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Menri Lopön (Ponlob) Thinley Nyima Rinpoche
Menri Lopön (Ponlob) Thinley Nyima Rinpoche is the successor of Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche as the Ponlop, of Menri monastery in Dolanji, India. Rinpoche was born in 1962 in the small Himalayan village of Tsakha in the region of Dolpo, in northwestern Nepal. Many years ago, the. Dolpo region was a part of the Zhang-Zhung kingdom. In the Dolpo region we can still find the culture and language of Zhang-Zhung. There is a small Bönpo Monastery in Tsakha called Tarzong Phuntsok Ling Bönpo Monastery. The abbot is Yangton Lama. This monastery is the location for the lineage of Yangton lamas. Rinpoche is a member of this lineage. The Yangton lineage goes back to the origins of Bön in the mists of prehistory. At the time of Buddha Tonpa Shenrab over 18,000 years ago the Yangton lamas were the priests for the ancient kings of Tibet. Yang n’gal Tsec Cho was the priest for Nyatri Tsenpo, the 1st king of Tibet. The Yangton Lama Yang n’gal, who was the priest of the Tibetan King Pude Gungyal, established the first Yangton Monastery at Bonri in the Kongpo region of Tibet.
Rinpoche's ancestry in this lineage is traced back to the great practitioner Yangton Sherab Gyaltsen became famous for the perfection of his understanding and excellence in Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen Teachings. Through his studies he compiled the essence of the Dzogchen teachings and created the first written manuscript of the Dzogchen Experiential Transmission (Nyam-Gyud) teaching. In 1107 AD he became the single Transmission holder of the Bon Dzogchen teachings.
At the age of 13 and on the advice of his uncle, Ponlob Rinpoche went into a series of 3 months retreats during 1975, 1976 and 1977. In 1979, Ponlob Rinpoche’s brother, Lama Tashi, brought Rinpoche to Menri Monastery in India. This Monastery is now the main site for Bön teaching. Rinpoche was ordained there by H.H. the 33rd Mentri Trizin and H.E. Yongzin Rinpoche. His studies there focused on Sutra, Tanta and Dzogchen as well as Ritual, Grammar, Poetry, Astrology, Divination, Medicine, Thanka painting, Mandalas and Stupas. Ponlob obtained his Geshe Degree (Doctorate) from the Bön Dialectic School in 1989.
Soon after, Rinpoche was appointed Principle Instructor of the Bön Dialectic School by H.H. the 33rd Mentri Trizin and H.E. Yongzin Rinpoche. In 1992 he was further honored by being given the title of Ponlob, the second most revered position in Menri Monastery. He is interested in teaching in the West as he enjoys teaching in a lively fashion and appreciates that Western students like to ask questions.
Ponlob Rinpoche continues to teach at the Bön Dialectic School where he is responsible for the training of the students. He occasionally visits the Dolpo region of Nepal to give the Transmission of Preliminary practices and teach other aspects of the Bön Religion to thousands of lay people, monks and Tantric practitioners. Ponlob regularly visits the United States and Europe where he enjoys teaching Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen share Bön wisdom with Western practitioners.
This biography is based on information from Olmo Ling, The Ligmincha Institute and Geshe Chaphur.
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Updated on 3/9/2011