The Lineage

Master Tam is a disciple of the late H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism (1904–1987). He inherited a number of items from His Holiness to represent the continuation of the lineage.

 

t1A piece of loincloth worn by Dudjom Rinpoche when he passed away. It was granted to Master Tam by the wife of Dudjom Rinpoche.

 

t2A piece of loincloth worn by Longchen Rabjampa (1308–1364) when he passed away. After the passage of eight generations, Master Tam was left with a threadbare piece.

 

t3A khatak, a ceremonial scarf, granted to Master Tam by Dudjom Rinpoche, as one of the symbols of Tam’s lineage.

 

t4Upon Dudjom Rinpoche’s request, the 16th Karmapa granted Master Tam a Kagyu khatak, after empowering Master Tam with Black Crown and Kagyu’s lineage empowerment.

 

t10The radraksha beads used by generations of gurus at Nyingma Mindrolling Monastery. Inherited by Dudjom Rinpoche, he granted the beads to Master Tam as a symbol of the lineage.

 

t11The beads granted to Master Tam by Dudjom Rinpoche. Dudjom Rinpoche used these beads exclusively for the Vajrakilaya practice, which represents the lineage. The beads are radraksha beads.

 

t6

t5Ten such statuettes of Padmasambhava were made out of the blessed pills (dutsi rilbu) left behind by generations of Nyingma masters. One was granted to Master Tam by Dudjom Rinpoche. Shown here, the statuette is now kept in a golden shrine.

 

t8The Buddhist relic (sarira) granted by Dudjom Rinpoche is currently kept in a bronze stupa.

 

t9A blessed pill made out of pills from previous generations of Nyingma masters, in addition to the Rinpoche’s fingernails and hair. This pill was given to Tam at the same time as the sarira.

 

t12

t13

t14A thangka of Dorje Drolö given to Master Tam by Dudjom Rinpoche. This thangka is more than a thousand years old and was kept by Nyingma masters from generation to generation.