Saturday, April 25, 2026

A02038 - Kalu Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhist Lama, Meditation Master, Scholar and Teacher

 Rinpoche, Kalu 

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Kalu Rinpoche
Kalu Rinpoche in 1987 at Kagyu Rintchen Tcheu Ling in Montpellier, France
Personal life
Bornc. 1905
Kham, Eastern Tibet
DiedMay 10, 1989
(age 84)
Sonada Monastery, Darjeeling West Bengal India
NationalityTibetan
OccupationLama
Religious life
ReligionTibetan Buddhism
SchoolKagyu
LineageShangpa Kagyu, Karma Kagyu

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"You live in illusion and the 

    appearance of things.

"There is a Reality. You are

    that Reality.

"When you understand this, 

    you will see that you are 

    nothing.

"And being nothing, you are

    everything.  That is all."  (12/07/2024)

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Kalu Rinpoche (1905 – May 10, 1989) was a Tibetan Buddhist lama, meditation master, scholar and teacher. He was one of the first Tibetan masters to teach in the West.

Early life and teachers

Kalu Rinpoche was born in 1905 during the Female Wood Snake year of the Tibetan lunar calendar in the district of Treshö Gang chi Rawa in the Hor region of Kham, Eastern Tibet.

When Kalu Rinpoche was fifteen years old, he was sent to begin his higher studies at the monastery of Palpung, the foremost center of the Karma Kagyu school. He remained there for more than a decade, during which time he mastered the vast body of teaching that forms the philosophical basis of Buddhist practice, and completed two three-year retreats.

At about the age of twenty-five, Rinpoche left Palpung to pursue the life of a solitary yogi in the woods of the Khampa countryside. For nearly fifteen years, he strove to perfect his realization of all aspects of the teachings and he became renowned in the villages and among the nomads as a representative of the Bodhisattva path.

Teaching activity in Tibet

Kalu Rinpoche returned to Palpung to receive final teachings from Drupon Norbu Dondrup, who entrusted him with the rare transmission of the teaching of the Shangpa Kagyu. At the order of Situ Rinpoche, he was appointed Vajra Master of the great meditation hall of Palpung Monastery, where for many years he gave empowerments and teachings.

During the 1940s, Kalu Rinpoche visited central Tibet with the party of Situ Rinpoche, and there he taught extensively. His disciples included the Reting Rinpoche, regent of Tibet during the infancy of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.

Returning to Kham, Kalu Rinpoche became the abbot of the meditation center associated with Palpung and the meditation teacher of the Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa. He remained in that position until the situation in Tibet forced him into exile in India.

In exile

Kalu Rinpoche left Tibet for Bhutan in 1955, before establishing a monastery in Sonada, Darjeeling in 1965. The monastery was near Rumtek, the seat of Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa.[1]

In the late 1960s Kalu Rinpoche began to attract Western disciples in India. By the 1970s, he was teaching extensively in the Americas and Europe, and during his three visits to the West he founded teaching centers in over a dozen countries. In France, he established the first retreat center to teach the traditional three-year retreats of the Shangpa and Karma Kagyu lineages to Western students.[2]

Controversy

His Holiness Jigdal Dagchen Sakya Rinpoche and His Eminence Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, Wallingford, Seattle, Washington, USA in 1978

June Campbell, a former Kagyu nun who is a feminist scholar, acted as Kalu Rinpoche's translator for several years. In her book Traveller in Space: Gender, Identity and Tibetan Buddhism,[3] she writes that she consented to participate in what she realised later was an abusive sexual relationship with him, which he told her was tantric spiritual practice. She raises the same theme in a number of interviews, including one with Tricycle magazine in 1996.[4] Since the book was published she has received "letters from women all over the world with similar and worse experiences" with other gurus.[5]

Second Kalu Rinpoche

At 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 10, 1989, Kalu Rinpoche died at his monastery in Sonada, the Darjeeling District in West Bengal, India. On September 17, 1990, Rinpoche's tulku was born in Darjeeling, India, to Lama Gyaltsen and his wife Drolkar. Lama Gyaltsen had served since his youth as his secretary.

