Biography

Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche was recognized as an incarnation of Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye. Born in the Northern Indian province of Himachel Pradesh to Tibetan parents, he grew up in a monastic environment. He was trained in the Longchen Nyingtik lineage of the Nyingma by his root guru H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Rinpoche also studied extensively under Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche and the great scholar Khenpo Rinchen. He moved to the United States in 1989 with his family and began a five-year tenure as a professor of Buddhist philosophy at Naropa University (then Institute) in 1990. The Jamgon Kongtruls ..line of incarnate Lamas begins with Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye in the 19th century. ... The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug). ... His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was born in the Denhok Valley at Kham Derge, Eastern Tibet in 1910 to a family directly descended from the ninth century King Trisong Detsen. ... Naropa University is a private, liberal arts university in Boulder, Colorado, which was founded in 1974 by Chogyam Trungpa. ...

Not long after arriving in the United States, Rinpoche founded Mangala Shri Bhuti, an organization established to further the practice of the Longchen Nyingtik lineage. He established a mountain retreat center, Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, in southern Colorado, where he spends much of his time in retreat and guides students in long-term retreat practice. When not in retreat, Rinpoche travels widely throughout the world teaching and furthering his own education.