Jamgön Ju Mipham Gyatso, or Mipham Jamyang Namgyal Gyamtso (1846–1912) (also known as "Mipham the Great") was a very influential philosopher and polymath of the

Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and trans ...

school of

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

. He wrote over 32 volumes on topics such as painting, poetics, sculpture, alchemy, medicine, logic, philosophy and tantra. Mipham's works are still central to the scholastic curriculum in Nyingma monasteries today.Duckworth (2011), page 46 Mipham is also considered one of the leading figures in the Ri-me (non-sectarian) movement in

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

Derivation of name

"Ju" ("holding") was Mipham's family name as his paternal clan is said to have originated as clear light deities who came to the human world holding a rope. "Jamgön" (Skt. Mañjunātha) indicate that he was considered to be an emanation of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. His maternal uncle, Minister-Lama Drupchok Pema Tarjay, named him Mipham Gyamtso ("Invincible Ocean" or "Unconquerable Ocean"). In Tibetan literature, the word "mi-pham" is the standard translation of the Sanskrit "ajita", meaning "unconquered", which is a common epithet of the celestial bodhisattva

Maitreya Maitreya (Sanskrit: ) or Metteyya (Pali: ), also Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha, is regarded as the future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. As the 5th and final Buddha of the current kalpa, Maitreya's teachings will be aimed a ...

Biography

Early life

Mipham the Great was born to an aristocratic family in 1846 in the

Derge Derge (; ) is a town in Dêgê County in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, China. It was once the center of the Kingdom of Derge in Kham. History Historically, Derge, which means "land of mercy", was an important centre of Tibe ...

Principality of

Kham Kham (; ) is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being Amdo in the northeast, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet. The original residents of Kham are called Khampas (), and were governed locally by chieftains and monasteries. Kham ...

or Eastern

. He was recognized as an exceptional child from a young age, memorizing texts as early as age six. By the age of ten he had already composed many texts. At twelve, he entered the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

as an ordinary

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...

of the Ogmin Urgyen Mindrolling lineage at a branch monastery of the great

seat Shechen. When he was fifteen or sixteen, after studying the very difficult Mindrolling system of chanting for only a few days and praying to

Manjushri Mañjuśrī (Sanskrit: मञ्जुश्री) is a ''bodhisattva'' associated with '' prajñā'' (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumāra ...

, he is said to have completely mastered it. In an 18-month retreat he accomplished the form of Manjushri known as 'Lion of Philosophers' (Tibetan: smra ba'i seng ge), using a liturgy composed by the fifteenth Karmapa, Khakhyab Dorje. He made many medicinal pills blessed with Manjushri's

mantra A mantra ( Pali: ''manta'') or mantram (मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other languages believed by practitioners to have religious, ...

, and many miraculous signs were said to have been manifest. After this, it was said that he could accomplish any

sutra ''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an ap ...

tantra Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the India ...

without any effort, and no text was unknown to him. He went to many lamas to obtain the necessary

lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either si ...

(oral transmissions), but he needed no study or teachings for any texts.

Teachers

Mipham was "a luminary of the nineteenth century

renaissance and Rime movement ecumenical movement, which started in the Kham region of eastern

". As such he received teachings from masters of all lineages

and Sarma alike. His root gurus were Dza Patrul Rinpoche, from whom he received instruction on

Shantideva Shantideva (Sanskrit: Śāntideva; ; ; mn, Шантидэва гэгээн; vi, Tịch Thiên) was an 8th-century CE Indian philosopher, Buddhist monk, poet, and scholar at the mahavihara of Nalanda. He was an adherent of the Mādhyamaka phil ...

's '' Bodhicharyavatara'' and

Dzogchen Dzogchen (, "Great Perfection" or "Great Completion"), also known as ''atiyoga'' ( utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Yungdrung Bon aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence. ...

and the renowned master

Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (, 1820–1892), also known by his tertön title, Pema Ösel Dongak Lingpa, was a renowned teacher, scholar and tertön of 19th-century Tibet. He was a leading figure in the Rimé movement. Having seen how the Gelug instit ...

, from whom he received transmission of the orally transmitted or Kama and revealed or Terma lineages, and many other teachings. His other teachers included Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye; Dzogchen Khenpo Padma Vajra; Lab Kyabgon Wangchen Gyerab Dorje; Jubon Jigme Dorje; Bumsar Geshe Ngawang Jungne and Ngor Ponlop Jamyang Loter Wangpo.

Philosophy

A key theme in Mipham's philosophical work is the unity of seemingly disparate ideas such as duality and

nonduality Nondualism, also called nonduality and nondual awareness, is a fuzzy concept originating in Indian philosophy and religion for which many definitions can be found, including: nondual awareness, the nonduality of seer and seen or nondiffer ...

