The origin
H.E. Jangtrul Yangsed Rinpoche (the III) was born in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Buddhism is national religion in only 2 countries in the world. The Kingdom of Bhutan is one of the 2.
A reincarnated well-known Tulku
At the age of 8, H.E was recognized and enthroned as the reincarnation of His Holiness Jangtrul Pethrin Rinpoche the II, at the sacred Mahabodhi Mahavihara in Bodhgaya, surrounded by thousands of well-wishers.
The previous life – Jangtrul the II
His Holiness is a living reincarnation of a well-known beloved historical figure, His Holiness Jangtrul Pethrin Rinpoche (Jangtrul the II), in textbooks studied by school children across the Kingdom of Bhutan. Jangtrul the II was a highly revered religious figure in the history of the Kingdom of Bhutan. During his time, Jangtrul the II was one of the most celebrated Buddhist figures and meditation masters. Jangtrul the II founded the renowned Jangling Monastery, located on a hilltop in the village of Gangzor in Kurtoe, Eastern Bhutan 2800 meters above sea level.
The present life – Jangtrul the III
Today, H.E is the titular head and holder of the Jangling lineage, presiding over 3 monasteries, a nunnery and a meditation retreat centre, located in Eastern and Western Bhutan.
H.E has meditated in many holy sacred places around the Kingdom of Bhutan, including the World Heritage listed Taktsang cave (also known as the Tiger’s Nest) where Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava himself meditated in the 8th century.
H.E is the first Rinpoche to impart the Guru Jambala initiation in the history of the Kingdom of Bhutan, attended by hundreds of thousands of Buddhists. In July 2010, His Holiness bestowed the Initiation of Guru Amitayus in the Kingdom of Bhutan for world peace, for the well being of the country and for the prosperity of the people. Ceremonies by His Holiness are attended by up to tens of thousands. Worshippers from all over the Kingdom of Bhutan trek for days to participate on hearing news of His Holiness’s initiation ceremonies.
An international Buddhist scholar
H.E is a gifted poet and fluent eloquent English speaker who taught himself English by studying and memorizing A to Z from an English dictionary in 3 months.
H.E is a Buddhist scholar who is frequently invited to speak at major international conferences.
During one of these international religious conferences, H.E had an intellectual discussion on reincarnation with a well-known Catholic Archbishop in Europe. H.E told the Archbishop that:
“because you have not experienced it, you cannot say reincarnation does not exist. It is just like if you are the one who drink this cup of water, then only you alone know the temperature of the water.”
Western media frequently interviewed H.H on religious topics as well as his views on contemporary matters.
For a long time, H.E has been advocating that there is only one Buddhism, and Dharma transcends all traditions and lineages.
In one interview, H.E was quoted as saying, “whether the disciples follow the tradition of Ningma, Sakya, Kagyu or Gelug, all are students of Sakyamuni Buddha.”, and “whether you are a Buddhist following the Thai tradition, or the Mahayana way, or the Vajrayana lineage, we are all learning Dharma.”
H.E is also the singer of a CD on Dharma songs whom American movie actor Steven Seagal commented, “sang so beautifully and touched your soul”.
Rinpoche is a Buddhist scholar who is frequently invited to speak at major international conferences. The most recent ones being the World Economic Summit 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland and the World Peace Summit 2016 in Seoul, Korea.
H.H with the next generation
In addition to spreading Dharma, H.E is well known to be very approachable by the youths of Bhutan. H.E has traveled to remote regions in Bhutan to meet, interact and provide guidance.
In an effort to bridge the gap between Bhutanese youth and the understanding of Buddhism, H.E was invited to visit the many schools in Bhutan and interacted with thousands of different school children who asked H.E a long list of questions on Buddhism.
“What is the meaning of ‘Om ah hung benza guru pedma siday hung’?”, “is it bad to convert to another religion?”, “why can’t we make Buddhism interesting by making religious movies?” – these questions coming from the younger generation growing up with Facebook, YouTube and Lady Gaga, reinforce the need that more efforts are needed to explain the true meaning of what Buddhism is all about in this day and age.
The talk began with H.E speaking on how Buddhism could be integrated into daily life. H.E also shared his principle in life with the students: “if you aren’t capable of helping others, at least don’t harm them.”
Recently, H.E’s teachings on “Purpose of Life” was broadcast live on television in Bhutan.
H.E represents many facets to many different people around the world.
To many Westerners who attended conferences where he is a guest speaker, H.E is a profound contemporary Buddhist scholar. To those who have his music CD, H.E is a singer of Dharma songs that H.E composed. To many youths who gave up smoking and drugs, H.E is a guiding beacon of light. To many babies in Bhutan, H.E is the provider of their names.
To his monks, H.E is the lineage holder of Dharma doctrine. To his followers around the world, H.E is the cheerful and compassionate Guru who worked tirelessly for the benefit of sentient beings.
To many who attended his enthronement ceremony back in Bodhgaya years back, H.E remains the young boy who is recognized as the reincarnation of Jangtrul the II.