Sonam, Tshewang

Sonam, Tshewang on the DRL

Khenpos • Authors of Tibetan Works

Tshewang Sonam

English Phonetics	Khenpo Tshewang Sonam
Sort Name	Sonam, Tshewang
Title Prefix	Khenpo

Alternate names

• The 9th Tharpaling Lama

Dates

Birth:	1962
Place of birth:	Ura, Bumthang, Bhutan

Tibetan calendar dates

Dates of birth

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Rab Jyung

Dates of passing

Day
Month
Gender
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Animal
Rab Jyung

About

Primary Language:	Tibetan

Biographical Information

Khenpo Tshewang Sonam is the Lama of Tharpaling Monastery, the most well-known center founded by Longchenpa in Bhutan. Prior to becoming the Lama of Tharpaling, he spent many years as a hermit in the mountains of Bhutan while also giving mass teachings on Amitabha and Sukhavati practice in many parts of Bhutan. At the turn of the century, he served as the head of Ngagyur Nyingma Institute in Namdrolling, Mysore, India and as the head of Palyul Shedra, Sichuan in Tibet after he finished his Khenpo degree in Namdrolling in 1998. Khenpo Tshewang received his early education under Wangthang Rinpoche Yeshi Dorji, Lama Gyalwang Nyima, and Lopen Norbu Wangchuk before he moved to study in Namdrolling in Mysore. Since then, he trained under His Holiness Penor Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khenpo in India and Bhutan, and Khenpo Achoe and Trulku Thubzang in Tibet, receiving oral teachings on Dzogchen. He is the author of commentaries on Madhyamakāvatāra and Abhisamayālaṇkāra and many other minor writings. (Source: Lopen Dr. Karma Phuntsho)

Links

Wiki Pages

• Sonam, Tshewang on the DRL
• Sonam, Tshewang on the LIB
• Sonam, Tshewang on the BNW

Buddha Nature Project

Person description or short bio

Expand to see this person's philosophical positions on Buddha-nature.

Is Buddha-nature considered definitive or provisional?
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All beings have Buddha-nature
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If "Qualified", explain:
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Which Wheel Turning
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Yogācāra vs Madhyamaka
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Zhentong vs Rangtong
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Promotes how many vehicles?
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Analytic vs Meditative Tradition
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What is Buddha-nature?
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Svātantrika (རང་རྒྱུད་) vs Prāsaṅgika (ཐལ་འགྱུར་པ་)
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Causal nature of the vajrapāda
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The Nyingma, which is often described as the oldest tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, traces its origin to Padmasambhava, who is said to have visited Tibet in the eighth century.

Refers to something that is taught for a specific reason, rather than because it is entirely true.

Along with Madhyamaka, it was one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Asaṅga and Vasubandhu around the fourth century CE, many of its central tenets have roots in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra and the so-called third turning of the dharma wheel (see tridharmacakrapravartana).

Along with Yogācāra, it is one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Nāgārjuna around the second century CE, it is rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, though its initial exposition was presented in Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā.

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana.