Tseysok Jamkyong Ling

Sanctuary of Loving Kindness for Saving and Protecting Lives

With eyes of compassion, you care for the joys and sorrows of beings.
Without ever releasing your engaged embrace of their welfare,
you never miss the moment for enacting benefitting activities in whatever way is needed.
Compassionate Teacher of beings, Shakyamuni, I bow to you.

Having first scattered these respectful words like flowers, here is a brief introduction to the life-saving activities of Lingtrul Kadak Chöying Dorje Rinpoche.

First, for the background of this saving lives project: From a young age until now, Rinpoche has been unimpressed with the bustling distractions of the eight worldly concerns. He possesses the qualities of having little desire and great contentment, being humble and ethical, is gentle-natured and kind, and deeply committed to benefitting both the tradition of the Buddha's teachings and sentient beings. In particular, since childhood, loving-kindness, compassion, and bodhicitta were naturally present in his mindstream. He shows profound loving care even toward the smallest of insects and, unable to bear the suffering of sentient beings, he does whatever he can to help them. These qualities and actions have adorned his entire life story as a bodhisattva. In addition, Rinpoche received empowerments, reading transmissions, and instructions on the sutras and tantras, including the pith instructions and supporting texts of the Early Translation Nyingma lineage from many qualified spiritual teachers. He has lived his entire life as a hidden yogi, free of worldly activities while practicing these teachings.

In 2016, Rinpoche was performing life-release ceremonies for small numbers of fish, tadpoles, and birds wherever he could, but he felt that it was not enough to fulfill his aspirations. During that time, he found and purchased nine goats from a small slaughterhouse in California and was fortunate to connect with a reliable family in the area who was already providing a safe and loving sanctuary for numerous goats and other animals. He successfully negotiated an agreement with them to care for the rescued goats, as well as any future animals he might save, with their commitment to never harm or kill them. This brought him immense joy.

In 2017, Rinpoche made a clear decision to set aside all large and small activities to dedicate whatever time he had left in this life to completely focus on ransoming the lives of as many animals as he could. In this pursuit, there was a relatively large slaughter house near Stockton, California, where many innocent animals—including goats and sheep—had been brought for slaughter. There, they rescued 318 goats. Subsequently, in 2018 and 2019 combined, they saved 1,203 animals. In 2020, during the severe pandemic year, no rescues were possible. Then in 2021, they reached their highest number, saving 1,273 goats. Gradually, up until 2024, including several dozen sheep, they have provided the gift of fearless refuge to a total of 4,566 goats and sheep. The majority of the animals rescued were from California, with some smaller numbers also rescued from Utah and Nevada.

After Rinpoche compassionately saved the lives of these animals, he also performed the specific saving lives ritual practice. This includes numerous mantras of liberation through hearing, giving sacred substances of liberation through taste called dütsi, and granting blessings with objects of liberation through seeing and touch. They completed these practices with many profound dedications and aspirations, including the Aspiration Prayer for Excellent Conduct, amongst others. Not only have the goats and their offspring been able to enjoy a peaceful and relaxed life in this existence, but by coming under the protection of the three jewels, the seeds for more fortunate rebirth and liberation were planted, securing them on a path of greater and greater wellbeing in future lives.

Thus, these beings are incredibly fortunate. Some lamas send others in their place to act as intermediaries to purchase the lives to be ransomed and don't personally participate themselves, all the while only showing off the total numbers of lives saved. Rinpoche goes in person to engage in the rescues and lifesaving. Looking upon each individual being compassionately, he blesses them with his aspirations and makes meaningful connections with all whom he encounters. I offer my sincere appreciation for these actions a hundred times over. On multiple occasions, Rinpoche has also told me that because the cost of each animal from a slaughterhouse is very high, he could not have saved them alone. Many kind-hearted people, both Buddhists and non-Buddhists, from Eastern and Western countries and many different regions, with whom he has direct or indirect connections, have voluntarily made generous contributions. He keeps all donors in his prayers and, on behalf of these humble animals, wishes to express his heartfelt gratitude.

Second, the benefits of saving lives: The Buddhist path is a path of non-violence and peace. The foundation of all practice is loving-kindness and compassion, cherishing the lives of all beings and abstaining from taking life. This is because no matter who they are, every living being values their own life above all else, as can be evidenced from our personal experience through the considerable effort we invest in protecting and sustaining our own lives. It is for this reason that taking the lives of others naturally becomes the greatest harmful action, and saving lives becomes one of the greatest positive acts. Therefore, it isn't appropriate to even consider taking the life of another. As stated in a sutra of the Buddha,

O King, do not take life! Life is extremely precious to every being.
Therefore, whoever wishes for long life should not even have the thought of killing in their mind.

And from another sutra called Tsom,

Since all beings cherish their life
more than anything else, everyone fears losing their life.
Putting yourself in another's place, do not engage in violence or take another's life.

Thus, the benefits of saving lives are immeasurable. Even considering only this life, one can experience a great number of benefits, including longevity, good health, and swift recovery from illness by saving the lives of those certain to be killed, or by serving as a doctor or nurse, and so forth. The master Vasubandhu said,

By rescuing those being led to slaughter and completely refraining from harming living beings,
one will attain a long life. By caring for the sick, being a doctor or nurse, providing medicine to others, and refraining from causing physical harm, such as with stones and sticks, one will become free of illness.

