In celebration of the 100th birthday of His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, the most senior living master in Yungdrung Bön, a series of special video tributes will be shared here in coming days. These short videos will feature prayers, birthday wishes, and other formal tributes from esteemed figures in Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, such as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, H.H. the 34th Menri Trizin Lungtok Dawa Dhargyal Rinpoche, Guru Vajradhara H.H. the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa, and H.H. the 41st Sakya Trizin Ngawang Kunga, as well as selected personal messages from other well-wishers. Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will offer his own series of personal stories and experiences with his root teacher, each focusing on a specific theme or moment in Yongdzin Rinpoche’s life, including anecdotes about his teachings, his care for monks, and his guidance during challenging times.
Videos will be viewable through the links posted below.
Watch Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s introduction here:
The celebration, organized by Triten Norbutse Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal, will be accompanied by several Facebook Live events from February 2 through 8, 2025, focusing on health and well-being, dedicated to Yongdzin Rinpoche’s remarkable life and achievements. These live events hosted by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche not only honor Yongdzin Rinpoche’s extraordinary life and contributions, but also serve as a platform for education and community improvement, reflecting the values His Eminence has championed throughout his 100 years. Learn more about the live events.
How to Participate
Links to the individual tribute videos will be shared directly below as soon as they are available for viewing.
About H.E. Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche
His Eminence is the most senior teacher in the Bön tradition. He was the co-founder of Menri Monastery in India, and also the founder of Triten Norbutse Monastery in Nepal, as well as founder of a European center, Shenten Dargye Ling, in Bleu, France. Born in 1926 in eastern Tibet, at age 7 he entered Tengchen Monastery. He took monk’s vows at the age of 14, and at age 15 he began studies at Yungdrung Ling, a Bön monastery in central Tibet. From there, he traveled to Menri Monastery in Tibet in 1948 and received his geshe degree there in 1952. That same year he was elected to the position of lopon (head teacher) at Menri. In 1964, he went to Himachal Pradesh, in Northern India, and worked to create a settlement and school in Dolanji for Bönpo refugees and also Menri Monastery to support the training of new monks. After a sufficient number of texts had been retrieved and published, His Eminence established a traditional dialectic school at the monastery to preserve the Bönpo philosophical tradition. In 1987, he founded a second Bön monastery, Triten Norbutse, just west of Kathmandu, Nepal, where he lived and taught for many years. Menri Monastery and Triten Norbutse Monastery are the two main Bön monasteries outside of Tibet.