...cont'd...
When these events were reported to the Dzong-pön he understood the implications of his act and the extreme rashness of his decision. It was apparent to him that Drüpthob Tashi Rinpoche was a Mahasiddha, and he became extremely fretful concerning the personal consequences of his behaviour. After due consideration the Dzong-pön promised to make an entreaty to the Lhasa government. This finally caused the taxes to be reviewed and thereafter the people of the village were no longer taxed disproportionately.
Drüpthob Tashi Rinpoche was extraordinary in his siddhis. Having the power to transform himself into a white vulture, he often flew through the local valleys blessing everyone and everything over whom his shadow passed. In this way he relived many people of illness. In the form of a vulture Drüpthob Tashi Rinpoche gave transmission to the vultures who ate corpses during dur-trö (dur ’khrod - sky burial). Having received Drüpthob Tashi Rinpoche’s transmission, the vultures would only begin to eat the human corpses after he had tapped them three times each with his beak. Drüpthob Tashi Rinpoche would then reassume human form to return to his Sangyum and children.
Drüpthob Tashi Rinpoche’s lineage was transmitted to his son Min’gyür Dorje Rinpoche, and thence to each succeeding son. Each alternate son was either the incarnation of Drüpthob Tashi or of Min’gyür Dorje (Drüpthob Tashi’s son). Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche’s father (Ngak’chang Ögyen Dorje Rinpoche) was the incarnation of Drüpthob Tashi Rinpoche, and Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was incarnation of Drüpthob Tashi Rinpoche’s son (Min’gyür Dorje Rinpoche).
Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was recognised as an incarnation after a series of miraculous events which occurred when he was five years of age. Before these events took place, his parents had no clear recognition that their son was a trülku, asYeshé Dorje Rinpoche had displayed no extraordinary abilities or marvellous prodigies. At the age of five, however, he made a day’s excursion into the mountains with his father and older brother in order to gather medicinal roots, herbs, and flowers. Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche—being young—was left to his own devices whilst his father and bother collected the herbs. Left alone for a considerable period of time, Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche wandered wherever his fancy took him.
When his father and brother realised he was gone, his father saw through his own Clarity where Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was and set off without delay to rescue him from what appeared to be a life-threatening situation. Lama Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche’s brother was astounded when they found him, because somehow he was sitting in a cave on the far side of the mountain. The cave was inaccessible by foot, or even by climbing, so they had had to walk for several hours to a point where they could reach Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche by lowering a rope from a cliff above the mouth of the cave. Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche’s brother descended the rope in order to make the rescue but when he was level with the cave, Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was just about to walk directly out of the cave mouth in to the air. That was the natural choice for Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche, as it was the way he had entered the cave. Just as Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was stepping off the cave ledge, his brother took hold of him and they were both pulled up to safety by their father.
Ngak’chang Ögyen Dorje Rinpoche was well aware that it would not have been possible for Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche to have walked to the cave. He was too young for such a hike, and in any case it was not possible to reach the cave without a rope. It was evident that Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was a siddha – and in all probability the incarnation who would carry forward the Family Lineage.
Consequent to this event, Ngak’chang Ögyen Dorje Rinpoche consulted with several other Lamas, all of whom concluded that Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was indeed the rebirth of Togden Min’gyür Dorje Rinpoche (rTogs lDan Min’gyur rDo rJe).
After he was recognised as the incarnation of Togden Min’gyür Dorje Rinpoche (the son of Drüpthob Tashi) he was sent to study at Do-ngak-Ling, where his older brother had been enthroned as the presiding trülku. He studied there under the excellent Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche, but his tutor had grave concerns about his student – because Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche seemed unable to memorise, and had scant interest in academic matters. Pema Dorje Rinpoche attempted a greater degree of strictness with Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche, but to no avail. Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche preferred teasing the monks to studying.
