Bhutan · Bumthang

Woeselcholing Monastery

The primordial source of the Dzogchen transmission and the dharmakāya primordial buddha. Through the Mind-Direct Transmission of the Victorious Ones, he conveys self-arisen wisdom directly to the saṃbhogakāya buddhas and stands as the root of Dzogchen's three transmissions. (This is the Nyingma dharmakāya primordial buddha, distinct from the bodhisattva Samantabhadra of the sūtra tradition.)

Lord of all buddha families, manifesting in the sambhogakaya dimension. Through the symbolic transmission of the vidyadharas, he conveyed the Dzogchen teachings to Garab Dorje, the first human master, opening the bridge by which the dharmakaya's wisdom intent entered the human realm.

The first human master of the Dzogchen transmission, born in Oddiyana. He received the complete Dzogchen teachings from Vajrasattva and, at his parinirvana, entrusted Mañjuśrīmitra with the "Three Statements That Strike the Vital Point," which became the root of the Dzogchen heart-essence for all later generations.

The great compiler of the Dzogchen Pith Instruction Class (Mengakdé). After relying on Mañjuśrīmitra for twenty-five years, he organized the heart-essence teachings into four cycles and transmitted the Dharma to Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, and other masters who carried it into Tibet.

Root forefather of the Old-Translation Nyingma school. Together with Khenpo Śāntarakṣita and Dharma King Trisong Detsen, he established the Dharma in the Land of Snows and concealed profound treasures (terma) for future generations.

The great synthesizer who brought the Vima Nyingtik and Khandro Nyingtik into a single stream, composed the Seven Treasuries and other monumental works, and established a vast and rigorous presentation of Dzogchen. Later generations venerate him as "the Second Buddha."

In pure visions he encountered Longchenpa three times and, through a mind treasure, revealed the complete Longchen Nyingtik cycle, becoming the source of one of the most widely transmitted Dzogchen heart-essence lineages.

A heart-son of Jigme Lingpa, he spent long years in mountain retreat and later transmitted the Longchen Nyingtik preliminaries twenty-five times to Patrul Rinpoche, becoming the living source behind The Words of My Perfect Teacher.

The most renowned Nyingma master of the nineteenth century. He received the Longchen Nyingtik preliminaries from Jigme Gyalwe Nyugu, composed The Words of My Perfect Teacher, and transmitted the heart-essence of Dzogchen to disciples such as Lungtok Tenpe Nyima.

One of the most important Dzogchen exegetes of the Nyingma school in the twentieth century. At Kathok Monastery he propagated the Longchen Nyingtik, composed a vast body of writings, and took part in recognizing the Third Penor Rinpoche. He is revered as an emanation of Vimalamitra and Longchenpa.

The root guru of Khenpo Nima Rinpoche. In exile in South India, he rebuilt the Palyul lineage, founded Namdroling Monastery, and recognized Khenpo Nima Rinpoche as a qualified khenpo, carrying the lineage forward.

Holding the transmission conferred by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, he teaches Dzogchen Longchen Nyingtik and the Namchö Sky Dharma in Hong Kong. May the Dharma reach every dark corner of the world.