Tulkus The Realized Souls Who Return To Earth Out Of Choice

A Tulku

There are those who have mastered the Law of Karma, and are here to show the path to those who are struggling to understand the riddle of Karma.
In Tibet, there is a tradition of recognizing such Tulkus. The tradition has existed since the thirteenth century to the present day. The purpose of this tradition is to ensure that the wisdom memory of the master is not lost after the transition from one lifetime to another.

This is what Sogyal Rinpoche has to say on the concept of the Tulku
"What continues from life to life is the blessing, a grace. This transmission of a blessing and grace is exactly tuned  and appropriate to each succeeding age, and the incarnation appears in a way potentially best suited to the karma of the people of his time, to be able to help them most completely."

Jamyang Khyentse: A Tibetan Master Installment 2 Meditation

 An Extract From 'Tibetan Book Of Living And Dying' By Sogyal Rinpoche

When Jamyang Khyentse was living in Sikkim as the guest of the Maharaja of Sikkim, Apa Pant, a distinguished Indian diplomat and a writer, was one of his students. One day, Apa Pant saw Jamyang Khyentse watching a 'Lama Dance' in front of the palace temple and chuckling in amusement at the sight of the clown who was providing comic relief in the gaps between dances. Apa Pant apprached him with a question. He pestered Jayang Khyentse with the question how to meditate. Finally the master replied as if he was answering the question once and for all.
He said, "Look, it's like this: When the past thought has ceased, and  the future thought has not yet arisen, isn't there a gap?"
"Yes," said Apa Pant.
"Well, prolong it. That is meditation."

A Tibetan Master Jamyang Khentse

A Tibetan Master : Extract From Sogyal Rinpoche : 'The Tibetan Book Of Living And Dying'

Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, the mentor of Sogyal Rinpoche, died in the summer of 1959. Dzongsar, the monastery where he lived in Tibet was a centre of great spiritual activity. Almost everybody was his disciple. His moral power was such that he could stop civil wars by threatening to withdraw his support from both the fighting sides. Unfortunately under the threat of the Chinese invasion he had to decide to migrate and escape to India on a pilgrimage to the ancient Indian shrines. He had a longstanding invitation to visit Sikkim, one of the small countries of Himalayas and the sacred land of Padmasambhava. Jamyang Khentse was regarded to be an incarnation of the holiest saints of Sikkim. Soon the palace temple where he lived in Sikkim became a great spiritual centre of learning. With the impending fall of Tibet to the invasion of the Chinese more and more Lamas were drawn to the safety of Sikkim and gathered around him as their spiritual leader.
Sometimes great Masters who teach a lot are said not to live long. It is as if they attract towards them all the obstacles there are to the spiritual teachings.  There were prophecies that if he had given up teaching and had travelled more or less anonymously he would have lived for many more years. Sogyal Rinpoche says that he in fact tried to stop teaching. Sogyal Rinpoche had accompanied him on his last journey from Kham. During that journey he left"all his possessions behind and went in complete secrecy, not intending to teach but travel on pilgrimage. Yet once they found out who he was, people everywhere requested him to give teachings and initiations. So vast was his compassion that knowing what he was risking, he sacrificed his own life to keep on teaching."
It was at Sikkim that he finally met with his end He fell ill at the same time as when Tibet had finally fallen too. His disciples pleaded with him not to leave his body so soon. He just lay in bed and laughed and said, "All right, just to be auspicious, I'll say, I'll live."