Thamthog Rinpoche

Thamthog Rinoche (Tib. ཁྲོམ་ཐོག་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་, Wyl. khrom thog rin po che) is the current abbot of Namgyal Monastery.

Biography

Ven. Thamthog Rinpoche was born in 1951 in Lithang, eastern Tibet. When he was six he was recognized and reconfirmed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and by the tutor of His Holiness, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, as the reincarnation of the Twelfth Thamthog, abbot and spiritual guide of three monasteries in Lithang. As a child he devoted himself to study at the monastery of Sera Jé in Tibet and, in exile, after 1959 he continued his studies at the monastic university of Sera Jé in the south of India. In 1982 he obtained the highest degree in Buddhist studies—Geshe Lharampa.

Afterwards he entered the tantric monastery of Gyümé to widen his knowledge of tantra. Rinpoche has received the entire transmission of common and secret teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from his two tutors and from other authoritative masters of Tibet.

Since 1987 he lives and teaches at the Ghe Pel Ling Institute in Milan and, at regular intervals, he teaches to his disciples scattered in Tibet, India, United States, Canada, Japan and in major European countries. Currently he is spiritual guide of Ghe Pel Ling Institute in Milan, of Kalachakra Centre in Ventimiglia and Ciang Ciub Centre in Sondrio.