Yeshe Nyingpo Denver

Rooted in the Nyingma Dudjom Tersar Lineage

What Makes Dudjom Tersar Lineage Different?

As a part of our community, you will have the opportunity to explore the profound wisdom of the Dudjom Tersar lineage. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, we welcome you with open arms.

One might ask, what makes Dudjom Tersar different from, for example, the Longchen Nyingtik, which is also a well-established Nyingma tradition and lineage. Various Lamas and tertons of this Dudjom lineage often highlight three main points.

  1. Short versions – appropriate for students in the Western world. In the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro, there is a “short Ngondro” – the abbreviated form of the Long (Sater) Ngondro, which is particularly suited for the West. This brief, easy to recite, and essentialized version of the longer Ngondro is especially beneficial for those who have minimal time for practice. Other main deity practices also include shorter, essentialized versions in addition to the traditional longer versions.

  2. Complete Deity cycle. His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche revealed complete cycles of various deities such as Heart Essence of the Dakini, Vajrakilaya, Troma Nagmo, Heart Drop of the Lakeborn Vajra. These extensive volumes for each deity cycle include all the essential practices – outer, inner, secret, and most secret – to enable the practitioner to reach full Buddhahood within that cycle alone, and, again, including both extremely concise and elaborate versions.

  3.  Fresh, pure Blessings. Because these recently revealed “New Treasures” by Dudjom Lingpa and His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche are so recent and fresh, they contain extremely pure blessings to help practitioners accomplish the practices.

Dudjom Tersar within the Nyingma tradition carries the wisdom teachings of the Buddha right into the 21st Century.  This lineage begins with Traktung Dudjom Lingpa who is an emanation of one of Padmasambhava’s (Guru Rinpoche’s) twenty-five disciples in the 8th century. His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche is the reincarnation of Dudjom Lingpa.  Shenphen Dawa Rinpoche is the eldest son of Dudjom Rinpoche’s second wife, and Tulku Namgay Dawa Rinpoche is Shenphen Rinpoche’s eldest son.  Each is highlighted below.

Dudjom Lineage

  • Traktung Dudjom Lingpa

    (1835-1904)

    Traktung Dudjom Lingpa was a great Nyingma master and tertön who was considered to be the emanation of Khyechung Lotsawa, one of the twenty-five disciples of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). In terms of the secret meaning, his body was Drokben Khyechung Lotsawa, his speech was a manifestation of Yeshe Tsogyal, and his mind was a manifestation of Guru Rinpoche himself.

    Dudjom Lingpa was born with great wisdom and spiritual powers. The continual teachings he received were predominantly from Buddhas and enlightened beings in “pure visions”, rather than from human teachers. These beings guided, protected, and nourished him spiritually and physically.

    This great terton revealed over twenty volumes of concealed teachings and many sacred objects hidden by Guru Rinpoche in the eighth century, which became known as “The New Treasures of Dudjom (Dudjom Tersar)”. This includes a Ngondro (with a version often called “short ngondro”), Namchak Putri (a complete path to enlightenment using Vajrakilaya), the Profound Secret Heart Essence of the Dakinis (also a complete path), and the Troma Nagmo Chöd (Black Dakini), now widely practiced in the East and West, plus many other practices.

    Dudjom Lingpa was encouraged to reveal the sacred hidden land of Pemakö, one of four ‘hidden lands’ of Padmasambhava, but as he was unable to do so, he predicted that his next incarnation would be born there instead and this would reveal it. His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, the recognized reincarnation of Dudjom Lingpa, was born in Pemakö. In fact, Dudjom Rinpoche’s birth occurred while Dudjom Lingpa was still alive!

  • HH Kyabje Dudjom Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje Rinpoche

    (1904-1987)

    His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche was one of the most outstanding prolific scholars, writers, and meditation masters of recent times. He inspired awe, devotion and deep affection in those who met him. He began teaching to various monasteries and practitioners when he was only 10. He wrote commentaries and practice manuals for many of Dudjom Lingpa’s revealed teachings, organizing them to be clear and easy to follow, such as for the Vajrakilaya Namchak Putri. But he also revealed extensive teachings himself, such as a complete Heart Essence of the Dakini cycle (Khandro Thug Thig), a Guru Rinpoche cycle (Tsokye Thug Thig), a Putri Repung cycle (Vajrakilaya), and Chime Sog Thig (Long Life practice).

