About Our Lineage

Our beloved teacher, Loppön Jigme Thutop Namgyal Rinpoche, is a deeply accomplished master of the Nyingma tradition. Born in 1965, Rinpoche is the son of two extraordinary practitioners. His mother, Pema Lhatso, is a devoted yogini and practitioner of Tröma Nagmo from the sacred land of Pemakö―one of the most revered hidden lands of Vajrayana. His father, Lama Sherab Dorje Rinpoche, was a senior Rebkong lineage holder and heart-disciple of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche―the Supreme Head of the Nyingma lineage. Born into a noble family of devoted and established practitioners, Rinpoche’s life from its very beginning has been solely dedicated to the preservation and transmission of the sacred Dharma and has maintained his unwavering commitment to the liberation of all beings. 

Rinpoche went on to receive the full Dudjom Tersar tradition directly from His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche and the entire Kama tradition from His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and both the Dudjom Tersar and Longchen Nyingtik cycles from his root Guru, His Holiness Kyabje Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche. 

Under the direct guidance of His Holiness Chatral Rinpoche, Loppön Rinpoche completed two successive strict three-year retreats. In 1992 he was appointed by Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche as the Dorje Loppön (Vajra Master) of Rigzin Drubpe Ghatsal Monastery in Yangleshö, Nepal. In that same year, he was entrusted as the Drubpön (Retreat Master) for all of Chatral Rinpoche’s three-year retreat centers, a role that carries the immense responsibility of guiding disciples through the most profound cycles of Vajrayana practice. 

With every action, Rinpoche continues to carry out the wishes of his precious root Guru and great lineage masters with unwavering devotion; his life and activity reflect the pure, unbroken current of these profound lineages. With great humility and boundless compassion, he continues to uphold and transmit the sacred teachings for the benefit of all beings.