His
Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was born in 1910 in Denkhok
Valley, eastern Tibet, to a family descended from the royal lineage
of the ninth century King Trisong Detsen. While still in his
mother's womb, he was recognized by the great master Mipham
Rinpoche as an extraordinary incarnation.
He was one of the last great masters to have completed his entire training in Tibet. He entered Shechen Monastery in Kham, east Tibet, at the age of eleven after his recognition as an incarnation of the first Khyentse Rinpoche, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892).
In Shechen, Khyentse Rinpoche spent many years studying and meditating in a hermitage above the monastery. He received teachings and transmissions from over fifty teachers from all four lineage traditions. From the ages of fifteen to twenty-eight, he lived in silent retreat, in remote hermitages and caves, actualizing all the teachings he had previously received. Later, he spent many years with his second root teacher Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, also an incarnation of the first Khyentse, who named him his Dharma heir.
When he left Tibet and went into exile, he travelled throughout the Himalayas, India, southeast Asia, Europe and North America, transmitting and explaining the teachings to his many disciples. He was not only a principal holder of the Longchen Nyingtik lineage of Dzogchen, but a lineage holder of teachings from all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. This, together with his exemplary activity within the non-sectarian Rimé movement, meant that there was hardly a practitioner in the Himalayas who did not receive teachings from him. He was the master of masters - His Holiness the Dalai Lama considers him as his main teacher of Dzogchen - and also became spiritual advisor to the royal family of Bhutan. He passed away in Bhutan in 1991.
In addition to his tireless teaching activity, Khyentse Rinpoche supervised an exceptional publishing program, making available over 300 volumes of teachings. The destruction of so many texts during the early sixties in Tibet meant that by taking such pains to publish them, Khyentse Rinpoche ensured their survival for future generations.
Khyentse Rinpoche established his main seat near the great stupa in Boudhanath, Nepal - Shechen Tennyi Dargye Ling, now directed by Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, his grandson and Dharma heir.
In addition to all these achievements, he composed numerous poems, meditation texts and commentaries. Throughout his life, he showed himself to be a true embodiment of enlightened activity; he would regularly give his attention to several tasks at the same time, and whatever he was doing seemed to flow effortlessly. His teaching and his life were one.