This photo, from Jampal’s 2019 visit to the famous Tiger’s Nest hermitage in Bhutan, is the one he chose to be given to those attending his “lying in state” at Dorje Ling.
Photos by: Chagdud Gonpa Amrita, Jude Foster, Laurie Frajola, Lama Carol Hoy, Chenchoo Nam

Jampal Gyatso (Clark Hansen)
May 15, 1947-May 14th 2021

Our dear friend and teacher Clark Hansen, also known as Thubten Jampal Gyatso, died on May 14, 2021. He gracefully coped for his last three years with increasingly difficult symptoms and challenges of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. 

Jampal and friends enjoy a delicious dinner to conclude the 2019 Bhutan pilgrimage.

Jampal first took refuge with the 16^th Karmapa when the latter came to the West in 1980. In that same year Dudjom Rinpoche established the Western Region of Yeshe Nyingpo, and for nine years that sangha met in various places in the Portland area. In 1989 Jampal offered his home in Portland’s West Hills as the location for the Western Region of Yeshe Nyingpo.

A few years later Gyatrul Rinpoche renamed the center Dorje Ling. Since then Dorje Ling has been a Vajrayana center with the closest of ties to Tashi Choling in southern Oregon, and with Gyatrul Rinpoche as the core lama. 

In 2006 Jampal took full monk’s vows from Penor Rinpoche at Namdrolling Monastery in India. Jampal continued to lead Dorje Ling until he died, and the center was shaped by Jampal’s outgoing warmth, kindness and dedication. 

Jampal loved the beautiful vistas from Dorje Ling, his Portland dharma center.

In the three days following Jampal’s death his sangha family and friends were able to follow his wishes, leaving his body undisturbed while they gathered with peace and joy to say farewell to him. 

We are grateful for the warm and skilled support from Yangsi Rinpoche of Portland’s Maitripa College during that time.

Jampal treasured his connections with other Buddhist centers and lamas, both in Portland and in the larger world, and this openness unfolded perfectly right through to the end. 

Jampal left his property and assets in trust so Dorje Ling can carry on.  His ashes will go to Tashi Choling. Om mani padme hung.

-By Jude Foster- A member of the Dorje Ling sangha.

Jude Foster, Oregon

Jampal enjoying the flowering trees at Shechun Nunnery, Bhutan.

After Jampal’s cremation we walked in a small Japanese garden.
Drops of rain water glowed on large leaves,
Each drop a prism, reflecting the trees above, shimmering.
I imagined him nearby, walking with strong legs, just out of sight.
I wanted to show him the droplets, to share the moment with him.
Later, as I looked at my imperfect photos, it came to me.
Clark was a prism, holding and protecting and reflecting 
The life force, the Buddha nature that dwells within us all.
He held a multitude of stories, journeys, and friendships.
He reflected the light that he saw in each being he encountered.

The years, the practice, the dedication clarified that prism.
His excellent qualities were magnified once he took monk’s vows.
But always, his kindness and his love shaped his flowing life,
His spirit of adventure, his striding legs, his expressiveness.
Clark reflected and connected us all, in the web of his life.

Adzom Gyalse Rinpoche of Shechen Monastery, Nepal and Bhutan

This spider web, taken near the retreat hut at Dorje Ling, reflects Jampal’s way of connecting everyone and everything.

I want to express my sympathy that the life-force of our vajra brother, the American monk Jampal Chok-tsè, is exhausted. I express my most sincere heart-aspirations that he who has passed have no obstacles on the paths and bhumis, to reach the unsurpassable level of complete omniscience.

May he effortlessly perfect the inner space of the five paths—accumulation, joining, seeing, meditation and beyond cultivation —from exalted joy through to universal light. May he from there perfect the two supreme vajrayana levels, and especially the extraordinary unsurpassable level of timeless wisdom-awareness of the luminous great perfection. May he be liberated in lotus light, the ground of original purity.

Laurie Frajola, Oregon

After Jampal went to his infusion appointment and had his lunch, he liked to go for a walk. There was a particular neighborhood near his house he liked to walk in, and one reason was the beautiful view of the mountains. You can see Mount Saint Helens in the background.

We would walk and talk until he felt tired. He wanted to be able to use his legs as long as possible, while he still had strength in them. I loved those walks. We would watch for birds, find interesting trees and plants, and just talk about whatever was on our minds.

