H.E. Thritsab Gyabra Rinpoche : Dharma Tara Rinpoche

May 6-7 - Teachings on Jigme Lingpa's Prayer and Aspiration:Training in the Pure Realms of the Three Kayas

May 7-9 - Yangzab Wrathful Guru who Holds Immortality: Empowerment and Practice Instructions

May 11-14 - Yangzab Dzogchen Teachings: Commentary on the Completion of Primordial Wisdom

Date	Time	Teaching	Donation
May 5	7-9 PM	Meditation Instructions from the Heart	$10
May 6-7	9-12, 2-5, and 9-12 (Sun)	Jigme Lingpa's Training in the Pure Realms of the Three Kayas	$75
May 7	3-6 PM	Yangzab Wrathful Guru Who Holds Immortality Empowerment	$30
May 8-9	9-12 & 2-5	Practice Instructions for Yangzab Wrathful Guru	$100
May 11-14	9-12 & 2-5	Yangzab Completion of Primordial Wisdom Dzogchen Teachings	$200

The Venerable Traga Rinpoche was born in 1954 into a long lineage of great Tantric Yogis. His paternal ancestry traces back to Rigzin Godem (1337-1408), the discoverer of the Northern Treasures of the Nyingmapa School. Rinpoche’s mother was a true Wisdom Dakini who recited Tara’s mantra almost constantly.

Very special signs were seen at Rinpoche’s birth. At age 4, the 7th Lhotual Khakhyab Dorje recognized him as the reincarnation of Togden Tsondrue Tharchin (xxxx to xxxx). Due to the political unrest in Tibet, there was no opportunity to enthrone him and teach him Dharma., so Rinpoche studied Tibetan Medicine for 8 years and both studied and taught the Tibetan language.

Traga Rinpoche is an accomplished Dzogchen and Mahamudra master. He has received profound foundational as well as the most advanced teachings from some of the greatest living masters of Tibetan Buddhism including His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche, His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche, Khenchen Jigme Phuntsog and many others. He has completed over 10 years of retreats.

From Garchen Rinpoche, Traga Rinpoche received teachings on all Drikung Kagyu texts, the five-fold Mahamudra, Dzogchen Yangzab teachings, and many profound pith instructions. He did a Dzogchen Yangzab retreat at Lho Miyel Gon Monastery.

In early 1984, Traga Rinpoche received full gelong ordination from the Nyingma Master Khenpo Munsel, who gave him the detailed teachings on Dzogchen Tregchöd. Khenpo Munsel gently looked at Traga Rinpoche and said, “Your karmic propensity is to practice Dzogchen. I am your karmic lama. If you can meditate, you have today found the way to liberation in one life. You will never find something like this even if you went to look for it with your horse’s hooves encased in steel. Spend one year near me and meditate.” For the next seven years, Traga Rinpoche did retreat near Khenpo Munsel, and practiced Tregchöd, Thögal, practices of working with the vital energies, and other advanced practices.

Rinpoche has received and practiced many different lineages of the Six Yogas of Naropa. He studied and practiced Vajrayogini, Marpa's Guru Yoga and the Six Yogas with a Karma Kagyu Togden known for flying from mountain top to mountain top. Later he received and practiced the profound Drikung path of the Six Yogas and Mahamudra with Drupon Tenzin Nyima. Rinpoche has also studied with the Drugpa Kagyu Togdens of Tashi Jong.

In 1990, Traga Rinpoche went to see Khenchen Jigme Phuntsog. For 100 days, he received teachings and meditated. Some of the teachings/empowerments included the Dakini Heart Eseence teachings, Awareness-expression Empowerment, and the Khregs Chod, written by Khenchen Jigme Phuntsog himself.

Traga Rinpoche went to Chamdo in 1992 where Khenchen Karma Tseten asked him to give oral transmissions to the monks and nuns of Trachog Gon Monastery. Rinpoche was named “Lung Lama” or “Transmission Lama” by the Khenpos and Tulkus of the monastery.

In December, 1993, Traga Rinpoche arrived at Jangchub Ling Monastery in India where he met His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche. His Holiness gave him, among others, the Chakrasamvara Empowerment and transmission of the Five-Fold Mahamudra, He also received the wheel of Life Scripture, one of 18 major scriptures of the Mind Section of Dzogchen. Rinpoche then spent one year meditating at Lapchi, a place of special power where Milarepa had meditated.

In 1998, Lamchen Gyalpo Rinpoche, determined to make Traga Rinpoche’s vast knowledge and profound experiential understanding of the highest level of Dzogchen teachings accessible to as many students as possible, enthroned him as “Lopon Rinpoche” (Precious Master), with lavish praise for his hard work and outstanding achievements. His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche selected Traga Rinpoche as the Retreat Master and Resident Lama at the Garchen Buddhist Institute, and asked his students to have full confidence in him, “just as I have full confidence in him." Garchen Rinpoche has also specifically said, "It may seem like there are many great Lamas out there. Yet Traga Rinpoche is like gold. Even if put in a burning fire, he just glows."