Not only this, but when multiple adverse conditions arise in this life—such as fear, anxiety, loneliness, depression, or mental illness—engaging in life-saving practices brings immediate visible benefits to everything. In addition, the positive force of saving lives also influences the surrounding environment and beings, bringing good fortune, short and long term happiness, and the joy of the peace and safety that comes from not harming one another. As well, saving lives with specific motivations, such as focusing on preventing war, natural disasters, epidemics, famine, and weapon-related calamities in the world, can be highly impactful and beneficial. How all of these benefits are certain to come about are taught to a greater extent in the sutras.

In terms of future lifetimes, whether one aspires to higher rebirth, or to the three kinds of liberation—awakening to the level of a shravaka, pratyekabuddha, or complete enlightenment—saving lives plants many seeds of virtue in our mindstream that create favorable conditions for achieving these goals. It is said that there are immeasurable benefits and qualities experienced throughout all lifetimes to come, including longevity, good health, and obtaining a human body that is a support for practicing the dharma. Furthermore, it should be known that if one takes vows to abstain from killing during special occasions like the Saga Dawa month, or even if one cannot take such vows, but engages in life-saving activities, the merit is multiplied a hundred-thousand-fold or more. In brief, our compassionate Teacher said,

If one completely abandons killing,
they will be respected and become a teacher to all,
never be unencumbered by illness, enjoy longevity,
and experience wellbeing, peace, and no harm.
In all places of rebirth,
they will be dedicated to the path of Buddhist conduct,
encounter the buddha, dharma, and sangha,
and swiftly attain the unsurpassed state of awakening.

Finally, the concluding words of aspiration:

Om Swasti! By the blessings of the three deities of immortality who dwell in Originally Pure basic space,

And by the power of truth of the total purity of the Basic Space of Phenomena and the unfailing nature of cause and result,

May your form forever remain in the realm of the seven unchanging Vajra qualities,

And may the light of your enlightened activities benefiting the Buddha's teachings and beings spread to the ends of space.[1]

Colophon:

This was written at the request of the immediate reincarnation of Kyabgön Ling Lama Chökyi Dorje—the abbot of Traling Monastery—Lingtrul Rinpoche, who asked for a brief description for his new website dedicated to life saving activities that was simple and understandable when translated into other languages. Thus, I, Lodrö T'hayé, humbly wrote this on the auspicious astrological occasion of the 6th day of the 7th month in the Wood Dragon Year at Katog Choling Gön. May the root of virtue cause every being to be freed from all fears of harm and injury and gradually become a cause for the more fortunate realms and sublime liberation. May this be supported by the victorious ones and their spiritual heirs. May it be virtuous!

[1] The underlined words in this aspiration prayer, "Originally Pure Basic Space of Phenomena Vajra" are Kadak Choying Dorje, a clever insertion of Lingtrul Rinpoche's full name into poetic meaning.

H.E. Lingtrul Rinpoche

H.E. Lingtrul Rinpoche was born into a humble nomadic family of the Golok region of Tibet in 1957. Recognized at the age of three by H.H. Kathok Chatsa Rinpoche as the reincarnation of Ling Lama Chökyi Dorje, (the founder of Tra Ling monastery) he is thus considered an emanation of Longchenpa and is the 8th Throne holder of Tra Ling, the largest monastery in Golok, Eastern Tibet. (Pictured above).

During the Cultural Revolution, in order to keep his identity secret, he lived as a shepherd, tending flocks in isolated valleys, protecting them from harm.

Eventually, he was outed as an incarnate Lama and forced to work in labor camps where all interest in Buddhism had to remain hidden. In 1983 the Chinese government lifted restrictions on religious practice, and Lingtrul Rinpoche was able to study with many great teachers including his root teacher, the great Khenpo Münsel from whom he received Dzogchen teachings.

One of Khenpo Münsel's closest heart disciples, Lingtrul Rinpoche received all the transmissions of the Clear Light Great Perfection over a period of 3-4 years. The lineage of the Clear Light Great Perfection originated with the Dharmakaya Buddha and has been passed from teacher to disciple for millennia.

In retreat Lingtrul Rinpoche practiced all the development stages of the Vajrayana from the Ngondro through Trekchöd and Todgyal. He also received the entirety of the Longchen Nyingtik transmissions as well as many other empowerments and is a lineage holder of the Longchen Nyingtik treasure cycle.

At the age of 37, Lingtrul Rinpoche journeyed to central Tibet, Nepal and India to visit the great power spots in these holy lands. While in Sikkim he was imprisoned for six months and eventually rescued by H.H. Dodrubchen Rinpoche. Shortly thereafter he was invited to the United States where he began to encounter those connected to him by previous karma.

In 1995 at the request of HH Jigme Phuntsok, Rinpoche established Gonpa Drub Dey Od Sel Ling, also known as Kathok Centre, in British Columbia.

Lingtrul Rinpoche currently lives in semi-retreat, traveling and teaching fortunate students while maintaining residences at Tra Ling Monastery in Golok; Kathok Gonpa in Oakland, California; and Kathok Gonpa in Coombs, British Columbia. Rinpoche is regularly invited to Tashi Choling in Oregon, Orgyen Dorje Den in Alameda, Iron Knot Ranch in Southern New Mexico, and hosted by sangha’s across the United States, Brazil and Asia.