Lama Michel Tulku Rinpoche
First Encounter With Lama Gangchen Rinpoche
Lama Michel Rinpoche (born in 1981 in San Paulo, Brazil) – Losang Nyendrag Jangchub Chopel – བློ་བཟང་རྙེན་གྲགས་བྱང་ཆུབ་ཆོས་འཕེལ།, “Illustrious Mind Spreading the Dharma of Enlightenment,” is the spiritual son of T.Y.S Lama Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche and the holder of the NgalSo Ganden Ngengyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He is responsible for and the spiritual guide of twenty NgalSo centres worldwide, eight foundations, and the Help in Action non-profit Foundation, initiated by Lama Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche during his forty years in the West. He is also the United Nations representative for the Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation (United Nations ECOSOC NGO).
At the tender age of five, Lama Michel Rinpoche first met his root Guru, T.Y.S. Lama Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche. During this occasion, Lama Michel took refuge with him and received the Tibetan name Jangchub Choephel བྱང་ཆུབ་ཆོས་འཕེལ།, meaning “One who Increases the Dharma of Enlightenment.” Lama Michel describes his first meeting with Lama Gangchen as “falling in love: ‘I didn’t want to be separated from Him.'” Since this first encounter with Lama Gangchen Rinpoche, he demonstrated a deep bond with Him and later actively participated in His life projects.
Tulku – The Reincarnation of a Buddhist Master
Recognised at the age of eight as a tulku – the reincarnation of a Buddhist master – by prestigious masters like Lama Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche himself, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kachen Losang Zopa Rinpoche (abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in India), Lama Gosog Rinpoche (abbot of Sera Me Monastery in India), Ven. Geshe Yeshe Wangchuk Rinpoche, he was enthroned and publicly recognised at the age of twelve.
In the company of Lama Gangchen and under his guidance, he undertook pilgrimages to the most sacred places in India, Nepal, and the major Gelugpa monasteries in Tibet, accompanied by his parents and disciples from around the world.
In 1993, he visited the Stupa-Mandala of Borobudur in Indonesia for the first time, and in the same year, he received his first vows and the name Losang Nyendrag བློ་བཟང་རྙེན་གྲགས། from Ven. Kyabje Dragon Rinpoche at Samten Ling Monastery in Nepal, as well as the first initiation of Anuttarayoga Tantra and the initiation of Yamantaka Vajrabairava from Gelek Rinpoche.
At the age of twelve, after a period of silence and reflection on life and the path to choose, Lama Michel Rinpoche decided to follow the example and inspiration of his Master and expressed the decision to enter the monastery (Sera Me Monastic University, founded in 1419 by a disciple of Je Tsongkhapa) to pursue traditional monastic studies. In the same year, he received commentary on Guru Puja and Lam-Rim from H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India.
His enthronement and recognition as the reincarnation of Drubchok Gyalwa Samdrub, a great yogi and master of philosophy from the Tibetan monastery of Gangchen Chöpel Ling, took place in the monasteries of Sera Me, Tashi Lhunpo, and Kailash Pura in southern India, where Lama Michel embarked on traditional philosophical studies for tulku in the Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhist tradition, under the spiritual guidance of three of the most illustrious contemporary masters: Ven. Kachen Losang Zopa Rinpoche (abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery), Ven. Geshe Thubten Rinchen (principal philosophy teacher at Sera Me Monastery), and Ven. Geshe Thrinley Thobgyal (abbot of Gyume Monastery), living under the guidance and care of Geshe Tenzin Wangdak – “Gen Lhagpa-la.”
During the annual holidays, Lama Michel Rinpoche reunited with his Guru and traveled with Him around the world, further demonstrating his teaching abilities, commitment, and progress in philosophical studies.
In 1994, a year after entering the monastery, he traveled to Brazil, where he was first welcomed as a Lama, teaching at the Centro de Dharma da Paz Shi De Tchö Tsog.
In 1999, at the tantric college of Gyume Monastery, he received teachings on the creation of mandalas and ceremonial and artistic stupas, as well as on major ceremonies such as Rabne Chenmo རབ་གནས་ཆེན་མོ། – a grand blessing ceremony – and yangchok སྦྱངས་ཆོག། – the main practice for guiding in the bardo – from Master Gen Chime Dorje.
