Tulkus

Tulku is Tibetan for nirmanakaya, the physical manifestation of Buddha nature. The way rigpa, the nature of mind, radiates in everyone--including snails--is tulku. "Manifold compassionate energy" is one translation I use.

Some humans are born with a clearer access to tulku energy. In Tibet this was formalized as the recognition of incarnate lamas.

Sure for us sophisticates there is a feudal resonance here--until you think about Chagdud Tulku, for instance, the son of a poor goat herder.

Even if the feudal resonance is correct, tulkus are real people, usually small children, who often become seriously mentally ill if they are not carefully trained. It's known as Tulku Syndrome. All that enlightened energy makes their head explode.

Also, some tulkus are my friends. Anyen Rinpoche would be the prime example.

So please think before you use the term as a cute joke. And realize that you will be blocked by me if you do it on Twitter.