Soktse Rinpoche
Tenga Rinpoche of Benchen, Benchen Tenga Rinpoche (bstan dga' rin po che)
Ven. Benchen Tenga Rinpoche was born in 1932 in Nangchen and recognised as an incarnation of the monastery of Benchen, the seat of the Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoches, by the previous 11th Tai Situ Rinpoche, Pema Wangchok Gyalpo. He was brought to Benchen shortly after this and underwent the traditional Kamtshang Kagyu training under the guidance of his root teacher, the previous 9th Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche and various khenpos.
Rinpoche has received many teachings and transmissions from the 2nd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Khyentse Oser of Palpung. He completed a traditional three-year three-fortnight reteat in Benchen and then assumed his role as one of the principal teachers of the monastery, giving teachings and empowerments both there and all over Nangchen. In 1959 he went into exile and spent 17 years in Rumtek monastery in Sikkim. 10 of these 17 years were spent as H.H. the 16th Karmapa's Dorje Lobpon, or Vajra Master. While there, he received many transmissions from H.H. the Karmapa and considers him as one of his root gurus.
Eventually he moved to Nepal and settled in Svayambhunath, where he established the Benchen monastery in exile. Starting out very modestly, it now houses 250 monks plus staff and is one of the largest Kagyu monasteries in Nepal. In Nepal Rinpoche met many other great masters like H.H. the Sakya Tridzin, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, H.H. Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche, and Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, to name just a few, from whom he also received many transmissions. Like with the 16th Karmapa, he considers them his root gurus as well. Having received so many transmissions from all major lineages, Rinpoche's approach is completely non-sectarian.
Ven. Benchen Tenga Rinpoche is a specialist in all the tantric arts, from mandala construction to monastic dances, from Mahamudra preliminaries to the Six Doctrines of Naropa etc. and emphasises the practice of these, combined with a thorough understanding of the contents of basic texts like Je Gampopa's "Jewel Ornament of Liberation", Maitreya/Asanga's "Gyud Lama" and Shantideva's "Bodhicharyavatara" etc. In the last 30 years Ven. Benchen Tenga Rinpoche has travelled extensively in Europe and South-East Asia and has particularly many students in Denmark and Germany.
See also Surmang Tenga Rinpoche alias Surmang Tentrul