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Biographical
Sketch Of The Dzogchen Ponlop
Rinpoche
 The
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is acknowledged
as one of the foremost
scholars of his generation in the Nyingma
and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
He is known for his sharp intellect,
humor, and the lucidity of his teaching
style. Fluent in the English language
and well-versed in Western culture,
Rinpoche is also an accomplished calligrapher,
visual artist and poet.
Rinpoche
is a prolific teacher and author. His
teachings have been widely published
in Bodhi Magazine
and other venues. In 2001, Siddhi
Publications released Penetrating
Wisdom,
Rinpoche's newest book is Wild
Awakening (Shambhala Publications,
December 2003).
Rinpoche has
dedicated himself to the preservation
of traditional buddhist traditions in
the East, and to the support the establishment
of a genuine transmission of Buddhism
to the West.
Training in the Traditions
of the Lineage
The
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche was born at Rumtek
Monastery (Dharma Chakra Center) in Sikkim,
India. His father was Dhamchö Yongdu,
General Secretary of His Holiness the Sixteenth
Gyalwa Karmapa. His Holiness, supreme
head of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism,
immediately recognized him as the seventh
in the line of Dzogchen Ponlop incarnations.
He was enthroned as The Seventh Dzogchen
Ponlop Rinpoche at Rumtek Monastery in 1968.
Photo by Thomas Mitchell. |
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Rinpoche received Buddhist refuge and bodhisattva vows from His Holiness at an early age,
and was ordained as a novice monk in 1974. He
has received most of the Buddhist teachings
and empowerments of the Kagyu and Nyingma
traditions from His Holiness the 16th Karmapa,
His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche,
and others.
At twelve, he began studying Buddhist philosophy at the primary school in Rumtek. In 1980, Rinpoche first traveled to the United
States, Canada, and Southeast Asia with His Holiness the Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa. He gave dharma teachings and assisted with the various ceremonies performed during the course of this tour.
 In 1981, he entered the monastic
college at Rumtek, Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies, an affiliate of Sampurnanant Sanskrit University in Varanasi, (U.P.) India. There he was schooled in the traditional
scholastic curriculum of Buddhist philosophy, psychology, logic, and debate.
Rinpoche worked for the Students' Welfare Union at the Institute
for three years. In 1987, Rinpoche became head librarian of the Institute's new library. He was the chief-editor of the Nalandakirti
Journal, an annual publication which brings together Eastern and Western views on Buddhism.
In May 1990, Rinpoche graduated from the Institute as
Ka-rabjampa and also simultaneously earned the degree of Acharya, or Master of Buddhist Philosophy, from Sampurnanant Sanskrit University. Ka-rabjampa literally means "one with
unobstructed knowledge of scriptures." This is the traditional Kagyu degree which is equivalent to the Geshe degree.
Rinpoche subsequently
completed courses of studies in English
and
comparative religions at Columbia University
in New York City.
Preserving And Teaching
 Rinpoche travels widely and teaches
in North America, Europe and Asia. Since 1990 he has annually criss-crossed the globe, teaching and assisting Buddhist centers around the world. He supervises the activities of study and meditation
centers in Europe and North America, and has worked actively to develop and adapt traditional Tibetan education curriculums for Western audiences.
In 1994, to assist in the integration of computer technology
with traditional Tibetan scholarship, Rinpoche founded
Nitartha international,
a non-profit education corporation based in New York City.
Nitartha uses computer technologies to support Tibetan studies
and education, and preserves the ancient literature of Tibet
in digital formats. Rinpoche also advises web site design
for various dharma related sites, such as Nalandabodhi.
In 1996 he helped establish Nitartha
Institute
in North America, which provides a focused Buddhist studies
program, and where Rinpoche is the main teacher. Since January
1996, Rinpoche has been visiting professor at Naropa University,
Boulder, Colorado, where he teaches courses on Buddhist
philosophy
and language. In 1997, Rinpoche founded Nalandabodhi to preserve
the genuine lineage of the Nyingma and Kagyu Schools of
Tibetan
Buddhism. In 1998 he became director of the Kamalashila Institute
of Germany, at the request of His Holiness, the Seventeenth
Gyalwa Karmapa. In 2003, he founded a new international events
center for Nalandabodhi in Seattle, Washington as a place
for the genuine teachings and transmission of the pure wisdom
of buddhism to the west.
Modern Mind, Ancient Wisdom
Rinpoche
also holds important offices within the Nyingma and Kagyu
lineages. As abbot of Dzogchen Monastery, Rinpoche is a high-ranking
Nyingma master. In addition, in 1979 at Dharmachakra Center,
Rumtek, Sikkim, India, His Holiness, the Sixteenth Gyalwa
Karmapa, supreme head of the Kagyu lineage, formally empowered
and officially proclaimed The Seventh Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
as one of the lineage holders of the Karma Kagyu school and
heart son of His Holiness Karmapa.
Rinpoche has his primary
residence in Seattle, where he directs Nalandabodhi and its interntational
events center.
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