Garchen Rinpoche

on Tonglen

གཏོང་ལེན་

based on oral teachings by Khenpo Munsel

 “But for the actual meaning of tong-len,
you have to understand
the inseparability of self and other,
that the ground of our minds is the same.
We understand this from the View.”
- Garchen Rinpoche

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Khenpo Munsel gave me many special oral instructions on tong-len 1 that weren't in
the text.
In tong-len, generally, we say that we are sending happiness out to others and
taking others' suffering in.
But for the actual meaning of tong-len, you have to understand the inseparability of
self and other. The ground of our minds is the same. We understand this from the
View. In this context, even if there are many different types of suffering, there is only
one thing called "suffering". There is only one suffering, he taught. If there is really
only one suffering then at this time when you, yourself, have great suffering, you
should think, "The minds of the sentient beings of the three realms and my mind
have the same ground." However, the essence of the suffering of the sentient beings
of the three realms and the essence of our own suffering is the same.
If you see them to be the same, if you see them as being non-dual, and then
meditate on that suffering, in the mind's natural state, that suffering goes away.
At that moment, you have been able to lessen the suffering of all sentient beings of
the three realms, all at once.
The "len" of tong-len means "taking." First, take in this way. "Tong" means "giving." If
you understand your mind's nature, then you recognize the essence of whatever
suffering and afflictive emotions there may be to be emptiness.
When suffering does not harm you anymore, the mind has great bliss. If at that
time, you meditate, making self and others inseparable, then that bliss can diminish
the self-grasping of all sentient beings. It can lessen the self-grasping.
The happiness that is being given is the bliss that comes from the practice of giving
and taking.
This is how you should practice. This is very special. Others don't explain it this
way.2

1 Rangjung Yeshe Dictionary: གཏོང་ལེན་Tong-len. 'giving and taking.' Sending and taking. Giving and taking. A
bodhichitta practice of giving one's virtue and happiness to others and taking their suffering and misdeeds upon
oneself. the giving-and-taking [practice of bodhi chitta]; the giving-and-taking [practice of bodhi chitta], a method
for developing bodhichitta / receiving and transmitting
2 Quoted from: FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BEINGS - The Extraordinary Life of Garchen Triptrul Rinpoche (44:20
– 47:01)

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The main thing is our mind.
– Khenpo Munsel1

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A short biography of Garchen Rinpoche

Born in Eastern Tibet in 1937, the 8th Kyabjé

Garchen Triptrul Rinpoche was the
incarnation of a 12th century highly realized
yogi named Gar Chodingpa, one of the heart
disciples of the famed Jigten Sumgon,
Kyobpa Rinpoche – founder of the Drikung
Kagyu lineage that traces back to the
translator Marpa Lotsawa and greatest poet-
yogi of Tibet by the name of Milarepa.
Garchen Rinpoche is also considered to be
the emanation of Aryadeva, the lotus-born
heart disciple of the great Nargajuna
Bodhisattva.
The 8th Kyabjé Garchen Triptrul Rinpoche
was recognized as a reincarnated lama at the
age of seven by Drikung Kyabgon Rinpoche,
Shiwe Lodro, the 36th holder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage. Then, at the age of
twenty-two, soon after Rinpoche completed 2 and a half years of sealed retreat,
Tibet was invaded by China. Following the war, Garchen Rinpoche was imprisoned
for almost twenty years. It was in prison that he met his root lama, the great
Khenpo Munsel, and practiced diligently in secret until signs of realization
spontaneously appeared. Through twenty years of imprisonment and hardships,
Rinpoche was able to transform his body, speech and mind and emerged as a
selfless master of vast compassion and wisdom.
Following his release from the prison, Rinpoche had worked tirelessly to rebuild his
monastery in the Gar village, as well as many other monasteries in the greater area
of Eastern Tibet. For a period of ten years, it was said that Garchen Rinpoche did
not lie down to sleep at night. Rinpoche would sit on a low table to meditate
throughout the night and if he were too tired and sleepily felt down from the table,
he would get up and climbed back onto the table to continue with his meditation.

