Please come to the center and welcome Khenpo Phuntsok Tenzin Rinpoche, this Saturday April 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Biography of Khenpo Phuntsok Tenzin Rinpoche
Khenpo Phuntsok Tenzin Rinpoche, Drikung Kagyu resident lama in Chile, was born on January 10, 1966, in Ladakh, northern India. At age ten he took the Bodhisattva vows from Gelong Gyaltsen Rinpoche who, upon realizing that the child had been a great master in earlier lives, recommended he should be brought up in a monastery. Therefore, Khenpo-la was sent to Drikung Kagyu monastery Sharkul Phuntsok Choling where he received empowerments, studied Dharma music, ritual dancing and the different Buddhist arts. Early on, he manifested an interest in Buddhist philosophy and received his first lessons from Tsedul Rinpoche, within the Nyingma lineage, who introduced him to tantra. Additionally, he received teachings from Kyabje Dubjon Rinpoche.
As a young boy Khenpo-la met Drikung Kagyu lineage master Khenpo Konchog Togdrol Rinpoche at Shadrup Jamyang Ling monastery. Under this master's guidance, he studied and received the Thirteen Major Texts in Buddhist Studies, which are integral to the academic tradition in monastic universities. These included the Theravada discipline codes, the Abhidarma, the works of the eight Indian Mahapanditas, Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Asangha, Vasubandhu, Dignaga, Dharmakirti, Gunaprabha and Sakyaprabha; the critical works of Darmakirti and Shantideva; and the pivotal work of Gampopa.
Khenpo-la also received teachings from other significant masters such as Togden Rinpoche, Drungtse Rinpoche; from Druwang Konchog Norbu Rinpoche he received The Fivefold Path of Mahamudra; from Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, the Kagyu Ngag Dzod; from the Dalai Lama he received the Kalachakra.
Following Drikung Kyabgon's wishes, Khenpo-la continued his philosophical training. He transferred to Drikung Kagyu Institute at Dhera Dun where he received the Gong Chik after which he completed the traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche. Additionally, he received the Longchen Nyingtig and other
empowerments from both Kagyu and Nyingma lineages.
The following years, Khenpo-la taught at Jangchub Ling Monastery, in Dhera Dun. In 1996, responding to Drikung Kyabgon's wishes, he came to Chile as the resident lama in charge of several Drikung Kagyu Meditational Centers. He has also established meditational centers in Argentina, Peru and Ecuador. In January 2001, Drikung Kyabgon officially granted him the degree of Khenpo after which Khenpo-la has continued teaching and tirelessly expanding the Dharma wherever sentient beings are motivated to learn it and practice it.