, conceptual and nonconceptual (

nirvikalpa ''Samadhi'' (Pali and sa, समाधि), in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools, is a state of meditative consciousness. In Buddhism, it is the last of the eight elements of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the Ashtanga Yoga ...

) wisdom, rational analysis and uncontrived meditation, presence and absence, immanence and transcendence,

emptiness Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression, loneliness, anhedonia, despair, or other mental/emotional disorders, including schizoid ...

and

Buddha nature Buddha-nature refers to several related Mahayana Buddhist terms, including '' tathata'' ("suchness") but most notably ''tathāgatagarbha'' and ''buddhadhātu''. ''Tathāgatagarbha'' means "the womb" or "embryo" (''garbha'') of the "thus-gone ...

. Mimicking the Sarma schools, Mipham attempted to reconcile the view of tantra, especially

, with sutric

Madhyamaka Mādhyamaka ("middle way" or "centrism"; ; Tibetan: དབུ་མ་པ ; ''dbu ma pa''), otherwise known as Śūnyavāda ("the emptiness doctrine") and Niḥsvabhāvavāda ("the no ''svabhāva'' doctrine"), refers to a tradition of Buddhis ...

.Koppl, Heidi. ''Establishing Appearances as Divine.'' Snow Lion Publications 2008. This was in departure with the Nyingma school which generally positioned the view of tantra as superior to the view of Madhyamaka. For Mipam, the unity of philosophical views is ultimately resolved in the principle of coalescence (Sanskrit: ''yuganaddha'', Tib: ''zung 'jug''), which is the nonduality of conventional and ultimate realities, of samsara and nirvana. Unlike

Tsongkhapa Tsongkhapa ('','' meaning: "the man from Tsongkha" or "the Man from Onion Valley", c. 1357–1419) was an influential Tibetan Buddhist monk, philosopher and tantric yogi, whose activities led to the formation of the Gelug school of Tibetan Budd ...

who held that emptiness, as an absolute negation, was the definitive reality and view, Mipham sees coalescence of gnosis and emptiness, form and emptiness, etc. as "the ultimate hermeneutical cornerstone of his interpretations". In his many texts Mipham explores the tension and dialectic that arises between philosophical reasoning of the ordinary mind (''rnam shes'') which is represented by the

philosophy and luminous nonconceptual wisdom (''ye shes''), which is the focus of the teachings of

. He attempts a synthesis of them to show that they are not incompatible perspectives and that the teachings of Dzogchen are in line with reason.

Two models of the two truths

Mipham developed a twofold model of the Buddhist two truths doctrine. The first model is the traditional Madhyamaka perspective which presents the two truths of

and appearance, with emptiness representing the level of ultimate truth and appearance representing relative truth. In this model the two truths are really the same reality and are only conceptually distinct. In his second model of the two truths, Mipham presents an authentic truth and an inauthentic truth. Authentic experience is any perception that is in accord with reality (''gnas snang mthun'') and perceptions which do not are said to be inauthentic. This differs from the first model because in the first model only emptiness is ultimate while in the second model the ultimate truth is the meditative experience of unitary wisdom. Instead of just being a negation, it includes the subjective content of the cognition of wisdom as well as the objective nature of reality. In this model the ultimate truth is also reality experienced nonconceptually, without duality and reification, which in Dzogchen is termed

rigpa In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' ('' avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the state of ''rigpa'' and is able to rest there continuously i ...

, while the relative truth is the conceptual mind (''sems''). According to Mipham these two models do not conflict. They are merely different contextually; the first relates to the analysis of experience post meditatively and the second corresponds to the experience of unity in meditative equipose. This synthesis by Mipam is ultimately a bringing together of two different perspectives in Tibetan philosophy,

rangtong ''Rangtong'' and ''shentong'' are two distinctive views on emptiness ( sunyata) and the two truths doctrine within Tibetan Buddhism. ''Rangtong'' (; "empty of self-nature") is a philosophical term in Tibetan Buddhism that is used to distinguis ...

and

shentong ''Rangtong'' and ''shentong'' are two distinctive views on emptiness ( sunyata) and the two truths doctrine within Tibetan Buddhism. ''Rangtong'' (; "empty of self-nature") is a philosophical term in Tibetan Buddhism that is used to distinguis ...