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The 8th Garchen Rinpoche was known throughout the world as a master of vast
love and compassion with the sole wish to benefit all beings without exception. He
was highly revered not only by masters and disciples of his own lineage but also
masters and disciples of other traditions as well. He always holds a prayer wheel in
his hand, continuously spins the wheel to pray for, and to radiate compassionate
energy to benefit all beings. The great compassionate Tara is Garchen Rinpoche’s
main yidam deity and his aspiration is to follow in her footsteps to bring love and
compassion to all. He has devoted all his time to traveling around the world to
teach the Dharma, especially the infallible law of karma cause and effect and the
essence teachings of the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, a commentary
written by the Bodhisattva Ngulchu Thogme Zangpo.
When the 8th Kyabjé Garchen Triptrul Rinpoche made it to India for the first time
in the late 1990’s and met with His Holiness Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, he did not
request for any high tantric teaching or empowerment as other reincarnated lamas
would normally request for. What Garchen Rinpoche wished to receive from His
Holiness Dalai Lama were the Bodhisattva vows which he felt that he had broken
during the war. During a public teaching the following day, His Holiness
commented to the audience how happy he was to have received a high
reincarnated lama from Tibet who requested for nothing but the Bodhisattva vows.
http://www.garchenbiography.net/garchenbriefbio.html

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Prayer for the Long Life of Garchen Rinpoche

pakpé yul na aryadeva shyé

The one known in the Holy Land as Aryadeva,
do kham chok su gar gi rik su trul
Emanated into the Gar clan of Eastern Tibet as Chödingpa
jikten gönpö tuksé chödingpa
The heart son of Jikten Gönpo
palden garchen kutsé kal gyar ten
May the life of glorious Garchen remain steadfast for a hundred aeons!
nyikdü gyal ten nyaktré nekab dir
In this age of strife when the Victor's teaching faces hardship
tutob dorje tabü tulshyuk kyi
Through his powerful, vajra-like conduct,
rimé tenpé khur chi dak gir shyé
He takes on himself the heavy responsibility of the unbiased teaching.
tenpé nyima garchen shyabten sol
May Garchen, the Sun of the Teachings, live long!

