Teachers of the Kagyu Shenpen Kunchab Buddhist Center
H.E. the Very Venerable Kalu Rinpoche was born in eastern Tibet in 1904. He was considered the supreme meditation master of the Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and the activity emanation of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great. Having spent more than one-third of his 80 years in solitary meditation he became an expert on the nature of the mind. From 1971 until 1989 he traveled many times to numerous countries giving teaching and empowerment and also establishing many centers like KSK. He placed many on the path to freedom and omniscience by always giving refuge wherever he went. Renowned as a great retreat master in Tibet, he continued this tradition by establishing three-year retreats in Bhutan and India, and in 1976 he founded the first three-year retreat for Westerners in France. There are now many such retreats in Europe and North America where students can receive intensivee training in traditional Buddhism. In 1989, H.E. Kalu Rinpoche passed from this life.
His Eminence, the second Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche (formerly known as Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche) was born September 17, 1990 during offerings to the special Shangpa Kagyu protector, Six-Armed Mahakala, at his previous home, Samdrub Darjay Chöling Monastery in Sonada India. Auspicious signs accompanied the birth as the Monastery was covered with a canopy of rainbows like the ones that appeared at the Parinirvana of the previous Kalu Rinpoche. Recognized by His Eminence the Venerable T'ai Situ Rinpoche in 1992, Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche made his first world tour in 1995 accompanied by Ven. Bokar Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Donyen Rinpoche, including several days at KSK in Santa Fe. One of the highlights of His Eminence's visit was "The Blessing of The Children" where Rinpoche blessed each of 200 youngsters individually in the Bodhi Stupa, touching the tops of their heads. The loving kindness, compassion, sweet patience and poise that emanated from him in his then five-year-old body during this several hours-long ceremony left no doubt that he was indeed Dorje Chang Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche's reincarnation. The Yangsi received the complete empowerments of the Shangpa Kagyu Lineage from Ven. Bokar Rinpoche and entered the traditional three-year retreat at Bokar Monastery in Mirik, India. In September 2008, he completed three-year retreat and assumed his seat at Sonada. H.E. Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche included a visit to KSK September 27 - 28, 2011 during his return to the Americas for the first time since 1995.
Venerable Lama Karma Dorje was born in a village near Gangtok, Sikkim. He began his Buddhist training at the age of twelve and became a novice monk at the age of 30, at Sonada Monastery in Darjeeling with H. E. Kalu Rinpoche. He later took full ordination at Rumtek, Sikkim, the monastery of His Holiness the Karmapa, and then completed the three-year retreat in Sonada. He is an accomplished painter in the thangka tradition, the sacred art of Tibet. In 1980 His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche and H.H. Karmapa requested that Lama Dorje visit various centers in Europe, France, New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle. In 1981 His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche asked him to come to Santa Fe, where he has remained as director of KSK Buddhist Center. Venerable Lama Dorje is also the director of the Dharma Center in Taos, Kagyu Degyi Choling, where he supervised the construction of a 30-foot Stupa, the Gompa, and the Kangyur building.
Venerable Lama Mingma Sherpa was born in Nepal and became a Buddhist monk at the age of eight. He completed three-year retreat under the direction of the current Kalu Rinpoche. In 2010, His Eminence asked Lama Mingma to come to Santa Fe to assist Ven. Lama Dorje and to assume responsibilities for the continuation of Dharma studies at the center. Lama Mingma most fortunately arrived in time to supervise preparations for the visit of Kalu Rinpoche and has been updating and expanding Sadhana practices at KSK.
