Gendun Rinpoches Biography

Gendun Rinpoche was a Yogi. You can truly call him a great meditator, because he has dedicated himself to the path of meditation since early childhood and never gave up his promise until enlightenment. This is just how to obtain enlightenment: Respecting the commitments you have made. t is not easy to be li!e him."
#un$ig %hamar Rinpoche

Gendun Rinpoche was an exceptional being, the very example of a perfect monk, yogi and meditation master. He was one of the old generation of great accomplished beings, the mahasiddhas of ibet. He possessed the ability to render his teaching understandable to all classes of beings. Gendun Rinpoche, the embodiment of kindness, compassion and simplicity, contributed greatly to the expansion of the dharma in !urope where he has many disciples. &ama Gendun is li!e 'ilarepa, n this life he attained the state of (orje )hang" "#eity symbolising ultimate enlightenment.$
Rangjung Rigpe (orje. the *+th Gyalwa #armapa

A brief outline of Lama Gendun Rinpoches life don"t have a life story, "ve drun! tea and eaten tsampa."
Gendun Rinpoche

Gendun Rinpoche was born in the !arth Horse year "%&%'$ in the (ham region of eastern ibet, in an area called )angchen where the inhabitants are renowned for their bravery and honesty. *any of them traditionally devoted their lives to mystic asceticism and meditating in caves. +ama Genduns birthplace is venerated as being the place where a legendary yogi called ,angye -erpa was born in extraordinary circumstances. he legend states that ,angye -erpa was nourished by the milk of a d.o "a female yak$ and later on meditated in a cave on the mountainside where he attained full enlightenment. /n the side of the rock face one can still see the impression of a dharma wheel which spontaneously appeared bearing witness to his realisation.

Rinpoches father *ong01e #argye was a sculptor of mantras "sacred, mystical formulas$ on wood and stone. 2rom his earliest youth, +ama Gendun felt a deep aspiration for the spiritual life. 3n the summer months when his parents led their herds to the pastures all the family lived together in a large tent. Rinpoches favourite game was to find a secluded spot where he would gather leaves and branches to build a hut. He would enter it, sit down in meditation posture and announce 3 am a hermit. hen the little boy would make a seat with some earth , fill a vase with water and different substances, settle down on his improvised throne and grant initiations, while reciting prayers. Rinpoche said of this period4 5lthough 3 received no religious education at that time, all my aspirations were towards the holy dharma. 3 observed the life led by my parents, who were simple and straightforward people, and seeing that they were only preoccupied by this life 3 said to myself4 5ll concerns linked to the world are useless and have no future. /f what use will they be at the time of death 6 5n ordinary life achieves nothing good. 3t can only finish in suffering. 3 considered deeply the suffering endured by those beings in the hells, and that of the yidaks "hungry spirits$. 3 understood that their circumstances were the result of their having been occupied uni7uely by worldly activities in former existences. 3 felt a great pity for their distress and dreaded my parents meeting a similar fate at the time of their death. Reflecting intensely on this way, my mind turned away from worldly affairs forever. *y father tried hard to teach me his craft but his efforts were in vain. 3 remained incapable of using the tools properly. *y parents were concerned for my future and finally yielded to my repeated re7uests to find a master from whom 3 could learn the holy dharma. hey resolved to take me to the nearby monastery of (yodrag where 3 was able to receive both a religious education and provision for my material needs. ,o, at about the age of seven, Rinpoche began his apprenticeship in the monastic way of life. 5lthough he conformed to the rules of the community, he was little interested by the traditional activities of the monks4 reading and reciting texts, making tormas, religious dances, and other formal studies. 8nlike the other monks, he was only content when abiding in meditation and he spent his years learning to meditate at the feet of the great realised masters who stayed at the monastery. 9ith all his being he yearned only for the practices of the ,ecret *antra, the :a1rayana, the rapid path to spiritual realisation. #uring this period of education, Rinpoche accomplished a number of solitary retreats. 5t the age of seventeen he received the ma1or monastic ordination of Gelong, and in his twenty first year he entered his monasterys retreat centre in order to accomplish the traditional retreat of three years and three months. 5nimated by an unfailing faith and devotion he was a perfect recipient for the teaching and saturated his mind completely with that of his masters. 5pplying the practices of the tsas and lungs of the ,ix -ogas of )aropa ":a1rayana yogic

