"Living Buddha" redirects here. For the practice of live mummification in some Buddhist sects, see Sokushinbutsu.
A tulku (Tibetan: སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་, Wylie: sprul sku, ZYPY: Zhügu, also tülku, trulku) is a reincarnate custodian of a specific lineage of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism who is given abhiṣeka and trained from a young age by students of his or her predecessor.
The word སྤྲུལ or 'sprul' (Modern Lhasa Tibetan [ʈʉl]) was a verb in Old Tibetan literature and was used to describe the བཙན་པོ་ btsanpo ('emperor'/天子)[citation needed] taking a human form on earth. So the sprul idea of taking a corporeal form is a local religious idea alien to Indian Buddhism and other forms of Buddhism (e.g. Theravadin or Zen). Over time, indigenous religious ideas became assimilated by the new Buddhism; e.g. sprul became part of a compound noun, སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་'sprul.sku' ("incarnation body" or 'tülku', and 'btsan', the term for the imperial ruler of the Tibetan Empire, became a kind of mountain deity). The term tülku became associated with the translation of the Sanskrit philosophical term nirmanakaya. According to the philosophical system of trikaya or three bodies of Buddha, nirmanakaya is the Buddha's "body" in the sense of the bodymind (Sanskrit: nāmarūpa). Thus, the person of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, is an example of nirmanakaya. In the context of Tibetan Buddhism, tülku means the corporeal existence of enlightened Buddhist masters in general.[citation needed]
In addition to Tibetans and related peoples, Tibetan Buddhism is a traditional religion of the Mongols and their relatives. The Mongolian word for a tülku is qubilγan, though such persons may also be called by the honorific title qutuγtu (Tib: 'phags-pa and Skt: ārya or superior, not to be confused with the historic figure, 'Phags-pa Lama or the script attributed to him, (Phags-pa script), or hutagt in the standard Khalkha dialect. According to the Light of Fearless Indestructible Wisdom by Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal: the term tülku "designates one who is 'noble' (or 'selfless' according to Buddha's usage) and used in Buddhist texts to denote a highly achieved being who has attained the first bhumi, a level of attainment which is truly egoless, or higher."
The Chinese word for tülku is huófó (活佛), which literally means "living Buddha" and is sometimes used to mean tülku, although the Dalai Lama has said that this is a mistranslation, as a tülku isn't necessarily a realized being.[citation needed]
Meaning of "tulku"
Higher Vajrayana practitioner can be reborn as a tülku, who have attained siddhis and mastered the bardo of dying, bardo of dharmata or bardo of becoming.[1]
Valentine summarizes the shift in meaning of the word tülku: "This term that was originally used to describe the Buddha as a "magical emanation" of enlightenment, is best translated as "incarnation" or "steadfast incarnation" when used in the context of the tulku system to describe patriarchs that reliably return to human form."[2] Also meaning "emanation body".
Finding a successor
Pamela Logan outlines a general approach for finding a successor:
When an old tulku dies, a committee of senior lamas convenes to find the young reincarnation. The group may employ a number of methods in their search. First, they will probably look for a letter left behind by the departed tulku indicating where he intends to be born again. They will ask the close friends of the departed to recall everything he said during his last days, in case he may have given hints. Often, an oracle is consulted. Sometimes a prominent lama has a dream that reveals details of the child's house, parents, or of geographical features near his home. Sometimes heaven presents a sign, perhaps a rainbow, leading the search party to the child.[3]
Training
Logan describes the training a tulku undergoes from a young age:
He is brought up inside a monastery, under the direction of a head tutor and a number of other teachers or servants. He must study hard and adhere to a strict regimen. He has few if any toys or playmates, and is rarely allowed outside. Early on, he learns to receive important visitors, take part in complicated rituals, and give blessings to followers and pilgrims. Sometimes one or both parents are allowed to live near the young tulku. Older brothers are sometimes inducted into the monastery as monk-companions for the holy child. Yet his elderly tutors are the most influential people in his life, and they become his de facto parents.[3]
The academic atmosphere is balanced by unconditional love:
Countering the bleak academic regimen is an atmosphere of overwhelming, unconditional love. During the tulku's every waking moment, monks, family members, and awed, adoring visitors, shower the youth with love. If you visit a child tulku, you will probably notice that his quarters are pervaded by a wonderful glow. Everyone beams at the tulku. The tulku beams back. If he asks for something, he is given it immediately, and if he errs, he is corrected just as immediately. Western visitors to the young 14th Dalai Lama commented on "the extraordinary steadiness of his gaze." Even when quite young, the boys have remarkable poise; they sit calmly without fidgeting, even through ceremonies that may last all day.[3]
History
The tulku system of preserving Dharma lineages did not operate in India. The first tulku line of Tibet is the Karmapas. After the first Karmapa died in 1193, a lama had recurrent visions of a particular child as his rebirth. This child (born ca. 1205) was recognized as the second Karmapa, thus beginning the Tibetan tulku tradition.[citation needed]
^Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang. A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher. Boston: Shambhala. 2004. ISBN978-1-59030-073-2. "This form of transference is practiced by beginners on the path of accumulating who have received empowerment and respected the samayas, have a good understanding of the view, and have practiced the generation phase as the path but have not mastered it. Although they lack the necessary confidence to be liberated in the clear light at the moment of death or in the intermediate state of absolute reality, by taking refuge and praying to their teacher in the intermediate state they can close the way to an unfavorable womb and choose a favorable rebirth. Propelled by compassion and bodhichitta, they depart to a pure buddhafield or, failing that, take birth as a tulku born to parents who practice the Dharma. In that next life they will be liberated."
