Supreme Board of Council

Tulku Sherab Sangpo Rinpoche

A Brief Biography

Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche , also known as Tulku Orgyen Chöying Yeshe , was born in 1982 into a Lama Yogi family in Dho Tarap, Dolpo . He is the reincarnation of the second Nyinchung Tulku Rinpoche , known as the Great Yogi or Drubthob and Dharma Holder of Namgung Monastery, one of the three oldest mother monasteries in Dolpo.

Until the age of eight, Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche worked as a shepherd boy for his family and was sent to other families in the village to work in the fields and on their farms as part of a work exchange program. He was the second youngest shepherd and farm worker in his village.

In late 1990 , when he was eight years old, he ran away from home to follow his grandfather, who was traveling to India to participate in the Kalachakra Empowerment. Only after secretly following him for an entire day did Dolpo Tulku reveal himself to his grandfather. In this way, Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche was present at the Kalachakra Empowerment of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Varanasi from December 20, 1990, to January 4, 1991.

In 1991 , at the age of nine, Dolpo Tulku, after returning from Varanasi, entered KaNying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Nepal as a novice at his own request. He then took his refuge vows from Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche and received the refuge name Orgyen Tsering.

At Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery, it was discovered that Dolpo Tulku's full name, his birth year (in the Year of the Iron Bird), and his parents' full names matched the prophecy details given by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche regarding the search for Nyinchung Tulku Rinpoche's reincarnation. To clarify the matter, Dolpo Tulku was sent to meet with Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, who confirmed the matches and gave him the reincarnation name Orgyen Düdul Dorje.

At that time, Lama Tenzin Rinpoche Chögyal was the abbot in charge of Namgung Monastery, and together with other students, he arranged for Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche to be sent to Namdroling Monastery in South India to receive his basic Himalayan training.

From then until 2007, Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche completed the entire classical training and studies in Buddhist philosophy, practice, and teachings under the guidance of the third Nyingma lineage holder , HH Drubwang Pema Norbu . He also studied literature and poetry, as well as general and Buddhist history.

In 1994, Shakya Rinpoche and Nyingma Rinpoche, together with the Dolpo People's Welfare Association, organized the grand enthronement ceremony of Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche at Shechen Monastery in Kathmandu, which was led by SH Drubwang Pema Norbu and attended by more than 10,000 residents of the Dolpo region and the surrounding Himalayan areas.

In 1997 , at the age of 15, Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche was ordained as a monk and received the name Orgyen Chöying Yeshe. He began his advanced Buddhist studies at the Nyingma Ngagyur Institute , the highly regarded monastic university of Namdroling Monastery. There, for ten years, he studied and researched the classical Sutra and Tantra teachings originating with the Buddha and practiced the traditional art of debate. During this time, he was taught and guided by more than 40 teachers and meditation masters, including His Holiness Drubwang Pema Norbu. He also studied Tibetan poetry, literature, and general and Buddhist history.

In examinations, he typically achieved first or second-best results in all subjects, including writing, speaking, debating, and examinations on ritual practices. Due to his high level of education and experience, he was appointed a senior teacher at the Nyingma Ngagyur Institute in 2006, during his eighth year of study, and became a member of the Rigzod Editorial Committee, responsible for all of the monastery's publications. He continued teaching at the Nyingma Ngagyur Institute until 2012. SH Drubwang Pema Norbu taught Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche the practices of the Nam Chö Cycle , which combines the practices of Dzogchen and Mahamudra. Rinpoche now passes on these practices according to the abilities of his students.

In 2007, Rinpoche completed his advanced Buddhist studies. Since then, he has held the status of a university professor. In 2008, after a total of 17 years, he traveled to his homeland of Dolpo for the first time to visit the monasteries under his care and to be enthroned there. He was accompanied by a German film crew that produced the award-winning documentary "Dolpo Tulku – Return to the Himalayas . "

In 2008, Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche also launched his first projects in Dolpo, working closely with the local population. In January 2010, the Dolpo Tulku Charitable Foundation was recognized by the Nepalese government as a non-profit organization focusing on environmental protection, healthcare, cultural preservation, and a meaningful integration of traditional and modern education.

Since 2009, Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche has been traveling throughout Europe, the USA, and Asia to share Buddhist teachings and yoga in an everyday context, to teach Buddhist philosophy, to give public lectures and seminars on topics such as mindfulness training, stress, and burnout, and to raise awareness of the situation in his home region. He also maintains close contact with doctors, psychologists, and representatives of various religions. Furthermore, Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche is regularly invited to numerous conferences, most recently to the "Climate and Environment Summit 2023" in New Delhi.