Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang

When the Buddha was living as Prince Siddhartha in his father's palace, he asked to visit his kingdom. The king organised three visits for his son to different places in Magadha, preparing all the details in advance to ensure that he would not encounter anything unpleasant. However, on the three visits, Prince Siddhartha came face to face with illness, old age and death. He asked Channa, his friend and visitor, about the meaning of these unexpected situations, and each time Channa gave him a suitable answer, thus making the Prince completely understand the suffering. Overcome with the feeling of giving up, the Prince secretly left the palace, leaving behind him all his friends and servants, except Channa and his own horse, who were the only ones he allowed to accompany him.

After Buddha's enlightenment, Channa became his disciple, and attained the state of Arhat. This close friend of Buddha Shakyamuni Buddha continued to serve his teachings in countless lifetimes, repeatedly appearing as a basic teacher for the pure continuation of the teachings.

In India, he has incarnated as the Archadharma Madhughoșa, as Master Vimalashri, as Chandrakirti, as Shantarakșita, who founded Buddhism in Tibet, and as Master Atișa, whose appearance in the 11th century caused the Buddha's flawless teachings to take root once again in Tibet.

Channa appeared in Tibet as Master Kadampa Langri Tangpa, and as Master Sakya Jampel Dorje. As Je Je Tsongkhapa, known as the „Snowland Elder's Weft-nestress”, he was the founder of the Gelug tradition also known as the New Kadam. The Eighth Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje, is known as one of his reincarnations, as is the Nyingma Master Sur Chöying Chöying Rangdröl. As the sixty-fourth successor to Je Tsongkhapa's throne, he was known as Tri Jangchub Chophel, which in shortened form is Trijang, and which has continued as Trijang Rinpoce to the present day.

At the turn of the last century, he arose as the third Trijang Rinpoche, known as Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, the second tutor of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. As is well known, His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Trijang Dorje Chang was the most outstanding Tibetan Buddhist master of our times. Passing into Parinirvana in 1981 at the age of eighty-one, he faithfully followed the Awakened Buddha in both age and activities. Through the teachings of the Buddha, with his extraordinary method and power of teaching, he has fulfilled the purpose of countless beings, especially in the tradition of Master Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa. All the great masters and disciples of this tradition were brought up and educated under his compassionate spiritual guidance. Among his disciples are such outstanding individuals as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Yongzin Kyabje Ling Rinpoce, Kyabje Zong Rinpoce, and the founder of the Rabten monasteries, Geshe Rabten Rinpoce.