Dungse Rinpoche was born in 1972 in Tsum, in Nepal-Tibet border in the Himalayas, in a family of great Buddhist practitioners. He is the eldest son of Dungse RinpocheLapchen Rinpoche who traces his family lineage from the great thirteenth century Nyingma master 1) Guru Chowang 2) Pema Wangchen 3) sangngak dorje 4) guru gaga bendzar 5) khyerap dorje 6) nora tenpa 7) yonten phuntsok 8) Tendzin norbu 9) dung dorje 10 rindzin thopden 11) zilno dorje 12) rechung dorje 13) pema thenkyong 14) jamyang dorje 15) chokong tenpa 16 ) pema tulku 17) ugyen nima 18) pema silnen 19) purnang gyaltsen 20) ngchang tagyin 21) lhatsen sonam 22) tsewang tamdren 23) rinzin.choepel 24) pema Lhatsen, father of Dungse Rinpoche.
Guru Chowang is known as one of the five great tertons (revealers of hidden teachings buried by Guru Rinpoche for the benefit of future beings). Guru Chowang himself was an emanation of Guru Rinpoche as well as an incarnation of Trisong Deutsen, the second Dharma king of Tibet who invited great masters such as Guru Rinpoche, Shantarakshita, Vimalamitra to Tibet.
Among the termas (or ‘treasure teachings’) Guru Chowang revealed were the Lama Sangdu (the embodiment of the master’s secrets), the thu je chen po yang nying du pa (a terma on Avalokiteshvara), the sang gye nyam jor cag nyug ma (liturgical arrangements and explanations of the ka ma teachings), the yang sang pu dri (Vajra Kilaya), the ka gye sang dzog (a cycle on the Eight Sadhana Teachings), and the dzog chen yang ti sang gye nyam jor (Dzogchen teachings). Because he had accomplished the power of truth in speech, whatever he said brought swift blessings and ensured spiritual attainments for many of his students. In these and other ways, he was enormously kind in serving the dharma. Founded by Guru Chowang, Nag monastery (Nag means forest), now has six branches in Tsum valley. The descendants of Guru Chowang, down to Lama Pema’s father served as abbots for the Dhondupling monastery – also known as Nag Gompa. Dungse Rinpoche’s brother, Lama Pasang, is now the Abbot.
In 1981, at the age of nine, Dungse Rinpoche entered Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery in Boudhanath, Kathmandu. In 1983, he took initial vows of a monk, formally departing from the family tradition of lay practice. In 1989, he took complete ordination vows of a Gelong Bikkshu from the Very Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, tutor of H.H. the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1993, Dungse Rinpoche entered the first three-year retreat at Namo Buddha Retreat Center in Namo Buddha, Nepal under the guidance of V.V. Thrangu Rinpoche. In the retreat, he accomplished the practices of the Kagyu Guru Yogas, Vajrayogini, Chakrasamvara, Red Chenrezig, Konchuk Chindu, Six Yogas of Naropa, Mahamudra, Tara, Amitabha, and Chod. As per tradition, Dungse Rinpoche returned to Tsum after retreat and received all the empowerments for his family lineage of Guru Chowang.
After completing his studies in Buddhist philosophy and ritual in 1997, he became the principal of Shree Mangal Dvip High School, Rinpoche’s school for Himalayan Children in Kathmandu, Nepal. Dungse Rinpoche was then appointed as the discipline master (chotrimpa) for Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery in 1999. In 2002, Rinpoche appointed him as a Vajra Master, one of the highest posts in the monastery amongst khenpos (abbots), retreat masters, staff and monks. He continues to hold this position.
In 2003, Rinpoche sent Dungse Rinpoche to Vancouver, BC to help support and teach at Rinpoche’s centre here. In 2004, when plans were made to establish Thrangu Monastery in Richmond, BC, Rinpoche appointed Dungse Rinpoche to help make Rinpoche’s vision for the monastery come to fruition. For the next several years, in addition to his teaching duties, Dungse Rinpochecoordinated Rinpoche’s visits as well as supervised the ongoing construction of the monastery. Under the sound leadership of Dungse Rinpoche, V. V. Thrangu Rinpoche’s vision of a traditional Tibetan monastery in Canada – first of its kind in the country – finally came to fruition in July, 2010. Dungse Rinpoche is now the head resident lama of the monastery the chief representative of V.V. Thrangu Rinpoche for North America.