practices$, he no longer wore any other clothing than a single white cotton sheet. 5lso, due to his realisation of the yoga of psychic heat 0 ummo, he developed the ability to cause ice to melt. !ven in mid winter he remained in his cell without heating and filled it with heat through the power of his samadi. 5 further sign of his mastery of meditation was that he no longer felt hunger nor thirst and absorbed only a very small amount of food. He obtained direct and definitive understanding of all the states of mind including even the most subtle ones. 5fter his three years retreat he remained several more years in the (yodrag monastery consecrating himself intensively to solitary meditation in strict seclusion. His door was closed and his only visitor was the cook who took care of him and kept the key to his cell. /ne day, his root lama "a lama with whom one has a special connection$ ulku en.in of (yodrag, came to visit him, opened the door of his cell and told him4 )ow its time to go out. -our meditation has reached its conclusion. -ou have obtained realisation of the practice, its no longer useful for you to stay in retreat. -ou are truly a holder of the grace and from now on you can remain among the multitude and accomplish the welfare of beings. -our realisation is unshakeable, you are like a rock of gold. -ou can be sure of that ; )ow, act accordingly to your own will. 3n spite of these words, Rinpoche stayed in retreat. 2ollowing a second visit from en.in Rinpoche, as well as forceful insistence from (henpo *ingyur, a siddha "accomplished meditator$ who resided at the monastery and was one of his root lamas, he finally accepted to follow their demands and left his retreat. Rinpoche then undertook a pilgrimage, visiting the holy places of ibet and )epal, making abundant offerings and accomplishing powerful wishing prayers. 5fter a year had passed, he continued with his practice, meditating in different caves blessed by great siddhas of the past such as Guru Rinpoche and *ilarepa. 3t was there that Rinpoche completed his realisation. 5lthough it is difficult for an ordinary person to measure the 7ualities of an enlightened being, the power of his grace and the warm radiance of his compassion were immediately felt. Gendun Rinpoche is also eminently recognised for his ability to subdue and convert non0human beings, malicious spirits, those who cause all kinds of imbalances, physical and mental sicknesses, evil influences and obstacles from which humans suffer. 3n %&<&, when events in ibet gathered force and the military occupation became complete, Rinpoche was still to be found in retreat. 5 protecting deity then appeared and directed him to leave for the south, assuring him of her present and future protection. 9ithout any knowledge of which route to take, Rinpoche left. Relying on the power of refuge of the hree =ewels ">uddha, dharma and sangha$, he succeeded in crossing the ?hinese lines and arrived in 3ndia without being troubled by the dangers of the 1ourney. /nce in 3ndia, Rinpoche went to find Gyalwa (armapa who entrusted to him the direction of a newly established monastery in eastern >hutan. He continued in this position for three years. hen due to Gyalwa (armapas kindness he was able to go to (alimpong and stay at

the house of a sponsor. He remained there in semi retreat for a further twelve years. !ach year, Rinpoche went to the Gyalwa (armapas monastery at Rumtek where he received numerous transmissions from him. 3n %&@A when (armapa was preparing to make his first 1ourney to the west, he spoke to Rinpoche in the following terms4 3m going to travel to !urope and to 5merica. 9esterners, not knowing the holy dharma, suffer greatly since their minds are disturbed by pride, 1ealousy desire and hatred. he holy dharma alone can provide a remedy to their suffering. 3f the conditions for the development of the teaching are gathered together, you will be responsible for spreading it in !urope. here is nothing to discuss, 3 know the signsB 3 know that you are a lama who has brought his practice to its conclusion. he time has come for you to accomplish the benefit of beings. Rinpoche recalls his reaction 4 3 felt crushed by the prospect of such a task. 3 remained speechless, unable to reply. he (armapa then placed his hand on my head and said to me, smiling4 5 benefactor, *r >enson, has offered me a part of his property in 2rance. 5n important centre needs to be established there for the spreading of the holy dharma. *any people will then be able to have access to the teaching and that will be of great benefit to westerners. herefore, you are to go to !urope. #ont worry, you have the necessary karma to accomplish this task. he time has come for you to put it into action. 3 am the (armapa, if you have a little faith in the name of the (armapa, you must believe what 3 say. hus he concluded, laughing. 3 am an old man. 3 responded. Gyalwa (armapa replied 3ts true that you are older than 3 am. )evertheless, 3 will part before you, and you will see me again as a child. -our activity is very closely linked to my own. -ou will reappear again for two lives, very close to myself, after which you will manifest complete >uddhahood. +ama Gendun Rinpoche arrived in 2rance in 5ugust %&@<. 2rom this date onwards he gave himself untiringly to the role entrusted to him by the Gyalwa (armapa, that of transmitting the authentic dharma to westerners. His activity took him to a great number of !uropean countries. He passed away on the C%st /ctober %&&@ in his room at (hagpo #undreul &ing in the 5uvergne.

