The 9th Jetsun Choekyi Gonpo

Birth and Recognition:

His Eminence The 9th and present Druk Shabdrung Choekyi Gonpo or Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche was born in northern India, in the remote Himalayan region of Kinnaur. Both Rinpoche's parents were devoted and accomplished disciples of the previous Choegon Rinpoche. His father is a remarkable yogi who had completed more than 20 years of retreat in Dechen Choekhor Tibet under the direct guidance of the 8th Kyabgon Choegon Rinpoche. In her early life, his mother also spent years studying and practicing Dharma in Dechen Cheokhor, Tibet.

At the age of four, Rinpoche was recognized by H.H. The 16th Gyalwang Karmapa and The 8th Kyabje Khamtrul Rinpoche as the unmistakable emanation of Shabdrung Choekyi Gonpo, one of the two foremost lineage masters of the Drukpa Kargyu tradition and the supreme holder of the lineage of Dechen Choekhor. The Karmapa wrote three letters to Kyabje Khamtrul Rinpoche, who traditionally held the responsibility for the enthronement of masters of the Choegon Rinpoche lineage. The letters stated the precise location of Choegon Rinpoche's whereabouts, his house, his family's names, and the year of his birth. In the company of many yogis, Khamtrul Rinpoche visited Rinpoche's yogic parents at their home in a distant village of Kinnaur.

* Shabdrung (Tib: ཞབས་དྲུང་, means "at the feet of"), is an honorific title in Tibetan Buddhism, mainly used to address the second high-ranked lama of a lineage, who is the crucial lineage or throne-holder.

Enthronement and Formal Education:

At the age of six, Rinpoche was enthroned by the 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche at Khampagar, Tashi Jong, India. He then began his formal, comprehensive traditional monastic training and education, including reading, writing, calligraphy, rituals, sand mandala, visualization, meditation, etc.

When he was nineteen, Rinpoche began the nine-year studies in Buddhist philosophy, focused on the Sutrayana study of the Kagyu and Nyingma tradition, and was awarded a Khenpo's degree equivalent to a Ph.D. at the age of twenty-eight.

Root-Gurus and Spiritual Practices:

The First Root-Guru: The 8th Kyabje Khamtrul Rinpoche

From the age of six at enthronement until fourteen years old, Rinpoche learn under the close guidance of his first root guru, Kyabje Khamtrul Rinpoche. At the age of fourteen, Khamtrul Rinpoche sent an urgent invitation for the young Choegon Rinpoche to get to Bhutan immediately, where he completed the transmission of the most vital teachings of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage of Dechen Choekhor to Rinpoche. Khamtrul Rinpoche had previously received the same teachings from the 8th Kyabgon Choegon Rinpoche at Nangchen Garh in Tibet, along with the 8th Kyabje Adeu Rinpoche. Shortly after that, Khamtrul Rinpoche passed away in Bhutan at the young age of forty-nine in the year 1980. H.H. the late Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was still in Bhutan at that time, took on the mantle of teacher, and became Rinpoche’s second root guru until he passed on in 1991.

The Second Root-Guru: The late Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Rinpoche received many empowerments, teachings, and retreat instructions from the late Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, especially his inner practices. Under his spiritual guidance, Rinpoche has completed numerous practices in retreats, including Vajrakilaya, Green Tara, Buddha Amitayus, Vajrapani, Kurukulle, and Padmasambhava, etc. Studying with Khyentse Rinpoche, between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five, Rinpoche eventually received the complete teachings of all the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Damngak Dzod (twenty-five volumes), Chetsun Nyingthig, Jatson Choekhor (six volumes), Gyud Sangwa Nyingpo, the works of Mipham Rinpoche (twenty-five volumes), Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (twenty-five volumes) and Shechen Gyaltsab (twenty volumes), and other essential Nyingma teachings. Most importantly, he received the Dzogchen pointing-out instructions from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

The Third Root-Guru: The 8th Kyabje Adeu Rinpoche

Rinpoche most important and instrumental root guru of this lifetime was The 8th Kyabje Adeu Rinpoche, where he spent over twenty years, between the ages of twenty and forty, learning and accomplishing all the essential practices and retreats of the Drukpa Kagyu under the spiritual blessings and dear guidance of his third root-guru. In 1989, Adeu Rinpoche, the main holder of Choegon Rinpoche's spiritual lineage, spent over a year in Tashi Jong and transmitted the entire Drukpa Kagyu canon to him. Since then, Rinpoche has also received many precious Nyingma teachings, including the complete Ratna Lingpa cycle and Chokgyur Lingpa's Lamrim Yeshe Nyingpo. Adeu Rinpoche welcomed Rinpoche many times in Tibet and China, treating him as his only heart-son and never refusing to grant any precious teaching he requested.

Other Important Gurus:

In addition to these three root-gurus, according to its chronological order, Rinpoche's other important teachers have been H.H. the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, H.H. the 68th Kyabje Je Khenpo of Bhutan, H.E. Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, H.E. Trulshik Choekyi Lodro Rinpoche, and H.H. Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche.