The former Kalu Rinpoche believes he chose the vessel for his reincarnation. The Tai Situpa Pema Tönyö Nyinje officially recognized Kalu Rinpoche's yangsi (young reincarnation) on March 25, 1992, explaining that he had received definite signs from Kalu Rinpoche himself. Situ Rinpoche sent a letter of recognition with Lama Gyaltsen to the 14th Dalai Lama, who immediately confirmed the recognition.[6]

On February 28, 1993, Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche was enthroned at Samdrup Tarjayling. The Tai Situpa and Goshir Gyaltsap presided over the ceremony, assisted by Kalu Rinpoche's heart-son, Bokar Tulku Rinpoche. The Tai Situpa performed the hair-cutting ceremony and bestowed on the young tulku the name Karma Ngedön Tenpay Gyaltsen — Victory Banner of the Teachings of the True Meaning. He is now known as the Second Kalu Rinpoche. (In the USA Kagyu organization, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, recognizes Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche (1990 to present) as the third Kalu Rinpoche; and Kalu Rinpoche is listed as the second Kalu Rinpoche.[7])

In the fall of 2011, Kalu Yangsi gave a talk at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.[8] At the end of the talk, a student in the audience asked for his perspective on the sexual abuse and sexualisation of children in the west. Kalu disclosed he was abused, paused then broke down, revealing for the first time that he had been sexually abused at the age of 12 by older monks[9] from the monastery he attended. Shortly after that he posted a video on YouTube[10] so that the story would not become unsubstantiated gossip.

Bibliography

  • Foundations of Tibetan Buddhism, Snow Lion Publications, 2004, ISBN 1-55939-212-6
  • Luminous Mind : Fundamentals of Spiritual Practice, Wisdom Publications, 1996, ISBN 0-86171-118-1
  • Gently Whispered: Oral Teachings by the Very Venerable Kalu Rinpoche, Station Hill Press, 1995, ISBN 0-88268-153-2
  • Excellent Buddhism: An Exemplary Life, Clearpoint Press, 1995, ISBN 0-9630371-4-5
  • Profound Buddhism: From Hinayana to Vajrayana, Clearpoint Press, 1995, ISBN 0-9630371-5-3
  • Secret Buddhism: Vajrayana Practices, Clearpoint Press, 2002, ISBN 0-9630371-6-1
  • The Dharma: That Illuminates All Beings Like the Light of the Sun and the Moon, State University of New York Press, 1986, ISBN 0-88706-157-5
  • The Gem Ornament of Manifold Oral Instructions Which Benefits Each and Everyone Appropriately Snow Lion, 1987, ISBN 0-937938-59-9

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Kalu Rinpoche
Masters and Their Organisations
Tibetan
Tibetan SHENGPA
Master: Kalu Rinpoche (1905 – 1989) †
Organisation: Samdrub Darjay Choling Monastery – Kabje Kalu Rinpoche International Seat of the Shengpa Lineage

Upon the request of his Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Kalu Rinpoche made his first of many trips to the West in 1971, He was one of the first Tibetan masters to teach in the West, stopping at Holy sites in Jerusalem then visiting Pope Paul VI at the Vatican. Kalu Rinpoche respected all of the world’s religions and spiritual traditions. During his life he made numerous trips around the world, establishing a large number of Meditation and Retreat Centers. Through his unceasing love and compassion he turned the great wheel of the Precious Buddha Dharma worldwide benefiting countless being.

The Venerable Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche passed into Paranivana at his monastery in Sonada, Darjeeling India on May 10 1989. The Holy Lama’s body showed no signs of corruption and has been preserved as a Kardung, which can be seen to this day at his Monastery Samdrup Darjay Choling in Sonada. His devoted disciple and heart son, Bokar Rinpoche wrote about Kalu Rinpoche “The gentleness of his being, the pervasiveness of his kindness, the brilliance of his wisdom and the irresistibly of his since of humor has touched hearts in every part of the world”.

From his humble beginnings in a remote location in Eastern Tibet, to a citizen of the world The Venerable Kalu Rinpoche sought only to benefit others. Through his enlightened activity countless beings have been set firmly on the path to ultimate freedom. The Venerable Dorge Chang Kalu Rinpoche is one of the greatest Buddhist Masters of our age and is highly respected and loved by countless beings that had the great fortunate to meet and receive blessings and teachings from this Extraordinary Saint

Biography: His Eminence Khyabje Kalu Rinpoche was born in 1905 in Kham province in eastern Tibet. His father, the thirteenth incarnation of Ratak Palsang Tulku was an accomplished Yogi and well-known Doctor. His mother Drolkar devoted to Dharma from an early age compelted one hundred million recitations of the Vajra Guru mantra, two hundred million Mani’s, and one hundred million Vajrasattva mantras. Both of Kalu Rinpoche’s parents were direct disciples of the initiators of the non-sectarian (Rime) movement, which emphasized the common ground of the Tibetan Buddhist Lineages; Jamgon Kontrol Lodro Thaye, Jamyang Keyrntse Wangpo and Mipham Rinpoche.

When Rinpoche was born, above his house brilliant rainbows formed and snow fell gently like a rain of flowers. His mother and relatives described how, as soon as he was born, he looked around and smiled radiantly, showing no fear or shyness, and he spoke the Six-Syllable Mantra. His parents and everyone in the region were full of joy, and his birth was heralded as the birth of a very wonderful incarnation. As a child, noble virtuous tendencies stirred within him and noble innate propensities for compassion and devotion arouse naturally. His compassion for sentient beings would often move him to tears, particularly for those afflicted and oppressed by suffering.

