Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel
Who was Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel?
Founder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel, known by his spiritual name Jigten Sumgön, was a Tibetan Buddhist master who lived from 1143 to 1217 and established one of the most influential sub-schools of the Kagyu tradition. Born during a period of religious reformation in Tibet, he became the principal disciple of Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo, himself a prominent student of Gampopa. In 1179, Jigten Sumgön founded Drikung Thil Monastery in the Drikung valley, approximately 150 kilometers northeast of Lhasa, which became the main seat of the Drikung Kagyu lineage. His spiritual name translates to "Lord of the Three Worlds," reflecting his reputation as a master of profound realization. The monastery he established quickly became a major center of Buddhist learning and practice, attracting thousands of students from across Tibet and beyond. Jigten Sumgön developed and systematized a distinctive approach to Mahamudra meditation known as The Five Profound Paths of Mahamudra, which became the cornerstone teaching of the Drikung tradition. His philosophical insights and practical instructions were compiled by his disciples into several important texts, most notably the Gongchig and The Heart of the Great Vehicle's Teachings. Under his guidance, the Drikung Kagyu lineage flourished and spread throughout Tibet, establishing numerous branch monasteries. His teachings emphasized the non-dual nature of mind and the unity of all Buddhist doctrines, presenting a coherent system that integrated sutra and tantra. The lineage he founded continued to play a significant role in Tibetan Buddhism for centuries, producing many accomplished masters and maintaining active centers of practice and scholarship.
Before Fame
Jigten Sumgön was born in 1143 into a Tibet experiencing significant religious and political transformation. The second spread of Buddhism in Tibet was well underway, with new lineages and schools emerging from fresh transmissions of teachings from India. The 12th century marked a period when many of the major Tibetan Buddhist schools were taking their definitive forms. He initially studied under various teachers before becoming a student of Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo, one of Gampopa's four main disciples known as the "four pillars." Through intensive study and meditation practice under Phagmo Drupa's guidance, Jigten Sumgön achieved profound realizations that would later inform his own teaching methods and philosophical formulations.
Key Achievements
- Founded the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in the 12th century
- Established Drikung Thil Monastery in 1179, which became a major center of Buddhist learning
- Developed The Five Profound Paths of Mahamudra meditation system
- Created the philosophical framework compiled in the Gongchig text
- Trained thousands of disciples who spread Drikung teachings throughout Tibet and beyond
Did You Know?
- 01.It is said that 55,525 monks gathered at Drikung Thil Monastery during major teachings, making it one of the largest monastic gatherings in medieval Tibet
- 02.He composed over 200,000 verses of spiritual poetry and philosophical treatises during his lifetime
- 03.The Gongchig text attributed to his teachings contains 150 key points that reconcile apparent contradictions in Buddhist doctrine
- 04.Drikung Thil Monastery was built at an altitude of over 4,000 meters in a location he selected through meditation and divination
- 05.His lineage developed a unique sky burial practice called 'jhator' that became associated specifically with Drikung sites