His Eminence Chewang Tulku Rinpoche is recognized as the reincarnation of Jampa Tashi Choephel, the great abbot of Sakya Monastery in Tibet and inevitably has to be in-charge of four monasteries at a very young age. These monasteries are Chewang Monastery, Barzong Monastery, Shig Shig monastery and Hala Gen Zong. They are all in Tibet near Mount Kailash. Some of these monasteries had been affected very badly during the cultural-revolution in Tibet in 1959.
Rinpoche was ordained at the age of twenty. He was ordained both as a novice monk and a fully-ordained monk by the great abbot, the late Khenchen Jampa Sangye Tenzin of Ghoom Sakya Monastery, Darjeeling, India, and holds the Pratimoksha vows of The Great Sakya Pandita lineage.
After his ordination, the late abbot, his ordination master, imparted teachings on the Buddhist philosophy of Middle Path (Madhyamikavatara) to Rinpoche during the monsoon retreat. He also received Dom Sum Rabye, the analytical study of The Three Vows by Sakya Pandita.
Rinpoche had received numerous teachings from various great teachers. His 1st major empowerment was the Vajrakilaya Upper Action Empowerment and the Lateral Action Empowerment which he received from His Holiness the Sakya Trizin at Sakya in1959.
He also received Tantric and other teachings from the great 16th Karmapa Rigpai Dorje, in 1960, and.His Eminence, the late Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje Rinpoche in Kalimpong in1961.
He received his first Lamdre Teachings from His Holiness, The Sakya Trizin in Varanasi, India, in 1967, and later the Lamdre Lobshed in 1980 at The Sakya Monastery in Puruwala, India.
He also received the complete teaching on Vajramala from His Eminence the late Chogye Trichen Rinpoche and the Collection of Sadhana and numerous empowerments from His Holiness.
Rinpoche was the director and manager of Sakya Centre from 1968 to 1981 during which time the Sakya Monastery of Puruwala was built.
Vajrayogini Teachings and Practise
Having received the complete teachings of Vajrayogini and also the oral transmission of the whole Vajrayogini Bebum (complete volumes), Rinpoche made a pledge to his root guru, His Holiness The Sakya Trizin, the jewel of his crown, that he would dedicate his time for the practice of Vajrayogini for 27 years. Rinpoche had fulfilled that pledge in 2008. At its conclusion, Rinpoche performed the Vajrayogini Fire Puja for a whole month. It had been exactly 27 years of his total commitment to the practice.
Indeed, Rinpoche is a dedicated practitioner of Reverend Vajrayogini. Currently Rinpoche resides in Sakya Centre, the main monastery of His Holiness, The Sakya Trizin, the great throne holder of the Sakyapa school.
During Rinpoche residence in Sakya Centre, many people come to receive blessings and advices from him everyday. These people include people who are affected with cancerous and other forms of diseases. Rinpoche bestows water blessings to them everyday and this blessing proves to be very helpful. Rinpoche is also known for his accuracy in divine prediction.
Source: Sakya Tenphel Ling Singapore