GENDUN RINPOCHE REMEMBERS... DD3 was %< or %E years old when the %Eth Gyalwa (armapa visited our monastery. 5t that time, he was still a small child and the previous ,itu Rinpoche accompanied him. (armapa stayed three days and gave a crown ceremony with

the small black hat since he could not yet wear the large one. He also gave us a ?henre.ig "deity symbolising compassion$ empowerment. 2ollowing his visit 3 started a C0year0retreat and after that 3 went on a one year pilgrimage throughout ibet which led me to surpu "(armapas ibetan seat$. /nce again 3 met the (armapa and took part in a crown ceremony. 2rom central ibet, 3 travelled directly back home to (ham in eastern ibet and spent about eight years in solitary retreat. hen the (armapa visited )angchen again. 5 large tent was set up and many people came to see him. /ur whole community was there, except for our cooks. wo of my retreat0friends travelled with me and after our meeting with the (armapa, we spent several years in the mountains meditating in complete solitude. hereafter we went to 8rgyen RinpocheDs retreat0place in (ongpo and practised there for six months. /ur next pilgrimage lasted three yearsB we travelled through ibet all the way to *ount (ailash. hen we felt that it was time to return home. /n the return 1ourney, we visited surpu again. 9e heard that the (armapa was already on his way out of ibet "following the ?hinese invasion$ and was staying at Faltsen =owo Ri. 9e immediately set out to 1oin him there, but on the way we were stopped by the ?hinese. 9e then met friends and relatives in a town called )ye where we practised a #or1e rollG "a protective deity$ ritual to overcome disturbing influences. 2inally we found out that the %Eth (armapa had reached exile in safety. 9e then retreated in a cave high up in the mountains in a valley called +o where Rechungpa "*ilarepas great disciple$ once practised and meditated. #uring a sok0ritual we made the decision to flee ibet, but it seemed almost impossible because the ?hinese had already cut off all escape routes. 9e came across many ibetans who told us of their unsuccessful attempts to flee and that there were no other routes open. 3 re7uested help and protection from the hree =ewels ">uddha, dharma and sangha$B asked them to lead me because 3 was determined to escape. /ther ibetans tried to dissuade me as they were convinced that the ?hinese would kill me along with the others. >ut 3 was sure that fleeing was the best thing to do and that the hree =ewels would protect us. /ur escape route wasnDt a real path. /n one side were very steep cliffs and on the other the >rahmaputra. he ?hinese had the entire route under their control. 3n order not to be seen we waited until the dead of night had fallen. he ?hinese had flashlights and we came so close to them that we could see the glow of their cigarettes, their steaming tea cups and their guns pointing in our direction. 5lthough our whole bodies were shaking with fear, we simply prayed to the hree =ewels and went on. 3t took two hours to get through the ?hinese lines, and it was certainly due to the blessing of the refuge that they didnDt catch us. he ibetans that accompanied me were overwhelmed and very thankful. hey thought it was a miracle.

