Yeshe Nyingpo Denver:
a Nyingma Center for Practice and Study

Yeshe Nyingpo Denver is a Dudjom Tersar center and sangha associated with His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche and His Holiness Dungse Shenphen Dawa Norbu Rinpoche, son and lineage heir of Dudjom Rinpoche, which had its beginning in 1976. Yeshe means wisdom and Nyingpo means heart essence, or innate nature.

Recognizing that the dharma would be moving to the West, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche sent his son, Shenphen Dawa to Catholic and Protestant schools in India, so that he would become fluent in English and exposed to the Western cultural mind-set. As a result, Shenphen Rinpoche consistently taught the dharma in English rather than Tibetan, often highlighting the ways our cultural conditioning might misunderstand traditional translations of some Tibetan Buddhist concepts or terms.

Until His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche’s passing in 1987, Shenphen Rinpoche was his constant attendant, physician, assistant with major ceremonies and empowerments, and translator of teachings and interviews into English. Thereafter, he became the Spiritual Director and Chairperson of the main centers in the USA, Yeshe Nyingpo and Orgyen Chö Dzong, and the two centers in France.

In the 1990s, when Shenphen Rinpoche became the spiritual director of our Yeshe Nyingpo Denver sangha, he moved with his family to Denver and resided in our center for almost three years. During this time, and thereafter when he moved to Orgyen Chö Dzong in New York, Shenphen Rinpoche gave profound and in-depth teachings on Buddhism and the Dudjom Tersar Lineage practices.

In 2012, he appointed Gretchen Groth, one of his senior students for many years, as Lama Pema Chokyi. She currently leads the activities of Yeshe Nyingpo Denver. Recently returned from the traditional 3-year retreat, she will be providing classes for beginning students as well as seasoned practitioners. Some of these classes will highlight and present recordings of teachings given by Shenphen Dawa Norbu Rinpoche.

More on the Lineage Holders can be found here, and more on HH Shenphen Dawa Rinpoche can be found here.