Sangtrul Rinpoche

The 1st Nehdo Sangye Tulku Rinpoche, an incarnation of the Mahasiddha Shavaripa, became the primary disciple of the scholar and adept Karma Chagme Raga Ase. Since then both Karma Chagme and Nehdo Sangye Tulku have served as a teacher/disciple to each other. For instance, the 5th Sangye Tulku Sangye Tenzin was the primary teacher of the 7th Karma Chagme Karma Tenzin Trinley Kunchab.

When Tibet underwent a huge change in 1959, the 5th Sangye Tulku Rinpoche said to Karma Chagme Rinpoche, “You, the 7th Karma Chagme must leave for India with your entourage. I am old, so it will be difficult for me to travel to India. However, I believe and pray that we meet each other soon because of our spiritual bond. You too should pray that we meet again soon.” Eventually, the scholar and adept Karma Chagme and his group arrived in Phuntsokling, Orissa, India through Assam. As requested by his many disciples, Karma Chagme established Ogyen Thekchokling, the first Nehdo monastery in exile in Tibetan Camp 5 in Orissa with the blessing from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje.

As the 5th Sangtul Rinpoche prayed in 1959 before he and his foremost disciple got parted away, when Karma Chagme’s wife became pregnant in India, Karma Chagme said that the child in her womb would be a boy and he would be the reincarnation of the 5th Sangtul Rinpoche. So, the 6th Sangtul Rinpoche was born with auspicious signs as a son of Karma Chagme and Pema Lhamo, the mother of good lineage, in 1965. When he was a child who could barely speak, he told his Father Rinpoche that he was Sangtul Rinpoche and he should be put on a throne. Furthermore, the child Rinpoche had compassion and wisdom, and he followed the Dharma accordingly. He could even learn a lot without studying much. The 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje said that the young Rinpoche would greatly benefit the Dharma in the future.