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Venerable Ribur Rinpoche

Reincarnation of Ribur Rinpoche

The incarnation of Ribur Rinpoche- whose personal name is Tenzin Pasang Rinpoche - is six years old and is already living and studying at Sera Mey Monastery.  He was recognized as the incarnation of Ribur Rinpoche by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and was initially enthroned as the incarnation in Bodhgaya in 2010 by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Woser Rinpoche.  

The young incarnation will soon be taking the next important step in the life of a tulku,  step also taken by the previous Ribur Rinpoche, of being enthroned at Sera Mey Monastic University.  On May 18, 2013 (during the auspicious month of Saka Dawa) he will initially be enthroned at Sera Lachi (in a ritual with the assembled monks of both Sera Mey and Sera Jey) at 5:30 AM. Then at 11:00 AM he will be formally enthroned at Sera Mey itself.  

All students of the former Ribur Rinpoche and others wishing to connect with Rinpoche who will be in South India at that time are welcome to attend.  After  the enthronement, Ribur Labrang (Rinpoche's personal house) will provide a luncheon for guests.  

The young incarnation recently noted that His Holiness the Dalai Lama had given him the advice: "Study hard and you can become like the previous Rinpoche."  Even at just six years of age, he is clearly taking His Holiness' advice to heart.


Ven. Ribur Rinpoche. Photo by Mark Gatter

Ven. Ribur Rinpoche.
Photo by Mark Gatter

Ribur Rinpoche was born in the Kham region of Tibet in 1923, and was recognized by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the head lama of Ribur Monastery. After studying at Sera Me monastery, where he received numerous teachings from his root guru, Pabongka Rinpoche, Rinpoche received his geshe degree in 1948. Rinpoche was then confined in Lhasa from 1959 until 1976, during which time he experienced relentless interrogation and torture during thirty-five of the infamous struggle sessions. "If I told you what happened on a regular basis, you would find it hard to believe."

At the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, Ribur Rinpoche spent more than 10 years in Chinese labor camps and was given a job with the Religious Affairs Office in Tibet. On one of his trips to China, he worked with the Panchen Lama and recovered holy objects – including the famous Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the Ramoche temple – that had been dismantled and shipped to China. He also re-established the destroyed stupa of Lama Tsongkhapa, which contained some of Lama Tsongkhapa's bodily relics.

Since his exile to India in 1985, Ribur Rinpoche wrote numerous biographies of great lamas such as the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and an extensive history of Tibet, which includes his autobiography. Ribur Rinpoche spent many years living in northern California where he gave teachings and led retreats, before returning to India, where he passed away in 2006.

 

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