Menri Lopon Trinley Nyima Rinpoche is the lopon, or head instructor, of Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India. Born in Dolpo, a remote region of western Nepal, he has the family name of “Yangton” and an ancestry that traces back to Yangton Sherab Gyaltsen, a famous dzogchen and tantric master of the 11th century. Rinpoche began his training in 1976 at the age of 10. He received his geshe degree in 1989 from the Dialectic School at Menri Monastery and has been teaching there since then.

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In 1979, Ponlob Rinpoche’s brother, Lama Tashi, brought Rinpoche to Menri Monastery in India. Menri monastery is the main Bonpo monastery for Tibet as well as for the exile community of India. Rinpoche was ordained by H.H. the 33rd Menri Trizin and H.E. Yongzin Rinpoche. His studies focused on Sutra, Tanta and Dzogchen as well as Ritual, Grammar, Poetry, Astrology, Divination, Medicine, Thanka painting, Mandalas and Stupas. Ponlob obtained his Geshe Degree (Doctorate) from the Bon Dialectic School in 1989.

Soon after completing his Geshe Degree, Rinpoche was unanimously appointed Principle Instructor of the Bon Dialectic School by H.H. the 33rd Mentri Trizin and H.E. Yongzin Rinpoche. Again in 1992, His Holiness and Yongzin Rinpoche further honored Ponlob Rinpoche by giving him the title of Ponlob. It is the second most revered position in Menri Monastery.

 

Ponlob Rinpoche continues to teach at the Bon Dialectic School where is he responsible for the training of the students. He occasionally visits the Dolpo region of Nepal to give the Transmission of Preliminary practice and teach other aspects of the Bon Religion to thousands of lay people, monks and Tantric practitioners. Ponlob regularly visits the United States and Europe where he enjoys teaching the elements of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen to western practitioners. 

 

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