Discover the Path to Devotion
The Cremation of His Eminence the 9th Yongdzin Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche
and A teaching on calling guru from afar.
About Dungse Pema Rinpoche
Dungse Pema Rinpoche was born in Tsum, a Himalayan region on the Nepal-Tibet border, into a family of great Buddhist practitioners. He is the eldest son of Lama Pema Lapchen Rinpoche, whose family lineage traces back to the Ngak Labrang of the great 13th-century Nyingma master, Guru Chowang. Dungse Pema Rinpoche is the 25th-generation descendant.
At the age of nine, he entered Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery in Boudhanath, Kathmandu.
In 1983, he took novice monk vows, formally departing from his family’s tradition of lay practice.
In 1989, he received full ordination vows as a Gelong Bhikshu from the Very Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, tutor to His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
In 1993, Lama Pema entered his first three-year retreat at Namo Buddha Retreat Center under the guidance of V.V. Thrangu Rinpoche. During this retreat, he completed the traditional practices of the Kagyu lineage, including: Guru Yogas, Vajrayogini, Chakrasamvara, Red Chenrezig, Konchok Chindu, The Six Yogas of Naropa, Mahamudra, Tara, Amitabha, and Chöd. Upon completing the retreat, Dungse Pema Rinpoche returned to Tsum, in accordance with tradition, and received all the empowerments for his family’s lineage of Guru Chowang.
After completing his studies in Buddhist philosophy and rituals in 1997, he became the principal of Shree Mangal Dvip High School, a school founded by Rinpoche for Himalayan children in Kathmandu. In 1999, he was appointed discipline master (chötrimpa) of Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery.
In 2002, Rinpoche appointed him as a Vajra Master, one of the highest positions within the monastery, overseeing khenpos (abbots), retreat masters, staff, and monks. He continues to hold this position to this day.
In 2003, Thrangu Rinpoche sent Dungse Pema Rinpoche to Vancouver, Canada, to support and teach at Rinpoche’s center there.
In 2004, when plans to establish Thrangu Monastery in Richmond, BC were underway, Thrangu Rinpoche appointed Dungse Pema Rinpoche to help bring this vision to life.
Over the following years, in addition to his teaching responsibilities, Dungse Pema Rinpoche coordinated Rinpoche’s visits and supervised the monastery’s construction. Under his capable leadership, Rinpoche’s vision of a traditional Tibetan monastery—the first of its kind in Canada—was realized in July 2010. He now serves as the head of the monastery in Vancouver and as chief representative of V.V. Thrangu Rinpoche in North America.
In this role, Dungse Pema Rinpoche has overseen all aspects of the monastery’s daily operations, ensuring the wellbeing of the resident monastic community and lay supporters alike. Since its inauguration, the monastery has joyfully hosted Rinpoche’s extensive teaching activities, including major events such as the 2010 North American Kagyu Monlam.
In August 2011, he coordinated the visit of His Holiness Sakya Trizin Rinpoche to Thrangu Monastery.
In February 2012, Dungse Pema Rinpoche was selected as one of the retreatants for the Akshobya Retreat under the guidance of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, during the Kagyu Monlam gathering in Bodhgaya, India.
In 2017, Dungse Pema Rinpoche invited and organized the visit of the 17th Karmapa to Canada. In 2018, he also hosted Khenpo Chuchen Lodrö, Deputy Director of Serta Larung Five Sciences Buddhist Academy, for a teaching visit to Thrangu Monastery in Vancouver.
Dungse Rinpoche’s root guru, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, with boundless merit and compassion, personally bestowed all the empowerments and blessings required for the three-year retreat at Gampo Abbey, located on the remote tip of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada—enabling countless practitioners to successfully complete their retreats.
In 2023, shortly before his passing, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, with great foresight and deep compassion, expressed his special care for the continuity of this retreat tradition by appointing Dungse Lama Pema Rinpoche to assume this sacred responsibility—continuing to bestow the necessary empowerments and blessings for the three-year retreat practitioners.
Today, Dungse Pema Rinpoche continues to work tirelessly to spread the Dharma and aspires to bring the profound benefits of Buddhism to more people in Canada and around the world.
Appointment letters and honorary certificates, etc.