^Valentine, Jay (2013). "Lords of the Northern Treasures: The Development of the Tibetan Institution of Rule by Successive Incarnations". UVA Library | Virgo. Retrieved 2017-08-06.
^ abcLogan, Pamela (2004). "Tulkus in Tibet". Harvard Asia Quarterly8 (1) 15-23.
Reincarnate Lamas: Tulkus and Rinpoches - section from Berzin, Alexander. 2000 The Traditional Meaning of a Spiritual Teacher
Tulkus: Incarnate Lamas of Tibet - An Interview with His Holiness Sakya Trizin - An excerpt from Testimonies of Tibetan Tulkus; A Research among Reincarnate Buddhist Masters in Exile by Danial Barlocher, Opuscula Tibetana, Rikon-Zurich, August 1982.
Tulkus: Incarnate Lamas of Tibet 2 - Interview with Sakya Gongma Dagchen Rinpoche - excerpted from Testimonies of Tibetan Tulkus; A Research among Reincarnate Buddhist Masters in Exile by Danial Barlocher, Opuscula Tibetana, Rikon-Zurich, August 1982. (Interview translator: Cyrus Stearns).
- focus article at WisdomBooks.com
January 20, 2023
tulku, 2009, film, film, living, buddha, redirects, here, practice, live, mummification, some, buddhist, sects, sokushinbutsu, tulku, tibetan, wylie, sprul, zypy, zhügu, also, tülku, trulku, reincarnate, custodian, specific, lineage, teachings, tibetan, buddhi. For the 2009 film see Tulku film Living Buddha redirects here For the practice of live mummification in some Buddhist sects see Sokushinbutsu A tulku Tibetan ས ལ ས Wylie sprul sku ZYPY Zhugu also tulku trulku is a reincarnate custodian of a specific lineage of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism who is given abhiṣeka and trained from a young age by students of his or her predecessor High profile examples of tulkus include the Dalai Lamas the Panchen Lamas the Samding Dorje Phagmos the Karmapas Khyentses the Zhabdrung Rinpoches and the Kongtruls Contents 1 Nomenclature and etymology 2 Meaning of tulku 3 Finding a successor 4 Training 5 History 6 Tulku lineages 7 Documentaries 8 In fiction 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External linksNomenclature and etymology EditThe word ས ལ or sprul Modern Lhasa Tibetan ʈʉl was a verb in Old Tibetan literature and was used to describe the བཙན པ btsanpo emperor 天子 citation needed taking a human form on earth So the sprul idea of taking a corporeal form is a local religious idea alien to Indian Buddhism and other forms of Buddhism e g Theravadin or Zen Over time indigenous religious ideas became assimilated by the new Buddhism e g sprul became part of a compound noun ས ལ ས sprul sku incarnation body or tulku and btsan the term for the imperial ruler of the Tibetan Empire became a kind of mountain deity The term tulku became associated with the translation of the Sanskrit philosophical term nirmanakaya According to the philosophical system of trikaya or three bodies of Buddha nirmanakaya is the Buddha s body in the sense of the bodymind Sanskrit namarupa Thus the person of Siddhartha Gautama the historical Buddha is an example of nirmanakaya In the context of Tibetan Buddhism tulku means the corporeal existence of enlightened Buddhist masters in general citation needed In addition to Tibetans and related peoples Tibetan Buddhism is a traditional religion of the Mongols and their relatives The Mongolian word for a tulku is qubilgan though such persons may also be called by the honorific title qutugtu Tib phags pa and Skt aryaor superior not to be confused with the historic figure Phags pa Lama or the script attributed to him Phags pa script or hutagt in the standard Khalkha dialect According to the Light of Fearless Indestructible Wisdom by Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal the term tulku designates one who is noble or selfless according to Buddha s usage and used in Buddhist texts to denote a highly achieved being who has attained the first bhumi a level of attainment which is truly egoless or higher The Chinese word for tulku is huofo 活佛 which literally means living Buddha and is sometimes used to mean tulku although the Dalai Lama has said that this is a mistranslation as a tulku isn t necessarily a realized being citation needed Meaning of tulku EditHigher Vajrayana practitioner can be reborn as a tulku who have attained siddhis and mastered the bardo of dying bardo of dharmata or bardo of becoming 1 Valentine summarizes the shift in meaning of the word tulku This term that was originally used to describe the Buddha as a magical emanation of enlightenment is best translated as incarnation or steadfast incarnation when used in the context of the tulku system to describe patriarchs that reliably return to human form 2 Also meaning emanation body Finding a successor EditPamela Logan outlines a general approach for finding a successor When an old tulku dies a committee of senior lamas convenes to find the young reincarnation The group may employ a number of methods in their search First they will probably look for a letter left behind by the departed tulku indicating where he intends to be born again They will ask the close friends of the departed to recall everything he said during his last days in case he may have given hints Often an oracle is consulted Sometimes a prominent lama has a dream that reveals details of the child s house parents or of geographical features near