The 4th Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche

Karma Mingyur Dragpa Senge Trinley Kunkhyab Pal Zangpo

A contemporary Tibetan Buddhist master and lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu school. Born in Nepal, Rinpoche received a traditional Tibetan education and completed a three-year retreat. He divides his time between personal retreat, the care of his monastery and the teaching of the Dharma, to students all over the world.

Portrait of Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, Kathmandu, 2026

1995Born in Nepal, on 17 December
1996Recognised and named by the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje
2000Recognition reaffirmed by the 14th Dalai Lama
2017First European tour — France, Germany, Hungary, Poland
2018–2022Traditional three-year retreat in Pharping
2026European tour across six countries, from September to November

Early life and recognition

Birth and lineage

The 4th Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche was born on 17 December 1995 in Nepal, son of the 2nd Beru Khyentse Rinpoche, a revered master and lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. His arrival had been prophesied by the late Chobgye Trichen at the Great Manjushri's Temple.

Recognition and naming ceremony

In 1996 the young Rinpoche met the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje, who bestowed upon him the name Karma Mingyur Dragpa Senge Trinley Kunkhyab Pal Zangpo, confirming his recognition. The 14th Dalai Lama conducted the hair-cutting ceremony a year later and, under the guidance of Beru Khyentse Rinpoche, reaffirmed him as the reincarnation in 2000.

Education

Foundations

Rinpoche's early education covered the Tibetan language and the foundational practices of the Karma Kamtsang lineage. In his teenage years he studied at the Sakya Institute, known for its rigorous discipline and comprehensive curriculum, and received the three sets of complete vows: self-liberation, Mahayana and Vajrayana.

Philosophy and transmissions

He studied the major Buddhist philosophies, with notable results in Madhyamika and the Bodhicaryavatara, and received transmissions and empowerments from eminent lineage masters — among them the Chenrezig initiation from Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje and Hevajra from His Holiness Kyabgon Gongma Trichen Rinpoche.

Three-year retreat and current activities

Retreat

From 2018 to 2022 Rinpoche completed a traditional three-year retreat in Pharping. As a lineage holder, he now divides his time between personal retreat and teaching activity.

First European tour

In 2017 Rinpoche embarked on his first European tour, bestowing teachings and empowerments upon thousands of students in France, Germany, Hungary and Poland.

European tour and global outreach

The KhyenKong centres

Together with his father, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche, he leads the KhyenKong (Khyentse-Kongtrul) centres in Singapore, Budapest and Warsaw. Rinpoche has also expanded his activity online, giving students worldwide more opportunities to attend teachings and receive transmissions.