Guru Vajradhara His Holiness Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, popularly known as His Holiness Kenting Tai Situ Rinpoche is proclaimed in number of sacred texts as the incarnation of Bodhisattva Maitreya in Tushita Heaven who was crowned as the future Buddha by Buddha Sakyamuni when he descended to the Earth in 623 BC, as well as subsequent incarnations as Guru Padmasambhava.

As the Supreme Head of Palpung Monastic Seat, His Holiness Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa oversees 180 monasteries of Kagyu lineage, 300 Bon and Buddhist monasteries, over 1000 affiliated branch temples (including Palpung Ireland ) and eighteen monastic estates throughout Tibet.

His Holiness is a great scholar, philosopher, poet, artist, architect and geomancer. He is the author of more than 20 books in English. His compilation in Tibetan language reaches over 200 volumes and his writing reaches over 15 volumes to date.

He continues to teach and transmit the sacred lineage of Dharma to disciples from all over the world diligently and tirelessly.

Mingyur Rinpoche was born in Nepal in 1975. His father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, was himself a well-respected Buddhist teacher. From the age of nine, his father taught him meditation, passing on to him the most essential instructions of the Dzogchen and Mahamudra traditions.  

At the age of eleven, Mingyur Rinpoche began studies at Sherabling Monastery in northern India, the seat of Tai Situ Rinpoche. He was formally enthroned as the 7th incarnation of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche by Tai Situ Rinpoche when he was twelve years old.

Two years later, Mingyur Rinpoche began a traditional three-year retreat at Sherabling. At the age of nineteen, he enrolled at Dzongsar Institute, where he studied the primary topics of the Buddhist academic tradition, including Middle Way philosophy and Buddhist logic. At age twenty, Mingyur Rinpoche became the functioning abbot of Sherabling Monastery. At twenty-three, he received full monastic ordination. 

He has set up an international Tergar organisation, which offers comprehensive  study programmes for the current time. He travels extensively and has students worldwide.

The previous Gyalton Rinpoche, Orgyen Jigma Chokyi Senge Gyalton Rinpoche (1908-1970), was the spiritual head of Chungpo monastery in Eastern Tibet. He was one of the principal students of the 11th Tai Situpa, and of Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro. While in Tsurphu Monastery, the seat of the Karmapa, the 16th Karmapa  bestowed on him the title of Khenchen, meaning Great Learned One, as did Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Choling Rinpoche in recognition of his high attainments and learning. The present, seventh reincarnation, Karma Palden Lungtok Trinley Rangye, was born in Sikkim and identified as Gyalton Tulku in 1983 by the Tai Situpa and shortly after enthroned in the palace temple in Gangtok, Sikkim. Rinpoche speaks fluent English, Hindi and Nepali and is perfectly at home with Western cultural norms.

Venerable Khenpo Phurba Wangchuk was born into a family of nomads in eastern Tibet. At age ten he joined Tsa Tsa monastery which is a branch of Palpung Sherabling. At Tsa Tsa monastery Khenpo La learnt basic Buddhist studies and Tibetan language.

Khenpo La left Tibet and arrived in India in 2000. In 2001 he joined the monastic university program of Palpung Sherabling called the Shedra.  In 2004 Khenpo La became the GeGo or Discipline Master of Palpung Sherabling Shedra.

In 2008 Khenpo La was appointed to be a philosophical debate and training partner with His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa.

In 2013 Khenpo La graduated as a fully qualified Khenpo and has remained at Palpung Sherabling Shedra for the past eleven years teaching the next generation of Lamas and monks in Buddhist philosophy.

Over the years Khenpo La has received many teaching, initiations and transmissions from great lineage masters including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness Tai Situpa Rinpoche, His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa, His Holiness Sakya Trizin, the Very Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, the Very Venerable Mingyur Rinpoche and many others.

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist Master of the Kagyu Order. He was trained in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism under many great masters such as HH the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He took his formal education at Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok and Sampurnananda Sanskrit University, Varanasi, India and has served as Professor of Tibetology in Sikkim for 17 years. His doctoral thesis was on the Ecumenical Movement in Tibet.

Since 1990 he has been traveling and teaching Buddhism and meditation at more than 50 Universities, Institutes and Buddhist Centres in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and Asia. He also participates in various interfaith dialogues. He authored several books on Buddhism as well as some children’s books both in Tibetan and European languages.

He founded Bodhicharya (www.bodhicharya.org ), an international organization that coordinates the worldwide activities to preserve and transmit Buddhist teachings, to promote inter-cultural dialogues and educational & social projects. He also founded Rigul Trust which supports his projects in his birthplace, Rigul, Tibet (www.rigultrust.org ).

Rinpoche is the Official Representative of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa for Europe and the Founder of Karmapa Foundation Europe (www.karmapafoundation.eu).

Lama Rabsang was born in 1971 in a small remote village in Eastern Tibet. He took robes when he was eleven years old, inspired by his uncle’s example in meditation and realization. Lama Rabsang spent his early years studying under the direction of his uncle and later studied under the guidance of His Holiness Guru Vajradhara the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situ Rinpoche and His Eminence Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche in Sherabling in India. There he also completed a traditional three year retreat and served as the Discipline Master for four years. He moved to the UK in 2001 at the request of his Western students, and was appointed by HH Tai Situ Rinpoche as Choje Lama to Palpung Changchub Dargyeling.

Lama Rabsang’s warm, joyful presence and profound clear understanding is an inspiration and guiding light for many students and visitors to Palpung Wales, and for everyone wherever he travels. His profound understanding of the essence of the Buddha’s teachings makes it possible for him to deliver the teachings in a way that makes them easy to understand and apply in our everyday life.

Lama Rabsang’s guidance for Buddhist practitioners and anyone interested in exploring Buddha’s teachings is available by request. Please arrange an appointment through the main office.

Lama Dechen was born in Chango Kinnaur in 1962. She became a nun in at the age of 14. After training at Tilokpur nuns monastery she helped to build the 3yr retreat centre at Palpung Sherabling. She then completed 2 consecutive 3yr retreats under the guidance of Saljay Rinpoche. Afterwards she was appointed manager and assistant teacher to the retreat masters, a position she continues to hold.

Lama Dechen has been a regular visiting teacher here at Palpung Ireland since we opened in 2015 where she imparts her knowledge and wisdom especially through teaching and leading the Sadhana practices .

Ani Chodron Lhamo was born in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland in 1960.
She worked as primary school teacher in Ireland and UK for some years Later she worked as a massage therapist and counselor. In 1991 she meet her Guru Vajradhara H.H. Tai Situ Rinpoche in India. She was ordained a nun in 1996. In 1999 she went to Sherabling Monastery, India, where under the guidance of Guru Vajadhara she completed a number of solitary retreats. As well as completing retreats Ani Chodron received many teachings and empowerments from Guru Vajdhara . She returned to Ireland and established Palpung Chokorling Ireland in Banteer County Cork. Ani Chodron is also an accredited health care Chaplain.