Lama Dawa Gyaltsen
བླ་མ་ཟླ་བ་རྒྱལ་མཚན།
bla ma zla ba rgyal mtshan
Short Biography
Drupon Lama Dawa Gyaltsen, often known as Yolmo Lama Dawa, at the age of 13 entered the Drukpa Kagyu Gonpa near his family home on the boarder of Amdo and Kham, eastern Tibet. At the very young age of 17, before leaving his home land, Lama Dawa Rinpoche entered into retreat until he was 23, on the Drukpa Kagyu path of Mahamudra, with the famed Drupchen Kunzang Dorje acting as his Retreat-master. While in this retreat Rinpoche completed the Mahamudra ngondro 3 times. Because of being faced with the same plight all Tibetans were facing, that being the invasion of the Communist Army of China, and because unlike most Tibetans in the early years of 1949 thru 1959 (when the Tibetans staged an uprising), Khampas (people of eastern Tibet) did not think of the Chinese and the Communist Army as good nice people, the Khampas were in the early days already fighting a war for the freedom of Tibet. For these reasons, soon Rinpoche and many Eastern Tibetans began to flee for places like India, Bhutan and Nepal. After his 7 year retreat he then fled to Bhutan and Nepal, as many did, where he then began truly studying the dharma, at the feet of many of the greatest masters of the Old and New Translation Schools. Having been taken as a student by Masters such as Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltso Rinpoche, Khabje Dudjom Jigdrel Yehse Dorje and Khabje Chatral Sangye Dorje, Lama Dawa Rinpoche dedicated his life to retreat. In Yolmo Nepal he spent nearly 30 year doing retreats under the guidance Dudjom Rinpoche and Chatral Rinpoche, one of which was a 3 year reatreat where Lama Dawa practiced the Ngondro (foundation practices) from the Dudjom Ter, as well as Tsa-sum (the three root deity practices), and Trul-kor (yogic practices) along with the entire cycles of Troma Ngakmo (Cho) and Namchad Phudri and Phudri Rapung (Longer and shorter Dudjom Tersar Vajrakilayas).
After many years of retreat in Yolmo, Rinpoche stayed in Parping Nepal (known to Tibetans as Yang-la Shoe), where Guru Rinpoche meditated in two different caves, and where the renowned Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche resides a lot of the time. He soon entered into a Nyingthig retreat, this time with Chatral Rinpoche himself acting as Lama’s Retreat-master. After having completed his 3rd major retreat, Lama Dawa Rinpoche continued to studying with the greatest Gurus of this era. He received numerous teachings, reading transmissions and empowerments from Drubwang Penor Rinpoche. He has studied with masters the likes of Nyushol Khen Rinpoche and Kontrul Tenpay Nyima Rinpoche. From the Lord of Siddhis, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, he received teachings and transmissions for the Longchen Nyingthig as well as Rinpoche's own terma teachings and numerous others.
In terms of Mahamudra, Rinpoche has received teaching from Master the likes of HH The 16th Karmapa, Drukpa Tuksay Rinpoche, Drukpa Gar Rinpoche, Drupwang Rigdzin Lama, Lobpon Tsultrim Dorje, Lama Jamyang Drakpa, and Gegen Khyentse. From the Dzogchen Lineages, Drupon Dawa-la has received teachings from Tripon Pema Chogyal Rinpoche (the number one heart disciple of the Mahasiddha Shakya Shri), Dudjom Rinpoche, Chatral Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Nyushol Khenpo, Khunu Rinpoche, Dodrupchen Thupten Trinlay Rinpoche, Punda Khenpo Dorje, Penor Rinpoche, and Apho Yeshe Rangdrol (the Mahasiddha Shakya Shri’s grandson). While Rinpoche was staying in his retreat house for almost 20 years near Nagi Gonpa, the retreat hermitage of Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, he was able to meet privately with Urgyen Rinpoche and clear any doubts and obstacles he may have had. In all Rinpoche has had 22 Gurus of the Mahamudra and Dzogchen traditions
Since he finished his last great retreat, Lama Dawa has spent close to 6 months out of every year in retreat at his house next to Nagi Gonpa and now he has retired to the Dudjom Monastery in Kalingpong. Where he was offered the little house first built for Dudjom Rinpoche, to remodel and live in. Over the years he taught, at the request of Chatral Rinpoche, Kunzang Lamay Shelung to the retreatants. Many of the Lamas, Khenpos and Tulkus of this day that claim to be students of the Great Yogi Chatral Rinpoche thus heard ngondro teachings from this little known yogi. In the Untied States Rinpoche has taught three times since 1999, things like Kunzang Lamay Shelung, and different song of Milepera's for Khenpo Tsultrim, even being so kind as to give reading-transmission. He has taught in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Arizona, Wyoming and Utah. However Lama Dawa is very much a meditation yogin and he fallows strongly the tradition of Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche, he is one of the true hidden yogis living in this world today. When I see Lama Dawa Rinpoche, I see him the same as H.H. Chatral Rinpoche who is without doubt Guru Rinpoche in person.
Written by his unworthy son the inje, Bj Lhundrup
In the newly translated biography of Khabje Dudjom Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje, we can find an amazing letter of pith advice written by Khabje Rinpoche to Lama Dawa while in Retreat. This advice should be read by anyone practicing in retreat.
Main Teachers
- Chatral Rinpoche Sangye Dorje
- Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje
- Ladakh Tripon Pema Chogyal
- Apho Yeshe Rangdrol Rinpoche
- Dilgo Khyentse
- Gegen Khyentse
- Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche
Main Students
- Dudjom Yangzi Rinpoche
Main Lineages
Alternate Names and Spellings
- Yolmo Lama Dawa
- Drupon Lama Dawa