Born in TibetChögyam Trungpa—meditation master, scholar, and artist—was identified at the age of only thirteen months as a major tulku, or reincarnation of an enlightened teacher. As the eleventh in the teaching lineage known as the Trungpa tulkus, he underwent a period of intensive training in meditation, philosophy, and fine arts, receiving full ordination as a monk in 1958 at the age of eighteen. The following year, the Chinese Communists invaded Tibet, and the young Trungpa spent many harrowing months trekking over the Himalayas, narrowly escaping capture. Trungpa's account of his experiences as a young monk, his duties as the abbot and spiritual head of a great monastery, and his moving relationships with his teachers offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the life of a Tibetan lama. The memoir concludes with his daring escape from Tibet to India. In an epilogue, he describes his emigration to the West, where he encountered many people eager to learn about the ancient wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism. |
Contents
21 | |
23 | |
31 | |
3 Düdtsitil and Namgyaltse | 36 |
4 My Childhood at Düdtsitil | 42 |
5 In the Steps of the Tenth Trungpa | 59 |
6 I Go to My Guru | 69 |
7 Death Duties and a Vision | 78 |
14 It Must Be India | 174 |
15 Refugees on the Move | 185 |
16 Travelling the Hard Way | 196 |
17 Days of Crisis | 208 |
18 Touch and Go | 219 |
19 Across the Himalaya | 230 |
Song of the Wanderer in Powo Valley | 250 |
Epilogue | 251 |
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Common terms and phrases
abbot able Akong Tulku animals Apho-karma arrived asked assembly hall baggage Bodhisattva Brahmaputra Buddha Buddhist bursar camp cave Central Tibet Chamdo Chentze Rinpoche Chinese com Communists con coracles cross Dalai Lama decided Derge Dharma Diidtsi-til disciple district Dorje Drolma Lhakhang East Tibet escape felt further Gampopa gave Gelug ground guru Gyalwa Karmapa Holiness horses incarnation India Jamgon Kongtriil Jigme join journey Jyekundo Karma Khenpo Gangshar knew Kongpo Lhasa looked meditation Milarepa monastery monastic monks mountain Mter Namgyal-tse night no-one Nyewo party pass Pepung reached received refugees resistance return to Surmang Rigong-kha rites river road rocks Rolpa-dorje Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche Sechen secretary seemed seminary senior lamas sent shramanera snow spiritual stay talk teacher teaching tenth Trungpa Tulku thought Tibetan told took travelling troops tsampa Tsepa Tsethar tutor Vajrayana valley village walk wangkur wanted Yag Tulku yaks Yonten