Khenpo Yeshi

Khenpo Yeshi Rinpoche was born into a noble family in Kham, East Tibet in 1969. Arriving in South India at nineteen, Khenpo Yeshi went to Sera Monastery. Later, he entered Dzogchen Monastery in order to complete his studies in both the Sutra and Tantra trainings. Over the years, Khenpo Yeshi studied closely with more than two dozen eminent Khenpos, including His Eminence Khenchen Meiwa Tubten Rinpoche and His Eminence Khenchen Pema Tsewang Rinpoche. Moreover, he received empowerments, transmissions, and oral instructions of both kama and terma of the Nyingma tradition from such renowned high Lamas as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, His Eminence Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, His Eminence Dodrupchen Rinpoche, His Eminence Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche and His Holiness Khathok Moktsa Rinpoche. Upon completion of 3-year retreat in 1997, His Eminence Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche invited Khenpo Yeshi to teach at the monastery’s Shedra (program of advanced Buddhist studies). Khenpo Yeshi received a B.A. in Religious Studies from UC Berkeley (2012), an M.A. in South and Southeast Asian Studies from UC Berkeley (2017), and is now a doctoral candidate. His research focuses on Tibetan Buddhism and the early development of the Dzogchen Heart Essence (Rdzogs chen snying thig) tradition, the highest section of the so-called Pith Instruction Teaching (Man ngag sde) of Dzogchen.