Life in Tibet The Third Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche, Thubten Legshed Chokyi Drayang (), also known as Do-ngag Shedrub Tenzin Chog-lei Namgyal () was born in 1932, the year of the Water Monkey, in the twelfth month, in the Powo region of
Kham, East Tibet. He was recognized in 1936 by the Fifth Dzogchen Rinpoche (Thubten Chokyi Dorje) and Khenpo Ngawang Palzang (also known as Khenchen Ngagi Wangchuk, Ngawang Palzangpo, or Khenpo Ngagchung). Padma Norbu was formally enthroned by his root teacher, Thubten Chökyi Dawa (1894–1959) the second Chogtrul Rinpoche, and Karma Thegchog Nyingpo (1908–1958) the
Fourth Karma Kuchen. He trained at the Palyul Monastery in Tibet, studying and receiving teachings from numerous masters and scholars, including the Fourth Karma Kuchen, the 10th Palyul throneholder. In 1961, they were resettled in
South India in
Bylakuppe in a series of Tibetan camps where Penor Rinpoche initially built a bamboo temple to train a small handful of monks in 1963.
Life in India In the 1970s, Penor Rinpoche began to train Khenpos in the
Nam Cho cycle. By the 1980s
Namdroling Monastery had many hundreds of monks. In 1993, a nunnery was added, and by 2004 there were 4000 monks and 800 nuns at the monastic center.
Teachings in Western countries He made his first visit to the United States in 1985, invited by Gyaltrul Rinpoche to
Ashland, Oregon, to confer the Nam Cho cycle of teachings. In 1987 he recognized
Catharine Burroughs as the incarnation of Genyenma Ahkön Lhamo. The historical Genyenma Ahkön Lhamo was the sister of the founder of Palyul, Kunzang Sherab. •
Mindrolling Trichen Rinpoche (c. 1930–2008), was requested to become the
Fourth Head of the Nyingma Tradition, and he served from 2003 until his death. •
Chatral Sangye Dorje was requested to become the Fifth Head of the Nyingma Tradition, but he declined. •
Trulshik Rinpoche (1923-2011) served as the
Fifth Head of the Nyingma Tradition from 2010 until his death. •
Dodrupchen Rinpoche (1927-2022) was requested to become the Sixth Head of the Nyingmapas, but he declined. •
Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche (1926-2015), served as the
Sixth Head from 2012 until his death. •
Katok Getse Rinpoche (1954-2018) briefly served in the role of
Seventh Head of the Nyingma Tradition. In January 2018, he accepted the role for a 3-year rotation period, but he died the following November before the completion of the term. •
Dzogchen Rinpoche (b. 1964) was asked to assume the role in 2019 for the agreed 3-year rotation period, but he declined. •
Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche was then asked to assume the role in 2019 for the agreed 3-year rotation period, but he also declined. He issued a statement to which everyone agreed that transferred the position's responsibilities to the revolving committee of the annual Nyingma Monlam Chenmo.
Activities Monlam Chenmo Each year a prayer festival called "Monlam Chenmo" is held in Bodh Gaya, the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment. Recognizing its importance, Penor Rinpoche headed a committee of monks, tulkus and khenpos who organized the yearly prayer ceremony.
South Indian Monastery He was responsible for an ever-expanding population of Himalayan monks and nuns who come to Namdroling Monastery based on the traditional cultural style of sending a son or daughter to the monastery for an education. Many of the young monks and nuns come from extremely impoverished families located in Bhutan, Nepal or the Tibetan refugee camps in India. The monastery provides full room, board, clothing, medical care and an education in the traditional Tibetan Buddhist canon. The population of students exceeds several thousand.
South Indian local community He sponsored the pavement of the road leading from Bylakuppe to
Kushalnagar. He also built a small hospital that still requires equipment, but provides infirmary services to the local community. A side benefit of his activities is that the temples he built brings busloads of Indian tourists to the area daily, increasing the income and economic activity in the area.
Worldwide His main U.S. representative is Khenchen Tsewang Gyatsho Rinpoche, who maintains a yearly travel schedule that includes Canada, Singapore as well as Arizona, California, Florida, Montana, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Centers for practice are located internationally, including India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States.
Retreats Monks and international students went on retreat with Penor Rinpoche and received teachings directly from him on two occasions per year. The first was in the 2nd month of the lunar calendar at Namdroling Monastery in South India. The second was in the United States at Palyul Ling. The retreats consisted of the teachings as structured within the Nam Chö cycle beginning with Ngondro, followed by the Inner Heat practice of Tsa Lung, and then Dzogchen Trekcho and Togyal. ==The Successive Incarnations of the Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche==