གངས་ཅན་བློ་བཟང་ཐུབ་བསྟན་འཕྲིན་ལས་ཡར་འཕེལ་
His Eminence Drubwang Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche var en meget vigtig lama af den sidste generation fra det gamle Tibet. Han var indehaveren af en lang og ubrudt overleveringslinje af healing lamaer og tantriske mestre, som kan føres tilbage til Buddha Shakyamuni. Hans Ngalso Tantriske Selvhealing af Indre Fred og Omsorg for Miljøet er baseret på Buddhas lære, men han har gjort dem egnede til den moderne tid og det moderne sind. Han havde en dyb omfattende viden om det indbyrdes afhængige forhold mellem krop og sind og havde udviklet evnen til at forstå årsagerne og betingelserne for både mentale og fysiske sygdomme, ud over bare de fysiske symptomer. Således var han i stand til at hjælpe mange mennesker med at overvinde og helbrede deres fysiske og mentale problemer ved at hjælpe dem til at genoprette forbindelsen til deres inderste selv-healende rene krystalenergi.
Barndom og uddannelse
Lama Gangchen Rinpoche blev født Wangdu Gyelpo den 7. juli 1941 i Drakshu, en lille landsby i det vestlige Tibet, omkring 50 kilometer fra byen Shigatse og 12 kilometer fra Gangchen Kloster. Hans far var Dawa Phuntshog (Zla-ba Phun-tsog) og hans mor Pachok (Dpal-tshog). Han blev i en alder af 3 år anerkendt for at være en reinkarnation af Kachen Sapen-la, en lama-healer, og blev indsat på tronen på Gangchen Chöpel Ling Lama Gangchen Rinpoche was born Wangdu Gyelpo on July 7th 1941 in Drakshu, a small village in western Tibet, about 50 kilometers from the city of Shigatse and 12 kilometers from Gangchen Monastery. His father was Dawa Phuntshog (Zla-ba Phun-tsog) and his mother Pachok (Dpal-tshog). At the age of 3, he was recognized as the reincarnation of Gangchen Sapen-la, a lama-healer, and was enthroned at Gangchen Chöpel Ling Monastery at the age of 5. Here, he learned to read and write, and to memorize texts. In accordance with traditional strict monastic discipline, he learned philosophy, dialectics, and the foundations of Tibetan medicine, tantra, secret healing methods, and astrology.
At the age of 10 Lama Gangchen moved to Tsang-province in southwestern Tibet, where he continued his Buddhist studies at Tashi Lhunpo-monastery, which was founded in 1447 by Gedun Drubpa (the youngest and leading disciple of Je Tsongkapa, and who was posthumously recognized as the first Dalai Lama). At Tashi Lhunpo, which is the main seat of the Panchen Lama, Gangchen Rinpoche studied the five major sciences of logic, technology, medicine, grammar and Buddhist philosophy or dialectics, and the five minor sciences of poetry, astrology, synonyms, metrics, music and dance. At the age of twelve, he received the ‘Kachen’ degree, Tashi Lhunpo’s equivalent of a geshe-degree, which is usually conferred after twenty years of study. Between the age of thirteen and eighteen, he studied medicine, astrology, meditation and philosophy in two of the major monastic universities of Tibet: Sera and Tashi Lhunpo. He also studied at Gangchen Gompa, Tropu Gompa and Neytsong Monastery.
His gurus gave him the name Lama Lobzang Trinley Yarphel Tulku Gangchen Rinpoche. His previous reincarnations can be traced back to the 7th century. In those times, he was known as Mahasiddha Darikapa (one of the 84 mahasiddhas), Mahasiddha Lakshminkara, Princess Mahadevi, the great Tibetan translator Trophu Lotsawa and many other special people, who dedicated their lives to benefitting others. Many of Lama Gangchen’s previous incarnations held the position of abbot at Tashi Lhunpo monastery. Specifically, Rinpoche was the reincarnation of the second abbot of Tashi Lhunpo, Panchen Zangpo Tashi, the heart disciple of Gedrun Drub, the first Dalai Lama. This deep connection to Tashi Lhunpo and the Panchen Lama lineage continues to this day.
