Chime Rinpoche Explained

Lama Chime Tulku Rinpoche
Religion:Tibetan Buddhism
Lineage:Karma Kagyü
Nationality:British
Birth Date:1941
Birth Place:near Jyekundo, Kham, Tibet
Reincarnation Of:Lama Chime Rata Rinpoche
Website:http://www.marpahouse.org.uk

Lama Chime Tulku Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist, Tulku and Dharma teacher. Chime Rinpoche was born in 1941 in Kham, Tibet.[1] In 1959, due to the annexation of Tibet, he was forced to flee to India via Bhutan into exile. Gaining British citizenship in 1965, he taught extensively throughout Europe and established Marpa House, the first Tibetan Buddhist Centre in England. His students include American author and Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön and musicians Mary Hopkin, David Bowie and Tony Visconti.

Early life in Tibet

Chime Rinpoche was born in Jyekundo, Kham, East Tibet, Tibet, into a family that were direct descendants of the chieftain Rardha Pontsong, who was inspired to give his land to the 4th Sangye Nyenpa so that Benchen Monastery could be built (in the 14th century).[2] He was not the only Tulku in his family, as both Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and the 9th Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche were his maternal uncles. He was educated at Benchen Monastery,[3] where he completed academic studies as well as a traditional three-year, three-month retreat. Chime Rinpoche studied and combined the practices of Mahamudra and Dzogchen (Atiyoga) through receiving instructions in Mahamudra from Kabje Sangye Nyenpa and Dzogchen from Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche.[4]

Escape from Tibet

Due to the invasion of Tibet and subsequent occupation by the Chinese army, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa indicated that Chime Rinpoche should flee Tibet.[5] In 1959, Chime Rinpoche reached India via Bhutan alongside his Root Gurus and maternal uncles, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and 9th Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche.[6]

Life in Britain

In 1965, Lama Chime was invited to live in the UK. He shared a small apartment with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Akong Rinpoche in Oxford.[7] [8] He later gained British citizenship, registered 22 October 1970 [9] and has lived in Britain ever since. As Akong Rinpoche was the first one to find paid employment, becoming a hospital orderly, Akong supported both Chime Rinpoche and Trungpa Rinpoche.[10]

Marpa House

In 1973, Chime Rinpoche founded Kham House in Ashdon, Essex, UK the first Tibetan Buddhist Centre in England.[11] [12] The building was purchased with the help of sponsors. Previously an orphanage for homeless children called All Saints' Home, it was built by the rector of Ashdon Henry Barclay Swete.[13] [14] In 1975, just two years after Kham House was established, the 16th Karmapa visited this centre after visiting the Kagyu Samyé Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre earlier in the year.[15] Kham House was later renamed Marpa House and is run by the charity The Dharma Trust.[16] Although presently in poor health, Chime Rinpoche still teaches at Marpa House on occasion.

Status as a Tulku

During his 1975 visit, the 16th Karmapa identified Chime Rinpoche as Radha Tulku, the incarnation of Radha Phuntsok, one of the four Tulkus (incarnate Lamas) of Benchen Monastery.[17]

The Four Benchen Tulkus are:

In 2011, Chime Rinpoche travelled from London for a surprise reunion with two of the other Benchen Tulkus, Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche and Tenga Rinpoche, to the 2011 Summer Camp at Benchen Phuntsok Ling, Benchen's European headquarters.[18]

Personal life

In England, Chime Rinpoche chose to stop being a monk and married.[19] He and his English wife had three daughters, all of whom are now adults.[20]

In Britain, Chime Rinpoche is the President of the Tibetan Terrier Association, a club that is dedicated to preserve and promote the Tibetan Terrier breed of dog. The club was established in 1967.[21]

Rinpoche still teaches occasionally at Marpa House when his health permits and annually leads a ten-day Summer School retreat in Baerenthal in northeastern France.[22]

In a video message to his students on the passing of Tenga Rinpoche, Chime Rinpoche stated that he is preparing for his own visit to the 'Pure Lands' by praying and meditating more but assures his students that it is 'a very nice place, very nice'.

Work at the British Library

Rinpoche was employed by the British Library as Curator for Ancient Tibetan Manuscripts for 16 years.

Notable students

"One day, I walked into the office and it was empty," Bowie said, calling from his New York office."I went down the stairs and saw a man in saffron robes. He said, in very broken English, 'You are looking for me.'I realized years later that it was a question, but as a 16-year-old, I took it as a statement: 'You are looking for me.'"

The man in the saffron robes, Chime Yong Dong Rinpoche, became Jones' guru for several months.

"After a few months of study, he told me, 'You don't want to be Buddhist [...] You should follow music."[26]

Later, on his first album David Bowie, Bowie wrote and recorded the song "Silly Boy Blue" about a young Tibetan Monk who broke the rules as a tribute to his teacher.