Prayer composed by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang

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1 Khenpo Munsel b.1916 - d.1993
Name Variants: Golok Munsel; Khangsar Benyakma; Munsel; Nampo; Tsultrim Gyatso; Tubten Tsultrim Gyatso
Khenpo Munsel (mkhan po mun sel) was born in 1916, on the new-moon day of a winter month in the fire-dragon
year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle, to the Khangsartsang (khang gsar tshang) family of Chakmo Golok (lcags mo
'go log) in Amdo (a mdo). His father named him Nampo (gnam po), from Namgang (gnam gang), meaning "new
moon." His father was named Khangsar Ngolo (khang gsar sngo lo, d.u.) and his mother was named Jechung Za
Tashikyi (bye chung bza' bkra shis skyid, d.u.); she was also known as Trokhen Ngawang (khro mkhan ngag dbang).
While the boy was still an infant, Yungshul Lama Sungchok Dorje (g.yung shul bla ma gsung mchog rdo rje, d.u.)
visited their home and identified the child as an embodiment of the great Nyingma master, Longchen Rabjam (klong
chen rab 'byams, 1308-1364). Sungchok Dorje is said to have made a prediction that the child would eliminate the
darkness of his followers’ ignorance and thus named him Munsel, meaning “Eliminator of Darkness.” The young
Munsel was said to be incredibly intelligent, learning reading and writing from Sengshul Lama Choku (seng shul bla
ma chos sku) at an early age. Apparently, he was also a very attractive as a young man, and so came to be known as
Khangsar Benyakma (khang gsar ban yag ma) meaning “handsome man of Khangsar.”
Munsel received his novice monk ordination (śrāmaṇera) from Jampel Gyatso ('jam dpal rgya mtsho, d.u.) of Katok
Monastery at the age of fifteen. His ordination name was Tubten Tsultrim Gyatso (thub bstan tshul khrims rgya
mtsho). On Jampel Gyatso's recommendation, Munsel joined Katok Monastery and soon received his vows of full
ordination (bhikṣu). He subsequently enrolled in Katok's monastic college, Shedrub Norbui Lhunpo (bshad sgrub
norbu'i lhun po), and commenced his studies under his main tutor, Gotsa Khenpo Orgyen Tenpel ('go tsha mkhan po
o rgyan bstan 'phel, d.u.), as well as a number of other eminent teachers. He studied common subjects such as
grammar and poetry, general teachings from both sutras and tantras, and topics specific to the Katok curriculum.
Around the age of twenty-five, Munsel traveled to Nyoshul Jonpalung (snyo shul ljon pa lung) Monastery where he
studied the complete Longchen Nyingtik (klong chen snying thig) treasure cycle in detail with one of the most
important lineage holders of the tradition, Katok Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang (kaH thog mkhan po ngag dbang dpal
bzang, 1879-1941), a heart student of Patrul Rinpoche. Ngawang Pelzang eventually accepted Munsel as one of his
chief disciples.
Munsel's biography estimates he studied one hundred voluminous texts, out of which he mastered twenty-five. His
performance during the public tests administered by the monastery is remembered as a demonstration of this
erudition. He was also known to have specialized in the Dzogchen Nyingtik (rdzogs chen snying thig) tradition.
Munsel eventually founded a dharma center in Ponkor Ngakgon (dpon skor ngag dgon) where he served as abbot for
around twenty years.
At some point in 1959, Munsel was assaulted by members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. He was beaten
close to death, but was said to have remained mentally stable and peaceful during the attack. Afterwards, he was
imprisoned in the district jail for about a year, and was then transferred to the so-called "Lama's Jail" in Xining, the
provincial capital of Qinghai. The facility lacked sufficient food, clothing and shelter, causing great hardships for its
residents, but it is reported that the conditions did not adversely affect Munsel, and that he was able to continue to
practice in secret. He was known to have given a share of his food to his companions in jail, and at one point lived
without food for several weeks during a period when nourishment was scarce. Despite fasting for such a long time,
his health was observed to be even better than before his imprisonment; as a result, many of his fellow prisoners and
even many of the jail's staff are reported to have become his students.
As conditions slowly improved, Munsel began to give Dzogchen instructions to those imprisoned with him,
including a number of high lamas. While in jail, he became the root guru of the Eighth Garchen, Konchok Gyeltsen
(mgar chen 08 dkon mchog rgyal mtshan, b.1936), an important Drigung lineage holder who currently travels
widely; and gave Dzogchen instructions to the Eighth Adeu Rinpoche (a lde'u 08, 1931-2007), a Drukpa Kagyu
lineage holder. One of his elderly Chinese devotees was even said to have attained a rainbow-body ('ja' lus) at the
time of his death.
Munsel spent a total of eighteen years doing hard labor at Dzagyo Factory (rdza gyo bzo grwa) in Xining. His
biography relates that he practiced Dzogchen throughout this period by mentally visualizing the factory as a
meditation cabin and the tools he was using as ritual implements. Through these methods, he is believed to have
gained great spiritual accomplishment. While in jail, he composed a note on the essential teachings of Dzogchen, but
burnt it when he acquired a similar note that was written by his teacher, Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang.
After spending a total of twenty-two years in prison, Munsel was released. He returned to his hometown in Golok
and resumed his activities, teaching both general topics and advanced tantra. In 1984, the wood-mouse year of the
sixteenth sexagenary cycle, he founded a monastery named Tashi Chokhor Ling (bkra shis chos 'khor gling) in a
