A short introduction to

HIS EMINENCE PEMA RIGTSAL RINPOCHE

Melbourne 2019: 21st January - 9th February 

 The Great Treasure Revealing Master Trag’thung Dudjom Lingpa,
who was none other than Guru Rinpoche in the flesh, had thirteen close
disciples who attained rainbow body. Among them was Drubwang
Padma Dewai Gyalpo (pictured right), who traveled to Mt. Kailash, in
Ngari - the upper region of central Tibet where he established the
Dharma institute for study and practice known as Pal Drakmar Namkha
Khyung Dzong at the source of the Macha Khabab river, one of the four
great rivers that descends from Mapham Yumtso (Lake Manasarovar)
near Mount Kailash. This Dharma institute drew many hundreds of
fortunate disciples from all over upper, lower, and middle Tibet, as well
as from India and Nepal. Each year would begin with a teaching
schedule from ngondro to the advanced level practices, Trekchod and
Thogal. Countless disciples devoted their lives solely to the practice of
the Troma Nagmo cycle and attained the state of awareness-holding
masters. In the upper region
of Ngari, the Secret Mantra Vajrayana tradition in general, and
particularly the tradition of the Dudjom Tersar, spread far and wide by
the first Degyal Rinpoche (Drubwang Padma Dewa’i Gyalpo). The
second Degyal Rinpoche, Pema Jigme Namgyal (Reincarnation of 1st
Degyal Rinpoche), was a heart disciple of His Holiness Dudjom
Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, and dedicated his entire life in retreat,
dedicating himself to formal practice in the border of Tibet & Nepal
known as Humla were he preserved and spread the Dharma tradition
of Namkha Khyung Dzong & Dudjom Tersar.

Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche’ s father is the second Degyal Rinpoche

(pictured left), and his mother is Kyama Tsering. Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche
was born in 1963 as a lineage son. When Rinpoche was three year old,
he was recognised by His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe
Dorje to be the reincarnation (Tulku) of Chimed Rinpoche, the main
Lama of Ngari Puhreng Shephel Ling monastery, a known emanation of
the Indian saint Padampa Sangye. Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche learned ritual
arts, recitation methods, melodies, and so forth from his father.

At the age of nineteen, he met his teachers Khenpo Dawei Odzer, and Khenpo Choying Khyabdal, from
whom he learned sutra and mantra, and specifically the great teachings of Mipham Rinpoche, the thirteen core
Indian Buddhist treatise, and many other essential texts. He studied diligently for ten years and graduated with
full accomplishment. He received the core Nyingma empowerment’s, transmissions, and teachings from His
Holiness Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Kyabje Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Kyabje
Penor Rinpoche, Kyabje Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, Kyabje Trulshig Rinpoche and Kyabje Domang
Yangthang Rinpoche.
 In 1985, Pema Rigtsal Rinpoche built the Namkha Khyung Dzongkha Monastery with exterior structure and
inner supports (altars, statues etc) in Yolwang, Humla where he established an ordained monk community. This
monastery now supports more than 300 ordained monastics. In 2008 he established the Namkhyung Maha
Maya school, and in 2015 at Yangar in Humla, he started the nunnery called Namkhyung Pema Odsal Choling,
which now houses over 100 ordained nuns, for which cabins have been built. His own root Lama, Venerable
Khenchen Dawei Ozer, as well as His Holiness Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche and others encouraged him to
spread the Buddha Dharma to the fortunate disciples through teaching, empowerments, transmissions, and
heart instructions. Dungse Rinpoche said: “The single medicine that can cure the disease of degenerate age
beings, is the Buddha’s Teaching, and superficially, the Dharma for this age: The Mind Treasures of Dudjom
Lingpa, the Treasury of Space, spread far and wide enlightened activity of teaching and practice...”

Thus as expressed here, in this very monastic institute, Rinpoche

has been giving teachings of the thirteen volumes of great Indian
Buddhist treatises, as well as the teachings of the Omniscient
Longchen Rabjam, Jigme Lingpa and Mipham Rinpoche, in an
uninterrupted stream of transmission. He read 108 volumes of the
Kagyu (the entire collection of Buddha’s canonical teachings).
Rinpoche completed the traditional three year, three month retreat,
and continues to diligently maintain regular retreats and deity
practice mantra recitations of approach and accomplishment.
Rinpoche has guided many of his ordained sangha to complete retreats according to their ability (from 3 weeks,
to 3 years). To the lay people, he has taught the Words of My Perfect Teacher numerous times, as well as the
Dudjom Tersar Ngongdro while inspiring them to accumulate one hundred million recitations of the Vajraguru
mantra. To the Ngakpa (white robe wearing yogis and yoginis) and all those practioners who want to practice
diligently, he teaches Troma Ngondro and Chod teachings, all the way up to the Dzogchen teachings such as
Nang Jang (Purifying Perception of Appearances by Dudjom Lingpa), Nelug Rangjung (The Natural Original
Way of Reality), and so forth. While His Eminence is the teacher for over 800 Ngakpa across Tibet, Nepal and
India, many of them have committed to their practice and have completed their Losum Tsham (3 year, 3 month
and 3 day retreat).

Thus, due to Rinpoche’s kindness in imparting profound ripening empowerment’s and liberating instructions
on what to accept and what to abandon, there has been an increasing number of yogis, hundreds in fact, who
are devoted to practicing Troma, inhabiting over a hundred long term retreat cabins dedicated to three year, six
month, and varying lengths of long term retreat. There are countless men and women who diligently practice
their mantra accumulations of Mani and Vajra Guru mantra, such that the caves and meditation huts in the area
of Humla and Ngari are filled up with practitioners. In recent years, Rinpoche has travelled to Taiwan, Singapore,
Hong Kong, the U.S and other countries to spread the Buddha Dharma.

Two years ago (2016) in Yuksum, Sikkim at the time of Kyabje Yangtang Rinpoche’s parinirvana, Pema Rigtsal
Rinpoche was humbly offered an invitation to teach in Melbourne, Australia. We now joyfully welcome Rinpoche
for the first time into Australia, and are very fortunate in Melbourne to have the opportunity to connect with an
experienced and qualified teacher of the Dudjom Tersar tradition.

Please visit https://www.namkhyung.org for more information.