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2nd Beru Khyentse Rinpoche
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo's third incarnation, manifestation of mind, the present Palpung Beru Khyentse or Drongsar Khyentse Chokyi Wangpo was born in 1947 (15th day of 6th lunar month) in Central Tibet, 25 km west of Lhasa in Nyethang region.
In 1955, His Holiness 16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, through his clairvoyance predicted the child to be true incarnation and mind emanation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. In the case of this Bodhisattva the circumstances leading to expression of his Dharma activities are as follows:-
The primary cause of the expression of Dharma activities of third incarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Wangpo could be attributed to the merits of prayers and very pure faith, samaya or pledge of two of the Karmapa's most extraordinary and close disciples. Having incomparably perfect faith and keeping pure samaya, courageous in both religious and political matters, one of the four internal major ministers or Behu title of the Nangchen King, popular far and wide for their glory and dexterity, was born in Drongsar family. Both Drongsar Behu Drakpa Namgyal and his younger brother Drongsar Behu Namkha Dorje requested His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa for a high ranking Kagyu Lama capable of guiding the innocent beings and to hold the Dharma seat of their newly constructed monastery.
The Karmapa accepted their request with joyful kindness and produced a recognition letter containing all the necessary details for his recovery. It stated that the child was to be found:
"In the snow land region of the Central Tibet in straight forward western direction, two days journey away from Tsurphu for the swift walker. The fathers name being Nga Gi Wang Chuk Drowegon - The Lord of Speech, the protector of beings, and the mother's name is Arya Tara Chokyidron. The child born in the Fire-Dog year, belonged to a family with noble spiritual background and displayed special signs, is the reincarnation of Khyentse Wangpo without a doubt".
These were the exact words or the contents of the recognition letter.
Thereafter a search party was organized, comprising of Karmapa's attendant Yeshi Choephel and Drongsar Drakpa Namyal's attendant Tsultrim Woeser. For ten days they searched everywhere in the predicted direction. Finally, their efforts were rewarded and they reached the Tulku's birthplace.
This village was in accordance with the recognition letter, in straightforward direction from central Tibet ( Lhasa ), towards upper southern part of the course of Kyichu River . The swift walker as mentioned in the recognition letter was, later realized to have been alluded to a horse, because this place was at a distance of two days horse ride from Karmapa's main seat of Tsurphu and about a mile from a very sacred pilgrimage site, called Nyethang, which has a Tara temple.
The famous Buddhist Pandita of Bengal, Dipamkara or popularly known as Atisha stayed nine years on this place and eventually performed the act of passing into parinirvana at this place. The village where tulku had taken birth is called Nyethang Jemanang. His mother and uncle were from a rich family but after marriage they stayed with his father who was from a modest family as predicted in the recognition letter. Also the door of their house faced east in confirmation with the recognition letter.
His father's name was Ngawang Lobsang and that the mother's was Dolma or Arya Tara in Sanskrit. The couple had three children, two daughters and the youngest, a son was recognized later as the reincarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. The race of the parents conformed to the noble family background mentioned in the letter. The father was of Ling stock from Kham Dayab Dungra. Ling is a race famous for conquers and battles. Ling Gesar, the famous king and conqueror was also from this race.
Rinpoche's birth was accompanied with many auspicious signs. At one time, while his mother was working in the field and Rinpoche in her womb, his mother found a bone idol of Yamantaka in the field. And just before Rinpoche's birth, she found a swastika or a mystical cross made of bell metal outside her house. This was considered a spiritual sign. A few days after this incident, she saw perched on the walnut tree near their house, a strange white bird never seen before and it bowed many times towards their house before disappearing. This meant that the protectors were looking after them.
Rinpoche was born on the anniversary day of Gampopa's parinirvana, at the dawn of full moon day of the sixth month of Fire-Pig year, 16th Rabjung or the 16th cycle sixty-year of Tibetan calendar in 1947, without any difficulty to his mother. That very day they discovered that a big mushroom had grown on the flat stone surface under the water barrel in the kitchen. During the birth of Rinpoche, his mother heard a Khampa beggar calling her from their doorsteps for alms. Later she realized that it was a sign that the child would have to leave his birthplace and move to the land of Khampas . Since taking birth, the color of the child changed everyday. A few days after the birth of the child when mother went out of the house she found a Guru Rinpoche's gold-plated statue made of pure copper. This meant that Guru Rinpoche is spiritually connected to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo.
Rinpoche started his religious studies at the age of three. He entered Nyethang Tashi Gang Monastery; a Sakya Monastery founded by Drogon Choegyal Phakpa. He studied rituals and underwent spiritual training in the monastery until the age of nine. For instance, he would behave as if building a temple or a monastery. Sometimes Rinpoche would sit atop a stone throne and appoint officials from among other children. He would say, "You are my personal attendant, you would be the abbot and chanting master, you will be altar and shrine master and so on". Then they would pretend to be praying and sometimes, Rinpoche would act as if he is giving a religious discourse. He used to make and keep many bell and damaru shaped stones.
It was said that the local people used to marvel at the unique behavior of the child. They used to say that his child is very special or he must be an incarnation of a holy person. Once, when Rinpoche attended a prayer at Tashi Gang Monastery, a big mushroom bloomed from a dry pillar of the prayer hall and astonished all the monks. Rinpoche's childhood name was Thupten Sherap the 'sublime wisdom of Buddha's doctrine'. True to his name he was very intelligent. He could understand the meaning of texts by just one teaching or going through it just once.
In 1955, when Rinpoche was nine years old the two search parties setting out to look for the Yangsi Beru Khyentse Rinpoche reached Nyethang. As the search parties were passing through a road beside Rinpoche's house, the young Rinpoche saw and followed them. Not knowing he is the one that they were looking for, and fearing for some mischief, the search parties moved on cautiously. After going about a mile they reached the residence of the district leader. They saw many people thrashing and winnowing wheat and barley corps. They asked the gathering about the family and the child they are looking for. One of Rinpoche's cousins' sister Acha Pekyi who was working there heard them. She told them that their description resembled her family and directed them to the house. When they again reached the house by the road, they saw the same child playing with some of his friends. The children were busy drawing pictures of monastery on the ground. They steadily approached the children and asked, among them who were born in the year of dog. All the children except the one whom they saw earlier fled in fear of the Kampa people (search party). He replied that he was born in the year of dog. So, they thought he must be the child they are looking for and went to ask his mother. Rinpoche's mother told them that her son was born in the year of pig. She said that there was no child born in the year of dog in her family. Having said so, she did not receive them, as she did not want to lose her only son.
That evening the search party took shelter in the Nyethang Ratod Monastery about three miles from the village. The abbot of the monastery gave them a warm reception, and asked them about their purpose of visit. They told them that His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa sent them to trace the reincarnation of Beru Khyentse Rinpoche. Furthermore, they told him about their failure to trace the reincarnation even after ten days of searching in the specified area.