plain named Yumchen Tang (yum chen thang), which he renamed Chokhor Pemai Thang (chos 'khor pad+ma'i
thang). Tenpa Dargye (bstan pa dar rgyas, d.u.), one of Munsel's main disciples, was enthroned as the abbot of the
monastery, and around fifty boys were admitted, granted monastic vows, and installed as resident monks. The course
of study at Tashi Chokhor Ling was based on the traditional curriculum at Katok and included classes on
Mādhyamaka and Pramāṇavārtika. Priority was also given to training the monks in the rituals of the Longchen
Nyingtik treasure cycle.
Munsel gathered several hundred lamas and monks from various places around the region to resume their traditional
prayers and religious festivals, such as a regular Guru Rinpoche feast on the tenth of the Tibetan month (tshes bcu).
Emphasizing the importance of Vinaya, Munsel also reintroduced the Rainy-Season Retreat as an annual activity at
his monastery. Gradually, the number of people seeking monastic vows under his guidance increased and the
number of resident monks grew.
Munsel founded another dharma center (chos sgar) at Gomme Oseltang (sgom med 'od gsal thang) in the Nyikhok
(rnyi khog) region of Kham. Gome Oseltang became his main residence, from where he continued to practice and
teach on clear light ('od gsal) according to Dzogchen Nyingtik practice. He remained there for the rest of his life.
Thousands of disciples were said to have gathered to receive his teachings.
In his later life he was often presented with large quantities of gold, silver, agate, and other precious stones as
offerings. He sent these to Tibet's first monastery, Samye (bsam yas), in order to support its maintenance and
restoration. He donated one hundred thousand Chinese Yuan to create a fund that supported around seventy resident
monks at Samye, and donated forty thousand Yuan to sponsor the production of woodblocks of the writings of
Ngawang Pelzang and other religious texts. These were preserved at Nyoshul Jonpalung Monastery, where he had
originally studied the Longchen Nyingtik with Ngawang Pelzang. He also donated several kilograms of expensive
coral to Katok Monastery to sponsor the creation of objects of faith. Holding the view that luxuries were an obstacle
to genuine dharma practice, he eventually donated his remaining belongings, including statues, books, and other
valuable goods, to Ponkor Monastery, which he had established before going to prison, retaining only some basic
objects for his daily use. He spent his remaining life living as a simple monk.
Outside of Munsel's strict regular practice, he continued to teach a large number of disciples hailing from every
Tibetan tradition until his death. Some of his prominent disciples include the Eighth Garchen, Konchok Gyeltsen;
Traga Rinpoche; the Eighth Adeu Rinpoche; Tenpa Dargye; Katok Khenpo Pema Lodro (kaH thog mkhan po
pad+ma blo gro, d.u.), Katokpa Jamyang Gyeltsen (kaH thog pa 'jam dbyangs rgyal mtshan, b.1929), and Pelyul
Dartang (dpal yul dar thang, d.u.).
Some of Munsel Rinpoche's compositions include a Meditation and Recitation of Ak ṣobhya (mi 'khrugs pa'i sgom
zlas); a Prayer to Mañjuśrī ('jam dbyangs gsol 'debs); a Prayer for Guidance in Future Lives (tshe rabs rjes 'dzin gyi
gsol 'debs); a Transference in Brief ('pho ba bsdus pa); and a Collection of Essential Instructions (zhal gdams phyogs
sgrig).
In February or March of 1994, on the full-moon day of the twelfth month of the water-bird year in the seventeenth
sexagenary cycle, Munsel passed away at his residence in Gome Oseltang at the age of about seventy-seven. Tenpa
Dargye and his assistants kept his death a secret for seven days. The local people, however, were said to have
observed many miraculous signs which according to tradition accompany the passing of a great master, and the
news quickly spread. Khenpo Pema Lodro was invited to rouse Munsel from his post-mortem meditative state
(thugs dam). They performed rites and rituals for purifying his body, dressed him in tantric costume, positioned him
to hold a vajra and bell, and sat him on a throne to give audience to devotees for twenty-one days. Ponkor
Monastery sponsored prayers and made extensive offerings including an abundance of torma and butter lamps. The
detailed pre-cremation rites and rituals, performed by a number of lamas, were led by the abbot of Nyoshul
Monastery (smyo shul dgon pa), Sanggye Tsering (sangs rgyas tshe ring, d.u.), Getse Tulku Gyurme Gyeltsen (dge
rtse sprul sku 'gyur med rgyal mtshan, d.u.), and Katokpa Jamyang Gyeltsen. The cremation was done in accordance
with the "Fire Puja of the Four Activities" (las bzhi'i sbyin sreg). Seven days after the cremation relics (ring bsrel)
were discovered in his remains, including images of wrathful deities embossed on his skull and peaceful deities on
his spine. His disciples and devotees built a two-story stupa decorated in gold and silver and a temple to house his
relics.
Sources
'Jam dbyangs rgyal mtshan. 1996. Rgyal ba kaH thog pa'i lo rgyus mdor bsdus. Chengdu: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun
khang, p. 152-153. W20396
Khenchen Munsel. 2011. Rdo rje 'chang dngos mkhan chen mun sel mchog gi zab gsung gces bsdus dang nyer
mkho khag cig. Kathmandou: Thrangu tashi choling. W1KG10749
Nyoshul Khenpo. 2005. A Marvelous Garland of Rare Gems: Biographies of Masters of Awareness in the Dzogchen
Lineage. Junction City, California: Padma Publishing, pp. 524-526
Tshe ring ryal mtshan. 1998. Snyigs dus bstan pa'i sgron me khyab bdag rdo rje 'chang mkhan chen chos kyi rgyal
po mun sel rin po che'i rnam thar mthong ba don ldan. Chengdu: Bod rdzogs chen lhan tshogs, pp. 1-51. TBRC
21967
Samten Chhosphel
March 2013
http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Khenpo-Munsel/9929