Kalu Rinpoche was recognized as the activity emanation of Jamgon Kontrul but his Father refused to give him up to the monastery and instead trained his son in Buddhist Studies and Medicine. Because his father worked enthusiastically at his own practice of daily recitations, meditations, and retreats, Kalu Rinpoche endowed with a good intellect, also had to rise early and retire late, his days filled with meditation, practice and training. At the age of thirteen, the eleventh Tai-Situ, Padma Wangchuk, gave him ordination and the name Karma Rangjung Kunchab – Self-Arisen and All-Pervading. In later years, everyone said that it was an appropriate name. When Kalu Rinpoche was fifteen he went to Palpung Monastery where he mastered the vast body of Buddhist Teachings and completed two traditional three-year retreats.

Kalu Rinpoche had great faith and devotion to the lamas with whom he formed a connection receiving from them empowerments, which mature one spiritually, and teachings, which enable one to attain liberation. Before entering his first three-year retreat he spoke on the three ordinations before an assembly of hundreds of monks, nuns, and lay people. Because he spoke with no fear, with confidence and a sound understanding, his exposition captured the hearts of everyone. People commented on his clear intellect, good delivery, and accurate presentation.

Kalu Rinpoche took White Tara and Avalokiteshvara as his yidams and the age of fifteen and undertook a summer retreat. At the age of sixteen, he entered the three-year, three-month retreat course of practice in the great retreat center at Tsa-dra Rinchen Drak. This retreat had been the main seat of Jamgon Kontrul whose coming had been foretold by the Buddha in many sutras and tantras. At this time, his faith in his lamas and the Dharma and his enthusiasm for practice knew no limit. Some idea of Rinpoche’s enthusiasm for Dharma may be gained from his determination to avoid any waste of time during the three-year retreat. To ensure that he would wake up in the morning, he would go to sleep leaning against the door to his room. When the monk kicked opens the door to the rooms to wake up the retreatants in the morning, Rinpoche was sent flying across his room. If he felt sleepy during the day, he sat on his window ledge. In this position he would fall onto the floor as soon as he dozed off.

As for his faith, Rinpoche felt such devotion for his teacher, Lama Norbu, that during his life, he offered everything he owned to him on three separate occasions.

Kalu Rinpoche became a lineage holder for the Shangpa and Karma Kagyu Traditions and studied with many learned and attained masters from all of the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism: the 16thKarmapa, the eleventh Tai-Situ Rinpoche, Padma Wangchuk, Palpung Khyentse Shenpen Ozer, the fifth Dzokchen Rinpoche (abbot of the major Nyingma monastery in Eastern Tibet), Khyentse Chokyi Lodru, Dudjom Rinpoche (present head of the Nyingmapa school His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the two tutors of the Dalai Lama (Ling Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche)a Dingo Khyentse Rinpoche (the mind emanation of Khyentse Wangpo), Kangyur Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche Songjay Dorje, Sakya Trichen (head of one of the two principal families of the Sakya School), Dezhung Rinpoche (senior scholar of the Sakya School), and others. With these holy lamas, Rinpoche continually worked diligently at studying, contemplating, meditation, and practicing innumerable collections of instructions from both the sutras and tantras of the Old and New Traditions. Through his endeavors he became like a spiritual son to all of them.

At the age of 25 he renounced all worldly activity and began approximately 15 years of intensive solitary retreat in the remote mountainous areas in the manor of the great Tibetan Yogi Milirepa. Upon the request of the Karmapa He returned to become a retreat master, training many students. In 1962 Kalu Rinpoche went to Darjeeling West Bengal India where he established his own Monastery and Retreat Center, Samdrup Darjay Choling Monastery where students from any tradition may do retreat practices in the Rime Tradition.

Main Centre:

There are several monasteries, meditation centers and religious institutions established by Kalu Rinpoche around the world. The main Monastery of Kalu Rinpoche is in Darjeeling, India.

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Kalu Rinpoche Quotes

Kalu Rinpoche's quotes often reflect his profound insights into the nature of reality and the mind. Here are some of his notable quotes:

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Friday, April 24, 2026

A02037 - Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhist Master Who Is Recognized As One of the Greatest Realized Masters

  Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse - A00184

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Dilgo Khyentse
TitleKyabje (His Holiness), Rinpoche
Personal life
Born1910
Denkok Valley, Derge, Kham, Tibet
DiedSeptember 28, 1991 (aged 80–81)
Bhutan
SpouseKhandro Lhamo
Religious life
ReligionTibetan Buddhism
SchoolNyingma and Rimé
Senior posting
ReincarnationJamyang Khyentse Wangpo

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"At present, the outer universe -- earth, stones, mountains, rocks, and cliffs -- seem to the perception of our senses to be permanent and stable, like the house built of reinforced concrete which we think will last for generations.  In fact, there is nothing solid to it at all; it is nothing but a city of dreams."

