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Golok Serta Rinpoche

From Rigpa Wiki
Golok Serta Rinpoche (1891-1963 or 1964) (also
known as Pema Lungtok Gyatso[1] (Tib. "$&*
-, Wyl. pad+ma lung rtogs rgya mtsho) was a great
Ch practitioner of the Dudjom Tersar lineage.
Trained by Goser Onpo Khyenrab Gyasto Rinpoche and
Degyal Rinpoche, two senior direct students of Dudjom
Lingpa, he became one of the principal lineage holder of
the Ch practice of the Trma Nakmo cycle of the
Dudjom Tersar, especially in the Western part of Tibet.

Contents
1 Birth
2 Training
2.1 Studying in Schichen monastery
2.2 Undertaking a pilgrimage to Central
Tibet, meeting Adzom Drukpa
2.3 Staying in Tsering Jong
2.4 Walking to Mount Kailash, in Western
Tibet, meeting Degyal Rinpoche
3 Activity
3.1 Expanding Namkha Khyung Dzong
3.2 Going to pilgrimage to India and
traveling across the Himalayas
3.3 Leaving Namkha Khyung Dzong to
India
3.4 Meeting Dudjom Rinpoche in India
4 Family
5 Disciples
6 Final Years
7 Incarnation
8 Notes
9 External Links

Gokok Serta Rinpoche

Birth
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Golok Serta Rinpoche was born in 1891 in Golok Serta, a part of Eastern Tibet. In 1899, when he was 8 years
old, he was blessed by the great tertn Dudjom Lingpa who had established his encampment in this area. Golok
Serta Rinpoche was later recognized as an emanation of Yudra Nyingpo.

Training
Studying in Schichen monastery
In Shichen monastery, a branch monastery of Katok, he studied at the feet of Goser Onpo Khyenrap Gyasto
Rinpoche, who entrusted him Namch, Shitro, Longsel Nyingpo and Dudul Dorje cycles of teachings[2]
As this teacher was also a close disciple of Dudjom Lingpa, he handed down the Trma Nakmo cycle of
teachings to the young monk who achieved the 500,000 accumulations of the ngondr in Shukgang hermitage,
staying there during about two years.
Golok Serta Rinpoche was attracted by the anchorite life because he thought that life in monastery was a source
of too many distractions which disturbed Dharma practice, all the more so as he was given the responsibility of
being Shichen steward.
As he wasnt authorized to stay in Shukgang hermitage, he met Goser Onpo Khyenrap Gyasto Rinpoche
secretly and requested to him permission to leave the monastery in order to devote his life to the meditation in
the renunciate vagabond style. Seeing his resoluteness, the teacher authorized him to leave.

Undertaking a pilgrimage to Central Tibet, meeting Adzom Drukpa

Thus, in 1910, he undertook a pilgrimage to central Tibet. Along the way, he met Adzom Drukpa and stayed
three months long in his encampment, becoming then renowned as Golok Serta Rinpoche.
At the encampment of Adzom Drukpa, he trained in the ngndro practices and studied such texts as The Oral
Transmission of The Guru Samanthabadra and The Lamp Illuminating the Path to Liberation. It is said that
by putting these into practice, he gave rise to qualities that reflected the progress he had made on the spiritual
path.
Golok Serta Rinpoche also received from Adzom Drukpa the following teachings:
Yeshe Lama
Lama Yangtik
Chetsn Nyingtik
The Twenty-five Spheres, Adzom Drukpas own daknang transmission
Adzom Drukpa Rinpoche told him: Now, practice these, as it is said, If one does not practice, how will one
attain siddhis? Plant the victory banner of spiritual practice in your mind. So now you must meditate in
solitude.

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One day, Adzom Drukpa told him If I instruct you in the main body of practice of the Dzogchen approach, you
must go to western Tibet and benefit beings there.
Adzom Drukpa Drodul Pawo Dorjes son having to go to Lhassa with other tulkus and lamas, Golok Serta
Rinpoche joined their caravan and used this opportunity to meet Tokden Shakya Shri. In Lhassa, he paid
homage to the various sacred sites and practiced Ch in remote places of Central Tibet.