/n our way to 3ndia we didnDt see anyone for three weeks. 3t was only near the 3ndian border that we met a few resistance fighters. /ne of them was sick, folded up in great pain. He re7uested us as lamas to help him. ,o 3 prayed for him, gave him blessings and shortly thereafter he recovered. he resistance fighters relayed a message to the next post that a great +ama was on the way and that they should do everything to help him. 3n this way all difficulties were overcome. /nce in 3ndia, we stayed in the *usamari refugee camp for three days. he 3ndian government then informed us that we would go with CHH (hampas to work in ,ikkim. *any had a difficult time as labourers building the roads there and re7uested that 3 do ara prayers for them. 3 then spent the following three weeks with the (hampas in ,ikkim. #uring this time, 3 discovered that the (armapa was presently in Rumtek "his 3ndian seat$, so 3 went there with a friend. 9hen we arrived at the monastery it was evening and the monks were assembled in the temple performing a pu1a. he (armapa was also there and he signalled me to come to him. ,oup had 1ust been distributed to the monks and the (armapa instructed them to give me some as well. he monk responsible for serving the soup told me that 3 should drink it outside, but the (armapa invited me to stay and since 3 didnDt even own a bowl, he saw to it that 3 was given one. 5fter the pu1a, the (armapa went up into his room. 9e wanted to talk to him, so we followed him upstairs, but one of the monks stopped us and said that we should come the next morning because the (armapa never gave audiences in the evening. 5s we went down the stairs one of the (armapaDs monks ran after us and said that the (armapa wanted to see the two visiting senior lamas and that we should come immediately. 9e were finally with the (armapa and he blessed us with both hands. /ne of his servants wanted to send us away again, but the (armapa invited us to stay. He told us that we should live in Rumtek. He said that, if we could take care of ourselves, we should do that. 3f not, we could at any time inform his monks and they would take care of us. 3n case the monks couldnDt give us what we needed, the (armapa would direct his kitchen to provide us with whatever we re7uired. 9e could hardly believe what was happening. /f course, my friend and 3 were happy to be with the (armapa and to have received his blessing. >ut we did not know exactly what to do. 9e didnDt actually want to live in the monastery. 3t is said that if one spends too much time very close to oneDs lama, there is a danger in breaking oneDs samayas "spiritual bonds$. hat had never happened to us and we didnDt want it to develop in that way. 5t the same time we had no desire to bother the (armapa with our personal concerns.

,hortly thereafter, the (armapa re7uested us again to see him and told us that we should accompany the (henpo "scholar of philosophy$ to >aksa who would leave the next morning. 3n (alimpong, we should stay in the house of one of (armapas generous patrons. However, there was a small problem. he (henpo held an 3ndian passport with which he could travel to >aksa at any time, but we only had ,ikkimese identification and needed special permission to make the trip. he (armapa immediately contacted the ,ikkimese authorities and re7uested them to issue the necessary documents. He definitely wanted to send us with the (henpo. !verything worked out perfectly and we started our 1ourney to (alimpong the next day. 3 donDt recall exactly how long 3 lived in (alimpong with the (armapaDs patron, who had a large temple next to his house. He took care of me so well that 3 could dedicate my entire time to dharma practice without having to do any other work. 3 didnDt have to go anywhere, not even to direct the rituals. *y patron then travelled for many months, so 3 also left (alimpong. 3 went to #ar1eeling, met some friends there and spent one month in ,onada with )orla. he (armapa then called me in ,onada and told me that 3 should now go to >hutan. 3 told him that 3 would not do this, because 3 had already decided to do a C year retreat with )orla. he (armapa replied4 I)o, definitely notI, and he sent songpon (onchog with a 1eep to drive me immediately to >hutan. he 7ueen had 1ust constructed a temple there which she had entrusted to the (armapa. *y real desire, however, was to continue practising in retreat. hen, in fact, it so happened that 3 could practice in solitude in the vicinity of the kingDs palace since another person took on the responsibility of guiding the temples rituals. he king of >hutan then passed away. (armapa and #ud1om Rinpoche were invited to direct the funeral ceremonies. hese ceremonies consisted of a certain form of ?hGd practice and both masters re7uested that 3 perform them. /n the way to imphu 3 stayed for a while in Fagdru agtsang, where we practised %HH,HHH accumulations of the Guru Rinpoche tsok ritual ,ampa +hundrup. he 7ueenDs mother had re7uested these rituals. 5t this time, #ilgo (hyentse Rinpoche was residing in Fagdru (yichu. He asked me to come to see him and 3 ended up staying for one week. 5t the same time obga Rinpoche had 1ust built a house and was looking for a lama who would perform different consecration rituals. 3 was invited to do this for him. /ne day #ilgo (hyentse Rinpoche told me that 3 should go to !urope and that he could help me get a passport. However 3 told him, I3 will never go to !uropeI. (hyentse Rinpoche asked me whether 3 was sure of this and 3 said, Idefinitely sure and that is my final decisionI. He 1ust replied4 I-ou donDt want to go to !urope, but you will be going anywayI. ,hortly after that, the (armapa returned to >hutan and invited me for breakfast the next day. 5s 3 sat with him, he told me that he would be travelling to the 9est

during that same year visiting many countries. he (armapa wanted to find out whether there would be an openness for the >uddhaDs teachings in the 9est. he (armapa said to me4 I3f the general development in the 9est is positive, then you will have to go. -ou shouldnDt protest and insist that you would prefer to stay here. 3 told the >hutanese minister for internal affairs that you would need a passport and he has already begun to take the necessary steps. 3f 3 have the impression that the dharma could flourish in the 9est, 3 will then know whether 5merica or 2rance is more suitable. -ou should then establish a dharma centre and a monastery there. he decision is made and you shouldnDt resist.I 3 sat there absolutely speechless. 3 thought to myself4 I9hat can 3 say 0 3 donDt know anything6I >ack at obga RinpocheDs 3 told him that the (armapa had advised me on all kinds of things. obgala asked what had happened and 3 told him4 I he (armapa said 3 should go to a place called !uropeI. obga Rinpoche replied4 I hats how it should be. -ou should go to the 9estI. 3 replied4 I3f thatDs the way it is, then 3 say )o. 3 will apologise to the (armapa and tell him that 3 cannot go.I 3 re7uested obgala to lend me his car because 3 immediately wanted to clarify this with the (armapa. However, he said4 I-ou wonDt be able to change anything. 3 have already spoken with the (armapa about this, and even the minister of internal affairs has tried to change the (armapaDs mind. )evertheless, the (armapa insists that you must travel to the 9est. 3f you go and see him now asking him not to send you, it will only make him unhappy.I his is what made me give up the idea to go and see the (armapa again. ,hortly afterwards he left to travel to the 9est. /n returning from his 1ourneys, (armapa sent his personal attendant, ,inpGn, to take me to Rumtek. 9e left immediately and 3 went directly to see the (armapa. He told me about his travels and said4 I3 have 1ust been all over 5merica and !urope. 3 am sure that >uddhism will flourish. 5s far as practice is concerned, it seems there will be more activity in !urope. 3Dve already been given a piece of land in 2rance. hatDs where you should go.I 3 replied4 I9hat should 3 do there 6 3 am not capable of anything. 9hy does it have to be me who goes there 6I he (armapa simply replied4 I#onDt think like that. 9hen you first came to Rumtek, 3 told you to stay, and guide the C0year0retreat. >ut the (henpo went to >aktsa, and so 3 immediately sent you with him. his also had a reason. -ou see, you and 3 have a particular karmic connection. 9herever 3 introduce the dharma, you are the first to go, like a pioneer. his is why, at that previous time, 3 sent you with the (henpo. herefore, you definitely must go to the 9est now. 3t is important and auspicious for the future. -ou cannot ob1ect. -ou have to goI4 I3n !urope you must give blessings, empowerments and dharma0teachings. =ust simply do what (alu Rinpoche does. -ou shouldnDt make yourself out to be an

