User talk:Gyrovague108/JAL

Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo Article -- Intro Rewrite

Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (October 12, 1949 -; born Alyce Louise Zeoli) is an enthroned tulku within the Palyul lineage of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In the late 1980’s, she gained international attention as the first Western woman ever to be named as a reincarnate lama. [1] She continues to serve as Spiritual Director for Kunzang Odsal Palyul Changchub Choling (KPC), a Buddhist center in Poolesville, MD, which includes one of the largest communities of Western monks and nuns in North America. She went on to found a center in Sedona, Arizona[2] and, as of 2008, KPC study groups in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Alice Springs, Australia, were in the process of forming a national organization.[3] Jetsunma has been described by her own teachers, as well as many other Tibetan Buddhist lamas who have visited her temple, as a dakini or female wisdom being, and is thus viewed in that way by her students.[4] Questions have occasionally come up, however, in the non-Buddhist press[5] and, allegedly, from her own teachers[6] about her lifestyle, and the temple’s financial history. [7] Gyrovague108 (talk) 15:49, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

JAL Article -- Buddhist Recognitions Rewrite

His Holiness the Third Drubwang Padma Norbu (“Penor”) Rinpoche, 11th Throneholder of Palyul Monastery, former Supreme Head of the Nyingma tradition, described as “a rather unassailable figure in Tibetan Buddhism,” [BFB, p. 7] officially recognized Jetsunma in 1987 as the tulku of Genyenma Ahkon Lhamo during her visit to his Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India [Vajradhatu Sun, 1988]. As is customary, Penor Rinpoche sought confirmation of his recognition before announcing it. He received it from both His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-91) [wiki link], the previous Supreme Head of the Nyingma tradition who was on a teaching visit to Namdroling at the time, and the most senior Palyul tulku, the Second Dzongnang Jampal Lodro Rinpoche (d. 8/87). [HHPR Statement]

The first Genyenma Ahkon Lhamo was a cave-dwelling meditator, “recognized as a primordial wisdom dakini,” [Palyul book, p. 186] was one of the main disciples of Terton Migyur Dorje (1645-67) [create link, Palyul book, p. 186] and sister of Rigdzin Kunzang Sherab, Migyur Dorje’s Dharma heir [Palyul book, p. 62] and the First Throneholder of Palyul Monastery [insert link] (founded 1665).[8] She is remembered both as being instrumental in the founding of Palyul (now one of the Nyingma’s “Six Mother Monasteries” [Palyul book, p. 9]) and for leaving an extraordinary relic. During the cremation of her body, her kapala [skull] is said to have flown three kilometers and come to rest at the foot of the teaching throne of her brother. Found to be miraculously embossed with images of Buddhas [wiki link?] and mantras [wiki link?], including the sacred syllable ‘AH’ [I would like to include a photo of this], the kapala became “one of the most treasured relics at [Palyul] monastery” [Palyul book, p. 186].

Penor Rinpoche has recounted how, as a young tulku in Tibet (he was recognized a brought to Palyul Monastery in 1936, at the age of four [Palyul book, p. 121]), inspired by seeing the skull relic, made prayers to find Ahkon Lhamo’s incarnation [Palyul book, p. 186; BFB, p. 135]. Though most of the kapala relic was pulverized into dust during the Cultural Revolution [wiki link] phase of China’s [wiki link] occupation of Tibet [wiki link], one Tibetan man managed to save the silver dollar-size piece on which the syllable “AH” appears. Penor Rinpoche acquired it from him on a return trip to Tibet in 1987. He had it preserved in a crystal lotus and presented it to Jetsunma on the occasion of her enthronement ceremony at KPC in 1988 [RITW, p. 76]. The relic remains at KPC and is displayed on auspicious days (see photograph at right).

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 [wiki link] massive 19th c. compilation of all of the extant revelations of Guru Padmasambhava’s teaching cycles known as terma [wiki link]. This was the first time that these teachings had ever been conferred in a Western country [Snow Lion, 1988]. According to Penor Rinpoche’s explanation at the time [cite from transcript], 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 [wiki links if possible], 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 [cite Penor Rinpoche’s statement], the only other Westerner 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 that called into question both of Penor Rinpoche's American tulkus.[15][16][17][18][19] Penor Rinpoche subsequently wrote 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.” [cite & link HHPR statement]

A further recognition of Jetsunma occurred in 1994, when Terton Orgyen Kusum Lingpa indicated that she was an incarnation of Lhacham Mandarava, the Indian princess of Zahor and one of the two principal consorts of Padmasambhava, the tantric master who helped establish the Buddha's teaching in Tibet.[20][21] In 1996, Jetsunma traveled to India and visited many of the places where Mandarava was known to have practiced.[22] Inspired by the recognition, several of Jetsunma’s students sought out and found a copy of Mandarava’s middle-length spiritual biography, revealed as a terma in the 17th c. by Samten Lingpa, at the U.S. Library of Congress. They then sponsored the first English translation of the text, published as The Lives and Liberation of Princess Mandarava in 1998 [LAL, p. x]. Jetsunma’s connection with Mandarava was further reinforced in a long life prayer composed for her in 2004 by His Holiness Dorje Lopen Ngawang Tenzin [wiki link], one of the most highly respected lamas in Bhutan [link to bio]. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gyrovague108 (talk • contribs) 22:14, 30 September 2008 (UTC)