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"Meditation could be said to be the Art of Simplicity: simply sitting, simply breathing and simply being."  (03/18/2023)

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Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Tashi Paljor (Tibetan: དིལ་མགོ་མཁྱེན་བརྩེ་, Wylie: dil mgo mkhyen brtse) (c. 1910 – 28 September 1991) was a Vajrayana master, Terton, scholar, poet, teacher, and recognized by Buddhists as one of the greatest realized masters. Head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism from 1988 to 1991, he is also considered an eminent proponent of the Rime tradition.

As the primary custodian of the vast collection of teachings both authored by and recovered by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Dilgo Khyentse was the de facto custodian of a vast majority of Tibetan Buddhist teachings. He taught many eminent teachers, including the 14th Dalai Lama.[1] After the Chinese invasion of Tibet, his personal effort was crucial in the preservation of Tibetan Buddhism.[2]

Biography

Early life, ancestry

Dilgo Khyentse was born on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month of the Iron Dog Year (1910), in the Denma region of Derge, in Denkok Valley, in Kham, Eastern Tibet,[1] during a teaching on the Kalachakra Tantra given in his house by Ju Mipham. Ju Mipham conferred the name Tashi Paljor.[3] The Dilgo family directly descended from Tibet's eighth-century King Trisong Detsen, and both his father and mother were children of ministers to the King of Dege, based in Derge.[3] His family and their associates were major patrons of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. He had three brothers: the eldest brother Sanggye; another older brother who became the 9th Benchen Sanggye Nyenpa, Karma Shedrub Tenpai Nyima; and a third older brother that died at a young age.

When Dilgo Khyentse was a year old, he was declared to be a reincarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo by a disciple of Khyentse Wangpo's. Several high Rinpoches from the Nyingma, Karma Kagyu, and Sakya schools were to request Dilgo Khyentse be sent to their monasteries, but Ju Mipham advised his father to keep young Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Paljor at home.[3]

In 1912, the 4th Shechen Gyaltsap Pema Namgyal (1871–1926) of Shechen Monastery requested Tashi Paljor for his monastery, and the request was accepted. Shechen Monastery is one of the six principal Mother Monasteries of the Nyingma school, where Dilgo Khyentse received novice vows in 1919, and where he was formally enthroned by Shechen Gyaltsab in 1925 as the tulku of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, and given the name Gyurme Tekchok Tenpai Gyeltsen.[3]

During these years, Dilgo Khyentse travelled close to Shechen Monastery to receive teachings in Buddhist philosophy from several masters, including Shechen Kongtrul Pema Drime (1901–1960), the 11th Tai Situ, Pema Wangchok Gyelpo of Palpung Monastery where he seriously studied, from masters at Dzogchen Monastery, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, and Khenpo Zhenga of Jyegu Dondrub Ling at Jyekundo. Additionally, he received teachings on the ancient Guhyagarbha Tantra and its various commentaries from Khenpo Tubga at Kyangma Ritro. In all, he studied with more than 50 teachers from the Nyingma school's oral (kama) and practice lineages within Tibetan Buddhism.[4]

His root guru was Shechen Gyaltsap Rinpoche, and Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro (1893–1959) was his other main spiritual master. He completed what is known as the Ngöndro, or Preliminary Practice.

His eldest brother Sanggye was his constant travelling and practice companion, and they entered many brief retreats between teachings which included the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, the Madhamikāvatāra, Nagarjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, the Guhyagarbha Tantra, works by many masters including Ju Mipham, Terdak Lingpa, Mindroling, Guru Chowang, Jamgon Kongtrul, and by other great masters. His classic training would automatically include training in meditation, in the study of the Kangyur and Tengyur, and in the tantra teachings specifically. He also received training in grammar and poetics in addition to the numerous teachings, transmissions, and empowerments. He remained in close proximity to Shechen Monastery until 1926, when Shechen Gyaltsab passed.

From 1926 until 1934, Dilgo Khyentse remained in solitary retreat in a cave in Denkok, near his birthplace, but attended the enthronement of the 5th Shechen Gyeltsab at Shechen Monastery in 1925, and received the transmissions and teachings. Dilgo Khyentse requested to spend the rest of his life in solitary meditation. In response, Khyentse Chokyi Lodro told him that "(t)he time has come for you to teach and transmit to others the countless precious teachings you have received."

Two years later while in retreat, a severe fever occurred at the age of 25, and he then decided to become a tantric practitioner with a consort, which supported his transition as a terton. He married Khandro Lhamo, a traditional Tibetan medicine doctor (Amchi) from a modest Kham family[5][6] while both Khyentse Chokyi Lodro and the 10th Zurmang Trungpa, Karma Chokyi Nyingche, had urged him to pursue terma treasure revelations.[3] A teacher had prophesied that a cure for his illness would be marriage, despite the fact he was uninterested in it.[5] Khandro Lhamo became a well-known expert in Tibetan medicine, a supporter of Shechen Monastery and his life-long companion.[7] They had two daughters, the elder being Dechen Wangmo, and the younger being Chime Wangmo.[3]

Student and master

Dilgo Khyentse then spent the next 21 years as an active Terton, while also traveling and teaching.[3][8] In 1936, he revealed a section of "one of his most celebrated treasures", Pema's Heart Essence of Longevity (pad+ma tshe yi snying thig),[3] which he discovered in the Kingdom of Nangchen. Additional sections were revealed the following year.

At the age of 34, Dilgo Khyentse spent two years with Dzongzar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, receiving teachings and revealing terma. He was a close student, and specifically received Jamgon Kongtrul's Rinchen Terdzod, a collection of Revealed Terma Treasures, and his Treasury of Knowledge (shes bya kun khyab). In 1946, Dilgo Khyentse travelled in Kham and strengthened his connections to the lineage of another Terton, Chokgyur Lingpa when he discovered and decoded a sheet of paper which became the treasure cycle of the Kabgye (bka' brgyad).[3]

He continued his revelations as a Terton while travelling and teaching at Derge, Nangchen, Rebkong, Amye Machen, and other places in Do Kham during the early years of China's invasion.[3] His treasure cycle of Nyak Kilaya (gnyag lugs phur ba) was revealed in Nangchen.

Later on, the 14th Dalai Lama regarded Dilgo Khyentse as both his principal teacher of the Nyingma school lineage, and his Dzogpa chenpo teacher. Dilgo Khyentse was also one of the main teachers of Chögyam Trungpa, whom is held in high regard. After his death, many of Chogyam Trungpa's students became Dilgo Khyentse's students.[9] Dilgo Khyentse was also a considered a master to many qualified teachers from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism.[8]

Escape from Tibet, teachings in exile

In the mid-1950s, when widespread rebellions broke out in Kham and the Chinese Communists began bombing monasteries and massacring people and livestock,[10][11] the Chinese forces were also specifically hunting certain tulkus, among them Dilgo Khyentse.[3] Khandro Lhamo refused to divulge his whereabouts for weeks in 1956, before Dilgo Khyentse and his family spontaneously migrated with masses of other Tibetans to Central Tibet and Lhasa,[3] leaving behind his library of dharma books and most of his own writings. Shechen Monastery in Kham was destroyed by the Chinese forces.

Then, during the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the 14th Dalai Lama escaped from Lhasa, and Dilgo Khyentse together with his family and a few students also escaped from Tibet, including his brother, the 9th Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche and Tenga Rinpoche.[12] They headed for the border at Bhutan where they stayed in camps before being permitted to cross into India, where they moved and stayed for several years with Dudjom Rinpoche at Kalimpong. From 1961 to 1962, he taught in Bhutan in response to an invitation, and later he was again invited to Bhutan by Nyimalung Monastery in 1965 after which Bhutan became his primary home.

He made frequent visits to India to give teachings to the 14th Dalai Lama at Dharamasala, and he dedicated himself to preserving the Nyingma school lineage by travelling extensively in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. His first journey to the West was in 1975, and he established a three-year retreat center in the Dordogne, France.

He also engaged in scholarship and composed numerous poems, meditation texts and commentaries. He was a Terton, a discoverer of spiritual treasures, and is credited with discovering numerous termas. He was one of the foremost masters of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, for which he bestowed pith instructions, and is one of the principal holders of the Longchen Nyingtik lineage.

In 1980, he reconstructed Shechen Monastery in Nepal, when he founded the Shechen Tennyi Dargyeling Monastery in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, which was the earliest of the Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Boudhanath to be built. He rebuilt the Shechen Monastery near the great and spiritually significant Jarung Kashor stupa of Boudhanath, in Kathmandu valley, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

He travelled to Tibet three times, in 1985, 1988, and 1990, during which he funded and advised rebuilding projects, including the consecration of a statue of Padmasambhava at the Jokhang, the re-consecration of Samye Monastery, the re-consecration of the Derge printing house, and he visited several rebuilt Nyingma school monasteries including Dzogchen, Palyul, Katok, and Shechen Monastery where he was able to stay and bestow public teachings. In between his travels to Tibet, he gave many teachings over the years to hundreds of other monks, nuns, lamas, Khenpos and Khenmos, Rinpoches, disciples, laypeople, and to numerous international students. His senior student is Trulshik Rinpoche, whom he named as a spiritual heir.

