Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Timeline

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Timeline

Water Dragon 1892

• Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo passes into parinirvana.

Iron Dog 1910 (birth, aged 1)

• third day of the third Tibetan month: birth in Denkok Valley, Dergé region of Kham, while a tsok offering was being held on the occasion of Mipham Rinpoche's successful explanation of the detailed Kalachakra Vajra Tantra commentary.

Earth Sheep 1919 (aged 10)

• summer of 1919: meets Adzom Drukpa.

Monkey 1920 (aged 11)

• travels to Jeykundo and receives a commentary on Introduction to the Middle Way from Khenpo Shenga.

Fire Tiger 1926 (aged 17)

• receives from Lama Jamyang Trakpa: the oral transmission of the Seven Treasuries, Trilogy of Natural Ease, Dispelling Darkness in the Ten Directions and Tantric Overview, along with the table of contents written by Shedrup Pandita.
• fifth month: passing away of his root master Shechen Gyaltsab Gyurme Pema Namgyal.

Fire Rabbit 1927 (aged 18)

• receives from Lama Jamyang Trakpa: the empowerment and reading transmission of Tsa Sum Dril Drup, and a blessing of the Five-Deity Kurukulle contained in the Compendium of Sadhanas.
• enters retreat in Denkok.

Fire Horse 1930 (aged 21)

• receives teachings from Kunga Palden Rinpoche.

Water Monkey 1932 (aged 23)

• 10th day of the seventh month: Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö recognizes the fourth incarnation of Gyaltsap Choktrül.
• 10th month: Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's father, Tashi Tsering, passes away.

Water Bird 1933 (aged 24)

• 10th month: establishes an annual Vajrasattva drupchen for the anniversary of his father's death.

Wood Dog 1934 (aged 25)

• falls seriously ill, and takes a consort, Khandro Lhamo (1913-2003).

Wood Pig 1935 (aged 26)

• third month: writes a guru sadhana of Saraha while staying below Marong Drungtrul, on his way to see Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö in Dzongsar.

1936 (aged 27)

• stays for about two months in Dzongsar, receiving the reading transmission of the Nyingma Gyübum and of the Treasury of Precious Termas from Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö.

Earth Tiger 1938 (aged 29)

• goes to Benchen Monastery

Water Sheep 1943 (aged 34)

• birth of his second daughter who receives the name Dechen Wangmo from Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö.

Wood Monkey 1944 (aged 35)

• second month: goes to Palpung.

Wood Bird 1945 (aged 36)

• receives the empowerments and transmissions of the Treasury of Precious Termas from Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö in Dzongsar.

Fire Dog 1946 (aged 37)

• early summer: receives the reading transmission of the Collected Works of Taranatha.
• late autumn: goes to Surmang Monastery

Wood Sheep 1955 (age 46)

• leaves for Lhasa.
• visits Tsurphu
• death of his sister
• death of his brother Shedrup
• visits Mindroling

Fire Monkey 1956

• returns to Lhasa

Earth Dog 1958

• returns to Lhasa
• flees to Bhutan

Earth Pig 1959 (aged 50)

• 6th day of the 5th month, the 12th June 1959: Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö passes into parinirvana, in Sikkim.

1976 (aged 67)

First visit to the West

• February: visits the UK. Teaches and gives empowerments in London on February 22nd. Blesses Sogyal Rinpoche's London centre in its future location.
• March: Dilgo Khyentse is invited for 2 weeks to a house in Brooklyn by Chögyam Trungpa's Dharmadhatu group. Dezhung Rinpoche stays in the same house for 7 days. Khyentse Rinpoche gives Chetsun Nyingtik to Chögyam Trungpa and about 50 of his students. Dezhung Rinpoche receives a long-life empowerment from the Chokling Thubs sgrub cycle and an initiation for Manjushri. Dezhung Rinpoche offers Dilgo Khyentse a long life empowerment in the tradition of the Sakyapas and the Sakya Pandita-Manjushri guru yoga sadhana by Gatön Ngawang Lekpa. Dilgo Khyentse reminds Dezhung Rinpoche of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö's request 20 years before that Dezhung Rinpoche write a supplement to the biography of Gatön Ngawang Lekpa and formally requests him to write it, too. Dilgo Khyentse said:" if you do not set it down in writing, the secret biography of Gatön will be lost. Please write it down!" (As described in David Jackson, Saint in Seattle: The Life of the Tibetan Mystic Dezhung Rinpoche, Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2003)
• visits H.H. Sakya Dagchen Rinpoche at Sakya Monastery in Seattle

Iron Monkey 1980 (age 71)

• While at Paro Taktsang has a vision of Jikmé Lingpa who empowers him as a holder of the Longchen Nyingtik.
• April-March: visits France. Between the 20th and 29th April, Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (with Sogyal Rinpoche) gives teachings in Paris on "The Good Heart" and Tsik Sum Ne Dek, gives an empowerment of Rigdzin Düpa on the 24th, a lung of the Guru Yoga of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö on 25th April, and teaches on the Dzogchen Lineage on the 27th. He also gives the Refuge Vows at the end of March.
• The construction of Shechen Tennyi Dargyelin Monastery begins in Boudhanath, Nepal.

Water Dog 1982 (aged 73)

• May: visits England. Teaches at the Friends House in London on the 12th and at Rigpa's centre St Paul’s Crescent on the 14th and 15th.

Wood Mouse 1984 (aged 75)

• summer of 1984: teaches in France, at La Sonnerie, on Longchen Nyingtik guru yoga, and at Rigpa's summer retreat, which was held at nearby Thonac (see La Castillanderie 1984).

Wood Ox 1985 (aged 76)

• first return to Tibet; visits Lhasa, Samye, Mindroling, Sakya and Tsurphu in central Tibet, as well as Shechen Monastery, and other places in Kham.

Fire Rabbit 1987 (aged 78)

• May: visits England.
  • 20th of May: gives empowerments of Guru Rinpoche and Rigdzin Düpa at St Paul’s Crescent, in London.
• June:
  • visits Shambhala centres in North America: presides over Chögyam Trungpa's cremation ceremony and gives teachings at Karma Dzong, in Boulder, Colorado, and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
  • end of June: visits England again; teaches on two occasions at St Paul’s Crescent, in London, commenting on Tsik Sum Ne Dek, Shyitro, Vima Nyingtik, Khandro Nyingtik and Vajrakilaya. Also gives a teaching at the Friend’s Meeting House on the nature of mind.

Earth Dragon 1988 (aged 79)

• second trip to Tibet; stays three months in Dergé.

Iron Horse 1990 (aged 81)

• summer of 1990: final, historic visit to Europe and to France. After a month at his seat in Dordogne in southwest France, he taught at the invitation of Sogyal Rinpoche, at Rigpa’s summer retreat, held that year in Prapoutel.
• final visit to Tibet; consecrates the newly renovated temple of Samye, visits Lhasa, Tsurphu and Reting.

Iron Sheep 1991 (aged 82)

• 19th day of the 8th Tibetan month: passes into parinirvana, in Bhutan.

Water Bird 1993

• 10th day of the fifth Tibetan month (30 June): birth of Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche aka Ugyen Tenzin Jigme Lhundrup.

Iron Tiger 2010

• third day of the third Tibetan month (17 April?): 100th anniversary of Khyentse Rinpoche’s birth