Biography

The Venerable Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche is the daughter of His Holiness Mindrolling Trichen who is head of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism and on\e of the most renowned Tibetan Lamas currently alive today. Born into the Mindrolling lineage, which throughout its history has had many accomplished female masters, Khandro Tsering Paldrön was recognized at the age of two by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa as the re-incarnation of the Great Dakini of Tsurphu, Khandro Ugyen Tsomo, on\e of the most renowned female masters of her time. The present Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche holds the lineages of both the Nyingma and Kagyu tradition\s.

Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche has received teachings and transmission\s from some of the most accomplished masters of the 20th century, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness Mindrolling Trichen, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, His Eminence Trulzhig Rinpoche, His Eminance Tenga Rinpoche, His Eminance Tsetrul Rinpoche and His Eminance Tullku Ugyen Rinpoche.

Rinpoche maintains a rigorous schedule, teaching from both the Kagyu and Nyingma tradtion\s in the USA including Hawaii, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Germany, France, the Czech Republic and Greece. She has established and heads the Samten Tse Retreat Center in Mussoori, India, which is home to 30 nuns and also provides a place of study and retreat for mon\astics and western lay practition\ers. Rinpoche is also Resident Teacher at the Lotus Garden Retreat Center in rural Virginia, USA, which she established to provide retreat practice, the study of crucial Buddhist texts, and visiting teachers from all lineages. Rinpoche is also actively involved with the administration of Mindrolling Mon\astery in Dehra Dun, India.

The Venerable Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche also heads a variety of charitable projects that supply health care and Buddhist education for mon\astics and lay practition\ers who work side by side in a variety of challenging settings — including a leprosy project.

Her first book, entitled This Precious Life: Tibetan Buddhist Teachings on the Path to Enlightenment, was published by Shambhala Publication\s in 2003.

PHOTO GALLERY

Top left to bottom left: Rinpoche as a young child; as a young girl; as a young adult; Rinpoche with her sister, Jetsün Dechen Paldrön, head of the Dharmashri Translation Group.

Top right: Rinpoche and her family depicted on a decorative plate (circa 1980s): From left to right Khandro Tsering Paldrön, her father His Holiness Mindrolling with the family dog, her mother Sangyum Son\am Paldrön, younger sister Jetsun Dechen