insignificant, unimportant +ama, as if you were a nobody. >etween you and (alu Rinpoche there is not the slightest difference. ,o that you are completely confident, 3 can tell you about your past karma that now enables you to do all this. 3 can tell you who you were in previous lives. >ut if you donDt want to know now, 3 can also tell you this another time.I 3 replied that 3 certainly didnDt need to know and that he shouldnDt tell me anything. he (armapa continued to say4 I/nce you are in !urope, you should build a temple, a monastery and a retreat0centre and teach the dharma. -ou should not restrict your dharma0activity to one country, or one small area. Rather spread the dharma everywhere. 3n that way many people will have contact with and develop confidence in >uddhism. -ou must go soon, because the time is ripe and one must act at the right time. Feople have very strong emotions and the situation could change very 7uickly. herefore, you must go to the 9est now. imes will become more difficult. 3f the dharma is not established everywhere, enormous suffering will occur, similar to the suffering which beings experience in the hell realms. 3f we succeed in introducing the dharma everywhere, this suffering will be minimised. 9e need to provide people with the possibility to understand their emotions, distinguishing between the positive and the negative so that they can act in a positive way. his would really benefit the world, and this is why 3 am sending you to the 9est. 3t is extremely important to truly benefit beings and for this it is essential that the dharma is introduced everywhere.I he (armapa continued4 I3t will be very difficult for ibet to gain independence. !ven if this comes about, we certainly cannot return. 9e will stay here in 3ndia. 2urthermore, there will be a time, when difficulties will arise for the ulkus "incarnations of great masters$ and they will no longer have any place to live. 3f you go now, you will be able to set up a place where their activity for the welfare of beings can flourish. his is why you must build this monastery. 3n ibet, the dharma will be re0established and to a small degree people will be able to practice again. >ut they will only be able to practice alongside their work. 3t will never be as it was in the past, when people could fully concentrate on their dharma0practice. herefore, it is more than likely that it will be very difficult to fully stabilise the dharma in ibet and so it will not last a long time there. 3n >hutan the situation is fine, however, it is uncertain how stable it will be in the future. 3n ,ikkim it is very good at the moment, but ,ikkim will soon loose its independence. 5s far as Rumtek is concerned, it will not remain as it is now. 3t is possible that the relics in Rumtek will be in great danger. his is why 3 am now considering taking them to the 9est, where there is a more stable situation. here are many important relics here. 3t would be exaggerating to say that half of the relics that we had in ibet are now in Rumtek. 3 have collected the most important relics from everywhere and one third are definitely now here. 3 was able to save them so that not even one single precious relic was left in surpu.

However, in the future there is a great danger that they will be lost in Rumtek. herefore 3 hope to be able to preserve them in the 9est. his is why you should definitely build a suitable monastery. )ow 3 would already like you to take to the 9est a number of those important relics that you saw yesterday. 3 replied that 3 wouldnDt like to. ,ooner or later people would start to slander me, saying that +ama Gendun 1ust took the relics. 3 said, for the time being, it is better to keep them at Rumtek. 5fter this he showed me many statues including the very holy ones that radiate with blessings. He emphasised that in the near future, 3 should definitely take these relics to the 9est, to ensure that they are not lost. /ne night, the (armapa sent a monk called ?hGgyal to pick me up. 3 told the monk4 I)ot now, before dawn. /ne can still see the stars in the sky. 3t is still nightI ?hGgyal explained that the (armapa had re7uested him to bring me to him immediately and for this reason 3 should come along. 3 refused once again, but he insisted and said that he would wait for me until 3 came. ,o 3 went to the (armapa. He was sitting on a large chair on the terrace in front of his house. 5t the other end of the terrace there was a similar chair. (armapa told me that 3 should get it and sit next to him. he chair was too heavy for me to carry, so the (armapa himself helped me to bring the chair over. he (armapa invited me to sit down and then blessed me. He put both hands on my head and recited a prayer to the lineage4 #or1e ?hang, ilo, )aro, *arpa, *ila and so on. he (armapa recited this prayer three times and told me that now he had transferred the entire transmission and blessing of the lineage. hereby 3 became a holder of his lineage. hen he prayed to the #harma0protectors, #akas and #akinis informing them that he had passed on the transmission to me and that they should provide their protection and support. his he also recited three times. 3 was so overwhelmed that 3 could only cry. 3 thought4 Iwhat is this great master saying6I and 3 looked around three times to be sure that no one saw me. 3 was truly embarrassed that the (armapa had given the transmission to me, a simple lama, and that he was paying so much attention to me. *y eyes were full of tears and 3 was trembling from excitement. 3t was a shock for me. 8p to now 3 have hardly spoken of this event when the (armapa made me a holder of his lineage. 5t that time, the (armapa told me so many things. !ven up to this day the memory of this brings tears to my eyes. hen the (armapa showed me pictures of all kinds of temples and monasteries, one after another, and told me that 3 should build something similar

