The empowerments of the "Five Golden Dharmas of the Shangpa Kagyu Lineage" - beginning 19th October 2009

The Shangpa Kagyu lineage was established in the 11th century by its founder, Khedrub Khyungpo Naljor. The special teachings of the Shangpa lineage are widely known as "The Five Golden Dharmas of the Shangpa Kagyu". These teachings and practices are likened to a tree with its roots, trunk, branches, flowers and fruits. The Five Golden Dharmas are:

The roots: the Six Doctrines of Niguma.
The trunk: the Mahamudra of the Amulet Box.
The branches: the Three Carry-Overs (of phenomena and appearances) onto the path.
The flowers: the White and Red Forms of the Dakini.
The fruits: the Immortal and the Infallible.

The previous 2nd Tenga Rinpoche, Tenzin Chögyal, had been one of the close disciples of the Great Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye with whom he did the traditional three year retreat according to the Shangpa Kagyu lineage. At this time he forged a strong connection with this lineage. Tenzin Chögyal served as a personal attendant of Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and  represented Kongtrul during his absence. He also acted as the retreat master (Drubpon) for the three year retreats at Kongtrul's seat.

All in all Tenzin Chögyal spent nine years at Tsadra Rinchen Drak, the main seat of the Great Kongtrul, near Palpung monastery in Derge. Later in his life he returned to his own place, Benchen Monastery in Nangchen, where he introduced the Shangpa Kagyu practices and established a retreat centre for the Six Doctrines of Niguma in order to cause these practices to flourish. He also established the Naro Retreat centre for practice according to the Karma Kagyu lineage and also the Kunrik retreat centre.

The present Ven. Tenga Rinpoche, Tenzin Trinle Namgyal, continues to put effort into upholding the Golden Dharma lineage of the Shangpa Kagyu and causing it to flourish. For this reason he received all the Shangpa Kagyu empowerments in Rumtek Monastery in the early 1970's from His Eminence the former Kalu Rinpoche, the then main Shangpa lineage holder outside of Tibet.

At present Ven. Tenga Rinpoche is establishing a retreat centre for the practices according to the Shangpa Kagyu tradition at Pharping/Nepal, next to the existing retreat centre that focusses on the Karma Kagyu tradition, known as the Benchen Clear Light Meditation Centre. It is hoped that this will provide for the monks of Benchen Monastery and other community members to learn and continue the Shangpa Kagyu Lineage practices.

As it is essential in the vajrayana tradition for all practitioners to have empowerment in order to gain the transmission lineage blessings and engage in practice, the Benchen community and Lama Tong from Malaysia, have one pointedly requested that Ven. Tenga Rinpoche bestow the entire series of Shangpa Kagyu lineage empowerments.

This will commence at Benchen Phuntsok Dargye Ling Monastery, Kathmandu Nepal, at the foot of the Swayambhunath stupa, from the 19th October 2009. It is estimated that the empowerments will take just under three weeks to complete.

This Shangpa Kagyu transmission is mainly conferred on Lamas, monks and nuns.  Tenga Rinpoche stresses that others who wish to attend this empowerment must be willing to keep the commitments which go along with the transmission of this cycle of teachings and practices, and engage in the practice of the 17th Karmapa Guru Yoga, which is combined with the Five Shangpa Yidam deities, on a daily basis.  This Guru Yoga practice was composed by Tenga Rinpoche himself with  the blessing and permission of H.H. 17th Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje. An English translation is available for participating western students.