Sharing the Timeless Joy
An Interview with H.H. the 34th Menri Trizin from the Archive of VOCL Newsletters
Here is an excerpt from an interview with His Holiness Lungtok Dawa Dhargyal Rinpoche, the 34th Menri Trizin, that was held at Serenity Ridge, June 29, 2019. This article was previously published in the August 2019 VOCL.
The Voice of Clear Light team was very grateful for the chance to speak with His Holiness one evening during the 2019 Summer Retreat at Serenity Ridge. His warmth and kindness, along with his openness to all of our questions, was natural and also remarkable. We give special thanks to Tsering Wangmo for translating during the interview, to His Holiness's attendant, Geshe Tsewang Ngodup, for translation assistance, and to Melissa Katz for her photographs taken during this interview.
His Holiness was selected as the 34th Menri Trizin, the spiritual leader of the Bon tradition and abbot of Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India, on January 1, 2018, following the passing of the 33rd Menri Trizin, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche, the previous September. In February 2018, Bonpos worldwide joined in celebrating the selection of the 34th Menri Trizin at Menri Monastery. On September 6, 2018, a formal grand enthronement ceremony took place at Menri.
VOCL: How and when did you come to Menri Monastery in India?
His Holiness: My main objective, and most of the Bonpo people's main objective in leaving Tibet and coming to India, is because after the cultural revolution, all of the great teachers like Ponlop Rinpoche [His Eminence Menri Lopon Trinley Nyima Rinpoche], Menri Trizin [His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche] and Yongdzin Rinpoche [His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche] are all located in India. So Bonpos leaving for India all want to get the teachers' blessings and their teachings and transmissions and lung. I was 25 years old when I first came to India.
VOCL: Who were your main teachers?
His Holiness: Before I came to India I had trained to become a geshe in Tibet. I received my geshe degree at Gamel Yungdrung Dargyal Ling Monastery, located in my village. During that time my lopon was Yeshe Gyeltsen. My initial training, starting with learning the alphabet, was at Yungdrung Ling Monastery in Shigatse Prefecture in Tibet. Geshe Dratok Pelchen Kyapchok was my very first teacher.
When I arrived in India my main teacher was the 33rd Menri Trizin, and Ponlop Trinley Nyima was my other main teacher. There also were my teacher at the dialectic school and several other teachers as well. But my main teacher was the 33rd Menri Trizin.
VOCL: Would you share a story of your experience with His Holiness, the 33rd Menri Trizin?
His Holiness: We are both from the same village and province. When I first came to Menri Monastery, the 33rd Menri Trizin had high hopes for me. He became very happy that I had come. I had already finished my geshe degree in Tibet, and I had still come to India to continue my development. So maybe that's one of the reasons he had great expectations of me.
Once I was there, the 33rd Menri Trizin gave me many responsibilities and duties, and I tried to perform and fulfill all of those duties and responsibilities. Initially I was given the responsibility of cleaning the rooms, the gompa, the compound and the surrounding area. I did that. Then I was put in the kitchen to cook for the lamas and do the dishes. I did that. Then I was also asked to run errands outside the compound. I did that. Then I was appointed as the administrative assistant. I did that. So wherever I was sent, I worked hard to perform all of the duties required of me for that position.
VOCL: We know that you have many responsibilities as the 34th Menri Trizin. Would you tell us what you do on a typical day at Menri?
His Holiness: Since I have been appointed, I have had no free day. Every day there are visitors getting blessings or simply just coming to visit. And the nunnery, the dialectic school and so on all have their own supervisors, but for the final decision-making, they come and ask me.
VOCL: What's the most interesting part of your job?
His Holiness: I mostly like to meditate whenever I get the time to do that. I like to read my prayer book. I like to be a little peaceful and calm. When I have lots of visitors, though, I end up chatting with them, and it can move this peacefulness some! [laughter]