his home Sometimes heaven presents a sign perhaps a rainbow leading the search party to the child 3 Training EditLogan describes the training a tulku undergoes from a young age He is brought up inside a monastery under the direction of a head tutor and a number of other teachers or servants He must study hard and adhere to a strict regimen He has few if any toys or playmates and is rarely allowed outside Early on he learns to receive important visitors take part in complicated rituals and give blessings to followers and pilgrims Sometimes one or both parents are allowed to live near the young tulku Older brothers are sometimes inducted into the monastery as monk companions for the holy child Yet his elderly tutors are the most influential people in his life and they become his de facto parents 3 The academic atmosphere is balanced by unconditional love Countering the bleak academic regimen is an atmosphere of overwhelming unconditional love During the tulku s every waking moment monks family members and awed adoring visitors shower the youth with love If you visit a child tulku you will probably notice that his quarters are pervaded by a wonderful glow Everyone beams at the tulku The tulku beams back If he asks for something he is given it immediately and if he errs he is corrected just as immediately Western visitors to the young 14th Dalai Lama commented on the extraordinary steadiness of his gaze Even when quite young the boys have remarkable poise they sit calmly without fidgeting even through ceremonies that may last all day 3 History EditThe tulku system of preserving Dharma lineages did not operate in India The first tulku line of Tibet is the Karmapas After the first Karmapa died in 1193 a lama had recurrent visions of a particular child as his rebirth This child born ca 1205 was recognized as the second Karmapa thus beginning the Tibetan tulku tradition citation needed Tulku lineages EditMain article List of tulku lineages Some examples Dodrupchen tulkus are the main custodians of Longchen Nyingthig Dudjom tulkus are the main custodians of Dudjom Tersar Chokling tulkus are the main custodians of Chokling Tersar Khyentse tulkus are the main custodians of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo Kongtrul tulkus are the main custodians of the Jamgon Kongtrul Samding Dorje Phagmo tulkus are the highest female incarnation lineage in Tibet Tibetologist Francoise Pommaret estimates there are presently approximately 500 tulku lineages found across Tibet Bhutan Northern India Nepal Mongolia and the southwest provinces of China 4 Documentaries EditMy Reincarnation Tulku Unmistaken ChildIn fiction EditTulku by Peter Dickinson a children s novel about a young English boy who visits Tibet while fleeing the Boxer Rebellion 5 See also EditRebirth Buddhist Incarnation Reincarnation Application Avatar Bodhi Kumari Nepalese Hindu goddess incarnation similar determination process NamarupaReferences Edit Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher Boston Shambhala 2004 ISBN 978 1 59030 073 2 This form of transference is practiced by beginners on the path of accumulating who have received empowerment and respected the samayas have a good understanding of the view and have practiced the generation phase as the path but have not mastered it Although they lack the necessary confidence to be liberated in the clear light at the moment of death or in the intermediate state of absolute reality by taking refuge and praying to their teacher in the intermediate state they can close the way to an unfavorable womb and choose a favorable rebirth Propelled by compassion and bodhichitta they depart to a pure buddhafield or failing that take birth as a tulku born to parents who practice the Dharma In that next life they will be liberated Valentine Jay 2013 Lords of the Northern Treasures The Development of the Tibetan Institution of Rule by Successive Incarnations UVA Library Virgo Retrieved 2017 08 06 a b c Logan Pamela 2004 Tulkus in Tibet Harvard Asia Quarterly 8 1 15 23 Pommaret Francoise Bhutan Passport Books Odyssey 1998 ISBN 0 8442 9966 9 Tulku page on GoodreadsFurther reading EditRay Reginald A 1986 Some aspects of the Tulku tradition in Tibet in The Tibet Journal 11 4 35 69 Tulku Thondup 2011 Incarnation The History and Mysticism of the Tulku Tradition of Tibet Boston Shambhala Publications External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tulkus Reincarnate Lamas Tulkus and Rinpoches section from Berzin Alexander 2000 The Traditional Meaning of a Spiritual Teacher Tulkus Incarnate Lamas of Tibet An Interview with His Holiness Sakya Trizin An excerpt from Testimonies of Tibetan Tulkus A Research among Reincarnate Buddhist Masters in Exile by Danial Barlocher Opuscula Tibetana Rikon Zurich August 1982 Tulkus Incarnate Lamas of Tibet 2 Interview with Sakya Gongma Dagchen Rinpoche excerpted from Testimonies of Tibetan Tulkus A Research among Reincarnate Buddhist Masters in Exile by Danial Barlocher Opuscula Tibetana Rikon Zurich August 1982 Interview translator Cyrus Stearns Tulkus Masters of Reincarnation focus article at WisdomBooks com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tulku amp oldid 1129779962, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