Lama Carol Hoy, New Mexico

Eve Pagano offered 42 butterlamps for Jampal at Chagdud Gonpa Amrita, Seattle.

A translation of Clark’s Tibetan name Jampal Gyatso — “Ocean of Gentle Splendor” —  is associated with Manjusrimitra and Manjusri- Jampal.

Another translation of Jampal (Gentle Splendor) is “A golden flower shower,” from Shechen Nunnery in Bhutan.

Yet another translation of Jampal Gyatso is “Ocean of Gentle Splendor in the Light.”

Wherever Jampal appears, the beings there will be very fortunate.

Mark Fry, Oregon

‘Leave a trace’ 

I first met Jampal at Dorje Ling in May, 2015, − a meditation Wednesday night with sore knees, watching the patterns on the shrine room rug shimmering. He introduced me to dharma, and through his kind manner I inched closer to an awareness of my true nature.

That is good. So better to say come,
come Jampal
you left your name for us 
to say aloud while mowing, mowing 
circles around the stupa
though it’s hard to bag the clippings 
and discover in our minds 

an uncommon flower, 
a forest flower we may name Jampal Waves
to honor his passing, with burgundy petal
that bunch, then splay, as the late sun leans
across his lawn asking
was he not also called Unwavering?

This year when wilderness was groomed 
to take his shape
and shake it empty,
leave a trace Spiritual Friend,
your lineage blessings, your 
lasting kindness 

Terri Luoto, Washington

I was pretty brand new to the dharma when I first was introduced to Clark by my teacher, Ani Gilda Paldron Taylor of the Portland Sakya Center.  I was struck by his dazzling smile and open accessible manner. 

Over the years as I would encounter him at dharma events like Buddha In The Park, visiting lamas, Northwest Dharma Association meetings, and at Dorje Ling, my impression never wavered.  Clark always exuded all the qualities of a true dharma teacher and I see that more in hindsight than I was able to recognize early on with my limited view.  What he has created at Dorje Ling I pray will last for a good long time. 

Steve Wilhelm, Washington

Clark and I intersected at some lovely moments, although I live relatively far away in the outskirts of Seattle.

Twice when I was on the road to California for retreat he put me up, and we had lovely and deep conversations about dharma into the night. He always enthusiastically supported my role as editor of Northwest Dharma News, finding story leads in the Portland area, and also writing this delightful 2014 story about his own pilgrimage in Asia.

While my own practice is primarily early Buddhism, with just a hint of Tibetan tradition, that never seemed to matter to Clark. We had many warm and wonderful discussions about the path, often by phone.

His warm sense of humor was often his greatest teaching. One of the last conversations we had, when I stayed at his home in late 2019 for a weekend Tibetan teaching, was about how he once almost died skydiving, and how that wasn’t much different from the threat to his life ALS brought.

Carolyn Myers, Oregon

Jampal stayed at Namdroling, India in 2006, where His Holiness Penor Rinpoche gave him full ordination instead of the usual novice ordination. Clark was worried something had gone wrong, lost in translation perhaps. He couldn’t get back in to see Penor Rinpoche, so he asked everyone he could for clarification.

Gyatrul Rinpoche shouted at him, “Well, what do you want? Do you want it? It’s up to you now, do you want it?” And Clark did, he realized, want it. Finally, when the Khenpo Brothers came to visit, he asked them if there could have been a mistake. They grew very still. Then Khenpo Palden Sherab Rinpoche said, flatly, “Penor Rinpoche does not make mistakes.” And that was that.

Caterina  De Re, Washington

I first met Clark in 2008 when we were both Northwest Dharma Association board directors.

We found immediate camaraderie in dharma, the arts, journalism, mutual friends and the natural world. I found his humor infectious. His home (and vibrant dharma hub) in Portland became my Oregon stop, whenever I traveled down from Seattle. I could just be myself.

I recall one breakfast at his home he served up coffee along with a stack of old photo albums evidencing his earlier pre-Buddhist days. Clark was an ace storyteller, providing a dramatic context for each photo.

Eve Pagano, Washington

May your light continue to shine.
May you swiftly enter the realm of bliss.
And in all your future lives never be separated from the dharma and perfect guru.      

-Om Mani Padme Hung-