Years of Study
In 2006, at the age of 24, Lama Michel completed twelve years of study, delving into Tibetan grammar, dialectics, philosophy (the foundation of Buddhist psychology), logic, stages and paths of the three vehicles of Buddhist practice, the four schools of thought, the Seventy Topics of the Abhisamayalamkara text, transmissions, commentaries, and academic training on Lam-Rim, Lo-Jong, Guru Puja, Guru Yoga, and Vajrayana meditation practices such as Vajrabairava Yamantaka and Tara Chittamani. During the same period, he completed meditation retreats on Yamantaka and Tara Chittamani.
After this period of study, Lama Michel Rinpoche decided to move to Italy to serve his Guru, and continue his education for ten years, with annual visits to Tibet, under the guidance of Ven. Kachen Losang Phuntsog Rinpoche, abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. From the latter, he received a comprehensive series of teachings, transmissions, commentaries, and instructions on philosophy, tantra, medicine, and astrology, completing his education in Buddhist philosophy, meditation practice, Lam-Rim, Lo-Jong, and Vajrayana.
In 2009, he completed his studies in Tibetan astrology and compiled the first Tibetan astrological almanac – Gangchen Chophel Tibetan Calendar – from the earth ox year of 2009 to the metal dragon year of 2120 – an almanac covering 111 years, which he published and donated to the Institute of Tibetan Astrology and Medicine in Lhasa and to the most important masters and monasteries of the lineage. This is now the reference calendar for astrological calculations at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Tibet.
Dharma Teachings
Since settling in Italy, Lama Michel Rinpoche has shown great enthusiasm in sharing his knowledge and experiences, teaching in a traditional yet unique, easy, and innovative way, adapting to the Western mindset and context.
Thanks to great generosity, as well as interest and curiosity about technology, in 2014 he initiated a streaming project (live video broadcasts) to offer teachings for free on the NGALSO YouTube channel, with thousands of hours of teachings now published.
To prepare study materials and share his words, in the same year, the Lama Gangchen Peace Publications and Publicações NgalSo (from the Brazilian headquarters) began publishing transcripts of some of his formal teachings and extracts from public lectures in seven languages to date.
He has many publications to his name, including four books in Portuguese: Uma jovem idéia de paz (Sarasvati Publishing House, 1995), O subtil desequilíbrio do estresse (in collaboration with Bel Cesar and Dr. Klepacz. Editorial Gaia, 2011), Coragem para seguir em frente (Editorial Gaia, 2006), and Grande amor (in collaboration with Bel Cesar, Editorial Gaia, 2015).
As an exemplary disciple in his relationship with the Guru, Lama Michel Rinpoche dedicates his life to serving the centres and disciples, realising all the projects and initiatives for the preservation, dissemination, and spread of Buddhist teachings, Lama Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche’s “Culture of Peace,” and the NgalSo Tantric Self-Healing practices. He shares his experience, wisdom, and profound and extensive Buddhist philosophy clearly, accessibly, and in a modern way, adapted to the needs of contemporary society.
Get in contact with Lama Michel Tulku Rinpoche
Due to his tight schedule, it is hard to make a personal appointment. However, you can participate at the events and teachings given by Lama Michel and get the opportunity to meet him. There is some time after the teachings to offer a khata (traditional Tibetan scarf), ask for blessings and have a short personal talk. Check out the programme at Kunpen, Italy or at any of our centres worldwide.
Invitation to events, television, radio or to participate in projects
Lama Michel is very happy to participate where invited and where he sees benefit for people.
Please contact:
Programme manager Italy: +393486937071 | events@kunpen.it
Brasil secretary: lm_brasil@kunpen.it
Write a letter to Lama Michel
Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre
Via Campo Dell’ Eva, 5
Albagnano di Bee – VB – Italia
CAP: 28813
Make a private donation for Lama Michel Tulku Rinpoche
This donation goes to support the Swift Return fund.
PayPal or credit card: http://bit.ly/swiftreturn
Bank details:
IBAN: IT62V0306909606100000161078
Swift: BCITITMM
Bank: Banca Intesa San Paolo,
Ag. 55000- FILIALE ACCENTRATA TER SABI:03069
CAB:09606
Piazza Paolo Ferrari, 10 – 20121 Milano
