About the picture of the First Patrul Rinpoche

Patrul Rinpoche: Dechen Drolkar, your question is about the picture of Patrul Rinpoche that you put on the website. I got that picture almost 30 years ago. An old Lama gave it to me, when I was in Dege [in Kham, Tibet ]. He told me that this picture is really Dza Patrul, Dzogchen Patrul Rinpoche. 

I believe it very much. Dzogchen Dza Patrul Patrul Rinpoche he had big ears, and was very tall. But the colors on the picture, you know the monastery robes, he did not have a proper monastery robe, so I think someone changed it.

Now in Tibet this picture is very popular. But of course there are many pictures, also in Tibet I saw different pictures. This one is very popular. I think we can trust this picture.

I mean if you have faith and devotion, in order to trust Patrul Rinpoche, a picture is not necessary, but anyway some people may be interested to see the picture, it can help to have a lot of faith and be inspired by Patrul Rinpoche.

And I think is it possible that a picture was taken at that time because Patrul Rinpoche was a student of the fourth Dzogchen Rinpoche Mingyur Namkai Dorje. Patrul Rinpoche invited his re-incarnation to his place, Dzachuka. During that time, Patrul Rinpoche, together with the young Fifth Dzogchen Rinpoche Thupten Chokyi Dorje, wrote many different texts. At the time of the Fifth Dzogchen Rinpoche there were cameras. Also, Patrul Rinpoche was already old. You can see in the picture that he is quite old. Not very but quite old.

Dechen Drolkar: You said that you kept the picture in your room in Dzogchen, and then you gave it to your brother Topga, this is why there is tea on the corner of the picture…

Patrul Rinpoche: Yes, I mean I had this picture a long time ago. My older brother almost burned it, you know, he does not want to keep many things, and sometimes he burns old things, but he kept that one. Last time when I visited them, I was very happy to find the picture, and I brought it to Chengdu to develop it again, then I gave it to you. It’s like this.

Dechen Drolkar: Who is the old Lama that gave you the picture?

Patrul Rinpoche: Pea Rinpoche gave it to me, when I was in Dege.  Pea Tulku Rinpoche is now almost 80 years old.

Dechen Drolkar: And who is Pea Tulku Rinpoche ?

Patrul Rinpoche: Pea Tulku Rinpoche, I think he is Sakya. But he was a student of Dzongtsar Khyentse Rinpoche. Dzongtsar Khyentse Rinpoche is the lineage of the Longchen Nyingthik. Therefore I think he was very interested in the Longchen Nyingthik and very much interested in Patrul Rinpoche’s teachings. I think he had been searching for that picture and he found it. I don’t know who gave it to him, but anyway this picture is very popular in Tibet.

Dzongtsar Khyentse Rinpoche is the reincarnation of Jigme Lingpa. I think the heart reincarnation is Dzongtsar Khyentse Rinpoche, the speech reincarnation is Patrul Rinpoche, the body incarnation is Do Kyentse. There is a link between them.

Dechen Drolkar: Thank you Rinpoche.

Recorded in Dharma City , during the Altruistic Activity Retreat, in August 2008.