His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche is a Drikung Kagyu lama who was known in the thirteenth century as the Siddha Gar Chodingpa, a heart disciple of Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. In ancient India, he had incarnated as Mahasiddha Aryadeva, the lotus-born disciple of the great Nagarjuna. In the seventh century, he was known as Lonpo Gar, the minister of the Tibetan Dharma King Songsten Gampo.

Garchen Rinpoche was recognized and enthroned in eastern Tibet by the former Drikung Kyabgon Zhiwe Lodro. When he was seven, he was brought to Lho Miyal Monastery, which he administered from the age of eleven. Studying and practicing under the direction of the Siddha Chime Dorje, Garchen Rinpoche received vast and profound instructions on the preliminary practices (ngondro), the fivefold practice of Mahamudra and the six yogas of Naropa.

Then, at the age of 22, after completing a two and a half year retreat, he was imprisoned for 20 years during the political turmoil of China's Cultural Revolution. While in the labor camp, he received meditation instruction from his root lama, the Nyingma master Khenpo Munsel. Enduring hardship and practicing secretly, Garchen Rinpoche attained realization of the lama's wisdom mind. Since his release from prison in 1979, Garchen Rinpoche has made great effort to rebuild the Drikung Kagyu monasteries, reestablish the Buddhist teachings, and build two boarding schools for local children in eastern Tibet. Rinpoche is the founder and spiritual director of the Garchen Buddhist Institute in Chino Valley, Arizona.

Garchen Rinpoche is known for his vast realization, as well as for his great kindness.

 Traga Rinpoche is an accomplished Dzogchen master, having received profound foundational and the most advanced teachings from some of the greatest living masters of Tibetan Buddhism -- including His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche, His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche, Khenchen Jigme Phuntsog and many others -- and completed many retreats.

From Garchen Rinpoche, Traga Rinpoche received teachings on all Drikung Kagyu texts on regular Dharma service and practice, the five-fold Mahamudra, the entire Dzogchen Yangzab teachings, and many profound pith instructions. He then did his Dzogchen Yangzab retreat at Lho Miyel Gon monastery.

In early 1984, Traga Rinpoche received full gelong ordination from the Nyingma master Khenpo Munsel, who gave him the detailed teachings on Dzogchen Cutting Through the Resistance to Primordial Purity. Khenpo Munsel gently looked at Traga Rinpoche and said, your karmic propensity is to practice Dzogchen. I am your karmic lama. If you can meditate, you have today found the way to liberation in one life. You will never find something like this even if you went to look for it with your horse's hooves encased in steel. Spend one year near me and meditate. For the next seven years, he did retreat near Khenpo Munsel, and practiced Cutting Through, Passing Over, and many other advanced practices.

In 1998, Lamchen Gyalpo Rinpoche -- determined to make Traga Rinpoche's vast knowledge and profound experiential understanding of the highest level of Dzogchen teachings accessible to as many students as possible -- enthroned him as Lopon Rinpoche (Precious Master), with lavish praise for his hard work and outstanding achievements. His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche selected Traga Rinpoche as the retreat master and resident lama at the Garchen Buddhist Institute, and asked his students to have full confidence in Traga Rinpoche, just as I have full confidence in him.  

Gape Lama was born in 1965 into conditions of political turmoil and exile associated with the Chinese Cultural Revolution.� Gape Lama had the good fortune to receive instruction at the age of fourteen on the effects of virtuous and harmful actions by the great yogi Tamga, and he completed the four hundred thousand accumulations of the preliminary practices (ng�ndro) according to the Buddhist Yangzab terma.

His family having long been associated with Gar Monastery prior to the Cultural Revolution, Gape Lama made great efforts to travel to the Gar Monastery where he received refuge ordination from His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche. He then received full monastic ordination and the bodhisattva vow from the great siddha Karma Norbu, and was admitted to the Gar Monastery. There, he trained in the ritual practices of the tantras of Old and New Schools and other diverse religious activities. He was selected for special training at Lho Lungkar Monastery, including the Eight Heruka Sadhanas, the Embodiment of the Masters' Realization, Vajrakilaya, and Essence of Great Bliss. He served as chant master and, later, as disciplinarian of the Gar monastery.

Thereafter, he received teachings from many of the great living Buddhist masters including Dzogchen trekchod and thogal from Khenpo Munsel Rinpoche, the entirety of the Drikung Kagyu protectors and the higher and lower tantra sections from HE Garchen Rinpoche, and received from Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok his own terma (mind treasure) of the Kilaya cycle of teachings. At Drigung Thil, he received from Drubpon Tendzin Nyima some of the profound teachings of the Drikung Kagyu such as the Fivefold Mahamudra and the Six Yogas [of Naropa]. He studied the Gong Chig (Single Intention), Essence of Mahayana, The Bodhisattva Way of Life, and the Thirty-Seven Bodhisattva Practices with Drigung Khenpo Namzig. Under the elder Drigung chant master Konchog Samten, he trained in the ritual practices of Chakrasamvara, Varahi, the Yangzab, Sarvavid and Akshobhya.