Once his residence was more established in Do-ngak Ling, however, Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche had a dream of clarity in which many khandros manifested themselves to him. Consequent to these visions he found that the memorisation of texts no longer proved an obstacle to him. He immediately set about memorising the text set for him by Pema Dorje Rinpoche and had learned it in its entirety within a month. He then asked Pema Dorje Rinpoche to arrange a date for his official examination. Pema Dorje Rinpoche was aghast – finding it difficult to take the application seriously. He was unsure as to whether Lama Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was playing tricks on him as he did with all the monks. Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was insistent, however, and Pema Dorje Rinpoche had no alternative but to arrange the date for the examination – even though Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche spent no further time in study.
The day of the examination arrived and, to the astounded bemusement of Pema Dorje Rinpoche, Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche displayed an unprecedented ability to continue reciting the text from whatever point Pema Dorje Rinpoche ceased reciting. More than this, however, Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche showed no hesitation or pause. He also understood the entire text on questioning – down to its smallest detail. At the end of the examination Pema Dorje Rinpoche immediately offered prostrations and sat on the ground before Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche – smiling through his tears. Pema Dorje Rinpoche was completely overwhelmed by the incredible prodigy he witnessed. He apologised for the harsh uncompromising style of his teaching, and promised that in future he would be both gentle and kindly in his manner. From that time onward, the monks at the gompa showed great affection and consideration for Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche, and took no further offence at being teased or of his making sport of them.
As Lama Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche grew older he began to be asked to perform ’phowa and bardo practices for the local people. He considered himself to have little capacity in this regard and felt ashamed of his lack of expertise with Vajrayana ritual. One day three ngakpas arrived and requested permission to stay at the gompa. They were gÇodpas on an extended pilgrimage, practising gÇod wherever they halted for the night. Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche was intensely impressed by their manner and way of life. He talked with them extensively concerning the essential meaning of the practice, and resolved that the only way that he would deserve the respect he had been shown was not only to possess his natural powers, but to be able to apply them accurately for the benefit of others. He felt a keen sense in which he needed to look after himself rather than relying on the gompa of his brother for support. It also occurred to him that he was not free to be the yogi he should be in a gompa. He therefore concluded that it would be best to quit the sphere of academic training and follow the example of the three ngakpas. He would spend his life wandering and practising in the mountain wilderness, as he had little enjoyment of monastic strictures, and preferred to govern his life according to the style of his forbears rather than the style of monasticism.
Even though this was his decision - it was not a simple matter to leave the gompa. Like most monastery-based dignitaries, his presence in the gompa provided significant encouragement with respect to donations from the laity, and his departure would be unwelcome in the eyes of the monastic bursar and other officials. Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche therefore elected to flee by night in secret, never to return. He left on horseback with few provisions in order to gain as much distance as he could from those who might attempt to follow him. He slept in caves during daylight hours and travelled at night, relying on his horse to find its own trail.
After some weeks he reached Kongpo (kong po) where he could travel openly, and speak freely. In Kongpo he met Togden Künrig (rTogs lDan kun rigs) who invited him to journey with him. Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche thought this an excellent proposal and journeyed for several months practising with Togden Künrig as they travelled. Through Togden Künrig, Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche met his first Tsawa’i Lama—Ko-gyong Rinpoche—with whom he studied with for three years until Ko-gyong Rinpoche’s death. The last words of Ko-gyong Rinpoche emphasised the need to go beyond ritualism. He instructed Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche to concentrate on the inner meaning of Vajrayana and never to immure himself in the outer performance, as did so many Lamas. He said that if Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche were successful in his practice, they would meet again. Ko-gyong Rinpoche attained rainbow body.
(...)
<x-tad-bigger>Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche travelled widely as a </x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger>weather</x-tad-bigger><x-tad-bigger> maker, helping people especially in Southern India. Tibetan communities in the South suffered from drought, so he was of incredible help in bringing them rain. In Manali and in the valleys of Lahaul and Spiti he often averted hail. </x-tad-bigger><x-tad-smaller>
</x-tad-smaller>
