Pewar Rinpoche

Pewar Rinpoche (wyl. dpe war rin po che) - one of the most revered lamas in Tibet today, he was a student of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, from whom he received many teachings and transmissions. He lives in Derge.

Regarded as an emanation of Virupa, one of the 84 Mahasiddhas of India, Pewar Rinpoche was a favoured companion of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, the late head of Nyingma school. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche has also received teachings from him. Pewar Rinpoche has made remarkable contributions for the revival of Buddhism in the Kham region of Tibet. Aside from being the abbot of Pewar Monastery in Tibet, he had also guided the work of the “Commission for the New Tibetan Tripitika”.

Pewar Rinpoche is active in the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist Art and texts. He is one of persons who protected and ensured the survival of the Derge Parkhang during its chaotic times under China. According to Rinpoche, in 1959 the Chinese Government launched many campaigns and forced lay people and monks in the destruction of many monasteries. However, the great Derge Gönchen Monastery with printing press was protected by order of the central government.

Pewar Monastery houses one of the finest sets of Buddhist murals in western Sichuan, and paintings are more than 270 years old and cover more than 370 square meters which survived the destruction inflicted by the Cultural Revolution.