26 Facts About Namkhai Norbu

Namkhai Norbu was a leading authority on Tibetan culture, particularly in the fields of history, literature, traditional religions, and Traditional Tibetan medicine, having written numerous books and scholarly articles on these subjects.

In 1976, Namkhai Norbu began to give Dzogchen instruction in the West, first in Italy, then in numerous other countries.

Namkhai Norbu became a respected spiritual authority among many practitioners, and created centers for the study of Dzogchen worldwide.

Namkhai Norbu taught Dzogchen for more than fifty years and was considered by the Tibetan government in exile as "the foremost living Dzogchen" teacher at the time of his death, in 2018.

Namkhai Norbu founded the Dzogchen Community, which today has centers around the world, including in the US, Mexico, Australia, Russia, and China.

Namkhai Norbu was born on 8 December 1938 in the village of Ge'u in Derge County.

When Namkhai Norbu was two years old, this was confirmed by a senior tulku of the Nyingma school.

Furthermore, when he was five years old, the sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa and the Situ Rinpoche together recognized Namkhai Norbu as the mind emanation of the mindstream of another well-known teacher, who was in turn the emanation of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the 17th-century Tibetan-born founder and spiritual leader of Bhutan.

Namkhai Norbu received numerous tantric and Dzogchen transmissions and teachings from many masters, including his paternal uncle Togden Ugyen Tendzin, his maternal uncle Khyentse Rinpoche Chokyi Wangchug, as well as Drubwang Rinpoche Kunga Palden, Negyab Rinpoche, Drugse Gyurmed Dorje, Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, Dudjom Rinpoche Yeshe Dorje, and Bo Gongkar Rinpoche.

Namkhai Norbu was invited to China in 1953 as a representative of the Tibetan monasteries.

Namkhai Norbu stayed at Dorje's residence in Khamdogar for six months, and it was under this teacher that Norbu gained real experiential knowledge of Dzogchen.

From Changchub Dorje, Namkhai Norbu received authentic transmissions of all three series of Dzogchen.

Already recognized as a knowledgeable figure in all aspects of Tibetan culture at the age of 22, Namkhai Norbu was invited to Italy by Giuseppe Tucci to work at the Institute for the Middle and Far East in Rome for two years.

Namkhai Norbu collaborated with Tucci and Geshe Jempel Senghe on a catalogue and library of Tibetan texts.

Namkhai Norbu focused his research on the ancient history of Tibet, the Shang Shung kingdom, and the Bon tradition.

Namkhai Norbu's research included works on history, Tibetan medicine, astrology, Bon, and Tibetan folk traditions.

In 1971, Namkhai Norbu began to teach an ancient Tibetan form of physical yoga he called Yantra Yoga.

Namkhai Norbu continued to travel around the world, giving Dzogchen teachings.

Namkhai Norbu held over 600 Dzogchen retreats throughout his life.

Namkhai Norbu developed a system of study and contemplative training for his students, which he called Santi Maha Sangha.

In 2002, Namkhai Norbu oversaw the establishment of the Ka-Ter translation project, which tasked experienced translators such as Adriano Clemente, Elio Guarisco, and Jim Valby with the translation from Tibetan of key texts, as well as the works of Namkhai Norbu himself.

In 1983, Namkhai Norbu organized the First International Congress on Tibetan Medicine, which was held at Ca' Foscari University in Venice and the Cini Foundation, Arcidosso.

Namkhai Norbu convened the first three International Conferences on Tibetan Language, held at various major universities.

In 2000, Namkhai Norbu was invited to the UN's Millennium World Peace Conference of Religious and Spiritual Leaders in New York.

Chogyal Namkhai Norbu wrote more than eighty works, which have been translated into numerous languages.

Namkhai Norbu's oeuvre includes books on Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan history, poetry, biographies, and works on Tibetan culture and Tibetan medicine.