Background + Activities
Dungse Shenphen Dawa Norbu Rinpoche
Double Emanation
Shenphen Rinpoche was born in Kongbu, Tibet, now China, in the Iron Tiger Year (1950) in the early morning of the Tibetan New Year. He was recognized as two different tulkus – a double emanation. One was Khenchen Tulku, the incarnation of Tulku Pema Yeshe, who was an emanation of Jamphel Norbu, the father of Dudjom Rinpoche. The other was the incarnation of Taksham Tulku, who was a famous Nyingma Terton Master. He was also known as Samten Lingpa, and he appears in the book The Hundred Tertons by Jamyang Kongtrul Lodro Thaye.
Due to the different “claims” on the two incarnations, His Holiness the 16th Karmapa was invited to give the final determination as to which incarnation should prevail. Lama Pema Yeshe took precedence, thus Shenphen Rinpoche remained with His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche for his dharma life and training. In fact, Shenphen Rinpoche knew His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche in three lives: as Dudjom Rinpoche’s father, Jamphel Norbu; as a close Dudjom Rinpoche disciple, Lama Pema Yeshe; and then as his son Shenphen Rinpoche.
Western and Buddhist Education
His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche trained the young Shenphen Rinpoche personally in the oral teachings of the Nyingma Kama, the Profound Rediscovered Teachings of Terma, and within the Dudjom Tersar, additional teachings on medicine, terma, and meditation practices. Khenpo Lachung, who had been next in line to become Chief Abbot of Mindroling, was Shenphen Rinpoche’s tutor. Foreseeing the desire for Tibetan Buddhism in the West, His Holiness sent Shenphen Rinpoche to English-speaking Protestant and Catholic schools in India. He received a degree from St. Josephs College in Darjeeling, India in 1971 and a Doctorate degree in Tibetan Philosophy and the Five Sciences.[1]
As a result, Shenphen Rinpoche consistently taught the Dharma to American and European students only in English. Even more critical, his familiarity and understanding of the Western culture and mindset allowed him to refine and clarify potential misunderstandings Westerners might have with some Buddhist dharma terms.
For example, in his transcribed teachings on View, Meditation and Action, he stated, “Fundamentally, [Western] religions believe in rewards and punishment. This makes guilt more significant. I never grew up with the feeling that someone [external] would punish me. I grew up with the view that if I do something negative, then it will produce negative results. I also grew up with the understanding that negativity comes from projections of the mind that can be purified.”
With respect to teachings on Guru Devotion in Vajrayana, he said, “Western students may find that strong devotion to the Guru elicits strong overtones of a dictatorship. This misunderstanding becomes an obstacle to your Guru Yoga practice. Devotion in Vajrayana actually means merging oneself and the guru, whereby you recognize your own mind as the Buddha.”
As a by-product of his English education, he became accomplished on the guitar, entertaining the sangha by playing and singing most of the Beatles’ and Elvis Presley’s songs as well as many Christmas Carols – all from memory.
[1] Information on the education of Shenphen Dawa Rinpoche at rigpawiki.com
HH Dudjom Rinpoche (center) and Shenphen Rinpoche (in lower right corner)
Main Dharma Focus: Our Subtle Light Body
The Subtle Light Body which we all have, but rarely recognize, due to our conditioning about physical solidity, commonly includes three aspects: tsa, lung, thigle. In the 1988 Shambhala Sun interview here, he explains this focus.
“My specialty is in the training of yoga, also known as anuyoga. These are the teachings of the Buddha, of Guru Rinpoche, and of many other tertons including Dudjom Lingpa and Dudjom Rinpoche. These relate to the three essences: essence of nerves (tsa), essence of wind (lung), and essence of the seed (thigle). From the yoga point of view, the training is to learn how to bring purification to the nerves, wind, and essence.
“We are totally affected by that: we have so many nerve obscurations resulting from sicknesses, wind obscurations manifesting as mental disturbances, thigle obscurations arising as a degeneration of our cells, bringing negative emotions up. … In the gross aspect, thigle is seed, in the subtle aspect it is the realization of the mind, which relates to clarity and luminosity.
“Although in Tibet, there were very few tsa-lung practitioners, I have been extremely fortunate to carry these teachings as presented within Vajrakilaya, Khandro Thuk Thug (Dakini), Chime Sog Thig, Pema Lingpa, and others.”
Heart Son of his father, HH Dudjom Rinpoche
Shenphen Rinpoche’s commitment and devotion to His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche and the Dudjom Tersar Lineage was always in the forefront and visibly apparent, particularly in the West, both when His Holiness was alive and after he passed in 1987. From the early 1970s until Dudjom Rinpoche’s passing, Shenphen Rinpoche served and assisted His Holiness with empowerments, translation of teachings and interviews from Tibetan to English as well as with securing and guiding his two centers in New York and two centers in France.
Rinpoche was Vice-President of the Yeshe Nyingpo Board of Directors from its inception in 1978 and had full legal and organizational authority for Yeshe Nyingpo as both its Chairperson and President after Dudjom Rinpoche’s passing. Similarly, he assumed the same positions of legal authority for the centers in France: Dorje Nyingpo in Paris, and in the Dordogne area of France, La Pechardie and ACBN which was responsible for the center at Laugeral, Orgyen Samye Chöling.
He was not only the physical son of Dudjom Rinpoche but the heart son as well. As stated in Shenphen Rinpoche’s forward to the Richö (Mountain Retreat) book:
“According to His Holiness’ will, he entrusted all of his writings and termas solely to my care. In particular, he explicitly entrusted me, as his heart son, to be holder of the Dudjom Tersar Lineage and fully authorized me to change or reveal whatever I feel to be necessary for these times.”
Shenphen Rinpoche with monks and Western students at Dudjom Gompa, Boudha, Nepal 1996
France to Denver to Orgyen Chö Dzong
Following the passing of Dudjom Rinpoche in 1987, Shenphen Rinpoche began teaching and other activities for the continuation of the Dudjom Tersar Lineage. For many years, he annually taught at least one month in France. Shorter teachings were given in England, America, and Switzerland. In the mid 1990’s, he moved to Denver with his family for almost three years, providing extensive teachings, retreats and empowerments.
London, 1994
As the two Dudjom centers in New York had minimal activity after His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche left America in 1984 to return to France, Shenphen Rinpoche moved his family from Denver, Colorado to New York in 1997 to re-energize these special legacies of His Holiness. From then on, he transitioned to at least one month of teaching each year in New York.
Shenphen Rinpoche often mentioned how extremely special and beneficial it is to be able to practice on land, not just where His Holiness walked but also where he selected the location, blessed the land, and gave teachings. It is even more precious because he lived and practiced at these two centers. As Dzogchen Pema Galsang Rinpoche says in the book Flight of the Garuda, “A sacred place is one that holy masters have set foot in and blessed.”
Shenphen Rinpoche’s focus on restoring these centers to functionality is why they are currently available for tsoks, retreats, and teachings and why they can still be known as “The Vajra Seat of Kyabje Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje in North America.”
Sang practice, Pechardie, France 1999
(photo by Claudia Walther)
Restored Temple at OCD, 2004
Dudjom Tersar Goes to Spain
In response to the strong interest of Spanish students to receive and plant the seeds of Dudjom Tersar teachings in their own country, Shenphen Rinpoche established the “Shenphen Tersar Foundation” with the main center in Valencia, related centers in Llerida, Girona, and Barcelona, and a retreat center in the countryside. He initiated Troma and Kilaya cycles of teaching for the Spanish students. Regular trips to Spain continued to strengthen this Dudjom Tersar presence.
A major beneficial outcome for all of Buddhism in Spain was initiated by members of Shenphen Tersar. With cooperation from other Buddhist groups, the center applied for, and eventually received, recognition of Buddhism as an official religion in Spain. This extremely important recognition opens many doors that otherwise would have been closed.
