The Ways of Dharma Practitioners – Khenpo Mutok
Have you heard of Khenpo Mutok? Most of the time nobody knows where he is. He disappears for stretches at a time. We assume that he goes to practise in mountain solitudes.
In our local area, Khenpo Mutok is one of the two lamas that people have the most faith in.
He was appointed by Khenpo Pentse (1931-2002) as the successor of his dharma encampment in Eastern Tibet. He is one of Khenpo Pentse’s most learned and trusted disciples. Because Khenpo Mutok prefers to remain low key and not teach very much – and certainly not hold positions of esteem – this arrangement of leading the dharma camp did not sit comfortably with him. Khenpo Pentse, being well aware of this, therefore commanded him to teach the dharma for at least one spell each year for a certain duration after he passed away. Whenever Khenpo Mutok would return to the dharma encampment to fulfil this obligation, he would never say he’s going there to give teachings. He would say he is going on pilgrimage to the Lama’s seat. And when he taught, he refused to teach a text directly himself, he would only act as the revision teacher for another khenpo’s class.
His dharma friends tease him with the nickname ‘Patrul’, partly as a bit of banter because they know he doesn’t like it, but also because there are definitely similarities, in terms of him being learned, self-effacing and someone with a true practitioner’s outlook.
If a good Lama gives a series of important transmissions, those who know and have faith in Khenpo Mutok always keep an eye out for him, as you may find him sitting at the back somewhere. But if he is recognised and requested to teach etc, he will quietly leave the area.
He never talks or boasts about anything virtuous he does. For example, he has given up eating meat, but he has never stated as much. If someone offers him meat, he will make an excuse, saying he’s already eaten, rather than signalling his virtue of vegetarianism. He truly follows the ways of the Kadampa lamas of old, in terms of paying acute attention to causality (karma, cause and effect), impermanence and humility. For example, he would never put a text on the floor or do other things that go against the refuge vows.
Ten or so years ago, he agreed to lead a traditional long retreat as retreat master. They spent the entire four years on the four thoughts of the preliminary practices. Usually, these practices comprise the teaching and practise content for the first four months but he continued to teach them until the end of the retreat. When the retreat concluded he disappeared again.
He has a retreat cabin on one mountainside, but it is difficult to know if and when he is there. Sometimes you hear reports that smoke was seen coming from the chimney.
[As told by Tulku Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche, Drupon Khen Rinpoche’s nephew, in 2015]