Rinpoche's early life in Khampagar:

From the age of six to fourteen, Rinpoche underwent formal monastic training and learned under the spiritual guidance of the 8th Kyabje Khamtrul Rinpoche in Khampagar. Later, from age nineteen to twenty-eight, Rinpoche engaged in Buddhist philosophy studies while serving as the Vajra Master of Khampagar Monastery for five years, where he took responsibility for all the gand annual pujas and went deeply into the practices of Vajrayana.

At late twenties, Rinpoche was elected the spiritual director of Khampagar and its community of more than 600 Tibetans in Tashi Jong. During that time, he did much to improve the facilities at the monastery and the standard of living of the local community, helping to develop the educational and medical facilities, built a new school for the lamas and improved their education, renovated temples, ensured financial support for the great annual pujas, and helps secured a source of clean water for the community, initiated the sponsorship programs, bettered the salaries of the lay workers and inspired young people to work for the community.

Rinpoche as the Main Lineage Holder of Drukpa Kargyu

As with all His predecessors, the sublime master and Lineage Holder of Drukpa Kagyu, Rinpoche is working tirelessly and selflessly for the preservation and propagation of the authentic teachings and essence of the Drukpa Kagyu Lineage. He has contributed much of his effort to frame The Grand Drukpa Kargyu Lineage Empowerment and Transmissions by H.E. the 8th Kyabje Adeu Rinpoche to almost every Drukpa Kargyu Rinpoches, tulkus, monks and nuns in Tibet, Nepal, and India. This fulfilled the prophecy made by the previous Choegon Rinpoche in the 1940s that Adeu Rinpoche will be his successor, to hold and propagate the lineage after his parinirvana. In this way, Adeu Rinpoche ascended to the Lineage and Throne Holder of Drukpa Kargyu and became its 52nd Golden Rosary Masters.

Being the main and the most revered lineage holder of Drukpa Kagyu, Rinpoche shoulders great responsibility to preserve the purity and continuity of the lineage. Despite with the conditions of his health, Rinpoche has never hesitated to strive towards the noble aspiration of preserving the continuity of the spiritual essence of this pure unbroken enlightened lineage of Drukpa Kagyu for the benefit of all beings.

Rinpoche and the Jana Vajra Foundation

Rinpoche currently residing in the United States, and in line with the visions and missions of the Jana-Vajra Foundation, Rinpoche has been traveling extensively to propagate the lineage teachings and practices, as well as training the sanghas of Dechen Choekhor Monastery and its branch monasteries.

Rinpoche's profound realization and ability to communicate the Buddha's wisdom to others with great precision and clarity, together with his warmth and humor make him a much adored and revered teacher. He has been teaching in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America for over two decades, and is renowned for his sharpness and proficiency to present the teachings in a way that is perfectly attuned to the minds of students of all levels and backgrounds. Rinpoche is very much loved by all. Through his selfless dedication, his transcendent wisdom, and skills, Rinpoche has inspired and guided many to embark on the spiritual journey to ultimate happiness laid before us by Lord Buddha.

View or download Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche's Long Life Supplication

Read more about the Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche Lineage

Read more about the Prophecy of The 8th Kyabgon Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche

Note to Reader:

1) Brief explanation of the names used to address Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche:

Druk Shabdrung Choekyi Gonpo, Jetsun Choekyi Gonpo, Choekyi Gonpo, Dorje Jinpa Choegon Rinpoche, Kyabje Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche, etc., are commonly used to address the Choegon Rinpoche Lineage’s masters.

a) Shabdrung (Tib: ཞབས་དྲུང་ means "at the feet of"), is an honorific title in Tibetan Buddhism, mostly used to address the second high-ranked lama of a lineage, who is the important lineage or throne-holder.

b) Jetsun (Tib: རྗེ་བཙུན་) is an honorific Tibetan term traditional use to address great saints and lamas. It carry the denotation of The Exalted One, The Foremost Venerable, Lord, Most Reverend, etc.

c) Dorje Dzinpa or Dorje Jinpa (Tib: རྡོ་རྗེ་འཛིན་པ་) is a respectful title for an accomplished master. Vajra-holder, Vajradhara or Holder of Indestructible Reality is what it denotes.

2. Kagyu vs. Kargyu:

Some readers might be confused by the term "Kagyu" vs "Kargyu" use in this website. Below are the short explanations on the actual denotation of these 2 terms. However, nowadays Drukpa 'Kargyu' and Drukpa 'Kagyu' are used interchangeably in the English media.

Kagyu - can be translated as "The Lineage of the Oral Instructions." The first syllable "Ka" refers to the scriptures of the Buddha and the oral instructions of the guru. "Ka" has the sense both of the enlightened meaning conveyed through the instructions of the realised master, as well as the power and the blessing such words of insight carries; and "Gyu" simply means lineage or tradition.

Kargyu - The Kar (white) Gyu (lineage) of Marpa, Milarepa, and their followers; many of which dressed in white robes. Kewang Sangye Dorje, one of the foremost disciples of Pema Karpo, suggested this name for our Drukpa Kargyu Lineage.