A practice fit for a King

Like his teacher, Pabongka Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche was an adherent of the practice of the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden and widely promoted it. He wrote Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors, a commentary to a praise of Dorje Shugden called Infinite Aeons, written by Dagpo Kalsang Khedrup, who was the Guru of Pabongka’s Guru, Dagpo Jampel Lhundrup.

Trijang Rinpoche stated, on many occasions, that Dorje Shugden is an emanation of the wisdom Buddha Manjushri. He also stated that in order for someone to become convinced that Dorje Shugden was a worldly spirit, "A mountain of absurd consequences, previously non-existent distorted ideas, would have to be accepted."

A new generation of disciples

Trijang Rinpoche’s disciples consider him to be in the same mental continuum as Atisha, and the lineage holder of all the essential Gelugpa lineages of Lamrim, Lojong and Mahamudra.

Trijang Rinpoche also had many other less well known disciples and was an object of pilgrimage first in Tibet and later in Dharamsala and Mundgod in India.

Almost every Tibetan sought his guidance and blessings in almost all situations and activities. These included great masters, senior and junior Rinpoches, Geshes, monks, nuns, ministers, business people, men, women, old and young, poor and rich, intellectuals or practitioners. Tibetans from practically every walk of life sought his help and advice in their good and bad times. He cared for everyone equally, without discrimination, with boundless compassion and patience.

Among these countless students, Trijang Rinpoche had many well-known disciples, some of whom have become especially renowned in the West, including the 14th Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, and Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, who continues his unmixed practice and transmission of the Ganden oral tradition.

What they say

“These two (Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche) remained my tutors until the end of my formal education, and I continually received numerous lineages of the Tibetan Buddhist heritage from both of them. They were close friends but very different characters. Trijang Rinpoche was a tall, thin man of great grace and elegance with a rather pointed nose for a Tibetan. He was gentle and had a deep voice, which was particularly melodious when he chanted. Trijang Rinpoche was one of the greatest poets of his generation, with an eclectic command of art and literature." ~ H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama

"It was Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang who offered His Holiness the most important transmissions of Dharma such as the Great Lamrim, the Chakrasamvara Tantra and many hundreds of various initiations and special instructions. He also helped His Holiness in his younger age to compose texts, prepare speeches, etc." ~ Gonsar Rinpoche

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, a scholar and Yogi who teaches in the West, has praised Trijang Dorjechang as his kind root Guru on many occasions. He has followed him and his lineage teachings and attributed his success with the New Kadampa Tradition to his root Guru. He has likened Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche to "a vast reservoir from which all Gelugpa practitioners of the present day received ‘waters’ of blessings and instructions."

"I have received these teachings from my Spiritual Guide, Trijang Dorjechang, who was an emanation of Atisha; thus the explanations given in this book, Joyful Path of Good Fortune, actually come from him and not from myself." According to Gonsar Rinpoche, his "compassion and wisdom and the service rendered to the Dharma and sentient beings were absolutely unsurpassable." ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, in the preface of his Lamrim commentary

[The teaching] came continuously, as a living tradition from Buddha Vajradhara to the late Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche.

“I received this teaching from Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche 40 years ago, somewhere across the river from Tsechor Ling valley in Lhasa. A number of people who are known in the West now were there, too: Lama Yeshe, Dagyab Rinpoche, Domo Geshe Rinpoche and also Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. We received the teachings at the same time.” ~ Gehlek Rinpoche, in his commentary to Offering to the Spiritual Guide (Lama Chopa)