Balog Rinpoche, a multifaceted personality – a lead singer, Thangka teacher, Scripture instructor, and Living Buddha was seen at a vibrant closing ceremony of a folk art festival in Lhasa,

Born in 1982, Balog Rinpoche was identified as the reincarnated Living Buddha of Yangrigar Monastery at just eight years old.

Growing up in Lhasa, he immersed himself not only in Buddhist doctrines but also in Mandarin, English, painting, and music. Balog Rinpoche, the 42nd-generation inheritor of the "Songs of Milarepa," is on a mission to preserve and share this national intangible cultural heritage.

In an exclusive interview, Balog Rinpoche shared his extraordinary journey, from forming the band "Dharma" in 2013 to establishing a Thangka painting class in 2014. He aims to break language barriers through Milarepa's songs and promote cultural exchange.

Balog Rinpoche, a graduate of Thangka major at Xizang University, passionately teaches Thangka painting, The Thirty-Seven Practices of Boddhisattva, and Mandarin at Xizang Buddhism University. His dedication extends to nurturing thousands of monks and nuns in the region.

Beyond the monastery, Balog Rinpoche envisions a future with a professional Buddhism translation centre and a Milarepa Museum to memorialise and promote the cultural heritage of Milarepa.

This Living Buddha's influence reaches far beyond traditional boundaries, contributing to the fabric of Tibetan Buddhism in the modern era.

STORY: Exclusive: Living Buddha in China's Xizang
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 7, 2023/earlier footage
DATELINE: Jan. 11, 2024
LENGTH: 00:10:22
LOCATION: LHASA, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the closing ceremony of a folk art festival in Lhasa
2. various of Balog Rinpoche's old photos
3. SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
4. various of Balog Rinpoche teaching the Thangka art
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): TENG XIAOYU, Student of the Thangka class
6. various of Balog Rinpoche teaching at the Xizang Buddhism University
7. SOUNDBITE (Tibetan): TENZIN NORBU, Monk from Chanang county
8. SOUNDBITE (Tibetan): TRINLEY CHOSPHEL, Monk from Saga county
9. SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
10. various of Balog Rinpoche doing daily rituals at the monastery
11. SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa

STORYLINE:

At the closing ceremony of a folk art festival in Lhasa, capital city of China's Xizang Autonomous Region, we met Balog Rinpoche for the first time.

He is a lead singer, a Thangka teacher, a Scripture instructor, and a Living Buddha.

Balog Rinpoche was born in 1982 and was identified as the reincarnated Living Buddha of Yangrigar Monastery in Maizhokunggar County at the age of eight.

Growing up in Lhasa, he not only studied Buddhist doctrines but also learned Mandarin, English, painting, music, and other subjects from a young age.

Balog Rinpoche is the 42nd-generation inheritor of the "Songs of Milarepa," a national intangible cultural heritage of China.

SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
"I formed a band called 'Dharma' in 2013. Our band has performed in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu.
Actually, I tried to start a Rinpoche band during the very first semester of our newly established Buddhism University. It was a happy and interesting experience during my college days. When I was searching for an innovative way to inherit and spread the Songs of Milarepa in the new era, the idea of starting a band came to my mind very naturally."

Milarepa was one of the most influential figures of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism.

His oral teachings of Buddhist doctrines were passed down and collected by his followers as the Songs of Milarepa, serving as a valuable resource for understanding Buddhist philosophy. 
Balog Rinpoche was taught by his guru, the 41st inheritor, Kenpo Dundrub at Drigung Thil Monastery.

As the Songs of Milarepa (in Tibetan: Gurlu) have been traditionally passed down among practitioners, Balog Rinpoche aims to better preserve and introduce them to more people.

SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
"Almost all the Gurlu songs of Milarepa are selected from the book 'The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa.' He was a Buddhist poet and saint in the 11th century, who wandered from place to place, teaching enlightenment and the path to Buddhahood through his spontaneously composed Gurlu songs. I hope the songs could break language barriers and give people different feelings."

For Balog Rinpoche, art is an important expression in his daily practice.

As a graduate of Thangka major at Xizang University, he also teaches Thangka painting at a manual arts school in Lhasa.

SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
"When I was young, my family used to live inside Norbulingka, which is famous for its fabulous mural paintings. Since I had the chance to watch them and talk with some mural painters, I fell in love with Thangka art."

