Khenpo Ngakchung

Today is the anniversary of Khenpo Ngawang Palzang aka Khenpo Ngakchung (1879-1941). He was one of the most important and influential Dzogchen masters of the 20th century. His collected works fill around nine volumes, some of which are restricted with the seal of secrecy. Those that have the seal of secrecy consist mostly of the pith instructions of the hearing lineage which he received from his teacher Nyoshul Lungtok. He also wrote an autobiography of considerable size, which also contains many instructions belonging to the generation, completion and great perfection phases. Because of that, his life story is also restricted and one needs to receive a reading transmission before it can be read. It is translated as Wondrous Dance of Illusion and published by Shambhala. His collected works, in Tibetan, are currently being edited for publication at Shechen Monastery.

Although he is most famed for writing down the pith instruction of the Great Perfection, he also wrote down notes on Rigdzin Düpa, Palchen Düpa, and other practices belonging to the Longchen Nyingtik cycle. We hope that, in the future, we can make these available in English.

Father of mine, your blessings are not without power,
Yet my mind is in the grip of tempestuous disturbing emotions,
And as our negative actions and karma grow ever stronger,
All that awaits the sentient beings of this degenerate age
Is to fall into the depths of the lower realms:
Longchenpa, father of mine, look on me with all your compassion!

-from Khenpo Ngakchung, A Song of Calling the Guru from Afar