Be a Sponsor to Gosok Rinpoche’s Projects
Time:2015-04-24 08:09:20 Clicks:
The most Venerable KyabjeGosok Rinpoche, Khensur (ex-abbot) of the Gyumed Tantric Monastery and Sera Monastery, is a renowned Buddhist teacher in the Geluk tradition, and one of the most respected Buddhist masters for his learning in authoritative scriptures and realization of the Dharma, and his great compassionate undertakings in benefiting all beings of the world.
In his past lives, Rinpoche had appeared as Venerable AjnataKaundinya, one of the First Five-BhikkhuSangha of Gautama Buddha. Then in India and Tibet, he manifested as many masters in the history and practiced the Bodhisattva deeds. For examples, he was the great translator RincheSangpo, the omniscient LongchenRabjampa (one of the “three great Manjushris of Tibet), and RigzinLhungsalNyingpo, etc. In the era of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, he was VenerableDungrubGyamtso from Mongolia and became the abbot of the Gomang College in the auspicious Drepung Monastery. Possessing the Three Learningsand peerless qualifications, he greatly contributed to the spread of the Dharma and the enlightenment of sentient beings. Therefore, he was respectfully called by contemporaries Gosok Rinpoche. “Go” refers to the Gomang College, and “sok” is an abbreviation of Sokpo, or Mongolian in Tibetan. This is the beginning of the Gosok incarnation lineage. The following Gosok reincarnations continue in Tibet to today, and all the previous ones are most respected for their erudition, compassion, and efforts on the spread of the Dharma and benefit of sentient beings, among the four groups of Buddhist followers.
The current, i.e.Fifth KyabjeGosok Rinpoche was born in 1948 in the village of Molha near Lithang, the main town in the eastern Tibetan Kham province. At age of four, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous Gosok Rinpoche by the Dalai Lama’s tutor, Takdrak Rinpoche, and was enthroned the following year in his monastic house, the GosokLabrang. At age of ten, he traveled far to Lhasa and enrolled in the prestigious Sera Med Monastery to pursue his religious training, and two years after (1959) he went to India. When he was in Sera, Rinpoche studied very hard and was an outstanding student. He received numerous precious teachings, which are like pure gold, from many masters of the Gelukschool. He graduated at the age of thirty-one with a first rank GesheLharampa, the highest level of doctoral degree one can accomplish in the study of Buddhist (Sutra) philosophy. His diploma was bestowed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s two tutors, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche (the then 97th GandenTripa) and KyabjeKhrijang Rinpoche. Rinpoche then entered the auspicious Gyumed Tantric College and focused on the precious doctrine and practice of the Tantric teachings which were taught by the Buddha, refined by Je Tsonkhapa, the Second Buddha and the Dharma King of the three realms, and handed down by numerous lineage masters such as KyajeSherabSenge. Systematically he studied mandala drawing, recitation, meditation, and homapuja (fire offering ceremony) etc. according to the Gyumed tradition, and was awarded NgarampaGeshe degree (expert in Buddhist tantric teachings).
In 1984, KyabjeGosok Rinpoche went on a year-long pilgrimage and visited the Tibetan Kham region. During that trip, he accepted invitations from many monasteries and committed Buddhist public.He bestowed the nectar of Buddha’s teaching widely. After his returned to India from the completion of pilgrimage, His Holiness appointed himas Vice-abbot of the Gyumed Tantric College.Rinpoche acceded to the position of Abbot of the Gyumed Tantric College in 1988, thus he became the youngest abbot in charge ever since the tantric college were set up. During his term as the abbot, Rinpoche not only taught classes diligently to monastic students, but also dedicated himself to Sanghalearning and education. He consolidated the complete curriculum, and broughtmany new facilities to the college. At the completion of his term as Gyumed Abbot, His Holiness appointed him as the Abbot of the Sera Med Monastery. During this term (from 1991 to 1996) Rinpoche not only emphasized on three aspects of monastic learning (listening, contemplating and cultivating), but also paid special attention to the improvement of monks’ living. Through years of his dedicated effort, the college’slearning and living conditions were greatly improved.
After stepping down from Sera Med Abbot position, KyabjeGosok Rinpoche accepted invitation and traveled to Taiwan. He met many new committed disciples there, and bestowed in accordance to the disciples’ mind, important teachings and oral transmissions, including the Three Principal Aspects of the Path, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, Calm Abiding and Special Insight and the Right View of Emptiness. Rinpoche traveled tireless to many countries and established many Buddhist centers all over the world to spread the Dharma. Thus he reveals in his own life the way of a bodhisattva with compassion and diligence. Rinpoche has many disciples in the world, and all who have studied with him are deeply touched by his skillful and rigorous teaching out of immeasurable compassion.
Projects and Needs of Sponsorship
In 2002, to foster a new generation of talent Sangha for the preservation of the Holy Dharma, Rinpoche set up the PhuntsokChoelingMonastery at Kathmandu, Nepal, and invited some outstanding geshes from the three great monasteries (Drephung,Ganden and Sera) to teach there. Currently the monastery has 180 enrolled monastic students, and the number is increasing quickly. The expansion and maintaining of the monastery’s day to day life and study all fall on Rinpoche’sshoulders!
In addition, for the benefit of local Buddhists and the public, Rinpoche has initiated the reconstruction of a famous Geluk monastery with a long history, the Kham Golok Monastery, also known as Gönsar Monastery.
Built in a long time ago, and due to the poor geological and geographic conditions, the old Kham Golok Monastery has been severely damaged. The living conditions for monks studying there is very difficult. (They went long years of hardships in restoring dilapidated buildings, and they are coping everyday financial difficulties to some very basic needs such as laying water pipes for bathroom plumbing and building new housing for an increasing number of young monks in the last few years; not to mention the critical shortage of teaching premises and teachers. Without proper funding, many monks periodically are compelled to go out to work. During such times, they are unable to study and forget what they have learned. This predicament is obviously a major stumbling block to the three major activities of studying, contemplating and cultivating, which are all important in the Buddhist tradition.)
Gosok Rinpoche has given all he has to restore and sponsor the monastery. Keeping an emphasis on Sangha education, and to give a full play of the monastery for the education of Buddhists and public, and the benefit of sentient beings, Rinpoche has decided to erect a new Golok Monastery down the valley from the original site. A new grand prayer hall and adjoining conveniences, a Buddhist academy building, and monastic residential houses will be built. The new monastery will be able to facilitate the study and living of five hundred monks.
Moreover, Golok is a very poor region in terms of living and medical conditions. Many families have children who lost both parents. Therefore it is also our teacher’s desire to establish an elementary school to receive and provide orphans with needed education, and a hospital to alleviate the suffering of local patients.
Inspired by Rinpoche’s great compassion and loving kindness, and relying upon the generosity of committed disciples from around the world, the reconstruction of Kham Golok Monastery has seen its initial achievement. The main prayer hall is estimated to be complete in 2011, and Rinpoche has promised to come and inaugurateits grand opening!
We need to keep in mind though, that this is just the first step of the whole project. The adjoining conveniences, monks’ residential housing, the academy, health center, and the school are yet parts of the large project. Funding is still to be met. Let us be motivated and stand together as sponsors to these meaningful projects which will yield benefitson the Dharma and the happiness of all sentient beings.Let’s cultivate our merit fields for the very fortunate futures of ourselves by giving whatever we can now!