Center Lamas
H.E. Kushok TulkuH.E. Kayprok TulkuVen. Lama Ngawang Tsultrim
IN THE NYINGMAPA, the lineage of the guru is of primary significance. It is through lineage transmission, from guru to student, that the nature of mind, pure awareness is passed down. The guru transmits the lineage awareness and the student recognizes the awareness. Then the student has a taste, a direct introduction, and matures their recognition by doing the practices of the lineage. The lama ( guru) gives the student the complete empowerment of the lineage, through the wang (empowerment), the lung ( textual transmission) and ti ( verbal explanation) as well as a detailed explanation of the visualizations, all of which carry with them the mind stream of the lama's pure awareness. The student practices the visualization, the liturgy and the mantras to keep continuous direct contact with the lineage.

OUR LAMAS ARE: reincarnate lama, H.E. Kushok Tulku (82K), by name of Lama Ngawang Lozang Yeshe Gyatso Rinpoche; reincarnate lama, H.E. Kyaprok Tulku (74K), by name of Lama Ngawang Tenzin Chotar Zangpo Rinpoche; and Ven. Lama Ngawang Tsultrim Rinpoche (90K).

H. E. KYAPROK TULKU RINPOCHE and his son, Ven. Lama Ngawang Tsultrim Rinpoche, are abbots of Tholaka Tharling Monastery, Tharlinggar Dzogchen Community, (ToluGomba) in the Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) region of Nepal.


Tholaka Tharling Monastery
Our lamas are from the Sherpa people of the Mt Everest region of Nepal.



Lama Ngawang Tsultrim
OUR RESIDENT LAMA at Dhongak Tharling is Ven. Lama Ngawang Tsultrim, Rinpoche, a Dzogchen master of the Rigdzin Dakgyud lineage of Nyingmapa Dzogpachenpo,the combined lineages of Rigdzin Jyaltson Nyingpo, Rigdzin Godem and Rigdzin Terdak Lingpa.

THE RIGDZIN DAKGYUD lineage transmission is directly from Guru Padmasambhava, the miraculous lotus born master, Buddha of the Three Times, Guru Rinpoche, who taught the tantric Secret Mantra Vajrayana in Tibet, Nepal, and Sikkim and Bhutan. Many of these teachings were left as terma teachings later brought out by Terton lamas [treasure discoverers] according to the prophecies of Guru Padmasambhava and Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal.

VEN. LAMA TSULTRIM RINPOCHE says "My great-grandfather back seven generations was a great Dzogchenpa, Ven. Lama Nyima, Rinpoche. Since then my great -grandfathers in each generation have built monasteries, stupas and mani walls. My father, H.E. Kyaprok Tulku Rinpoche, Ven Lama Kuky, a reincarnate lama, is also one of my teachers." Lama Tsultrim's main teachers, in addition to his father, are H.H. Kushok Mangden Rinpoche, and Venerable Lama Choktrul Rinpoche. Ven. Lama Tsultrim has taught Western students and built stupas since 1981, when he first went to Italy at the invitation of H.E.Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche. Lama Tsultrim constructed of the stupa at Merigar Dzogchen Community in Italy.

H. E. KYAPROK TULKU RINPOCHE'S main teacher is H.H. Dzatrul Ngawang Tendzin Norbu Rinpoche, known as Rongphu Sangyay Rinpoche ( The Buddha of Romphu). H. E Kyprok Tulku Rinpoche has met his teacher in three reincarnations within this lifetime. H. E. Kyaprok Tulku was sent to Tibet, along with H.H.Trulshik Rinpoche, when they were three year old boys, to train under H.H.Dzatrul Rinpoche at Rongphu Dzogchen Monastery. Rinpoche also attended Shedra in Tibet where he had many Nyingmapa, Kagyud and Sakya lamas.

H. E. KUSHOK TULKU RINPOCHE is five times a reincarnate lama. His main teachers are H.H. Kushok Mangden Rinpoche, H.H. Lama Thondrup Rinpoche (the previous life of the current H.E. Thami Tulku Rinpoche), and H.H. Dzatrul Ngawang Tendzin Norbu Rinpoche. H.E. Kushok Tulku's previous incarnations include H.H. Thame Kushok Tulku Rinpoche, by name of Ngawang Yonten Norbu, founder lama of Chiwang Monastery in Solu Khumbu, Nepal; H.H. Trinchen Ratna Tsewang Rinpoche, founder of Jyaltse Monastery in Jyaltsa Solu, Nepal; H.H. Rigdzin Drolmar Mingyur Dorje of Langtang, founder of Lantang Monastery in Rasua, Nepal ; and H.H. Rigdzin Chhokyi Wangchhuk of Trakar (Barga) in Manang, Nepal, and of Kirung in Tibet.