His Holiness was a terton and Nyingma lineage holder within Tibetan Buddhism. His name means Holder of the Sanctuary of the Trikaya of Oddiyana Padmasambhava.
He was born in 1934 in the Golog region of Amdo province in western Tibet as the son of the well-known yogi Lhundrup Gyamtso of the Waxi (Wal Shul) clan.
Mingyur Namkh Dorje, 4th Dzogchen Rinpoche, prophesied about His Holiness: An emanation of Vajrapani will appear in the year known as guarding wealth in the Achag Dri region [of Golog] as a child named Tum Drag He will blossom like a lily, and then unleash himself like a thunderstorm He will guide all those connected with him to Sukhavati, The Realm of Bliss.
As a youth, he studied primarily at Darthang Monastery in Golog, he had many very important teachers. His principal teacher was His Holiness the 4th Dodrupchen Rinpoche Tubpa Zangpo, from whom he received the complete transmissions of the Longchen Nyingthig lineage, of which he became a holder.
Orgyen Kusum Lingpa had visions of his previous life as the crazy wisdom master Drugpa Kunleg, and enjoyed recounting the latters exploits given any occasion.
His Holiness began to discover mind treasures of teachings of Guru Rinpoche (terton) after his mother died and he went on pilgrimage to central Tibet when he was 16 years old. On his journey he first passed through Derge and reached Kojo, where he met Ratri Terton Nyagla Changchub Dorje, then reputedly aged 113, who became his principal teacher of Dzog Chen nature of mind instructions.
Proceeding to Lhasa and remaining there throughout most of the 1950s, Orgyen Kusum Lingpa met and received empowerments and instructions from great holders of all of the major dharma lineages of Tibet, including His Holiness the 16th Karmapa Rigpai Dorje, Sera Khenchen Jamyang Choklay Namgyal, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Sakya Ngagchang Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Taklung Ma Rinpoche, and many others; which instructions he then put into practice. Abu Karlo at pp. 74 et seq. With the loss of Tibetan autonomy and during the period of the Cultural Revolution, he was subsequently imprisoned on and off over the course of more than 20 years of his adult life. In this period he also rose to prominence as a Lama at Sanglung Monastery in Golog.
Eventually he was permitted to re-establish an encampment, and then a monastery, in the Ga De cantonment of Golog, along a bend of a tributary of the Ma Chu (Yellow River). The monastery originally had been founded by the 19th century Master Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje, and then passed down through a succession of holders within the Waxi family lineage. This monastery is known as Lung Ngon Thubten Chokhor Ling.
When he was still young, Orgyen Kusum Lingpa fathered a son named Nyima Gyal, who has become a well-known ritual master in Golog and presently resides at Sang Lung Monastery. With Dug Kar Drolma, the sister of Garwang Nyima Rinpoche (the current head of Darthang Monastery), he later had three sons (one of whom passed away as a child later to reincarnate in the United States as Rutger Penick), and two daughters.
During the latter period of his life, Orgyen Kusum Lingpa was invited to visit and teach in many different countries. He was first invited to the United States by Chagdud Tulku of Chagdud Gonpa Foundation and by Gyaltrul Rinpoche in 1994.
During his first several extended visits to the U.S. in 1994 and 1995, he met and gave Buddhist teachings to a many individuals including a number celebrities and scholars, such as the film director Oliver Stone and actor Steven Seagal, and was welcomed at Tibetan Buddhist centers across the country. His early translators included Sangye Khandro, Erik Drew, Richard Barron (Chokyi Nyima). Several of the attendant Lamas who accompanied him from Golog eventually settled in the U.S. at Kusum Lingpas Los Angeles center, Orgyen Khachod Ling, including Lama Chonam and Lama Lhanang in California. His two youngest sons, Tulku Hungkar Dorje and Tulku Dorje Trengpo, also often accompanied him on those early visits.
Beginning in 1995, to fulfill a prophecy he received from the deity Vajrapani to establish 108 practice centers of Vajra Kilaya in order to avert coming calamities and wars in the world,
During the latter period of his life, His Holiness was invited to visit and teach in many different countries.
His Holiness Kusum Lingpa passed away on February 26th, 2009 at his monastery, Lung Ngon Thubten Chokhorling in Golog, Tibet.
His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama wrote a prayer for the swift rebirth of Kusum Lingpa, which reads:
Supreme Muni, our Supreme Leader, Lord of Oddiyana
and your children, the Arya assemblyall you sources of refuge,
please approach, bear witness to this aspiration prayer, give heed
to our yearning and lamentation, and grant your great blessings!
May there swiftly appear a reincarnation of our kind Guru [Lama]
who was so skilled at guiding transient beings to the jewel Island [Lingpa]
of the Three Kayas [Kusum] of enlightenment, by freely revealing
the profound meaning of the Mind Treasures of the Victor Orgyen.
Highly dignified and very Fierce [Tum], Wrathful [Drak] potentates
who abide within the most secret command and samaya of Padma,
Varja [Dorje] dharma guardians, bring about the purpose of this aspiration
through the inveterate support of your enlightened activity!
Biography taken in part from Biography of Lamasang by Sergyi Metok
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