Visiting Teachers

Drubpon Trinley Yeshi Rinpoche

Drubpon Trinley Yeshi Rinpoche has in the past served as the head retreat master at the Drikung Kagyu Institute in India. He was born at Drikung Yangre Gar in 1941, near the village of Trolung. His father is Dang Drung and his mother is Dolma. At the age of 12 he took the novice monk vows from H.E. Thritsab Thubten Wangpo (the former Thritsab Rinpoche). Afterwards he became perfectly well trained on how to play ritual instruments, how to chant, perform ritual ceremony, and the traditional Lama dance. At the age of thirty he took the full ordination vows from late master Pachung Rinpoche; hence he has received many teachings from Pachung Rinpoche and his close disciple, fully ordained Tenzin Nyima Rinpoche.
Read More

Drupon Rinchen Dorje

It is a great blessing for us to have Drupon Rinchen Dorje as a visiting lama at Drong Ngur. His extensive experience and powerful presence are a tribute to his devotion to the Dharma and an inspiration to the practitioners he has met.

Drupon Rinpoche received teachings on the Fivefold Path of Mahamudra and Kunsang Lama’s Words of Profound Instruction, Dzogchen’s Great Completion Parting from Samsara and Nirvana, Pointing Out the Nature of Mind, and other teachings from Tulku Nyendrak Gyaltsen Rinpoche. Rinpoche has also received Chakrasamvara according to Drilbupa, including the empowerment, scriptural transmission, and pith instructions from Tulku Thogme Rinpoche.
Read More

Lama Thubten Nima

Lama Thubten Nima was born in the Kham (eastern) Region of Tibet in 1965. When he was 14, Lama Thubten Nima had the good fortune to receive instruction on the effects of virtuous and harmful actions by the great Yogi Damga, and he completed the four hundred thousand accumulations of the preliminary practices (Ngondro) according to the Buddhist Yangzab terma. Lama Thubten Nima made great efforts to travel to Gar Monastery where he received refuge ordination from the profoundly loved and respected Garchen Rinpoche. He then received full monastic ordination and the bodhisattva vow from the great siddha Karma Norbu, and was then admitted to Gar Monastery.
Read More

Venerable Lama Konchok Sonam

Venerable Lama Konchok Sonam is the Spiritual Director of the Drikung Meditation Center. Born in Lhasa, Tibet, Lama Sonam began his Buddhist training when young within the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. At the age of 18, Lama Sonam took full ordination and became a monk (Gelong). Lama Sonam then went on to complete a retreat on Ngondro (Common and Extraordinary Preliminaries) and the Five-Fold Path of Mahamudra under H.H. Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche and Gelong Yeshe. Lama Sonam received teachings and blessings from more than twenty-five great masters, including Nyedak Rinpoche, his beloved main teacher, and the Most Venerable Pachung Rinpoche, the renown scholar and retreat master at Drikung Thil monastery.
Read More