Han var en discipel af nogle af de vigtigste Gelugpa Lamas fra det sidste århundrede. Hans rodguru var H.H. Trijang Dorje Chang, junior-læreren for H.H. Dalai Lamaen. Andre vigtige lærere var H.H. Ling Rinpoche, senior-læreren for H.H. Dalai Lamaen, samt H.H. Zong Rinpoche, som var en af hans vigtigste guruer med hensyn til healing, tibetansk medicin og astrologi.
Efter Folkerepublikken Kinas annektering af Tibet blev Gangchen Rinpoche fængslet og tvunget til tvangsarbejde i arbejdslejre. I 1963 gik han i eksil til Indien, hvor han fortsatte sine studier de følgende syv år ved Varanasi Sanskrit Universitet i Benares. I 1970 modtog han Geshe Rigram-graden fra Sera Klosteruniversitet i Sydindien. Efter dimissionen dedikerede han de næste 10 år til de tibetanske samfund i Nepal og Indien, hvor han healede og reddede mange menneskers liv. I Sikkim blev han udnævnt til den private læge for den kongelige familie (for at have helbredt dronningens mor fra en alvorlig øjesygdom, der havde gjorde hende fuldstændig blind).
Flytning til Vesten
After the death of this root guru, Lama Gangchen left for the West. In 1981, he visited Europe for the first time and in the same year, he established his first European center: Karuna Choetsok in Lesbos, Greece, where he planted a Bodhi tree in the ‘Buddha Garden’ and consecrated what was to become the first in a long line of World Peace Buddha statues, thangkas and images. Lama Gangchen created a new home in Italy, first in Gubbio, then in Milan, and he got Italian citizenship in 1983.
Since then he has travelled extensively – to over 50 countries around the world – both healing and teaching peace, non-formal education and the inner sciences, a.o. in Italy, Spain, Greece, Switserland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, England, Ireland, the US, Brasil, Chile, Argentina, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Mongolia, China, Tibet, Russia and Buryatia. Since the 1990s, He has visited China several times, being treated well by the Chinese government.
During these years he has led many pilgrimages throughout the world to some of the most important holy places of the Buddhist tradition, in India, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tibet. On these pilgrimages, he was accompanied by large groups of friends and disciples, most of which have reported many physical and mental benefits of the experience. Besides these pilgrimages to Buddhist holy sites, Lama Gangchen has also visited many sacred sites of other religious and spiritual denominations, a.o. Assisi, Italy, the home of St. Francis, and the ancient temples of Delphi and Athens in Greece. He has met with Pope John Paul II and Mother Theresa of Calcutta. In England, he has visited the stone circles of Stonehenge and Avebury, and many western Buddhist centers and temples. On all these pilgrimages, he has met many high lamas, both in the East and the West.
In 1988, he opened his first residential dharma centre outside of Asia: ‘Shide Choe Tsok’ Peace Dharma Centre in Sao Paulo, Brazil and soon after, in 1989, Kunpen Lama Gangchen was established in Milan, Italy. Here Lama Gangchen has initiated the first extensive programmes of Himalayan medical and astrological studies for western students. Also concerned with the preservation of the Himalayan culture, the center holds courses in Buddhist philosophy, thangkha painting and other arts. In 1999, he moved to Albagnano di Bée at the Lago Maggiore, where the Albagnano Healing and Mediation Center (AHMC) became the headquarters for Rinpoche’s many activities.
Den 7. juli 1992 efter en international konference med læger, healere og terapeuter afholdt i Milano, Italien oprettede Han Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation (LGWPF), en FN-tilknyttet NGO. LGWPF er aktivt involveret i at udvikle en fredskultur og et bedre liv, i at fremme verdensfred gennem samarbejde om humanitære projekter, såsom sundhed, uddannelse, miljø, spiritualitet og beskyttelse af oprindelige kulturer og en indsat til frivilliges arbejde til at støtte FNs programmer for fremme af selvforsyning i udviklingslandene. I 2008 fik LGWPF den specielle ECOSOC status i FN.
Med visionen om at gøre Verden til et bedre sted, blev Lama Gangchen den 8. juni 1995, ved et rundbordsmøde hos FNs Økonomiske Kommission for Latinamerika og Caribien i Santiago de Chile, initiativtager til forslaget om at oprette et permanent spirituel forum inden for De Forenede Nationer, sammensat af repræsentanter fra alle religiøse bevægelser dedikeret til skabelsen af verdensfred. To år senere grundlagde Lama Gangchen, med stor medfølelse, Lama Gangchen Kiurok Tsochun Association, som står i spidsen for humanitære hjælpeprojekter til underudviklede lande.