Staying in Tsering Jong

In 1912, while he was 22 years old, Golok Serta Rinpoche met Urgyen Jigme Chkyi Senge Rinpoche, a lama
coming from the same native land than him and holder of the Longchen Nyingtik lineage, who was then living
in Tsering Jong , in the Yarlung area, the place where had stayed Jikme Lingpa in the past.
Under his guidance, Golok Serta Rinpoche practised diligently the preliminaries and the creation stage of the
Three Roots during several years. It is said that [3] His strong involvement in meditation practice rejoiced a lot
his lama but, in the same time, stirred up jealously in the mind of some other disciples. Then, in order for the
samayas to not be damaged in the sangha, Golok Serta Rinpoche preferred to leave.
Moving from south to the north of central Tibet, he meditated in remote places and begged his food among the
nomads. Staying one month long in Tsurphu Monastery, he was blessed by the Karmapa Khakhyap Dorje.
In 1920, he received blessings and transmissions from Drikung Kyabgn. The following year, he went for
pilgrimage in Nepal and, on the way back, he met Tsogkhang Rinpoche, a student of Dudjom Lingpa, who was
also from Golok.

Walking to Mount Kailash, in Western Tibet, meeting Degyal Rinpoche

In 1923, he walked to the region of Ngari in western Tibet and reached the foot of Mount Kailash. In
Thrgolho, a Drikung Kagy monastery, he heard for the first time of Degyal Rinpoche, a lama from Golok
who had been a student of Dudjom Lingpa. Whishing to meet him, he went to the hermitage of Namkha
Khyung Dzong, the Space Garuda Fortress, met Degyal Rinpoche, and became one of his disciples.
Degyal Rinpoche and Golok Serta Rinpoche were from the same birthplace and the same Dudjom Tersar
lineage. From then on, Golok Serta Rinpoche relied on Degyal Rinpoche as his main master and remained with
him.
Golok Serta Rinpoche devoted all the rest of his life to put his teachers instructions into practice through
intensive retreats. He accomplished a three years retreat in a hermitage with the help of his first student, Pema
Kundrl Gyalpo, who provided him food and water he carried from afar, sparing no effort to help him. It is also
said that Golok Serta Rinpoche then visited more than a hundred springs and other isolated, haunted places,
becoming a mendicant with no fixed abode.

Activity
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Through the teachings from the Trma Nakmo cycle of Dudjom Lingpa and from the Nyingtik section of
Dzogchen, Degyal Rinpoche and Golok Serta Rinpoche brought great benefits to beings throughout the three
areas of Ngari, as well as in Nepal and on all of the foothills of the Himalayas.
In Muktinath, Nepal, Golok Serta Rinpoche was welcomed by Lama Jampal Rabgye and taught there to many
lamas, monks, nuns and lay people. On this occasion, it is said that a new water-spring appeared miraculously.

Expanding Namkha Khyung Dzong

In 1933, while he was teaching one more time in Muktinath, he understood that Degyal Rinpoche had just
passed away. He quickly came back to Namkha Khyung Dzong to pay homage to the dead body of his teacher.
Thinking that it should bring benefits in the future, the main students of Degyal Rinpoche decided to erect a
reliquary stupa to keep the embalmed body of Degyal Rinpoche.
Golok Serta Rinpoche took responsibility for collecting sandalwood and aloe from Nepal. He brought back
about 25 kilos of wood along with many precious stones given by his benefactors, thus contributing to spread
his fame.
In 1934, the stupa was achieved and one temple was built. Thus, little by little, the hermitage turned into a
monastery. From this time one, Golok Sertar Rinpoche was requested to teach in Namkha Khyung Dzong.
In 1936, he settled down on the bank of Rakshas Tal Lake, next to Manasarovar lake, in a old an disused small
monastery named Tsegya Gn, which he undertook to restore. On the following year, a son was born to him
who appeared to be Degyal Rinpoches rebirth. Officially recognized in 1939, the child was enthroned and
named Pema Jigme Chying Rangrl, the Second Degyal Rinpoche.
During the year, Golok Serta Rinpoche divided his time in two main parts: secluded retreats during winter, and
teaching Dharma during summer in Namkha Khyung Dzong or in different Himalayan places of Nepal, like
Humla, Hikim, Mustang and Dolpo.
His accomplishments attracted many disciples and benefactors but he contented himself with only the bare
minimum. He used mainly the donations to help Namkha Khyung Dzong which had become a great religious
center for monks, nuns and ngakpas.
In 1943, he collected timber to build a large assembly hall.

Going to pilgrimage to India and traveling across the Himalayas

In 1946, Golok Serta Rinpoche went for a pilgrimage to India, visiting Bodhgaya and Benares, and traveling all
across the Himalayan mountains. His wife died while he was on the way back home.
When the Nepalese region Hikim was overwhelmed by the drought, it is said that Golok Serta Rinpoche
brought forth a source by his yogic powers, thereby saving the lives of the villagers and their animals. He did
the same in Mustang and in other places, which led him to be called Pani Lama, which means Lama of
Water. In addition, this allowed to reduce considerably the tradition of animal sacrifices in the valleys of the
Himalayas.
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In 1953, he visited again India and went to the sacred lake of Tso Pema, then to Lahaul and Spiti. He came one
more time in this country in 1955. Also, he contributed to the building of a big prayer wheel in Namkha Khyung
Dzong and led the consecration ceremony.

Leaving Namkha Khyung Dzong to India

In 1959, the tragic events in Tibet led him to leave the country for India with his retinue and he arrived in a
refugee camp in Sandew (Uttar Pradesh), in India, where about one thousand Tibetans were gathered. In Tibet,
Namkha Khyung Dzong monastery was completely destroyed by the Chinese.

Meeting Dudjom Rinpoche in India

In 1961, he left his camp in India to make a pilgrimage to the sacred places of Buddhism. He also went to
Kalimpong, in India, to meet for the first time Dudjom Rinpoche, who was then giving the transmission of the
Nyingma Kama. It was on this occasion that Dudjom Rinpoche put him on a throne and introduced him to all
participants, calling him 'Serta Drupchen', the great accomplished one from Serta.
Afterwards, Golok Serta Rinpoche lived in a Tibetan settlement in Orissa.

Family
With his wife Sherab Dlkar, Golok Serta Rinpoche had many childrens, including:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Machik Zangmo
Second Degyal Rinpoche, the incarnation of his root master
Shakya Dorj
Tsokhang Choktrul Tsewang Dorje
Tendrel Zangmo

Golok Sertar Rinpoches activity was maintained by his sons, Choktrul Tsewang Rinpoche and the Second
Degyal Rinpoche, benefiting beings in Nepal, Dzomnang, Karmo Rong, and the area around Mount Kalaish in
western Tibet, with a special focus on the Ch cycle of the Trma Nakmo of the Dudjom Tersar lineage.

Disciples
Among his disciples are:
Gourou Shri Zagat Prakash Lama
Lama Gyamtso
Lama Jampal Rabgy
Lama Katak Rigzin Dorje[5]
Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche
Lama Pema Tashi
Lama Thupten Phuntsog Rinpoche
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Lama Thikchok Dorjee[6]

Lama Tongny
Pma Kundrl Gyalpo
Second Degyal Rinpoche, the incarnation of his root master
Shakya Dorj
Tsokhang Choktrul Tsewang Dorje
Tsultrim Gyatso Rinpoche
Yonten Gyatso[7]

Final Years
Oral lineage stories say that Golok Serta Rinpoche had the power to read the
minds of people, was a wrathful yogi, and that people used to be very careful
and check their minds around him. In October 1963, Golok Serta Rinpoche
passed away at the age of 72, staying two days long in tukdam. It is said that
during the cremation ceremony, many wonderful signs occurred. Later, his
relics were put into a stupa in Newal Thang, the monastery he had huilt in
Humla.

Early Dec. 1962, Kalimpong,

the first time Dudjom
Rinpoche granted the kama
empowerments outside
Tibet[4]. Golok Serta Rinpoche
is at the back row, with the
white beard. You can also see
Trulshik Rinpoche, Minling
Trichen Rinpoche, Kangyur
Rinpoche, Polu Khenpo
Dorje...

Incarnation
Golok Serta Rinpoche's tulku has been recognized as Shiva Rinpoche, his own grand-son, the son of Second
Degyal Rinpoche.

Notes
1. According to Getse Rinpoche, "Golok Serta Rinpoche is not the same person as Pema Lungtok Gyatso who wrote the Ch
commentary, even though he was also called Pema Lungtok Gyatso. The mahasiddha who wrote the Ch commentary was
actually born in 1852, and we don't know when he died. He did study directly with Dudjom Lingpa." Information provided by
Lama Chonam from a conversation he had with Getse Rinpoche on May 2004.
2. Much of the information provided here is based on the biography of Golok Serta Rinpoche used within Shiva Rinpoche's
sangha.
3. Nyoshul Khenpo, A Marvelous Garland of Rare Gems: Biographies of Masters of Awareness in the Dzogchen Lineage
(Junction City: Padma Publishing, 2005)
4. See Counsels from My Heart, Dudjom Rinpoche, page 31.
5. Lama Katak Rigzin Dorje was the father of Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche of of Dawa Chdak Rinpoche.
6. Lama Thikchok Dorje was the father of Lama Yeshi Phuntsok.
7. A ngakpa who stayed in Namkha Khyung Dzong monastery and practiced also Tibetan medicine and astrology (information
provided by Tsering Thondup).

External Links
TBRC Profile (http://tbrc.org/link/?RID=P731)
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