in !urope. 9e sat like this until dawn. he (armapa advised me on so many things.... then tea was served. +ater, when the (armapa came to !urope 3 still hadnDt been able to build a temple. However, he said 3 shouldnDt worry nor be discouraged. 3 should first establish a retreat0centre and thereafter everything else would naturally manifest. he (armapa literally told me4 I-ou should definitely build a retreat0centre and you will be able to do that. -ou should establish a temple and a dharma0centre and you will also be able to do that. -ou should ordain many monks and establish a nunnery and you will manage this too.I (armapa repeated this a few times. 5t that time, 3 thought to myself4 I3 am an old man and the (armapa has given me so many responsibilities. How will 3 ever possibly manage6I 3 was speechless. 3 1ust couldnDt imagine how this would be possible and so 3 said nothing regarding these plans. However, the (armapa knew right away what 3 thought and said4 I-ou will live longer than me. !ven though 3 am younger than you, 3 will die before you. 5nd then you must stay to fulfil these tasks. 3 have transmitted to you all the necessary blessings, powers and abilities. herefore, you will be able to accomplish all of this. 5fter my present incarnation and before you die, we will certainly meet again. 3 am sure you will only pass away after that. 3 have now given you some responsibilities. Flease donDt think you wonDt manage. 3f it wasnDt your karma to accomplish all of this, it would be impossible anyway. rust me, the time is ripe and you have the right karma. -ou wonDt have any difficulties. 3f you only have a little confidence in the name of the (armapa, you will be able to accomplish everything. rust me; 3 am the (armapa.I -our abilities to accomplish all this are not from this life. 3t comes from your previous lives. he two of us have been working together for the dharma during many lifetimes. his is where your present karma comes from. -ou are like a pioneer for my work. 3t is your karma, to go to the 9est now. !ven if you wanted to attain buddhahood in this life, it wouldnDt be possible. 3n the future, the two of us will go on working for the dharma. 2or two more lifetimes you will continue to work together with me. hereafter you donDt need to take rebirth anymore and you will be fully enlightened. 3 myself will definitely manifest in this world as the (armapa for another three or four lifetimes. hereafter my activity will spread out, through many manifestations but without the name I(armapaI. he tasks 3 have entrusted you with will not cause you any problems. rust me. 3 am the (armapa, not 1ust anybody. 3 know your activities will naturally manifest simply due to your karma. 2urthermore you donDt need to worry about who will take care of the centres in the future. ,hamar Rinpoche will be there to look after them.I

5t that time, the (armapa gave me numerous instructions, a lot more than what 3 have 1ust said. >ut these were the essential points. +ama =igmela is aware of all of these instructions. He was always with the (armapa. =ust like the other of the (armapas most important disciples, =igmela was always with him. 9hen the (armapa told me to do all this 3 didnt feel 3 would be able to accomplish it. 3 am nothing, 3m 1ust an old man without any 7ualities. his is why 3 did not promise anything to the (armapa. 3 1ust sat there and listened. 8pon leaving Rumtek 3 told him4 I-ou once said the 9est is like #ewachen. ,o it will simply be like flying to a pure landI. >ut the (armapa replied4 I#onDt say thisB the 9est is certainly not comparable to #ewachen, even though life there is very comfortable. 3t is still nothing but a human realm.I 2inally he told me4 I-ou should always decide on your own and you have my full personal support. -ou can always refer back to me and say that you are acting on my behalf. 3 will be there for you to see how you are doing and what you do. -ou can be certain of my total support. 3n addition, 3 will give a letter of authority to take with you.I 3 told the (armapa that 3 didnDt need this, but he answered4 I)o, there will be a time when you need this personal written clarification and it is better, if you would take this now.I >ut 3 said4 I3 donDt need it. 3f you, the (armapa, say that everything will work out, 3 donDt need any written authorisation.I 3n fact, later there were difficulties regarding the temple pro1ect and the retreat0 centre. 5t that time, =igmela was together with the (armapa in 5merica and told him about these problems in 2rance. ?onse7uently, the (armapa sent a letter in which he said, things should be arranged exactly as +ama Gendun decides. here should be no further discussions. He wrote that he had given me his full blessing and that people should not have any doubts regarding my decisions. ,o, thatDs how 3 ended up with this authorisation letter that (armapa wanted to give me from the very beginning. 5nd everything developed very well. 9hatever the (armapa says will be fulfilled. 3t might be that 3 have forgotten some of the (armapaDs instructions. >ut as 3 previously said, +ama =igmela knows them all. -ou can ask him. He was always with the (armapa, he lived in his rooms, ate with him, he was simply always with him, even when he travelled. 3 have known =igmela since he was a child and, well, today he is grown up. He was present during all the important events. 3t was only on that occasion when the (armapa gave me the transmission and fully blessed me that 3 was alone with him.

5ll prophecies the (armapa makes come true. 5 number of them have not yet been revealed, but they also will slowly manifest... DD