Biography of Jurme Namdag Phuntsho

It was on an auspicious day in the year of the Fire Snake (1976) when a bright and little boy was born to a great teacher and a well-known practitioner, Phagchok Rinpoche and Yum Khandro Tshering Chozom. With great love and pride, he was named Tsewang Mijur and the story of a successful practitioner was just beginning.

Under the bright rays of guidance and attention received from his father as well as from his elder brothers, he started what was known to be the first step as the son of a well-known Yogi by learning the basic skills of reading and writing.

For further education, he joined a Dratshang (primary Buddhist training centre) of a very holy and well-known monastery called “Wog-min Ogyen Mindrolling” in India, in 1990.Corresponding to the tradition of most great practitioners, he gave up the worldly pleasures of being in his homeland with his family and relatives but chose to travel to an unknown world seeking the nectar of Buddha’s teaching. On the auspicious 30th day of the 2nd month according to the Buddhist calendar, he received blessings from H.H. Minling Trichen Rinpoche (the 11th throne holder of Mindrolling linage) and after the ritual of tsugphi (a ritual in which one gets his/her hair cut off by a Rinpoche as a sign of joining monk or a nun), he received his dharmic name as Jurmey Namdag Phuntshok.

From that day on he was included as a member of the Mindrolling Family. He began learning all the rituals and traditions of Mindrolling. He received many initiations including the complete initiation of Minling Doencha and the important initiation of Dzogchen Ngotrey. After completing the eight-year course in dratshang, he thoroughly mastered all the knowledge and skills attainable and then joined the shedra (Ngagyur Nyingma College) a branch of Mindrolling Monastery to study higher Buddhist philosophy.

After nine years in shedra, he completed the 13 high subjects and the ngag (Tantra) subjects. Later as asked by his father and by his brothers he went into retreat to meditate on some vital practices. He taught what he had learned to the monks and practitioners of the monastery in his village which was started by his father and elder brother, Phagchok Rinpoche Kuenzang Dorji. In this way, he was able to help the young monks in the village with what he learned in India during his holidays.

Furthermore, he also accomplished the vow of Gatsul from H.H. Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche (the thrown holder of Dorji Drak lineage) and the entire initiation of Ngagyur Kama. He then accomplished the vow of Gaylong (full monk) from H.H. Thrulshik Rinpoche. He also received the initiation of Doejoi Bumzang.

For three years after completing nine years in shedra, he served as a teacher and helped lots of students to brighten up their dark lives.After this, he went to a three year retreat on the top of Trashi Phodrang which is three hours walk from the village. Recently he is helping his older brother, Lama Rinpoche Kuenzang Dorji, by looking after the monastery and guiding the disciples towards the right path of liberation.