KYABJE GARCHEN RINPOCHE is a Buddhist teacher of the Drigung Kagyu lineage who came of age during the final years of Tibetan sovereignty. When his three-year retreat was close to completion, eminent invasion by the Communist Chinese disrupted his trainings, and he briefly transitioned from solitary retreat to a life as a guerrilla fighter defending his people. Eventually, he was captured and sent to a labor camp, where he was imprisoned for twenty years. During that time, he became a disciple of Kathok Khenpo Münsel Rinpoche and studied with other Vajrayāna masters who were also imprisoned there.
Finally, in 1980 Rinpoche was freed and able to return to the Nangchen area, where he rebuilt his monastery, offering vows at a time when many were afraid to spread Dharma teachings publicly. In 1993, he visited Nepal and India, which eventually led him to the United States, where he settled in 1999. Thereafter, he toured extensively, establishing Dharma centers throughout the world, while also building temples, housing for monks and nuns, schools, and medical facilities in Eastern Tibet. Rinpoche retired from touring in 2019 and currently resides in Chino Valley, Arizona.
