Listen: Dungse Jampal Norbu

“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.