- Chöku Kuntuzangpo (Dharmakaya Samantabhadra)
- Longku Tugche Chenpo Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara)
- Lopön Garab Dorje
- Dschampal Chenjen
- Lopön Sri Singha
- Yeshe Dho
- Pema Dschungnä (Padmasambhava)
- Gelong Namkhai Nyingpo
- Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal
- Nanam Dorje Düdschom
- Lhase Mutri Tsenpo
- Tertön Zangpo Drakpa
- Tulku Rigdzin Chenpo
- Kunpang Dönyöd Gyaltsen
- Gyüdzin Sönam Chogzang
- Trubtop Tangtong Gyalpo
- Dschangsem Kunga Njima
- Trulshig Tayake’uri
- Tsenchen Trayanbendza
- Chödsche Bhodhi Singha
- Tulku Tashi Gyatso
- Drubwang Tönpa Senge
- Tulku Dschönyi Gyatso
- Tertön Mingyur Dorje
- Khedrub Karma Chagme
- Rigdzin Kunsang Sherap
- Pema Lhundrup Gyatso
- Drubwang Pema Norbu
- Karma Chöpel Zangpo
- Drenchog Karma Lhawang
- Gyürme Nyädön Tenzin
- Pema Dhongag Tenzin
- Dongag Chökyi Nyima
- Rigdzin Paldchen Düpa (Second Pema Norbu)
- Thubten Chökyi Dawa
- Tubten Schedrup Chökyi Drajang (Third Pema Norbu)
- Urgyen Chöying Yeshe (Dolpo Tulku Rinpoche)
(1645 – 1667)
(1932 – 2009)
(Born in 1982)
Biography of Nam Chö Tertön Mingyur Dorje
Tertön Mingyur Dorje (1645 – 1667) was one of the most important treasure revealers and revealer of sacred sites in Tibetan Buddhism. He is considered to be the reincarnation of several important lamas, but in particular that of Shubu Pelgyi Senge, one of Guru Rinpoche’s 25 close disciples. At the age of eleven he placed himself in the care of the great Karma Kagyu teacher Karma Chagmed Rinpoche, who had already received prophecies and premonitions regarding the boy and his extraordinary talents.
At this point, however, the child was plagued by visions of deities and trance states, which often resembled epileptic seizures and often ended in fainting. In addition, he suffered from a variety of illnesses including severe rashes and paralysis. Karma Chagme Rinpoche took care of him as if he were his own son, teaching him reading and writing as well as rituals, texts and meditation, conferring empowerments and oral transmissions of texts on him. He tended to him during his seizures and illnesses, knowing that these often occur in the case of treasure revealers.
At the age of thirteen, the Tertön began unveiling the Nam Chö treasure, which was his most important work. Nam Chö means Sky-Dharma and indicates that he received the texts in his mind through visions and dreams of deities.
Karma Chagme Rinpoche assisted him as secretary who wrote down every word and together they practiced the meditations until they were realized. In the years that followed, Mingyur Dorje unveiled other treasures and traveled throughout Tibet while teaching and giving empowerments. He opened important holy places and was known for his miracles such as influencing the weather, defeating demons etc.
When he was nineteen, the ways of the Tertön and Karma Chagme parted. Four years later, at the age of only 23, he suffered a serious illness from which he died. It has been speculated that he was poisoned, but this remains unproven. At the moment there are various successors of his, the most famous being his mind emanation Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.
Biography of Drubwang Pema Norbu, Thubten Shedrup Chökyi Drajang
(Third Drubwang Pema Norbu)
His Holiness the Third Penor (abbreviation of Pema Norbu) Rinpoche (1932-2009) comes from Powo in the Eastern Tibetan province of Kham. He is considered a reincarnation of Vimalamitra, an Indian monk who introduced Buddhism to Tibet together with Guru Rinpoche. He entered Palyul Monastery at the age of four and received vows of refuge from Khenchen Ngagi Wangpo Rinpoche. He was later appointed the 11th throne holder of the Palyul Lineage, one of the sub-lineages of the Tibetan Nyingma School, and thus the head of the main monastery and more than four hundred subsidiary monasteries.
In Tibet he received his monastic training under the guidance of his teachers Thubten Chökyi Dawa (1894-1959) [the second Chögtrul Rinpoche], and Karma Thekchok Nyingpo (1908-1958) [the fourth Karma Khuchen Rinpoche and 10th throne holder of the Palyul lineage] . He was an excellent student and known for his miraculous nature. For example, at the age of 15, he left a footprint on a rock near the monastery.
In 1959, Penor Rinpoche left Tibet with 300 other refugees because of the growing threat from the Chinese. Only 30 of them reached India. The others died from exertion. In 1961 he settled in Bylakuppe, South India, with only a few hundred rupees in his pocket, and in 1963 he built the first bamboo temple for a handful of monks. Nowadays, the Namdroling Monastery, which has grown from it, consists of several temples with almost 4000 monks. 700 nuns live in the neighboring nunnery. The associated monastic universities are considered to be the best of the Nyingma School outside of Tibet and the graduates teach in monasteries, institutes and universities worldwide.
In 1985 Penor Rinpoche first traveled to the USA and in 1998 a retreat center was established in McDonough, New York, where the Namchö Cycle, the main practice of the Palyul lineage, is practiced for one month every summer until today.
The fourth Penor Rinpoche was born in Tibet at the end of December 2011 and lives in the main monastery there. He is looked after by the fifth Karma Khuchen Rinpoche, the 12th throne holder of the Palyul lineage, and is being prepared for his future duties.