A Brief History:

Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche was born in the Northern Indian province of Himachel Pradesh to Tibetan parents. His father, the third Neten Chokling Rinpoche, fled Tibet in 1959 with his wife, Mayum Tsewang Paldon, and their two eldest children. On an abandoned tea plantation he recognized from a vision, Chokling Rinpoche established Pema Ewam Choegar Monastery, and surrounding it, a refugee settlement. For the remainder of Chokling Rinpoche’s life, he cared for and guided their development. Kongtrul Rinpoche’s mother, having spent thirteen years in retreat before marrying his father, continued a life of devoted practice, even in the midst of transplanting her family and raising their five children.

Recognized as an incarnation of Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche grew up in a monastic environment and received extensive training in all aspects of Buddhist doctrine. In particular, he received the teachings of the Nyingma lineage, especially those of the Longchen Nyingtik, from his root teacher, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Rinpoche also studied extensively under Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche, and the great scholar Khenpo Rinchen.

In 1989 Rinpoche moved to the United States with his wife and son, and in 1990 began a five-year tenure as a professor of Buddhist philosophy at Naropa University. Rinpoche soon founded the Mangala Shri Bhuti Sangha after the Sanskrit name of His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Mangala Shri Bhuti focuses on the wisdom and practice of the Longchen Nyingtik tradition of the Nyingma Lineage.

MSB’s main study and practice centers, Phuntsok Choling in the mountains above Boulder, Colorado, and Pema Osel Do Ngak Choling near the rural town of Vershire, Vermont, offer annual study and practice programs to the public. Our mountain retreat center, Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, whose name means, “a meditation place of the fearless great expanse”, is located in the spectacular foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Crestone, Colorado. Samten Ling is the jewel of our organization and offers students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Dharma in retreat. Samten Ling is home to The Sangdo Palri Temple of Wisdom and Compassion, Guru Rinpoche’s Palace of the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain, and the Tara Dzong.

 Students gather at Mangalam Dharma City Centers inAmerica and abroad to practice, listen to the weekly LINK teachings, and work together in support of the Dharma. Please visit the MSB Centers page to learn more about our activities.

In addition to the core curriculum that Rinpoche offers through MSB, he also travels extensively to other centers in the U.S. and around the world to teach and guide students in their own studies and practice. When not teaching or traveling to further his own education, Rinpoche remains in retreat at Samten Ling or at the Guna Institute, Mangala Shri Bhuti’s seat in Bir, India.