The connection of Lama Jigmé and his Masters

Lama Jigmé Namgyal’s connection with his masters

When Lama Jigmé was nine years old, he met his first teacher, the great yogin Siddhi Lama Shenphen Dewe Nyima (above). He received from him the Dudjom Tersar of Dudjom Lingpa and accumulated the preliminaries (sngon-’gro) under him. He obtained the Dzogchen lineage from Lama Tokden Rinpoche (right).

As for Lama Pema Samten, he instructed Lama Jigmé to teach the doctrine. In front of a big assembly of laymen and practitioners, he bestowed on him a ceremonial scarf (khatak) and the title of a preceptor (mkhan-po). Although Lama Jigmé wasn’t particularly happy about this, as by nature he preferred to do intensive practice in mountain retreats, Lama Pema Samten told him that his destiny was to teach others. On their last meeting, he told him that they were unsure to meet again and advised him not to forget his home region. He asked him to be the head of the monastery. At the time, Lama Jigmé replied that although he didn’t have the capacity to do so then, he would try to support the monastery in the future. This was to be their final meeting.

Lama Jigmé received the aural lineage (snyan-brgyud) of Dzogchen from Khenpo Munsel (1916-1993) the outstanding disciple of Khenpo Ngakchung (1879-1941; alias Khenpo Ngawang Pal Zangpo).

He then went on to study for nine years at the university of Sertar Lharung Gar, under the guidance of his root teacher Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. After arriving in Nepal and India, he received teachings from H.H. the Dalai Lama, from Penor Rinpoche, Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche, Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, as well as from Minling Trichen Rinpoche, Sakya Trizin and the 17th Karmapa. These are some of the masters Lama Jigmé Namgyal studied with.