DRIKUNG KYABGON-2
After three months, accompanied by his father, Drikung Kyabgon went to the United States. He was reunited with his family again after eighteen years of separation. He stayed in the U.S. for two and a half years. During that time he took a four month's intensive English course and completed a course in adult education, both in Texas. During his stay with his parents, he kept himself very busy. After school, he worked part-time at Mac Donald's and other restaurants, practicing his English. At home, he started working on the history of the Drikung lineage. He received many letters from his followers in India requesting him to return.
Although Drikung Kyabgon had lived an "ordinary lifestyle", with many different people and in various societies over the past eighteen years, he had strictly kept his monk's vows. In 1978, he decided to go back to India and resume his monastic lifestyle once again. He took up residence at Phiyang monastery, near Leh, Ladakh. He spent most of his time pursuing religious studies and practices (including various retreats). Drikung Kyabgon did the strict three year retreat at Lama Yuru Monastery, under the guidance of the Meditation Master, Kyunga Rinpoche. In 1985, Drikung Kyabgon received full monk's ordination from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, during the Kalachakra initiation in Bodh Gaya.
Drikung Kyabgon received teachings and initiations from many highly accomplished lamas and Rinpoches of different traditions. From His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama he received ChakraSamvara, Kalachakra and Yamantaka initiations and teachings. From His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa he received Milarepa empowerment, Six Yogas of Naropa and other teachings. From His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche he received the Dam-Ngak-Zod (transmission and teachings from the eight schools of Tibetan Buddhism), Nging-Thig-Yeshe and Yeshe-Lama (the highest Dzogchen teachings), Gyachen-Ka-Zod (the ten knowledge's) and Gyu-Sangwa-Nyingpo. From H.E. Taglung Shabtrung he received the transmissions for most of the Taglung Kagyu teachings. He studied philosophy and received teachings and transmissions in both general Kagyu and Drupka Kagyu Mahamudra teachings from Khenpo Noryang, the abbot of the main Drupka Kagyu monastery in Darjeeling. He also received some of the very important Drikung Kagyu empowerments and Mahamudra teachings from both His Eminence Garchen Tritrul Rinpoche, and the Meditation Master, Druwang Konchok Norbu.
Drikung Kyabgon founded the Drikung Kagyu Institute, at JangChub Ling, in 1985. It is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, outside Dehra Dun, India. There are currently over one hundred and fifty students, of which the first group will graduate in 1996. The Drikung Kagyu Institute is an education center, which emphasizes both the traditional monastic education, as well as present-day training to meet the needs of these times. The Institute has started a research project. This very large project consists of collecting all the Drikung Kagyu texts. There are many rare texts that in this way will be preserved and printed for studies and for practitioners to use. The latest project Drikung Kyabgon has initiated is the setting of a "Computer Library", where documentation materials on the ways of living, philosophy and religious thought of the peoples of the Himalayas are to be centrally registered. A draft document of this project is available upon request. Also, there is a meditation retreat center nearby. Many of the graduates will do the traditional three years retreat upon completing their training.
His Holiness now resides primarily at JangChub Ling in Dehra Dun, Northern India. Located at Drikung Kagyu Institute, P.O. Box 48, Sahastradhara Road, Dehra Dun, U.P. India 248001
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