, which Mipam associated with the teachings of the second turning (

Prajnaparamita A Tibetan painting with a Prajñāpāramitā sūtra at the center of the mandala Prajñāpāramitā ( sa, प्रज्ञापारमिता) means "the Perfection of Wisdom" or "Transcendental Knowledge" in Mahāyāna and Theravāda ...

sutras) and third turning (

Yogacara Yogachara ( sa, योगाचार, IAST: '; literally "yoga practice"; "one whose practice is yoga") is an influential tradition of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing the study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through ...

and

sutras) respectively:

The emptiness taught in the middle wheel and the exalted body and wisdom taught in the last wheel should be integrated as a unity of emptiness and appearance. Without dividing or excluding the definitive meaning subject matters of the middle and last wheels, both should be held to be the definitive meaning in the way of just this assertion by the omniscient Longchen Rapjam. - ''Lion's Roar, exposition of Buddha nature''.

For Mipham, both of these teachings are definitive and a middle way between both of them is the best way to avoid the extremes of nihilism and essentialism.

Fourfold valid cognition

Another original contribution of Mipham is his system of fourfold valid cognition (

pramana ''Pramana'' (Sanskrit: प्रमाण, ) literally means "proof" and "means of knowledge".

Scope

In the Introduction to his critical study of the ontological debates between Mipham and his

Gelugpa 240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous")Kay, David N. (2007). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantati ...

opponents (''Mipham's Dialectics and the Debates on Emptiness'') Lopon Karma Phuntsho defines Mipham as a

polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...

and gives this assessment of the scope of Mipham's work: Mipham's works on both the exoteric or Sutrayana teachings and the esoteric or

Vajrayāna Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

teachings have become core texts within the Nyingma tradition. These works now hold a central position in the curriculum of all Nyingma monasteries and monastic colleges — occupying a place of esteem similar to the works of

Sakya Pandita Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyeltsen (Tibetan: ས་སྐྱ་པཎ་ཌི་ཏ་ཀུན་དགའ་རྒྱལ་མཚན, ) (1182 – 28 November 1251) was a Tibetan spiritual leader and Buddhist scholar and the fourth of the Five S ...

and

Gorampa Gorampa Sonam Senge (, 1429–1489Dreyfus (2003) p.301) was an important philosopher in the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was the author of a vast collection of commentaries on sutra and tantra whose work was influential throughout Tibetan ...

in the Sakya tradition; those of

in the Gelug tradition and of Kunkhyen Padma Karpo in the

Drukpa Kagyu The Drukpa Kagyu (), or simply Drukpa, sometimes called either Dugpa or "Red Hat sect" in older sources,

. Together with Rongzompa and

Longchenpa Longchen Rabjam Drimé Özer (), commonly abbreviated to Longchenpa (1308–1364, an honorific meaning "The Vast Expanse") was a Tibetan scholar-yogi of the Nyingma school ('Old School') of Tibetan Buddhism. According to tibetologist David Ge ...

, Mipham is considered to be one of the three "omniscient" writers of the Nyingma tradition.

Commentaries on Buddhist Śāstra

Although Mipham wrote on a wide range of subjects, Prof. David Germano identifies the most influential aspect of Mipham's career in that he "was the single most important author in the efflorescence of Nyingma exoteric literature in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Grounding himself theoretically in the writings of

and other great Nyingma authors, Mipham produced brilliant exegetical commentaries on the great Indian philosophical systems and texts with a

orientation.". E. Gene Smith also judged that Mipham's greatest contribution was "in his brilliant and strikingly original commentaries on the Indian treatises."Smith (2001) p. 231 Prior to Mipham, Nyingmapa scholars "had seldom written detailed pedagogical commentaries on the ''śāstras'' of exoteric Buddhism." Until his time the colleges or shedra associated with the great Nyingma monasteries of Kham, such as

, Shechen, Kathog,

Palyul Palyul Monastery (), also known as Palyul Namgyal Jangchub Choling Monastery and sometimes romanized as Pelyul Monastery, is one of the "Six Mother Monasteries" of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1665 by Rigzin Kunz ...

and Tarthang lacked their own exegetical commentaries on these exoteric Mahayana ''śāstras'', and students commonly studied

Gelug 240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India).">Bodh_Gaya.html" ;"title="Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya">Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuou ...

commentaries on these fundamental texts. Grounding himself in the writings of

Śāntarakṣita (Sanskrit; , 725–788),stanford.eduŚāntarakṣita (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)/ref> whose name translates into English as "protected by the One who is at peace" was an important and influential Indian Buddhist philosopher, particul ...

, Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo, and

, Mipham produced a whole array of brilliant exegetical commentaries on the great Indian philosophical systems and texts that clearly articulated a Nyingma orientation or view. The texts include his commentaries on the '' Mulamadhyamakakarika'' or ''Fundamental Stanzas on Wisdom'' by

Nagarjuna Nāgārjuna . 150 – c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...

