FOUNDER'S BIOGRAPHY

His Eminence Trizin Tsering Rimpoche is the mastermind for all the activities of Menjong Choethuen Tshogpa as well as Buddha Dordenma Image Foundation.
Rimpoche (meaning precious), Lam (meaning teacher/root/holy person), and Your Eminence are ways how people call His Eminence Trizin Tsering Rimpoche. Rimpoche's name is Tsering Wangdi while the name Trizin Tsering, meaning Precious Chairman, has been conferred after his enthronement as the chairman of Menjong Choethuen Tshogpa since 2003.

1955 - 1964 (0-9 years old)

Born in Khendaksa Goenpa, Bhutan, in 1955. Rimpoche had displayed an extraordinary level of wisdom as a child that his father, an accomplished yogi, intentionally exposed him to the Buddha Dharma since Rimpoche was five.

His father prided on Rimpoche's inherent determination to devote life to the Buddha Dharma as Rimpoche entered the Drukpa Kargyu monastery in Bhutan at a tender age of nine and studied under His Holiness Je Yishi Sengay of the Drukpa Kargyu lineage.

1964 - 1986 (9-31 years old)

Rimpoche studied under five major masters from the Drukpa Kargyu, Nyingma, Dzokchen, Tekcho Tersar Treasures, Shangpa Kargyu and Karma Kargyud lineages: His Holiness Je Yishi Sengay in 1964; His Holiness the 16th Karmapa in 1969; His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in 1974; His Holiness Dujum Rinpoche in 1975; His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche in 1982.

1976 (21 years old)

Rimpoche successfully completed a one-year-long Wisdom Manjushri retreat followed by another four-month-long Padmasambhava retreat.

1982 (27 years old)

Rimpoche outstandingly passed the Buddhist Philosophy examination, based on his understanding of relinquishing samsara. He also began his three-year-three-month-three-day-long retreat in the late November to early December.

1986 (31 years old)

Although the name of the retreat indicates an approximate of three years long, the actual period is three and a half years. Rimpoche also learned the Six Yogas of Naropa and Niguma under his root guru, His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche and therefore he is qualified to teach the practice of the Marpa Kagyu, the Shangpa Kagyud and the Nyingma Dzokchen lineage.

Moreover, Rimpoche has received transmissions and empowerments of the Rinchen Terzok (Over Thousands Traditional Treasures lineage of Main Point), Dujum Tersar (All Treasures), Buddha Shakyamuni Spiritual Kangyur (145 volumes) and Padmasambawa Spiritual Nyingma Gyubuum (100 volume sutras).

As soon as Rimpoche completed the retreat, he decided to spend his entire life on spiritual practice in caves. However his root guru, His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche, counseled him otherwise to share the benefits of Buddha's Dharma with all beings and that was when Rimpoche began the Buddha's Dharma activities.

Whatever offerings made to Rimpoche have always been dedicated by him to Buddha's activities. Even ordinary stones that are the only precious jewels that can be offered by a person, as long as one is fully devoted to Buddhas, Rimpoche invariably keeps them safe with him as he incessantly tries to bridge all beings with the path to enlightenment.

When the time has come, the offered stones are subsequently placed into the construction of holy objects, such as monasteries, stupas and the Buddha statues.

1988 (33 years old)

The Building of a 110-foot-tall Dharmakaya Stupa in West Bengal

With the intention of benefiting beings that were inflicted in mass killings, His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche gave instructions to Rimpoche to build a 110-foot-tall Dharmakaya stupa in West Bengal. When the stupa was midway completed, His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche passed on to parinirvana. This is the first stupa built by Rimpoche of which its building took one year to complete.

1990 (35 years old)

The Building of the Eight Holy Stupas of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni

The eight Holy Stupas of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni were built by Rimpoche along the Northen India border, they comprised of: the Siddharta Lotus Stupa, the Enlightenment Stupa, the Dharma Wheel Stupa, the Miracle Stupa, the Reconciliation Stupa, the God Realm Stupa, the Long-Life Blessing Stupa and the Nirvana Stupa. Approximately 500 smaller stupas were built in between these eight stupas.

1990 (35 years old) - Present

Rimpoche has been actively teaching the Buddha's Dharma in many countries apart from Bhutan including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Canada, USA, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The ultimate aim of Rimpoche is to propagate the timeless principles of the Buddha's Teachings impartially to worldwide Buddhist followers so that anyone can attain enlightenment.

