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The Story of the Reappearance of the Incarnation of the Dilyak Dabzang Rinpoche

December 1998

(from the Tsurphu Foundation Newsletter, see bottom of story for contact information)

The third incarnation of the Venerable Dabzang Rinpoche, Karma Ngedon Drupgyur Chokyi Nyima was a close disciple of the previous 16th Gyalwa Karmapa. An emanation of the great lineage master Gampopa, Dabzang Rinpoche came out of Tibet with His Holiness in 1959. After pilgrimage in India with the Karmapa, he went to Syambunath, Nepal, to live at His Holiness' monastery there. Soon afterwards, he was offered a small parcel of land around the great stupa in Boudhanath by the Chini Lama to build a monastery. Later, just a few hundred yards from his old monastery in Boudhanath he founded another new monastery.

In 1990, he traveled back to Dilyak Gompa, his original monastery in Kham,Eastern Tibet, carrying with him many holy objects such as statues, musicritual items, thangkas, silk brocade, etc. Before leaving his monastery inKham, he told the monks there that when he returned again, he would come fromHong Kong and wouldn't be carrying anything!

Towards the later part of his life, he had many disciples from Asia (Hong Kong) and often traveled there to give teachings. Before his last trip toHong Kong, he told the monks at his monasteries in Boudha to come and see him off, something he never did normally when he went on trips. Shortlyafter, on April 2, 1992 he passed away unexpectedly during a minor heart operation in Hong Kong.

His new incarnation has been recently found in Kham, in accordance with the instructions, in a letter written by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, UrgyenTrinley Dorje. His monastery in Nepal made the first request to Tai Situ Rinpoche to find the new incarnation and Rinpoche said he would look into it. Bythe time the monastery had requested the second time, Situ Rinpoche had beenin contact with Karmapa. The first request was made in the beginning of1996; at that time the Karmapa's response was that Dabzang Tulku had not yetbeen born. Later a request was then made to Drupon Dechen Rinpoche atTsurphu to make an appeal to Karmapa on behalf of the monastery. After three months, a reply from His Holiness Karmapa was received at the Nepalmonastery regarding the recent birth of Dabzang Rinpoche. Also included were instructions to search for him in Kham, in a place called Dzatu Shin.

The new Dabzang Tulku was born in the fourth month of the mouse year (June1996). Karmapa had written a precise letter detailing the place where hewas born, including the village name, parent's names, and other important details. The original prediction letter had been sent to Dilyak Monastery in Kham. A copy of the letter was presented to his monastery in Nepal.A Tibetan monk, from Dabzang Rinpoche's monastery in Nepal, named SangyeTrinley was sent to Tsurphu to consult with the Karmapa directly about searching for the boy. The instruction letter said, In the Northwest of Dilyak; there are two big counties there (Dzatu and Dritu), so Sangye Trinley asked Karmapa for a Mo (Tib. Divination) to determine the correctcounty. Without a second thought, Karmapa gave instructions to search in Dzatu and cautioned that the search should proceed very slowly and with great care.

Shortly after, Sangye Tinley left for Eastern Tibet. To Zining by plane, then by road to Kyegudo, so he arrived at Dilyak with the letter and oral instructions. Soon after his arrival, five monks from Dilyak Gompa set out in two parties to search for the incarnation. Over the next two months, theyeventually found over 300 babies born in the Mouse year. A list of the namesof all these possible candidates was brought back to Karmapa.Karmapa immediately chose the right one according to the letter he had written; as circumstances surrounding only one baby's birth were exactly inaccordance with the prediction letter. The baby was then only 10 months oldwhen the first picture was taken at his birthplace in Kham. The picture wasthen sent from a post office in Kyegudo, Eastern Tibet to Dilyak Monasteryin Boudhanath, Nepal.