; the ''Introduction to the Middle Way'' (Sanskrit:

Madhyamakāvatāra The ''Madhyamakāvatāra'' () is a text by Candrakīrti (600–c. 650) on the Mādhyamaka school of Buddhist philosophy. Candrakīrti also wrote an auto-commentary to the work, called the ''Madhyamakāvatārabhasya.'' It is traditionally conside ...

) of

Chandrakirti Chandrakirti (; ; , meaning "glory of the moon" in Sanskrit) or "Chandra" was a Buddhist scholar of the madhyamaka school and a noted commentator on the works of Nagarjuna () and those of his main disciple, Aryadeva. He wrote two influential w ...

; the ''Quintessence of all Courses of Ultimate Wisdom'' (Jnanasarasamuccaya) of

Aryadeva Āryadeva (fl. 3rd century CE) (; , Chinese: ''Tipo pusa'' ��婆菩薩 = Deva Bodhisattva, was a Mahayana Buddhist monk, a disciple of Nagarjuna and a Madhyamaka philosopher.Silk, Jonathan A. (ed.) (2019). ''Brill’s Encyclopedia of Buddhi ...

; commentaries on the major works of the Indian Buddhist logicians

Dharmakirti Dharmakīrti (fl. c. 6th or 7th century; Tibetan: ཆོས་ཀྱི་གྲགས་པ་; Wylie: ''chos kyi grags pa''), was an influential Indian Buddhist philosopher who worked at Nālandā.Tom Tillemans (2011)Dharmakirti Stanford ...

and Dignaga; commentaries on the ''Five Treatises of Maitreya'' most notably, the ''

Abhisamayalamkara The "Ornament of/for Realization , abbreviated AA, is one of five Sanskrit-language Mahayana śastras which, according to Tibetan tradition, Maitreya revealed to Asaṅga in northwest India circa the 4th century AD. (Chinese tradition recogniz ...

''; commentaries on several works of

Vasubandhu Vasubandhu (; Tibetan: དབྱིག་གཉེན་ ; fl. 4th to 5th century CE) was an influential Buddhist monk and scholar from ''Puruṣapura'' in ancient India, modern day Peshawar, Pakistan. He was a philosopher who wrote commentary ...

including the '' Abhidharmakosha''. Mipham's commentary on the ninth chapter of

's '' Bodhicaryavatara, '' the ''Shertik Norbu Ketaka'' (), "threw Tibetan scholarly circles into several decades of heated controversy," but "it was not the only tempest Mipham's new expositions raised." His commentary on the '' Madhyamakalamkara'' of

was also considered highly controversial.

Commentaries on Tantras

Mipham's commentary on the Guhyagarbha Tantra is entitled ''The Essence of Clear Light'' or ''Nucleus of Inner Radiance'' ()— it is based on Longchenpa's commentary,'' Dispelling Darkness in the Ten Directions'' which explains the Guhyagarbha from the Dzogchen point of view. Mipham showed particular interest in the

Kalachakra ''Kālacakra'' () is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means " wheel of time" or "time cycles". "''Kālacakra''" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practice lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. The ...

and the kingdom of

Shambhala In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala ( sa, शम्भल ',''Śambhala'', also ''Sambhala'', is the name of a town between the Rathaprā and Ganges rivers, identified by some with Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. In the Puranas, it is named as ...

, and one of his last and most extensive of his esoteric works are his two volumes of commentary,

initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...

and sadhana related to the

Kalachakra Tantra ''Kālacakra'' () is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means "wheel of time" or "time cycles". "''Kālacakra''" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practice lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. The ta ...

, the esoteric teaching from

. Before he died in 1912, he said to his students that now he was going to

Mipham and Gesar

Throughout his life, Mipham showed a particular interest in the legend of the warrior king

Gesar of Ling The Epic of King Gesar ( Tibetan, Bhutanese: གླིང་གེ་སར །), also spelled Geser (especially in Mongolian contexts) or Kesar (), is a work of epic literature of Tibet and greater Central Asia. The epic originally devel ...

, a 12th-century figure whose epic is well-known and widely celebrated in eastern Tibet, and about whom Mipham wrote extensively. The Gesar practice, known as "The Swift Accomplishment of Enlightened Activity Through Invocation and Offering" () arose in the mind of Mipham as a gong-ter and was written down over the course of three years from the age of 31 to 34. This practice invokes Gesar and his retinue and requests him to assist practitioners.

Medicine

Mipham's medical works continue to be highly regarded to this day.