Rimpoche strongly encourages the embracing of a devoted faith of Buddha's Dharma that is free from any prejudice toward differences (colors/sects) among Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Often when people ask Rimpoche which sect of Vajrayana he belongs to, Rimpoche simply answers, "Buddha sect."

Obviously Rimpoche explicitly intends to emphasize the importance of the same ultimate destination to which all sects are aiming, i.e. liberation and enlightenment.

1995 - 2000 (40-45 years old)

The Dharmakaya Stupa Scripture Translation and The Stupa-Building

Rimpoche managed to translate the Dharmakaya Stupa Scripture from the Gubta Nagara Dharma language to English assisted by an American professor, Mr. Ives Waldo. The scripture was published in 1998 and as many as two thousand copies were shipped to Ohio, USA. The proceeds were then allocated to build a 19-foot-tall Dharmakaya StupaView online illustration (an external link). in Ohio in 2000.

As a manifestation of the Buddha's wisdom and compassion, the Dharmakaya stupa arises to facilitate all beings to accumulate both virtues and wisdom for enlightenment.

1995 - 2004 (40-49 years old)

The Mani Kabum Scripture Translation

Mani Kabum Volume I & II expound on the prophecies and teachings of the Great Compassion Chenrezig (Guanyinpusa). Rimpoche had been meticulously working hard to translate them from the Gubta Nagara Dharma language to English in America, assisted by the same American professor.

The Mani Kabum Volume I & II were launched in Singapore in November 2007. The proceeds are allocated to the Buddha Dordenma Image Foundation.

2001 (46 years old)

Rimpoche gave an eighty-four Mahasiddhas empowerment, attended by hundreds of people in Bhutan. During the same year, Rimpoche provided financial support for the building of 108 Jangchub Chortens in Autsho, Lhuentse, paving the way for the fulfillment of prophecies by renowned Buddhist masters: Terton Dorje Lingpa, Terton Pema Lingpa, Terton Samten Lingpa, and Lam Sonam Zangpo.

Furthermore, a three-story-tall monastery, the Kunphen Oesel Dzong, with a capacity to accommodate 100 monks has been built in traditional architecture style by the local people in Bhutan. To date, it is still under construction. Rimpoche, along with His Holiness of Bhutan, was in charge of providing the financial support.

2002 - 2007 (47-52 years old)

The Building of One-thousand-armed Chenrezig Temple

Rimpoche has built a 1000-armed Chenrezig Temple with a cost of around US$1 million. It is located at Potala Lhakang, Tshanghka Trashiling, Trongsar District, Central Bhutan. The exact location of the temple was pointed out by Longchenpa, a Dzogchen master. The 31-foot-tall standing Chenrezig had been applied gold leaf by the end of July 2007.

2003 (48 years old) - Present

Sutra Reprinting Project & Enthronement as Chairman

Being aware of the paramount importance of the Kangyur Sutra (consisting of the teachings of Theravada, Mahayana, & Vajrayana Buddhism), Rimpoche has been actively seeking support to reprint it. To date, as much as Nu4,7 million has been fundraised by the Menjong Choethuen Tshogpa for the Sutra Reprinting Project.

In November 2003, a complete set of printing machines were shipped to Bhutan by a sponsor. Subsequently in April 2004, the Monastic Printing Press was inaugurated by His Holiness. By reprinting these holy scriptures, they are made available to all temples and monasteries in Bhutan for annual recitation, thus invoking blessing, healing, natural happiness and world peace.

Rimpoche has been enthroned as the chairman of Menjong Choethuen Tshogpa and conferred the title His Eminence Trizin by His Holiness Trulku Jigme Choeda Rinpoche 70th Jekhenpo of Bhutan since June 2003.

2004 (49 years old) - Present

In 2004, Rimpoche founded the Buddha Dordenma Image Foundation for the construction of a 138.6-foot-tall Buddha Shakyamuni at Changri Kuensel Phodrang, Thimphu, Bhutan. Upon its completion, it will be a major pilgrimage center for worldwide Buddhists to converge, practice, meditate and hold spiritual retreats, serving primarily as a karma-restructuring means to all beings.