Bibliography

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tradition & Lineage - Marpa House - Marpa House – Tibetan Buddhist retreat and meditation centre. Marpahouse.org.uk. 1 October 2017.
  2. Web site: sangyenyenpa.com. sangyenyenpa.com. 1 October 2017. 19 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120419201842/http://www.sangyenyenpa.com/history. dead.
  3. Web site: FAQ . Marpahouse.org.uk . 2012 . 6 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120310151011/http://www.marpahouse.org.uk/About/FAQ/faq.html . 10 March 2012 . dead .
  4. Web site: Buddhist Summer School 2012 Registration Form. Kagyu-benchen-ling.de. 2012. 10 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20131004222454/http://www.kagyu-benchen-ling.de/PDF/KBL-2012-Englisch.pdf. 4 October 2013. dead.
  5. Web site: Karma Triyana Dharmachakra - Kagyu Lineage . 2012-12-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120527174800/http://www.kagyu.org/kagyulineage/karmapa/kar01.php . 2012-05-27 . dead .
  6. Web site: Biographien, Kagyu Benchen Ling. 6 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120330075227/http://www.kagyu-benchen-ling.de/biographien.html. 30 March 2012. dead.
  7. Web site: Kagyu Samye Ling - Course Leader Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche and Gelong Thubten . samyeling.org . 2012 . Chime . 6 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130128043844/http://www.samyeling.org/index/samyeling-leader-action?id=66&course_leader_name=Choje+Akong+Tulku+Rinpoche+and+Gelong+Thubten . 28 January 2013 . dead .
  8. Web site: Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche: biography.. Samye.org. 1 October 2017.
  9. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C12416281 Naturalisation certificate HO 409/22/4283.
  10. Web site: Dr. Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche » Kagyu Samye Dzong London. London.samye.org. 1 October 2017. 27 May 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130527235226/http://www.london.samye.org/about-us/teachers/dr.-choje-akong-tulku-rinpoche/. dead.
  11. Web site: Karma Triyana Dharmachakra - Kagyu Lineage . kagyu.org . 2012 . 6 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120527174800/http://www.kagyu.org/kagyulineage/karmapa/kar01.php . 27 May 2012 . dead .
  12. Web site: Marpa House . marpahouse.org.uk . 2012 . 6 September 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120310132618/http://www.marpahouse.org.uk/index.html . 10 March 2012 .
  13. Web site: History . 2012 . Henry Swete . 6 September 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090417220130/http://www.marpahouse.org.uk/html/history.htm . April 17, 2009 .
  14. Web site: TIBETAN AND ZEN BUDDHISM IN BRITAIN. Elibrary.ibc.ac.th. 1 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170701131919/http://elibrary.ibc.ac.th/files/private/Tibetan%20and%20Zen%20Buddhism%20in%20Britain%20Transplantation,%20Development%20and%20Adaptation.pdf. 1 July 2017. dead.
  15. Book: Snelling, John. The Buddhist Handbook: A Complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice. 31 August 2011. Ebury Publishing. 9781446489581. 1 October 2017. Google Books.
  16. Web site: Register Home Page. Charitycommission.gov.uk. 1 October 2017.
  17. Web site: Benchen Monastery's European website - Short Profile of Radha Chime Rinpoche (archived at FreezePage 10/10/2012) . http://www.freezepage.com/1349888781HQXNQSSMLE?url=http://www.benchen.org.pl/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D149%26Itemid%3D100%26lang%3Den . dead . 10 October 2012 . Benchen.org.pl . 2012 . 10 October 2012.
  18. Web site: FreezePage . 2017-03-12 . 2012-10-10 . http://www.freezepage.com/1349892006ARSCOWUNGP?url=http://www.benchen.org/en/benchen-phuntsok-ling.html . bot: unknown .
  19. Web site: What is the Kagyu Monlam. Bencien Karma. Kamtsang. Benchen.org.pl. 1 October 2017.
  20. Web site: Karma Thegchen Chö Ling Bremen. https://archive.today/20130211152611/http://www.ktc-bremen.de/content/buddhismus/bio/bio-chime-rinp.html. dead. 11 February 2013. 11 February 2013. Archive.is. 1 October 2017.
  21. Web site: TTA Officers & Committee. The-tta.org.uk. 1 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20120705042943/http://www.the-tta.org.uk/Tibetan_Terrier_Association/TTA_Officers_%26_Committee.html. 5 July 2012. dead.
  22. Web site: Google Translate. translate.googleusercontent.com. 1 October 2017.
  23. Book: Fabrice Midal . Recalling Chögyam Trungpa . 2005 . Shambhala Publications . 476 . 1-59030-207-9 .
  24. Web site: Lion's Roar - Buddhist Wisdom for Our Time. Lion's Roar. 1 October 2017. 7 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141007221649/http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3455&Itemid=0. dead.
  25. Web site: Pema Chödrön . 2012-12-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130117010456/http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/biography.php . 2013-01-17 . dead .
  26. Web site: Stardust Memories / Without Tibet House, David Bowie never may have gotten Ziggy with it. Now the pop star returns the favor by performing at the annual benefit concert.. Newsday.com. 1 October 2017.
  27. Web site: tony visconti v3.0 . tonyvisconti.com . 2012 . 6 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120808234026/http://www.tonyvisconti.com/news/feb07.htm . 8 August 2012 . dead .
  28. Strange Fascination: David Bowie: The Definitive Story, 2005, p.47 (Virgin)
  29. Web site: You Look Familiar. Amazon.co.uk. 1 October 2017.

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