Astrology and divination

Mipham also wrote extensively about astrology which was, in his words, a "delightful game" that he mastered in his teens but later applied to more serious topics such as medicine; these two topics, with various texts on more or less related topics of divination, occupy perhaps 2,000 pages of his writing. An entire volume of Mipham's is devoted to Ju-thig or divination using knots, a method that might be termed " Bon" in origin, for want of a more accurate term; this may have been the legacy of his family, who were doctors for several generations. Throughout his writings there are many resources for divination, in addition to astrology, including several rituals for looking in mirrors (pra-mo), one using dice (mo), pulling different-length 'arrows' (Wylie: da dar) out of a quiver and so on, compelling a non-human "bird" to whisper future news in one's ear, and so on. In one short text he prescribes various methods of divination (all drawn, Mipham emphasizes, from Tantric scriptures and commentaries) that make use of unusual sources of augury such as: the vicariously overheard chatter of women; sudden appearance of various animals, especially birds; weather phenomena; the shape, size and color of flames in the agnihotra or fire puja; the quality of burning butter lamps, especially the size of the flame, the amount and shape of smoke that arises; and the size and shape of the carbon deposit on the wick. When some of his scholarly rivals thought it inappropriate for a monk to devote so much time to matters of future events, Mipham wrote a short essay explaining the purpose of divination, citing sources in the

Sutras ''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an aph ...

and

Tantras Tantras ("''doctrine''" or "''framework''" or "''system''" ) refers to numerous and varied scriptures pertaining to any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. The religious culture of the Tantras is essentially ...

where the utility and value of divination are explained.

Students

Mipham's most important students were Dodrub Rinpoche, Terton Sogyal, the Fifth Dzogchen Rinpoche, Gemang Kyab Gon, Khenpo Padmavajra, Katog Situ Rinpoche, Sechen Rabjam, Gyaltsab Tulku, Palyul Gyaltrul, Karma Yangtrul, Palpung Situ Rinpoche, Ling Jetrung, Adzom Drukpa (1842-1924), Togdan Shakya Shri, Ngor Ponlob, and others. The great tulkus of Sechen, Dzogchen, Katog, Palyul, Palpung, Dege Gonchen, Repkong and others of all lineages, Sakya, Gelug, Kagyu, and Nyingma, all became his disciples.

Emanations of Ju Mipham

According to one account shortly before he died, Mipham told his attendant: This may be interpreted as a statement that his mindstream would have no further 'emanations' (Wylie: ''sprul pa'' (

emanation body Emanation may refer to: * Emanation (chemistry), a dated name for the chemical element radon * Emanation From Below, a concept in Slavic religion * Emanation in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a belief found in Neoplatonism *Emanation of the state, a l ...

); ''sprul sku'' (

tulku A ''tulku'' (, also ''tülku'', ''trulku'') is a reincarnate custodian of a specific lineage of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism who is given empowerments and trained from a young age by students of his or her predecessor. High-profile examples ...

)). Conversely, according to another account in which he mentions the

mindstream Mindstream (''citta-santāna'') in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment continuum (Sanskrit: ''saṃtāna'') of sense impressions and mental phenomena, which is also described as continuing from one life to another. Definition ' (Sanskr ...

in passing and prophesies the shortly before his death to his student Khenpo Kunphel: In the above account, shortly after the departure of Khenpo Kunphel he stated publicly, "Now, soon I shall depart. I shall not be reborn again in Tibet, therefore do not search for me. I have reason to go to

in the north." Subsequently, a number of emanations have been recognized. According to E. Gene Smith "At least three rebirths were recognized in the decade following his death: 1) Zhe chen Mi pham (a grandnephew of Mi pham rgya mtsho); 2) Tshe dbang bdud 'dul (1915/16-42) the last prince of Sde dge; 3. Khyung po Mi pham, an incarnation recognized by Rdzong gsar Mkhyen brtse 'Jam dbyangs chos kyi blo gros." The next (third) Mipham in the line of the Dege Prince who died in 1942 was apparently born in Tibet in 1949 and recognised by Tengye Rinpoche of Lab i 1959 At that time he was enthroned and given responsibility for all monasteries previously held by the first and second incarnations. This third incarnation was also confirmed by

Patrul Rinpoche Patrul Rinpoche ( Wylie: ''dpal sprul rin po che'') (1808–1887) was a teacher and author from the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Biography Patrul Rinpoche was born in Dzachukha, a nomadic area of Golok Dzachukha, Eastern Tibet in 1808, a ...

who gave him relics of the previous incarnations and by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, who he had recognized in a previous incarnation. This Mipham incarnate is the father of

Thaye Dorje Trinley Thaye Dorje () (born 6 May 1983 in Lhasa) is a claimant to the title of 17th Karmapa. The Karmapa is head of the Karma Kagyu school, one of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Ogyen Trinley Dorje and Thaye Dorje are the persisting ...

