Lama Tashi Dorje

Lama Tashi Dorje of Nubri during an interview with Rigpa students in 2005

Lama Tashi Dorje (Tib. བླ་མ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་རྡོ་རྗེ་, Wyl. bla ma bkra shis rdo rje) (1919-2017), a descendant of King Trisong Deutsen, was a very respected lama living in the Nubri Valley of northern Nepal and the head of Pema Choling Monastery. Born the younger son of Sama's head lama, he served as the regent when his older brother passed away.

Lama Tashi Dorje had a very close relationship with Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and is the maternal grandfather of Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche. He was Mingyur Rinpoche's earliest meditation teacher, when he was just a small boy.

In 1956 he met Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö in Lhasa and Nepal and received teachings and empowerments.

At the time of his passing he assumed the sleeping lion's posture and remained in meditative absorption for two and a half days.