His Eminence Kyabje Dorje Chang Luding Khenchen Jamyang Tenpei Nyima Rinpoche (Luding Khenchen Rinpoche) was one of the most highly respected and learned teachers of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Luding Khenchen Rinpoche is the Head of the Ngor Lineage, one of the two sub-sects of the Sakya tradition. He was born to the clan of Shang, Sharchen Ludingpa, which is renowned for producing great scholars and siddhas.
At the age of ten, according to the Luding lineage, Luding Khenchen Rinpoche was ordained as a monk by his uncle and root Guru, Kyabje Khenchen Sharchen Jamyang Thupten Lungtok Gyaltsen Palsangpo. Luding Khenchen Rinpoche spent his youth learning and receiving instructions on Lamdre, the Seven Mandalas of Ngor tradition, the Thirteen Golden Dharmas and innumerable other initiations and teachings.Luding Khenchen Rinpoche stayed on innumerable major and minor retreats, practicing almost all the deities of the Sakya and the Ngor traditions. At the age of seventeen, His Eminence entered into a three-and-half year continuous retreat, practicing mainly on the sadhana of Hevajra and other major deities.
At the age of 24 in 1954, Luding Khenchen Rinpoche was enthroned as the 75th abbot of Ngor Ewan Chodan Monastery.
The position of the Head Abbot of Ngor was traditionally held for a 3-year period, in which extensive teachings are given, almost non-stop, of which Lamdre and the Seven Mandalas of the Ngor were the main teachings. Normally the 3-year period as head abbot of Ngor monastery alternates between its four Ngor Houses (Ladrangs), Luding, Khangsar, Thartse and Phende.
In 1959 Luding Khenchen Rinpoche arrived in Darjeeling, India and in 1961 he propagated the Ngor Lineage in Gangtok, Sikkim. In 1978 Rinpoche established Ngor Monastery in Manduwala, Uttarakhandt, India where he has resided for the last 30 years.
Luding Khenchen Rinpoche lead and maintained the Ngor lineage from 1954 to 16 March 2000, when he handed the abbotship of Ngor Monastery to his nephew His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche (current abbot of Ngor Monastery). Luding Khen Rinpoche shares the abbotship of Ngor Monastery with His Eminence Thartse Khen Rinpoche.
Luding Khenchen Rinpoche has contributed greatly to the Buddhadharma by building monasteries, bestowing extensive Dharma teachings, empowerments, oral transmissions and re-establishing summer retreats. Rinpoche's activities extend to almost all of the Sakya Monasteries in India, Nepal and other Sakya centres around the world.
Luding Khenchen Rinpoche gave the precious Lam Dre teachings, both common and uncommon, 15 times as well has betwoing a countless number of initiations and teachings on the Thirteen Golden Dharmas of the Sakya tradition, the Seven Mandalas of the Ngor tradition, and other major and minor deities of the Sakya and Ngor traditions.
On 28 December 2022, Luding Khenchen Rinpoche entered into Mahaparinirvana. We pray for our Guru's swift rebirth, that we may be reunited with him, and that we continue to receive his profound teachings, blessings and kindness.
