Gar Drolma Choling Dharma Center

The Venerable Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche

The Venerable Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche is the main lineage holder of the Tibetan lineage of Rigdzin Pema Lingpa, one of the Five Great Kingly Tertons (Treasure Finders) of the Tibetan Nyingma tradition. He is also the incarnation of the great treasure revealer, Terton Dorje Lingpa, and an emanation of the eighth century scholar, translator, and meditation master Vairotsana, (one of the first seven monks ordained in Tibet). Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche was recognized as such by both H.H. the 16th Karmapa and H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche.

The present Bhakha Tulku is the 10th incarnation of the Bhakha Tulku line. The Bhakha monastery is in the Powo region of southeastern Tibet, but the line has many ties with Bhutan as well, as Pema Lingpa is one of the most revered figures in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in Bhutan. The 8th Bhakha Tulku served as royal priest and was a close friend of the first King of Bhutan. Rinpoche's seat in Bhutan is the Tamshing Gonpa in the Bumthang Valley.

Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche holds many lineages, including the Pema Lingpa lineage, the Dzogchen lineage of the Namchoe tradition, the Longchen Nyingthig, and the Chetsung Nyingthig. He received the Rinchen Terzod and many other teachings from H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche. He studied at Mindroling, the great Nyingma center of learning in central Tibet, but fled Tibet to Bhutan in 1959 during the Chinese occupation.

He studied at the school for young Tulkus in Dalhousie, India and served H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche for a number of years. He has also received many teachings from other great masters including H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and Dodrup Chen Rinpoche. He has since done much translation work for westerners and has served H.H. Penor Rinpoche, the current head of the Nyingma School, and H.H. Chatral Rinpoche, the great Dzogchen master. Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche's teaching and practice activities have taken him to India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Taiwan and the United States over the past 10 years.

Rinpoche's teaching activities and translations in the West have been of great benefit to many people. Rinpoche has agreed to come to the United States at the request of many to further spread the teachings of the Buddha-Dharma here. He has established the Vairotsana Foundation to serve this purpose.