Tulku

Now, Buddhists in general believe that all sentient beings reincarnate, but most beings can't remember their past lives.

Only exceptional people can remember, and some called tulkus can direct their reincarnation, establishing a lineage of famous lamas that stretch back through the ages.

Though it's impossible to know for sure, at least some scholars estimate that there are at least 10,000 Tulkus.

Some are heads of monasteries or important religious orders, but the Dalai Lama is the most important lineage of Tulkus.

The Tibetans have an elaborate process of identifying and testing the successor.

In the case of the 13th Dalai Lama, He predicted that he would reincarnate somewhere in eastern Tibet.

So let's have a ...

When I talk about that, and I'll be stopping in about 10 minutes, I'm especially thinking of the tradition that's I'm involved with, this descends through the great, uh, uh, Dzogchen and Mahamudra master Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, who went into exile in, uh, in Nepal and established a monastery there.

And then his sons, all of whom, so Tulku means a reincarnate lama, and sometimes we joke that this family is like the Tulku factory because they had all- [laughs] So many of the sons became reincarnate lamas, and really wonderful teachers.

My main teacher, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, in the center, and down the left, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and the right, Mingyur Rinpoche.

So this is, in their tradition, if we think about, first of all, I, the reason I'm showing this picture is this is a tradition.

within themselves.

My guest today is Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche.

The term Tulku in Tibetan language refers to an incarnation, and we will hear about this more, a Lama incarnation.

Rinpoche's title refers to him as a precious one.

It is like using excellency or eminence as appropriate.

The fire is already in you.

And until next time on Depths Over Noise.

What we heard from Tulku Lobsangri Poche is for me a profound conversation about ancient contemplative traditions that meet and discover that they are pointing at the same underlying reality with different vocabularies.

[instrumental music]

I am Tulku, whose honor and pleasure it is to serve the Green Lama.

Jethro Dumont, the Green Lama, is so called because of his great wisdom and powers of concentration, which he learned while visiting my country, Tibet.

As it is the duty of all Lamas to oppose evil, Jethro Dumont returned to his native America to fight crime.

So it was said by the great Buddha himself.

himself.I, I thought perhaps you'd like to see the evening paper, my Lama.

Oh, thank you, Tulku.

Hmm.