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The Hermitage: Visiting Lamas, Dharma Teachers and Monastics

Ven. Bardok Chusang Rinpoche and Lama Kunzang Palden Rinpoche

The deep spiritual connection and love that exists between the most Venerable Bardok Chusang Rinpoche who lives in Nepal, and our resident Lama, Rodney Devenish (Lama Karma Kunzang), is palpable. They have known each other for more than thirty years. We are fortunate to have these two Lamas at the Hermitage with us.

The elder Bardok Chusang Rinpoche is a Mahamudra-master, and a highly venerated yogi of tantric practice. He is a renowned expert on Pema Karpo's Six Yogas of Naropa and Mahamudra Meditation, with the recognized ability to impart "pointing out instruction" in a clear, precise manner, to those ready and sufficiently mature to receive direct realization.

Chusang Rinpoche lives in Boudhanath, Nepal and has managed to visit The Hermitage at least once a year to oversee progress. He hopes to come more often in the future. In his younger days, Chusang Rinpoche—who is of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition—spent more than six years in isolated retreat in the wilderness region north of Mount Everest. He became a great meditation master and yogi, before having to leave Tibet in 1959. Since then he has lived a family life in Nepal, where he is today greatly renowned amongst the Tibetan community for his great wisdom and saintliness. It was Chusang Rinpoche who initially blessed the land and gave the name Kunzang Samten Yangtse to the Hermitage, which means "the Pinnacle of All-Beneficent Meditation".

Lama Rodney Devenish (Lama Karma Kunzang) is the resident Head Lama at the Hermitage. (Our other two Head Lamas are Bardok Chusang Rinpoche and the venerable Karma Gyurme Rinpoche. See the History and Purpose of the Dharma Fellowship.) He is known for his quite exceptional ability to impart the pointing out instruction of Mahamudra, based on his personal experience of the true nature of mind; a transmission he has performed with insight and extraordinary skill on various occasions throughout his long career as a meditation instructor and spiritual councilor.

Lama Rodney is a Westerner, born in England of English parents. He is a long time disciple of Namgyal Rinpoche, who recognized him as the incarnation of a previous student; a tulku of Kunzang Palden Rinpoche (1862-1945), who was a follower of Lama Mipham and Dza Patrul Rinpoche. Rodney has dedicated himself to establishing our Hermitage as a place focusing on the practice of prayer and meditation. Rodney has also met with and received teachings and empowerments from quite a few other Tibetan Lamas, including the 16th Karmapa, Trungpa Rinpoche, Kalu Rinpoche, the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, Lama Sonam Tobgyal, the highly respected Dzogchen master Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsewang Gyatso, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and the head of the Nyingma school, Penor Rinpoche. He has also received transmission through Jean Dunn, the late female lineage-holder of Nisargadatta Maharaj, a renowned master of the Nath Sampradaya.

The senior monk in residence at the Hermitage is Bhikshu Karma Tinley, who at present divides his time between the Hermitage in Canada and his commitments to our centre in the heart of San Francisco, USA.

Lama Tsundu and Lingtrul Rinpoche The Hermitage constantly receives visits from a number of Lamas and spiritual elders. Last year, we had visits and teachings from the great Nyingmapa Lama Lingtrul Rinpoche, a teacher from far eastern Tibet. Lingtrul Rinpoche is the head of several monasteries in Tibet. We expect Lingtrul Rinpoche to be a frequent visitor to the centre.

We also received visits from our beloved local Lama, Geshe Tsundu-la, who visits the Hermitage on a fairly regular basis. Lama Tsundu was trained at His Holiness the Dalai Lama's main Namgyal Monastery and is a teacher of the Gelugpa order. Last year, Lama taught some basic Medicine Buddha healing techniques and gave a demonstration of the art of making the sand mandala for the Medicine Buddha meditation practice. This is an ongoing study and he will be giving more teachings on this practice throughout the coming year. Besides Medicine Buddha practice, Lama will also be guiding Tara meditation.

Another Lama who will be visiting the Hermitage later in the year is the Dzogchen master Tulku Karzang, from whom we are most honoured to receive teachings on the Mindrolling Dor-sem cycle of practice, a terma instruction revealed by the renowned Buddhist saint Terdag Lingpa. The Dor-sem cycle is a complete spiritual practice in and of itself, which includes both Creation-phase and Completion-phase meditation in the tantric Nyingma/Ka'gyu tradition, aimed at full realization. Karzang Rinpoche comes from Golok, in far eastern Tibet, and is a Lama of the Kartok Dorje-den lineage. He is extremely learned not only in his own Nyingma ("ancient ones") tradition, but in the whole field of Tibetan Buddhism.

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