Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo - Buddhist Recognitions - Rinchen Terdzod Ceremony

Rinchen Terdzod Ceremony

From June to September 1988, Penor Rinpoche was in residence at KPC in Poolesville to transmit all of the teachings contained in the Rinchen Terdzod (“Treasury of Precious Termas”), Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye’s massive 19th c. compilation of all of the extant revelations of Guru Padmasambhava’s teaching cycles known as terma. This was the first time that these teachings had ever been conferred in a Western country., According to Penor Rinpoche’s explanation at the time there is a point toward the end of the Rinchen Terdzod transmissions, during the conferral of the Vajrapani empowerment from Rigdzin Godem’s Jangter (“Northern Treasures”) cycle, where it is customary to perform enthronement of tulkus. Thus, on September 24, 1988, Penor Rinpoche conducted this ceremony for Jetsunma as the tulku of Genyenma Ahkon Lhamo. Jetsunma considers Penor Rinpoche to be her root guru, along with Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche, Spiritual Director of Yeshe Nyingpo based in Ashland, Oregon, who is recognized as an incarnation of the first Ahkon Lhamo’s brother, Rigdzin Kunzang Sherab.

Among the more than 100 tulkus Penor Rinpoche has recognized, one of the only other Westerners was Steven Seagal. Penor Rinpoche announced at Namdroling Monastery in India in February, 1997, that Seagal was an incarnation of the 17th c. Palyul terton Chungdrag Dorje. Because of Seagal’s international renown as an action movie star, the announcement sparked numerous derisive articles in the mainstream US press and called into question both of Penor Rinpoche's American tulkus. Penor Rinpoche subsequently released an extensive public explanation describing the Tibetan tradition of tulku recognition in general, Seagal’s recognition specifically, and delineating the difference in meaning between the recognition of a tulku (Seagal’s case), in which he or she “does not take on any formal responsibilities at the time,” and the following step of enthronement (Jetsunma’s case), which “formally invests the tulku with the responsibility of furthering the activities associated with their particular tulku lineage.”