, one of two candidates to be recognized as the 17th

Karmapa The Karmapa (honorific title ''His Holiness the Gyalwa'' ��ྒྱལ་བ་, Victorious One''Karmapa'', more formally as ''Gyalwang'' ��ྒྱལ་དབང་ཀརྨ་པ་, King of Victorious Ones''Karmapa'', and informally as the '' ...

, and of 14th Sonam Tsemo Rinpoche, an important Gelug/Sakya tulku. In 1995,

Ösel Rangdröl Mukpo Sakyong Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, Jampal Trinley Dradul (born Ösel Rangdrol Mukpo on November 15, 1962) is an American and Tibetan Buddhist descendant of the Shambhala lineage and Shambhala, a worldwide network of urban Buddhist meditation center ...

(b. 1962), the eldest son of renowned dharma master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Ani Könchok Palden, was recognized as a reincarnation of Mipham Rinpoche by HH Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche, at the time the head of the Nyingma lineage. He is now known as

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche Sakyong Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche, Jampal Trinley Dradul (born Ösel Rangdrol Mukpo on November 15, 1962) is an American and Tibetan Buddhist descendant of the Shambhala lineage and Shambhala, a worldwide network of urban Buddhist meditation center ...

, and is the spiritual head of Shambhala International.

Alternate names

* Jamgon Ju Mipham Gyatso ''(ʼJam-mgon ʼJu Mi-pham rgya-mtsho)'' * Jamgön Mipham ''(ʼJam-mgon Mi-pham)'' * Ju Mipham ''(ʼJu Mi-pham)'' * Mipham Gyatso ''(mi pham rgya mtsho)'' * Ju Mipham Namgyal Gyatso ''(ʼju mi pham rnam rgyal rgya mtsho)'' * Mipham Namgyal Gyatso ''(mi pham rnam rgyal rgya mtsho)'' * Jamgon Mipham Gyatso ''(ʼjam mgon mi pham rgya mtsho)'' * Mipham the Great ''(mi-pham chen-po)'' * Lama Mipham ''(bla-ma mi-pham)'' * Mipham Rinpoche ''(mi-pham rin-po-che)'' In contemporary scholarship, the nomenclature "Mi-pam" and "Mipam" has become an accepted alternative. Writers such as Hopkins and Duckworth have adopted this convention (see below).

English translations

For an excellent guide to his works in English, see th
Great Masters Series article from Shambhala Publications
* Buddhist Philosophy in Theory and Practice: Summary of the Philosophical Systems as Detailed in the Yid-bzhin-mdzod (excerpts). Trans.

Herbert V. Guenther Herbert may refer to: People Individuals * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert Name * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbe ...

. Shambala Publications, Inc/Penguin, 1971/72 * Calm and Clear by Lama Mipham. Trans. Tarthang Tulku. Dharma 1973 * Golden Zephyr: Instructions from a Spiritual Friend.

and Lama Mipham. Trans. Leslie Kawamura. Dharma 1975 * Lama Mipham's commentary to Nagarjuna's Stanza's for a Novice Monk. Trans. Glenn H. Mullin and Lopsang Rabgay. LTWA 1978 * The Fish King's Power of Truth: A Jataka Tale Retold by Lama Mipham. Arranged by Tarthang Tulku. Dharma 1990 * Ways of Enlightenment: Buddhist Studies at Nyingma Institute, based on Mipham's mkhas 'jug. Compiled and edited by Dharma Publishing staff. Dharma 1993 * Gateway to Knowledge. Trans.

Erik Pema Kunsang Erik Pema Kunsang (born Erik Hein Schmidt) is a Danish translator and was, along with Marcia Binder Schmidt, director of Rangjung Yeshe Translations and Publications in Kathmandu. He has translated over fifty volumes of Tibetan texts and oral ...