During this same period and until his paranirvana on 27 September 1991 in Bhutan, Dilgo Khyentse was also involved in publishing as many Tibetan Buddhist teachings as possible, counting more than 300 volumes altogether.

Final years

He was one of the few great Tibetan Rinpoches accorded the honorific title Kyabje, or "His Holiness". Following the death of Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche in 1987, he became the head of the Nyingma School, and remained so until his death in Bhutan on 27 September 1991.[13]

Student Matthieu Ricard remarked:

"his disciples were as numerous as stars in the autumn sky...we felt that the sun had vanished from the world."[13]

In November 1992, the ritual cremation ceremony for Dilgo Khyentse was consecrated for three-days near Paro in Bhutan, and was attended by over 100 lamas and ordained monks and nuns, the Royal Family and ministers of Bhutan, 500 western disciples and 50,000 devotees and lay people.

Preservation of lineages

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in Seattle, 1976

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche has been described as a perfect example of an impartial preserver of Tibetan Buddhist lineages, and a Rime master, since in exile he was instrumental in safeguarding all of the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism without partiality. He received and gave empowerments, and wrote volumes of texts that revitalized and interpreted important transmissions and teachings from all four Tibetan Buddhist schools.[14]

Gyatrul Rinpoche (b. 1924),[15] in a purport to Karma Chagmé Rinpoche (Wylie: karma-chags-med, fl. 17th century), conveys Dilgo Khyentse's samaya, diligence and humility in receiving empowerments (Tib: དབང,  Wylie: dbang) and oral Dharma transmissions (Tib: ལུང, Wylie: lung). B. Alan Wallace elaborates:

With respect to oral transmissions, even if the lineage is impure, it is not a problem. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche often sought out and received any oral transmission he thought was on the verge of disappearing. It made no difference who was giving it. He would receive it and, in turn, pass it on to make sure that the lineage remained unbroken.[16]

Reincarnation

Reincarnation of Dilgo Khyentse, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi, 2010

The reincarnation (or Yangsi) of Kyabje Dilgo Rinpoche is informally called Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche. Formally, he is called Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche or Ugyen Tenzin Jigme Lhundrup (Tib. ཨོ་རྒྱན་བསྟན་འཛིན་འཇིགས་མེད་ལྷུང་གྲུབ་, Wylie o rgyan bstan 'dzin 'jigs med lhun grub).

The reincarnation was born in Nepal on the 11th day of the 5th lunar month of the Female Water Bird Year (30 June 1993)[17] in Kathmandu, on the day following Guru Rinpoche's birthday.[18] His father is Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche, the son of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, and his mother is Sangyum Dechen Paldron. His siblings are Phakchok Rinpoche, Mingyur Paldron, and Kelsang Bhuti. [13]

Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche was born in Nepal on June 30, 1993. When Khyentse Rinpoche passed away, his close students requested Trulshik Rinpoche, his most senior and accomplished disciple, to find his incarnation.[19]

Trulshik Rinpoche is said to have had numerous visions concerning the Yangsi, which he shared with Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche,[18] Dilgo Khyentse's grandson. His recognition was also confirmed by the 14th Dalai Lama. On 29 December 1995 Trulshik Rinpoche performed the Yangsi's formal name offering ceremony, in Nepal. Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche was enthroned in December 1996.[20][18] Trulshik Rinpoche also offered a Long Life prayer which he composed for Dilgo Khyentse II of Shechen, at the sacred Maratika Cave.[21]

Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche personally supervised the upbringing of Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, in Nepal and also in Bhutan where Khenpo Yeshe Gyaltsen focused on providing Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche's Shedra education.[20]

In 2010, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche marked the century anniversary of the birth of Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and his own 17th year, with celebrations in Nepal and Bhutan and with a major tour of Europe, North America, and Asia. The tour began in France at La Sonnerie in the Dordogne, since La Sonnerie is the main European seat of Dilgo Khyentse, and is the French seat of Dudjom Rinpoche.

Afterwards, Dilgo Khentse Yangsi Rinpoche visited and gave teachings at Lerab Ling in France, before continuing with Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche and Matthieu Ricard to the Americas - U.S., Canada and Mexico.[22] The North American leg of the tour included events in New York state, in Boulder, Colorado, Vermont, and in Canada before the tour traveled to Mexico.

