gTértön Rang-rig Togden

gTértön Rang-rig Togden (gTer sTon rang rig rTogs lDan / གྟེར་སྟོན་རང་རིག་རྟོགས་ལྡན་) was treasure revealer of the late 19th Century.

Rang-rig Togden was a master of both the Tibetan Martial Arts and the Cultural Arts who received a Ling Gésar gTérma Cycle directly from Drüpchen Thangtong Gyalpo. The gTérma is therefore known as the Thangtong Thugthig. This cycle of teachings contains the Gartak (gar sTag / གར་སྟག་) Martial Arts system, which is unique in being based on Dzogchen Long-dé.

This thangka—painted by Khandro Déchen—is based on the original image painted by Kumar Lama of Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center.

The Thangtong Thugthig contains various systems such as ‘Natural Heroism’ which are allied to the martial arts - such as the ‘Natural Dignity’ practices of the social arts. This includes the creative Arts — and also dining & dancing - which are seen as indispensable to an authentic warrior.

The Gartak warrior is not so much concerned with self-defence - as with the defence of others.

The religious realisation path of Gartak runs parallel with the fighting Art from the outset rather than being reserved for the highest level - as it tends to be with other forms of martial art. The entirely non-fighting form can also be practised on its own as an entirely meditationally based system.