Venerable Gyepa Rinpoche
Principal lineage holder of the Töluk tradition of the Dudjom Tersar
Venerable Gyepa Rinpoche (b. 1960) is a principal lineage holder of the Töluk tradition of the Dudjom Tersar, a lineage originating with Dudjom Lingpa and carried forward through his direct disciple, Degyal Rinpoche, who settled on the slopes of Mount Kailash and established Namkha Khyung Dzong.
As a principal holder of the Tröma Nakmo cycle of the Dudjom Tersar, Gyepa Rinpoche has devoted his life to the preservation, practice, and transmission of the Buddhist teachings and traditions entrusted to his lineage.
He was born on July 29, 1960, in Sandhya, India, to the Second Degyal Rinpoche and Kyama Tshering, into a family deeply rooted in Buddhist practice and spiritual lineage. His grandfather, Golok Serta Rinpoche, was a respected practitioner of Dzogchen and Tröma Nakmo and a heart disciple of the First Degyal Rinpoche. The First Degyal Rinpoche was one of the thirteen principal disciples of Dudjom Lingpa traditionally recognized as having attained the rainbow body. Raised under the guidance of his father in an environment devoted to the Dharma, Gyepa Rinpoche received instruction from an early age in reading and writing, Buddhist rituals, meditation, and spiritual practice. His formative years were characterized by discipline, devotion, compassion, loving-kindness, and a sincere commitment to the Buddhist teachings, qualities that would later become central to his Dharma activities and service to the Buddhist community.
Following the passing of his father, the Second Degyal Rinpoche, in 1985, Gyepa Rinpoche continued his father’s Dharma activities and dedicated himself to the preservation and dissemination of the Buddhist teachings. In the course of his activities, he established Namkha Khyung Dzong in Nepal, Namkha Khyung Dzong Nunnery in Odisha, India, and the Namkha Khyung Dzong Dharma Society in Taipei, Taiwan, thereby continuing and further developing the Dharma activities associated with his lineage.
Through decades of dedicated service, spiritual guidance, and commitment to the teachings, Gyepa Rinpoche has contributed to the development of Namkha Khyung Dzong and its wider Dharma activities, supporting the preservation and transmission of the Dudjom Tersar tradition and its associated practices. His life and work reflect a sustained commitment to Dharma, compassion, loving-kindness, and spiritual cultivation.
As a lineage holder and teacher, he continues to carry forward the teachings, practices, and aspirations of his spiritual predecessors, contributing to their preservation and continuation for future generations.