In 2014, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche and Matthieu Ricard gave talks and teachings in France and in the U.K.. At Nyima Dzong in Paris, an empowerment was given for the Dilgo Khyentse Terma of Vajra Vidharana (Dorje Namjon), and Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche celebrated his birthday. Afterwards, teachings were given at Lerab Ling and at Chanteloube. In the U.K., talks were given at Rigpa London, and a series of talks and empowerments were given at the newly opened Buddhist Community Centre UK in Aldershot, hosted by the Nepali Buddhist Community.[23]

Later in July 2014, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche returned to Mexico and to his center Shechen Mexico, and held two talks and gave a teaching on Rangjung Pema Nyingtik ngondro practice. In Toronto, Canada, at Riwoche gompa, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche gave empowerments on Namgyalma and Vajrakilaya.[24]

In July 2024, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche gave an eight-day Kurukulle, Guru Padmasambhava, and Yeshe Tsogyal drubchen and puja, in the historic E Maha Viraha ("Yempi Mahaviraha") in Patan, Kathmandu, Nepal, where Guru Padmasambhava had taught.[25]

Film

The film Spirit of Tibet: Journey to Enlightenment, The Life and World of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was released in 1998. It was made by Matthieu Ricard, a French student, photographer, Buddhist monk, and author who had traveled with Khyentse for 14 years. It tells Dilgo Khyentse's story from birth to death, to rebirth. The film also tells of his escape from Tibet, following China's brutal invasion of Kham and Central Tibet, and of Dilgo Khyentse's determination to preserve and transmit Buddhist teachings far and wide. The film reveals Tibet's profound and sacred art, ritual philosophy, and the sacred cham dances. Along with rarely photographed areas of Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal, the film features interviews with the 14th Dalai Lama, who also speaks about his own spiritual life.

The film Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, written and directed by Neten Chokling Rinpoche,[26] and narrated by Richard Gere[27] and Lou Reed,[28] uses animation, previously unseen archival footage and photos along with new interviews of Tibet's qualified masters to tell Dilgo Khyentse's life story.

Publications

  • Undated late photo
    Undated late photo
    •  
  • In regalia
    In regalia
    •  
  • Khyentse in 1976
    Khyentse in 1976
    •  
  • The younger Khyentse
    The younger Khyentse

References

  1.  Ricard 1997.
  2.  Khyentse & Jinba Palmo 2008, p. 199.
  3.  Alex Gardner, "Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Peljor", Treasury of Lives, December 2009
  4.  Midal 2004, p. 40.
  5.  Rab-gsal-zla-ba, Dil-mgo Mkhyen-brtse (12 January 2010). Brilliant moon : the autobiography of Dilgo Khyentse. Palmo, Ani Jinba, Tweed, Michael. Boston, Massachusetts. ISBN 978-0-8348-2348-8. OCLC 881277749.
  6.  "Khandro Lhamo Passes", Snowlion Newsletter, Spring 2003, https://www.shambhala.com/snowlion_articles/khandro-lhamo-passes/
  7.  "Khandro Lhamo Passes". Shambhala. 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2020-08-25.
  8.  "The Reincarnation of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche", Spring 1996, Vol 11, No 2, Snow Lion Newsletter.
  9.  The Chronicles of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, The Chronicle Project Organization.
  10.  Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Born in Tibet, Boulder: Shambhala Publications
  11.  François Robin, Le monde au reflet du Tibet : le journal 'Le miroir des nouvelles' . Open Edition Journals, 36:46-47, December 2013.
  12.  Rinpoche 2008, pp. 193–197.
  13.  Lion's Roar Staff 2010.
  14.  Brilliant Moon, foreword by Sogyal Rinpoche, Shambala Boston and London 2009 p. xxxvi
  15.  Source: "Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche - Tashi Choling Center for Buddhist Studies". tashicholing.org. Archived from the original on 2008-12-29. Retrieved 2009-03-25. (accessed: Wednesday March 25, 2009)
  16.  Chagmé, Rinpoche & Wallace 1998, p. 21.
  17.  "Tibetan Phugpa Calendar", 1993. Lotsawa House
  18.  Snow Lion Publications. Editors, Snow Lion Newsletter, The Reincarnation of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Vol 11, No 2, Spring 1996, pp. 1, 13.
  19.  "Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche". khyentsevisit2010.org. Archived from the original on December 18, 2009. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  20.  Shechen Mexico, "Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, Historia"
  21.  "Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche Series", Lotsawa House, https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/dilgo-khyentse-yangsi/
  22.  "Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi begins tour of the West". Lion's Roar. July 24, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  23.  Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche in France and Great Britain – Shechen Buddhist website
  24.  "Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche in North America July 21 – August 2 :: shechen.org".
  25.  Facebook, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche
  26.  "10 Leading Thinkers Choose Their Favorite Buddhist Films". Lion's Roar. June 23, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  27.  "Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Trailers & Videos". TV Guide. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  28.  Sperry, Rod Meade (October 27, 2020). "Magic & Loss: Celebrating Lou Reed". Lion's Roar. Retrieved July 9, 2021.

