Many people these days hold the opinion that Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was just a Dzogchen yogi, who only stayed up in his mountain hermitage, Nagi Gompa, and practiced one-pointedly—concluding that he was a good lama with high realization. Since he downplayed his talents, not many people seem to know the details of his qualities beyond these simple facts. But when I reflect on what I personally know, I feel that he was also a great scholar.
Tulku Urgyen was not someone famed for being learned. But if we begin to investigate in detail, starting from reading skills, we see he was a scholar, able to read many kinds of scripts, including even the rare lantsa and wardu variety. He was proficient in grammar, poetry, and the general sciences, so it is difficult to find anything about which he was ignorant. Concerning the inner knowledge of Buddhism, he had met many very educated and learned masters, and he was especially well-versed in the Ngakso, the Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo, and the Guhyagarbha Tantra. He was a great calligrapher, very knowledgeable about many scripts that have been practically forgotten today. Taking all this into consideration, I personally consider him very learned.
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was also a skilled craftsman. He could make original statues—unlike professional sculptors, who usually just repeat themselves—thus, his sculptures of deities often had much finer proportions. Some of these can be seen in the shrine rooms for the dharma protectors at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling.
When it came to mundane discussions, he was extremely skillful. Even if people put their heads together, they are often still unable to decide what to do. But Rinpoche was always able to make a decision that was in harmony with both spiritual and social conventions. He always seemed to know what the best course of action would be, giving advice without hesitation. Often people would find that his solution was something they hadn’t even thought of, and upon hearing it, they felt, “Well of course!” His decision would put their minds at ease, and they felt confident that this was the best solution. This is another example of the power of his intelligence.
There is a famous Kagyü saying, “Devotion is the head of meditation.” Devotion is based upon one’s guru, so to have the trust and devotion that one’s guru is the Buddha in actuality is a most eminent method. To fulfill one’s guru’s wish to the letter and to serve him in whatever way possible is the proper way to apply the oral instructions. In this regard, Tulku Urgyen’s sense of trust, loyalty, and samaya with other masters was constant. He regarded his own teachers as the Buddha in person. Once he had connected with a teacher through receiving empowerment or oral instructions, his trust was unwavering. If the opportunity came to carry out his guru’s wish, he was willing to give unstintingly of whatever wealth was in his possession, without any concern for personal hardship. If it came to it, I feel that he would even have been ready to sacrifice his own life without any hesitation or regret.
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was someone who could back up his words with action. In both spiritual and secular affairs, he wouldn’t just talk about what needed to be done, he would go ahead and do it. Nor did he get involved in a lot of doubt and hesitation about the tasks at hand, worrying about whether something would be successful or not. He wouldn’t get caught up in a web of concepts; instead, he would make a decision free of doubt and never waver. That’s the kind of man he was.
When speaking of the Buddhist scriptures—the Middle Way, Prajnaparamita, and so forth—the “exposition lineage” focuses on explaining the syntax and intent. But being learned is not just a matter of knowing the words and their meaning; there is also the transmission of the real meaning. Tulku Urgyen was a pandita in the true sense of the word.
At one time, I went to see Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche to ask him to clarify a verse from the ninth chapter of Shantideva’s Bodhicharya Avatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva):
When concreteness or inconcreteness
Does not remain before the intellect,
At that moment there is no other mental form,
And so, there is utter peace without conceptions.
I had studied it many times and asked many khenpos about it but still felt that none of them had given me an adequate explanation. I also asked Tulku Urgyen about certain points in the Prajnaparamita teachings, in which the fact of emptiness is established, such as the statement that emptiness has no form, no sound, and so forth. Only Tulku Urgyen was able to prove the reality of these statements in a reasonable way. His logic established emptiness in actuality for me, while the other scholars merely established emptiness in words.
At some point, the reincarnation of Neten Chokling, Tulku Pema Wangyal, and a few of us went up to Nagi Gompa and spent a few days asking questions. During this time, Tulku Urgyen clearly laid out the logic of establishing emptiness. Everyone was amazed at his clarity. Explaining how all sentient beings have buddha-nature also proves that buddha-nature is an intrinsic quality. This is especially done in the higher Middle Way School, known as Shentong. In the biographies of many great lamas, you find that they would bow down to and circumambulate even old dogs to show their respect for buddha-nature, while saying, “I take refuge in the buddha-nature.”
Tulku Urgyen had confidence and utterly pure trust, based on his personal, direct understanding that buddha-nature really is present in every sentient being. Just like oil is present in each and every sesame seed, any sentient being can realize the awakened state and thus has the basis for enlightenment. Therefore, Tulku Urgyen showed respect for every sentient being and didn’t turn against anyone. He felt this not as mere platitude, but from the core of his heart.
Tulku Urgyen also showed vast insight about the meaning of the Uttaratantra, Hevajra Tantra, and the Profound Inner Meaning, which are favored in the Kagyü lineage. Within the Nyingma School, he was incredibly well-versed in both the root text of the Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo, as well as Jamgön Kongtrül’s commentary on it. He knew most of the root text by heart and had repeatedly studied the commentaries by Rinchen Namgyal and Khenpo Jokyab. He was very knowledgeable in Vajrayana, having studied the Guhyagarbha Tantra, The Secret Essence of the Magical Net. In a discussion with Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, it became apparent to me that Tulku Urgyen also had a complete grasp of the Guhyagarbha Tantra.
During the first Ngakso drubchen held at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling, I had the chance to ask Tulku Urgyen questions about the tenfold meaning of mantra. He gave very clear explanations that made me appreciate his learnedness in the Guhyagarbha Tantra. He also had an in-depth knowledge of many other tantras. He was especially insightful when defining the kayas and wisdoms and the “chakras of syllable clouds,” the sounds and meaning of mantra. In short, he exactly fit the title, Pandita of Definitive Meaning.
Concerning tantric ceremonies, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche was extremely competent in the mandalas for vast activities, knowing their proportions and the accompanying rituals of sacred dance and exorcism. He was a skilled torma maker as well as an expert umdzey, “chant master.” He had a remarkable grasp of architecture and all other necessary fields of knowledge connected to Tibetan Buddhist practice. While some umdzeys merely sing ceremonies from beginning to end, Tulku Urgyen’s singing carried a certain blessing that could move the listener to devotion. When he gave an empowerment, even though the ritual may not have involved more than placing a vase on somebody’s head, people would feel it was something really special. Even the way he looked at people would give them some understanding that was totally unlike an ordinary person’s perception.
When giving empowerment to a gathering of thousands of people, sitting on a throne made of brocade cushions, he never looked out of place. His air and bearing, impressive and dignified, never looked contrived. He was definitely extraordinary.
Rinpoche would always touch heads with whoever came into his presence, even the poorest Nepali worker, and ask, “How are you?” And you could see happiness on the person’s face, which far surpassed the joy of receiving thousands of rupees. There is no reason why someone should become so happy just by being asked how they are and touching foreheads,