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 Situpa, Pema Wangchok Gyalpo. Rinpoche's two previous incarnations were Benchen Lamas too. The first was a master known as Gönkhen Samten, aka Lama Samten Gyatso; the second one was Drongpa Lama Tendzin Chögyal, a close student of the 1st Jamgon Kongtrul. H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche mentions him in his autobiography as the lama from whom he received his very first empowerment, to which he in part attributed his long life. Tenga Rinpoche was brought to Benchen shortly after his recognition and underwent the traditional Kamtshang or Karma Kagyu training under the guidance of his first root teacher, the previous 9th Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche, who was H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's older brother and various khenpos.
While still in Tibet Rinpoche has received many teachings and transmissions from both the 11th Tai Situ Rinpoche, Pema Wangchok Gyalpo and the 2nd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Khyentse Oser, both of Palpung. He completed a traditional three-year three-fortnight retreat 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 300 monks plus staff and is the largest Karma Kagyu monastery in Nepal. A Shedra, or monastic university, and two three-year-retreat centres which focus on the Karma and Shangpa Kagyu traditions respectively, are located in Pharping, a place sacred to Guru Padmasambhava.
In India and Nepal Rinpoche met many other great masters like H.H. the Sakya Tridzin, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche and Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, to name just a few, from whom he also received many transmissions. In particular, from Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche he received the transmission of the Shangpa Kagyu lineage, which has always been close to Rinpoche's heart. Like with the 16th Karmapa, he considers these masters his root gurus as well. Presently Ven. Tenga Rinpoche is one of the tutors to H.H. the 17th Karmapa, Orgyen Thrinle Dorje. 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 and practices, 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 such basic texts as Je Gampopa's "Jewel Ornament of Liberation", Maitreya/Asanga's "Mahayana-Uttara-Tantra-Shastra" and Shantideva's "Bodhicharyavatara" etc. In particular Rinpoche emphasises the practice of Mahamudra. 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.
Information about Rinpoche's recent and future activities can be found at Benchen.org
See also Surmang Tenga Rinpoche alias Surmang Tentrul