. Rangjung Yeshe 1997-2012 ** Vol 1 (1997) ** Vol 2 (2002) ** Vol 3 (2002) ** Vol 4 (2012) * Mipham's Beacon of Certainty: Illuminating the View of

, the Great Perfection. Trans. John Whitney Petit. Wisdom 1999 * Mo: The Tibetan Divination System. Translated by Jay Goldberg. Snow Lion 2000. * Middle-way Meditation Instructions of Mipham Rinpoche. Trans. Thrangu Rinpoche. Namo Buddha 2001 * Introduction to the Middle Way:

's Madhyamakavatara with Commentary by Jamgön Mipham. Trans. Padmakara Translation Group. Shambhala 2002 * Speech of Delight: Mipham's Commentary of Shantarakshita's Ornament of the Middle Way. Trans. Thomas H. Doctor. Snow Lion 2004 *

's Distinguishing

Phenomena A phenomenon ( : phenomena) is an observable event. The term came into its modern philosophical usage through Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the noumenon, which ''cannot'' be directly observed. Kant was heavily influenced by Gottfried ...

and Pure Being with Commentary by Mipham. Trans. Jim Scott. Snow Lion 2004 * The Adornment Of The Middle Way. Trans. Padmakara Translation Group. Shantarakshita & Jamgon Mipham. Shambhala 2005 * Gem that Clears the Waters: An Investigation of Treasure Revealers. In "Tibetan Treasure Literature", trans. Andreas Doctor. Snow Lion 2005. pp. 56–71 * Fundamental Mind: The Nyingma View of the Great Completeness by Mi-pam-gya-tso, comm. by Khetsun Sangpo Rinbochay. Trans. Jeffrey Hopkins. Snow Lion 2006 * Middle Beyond Extremes: Maitreya's Madhyantavibhaga with Commentaries by

Khenpo Shenga Khenpo Shenga Rinpoche, also Shenpen Chökyi Nangwa (1871–1927) was a Tibetan scholar in the Nyingma and Sakya traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Life Khenpo Shenga he undertook religious study at a relatively young age under the tutelage of Önpo ...

and Ju Mipham. Trans. Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Snow Lion 2007 * Mipam on Buddha-Nature: The Ground of the Nyingma Tradition. Selected translations by Douglas S. Duckworth. SUNY 2008 * White Lotus: An Explanation of the Seven-line Prayer to Guru

Padmasambhava Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...

by Jamgön Mipham. Trans. Padmakara Translation Group. Shambhala 2008 * Garland of Jewels: The Eight Great

Bodhisattvas In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...

. Trans. Yeshe Gyamtso. KTD Publications 2008 * The Way of the Realized Old Dogs, Advice that Points out the Essence of Mind, called "A Lamp that Dispels the Darkness". Trans. Tony Duff. PKTC 2009 * The Method of Preserving the Face of

Rigpa In Dzogchen, ''rigpa'' (; Skt. vidyā; "knowledge") is knowledge of the ground. The opposite of ''rigpa'' is ''ma rigpa'' ('' avidyā'', ignorance). A practitioner who has attained the state of ''rigpa'' and is able to rest there continuously i ...

, the Essence of Wisdom: An Aspect of Training in Thorough Cut. Trans. Tony Duff. PKTC 2009 * Luminous Essence: A Guide to the Guhyagarbha Tantra. Trans. Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Snow Lion 2009 * The Blessing Treasure: A Sadhana of the Buddha Shakyamuni by Mipham Rinpoche. A Commentary by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche & Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. Dharma Samudra 2009. * The Wheel of Analytic Meditation. Trans. Adam Pearcey. In "The Collected Works of

Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche () (c. 1910 – 28 September 1991) was a Vajrayana master, scholar, poet, teacher, and recognized by Buddhists as one of the greatest realized masters. Head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism from 198 ...

", Vol. 2. Shambhala 2010. * Essence of Clear Light: An Overview of the Secret Commentary "Thorough Dispelling of Darkness throughout the Ten Directions". Trans. Light of Berotsana. Snow Lion 2010. * Unending Auspiciousness: The

Sutra ''Sutra'' ( sa, सूत्र, translit=sūtra, translit-std=IAST, translation=string, thread)Monier Williams, ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, Entry fo''sutra'' page 1241 in Indian literary traditions refers to an ap ...

of the Recollection of the Noble Three Jewels, with Commentaries by Ju Mipham,

Taranatha Tāranātha (1575–1634) was a Lama of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is widely considered its most remarkable scholar and exponent. Taranatha was born in Tibet, supposedly on the birthday of Padmasambhava. His original name was Kun ...

and the Author. Trans. Tony Duff. PKTC 2010. * Jamgon Mipham: His Life and Teachings. Selected translations by Douglas S. Duckworth. Shambhala 2011 * The Verses of the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones. CreateSpace 2013. * Tengye Monlam, an Aspiration for the Spread of the Nyingma Teachings: The Oral Transmission that Gladdens the Dharma Kings in "Liberating Duality with Widsom Display: The Eight Emanations of Guru Padmasambhava". Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. Translated by Ann Helm. Dharma Samudra 2013. * Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutras: Maitreya's Mahayanasutralamkara with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham. Trans. Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Snow Lion 2014. * Shower of Blessings. Yeshe Gyamtso. Ktd Publications 2015. * The Wheel of Investigation and Meditation that Thoroughly Purifies Mental Activity and the Lamp That Dispels Darkness in "Pith Instructions: Selected Teachings and Poems".

