His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Sed-Gyued Monastery

"Sed-Gyued Monastery, Salugara, is the main seat of the Sed-Gyued lineage or whispered lineage. Whispered lineage is a secret teaching transmitted only to the closest disciple through direct communication with their root teacher or meditational deity …  It is because of the unbroken secret teachings of Sed-Gyued lineage and commentaries that the Tibetan secret Mahayana practice is intact today ... The purpose of Sed-Gyued Monastery is to preserve and promote the unique tantric study, practice, experiences and culture of this lineage, as well as the subsequent lineage holders and Sed-Gyued masters … I appreciate and admire Sed-Gyued Dorjee Chang Jampa Wangyal Rinpoche for his tireless effort to preserve the Sed-Gyued tradition. I wish and pray for the better establishment and further development of Sed-Gyued Monastery.”

29th September 1999, Gyued-Med Tantric University, Hunsur, India

Sed-Gyued Lineage

The lineage of Sed-Gyued is based on its pure tradition of an unbroken line descending from Jetsun Sherab Senge, founder of the Sed-Gyued Monastery and a disciple of Je Tsongkhapa Lobsang Dakpa.

The lineage is passed on from one Great Master of the Sed-Gyued Monastery to the next one, and no reincarnation was ever recognized according to the tradition of the Sed-Gyued Lineage.

All lineage holders of Sed-Gyued are monks of the monastery. They receive all teachings from their master and practice both Tantra and Sutra throughout their lifespan, thus becoming masters themselves. In Sed-Gyued tradition, there are no written documents for future reincarnations of the Great Masters, and the lineage holders in future will always remain practical philosophers and learned lamas.

Lineage holders are as follows

H.H. The Jamgon Lama Tsongkhapa-Chenpo

H.E. Jetsun Sherab Sengye

1. H.E. Dhol-Nag-Palden-Sangpo

2. H.E. Rhoktso-Choe-Tse-Nawang Dakpa

3. H.E. Jamyang Gedun Phel

4. H.E. Rabjam-Choeki-Yhing

5. H.E. Lama Tashi Phakpa

6. H.E. Penchen Samdrup Gyalgtso

7. H.E. Nyi-Nying-Choeji Sonam Gyaltsen

8. H.E. Gyuedchen Tsundu Phakpa

9. H.E. Khedrup Dorjee Sangpo

10. H.E. Gyuedchen Sangye Gyatso

11. H.E. Tsechen Jampa Gyatso

12. H.E. Dorjee Chang Kunchok Gyatso

13. H.E. Dejorpa-Khedrup Gendun Gyatso

14. H.E. Lama Rinchen Gyatso

15. H.E. Robjampa-Choekyi-Wangchuk

16. H.E. Phuk-Chenpa

17. H.E. Sherab Rinchen

18. H.E. Palden Chokjin

Reincarnation

According to Sed-Gyued Tradition, all previous Gyued-Chen lineage holders ascended the Sed-Gyued throne after successfully completing their studies, practicing tantric rituals and serving in the propagation and protection of the sacred tradition. There is no tradition of reincarnation, once they pass away. There is no historical record, nor is there any written proof of existence of a Gyued-Chen incarnation.

In this period of declining Dharma activities, we felt the need of a true Dharma teacher and sought an audience with H. H. the Dalai Lama on 26th August 1992. We made a fervent plea to investigate the existence of reincarnations of Gyued-Chen Konchok Yarphel or some of the earlier Gyued-Chen lineage holders, as a few of them were believed to have incarnated.

On 26th December 1994, we received a reply from His Holiness confirming the existence of several emanations of such great masters. However, His Holiness adviced us to keep the status quo concerning the search for reincarnations, as the Mo observation He had done on this subject was not in favour of a change.

If, in future, any reincarnation were to appear, it were up to His Holiness the Dalai Lama to accept and confirm this appearance, while we would accept His decision. Fake reincarnations are of no help to anyone and rather bear the risk of destabilizing our traditional culture.

90. H.E. Namgyal Chophel

91. H.E. Tsultim Chophel

92. H.E. Palden Gyatso

93. H.E. Markhampa Jampa Tashi

94. H.E. Thubten Dargye

95. H.E. Lobsang Tendar

96. H.E. Trihor Jampa Tashi

97. H.E. Sed-Gyued Dorjee Chang Jampa Wangyal

98. H.E. Gyued-Med Khensur Thutop Gonpo

99. H.E. Gyued-Tod Khensur Ngawang Jorden

To the 21st Sed-Gyued Dorjee Chang Kunchok Yarphel, the lienage holders are known as the great Secret whispered Lineage holders. Whispered lineage is secret teaching transmitted only to the closest disciples through direct communication with their root teacher or meditation deity. His Holiness the fifth Dalai Lama too greatly appreciated and declared that Dorjee Chang Kunchok Yarphel as an excellent master and a lord of whispered lineage.

