Gyalwang Drukpa Rinpoche

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Gyalwang Drukpa Rinpoche, the head lama of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition. Also known as the Gyalwang Drukchen and Druk Tamche Khyenpa "All-knowing Drukpa" ('brug thams cad mkhyen pa ) the successive Gyalwang Drukpas are considered to be incarnations of Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje(1161-1211) founder of the Drukpa Kagyu school and one of the main disciples of Lingje Repa Pema Dorje. Followers of the Drukpa Kagyu school consider Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje to have been an emanation of Avalokiteshvara and incarnation of Naropa. This also applies to the subsequent Gyalwang Drukchen incarnations.


སྐུ་ཕྲེང་། - The Successive Incarnations

There were two immediate incarnations of the 4th Gyalwang Drukpa, Kunkhyen Pema Karpo (1527-1592) - each recognized by a different group of followers: Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594-1651) and Pagsam Wangpo, (1593-1653). Pagsam Wangpo was favoured by the powerful Tsang ruler Phuntsog Namgyal (1597-1621) and eventually recognised as the official incarnation in Tibet. Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal went to Bhutan and established his lineage there.

Main Lineages

Alternate Names & Spellings

Internal Links

External Links

The Gyalwang Drukpa's Website