Thereafter, HE Garchen Rinpoche asked him to undertake a series of assignments to help reorganize and reestablish Buddhist practice and monastic discipline in monasteries throughout the region � after, in some cases, a twenty-five year breach in the Buddhist practice tradition including Lho Miyel Monastery, Khargo Monastery, and later Tseri Monastery in Sichuan where he reestablished the Great Accomplishment (Drupchen) practice of Yamantaka and gave other teachings. Then, again at the request of HE Garchen Rinpoche, he served as Lama (religious teacher and minister) for two years at Tamgo Monastery in Central Tibet, the former dwelling place of Chung Dorje Dragpa, the fourth lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu. There, Gape Lama established the summer retreat, set up a yearly teaching schedule, and appointed a chant master, disciplinarian and shrine master.

Subsequently, at Gar Monastery, Gape Lama took responsibility for instructing the nuns at the Fivefold Mahamudra Meditation Center of Gargon Nunnery. In the year 2000 he went to India and received the complete Drikung Kagyu empowerments, transmissions and teachings during the Drigung Snake Year teachings. Thereafter, he went to Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. He then came to America to do a Yamantaka Retreat with HE Garchen Rinpoche, and served as the resident Lama for the Mercy and Treasure Buddhist Foundation in California. At present, he serves as a Resident Lama and Chant Master for the Garchen Institute in Arizona, as well as continuing to serve as visiting Lama (religious teacher and minister) at the Mercy and Treasure Buddhist Foundation. HE Garchen Rinpoche has also requested Gape Lama to serve as Chant Master (religious ritual master) all the Gar Buddhist Dharma centers in the West. 

Barbara Du Bois Ph.D., an educator, writer and artist, is a practitioner and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, requested and authorized to teach at the Garchen Buddhist Institute by H.H. Chetsang Rinpoche and H.E. Garchen Rinpoche.

Known for her incisive precision and broad knowledge of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism, Barbara sheds a frank Western light on the path. With clarity, warmth, freshness and humor, she helps people to integrate the rich experiences of contemporary life with the profound teachings of the Buddha Dharma, and to recognize all experiences as mirrors of the naturally indwelling enlightened nature.

Khenpo Sherab Özer Rinpoche received monastic ordination at a young age, and was recognized by H.H. Chetsang Rinpoche as a reincarnate lama in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

In 1985 he received the hair-cutting ceremony [of refuge] in the presence of Thubten Shedrub, an emanation of the Incomparable One from Dagpo [Gampopa]. Having entered the door of the Dharma at Drong Ngur Monastery, he made effort to train in the various ritual practices of his own tradition and engaged in the 400,000 accumulations of the preliminary practices under Khenpo Karma Tengye Rinpoche. In 1987 he received the vows of full monastic ordination from Drubwang Pachung Rinpoche.

Arriving in [North] India in 1992, he diligently studied the principal Buddhist scriptures with Khenpo Kïnchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche, Khenpo Togdr�l Rinpoche and Khenpo K�nm�n Rinpoche at Drigung Jangchub Ling. Thereafter in Nepal, he engaged to the best of his ability in the hearing and contemplation of the various divisions of sutra and tantra at the feet of Kyabje Thrangu Rinpoche, Khenchen Pentse, Khenpo Chïdzï, Khenpo Jadrel, Khenpo Ch�ga and Khenpo Padma Gyaltsen.

Then, having been named an Acarya at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling [in Boudhanath, Nepal], he served as a teacher at their foreigners' college, Rangjung Yeshe Chetho. Thereafter, in the year 2000, he received from many of the great lamas, t�lkus and khenpos of the Drigung Kagyu - headed by Drigung Kyabgon Rinpoche, Kyabje Garchen Rinpoche and Ch�je Togden Rinpoche - The Extensive Scriptures on Mahamudra [of the Indian Mahasiddha], The Collected Works of Lord Gampopa, The Collected Works of Lord Phagmodrupa, The Outer and Inner Collected Works and Profound Teachings of Lord Kyobpa Rinpoche [Jigten Sumgon] together with The Collected Works of Lord Chokyi Dragpa. Further, he received the various collected writings of the golden mala of successive Drigung lineage [masters] and, like a vase being filled to the brim, [he received] empowerment, transmission and explanation together with oral instructions. [Thus,] he was installed as a Khenpo of the Drigung Kagyu Scriptural College.

Khenpo Sherab currently resides in Tucson, Arizona, where he is a teacher at Dharmakirti College and is the spiritual director and lama of the Drikung Namgyal Ling Dharma center.