Sources

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A Tribute to My Grandfather, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche by Rabjam Rinpoche

November 9th, 2025  |  Published in NEWS

A Tribute to My Grandfather, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was a truly extraordinary master, revered throughout the world for his wisdom, compassion, and realization. Standing at an impressive 6’7” and weighing about 120 kilos, he was a towering figure especially remarkable among Tibetans. Yet despite his physical presence, he carried himself with deep humility. What defined him most was not his stature, but his boundless kindness, his trustworthiness, and his ability to make every person feel valued.

I had the great fortune of spending two decades of my life by his side, from the age of five until his passing in 1991, when I was twenty-five. These years remain the most precious period of my life.

He began teaching me from the very beginning the Tibetan alphabet and guided me through the profound teachings of Buddhism. When I was eight years old, I began accompanying him on his journeys to the West. Together we traveled to America and Europe, where I witnessed firsthand the respect and devotion he inspired. To be constantly at his side, both at home and abroad, was an immeasurable blessing.

Rinpoche was not only a great master of the Nyingma tradition but a holder of the teachings of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Many renowned scholars, teachers, and eminent Rinpoches came to him for advice. His responses carried both intellectual brilliance and the depth of his own realization. Yet what was most remarkable was that his wisdom and compassion were not reserved for spiritual practitioners alone. His door was open to all—whether kings and leaders, simple farmers, or beggars. Whoever came to him, he welcomed with equal warmth and concern, offering guidance suited to their needs.

Despite his vast responsibilities, he remained a deeply loving and gentle person. As my grandfather, he was never too busy to spend time with me. Since I had no toys or dolls, he would shape figures out of dough for me sometimes making human shapes, sometimes drawing colorful flowers and butterflies that I still treasure today. These simple acts revealed his playful, creative, and affectionate nature, and remain among my most cherished memories.

Rinpoche’s discipline and dedication were unwavering. He never wasted a moment. From morning until evening, he was always engaged—composing commentaries, poems, and practice manuals, or absorbed in practice. Even in his later years, he continued to write personal letters by hand. Each letter carried encouragement, guidance, and often a touch of poetry.

Though he passed away nearly forty years ago, I still feel his presence strongly. His blessings continue to protect and inspire us. Even today, people I meet tell me how their lives were changed by a single meeting with him or a few words of advice.  This, I believe, was one of his greatest gifts the ability to make every individual feel seen and valued.

To have spent so much of my life by his side remains the greatest blessing of my life, one that continues to shape and guide me to this day.

I often reflect on how I can repay, even in a small way, the immeasurable kindness and guidance I received from him. I feel that the only true way to do so is to help carry forward his vision to preserve and spread the teachings and lineage that I received from him, and to protect his legacy for the sake of future generations. In doing so, I find a sense of purpose and meaning in my own life. It is my way of honoring him, and of keeping alive the light of wisdom and compassion that he so selflessly shared with the world.

~Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche

Tour the Dilgo Khyentse Memorial House in Bhutan:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OgxuqEutll8

 

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Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's teachings emphasize the nature of thoughts, the importance of compassion, and the path to enlightenment. Here are some of his profound quotes:

Inspirational Quotes

  1. "When a rainbow appears vividly in the sky, you can see its beautiful colors, yet you could not wear it as clothing or put it on as an ornament. Likewise, thoughts that arise in the mind have no tangible existence or intrinsic solidity."
  2. "Do not encumber your mind with useless thoughts. What good does it do to brood on the past or anticipate the future? Remain in the simplicity of the present moment."
  3. "Those who seek happiness in pleasure, wealth, glory, power, and heroics are as naive as the child who tries to catch a rainbow and wear it as a coat."
  4. "It is our mind, and that alone, that chains us or sets us free."
  5. "Your practice should be strengthened by the difficult situations you encounter, just as a bonfire in a strong wind is not blown out, but blazes even brighter."
  6. "Never forget how swiftly this life will be over, like a flash of summer lightning or the wave of a hand. Now that you have the opportunity to practice dharma, do not waste a single moment on anything else."
  7. 3 Sources

Reflections on Life and Death

  1. "When death finally comes you will welcome it like an old friend, being aware of how dreamlike and impermanent the phenomenal world really is."
  2. "On the day that you were born, you began to die. Do not waste a single moment more!"

    These quotes encapsulate the essence of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's teachings, encouraging mindfulness, compassion, and a deeper understanding of the transient nature of life. They serve as a source of inspiration for those on the spiritual path.

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