His Eminence Luding Khenchen Rinpoche
His Eminence Kyabje Dorje Chang Luding Khenchen Rinpoche is the 75th Head of the Ngor sub-sect of the Sakya tradition in Tibetan Buddhism. A most highly respected teacher, His Eminence is believed to be the emanation of Vajrapani.
His Eminence was born to the clan of Shang (also called Sharchen, or Ludingpa) in 1931 near the great seat of Ngor Ewam monastery called Pangshal. This clan is renowned for producing scholars and siddhas of different Buddhist sects. The position of the head abbot of Ngor was traditionally held for a three-year period in which extensive teachings are given almost non-stop. The three-year periods alternate between the four monastic Houses (ladrangs); Luding, Khangsar, Thartse and Phende.
Due to the Chinese take-over of Tibet in 1959 and the disruption to the Ngor monastic system, His Eminence has effectively led and maintained the Ngor School up to 16th March 2000. His nephew (Her Eminence Jetsun Kushok Chimey Luding's son), His Eminence Luding Shabdrung Rinpoche, was enthroned at Ngor Pal Ewam Choden Monastery, Manduwalla, India, as the 76th abbot of the line. So therefore, his nephew is known as His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche, while we address His Eminence as 'Luding Khenchen Rinpoche'.
As the eldest in this family, His Eminence was ordained as a monk at the age of ten by his uncle, the most gracious Khenchen Sharchen Jamyang Thupten Lungtok Gyaltsen Palsangpo. For the next thirteen years, His Eminence was blessed with pith instructions of Lamdre, several initiations, oral transmissions, advice, grammar, poetry and so on from Khenchen Sharchen. His Eminence's other teachers include the two Khenchens of Ewam Khangsar Ladrang, His Holiness Sakya Trizin and His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche.
For almost four continuous years from the age of seventeen, His Eminence was in retreat, practicing mainly on sadhanas of Hevajra and other deities. In 1954 at the age of twenty-four, His Eminence was enthroned as the abbot of the Ngor Ewam Choden Monastery.
In 1959, after the change of circumstances in Tibet, His Eminence left Tibet and fled to Darjeeling, India. In 1961, His Eminence established the Ngor center in Gangtok, Sikkim. In 1978, His Eminence also re-established the Ngor Pal Ewam Choden Monastery in Mandawala, North India.
His Eminence has contributed greatly to the Dharma by giving continuous teachings, empowerments, oral transmissions and re-establishing summer retreats in various Sakya monasteries in India, Nepal and other Sakya centers overseas. His Eminence have given the precious Lamdre teachings fifteen times, initations and instructions mainly on the Thirteen Golden Dharmas of Sakya tradition, the Seven Mandalas of Ngor tradition, and other deities, and has ordained more than ten thousand monks.
This short biography draws closely from the texts found at:
http://www.sakya.thinkbig.ca/lama-kyabje.html
http://www.kbi.org.au/frames/index.html
http://www.chogyetrichen.com/othermasters/index2.html - helkr