments, transmissions and secret oral instructions of Terton Migyur Dorje’s Nam Cho, Ratna Lingpa’s revelations and virtually every single transmission practiced in the great Palyul tradition. Pedma Norbu Rinpoche then successfully completed all the stages of practice directly under Chogtrul Rinpoche’s guidance. Among his accomplishments were the root recitations of the Three Roots, the Nam Cho preliminary practices, tummo-tsalung; the actual foundation practices of the Great Perfection Buddha in the Palm of the Hand, which include trekchod, clear light togyal, inner togyal practice, darkness practice, training in the dream state, the nature of sound and the pure realms. It was during this time that Chogtrul Rinpoche was known to have said, “If I am unable to successively transmit all empowerments, transmissions and teachings to the third Pedma Norbu Rinpoche before I leave this world, then my precious human rebirth will have been wasted.” The third Drubwang Pedma Norbu Rinpoche is the only great lama alive today who holds entirely the pure lineage of Terton Migyur Dorje’s Nam Cho and Ratna Lingpa’s revelations.

In 1957, in an attempt to reverse the onset of the Chinese occupation, Pedma Norbu selected some monks to perform, in individual groups, an extensive one month Vajrakilaya accomplishment. While these accomplishments were underway, various signs arose indicating that the Communist Chinese occupation of Tibet was irreversible. It was then that the third Drubwang Pedma Norbu Rinpoche made his decision to depart for India , leaving the Palyul monastery for the purpose of the doctrine and sentient beings. On the long, dangerous journey that followed, Pedma Norbu passed through central Tibet and crossed over border into India . He was constantly befriended and safeguarded by the meditational deities and dharma protectors during this difficult journey.

Once in India , he began activating expansive miraculous activities and shortly after he decided to settle in Mysore , South India , close to the sacred Drekar Pungwa Stupa, where Buddha first taught the Kalachakra Tantra.

In 1963, Pedma Norbu Rinpoche built the new Thekchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargye Ling (Namdroling) monastery and he established the sangha community. To date, this monastery has a sangha community of about three thousand lamas and has become the single largest Nyingmapa monastic institution out of Tibet consisting primary school, higher scholastic institute, a retreat centre, a nunnery, an old age home and so forth. In fact it has all the facilities to study the aspects of the Nyingmapa tradition.

In India , during one of the Dharma Medicine Accomplishment Ceremonies of Nyingthig Palchen Dupa, rainbows arose from the mandala, the nectar in the skull cup overflowed and many other extraordinary signs of accomplishment were viewed by many. For the last thirty-seven successive years since arriving in India , the third Drubwang Pedma Norbu has continued the annual tradition of performing the accomplishment of the one hundred million mantra repetitions.

Since 1985, Pema Norbu Rinpoche has spread dharma and established many centres in United States , Britain , Greece , Canada , Hong Kong , Taiwan , Philippines , Nepal , and Singapore , besides other monasteries around northern part of India .

The third Drubwang Pedma Norbu Rinpoche continually satisfies the needs and desires of his people by performing ceremonies to stop or create rain, to transfer the consciousness of the dead and dying, as well as after-death intermediate period ceremonies, exorcisms, long life blessings, healings, and so forth. There is no limit to the extent of his selfless, enlightened activities and powerful miraculous deeds. His efforts for the doctrine and sentient beings are equal only to the limits of space. There is no doubt that his enlightened activities will continue to illuminate the darkness of ignorance in this world and that there will be good fortune to continue his historical works for the benefit of the Buddha’s doctrine and all sentient beings.

(Summarized from the book called “A Garland of Immortal Wish-Fulfilling Trees”.)

The Ninth Throne Holder

The Second Drubwang Pedma Norbu Rinpoche

Pedma Kunzang Tenzin Norbu

(Thubten Chokyi Langpo)

(1887-1932)

Chokyi Langpo
Dharma of Royal Elephant
(Royal Elephant of Dharma)

One night, Do-ngag Chokyi Nyima dreamed that he was in his own residence, on the middle level of the temple containing the stupas that encase the remains of great lamas. Suddenly a lama appeared who looked just like Kunzang Gyurmed, who said, “Oh look, Pedma Norbu is up there.” Looking up, Do-ngag Chokyi Nyima saw the first Pedma Norbu seated behind one of the stupa windows with very white hair. When Do-ngag Chokyi Nyima approached, Pedma Norbu turned into a small child. The child that he saw in this dream and the young incarnation of the second Pedma Norbu were identical.

Born in 1887, the fifteenth rabjung year of the Fire Pig, Pedma Norbu was brought to the Palyul monastery at the age of seven. When he was nine he had a direct vision of Padmasambhava and received blessings from him.

When Pedma Norbu was in his twentieth year, the third Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, Do-ngag Chokyi Nyima, left this world. Pedma Norbu was filled with sorrow at the passing of his precious guru. He felt especially great remorse because he had not received the great Kagyed Desheg Dupa (Eight Herukas-Essence of the Sugatas) transmission. Due to the impression that the intensity of his remorse made upon his mind, Do-ngag Chokyi Nyima came to him one night in a dream. For three consecutive days, Pedma Norbu received, while in the dream state, the entire transmission of the Kagyed Desheg Dupa.