Typically depicting Buddhist deities, Thangka paintings are Tibetan Buddhist scroll paintings on cotton or silk with mineral and organic pigments.

To promote the art, Balog Rinpoche established a Thangka painting class in 2014, receiving apprentices from diverse ethnic backgrounds, in order to encourage more exchanges and interactions among different ethnic groups.

SOUNDBITE (Chinese): TENG XIAOYU, Student of the Thangka class
"I have been learning Thangka for four years. Balog Rinpoche is my Thangka teacher. For me, he teaches not only art, but also personality, and love. I hope that I can grow more wisdom like him, and have a more gentle and compassionate heart to help more people."

Apart from art, Balog Rinpoche teaches The Thirty-Seven Practices of Boddhisattva and Mandarin at the Xizang Buddhism University.

Nestled in Quxu County, the institute is the region's only high-level comprehensive Tibetan Buddhist institute.

SOUNDBITE (Tibetan): TENZIN NORBU, Monk from Chanang county
"Balog Rinpoche's lecture is really good. He teaches us a lot about Buddhist scriptures and Mandarin. When I return to my own monastery in the future, I hope I could teach what I have learned here and benefit more people."

SOUNDBITE (Tibetan): TRINLEY CHOSPHEL, Monk from Saga county
"When I was in my own monastery, I didn't have such an opportunity to learn. It's my first year in such a big school, and I'm very happy. Balog Rinpoche often gives us guidance in many aspects, including how to learn the sutra and how to study."

Balog Rinpoche was among the first batch of scripture teachers in the Xizang Buddhism University, when it was founded in 2011.

It has nurtured thousands of outstanding monks and nuns to serve the Tibetan Buddhist community.

7 a.m.
Balog Rinpoche's home in Lhasa

Balog Rinpoche starts his daily morning rituals before dawn.

SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
As a monk, we need to do rituals every day, even many regular believers do their rituals every day as well. I do the water offering, butter lamp offering, and prostrate in front of the shrine. But of course, in the monastery, we do more rituals during those holy days."

After a simple breakfast, Balog Rinpoche drove us to Yangrigar Monastery, about 90 km away from Lhasa, to handle temple affairs.

For him, Rinpoche means much more than an honorific title.

Upon arrival, after a short rest, he began to lead the monks in chanting sutras.

SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
"Rinpoche, it means greater responsibilities, because a Rinpoche needs to take charge and make positive impacts on the Buddhist practice among the monks in his own monastery, to carry on historical missions and fulfill the wishes and needs of religious believers. Apart from his own regular study missions, a Rinpoche needs to manage religious activities, assist with the monastery management committee's routine duties, and lead the monks to protect and inherit the intangible cultural heritage of his monastery."

For many centuries, Tibetan Buddhism has been passed on from generation to generation in the plateau region.

SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
"I would probably say, in Xizang, Tibetan Buddhism has become our lifestyle. It's how we live.
There is a saying in Tibetan, Mi dGa' Na Chos Yin, which means to make other people happy. In Mandarin, we say 'ren ren wei wo, wo wei ren ren' -- one for all, all for one. I believe such is a shared value of good old common sense and altruism, and I believe such value reaches beyond language. I also believe it helps us bond with each other, and consolidates the sense of community for the Chinese nation."

Xizang today hosts over 1,700 sites for Tibetan Buddhism activities, with around 46,000 Buddhist monks and nuns.

Reincarnation of living Buddhas is a practice recognized and respected by the government at all levels.

SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
"According to my understanding, there are no significant differences between regular monks and reincarnated Rinpoches. Both regular monks and Rinpoches are expected to study hard and become well-educated and absorbed ones. But in Tibetan tradition, all the monks look up to Rinpoches, they respect Rinpoches. Why? Because a Rinpoche is expected to study harder, to be more trustworthy and more compassionate, so it's a challenge and it's an opportunity."

Nowadays, Living Buddhas do not confine themselves to monasteries.

More and more Rinpoches contribute to the promotion of Buddhism and benefit the public in diverse ways.

SOUNDBITE (English): BALOG TENZIN DORJE, Rinpoche, Yangrigar Monastery in Lhasa
"About my future career goals, I would like to establish a professional Buddhism translation center. At the same time, I'm planning to establish a Milarepa Museum, in order to memorialize Milarepa, to better protect and promote his precious cultural heritage."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lhasa, China.
(XHTV)