Dungse Jampal Norbu is Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche’s son and Dharma Heir. Dungse la has lived and traveled extensively in Asia, but spent much of his youth in Colorado. If you were to ask Dungse la how long he has been studying the Buddhist path, he would say, “Since I was born.” 

Under his father’s wing he received many teachings and transmissions, sometimes while the two were walking in the mountains of Crestone or riding a train in India. In 2012, Dungse la completed the five-year Translator’s Degree Program in Bir, India, which supplied him with a rigorous and traditional shedra education focused on the Classical Indian texts of Nalanda, along with skills to translate written works from Tibetan to English. 

dungse Jampal norbu portrait

When Dungse la was still an infant, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche instructed Kongtrul Rinpoche to train Dungse la to uphold and continue Kongtrul Rinpoche’s lineage, particularly that of Mangala Shri Bhuti. With the foundation of his life-long guidance and education from Kongtrul Rinpoche, Dungse la also teaches widely and engages in an annual 100-day retreat at Longchen Jigme Samten Ling. Dungse la’s anecdotal style and first-hand curiosity about how Buddhism relates to actual experience imbue his teaching with a fresh perspective, and reveal a natural wisdom and humor.

Dungse la started a podcast in 2020 called EveryBodhi Podcast, focusing on classical Mahayana Buddhism for the modern meditator. Dungse la draws on the celebrated Lojong or Mind Training teachings to examine how we can find solidarity and friendship with our own mind.

Visit the EveryBodhi Podcast page

Letter from Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

 

a letter from Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche about Dungse Jampal Norbu as Kongtrul Rinpoche's Dharma Heir

“Kongtrul la,
Your intention to practice Longchen Nyingtik Preliminaries as well as the cycles of the Longchen Nyingtik is very excellent. Practice Thukdrup Junchi Kolchang everyday.

It would be excellent if you could establish a center of buddhadharma in America.

You should go to your father’s homeland and your predecessor’s monastery quite often, to have a look around. There, establishing the shedra and drupdra – the study and practice lineages – would be wonderful. So in the end, the monastery is more stable.

Your son, whether he becomes a monk or a ngakpa, in either case, you must intend him to become a Buddhist teacher who could hold your Dharma lineage. This will be excellent. For this to happen my blessings and protection – I the old father – without ever forgetting, am making prayers.”

Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche communicated his vision for Dungse la in a letter to Kongtrul Rinpoche, seen above. Kongtrul Rinpoche describes their exchange, which occured just three weeks before His Holiness’ parinirvana:

“This is what my root teacher, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, spontaneously wrote from his last retreat in my final meeting with him, during his practice session while he was not speaking. Although Dungse la was recognized by several important masters as the reincarnation of a teacher from their tradition, his training in Khyentse Rinpoche’s tradition and fulfilling my Guru’s command has been the priority. 

In this day and age, for someone to find the interest and deep discipline that Dungse la has shown to follow up first with his formal studies and then personal retreats, with immense heat and responsibility over his own growth and realization, I feel, not as a father, but as a teacher, very secure to hand over and place in his care my responsibilities for this lineage, when the time comes.