Sed-Gyued Dorjee Chang Kunchok Yarphel once asked Dham-Chen Chogyal, the Great Dharma Protector, to gather before him any suitable disciples as he was quite old. As a result, Jamshed Nawang Tsundu, Cheang-kya Nawang Chokden and other suitable disciples came to Tsang province in Central Tibet to meet Sed-Gyued Dorjee Chang Kunchok Yarphel and received from him empowerments and oral transmissions of Guyasamaja, Heru,-Kapa, Yamantaka and other teachings. Gelukpa Tantras confines within Sed-Gyued Lineage of Traditional Tantras. Besides, Gelukpas Guru Yoga is based on Sed-Gyuedpa's Guru Yoga Gaden Lha-Gyama.

In 2005, due to health problems and old age, H.E. Sed-Gyued Dorjee Chang T.N. Jampa Wangyal Rinpoche requested His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama to appoint a Khenpo for smooth running of Sed-Gyued Institute of Buddhist Studies (Monastery), Salugara, India. At present total responsibility to teaching all Sed-Gyued tradition goes to Khenpo who is jointly appointed by H.H. the Dalai Lama and Department of Religion and Culture of the Tibetan Government in Exile. The official tenure of each Khenpo will be three years from the date of assuming responsibility. After completion of three year tenure they will be relieved by H.H. the Dalai Lama and Cultural Department of exile Government by appointing another Khenpo. All the Khenpo so appointed will be the pass-out learned and master philosopher from Gyued-Tod and Gyued-Med Tantric University from South India. The responsibility of Khenpo is particularly to teach Sed-Gyued traditions only. All the responsibility of management of Monastery goes to the elected Governing Body of the Monastery.

For the period of 1702 to 1932 no records exist. Our knowledge of lineage holders suffers a gap of 230 years. The names of the 28th to the 89th Great Masters are unknown.

When the Indian government set up a Tibetan Resettlement program, Rinpoche and his family moved to Bylakuppe where Rinpoche continued his studies. During his time in Gangtok and in Bylakuppe, Rinpoche would seek out monks to talk to and visit monasteries. He felt he was destined to become a monk and at 16 entered Sera Mey Monastery. At 22 he became fully ordained and in 1991 passed his examinations at the highest level, that of a Lharampa Geshe.

In order to study the Tantras, Rinpoche then entered Gyuto Monastery. His first year was dedicated to learning Tantric practices, rituals, texts and the monastery rules. His second year was used to prepare for his Tantric examinations which take place in an open debate format. After passing these examinations, Rinpoche returned to Sera Mey Monastery.

Gen. Ven. Donyo and other resident monks are all Gyuto monks because they entered the monastery at a young age and have spent their lives studying there. Rinpoche, on the other hand, is a Sera May monk because that is the monastery he spent his life studying at, even though he is an ex-Gyuto Abbot. He has rooms and students that are available to him at all times at Sera Mey. After returning to Sera Mey, Rinpoche went into a Chakrasamvara retreat and dreamed many times of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During the retreat in, he received a letter from His Holiness’ secretary telling him that he was to be appointed as the next Abbot of Gyuto. It came as a complete surprise to him; he had never expected it and now sees his dreams as a premonition. He finished his six years Abbot term in 2005.

Rinpoche has travelled to France, Corsica, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia and America. He is still surprised by how highly developed the West is and the different ways of life. Rinpoche feels that he and other Tibetans need to learn from the West and to find out the good things the West has to offer and decide if they should adapt to them.

Our new Abbot

(portrait taken from www.gyutocenter.org)

Ven. Khensur Rinpoche Ngawang Jorden is the 121st and youngest Abbot in the history of the Gyuto Tantric Monastery.  Rinpoche was born into a family of nomads in the village of Tsangwa Day, just outside of Shigatse, the location of Tashilungpo, the seat of the Panchen Lamas. In 1959 his family were driven into exile by the Chinese invasion and as a baby, Rinpoche was carried on his mother’s back to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. They remained there for 8 years where Rinpoche attended school and remembers it as a happy time of his life.