Lama Gangchen har inviteret mange grupper af tibetanske munke til Europa, såsom Ganden Shartse-munke, Sera Mey-munkene, Nyalam Phengyeling-munke og Segyupa-munkene til at fremstille sandmandalas og udføre hellige Cham-danse; alle deres aktiviteter er dedikeret til verdensfred.
Lama Gangchen støttede også den økonomiske opførsel og vedligeholdelse af skoler, klinikker og klostre i Indien, Nepal og Tibet, og forsyner dem med forskellige terapeutiske systemer, uddannede vestlige læger og faciliteter, materialer og medicin. I 1994 grundlagde Lama Gangchen Fredsradio La Radio della Pace og Lama Gangchen Peace Publications, begge beliggende i Milano, Italien. Deres mål er henholdsvis at udsende og sprede positive oplysninger om indre freds-og verdensfredsuddannelse, selvhealing, selvansvar og selvmoral; naturterapier, miljøbevidsthed og interreligiøst samarbejde.
For many years, Lama Gangchen has promoted a very important project: the integration between allopathic medicine and Tibetan medicine (an incredible and still unknown treasure for humanity). Lama Gangchen organizes international congresses, which are forums for constructive dialogue between scientists, doctors, therapists and philosophers. One of the major aims is to provide documented scientific evidence about the benefits of ancient Tibetan Himalayan healing methods, other natural healing methods and the energetic qualities of spiritual healing.
Lama Gangchen is an incredibly well-respected Lama in the East and more recently in the West, ever since Tibetan Buddhism was brought abroad. Whenever Lama Gangchen visits his personal monastery in Shigatse, as well as Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, both located in close proximity with each other, tens of thousands of devotees will gather to receive his blessings. In some instances, it has taken Lama Gangchen three full days to place his hands on the head of every single devotee who came to seek his blessings
Lama Gangchen is a Tantric master in all four classes of Tantra. Not only is he a master of the Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja, Heruka and Vajrayogini Tantras, he is also well known for his mastery of the Kalachakra Tantras and for his closeness to the mystical land of Shambhala. It is said that Lama Gangchen has taken rebirth in the holy land of Shambhala countless times and even now, he has the ability to astral travel to Shambhala in an instant.
Lama Gangchen is also renowned for his full accomplishment of the Medicine Buddha practice. It is a common Tibetan belief that to see, feel or visualise Lama Gangchen is equal to being in the presence of the Medicine Buddha. Countless people have survived debilitating and life-threatening diseases with near-impossible chances of recovery with the help of Lama Gangchen’s healing blessings, complemented with Western or traditional Tibetan medication. The blessed healing pills and waters created by Lama Gangchen are highly sought after for their ability to heal the most stubborn problems, afflictions and illnesses.
Lama Gangchen Rinpoche is the spiritual leader of more than 100 education centers for inner peace and world peace and Ngalso study groups the world over. Lama Gangchen has a Heart son, Lama Michel Rinpoche, and a Heart Daughter, Lama Caroline. Together they are the Ngalso-Gelug Ganden Nyengye Lineage Self-Healing teachers.
On the morning of the 18th of April 2020, our great Master, Essence of all Refuge, Embodiment of love and wisdom, Captain of Peace, World Healer, Lama Marco Polo, the Great Mahasiddha Drubwang Gangchen Rinpoche Lobsang Thubten Trinley Yarphel, left His holy body, thus passing into parinirvana.
As Lama Michel said: Rinpoche’s life in the West can be divided into different decades. He dedicated the first decade in the West to the body (ca. 1981-1991), where he healed many people. But instead of people being healed by him, waiting for every time the lama passed through, he really wanted to teach people to heal themselves. So the next decade he used on the speech (ca.1992-2002), where he taught us Ngalso Tantric Self-Healing and an incredible amount of other Buddhist practices. The next decade He used on the mind (ca. 2003-2012), where he took his disciples by the hand to show how to do these practices. Almost like a kindergarten teacher, showing kids how to do, what has been taught, by doing it together. Now, the kids have matured, where they can do it themselves. It is our responsibility to practice, what Rinpoche has taught us, and pass it on to others.
