The current Tulku Jamyang Tenzin Namgyel is the reincarnation of Siddha Pema Chewang, also known as Lama Pema Chewang. He was born in the year of Dragon in a cave in Domajong in Tangmachu area in Kurtoe Gewog1 of Lhuentse District in eastern Bhutan. His father was Sherab Gyeltshen and mother was Sonam Zangmo.
At an early age, he spent years in learning and contemplating at Meditation School in Gonpa Karpo in Kurtoe. He then travelled to Tibet and entered Mindroling Ngagyur Monastery and completed his study.
Following this, he met Kyabje Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö in Kham due to his karmic connection and received trekchö2 and tögal3 practices of profound Dzogchen in its entirety, thus perfecting the Dzogchen teachings and practices enough to enlighten in one lifetime.
1 Gewog is an administrative unit below the district or simply sub-district.
2 “Trekchö is translated as ‘thoroughly cutting through’ (resistance, stubbornness, toughness and closedness), or ‘breakthrough’. The practice of trekchö reveals the view of primordial purity beyond conceptual elaboration (kadak trödral).” (Source: Rigpa Wiki)
3 “Tögal, translated as ‘direct crossing’, ‘the direct approach’ or ‘leapover’, can bring very quickly the actual realization of the three kayas in this lifetime, and thus is a more rapid way of bringing about the dissolution of the practitioner’s karmic vision. The practice of tögal brings the realization of ‘spontaneous presence’ and it can only be undertaken by a practitioner who has first gained stability in the practice of kadak trekchö.” Tögal together with trekchö form two aspects in Dzogchen practice. (Source: Rigpa Wiki)
He also received many teachings from Tö Dzatrul Rinpoche. Because of the need for his guidance by sentient beings, he arrived at Bumthang in central Bhutan from Tibet and entered a retreat for a period of one year in one of the Dragchen Zhe4 called Shugdra, a Guru Rinpoche’s holy site.
Next, he was requested to perform Phowa5 for the governor named Sé Dophula of Trashigang in eastern Bhutan who had already died. While performing Phowa, Sé Dophula’s body moved, a sign of success exactly described in Phowa texts because of which he gained the trust of all the people who had gathered there. For this, he was given one statue of Siddha Saraha made of gold and copper, and one horse as benefactions.
He arrived at Thowadra, again one of the Dragchen Zhe. There, he resided at a cave called Sheling Phug because of which he was known as Sheling Lama. He continued his residence at Thowadra as insisted by venerable Khampa Lama, also known as Lama Pema Long-Yang to reside at Thowadra permanently by giving him hermitage and other offerings.
One day, an entourage of Kyabje Bairo Rinpoche, a Dharma Protector of Kathok Shechen Monastery, Gelong Yoesung and Lama Pelzin arrived in Bhutan.
4 Dragchen zhi is translated as the four famous great sacred cliffs. They are Shugdra, Chöjedra, Thowadra and Kunzangdra, all in Bumthang in central Bhutan. 5 According to Wiki Rigpa, “Phowa is the practice for directing the transference of consciousness at the time of death, either for oneself or another. The consciousness may be transferred to the dharmakaya nature, to a pure realm as sukhavati or to a favourable existence in the human realm.”
Upon meeting them, Lama Pema Chewang offered and requested the entourage to reside at his seat. At that time, he heard numerous teachings from Kyabje Bairo Rinpoche.
Some years later, tsampa Pema and tsampa Tshultrim who were from Baeyne Yamalung Monastery in Kurtoe offered their Monastery to Kyabje Bairo Rinpoche who subsequently visited it. During this visit, Kyabje Bairo Rinpoche had established many new sacred sites and founded meditation centers there.
Later, Lama Pema Chewang was ordered by Kyabje Bairo Rinpoche to reside in Kurtoe in accordance with which he resided and overseen those meditation centers. He was the benefactor of the construction of Ungar Monastery in Kurtoe and its main treasure. Similarly, he was the benefactor of a highly blessed Guru Sampa Lhundrupma statue at Chi-Nyel Monastery in Kurtoe, which can be seen even today. Besides, he sculpted a large statue of Guru as a main treasure at his seat in Bumthang, which is at Chöyam in Tang today. Ultimately, because of the need for his guidance by sentient beings, he left Yamalung pretending to be sick and came back to Bumthang where venerable Lama Pema Long-Yang who had left Thowadra welcomed him at Chögyam in Tang.
Kyabje Bairo Rinpoche ordered him to enter a secluded retreat to avert an ill fortune that awaited him that year. However, instead he presided over an annual religious festival being held in Thowadra on the tenth day of the first month of the Bhutanese calendar upon request.
Venerable Lama Pema Long-Yang was the benefactor of those annual religious festivals. Though he had a plan to enter a retreat afterward, because of ill fortune, he finally entered Parinirvana after the conclusion of the said festival on the tenth day of the Guru’s holy month during the waxing moon period.
