His Connection with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and Merigar
With the greatest sadness we announce that the great Master Lopön Tenzin Namdak entered parinirvana on Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 7:45am at his retreat residence in Jema Ritrö, on the hill side near Nagarkot, in Nepal. He was 100 years old.
Lopön Rinpoche had a special connection with Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and with many in our Dzogchen Community sangha, and in fact he is portrayed on the northwest panel of the Temple of the Great Contemplation at Merigar among the principal masters of Bön.
It was in 1978 that Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche established a close relationship with the Lopön when he travelled with Andrea Dell’Angelo, Mario Maglietti and a group of his students to Dolanji in Himachal Pradesh, India, to shoot the film, “Arura”, on Tibetan medicine.
In August 1989 Lopon Tenzin Namdak was first invited to Merigar to give Dzogchen teachings on which occasion he gave the initiation of Meri and the complete lung of the Oral Transmission of Shangshung (zhang zhung snyan rgyud) for the first time in the West.
He returned to Merigar for a second time In May 1991 to give teachings in the newly built Gönpa from May 3-5. At the time Chögyal Namkhai Norbu was in personal retreat in his cabin in the woods and asked Lopön Tenzin Namdak to give the lung transmission of the whole Shangshung nyengyüd, which he had not received, for a second time. On the last day of the retreat Norbu Rinpoche came from his cabin to receive it, sitting in the front row in the Gönpa.
The last time Lopön Tenzin Namdak visited Merigar was at Easter in 1997 and from March 28 to April 3 he taught, morning and afternoon, on Dzogchen according to the Yetri Tasel (Ye khri mtha ‘ sel), a teaching contained in the Bönpo Kangyur, basing his explanations on a commentary written by Trenpa Namkha. While giving teachings, Lopön Rinpoche was seated in the Gönpa below the depiction of the great Bönpo Dzogchen master Tapihritsa. During his stay, he also consecrated the Great Stupa of Enlightenment with the rabne (rab gnas) ceremony.
Lopön Rinpoche also visited and gave precious teachings in many different Gars and Lings of the International Dzogchen Community around the globe, from the east to the west coast of the USA as well as countless other places.
Lopön Tenzin Namdak dedicated his life to preserving the Tibetan cultural heritage and transmitting the precious teachings of the Yungdrung Bön tradition to ensure that its ancient wisdom and lineage would continue to flourish for future generations.
With deep gratitude, we honor a Master who has touched the lives of many across the globe for so many years and been a beacon of light in bringing timeless wisdom to all those students who had the great fortune to receive his teachings.
The Mirror
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From amongst the memories of moments spent with the Master, Lopön Tenzin Namdak’s long time student and translator, Andy Lukianowicz, sent us his thoughts:
“Those practitioners of DzogChen who have correct experiences, those experiences automatically increase their compassion. That is the right sign.” The 14th Dalai Lama.
Truly that was the sign of Yongdzin Rinpoche. Playful, earnest, patient, attentive, precise, in all his interactions: and on his frequent visits to Merigar and other Dzogchen Community centres around the world that had the great blessing to host him and absorb his profound teachings, his boundless kindness and compassion shone over all. I had the great fortune to translate for over twenty-two years, and especially in translating private, personal interviews I was always amazed at his ability to resolve and alleviate, in a short time and in a few well chosen words, the problems of people who in some instances he was meeting for the first time.
On a personal note, I was told on the phone of his passing on getting off a flight to Italy; I usually hate flying, this time however my guruyoga kept calling me back into my centre… Choegyal Rinpoche once said that lamas in passing have nine times greater power than when alive, now I know this is true also of their power of compassion.
A sad day indeed, so let us be sad but, as Khenchen wisely instructs us, not be overcome by grief and emotion; let us recall the wisdom of his teachings and his compassion and turn our hearts to practice and prayer, and all play our parts in helping fulfil Rinpoche’s enlightened compassionate intention.
I was in despair, a world without Chogyal Rinpoche or Lopön Rinpoche! Then the thought dawned that Lopön Rinpoche may no longer be among us in physical form, but like Sakyamuni, Padmasambhava, Dudjom Rinpoche, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and all other Buddhas, Lopön is ever-present everywhere around us, ready to respond at the speed of thought to our invocations.
Without his body, now Lopön is the air we breathe.
