Orgyen Kusum Lingpa

Orgyen Kusum Lingpa was a terton and Nyingma lineage holder within Tibetan Buddhism. His name means "Holder of the Sanctuary of the Trikaya of Oddiyana Padmasambhava."

He was born in 1934 in the Golog region of Amdo province in western Tibet as the son of the well-known yogi Lhundrup Gyamtso of the Waxi (Wal Shul) clan. At that time he was known as Pema Tumpo, or Pema Tum Drag Dorje. His father's brother, Waxi Lama Sonam Khedrup, was also a famous Buddhist teacher in the region.

Mingyur Namkhé Dorje, 4th Dzogchen Rinpoche, prophesied about Orgyen Kusum Lingpa:

"An emanation of Vajrapani will appear in the year known as "guarding wealth" in the Achag Dri region as a child named Tum Drag... He will blossom like a lily, and then unleash himself like a thunderstorm... He will guide all those connected with him to Sikhavati, The Realm of Bliss."

Orgyen Kusum Lingpa's previous incarnations include the Mahasiddha Drilbupa in India and Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje, the heart disciple of Guru Rinpoche Padma Sambhava in Tibet, who assassinated the anti-Buddhist Bon Emperor Langdarma in 842 CE and then hid in the Moon Cave of the Drag Yerpa retreat outside Lhasa. Orgyen Kusum Lingpa also often claimed to recall his previous life as the crazy wisdom master Drugpa Kunleg, and enjoyed recounting the latter's exploits given any occasion.

As a youth, he studied primarily at Darthang Monastery in Golog, where his teachers included Payul Chogtrul Rinpoche Jampal Jaypa'i Dorje (Chokyi Dawa), Akong Khenchen Lobsang Dorje, and Gyedro Wonpo Rinpoche. There he received instructions and empowerments alongside Drubwang Penor Rinpoche, among others. Another of his principal teachers was the 4th Dodrupchen Rinpoche Tubpa Zangpo, from whom he received the complete transmissions of the Longchen Nyingthig lineage, of which he became a holder.

Orgyen Kusum Lingpa began to discover mind treasures of teachings of Guru Rinpoche after his mother died and he went on pilgrimage to central Tibet when he was 16 years old. On his journey he first passed through Derge and reached Kojo, where he met Ratri Terton Nyagla Changchub Dorje, then reputedly aged 113, who became his principal teacher of Dzog Chen nature of mind instructions.

Proceeding to Lhasa and remaining there throughout most of the 1950s, Orgyen Kusum Lingpa met and received empowerments and instructions from great holders of all of the major dharma lineages of Tibet, including the 16th Karmapa Rigpa'i Dorje, Sera Khenchen Jamyang Choklay Namgyal, the 14th Dalai Lama, Sakya Ngagchang Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Taklung Ma Rinpoche, and many others; which instructions he then put into practice. With the loss of Tibetan autonomy and during the period of the Cultural Revolution, he was subsequently imprisoned on and off over the course of more than 20 years of his adult life.

Eventually he was permitted to re-establish an encampment, and then a monastery, in the Ga De cantonment of Golog, along a bend of a tributary of the Ma Chu (Yellow River). The monastery originally was founded by the 19th century Master Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, and then passed down through a succession of holders within the Waxi family lineage. This monastery is known as Lung Ngon Thubten Chokhorling, or "Blue Valley Sanctuary of the Dharma Wheel of the Muni's Teachings."

When he was still young Orgyen Kusum Lingpa fathered a son named Nyima Gyal, who has become a well-known ritual master in Golog and presently resides at Sang Lung Monastery. With his lifelong consort Dug Kar Drolma, the sister of Garwang Nyima Rinpoche (the current head of Darthang Monastery), he later had two sons and two daughters.

He died on Feb 26th, 2009 at his monastery in Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. A first hand account of his final days and cremation is recorded in the final chapter of "A Path Strewn with Flowers and Bones," the memoir of his long-time disciple and translator Tulku Sherdor (Sherab Dorje). Additional details of the impact of his life and his passing upon his disciples and the world is recorded in the verses "Words of Aspiration to the Beating of My Heart" composed by Tulku Hung Kar Dorje.

The 14th Dalai Lama wrote a prayer for the swift rebirth of Kusum Lingpa, which reads:

"Supreme Muni, our Supreme Leader, Lord of Oddiyana and your children, the Arya assembly—all you sources of refuge, please approach, bear witness to this aspiration prayer, give heed to our yearning and lamentation, and grant your great blessings! May there swiftly appear a reincarnation of our kind Guru who was so skilled at guiding transient beings to the jewel Island of the Three Kayas of enlightenment, by freely revealing the profound meaning of the Mind Treasures of the Victor Orgyen. Highly dignified and very Fierce, Wrathful potentates who abide within the most secret command and samaya of Padma, Varja dharma guardians, bring about the purpose of this aspiration through the inveterate support of your enlightened activity!"