Gampopa, a forefather of the Mahamudra Lineage, fainted upon hearing the name of his root guru-- the Jetsun Milarepa. With unsurpassed devotion and diligence, Gampopa attained enlightenment. During his lifetime, he composed many texts which are passed on and learned by not only practitioners of the Kagyu Lineage today, but across all lineages. Among his many profound instructions are The Four Dharmas of Gampopa. These four points encapsulate the most important principles of the Buddha's teachings, showing us how to first redirect our attention to the path of awakening, and then how to discover our true nature through the practice of meditation.
This teaching will be delightfully given by Khenpo Thinley Palsang, who is visiting Thrangu Monastery Canada for the very first time. Khenpo Thinley is one of the main khenpos at the Thrangu Monastery located in the Kham region of Tibet-- commonly known as Yushu, Qinghai, China.
About Khenpo Thinley Palsang
Khenpo Thinley Palsang was born next to the peak of the world, the source of the three great rivers-- the Kham region of Tibet, or Yushu, Qinghai. He was born to a devoted Buddhist nomad family, as the son of Dawa Jamtse and Tsewang Drolma.
At the age of nine, Khenpo Thinley took refuge under his root guru-- the Very Venerable 9th Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. When he turned the age of 14, Khenpo took ordination at Thrangu Monastery and began his Buddhist trainings. From 1995 on, starting at the age of 22, Khenpo Thinley began his nine-year Buddhist studies with Thrangu Rinpoche, traveling between India and Nepal.
In 2003, upon graduation from the Vajra Vidya Shedra, Thrangu Rinpoche bestowed Khenpo Thinley his "khenpo" degree. Rinpoche subsequently arranged for khenpo to oversee the shedra (Buddhist learning institution) at rinpoche's principal seat of Thrangu Monastery in Yushu, Qinghai. Thus began Khenpo's return from India in hopes of developing and managing the learning curriculum at the Yushu Thrangu Monastery.
Khenpo Thinley was also instrumental in rebuilding the shedra at said location after the devastating earthquake on April 14, 2010. To date, Khenpo has remained firm in passing on the Buddhadharma at this shedra, after its restoration and grand re-opening in August of 2015.