Boston Boy Is the New Gyalwa Lorepa Lama
An 11-year-old Boston schoolboy, Jigme Wangchuk, was enthroned today as His Holiness the Second Gyalwa Lorepa Lama of the Drukpa lineage. As near as I can tell, this enthronement took place at the Druk Thupten Sangag Choling Monastery in Darjeeling, India, but I'm not going to swear to it. I'm having a terrible time getting clear information.
The first Gyalwa Lorepa, 1187-1250, was an accomplished master of yoga who spent many years meditating. According to some accounts, Drukpa is part of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The head of the Drukpas, or at least some of them, is the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, who has a pretty cool website. There is another branch of Drukpa that is headed by the King of Bhutan.
Jigme Wangchuk's parents moved from Dharamsala to the United States 20 years ago. In 2007 the family visited Kagyu Nalanda Monastery in southern India, when little Jigme fell into a trance and began recounting his life as the first Gyalwa Lorepa. And the rest is history. Mr. and Mrs. Wangchuk have sold their Boston restaurant business and moved with Jigme's sister to Darjeeling to be near their son. And that's all I know.
Drukpa is indeed Kagyu. What I would give to hear what he said in that trance. This is unprecedented in modern times. If true, I should add.
Fitz — I picked up the detail about the trance from an article in a newspaper, so take it with a grain of salt.