Gathering of students after teachings in Spain, 2001
Two Main Projects at OCD
Combining his commitment to His Holiness’s legacy with a focus on sangha development, two projects of consecration were initiated in addition to the ongoing teaching cycles. These projects at Orgyen Chö Dzong were:
1) securing and consecrating new statues for the main shrine (large statues of Guru Rinpoche, Shakyamuni, and Tara and two smaller statues of Yeshe Tsogyal, and Mandarava)
Instead of ordering the items needed for consecration from Nepal, as is most common, his students learned how to print mantras, paint them with saffron, then roll, and cover the many, many mantra sheets needed. In addition, they sought and prepared the multitude of other items such as gems, grains, religious items and household goods placed inside the statues. For both projects, Shenphen Rinpoche worked side by side from beginning to end with his students from America, England, France, Switzerland, and Spain.
2) building a stupa dedicated to world peace to benefit all sentient beings
Building the World Peace Stupa is clearly another “father-son” connection as His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche was known for building important stupas in Tibet and India. Stupas, whose shape represents the body of enlightenment, concentrate pure wisdom as light radiating out into our world. This beacon functions to pacify our reactive or negative patterns, enhance peace, and manifest the full potential of human loving kindness and compassion.
See our gallery below and click on any image to see a larger view.
Saffroning mantra sheets (photo by Ed Heckerman)
Rolling mantras
Filling the statue base with mantras and center axis
Consecrating the statues: Tulku Namgay Rinpoche, Sangyum Rikzin Wangmo, Shenphen Rinpoche
Sog Shing (center axis) for Stupa
Stupa at night, 2005
Current Stupa for World Peace at OCD
Shenphen Rinpoche’s Family
His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche had two sons who regularly taught in the West, one with his first wife, Sangyum Kusho Tseten Yudron, and one with his second wife, Sangyum Rikzin Wangmo. Each of them had two sons who also teach in the West.
We have already discussed Tulku Namgay Dawa Rinpoche in the Lineage section. Katok Situ Rinpoche, his second son with Her Royal Highness Ashi Pema Choden Wangchuk of Bhutan, was recognized by Dudjom Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche and Penor Rinpoche as the 5th incarnation of Katok Situ Rinpoche.
Shenphen Rinpoche’s second wife, Sonam Chhoskit, was selected by His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche. Their two daughters are Dechen Yangzom and Tseyang Drolkar.
Dungse Tulku Namgay Rinpoche, HH Shenphen Rinpoche, HH Katok Situ Rinpoche
Shenphen Rinpoche and Sonam Chhoskit
Shenphen Rinpoche and daughter Tseyang-la (photo by Ed Heckerman)
Shenphen Rinpoche’s Legacy
Dungse Shenphen Rinpoche’s legacy includes planting seeds of Tibetan Buddhism, and particularly Dudjom Tersar, in the early years of Buddhism coming to the West in the 1970s – initially by his ongoing devotion and attendance to His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche’s presence and, thereafter, by his own teachings, projects, and activities. Hundreds of students – predominantly from America, France, Spain, England, Switzerland and Taiwan, but also from Bhutan, Nepal and India – took teachings and guidance from Shenphen Rinpoche. He left his indelible impact on all of us.
Following His Holiness’ parinirvana in 1987, Shenphen Rinpoche initiated several in-depth multi-year cycles of Dudjom Tersar terma teachings – Vajrakilaya in France and then in America, Troma Nagmo, Khandro Thug Thig (Heartdrop Essence of the Dakini), Heartdrop of the Lakeborn Vajra (Guru Rinpoche), Chime Sog Thig (an in-depth Long Life practice), and other smaller cycles such as Tara, Medicine Buddha, and Riwo Sang Chö (smoke offering). For the major cycles, he included the complete depth of that deity’s teachings and practices – Mahayoga, Anuyoga, and Atiyoga.
Following the premonition of his father and the desire of Spanish students, Shenphen Rinpoche introduced the presence of Dudjom Tersar in Spain, with the main center in Valencia and sister centers in Barcelona, Llerida and Girona which continue the Dudjom Tersar tradition.
In 2012, he appointed six students as Lamas and six as Lopons, representing USA, Spain, and France, to continue watering the dharma seeds that he planted. Yeshe Nyingpo Denver is one of these seeds that we continue to make available.
Some of Lamas and Lopons gathered in 2017
Back: Rachel Wood, Lin Lerner, Luisa Aznar, Rinpoche
Front: Pepe Aponte, (Lama Pema), Gretchen Groth