His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche
His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche (1933–2004) was one of the greatest Buddhist scholars of the 20th century, praised by all schools and sects. He was a treasure revealer [terton], renowned as the incarnation of Terton Sogyal Lerab Lingpa, and also considered an emanation of Mipham Rinpoche. His Holiness played a vital role in the revival of Buddhism in Tibet after the destruction of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In addition, he revealed a number of hidden treasure dharmas [termas], in Tibet, Bhutan, China, Nepal, and India.
In the later part of his life, more than ten thousand students studied under him at Larung Gar in Sertar, in Eastern Tibet, which he founded in 1980. Larung Gar went on to become the largest Buddhist university in the world. His Holiness traveled extensively across Tibet and China, teaching and revealing termas. He taught in India, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Canada, France, and the United States as well.
Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche received one of his khenpo degrees at Larung Gar directly from His Holiness in 1992. One of His Holiness’s heart-son disciples, Khenchen Tsultrim Lodrö Rinpoche, has visited various Katog Choling centers, including Katog Rit’hröd in Arkansas in 2018. A more extensive biography (called namthar or liberation story) of His Holiness is being translated into English from the Tibetan and will be posted when it becomes available.