. Shambhala 2015. (Only available as eBook). * A Garland of Views: A Guide to View, Meditation, and Result in the Nine Vehicles. Padmakara Translation Group. Shambhala 2016. * The Ketaka Jewel: A Commentary on the Prajna Chapter Making the Words and Meaning Easy to Understand . Translated by Gawang Rinpoche and Gary Weiner. CreateSpace 2016 * The Just King: The Tibetan Buddhist Classic on Leading an Ethical Life. Translated by Jose Cabezon. Shambhala 2017. * Pointing to the Nature of Awareness (rtogs ldan rgan po rnams kyi lugs sems ngo mdzub tshugs kyi gdams pa mun sel sgron me), in "A Gathering of Brilliant Moons". Translated by Douglas Duckworth. Wisdom Publications, 2017. (Also translated in Duff 2009, above). * The Wisdom Chapter: Jamgön Mipham's Commentary on the Ninth Chapter of the Way of the Bodhisattva. Translated by The Padmakara Translation Group. Shambhala, 2017. * Mipham's Sword of Wisdom: The Nyingmapa Approach to Valid Cognition. Khenchen Palden Sherab. Wisdom Publications 2018. * A Feast of the Nectar of the Supreme Vehicle: An Explanation of the Ornament of the Mahayana Sutras. Padmakara Translation Group. Shambhala 2018. * Wondrous Talk Brought about by Conversing with a Friend; the Four Dharma Traditions of the Land of Tibet; Profound Instruction on the View of the Middle Way; the Essence of Mind; the Essence of Wisdom: How to Sustain the Face of Rigpa; the Nature of Mind; Lamp to Dispel Darkness; and Advice to the Dodrup Incarnation, Jigme Tenpe Nyima in "Beyond the Ordinary Mind: Dzogchen, Rimé, and the Path of Perfect Wisdom". Translated by Adam Pearcey. Snow Lion, 2018. * Uprooting Clinging: A Commentary on Mipham Rinpoche's Wheel of Analytic Meditation. Khenchen Palden Sherab and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. Dharma Samudra, 2019.

Translations available online

Lotsawa House - Mipham Rinpoche Series
- Translations of several texts by Mipham Rinpoche.
The Sugatagarbha Translation Group - texts by Ju Mipham RinpochéSong of the Debate Between Wake and Dream
A short teaching by Mipham Rinpoche.

Notes

Sources

* * * * * * * *

Primary sources

*"Sherdrel Ketaka" The commentary of 9 Chapter of Bodhisattavacharya (shes rab le'u'i tshig don go sla bar rnam par bshad pa nor bu ke ta ka

(accessed: Sunday November 8, 2009)
Mipham's ''don rnam nges shes rab ral gri''The Sword of Prajna (DRG) & the translation of this text in English is also freely available from Lotsawa House

External links

'Jam-mgon 'Ju Mi-pham rgya-mtsho
- Open Library
Mipham Rinpoche
- Rigpa Wiki
Mipham Rinpoche TimelineMipham Rinpoche
-

Rangjung Yeshe Wiki The Rangjung Yeshe Wiki is a Wiki community established in 2005 focused on building a Tibetan-English Dictionary, glossaries of Buddhist terminology, biographies of Buddhist teachers, and articles on important Tibetan Buddhist literary works and col ...

TBRC P252
mi pham rgya mtsho at TBRC
The Life and Works of Mipham Rinpoche
- from Petit, John Whitney. ''Mipham's Beacon of Certainty: Illuminating the View of Dzochen, the Great Perfection''. Boston: Wisdom Publications (1999). p. 19-39
Lotsawa House - Translations of several texts by Mipham Rinpoche
- in Tibetan
Ju Mohar Monastery
- Mipham Rinpoche's monastery, where he accomplished Manjushri whilst on retreat
The Sugatagarbha Translation Group - texts by Ju Mipham Rinpoché
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gyatso, Jamgon Ju Mipham 1912 deaths 1846 births 19th-century lamas 19th-century Tibetan people 20th-century Tibetan people Scholars of Buddhism from Tibet Lamas from Tibet Nyingma lamas Rinpoches Shentong Tibetan Buddhism writers Tibetan philosophers Qing dynasty Tibetan Buddhists Tibetan Buddhist monks