The baby was born on the third day of the holiest month in the Tibetan calendar known as Saga Dawa month (this was the fourth month in the Mouse Year 1996) in Dzatu Shin, Eastern Tibet. His father's name is Karma (44) and mother's name is Drolma (47). The family are poor nomads; the father is a stonecarver of sacred Mani Stone mantras. The Tulku is the seventh son in the family with six older brothers. The family had previously lived at Zurmangnear the monastery of the Ven. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, who lived and diedin the United States. Then they moved to Dzatu Shin, where they presently live and have a small house.

When the two sets of five monks came from Dilyak Monastery to the home wher ethe child was found, they asked the father if he had noticed any unusualoccurrences during or around the time of their last son's birth. He proceeded to tell them that on one morning one of their shrine room offering bowls was shining very brightly with a white circular rainbow surroundingit. At the time it happened, the father didn't think much about it or makeany associations.

The two Dilyak Monasteries in Kham and in Nepal discussed the best date to bring the new Dabzang Rinpoche incarnation to the Karmapa at Tsurphu for the official Hair Cutting Ceremony. The date decided upon was the fourth day ofthe Tibetan sixth month (August 7, 1997), as it was an auspicious day forthe two Dilyak monasteries. Word was sent to His Holiness Karmapa about the chosen date and His Holiness agreed.Sangye Tenzin Tulku, age twenty-six, accompanied by thirty monks went to seethe new Tulku at his birthplace for the first time. After offering khatas,they performed the ceremony of cleaning and purification. A ceremony was also performed for the general public to receive the new incarnation1sblessings.

At 8:30 am Tibet/Beijing time (11:00 am Nepal time), the young Tulku was brought from his home and place of birth to his Dilyak Monastery in Kham. At the very same moment, the monks at his Nepal Dilyak Monastery were performing a Tsang Puja (Mahakala Incense Offering Ceremony).Simultaneously, a rainbow appeared around the sun and another beautifully colored rainbow appeared over the monastery in Nepal. These were taken to be extremely auspicious signs!

With the accompaniment of friends and lay people from Dzatu Shin, the entourage arrived at Rinpoche's monastery in Kham, which presently has over 200 monks. Upon their arrival the celestial sounds of Tibetan ritual music greeted them everywhere. This was amazing because in fact no actual musicians were playing any instruments! Everyone heard this beautiful music surrounding them and they were astonished. Rinpoche had lived up to his prediction to all his monks in 1990, that he would come from Hong Kong (viathe bardo and rebirth!) back to his monastery, carrying nothing!!!

After three months at Dilyak Gompa, they traveled on to Tsurphu for the haircutting ceremony. At the same time Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche of Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, who often works with the two Dilyak Monasteries, left Hong Kong for Tsurphu, with four monks and some of his Hong Kong andTaiwanese disciples. In addition a group of 10 monks from Dabzang Rinpoche'sMonastery in Nepal accompanied by lay people came up to Tsurphu.Two hours before dawn at 6:00 the special ceremony ofthe haircutting was performed at Tsurphu Monastery by His Holiness Karmapa on August 7, 1997 (the date requested by his monastery.) H.H. Karmapa gave him his new name of Karma Nyedon Tenpai Nyima Tinley. At the time, the fourth Dabzang Rinpoche incarnation was 15 months old.

A Long Life Initiation was performed in a large tent in the upper Lingka (Summer Garden) at the request of Dilyak Monastery, on behalf of the newincarnate Rinpoche. A Tenshuk was performed, which is the offering of body,speech and mind of the Buddha, to the Karmapa. Many monasteries, including the Dilyak, Tsurphu, Palpung, Nyenang, Gyalsab Monasteries joined in the offering ceremony.

The Ceremony was professionally filmed in its entirety. It is the hope of the Tsurphu Foundation that funds will be quickly raised to make a video documentary of the story of this great incarnation of Gampopa in this and his previous life. The rough film footage now needs to be edited and narrated in order to present a suitable documentary film to students and disciples throughout the world. Please contact Tsurphu Foundation if you consider making a donation or if you think you can be of assistance in any of our projects.

Please contact:

Ageeth Fransen
Taling 12
9101ZG Dokkum
The Netherlands
Phone and Fax #: 31 519 293883
E-mail: tsurphu7@worldonline.nl