The Third Bardor Tulku Rinpoche
The Third Bardor Tulku Rinpoche was born in 1950 in Kham, East Tibet. At a very early age, he was recognized as the Tulku (incarnate lama) by His Holiness the XVIth Gyalwa Karmapa and while still very young, his family left East Tibet on a journey to Lhasa, then Tsurphu, and eventually to Drikung where his family stayed several years. In 1959, as the political conditions worsened in Tibet, with the Chinese Occupation, his family left for India, along with many other fleeing Tibetans. Ultimately, (after the death of his entire family), he ended up at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim under the guidance of HH XVI Karmapa.
Bardor Tulku Rinpoche accompanied HH XVI Karmapa on his world tours of 1974 and 1976, and in 1977 HH XVI Karmapa asked him to stay in Woodstock, New York, at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD), with Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, Tenzin Chonyi, Lama Ganga and Yeshe Namdag. Bardor Rinpoche worked on the renovation of the original Mead Mountain house at KTD and later directed the construction of the new KTD monastery; and in 1985 – 1987 he supervised the construction of KTD’s sculptures and ornaments in Nepal which included the Gengura spire for the top of the monastery, the Deer and Dharmachakra, the large Shakyamuni Buddha rupa for the main shrine room and the Sixteen Arhats for the library shrine.
The first Bardor Rinpoche, Jikme Chokyi Senge, was born in the nineteenth century as the ninth incarnation of Nyupchen Sangye Yeshe, one of the twenty-five great disciples of Guru Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche). He was a finder of hidden treasures (a terton), which were hidden by Guru Padmasambhava so that they might be discovered in later times to benefit future generations. The hidden treasure (terma) that he discovered was a teaching known as “Barway Dorje”, or “Blazing Vajra”. Thus Bardor Tulku Rinpoche is also known as the Venerable Barway Dorje Chaktrul Rinpoche. The First Bardor Rinpoche was the founder of Raktrul Monastery in Kham, East Tibet.
The Venerable Third Bardor Tulku Rinpoche remains a resident lama at KTD today and is also the founder of the Raktrul Foundation in Red Hook, New York, whose mission is to support the practice and teachings of the Buddhist Karma Kagyu lineage worldwide and particularly to support the growth and development and reconstruction of the Raktrul Monastery in Tibet. Bardor Rinpoche regularly teaches at KTD and across the country and at affiliated centers, including Karma Thegsum Choling Minneapolis. Bardor Tulku Rinpoche lives just down the road from KTD with his wife, Sonam Chotso, who is an accomplished practitioner, and his three daughters. He is the author of a new book, Rest for the Fortunate, The Extraordinary Practice of Nyungne: Its History, Meaning and Benefits, published in 2004 by Rinchen Publications.
- Other books and publications by Bardor Tulku Rinpoche include:
- Living In Compassion, Rinchen Publications (out of print but scheduled to be re-released October 2004)
- Kagyu Lineage and the Activity of the Karmapas, booklet, Rinchen Publications
- Practice of Green Tara, teaching transcript
- A Teaching on the Tashi Prayer, booklet, Rinchen Publications
All of which are available at Namse Bangdzo bookstore.