Later in his life, when he was not bestowing specific empowerments, transmissions, and teachings, or presiding over important accomplishment ceremonies, Pedma Norbu remained in solitary retreat, practicing the root recitation mantra of Dugngal Rangdrol (Self Liberation of Sufferings). Pedma Norbu made boundless material offerings to accumulate great virtue. Literally abandoning everything, he again entered into retreat at the isolated place of Khachu Trag. It was then he began to show signs of physical illness.

In 1932, the sixteenth rabjung year of the Water Monkey, on the third day of the third month, the second Drubwang Pedma Norbu’s mind entered the foundational sphere of truth. He was only forty-six years old. Khenpo Ngaga made many prayers for his swift rebirth. During the cremation ceremony, there was an earthquake, the sound of countless self-originating dharma instruments reverberating throughout space, a wondrously sweet smell prevailing in all directions, circular rainbows filling the sky and other miraculous signs which filled the hearts of many of his disciples with renewed faith and devotion.

The Eighth Throne Holder

The Third Karma Kuchen Rinpoche

Orgyen Do-Ngag Chokyi Nyima

(1854-1906)

Do Ngag Chokyi Nyima
Sutra Tnatra Dharma Sun
(Dharma Sun of Sutra and Tantra)

Prior to the passing away of the second Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, Karma Gyurmed, he left a letter on his table which said, “My incarnation will be born in Khyi-teng.” The new incarnation, Do-ngag Chokyi Nyima, was born in 1854, the fourteenth rabjung year of the Wood Tiger. At the time of his birth, marvelous rainbow light rays appeared in the sky and unusual and magnificent sounds reverberated in all directions. Born in the Dege village of Ahlo Khateng , his family name was Dilgo of the heritage Nyo.

As a youth, Do-ngag Chokyi Nyima’s mind was like pure gold with his every thought directed towards the betterment of mankind. He treated everybody with kindness and respect. While at the monastery, Do-gag Chokyi Nyima spent the majority of his time presiding over the many regular accomplishment ceremonies, as well as bestowing transmissions. He was never known to rest or take any personal time out, except for the practice of root and accomplishment mantras which he did while in retreat. It was his lifetime pattern to arise by three in the morning in order to recite all of his daily practices from both the earlier and later traditions of kama and terma. Just after dawn, he would offer sang and tormas to the hungry spirits. Intermittently he would perform at least one hundred prostrations and circumambulations. Although he maintained such a demanding schedule for the purpose of the doctrine, he never cut his own daily practice for any reason.

While he performed the great accomplishment ceremonies, nectar in the skull cups spontaneously overflowed and dharma medicine pills would increase, to roll down the mandala cord in his direction. During the descent of the blessings section of the practice, actual signs of spiritual attainment were regularly witnessed. He often left his footprints upon stone as a sign of having mingled mind with appearances. He possessed unobstructed power to see through and beyond rocks, houses and mountains and he could hear conversations being carried on from afar. Although he received many other extraordinary visions and prophesies, because of his prudent character, these experiences were kept concealed.

In 1906, the fifteenth rabjung year of the Fire Horse, when he was fifty-three years old, Chokyi Nyima dissolved into the exhaustless sphere of clear light. During the cremation ceremony, clouds in the shape of pitched tents appeared in the luminously clear sky, releasing gentle showers of rain. Many precious bone relics were found and devoted followers experienced wondrous visions.

The Seventh Throne Holder

Pedma Do-Ngag Tenzin Ngesang Chokyi Nangwa

(1830-1891)

Pedma Do Ngag Tenzin
Lotus Sutra Tantra Doctrine Upholder
(Lotus Doctrine Upholder of Sutra and Tantra)

In 1830, the fourteenth rabjung year of Iron Tiger, Gyatrul Rinpoche was born into the royal heritage of the Chinese emperor’s minister, in Tsakho Gyakha Bhoto village of Gyalmo Tsawai-rong.

At the time of his birth, there were many astonishing signs and, as a child, he displayed unusual signs of having awakened his innate pure awareness. While at play with other children, he would hold his vital air and, barefooted, balance himself on the point of a sharp knife. By receiving just one simple gesture, he would comprehend reading, writing and all subjects, as though he never forgot what he had learned in previous lifetimes.

He could also clearly recalled his past lifetimes as Rongton Shung-gya Shakya Gyaltsen and Kunzang Sherab, remembering also the area of Sangphu Neu Thong, where he had previously lived, the exact layout of the Palyul monastery, past events that had occurred there and other additional information. It was clear that the dharma protectors were watching over him and in particular, he was constantly assisted in the accomplishment of miraculous activities by Ekartsati, the principal female protector of the Secret Mantra.

Through the strength of his contemplation and the blessings bestowed by the meditational deities, Gyatrul Rinpoche clearly understood the meaning of all of these precious dharma scriptures and was able to ascertain the sutras and tantras by memory, as an exhaustless source of wisdom. Advancing his meditative experience in the generation, completion and Great Perfection stages, he manifested the pure qualities and signs of true accomplishment.

In 1891, at the age of sixty-two, on the twenty-second day of the fifth month, with all the signs of having reached the highest stages on the path to liberation, Gyatrul Rinpoche passed beyond this world.