Ven Gelong Kalsang Rinpoche

The Venerable Gelong Kalsang Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist Lama and Bhikshu Monk of the Nyingma tradition. Rinpoche is widely respected for his wisdom, deep humility and purity of conduct. Rinpoche’s every moment is focused on benefiting others with his wealth of wisdom and compassion, which are fed by the wellspring of his realization and devotion to Guru Rinpoche and to his own highly realized teachers.

Born in Tibet to practitioner parents, Rinpoche was forced to flee Tibet due to the Chinese occupation in 1959. He fled to Nepal and took monastic vows at the age of eleven.

The Venerable Gelong Kalsang Rinpoche completed his 3 -year solitary retreat under the direction of His Holiness Chatral Rinpoche at Rigzin Drübpe Ghatsal Monastery in Pharping. Then, at the request of HH Chatral Rinpoche, Gelong Rinpoche accepted the position of Dorje Loppon at his monastery and served His Holiness for more than 3 years in that role. Gelong Rinpoche then founded a retreat center near Chumik Jangchkup, and HH Chatral Rinpoche named it Drupnye Yongdu Phuntsok Gatsal.

Gelong Kalsang Rinpoche serves as the retreat master at his two retreat centers, and has supervised the completed three-year retreats of more than 130 practitioners who relied on him for their spiritual guidance during their rigorous formal meditation retreats. For those practitioners who could not financially support their own retreats, the Ven. Gelong Kalsang Rinpoche even took responsibility for providing for their food, as well as their lodging, at his own retreat centers.

Rinpoche studied with and has received empowerments and teachings from the foremost lamas of the Nyingma lineage of this era, including His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, His Holiness Trulshik Rinpoche, His Holiness Chatral Rinpoche, His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche and His Holiness Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche. Ven. Gelong Kalsang Rinpoche currently serves as Abbot and Spiritual Director at Kunkhap Yosal Thonkdol Choeling in Nepal and the Taiwan Nyingmapa Padmasambhava Pureland Buddhist Association in Taiwan.

Rinpoche travels the world extensively at the request of his many students, leading ceremonies and giving dharma teachings. For several weeks each year, the Ven Gelong Kalsang Rinpoche leads annual retreats at Ari Bhöd, Pema Drawa, in Tehachapi, California at the request of Lama Chödak Gyatso Nubpa Rinpoche. To learn more about Ari Bhöd, The American Foundation for Tibetan Cultural Preservation, please click here.

Please click here to learn the history of Zangdok Palri in Phulchok, Pharping.