Tsotrül Dorjé
- Student
- Teacher
‘In the future, one by the name of Tsotrül Dorjé will propagate your termas.’[1] So proclaimed a ḍakini to Düdjom Lingpa in a vision during the nineteenth century. This prophecy would later be fulfilled in the rugged mountains of Golok, where Tsotrül Dorjé emerged as one of the foremost transmitters of Düdjom Lingpa’s terma teachings.
Born in Golok
Little is known about Tsotrül Dorjé’s early life. He was born sometime in the 1890s in Golok, most likely in the nomadic region at the headwaters of the Do Chu. By that time, Düdjom Lingpa had become firmly established at his dharma encampment, Dartsang Kalzang, which also served as the principal seat of his family and descendants in the Do Chu region. Although no record exists of Tsotrül Dorjé having received direct teachings from Düdjom Lingpa, it is possible that he encountered him in his youth and may have received his benedictions and inspiration firsthand.
A Student of two of Düdjom Lingpa’s Sons
At Dartsang Kalzang, Tsotrül Dorjé became a direct disciple of two of Düdjom Lingpa’s sons. He initially received empowerments, oral transmissions, and pith instructions from Trülku Drimé Özer (1880–1924), Düdjom Lingpa’s seventh child and fifth son, who had assumed responsibility as the presiding lama of Dartsang Kalzang following the death of his elder brother, Khyentsé Trülku Dzamling Wangyal (1868–1907), in 1907.
Seventeen years later, in 1924, Trülku Drimé Özer succumbed to a smallpox epidemic. Tsotrül Dorjé subsequently continued his training under Trülku Dorjé Dradul (1892–1959), Düdjom Lingpa’s eleventh child and youngest son, who assumed leadership of Dartsang Kalzang after Trülku Drimé Özer’s passing.
A Holder of the Düdjom Tersar Lineage in Troubled Times
Over the ensuing decades, Düdjom Lingpa’s sons and daughters, along with the first generation of his lineage holders, gradually passed away, culminating in the death of Trülku Dorjé Dradul in 1959. By then, Tibet had entered a period of profound upheaval following the Communist Chinese occupation of eastern Tibet and the subsequent incorporation of central Tibet into the People’s Republic of China.
With the passing of the first generation, the responsibility of preserving and transmitting the Düdjom Tersar lineage fell increasingly upon Tsotrül Dorjé. During the years of political turmoil and the Cultural Revolution, when Buddhist practice was severely restricted and countless monasteries, temples, and sacred objects were destroyed, he continued to transmit the lineage’s empowerments, oral transmissions, and meditative instructions to a new generation of practitioners. Among his disciples were many of Düdjom Lingpa’s own grandchildren, who would go on to become important holders of the tradition.
In this way, the prophecy received by Düdjom Lingpa decades earlier—that one known as Tsotrül Dorjé (Skt. Sila Vajra) would propagate his treasure teachings—was brought to fruition.
A Teacher of Trülku Nyida
When Trülku Lhachen Tobkyi Gyalpo (1884–1942)—Düdjom Lingpa’s ninth child and sixth son—passed away in 1942, his son Trülku Nyida (1929–1985) was only thirteen years old. To complete his training, Trülku Nyida turned to Tsotrül Dorjé, under whose guidance he received extensive instruction in the Terma cycles revealed by his grandfather, Düdjom Lingpa.
Tsotrül Dorjé later recognized Trülku Nyida as an incarnation of his great-uncle, the Third Dodrubchen Jikmé Tenpé Nyima (1865–1926), Düdjom Lingpa’s eldest child. Through Tsotrül Dorjé’s careful guidance and transmission of the lineage teachings, Trülku Nyida matured into one of the foremost holders of the Düdjom Tersar. As both a descendant of Düdjom Lingpa and a fully trained lineage bearer, he went on to propagate the treasure teachings and practices widely throughout Golok while also spending considerable time in solitary mountain retreats.
Successfully transmission of the Düdjom Tersar
Sometime during the 1960s or 1970s, Tsotrül Dorjé passed away, having successfully transmitted the blessings and teachings of the Düdjom Tersar lineage to a new generation of practitioners. Through his efforts, the lineage endured one of the most difficult periods in Tibetan history and continued to flourish in the generations that followed.
Notes
- ↑ In the actual text is written Sila Vajra, which is the Sanskrit for Tsotrül Dorjé.
Since the early 8th century, Tibetans and Himalayan people have treasured "Namtars" as written or spoken narratives that demonstrate the realization of the Buddhist path by exceptional practitioners. These namtars, or spiritual biographies, serve as inspirational guides on the path to enlightenment.
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