His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang
His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang
The spiritual head of our center in Kreuzlingen is His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang, the 37th throne holder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage, who currently resides in Dehradun, India.
Alongside his activity as the spiritual head of the Drikung lineage, H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang is also involved in various social and cultural projects. Many of them he initiated himself. Examples of his engagement are the «Go Green & Go Organic» campaignor the Ice Stupa project. Further projects and information can be found on his official homepage www.drikung.org.
This large-scale initiative by H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang serves understanding and exchange between the various Buddhist traditions: with the Great Shravasti Buddhist Cultural Assemblyhe created a platform for peaceful and constructive encounters of Buddhists of all traditions. In November 2015, the first large gathering was organized in Shravasti, India.
Biography of H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang
The life and work of H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang is remarkable in many respects. It is described in detail in the biography by Elmar R. Gruber: Aus dem Herzen Tibets. The following summary of His Holiness's life is based on this book:
His Holiness Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang is the 7th reincarnation of the Chetsang Rinpoche, a manifestation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara). His reincarnation was confirmed beyond doubt by Tritsab Gyabra Rinpoche and others, such as Taktra Rinpoche, the regent of Tibet, by H.H. the 16th Karmapa and by H.H. Taklung Matrul.
In Lhasa he attended primary and middle school. During the Cultural Revolution, in 1969, he was assigned to a commune near Lhasa, where he had to perform the hardest labor. As there was no longer any future perspective for him in occupied Tibet, he fled in 1975 via Dharamsala to the USA. After three years in the USA, he returned to India in 1978 to take over the leadership of the Drikung Kagyu order as throne holder.
In 1987, H.H. Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang began giving teachings in many countries of the world. In Dehradun, India, he established the Drikung Kagyu Institute, a monastery and a training center, as well as a retreat center and the nunnery Samtenling. In 2003, he opened the Songtsen Library near his monastery, a study center for the scholarly research of the history of Tibet and the Himalayan region. In 2005, he established a large college for Buddhist studies (shedra) next to the library, the Kagyu College.
Further information and reports on current events, activities, projects and teaching tours can be found at: Drikung Kagyu – The Official Website.
