Rinpoche means ‘precious master’ in Himalayan Buddhism and is a title awarded to young men who are believed to be reincarnated masters. On a recent trip to Bhutan, where Buddhism continues to flourish – some say in its purest form – I had the privilege to meet with His Holiness, Rinpoche Jangtrul, a reincarnated Bhutanese meditation master from the 14th century, and one of the holiest men in the country.

I met with Rinpoche Jangtrul just days before Bhutan’s new king, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, was to be crowned in the Punaka dzong; a spectacular river-side fortress built in 1637 over an existing temple some 300 years its elder. The Punaka fortress has long been converted into a centre of monastic study and today serves as the winter residence of Bhutan’s central monk body. Needless to say, Rinpoche Jangtrul would be attending the coronation and had already begun his preparations.

The Punaka Dzong: decorated in yellow trim for the coronation of Bhutan’s new king

I toured Punaka earlier in my trip and stumbled upon a peculiar story about the unfathomable powers of meditation; an incident notorious to locals but not well-known outside of Bhutan. It seems that a few years ago the elderly and powerful Abbot Monk entered Punaka’s most sacred temple and began to mediate, as part of a process and ritual to induce death. He succeeded. Several weeks passed before a high ranking official – rumored to have been the king – checked on the holy man only to find him dead, his body perfectly preserved but shrunken to under two feet in size. The sacred Buddhist ritual of invoking meditation to eliminate the body at the time of death is especially ancient. However, its application in this day and age is simply extraordinary and underscores the astonishing power of the mind.

The Future Buddha – a common site in Bhutan’s most sacred temples

With the tale of the Abbot Monk embedded in my subconscious, I prepared to meet with the reincarnation of Bhutan’s most acclaimed master of meditation. ‘Where to start’, I wondered.

‘Why now?’ I asked His Holiness, Rinpoche Jangtrul, as we sat encircled by monks in the reception room of his Thimpu capital home. ‘Why were you re-born in this day and age and not another era?

The Rinpoche appeared perplexed. Perhaps I was nervous or had not been clear. I gathered my thoughts and tried again.

‘What I mean your holiness is, well, you are 25 years of age, correct?’

The Rinpoche nodded his head slowly. ‘That is correct’, he replied, his demeanour pleasant and assured, yet ever so pensive.

‘Why did you choose to be reborn in 1983?’ I continued.

‘It was predetermined, you see’, the Rinpoche explained. ‘It was preordained a long, long time ago. My life today is a manifestation of what was agreed then.’

The Rinpoche reflected for a moment as he sat cross legged in a wooden chair, affectionately stroking a one month old puppy that had fallen asleep on his lap. The dog was a gift from the queen, and the Rinpoche was understandably proud, not to mention fond, of the animal.

The Rinpoche in his home in the Bhutanese capital of Thimpu

‘To answer your question, I have been asked by the king to work with the youth of Bhutan’, the Rinpoche explained. ‘Maybe that is the explanation you seek. In recent years my country has been exposed to the western world like never before. Television, internet, mobile phones; they are beginning to defocus our youth from their heritage – from Buddhism. It is my job to reach out to them and find a way to connect them with their past.’

As the Rinpoche spoke, one of his monks darted out of view and into the seclusion of the adjoining kitchen, concealing the fact that he had been texting a message on his cell phone.

‘I must say I have been very ill. Almost died, actually,’ the Rinpoche proclaimed, as if changing the subject.

‘Why, I mean how, I mean I’m sorry to hear that,’ I stammered, wanting to know more but at the same time keeping an eye on the monk who was still sending texts on his phone, now visible through the kitchen window.

‘I recently spent 30 days meditating in a holy cave that the Precious Master once used for his meditations. After a couple of weeks I became ill. Before long, doctors were called in and informed me that my blood pressure was extraordinarily high and that I may have an ulcer.’

‘Those do not seem like the ailments of a young man,’ I added. ‘Might they somehow be reflective of your status as a reincarnated master – an old soul who has lived before?’

‘Possibly,’ the Rinpoche replied. A slight smile reframed his otherwise sober face but did little to dilute his focus.

Padmasambava – The Precious Master

‘There has also been an attempt on my life. One of my monks attempted to poison me, but I have forgiven him, for even that was predetermined.’

This is curious, I thought, as the 1st Jangtrul Rinpoche, His Holiness Pethin Rinpoche, one of the most celebrated meditation masters in Buddhism during the second half of the 20th century, was also poisoned by one of his monks. I wanted to explore the coincidence further but was preempted, as though my thoughts had been intercepted. The Rinpoche continued without pause:

‘The doctors tell me that I suffer from depression and have put me on Prozac. I’ve found that it hurts my vision in meditation. And some days I just forget to take it.’

The irony was palatable as the Rinpoche spoke of his condition. ‘Clearly the pressures of expectation are not lost on Eastern Masters’, I mused.

Indeed, the Rinpoche was burdened with expectations, but after all this was quite understandable. At the age of 3, Jangtrul began to recite minutiae about his former life as a meditation master. Like many Rinpoche’s before him, his parents reacted angrily, knowing that their child would be taken away and raised by monks should he in fact be confirmed as a past master. And Rinpoche Jangtrul was no exception. When he was still quite young his mother hit him with a slipper and told him he was crazy, that he was speaking nonsense. Ultimately however, at the age of 9, after years of rigorous testing, Rinpoche Jangtrul was affirmed as a Rinpoche in a ceremony in India and attended by thousands, including the American actor and Buddhist, Richard Gere.

The Bhutanese Capital of Thimpu; The town center near where Rinpoche Jangtrul lives

Moved, yet somewhat uncomfortable discussing the Rinpoche’s fragile health any further, it was now my turn to change the subject:

‘Down through the ages masters of all kinds have proclaimed that before enlightenment can be achieved one must first know oneself. Tell me, how does one do that?’

‘Through meditation,’ the Rinpoche replied. ‘That is how one knows oneself. The secret is to quiet the mind. However, meditation is not easy. Even I struggle. Sometimes I meet people who tell me they meditate for an hour every day. I ask them, how can you do that? How can you mediate for an entire hour? Some days I manage 5 minutes, the next day 10. It is something that must be practiced, if only for seconds each day. The importance of meditation is critical, today more than ever. We must become masters of our own minds; each of us. Nobody said it was easy. I can attest to that.’

I concurred, stirred by His Holiness’ humility and fascinated by his story. I thanked him for his time and wished him good health and continued success in his work with the Bhutanese youth.

A few days later, the Rinpoche attended the coronation of Bhutan’s new king in the Punaka Dzong. The most sacred elements of the ceremony took place in the same temple where the Abbot Monk meditated to his death just a few of years ago, reducing his body to a third of his normal size in the process.

Bhutan’s new king, wearing the Raven Crown & the sacred Punaka temple where the cermony took place

Back home in London I reflected on my encounter with the Rinpoche and his very human condition. I also pondered the power of meditation and how it may facilitate enlightenment in both life and death. The Rinpoche was a humble and refreshingly honest young man. That was for sure. However, I wondered if the importance of his message was not so much what he said but how he said it.

Long live the Rinpoche Jangtrul. And many more.