Lama Rinchen Dorje
LAMA RINCHEN DORJE
Rinchen Dorje has been following the Buddhist path since age twelve, when he decided to do his first retreat. He took Refuge in 1986 and then received numerous teachings and initiations from over twenty masters from all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He has followed a gradual path, starting from the Sutras, through to Mahamudra, Vajrayana, and Dzogchen.
In 2004, he received the ngakpa vows, and has been focusing on tantric practices and the Dudjom Tersar lineage ever since, first under the close guidance of Lopon Ogyan Tanzin Rinpoche and now as a heart disciple of his root lama Rigdzin Namkha Gyatso Rinpoche.
Rinchen Dorje combines a thorough knowledge of the Buddhist path with a deep experience of the practice, having attended a 5-year Masters program in Buddhist Studies and spent more than two years in silent retreat.
He is the president of the french branch of the association, Rigdzin Drolo Ling, and the resident teacher there.
LAMA RANGJUNG TSOMO
Lama Ranging Tsomo was born in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands in 1980. In 2003, she sets off to India and Thailand to discover and practice Buddhism. Two years later, she her root lama Rigdzin Namkha Gyatso Rinpoche, in the Netherlands. She then played an important role in establishing the dutch dharma centre, Rigdzin Dzogchen Ling, in Amsterdam.
Between 2008 and 2009, she makes various trips to India and Nepal to study the Tibetan language. In 2009, she moves to and settles in Switzerland, where Namkha Rinpoche also lives. For years, she has been working for the swiss dharma centre, notably as a long-standing member of its Committee, thus helping to organise numerous events with eminent masters.
Tsomo has received the essential points of the Vajrayana path in accordance with the Dudjom Tersar and Longchen Nyingthig tradition, including the highest Dzogchen teachings on the nature of mind. She has also learned to prepare, recite and accomplish the rituals and teaches the chopon activities throughout the Rigdzin Community.
In 2018, Namkha Rinpoche appointed her as one of his representatives entrusted with helping to spread the teachings. Every year she spends more than six months traveling around Europe and Asia with Namkha Rinpoche.
Lama Rangjung Tsomo
Lama Djinpa Dorje
LAMA DJINPA DORJE
Rigdzin Nyidzin Rangdröl, also known as Djinpa Dorje, took the Refuge vows in 1978 with the Venerable Lama Tenpa Gyatso in Kagyu Ling (France), where he then lived for ten years.
During that time, he was ordained as a monk by his root Lama Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, and completed the traditional 3-year retreat. He went on to study in Nepal and India, under the kind guidance of the Venerable Khenpo Tsultrim Gyatso Rinpoche.
For the past 13 years, Djinpa has been following his heart root Lama, Kyabje Rigdzin Namkha Gyatso Rinpoche, from whom he received the nagpa vows.
Djinpa is now based in Switzerland, and a resident teacher at the Rigdzin Thegchok Ling centre, in Lausanne.
LAMA SONAM DORJE
Lama Sonam Dorje first became interested in Tibetan Buddhism in his early 20’s . He set off to India in 2000, with the firm intention to look for a teacher. He met Namkha Rinpoche there, and immediately became his student.
Sonam Dorje then spent the following two years in Nepal, by Rinpoche’s side. During this time, he received instructions and initiations, and completed his ngöndro according to the Dudjom Tersar tradition. In 2002, he accompanied Rinpoche to Switzerland, where Rinpoche has been based ever since.
During his time as Rinpoche’s student, Sonam Dorje has received instructions and initiations ranging from the preliminary practices (ngöndro) through to Dzogchen teachings, according to the Dudjom Tersar and Longchen Nyingthig traditions.
Between 2015-2019, Sonam Dorje followed a five-year program that involved completing a yearly 100-day solitary retreat in Rigdzin Namkha Dzong, a remote retreat centre of the the community, located in the south of Spain. Each year of the program focused on one of the following gradual stages of the path: ngöndro (preliminary practices), kyerim (generation stage), dzogrim (completion stage), trekchö (cutting through solidity) and tögal (direct crossing).
Sonam Dorje had been teaching in Sweden since 2005, and in 2018 was formally appointed as Lama representative and teacher of the community.
Lama Sonam Dorje
Lama Gelek Dorje
LAMA GELEK DORJE
The lama who opened the door of Dharma for Lama Gelek Dorje was Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, during the Great Kalachakra empowerment that he bestowed in October 1987 in Dag Shang Kagyu.
He then received the Refuge vows from Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche, who later instructed him to run the first dharma centre in the city, Kagyu Phuntsok Chöling, under the direction of Lama Sönam Tsering.
For the next years, Gelek Dorje followed and studied with Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, the lamas of Dag Shang Kagyu, and the Geshes of the Nagarjuna centres, especially Lama Drubgyu Tenpa and Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim. He also received teachings and transmission of the Sakya lineage in Sakya Drogön Ling.
In September 2010, Gelek meets his root lama, Rigdzin Namkha Gyatso Rinpoche, at the opening ceremony of the retreat centre Rigdzin Namkha Dzong in his own city of Almería. A year later he receives the ngakpa vows, and in 2012 Rinpoche appoints him as president of the centre. This same year, he also begins with Namkha Rinpoche a 10-year cycle of Yeshe Lama retreats.
He also receives the Minling Dorsem cycle of teachings with Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche.
In 2022, Namkha Rinpoche appoints Gelek Dorje as one of his representatives (lama latsab), entrusted with giving teachings in the various centres of the community.
LAMA MABCHÖ DORJE
Mabchö Dorje began approaching the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism in 2004 by regularly attending the italian Gelug Center Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia. For about ten years, he had the opportunity to listen to numerous teachings, both there and in other centers of the same organization such as the Ewam Center in Florence. He also attended the advanced course of study in Buddhist philosophy, called the Masters Program, organized by the Institute itself.
In 2006, after a couple of years of attending the Institute, Mabchö decided to formally take refuge. That same year with along with two friends, he decides to go on a pilgrimage between India and Nepal to visit the main holy places of Buddhism.
In 2014, interested in other traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, he begins attending the Merigar Center near Arcidosso (GR), founded by the master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. He continued to follow his teachings and learn the practices practices by attending retreats led by the Master himself or by his senior instructors.
In 2017, he attends the first teaching given in Italy by Namkha Gyatso Rinpoche, during which Rinpoche established the first nyingmapa centre in Italy: Rigdzin Dudjom Drodül Ling.
From then, Mabchö Dorje attended every event in Italy with Rinpoche, until receiving the refuge vows from him in 2018. He is then given the position of secretary of Dudjom Drodül Ling.
In October 202, during a retreat at the Namkha Dzong Center in Spain, Namkha Rinpoche’s appoints him as his representative in Italy, thus encouraging him to begin giving teachings both at Dudjom Drodul Ling, and at Pema Ösel Do Ngak Ling, the newly established Rigdzin centre in southern Italy.
Lama Mabchö Dorje