Kusum Lingpa

Orgyen Kusum Lingpa (1934-2009) was a Tibetan terton and Nyingma lineage holder within Tibetan Buddhism. His name means "Holder of the Sanctuary of the Trikaya of Oddiyana Padmasambhava."

He was born in 1934 in the Golog region of Amdo province in eastern Tibet as the son of the well-known yogi Lhundrup Gyamtso of the Waxi (Wal Shul) clan. At that time he was known as Pema Tumpo, or Pema Tum Drag Dorje. His father's brother, Waxi Lama Sonam Khedrup, was also a famous Buddhist teacher in the region.

Mingyur Namkhé Dorje, 4th Dzogchen Rinpoche, prophesied about Orgyen Kusum Lingpa:

An emanation of Vajrapani will appear in the year known as "guarding wealth" in the Achag Dri region [of Golog] as a child named Tum Drag... He will blossom like a lily, and then unleash himself like a thunderstorm... He will guide all those connected with him to Sikhavati, The Realm of Bliss.

Orgyen Kusum Lingpa's previous incarnations include the Mahasiddha Drilbupa in India and Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje, the heart disciple of Guru Rinpoche Padma Sambhava in Tibet, who assassinated the anti-Buddhist Bon Emperor Langdarma in 842 CE and then hid in the Moon Cave of the Drag Yerpa retreat outside Lhasa. Orgyen Kusum Lingpa also often claimed to recall his previous life as the crazy wisdom master Drugpa Kunleg, and enjoyed recounting the latter's exploits given any occasion.

As a youth, he studied primarily at Darthang Monastery in Golog, where his teachers included Payul Chogtrul Rinpoche Jampal Jaypa'i Dorje (Chokyi Dawa), Akong Khenchen Lobsang Dorje, and Gyedro Wonpo Rinpoche. There he received instructions and empowerments alongside Drubwang Penor Rinpoche, among others. Another of his principal teachers was the 4th Dodrupchen Rinpoche Tubpa Zangpo, from whom he received the complete transmissions of the Longchen Nyingthig lineage, of which he became a holder.

Orgyen Kusum Lingpa began to discover mind treasures of teachings of Guru Rinpoche after his mother died and he went on pilgrimage to central Tibet when he was 16 years old. On his journey he first passed through Derge and reached Kojo, where he met Ratri Terton Nyagla Changchub Dorje, then reputedly aged 113, who became his principal teacher of Dzog Chen nature of mind instructions.

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