Lineage Shrine Room at Mindrolling
  • INTRODUCTION
    A short introduction to the Mindrolling family.
  • PART I
    Origins of the Mindrolling Lineage, Nyö Jachung Karpo, The Nyö Lineage, The Mindrolling Lineage
  • PART II
    Biographical accounts of Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub, Yum Lhadzin Yanghcen Dolma, Chögyal Terdag Lingpa
  • PART III
    Biographical accounts of Gyalse Tenpa'i Nyima and Lochen Dharmashri
  • PART IV
    The Dzungar Mongol Invasion, Biographical account of Pema Gyurme Gyatso
  • PART V
    Jetsün Migyur Paldrön (Part 1) – Birth and Early Life
  • PART VI
    Jetsün Migyur Paldrön (Part 2) – The Dzungar Mongol Invasion and Exile from Tibet
  • PART VII
    Jetsün Migyur Paldrön – (Part 3) – The Return to Mindrolling
  • PART VIII
    Drinchen Rinchen Namgyal — the 3rd Mindrolling Trichen
  • PART IX
    Zhabdrung Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub
  • PART X
    Gyurme Pema Tenzin — the 4th Mindrolling Trichen
  • PART XI
    Ögyen Tenzin Dorje — the 3rd Mindrolling Khenchen
  • PART XII
    Trichen Gyurme Trinley Namgyal — The 5th Mindrolling Trichen
  • PART XIII
    Sang Ngag Tenzin — the 4th Mindrolling Khenchen
  • PART XIV
    Trichen Gyurme Pema Wangyal — the 6th Mindrolling Trichen
  • PART XV
    Jetsün Trinley Chödrön
  • PART XVI
    Gyurme Ogyen Chöphel — The 5th Mindrolling Khenchen
  • PART XVII
    Gyurme Sangye Kunga — The 7th Mindrolling Trichen
  • PART XVIII
    Minling Rigzin Zangpo — The 6th Mindrolling Khenchen
  • PART XIX
    Gyurme Yidzhin Wangyal — The 8th Mindrolling Trichen

The History of Mindrolling: Part XVI

The Fifth Khenchen of Mindrolling - Gyurme Ogyen Chöphel

The fifth Khenchen of Mindrolling, Gyurme Ogyen Chöphel, was the younger son of the fifth Mindrolling Trichen Gyurme Thrinley Namgyal. His older brother was the sixth Mindrolling Trichen Gyurme Pema Wangyal and his sister was Jetsün Thrinley Chödrön. Due to the fifth Khenchen and his great siblings efforts, Mindrolling and all of Tibet enjoyed a period of strong and pure practice as well as the flourishing of the buddhadharma.

From a very young age Khenchen Ogyen Chöphel displayed great signs of sacred conduct cultivating a deep fondness for silence and contemplation. He received full ordination from the great Khenchen Sa Ngag Tenzin, the fourth Minling Khenchen and undertook rigorous training under some of the most accomplished masters of his time, receiving a vast treasury of teachings and transmissions of the sutra and tantra. Becoming very learned in all forms of Buddhist teachings and practices, he continually exerted determined efforts in receiving countless teachings from masters of various lineages and schools traveling far and wide, despite hardships to ensure that he received the precious transmissions and teachings from as many diverse sources as possible and in this way acquired a wealth of transmissions.

After exerting tremendous effort to receive hundreds of transmissions of multiple lineages, he then gradually undertook numerous retreats and remained dedicated to cultivating a life free of the worldly dharmas. Khenchen Ogyen Chöphel was particularly dedicated to the study and practice of sdom gsum —Ascertaining the Three Vows. The historical records mention this great master's wisdom and activities as being vast and completely dedicated to the benefit of all beings and in particular, they mention his great dedication to living the life of a true renunciate.

He not only lived but also taught the principles of renunciation, establishing a legacy of authentic vinaya conduct for the entire line of khenchens who followed him as well as for all the monks and nuns whom he personally guided. He shunned all activities related to the eight worldly dharmas, seeing them as poisons that veiled ones potential to practice genuine dharma and strove all his life to lead by example.

He continued to serve Mindrolling as its abbot and taught extensively for many years helping his brother the sixth Mindrolling Trichen and his sister Jetsün Thrinley Chödrön. People from all over Tibet came to receive teachings and vows from the fifth Kenchen, regarding him as one of the most pure lineage holders of the vinaya in the Land of Snow, and inspired by his example, a very strong gathering of monastics began to establish themselves in many regions throughout Tibet.

Besides engaging in the various activities of teaching and transmitting the dharma, later in life he preferred to live as a recluse, often staying in retreat for long periods. During his lifetime, he also composed one of the revered commentaries on the Guhayagharbha Tantra and worked dedicatedly in establishing a vast archive of important transmissions from various lineages.

In this way, the fifth Khenchen of Mindrolling unflaggingly served the vision of the founders of Mindrolling, Chögyal Terdag Lingpa and Lochen Dharmashri. Khenchen Gyurme Ogyen Chöphel established a strong foundation of pure practice of the precious buddhadharma and worked tirelessly to accomplish the practices himself, providing an example of a pure practitioner to all the disciples, holding the vinaya without blemish and always with the view of doing so for the benefit of all sentient beings throughout the six realms.