    His two-volume treatise on the Fundamentals and History of the Nyingma Lineage is renowned for its depth and extensive compilation of Buddhist teachings, teachers, and definition of Buddhist terms. (Wisdom Publications, 1991, 2002)

    In 1961, the Dalai Lama appointed Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche as Supreme Head of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism after the Tibetan diaspora transitioned from Tibet to India. Nyingma, the ‘oldest’ school of Tibetan Buddhism, was initiated in the 8th century by Guru Padmasambhava.

    Recognizing that Buddhism would be moving to the West, Dudjom Rinpoche established residency in France, opening centers in Paris, Dorje Nyingpo, and in the Dordogne area, Pechardie and Orgyen Samye Chöling. In the 1970s, he established residency in the USA, creating the main Dudjom Tersar center, Yeshe Nyingpo, in New York City and the retreat center, Orgyen Chö Dzong, in Greenville, New York.

  • HH Dungse Shenphen Dawa Norbu Rinpoche

    (1950-2018)

    Photo taken at Dudjom Gompa Nepal during his Long Life ceremony, 1998

    Dungse Shenphen Dawa Rinpoche took over leadership of the Dudjom Tersar lineage after the parinirvana of his father, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, in 1987. He knew His Holiness in three different lives: as Dudjom Rinpoche’s father, Jamphel Norbu; as a close disciple, Tulku Pema Yeshe; and then as his son in this life. He is the first-born son of Dudjom Rinpoche from his second marriage to Sangyum Rikzin Wangmo.

    As his father’s senior attendant and English translator for many years, he was present for many teachings, both public and private. His dharma training was extensive and pervasive. He carried all the lineage cycles of his father and Dudjom Lingpa. His personal focus was on in-depth teaching to the students who had a strong connection with him and on continuing to manifest his father’s vision for these Dudjom Tersar dharma centers. Often he was referred to as a hidden yogi.

    In response to the Spanish students’ desire for a Nyingma Dudjom Tersar presence in Spain, in the early 2000s he created a main center in Valencia and initiated cycles of Troma Nagmo and Vajrakilaya. This center and its related auxiliary centers continue the strong presence of Dudjom Tersar practices in that country.

    Shenphen Rinpoche led the Dudjom Tersar lineage from 1987 until his parinirvana in 2018.

    Click here to learn more about Shenphen Rinpoche.

  • Tulku Namgay Dawa Rinpoche

    (1974 - )

    Tulku Namgay Rinpoche, Shenphen Rinpoche’s first-born son from his first marriage to Her Royal Highness Ashi Pema Choden Wangchuk of Bhutan, became the spiritual head of the Dudjom Tersar centers in North America upon Shenphen Rinpoche’s passing in 2018. Committed to completing the projects of his father, Tulku Namgay has updated and remodeled the Dudjom Tersar retreat center, Orgyen Chö Dzong in Greenville, NY and the city center, Yeshe Nyingpo in New York City.

    He also began traveling within the USA and Asia to provide empowerments, lead Dudjom Tersar practices such as the Troma Nagmo Tsok, and speak eloquently on the importance of loving kindness and harmony with one’s fellow sangha members as well as toward all sentient beings.

    Because many of the members of Yeshe Nyingpo Denver have been his father’s long-time students, we have a close and supportive relationship with Tulku Namgay Rinpoche.

    Click here to learn more about Tulku Namgay Dawa Rinpoche.

  • Lama Pema Chokyi (Gretchen Groth)

    (1942 - )

    The leader of our Center, Lama Pema Chokyi (Gretchen Groth), has been practicing Nyingma Dudjom Tersar Buddhism for over 50 years. She was one of Shenphen Rinpoche’s closest students, attending his multi-year Vajrakilaya cycle of teachings in France and virtually all of his teachings and retreats in America. In 2012, Shenphen Rinpoche appointed her as a Lama along with five other students from America, Spain and France.

    In September 2023, she completed the 3 year, 6 month retreat at Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center in California under the guidance of His Holiness Dudjom Sangye Pema Shepa Rinpoche – Dudjom Yangsi – until his parinirvana (2021) and then under Lama Sonam Tsering who leads the Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center.

    Lama Gretchen has taught Buddhist and meditation classes at our center for over twenty-five years. She also has taught courses on Buddhism at Denver University and two Buddhist courses for four years with OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute). While on the faculty of Metro State University, she developed and regularly taught a course on Comparing Buddhism and Western Psychology.