Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

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Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche is a lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He was recognized as an incarnation of Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, one of the most illustrious lamas of recent history, known for his central role in the rimé or non-sectarian movement in 19th Century Tibet.

Dzigar Kongtrul was born in the Northern Indian province of Himachel Pradesh to Tibetan refugee parents; his father was the third Neten Chokling Rinpoche and his mother, Mayum Tsewang Palden, practiced all her life, even in the midst of raising five children. Rinpoche grew up in a monastic environment. He was trained in the Longchen Nyingtik lineage of the Nyingma school as well as the Khyen-Kong Chok-Sum lineages (those of Jamgon Kongtrul, Khyentse Wangpo and Chokgyur Lingpa—the three primary figures in the rimé movement) 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.

Not long after arriving in the United States, Rinpoche founded Mangala Shri Bhuti, an organization established to further the practice of the Longchen Nyingtik and Khyen-Kong Chok-sum lineages. 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.

His most well-known student in the Western world is Pema Chödrön, who took him as her primary teacher years after the death of her root guru, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Mangala Shri Bhuti, Rinpoche's organization, has a total of five centers. Three are study and practice centers -- Phuntsok Choling in Boulder, Colorado, Pema Osel Do Ngak Choling in Vershire, Vermont, and the Guna Institute in Bir, India. The remaining two are retreat centers -- Longchen Jigme Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado, and Guna Norling in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

[edit] Books by Dzigar Kongtrul

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. It's Up to You : The Practice of Self-Reflection on the Buddhist Path Shambhala Publications, Boston, Mass. 2005. ISBN 1-59030-148-X