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A Brief Biography of Ven. Yangten Rinpoche, Lobsang Tenpai Gyaltsen,

Yangten Rinpoche was born in Dhapa in Kham region of Tibet on 15 December 1978. His father is Mr. Lobsang Dorjee and his mother Kalsang Yangzom. He was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous Yangteng Rinpoche at the age of 10. After living in Tibet under the communist rule for 12 years, he left his homeland for India, the Land of Noble Beings, in pursuit of traditional Tibetan monastic education in south India. In 1990 he came to India and joined Sera Mey College of Sera Monastery in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, in South India. There Rinpoche carried out the study of traditional Buddhist texts on philosophy, logic and epistemology, Buddhist Metaphysics and Cosmology (Abhidharma), and the Monastic Code of Conduct (Vinaya). He studied under many illustrious teachers of Sera Mey Monastery such as Gyalrong Khensur Rinpoche and Gosok Rinpoche. Rinpoche is also a close disciple of His Holiness the Dalaï Lama, whom he is serving currently at the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Rinpoche completed his traditional monastic studies at Sera Mey College with the highest degree of Geshe Lharampa sitting for the final oral debate examination at Amravati in 2006 during the Kalachakra Empowerment conferred by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

After receiving his Lharampa Geshe degree, he joined Gyuto Tantric College at Sidhbari near Dharamsala in north India. There he pursued and excelled in his studies of Tantrayana while living under the strict discipline of the College in 2006 and 2007. During his time at Gyuto, he also served as a Debate Assistant to Gyalwa Karmapa Rinpoche, the Supreme Head of the Karma Kagyu Order of Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Since then Rinpoche has been a close spiritual friend of Gyalwa Karmapa.

In 2008, as he completed his higher studies of Tantra at Gyuto, he was personally summoned by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalaï Lama, to work at the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Theckchen Choeling, McLeod Ganj. Since then Rinpoche has been serving His Holiness in various capacities. He is currently in charge of the Monastic Ordination Section at the Office of H. H. The Dalaï Lama. He is also the head of the project of compiling the writings and teachings of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalaï Lama. Besides these responsibilities Rinpoche also locates various scriptural sources for His Holiness from the Kagyur and Tengyur literature comprising over three hundred volumes of Tibetan traditional book format.

Moreover, as instructed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Yangten Rinpoche sometimes gives short reviews on Buddhism during the public teachings of His Holiness. He also gives introductory lectures to beginners in Buddhism at the behest of His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself. So, this is a short biography of Yangten Tulku Rinpoche, Lobsang Tenpai Gyaltsen.

This biography was compiled by Tenzin Tsepag for the occasion of Yangten Rinpoche conferring the Chenrezig Initiation at Tushita Meditation Centre, McLeod Ganj, India on May 27, 2014. Tushita wants to thank Tenzin Tsepag la very much for his very kind help!