His Holiness the 34th Menri Trizin Lungtok Dawa Dargyal Rinpoche
H.H 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche, visite à Shenten Dargye Ling, France en 2019
His Holiness the 34th Menri Trizin Lungtok Dawa Dargyal Rinpoche, the spiritual head of the global Bön community, hails from the Do-mé region of Tibet. Born on November 29, 1972, in the Chhuktruk Tsang family line of Mayön Déwa, he is the son of Pelyön Bumsel and Luyang Chukmo. His birth name was Norbu Sampel. His birthplace, Zingchu, is located near the Jadur Ngönmo and Dungri Karpo mountains, sacred sites blessed by past Bön masters like Gyabön Zingpa Tuchen. His family was part of the community around the Pel Shenten Gamel Yungdrung Dargyal Ling monastery.
In 1977, at the age of five, he entered the local primary school and continued there through the second grade. At eight, he began learning basic Tibetan reading and writing, chanting ritual texts, and fundamental Bön practices from his teacher, Géshé Dratok Pelchen Kyapchok.
In 1983, at eleven, he entered Gamel Monastery, where the head lama Khyungtsa Tenpa Gongpel Ripoche cut his hair and gave him the name Zöpa Tsöndrü, marking the start of his monastic life. He took the five basic precepts of a Genyen from Lopon Kelzang Dargyal and learned monastic chants, rituals, and melodies.
At seventeen, he took novice monk vows with Khenpo Shérap Tarchin Rinpoche and Lopon Kelzang Dargyal, who gave him the name Tsultrim Nyima. He began his basic studies of Collected Topics with Lopon Kelzang Dargyal.
In 1992, at eighteen, he officially entered the Dialectic school in Gamel Monastery, studying with Lopon Yéshé Gyeltsen. In 1994, he met the 33rd Menri Trizin, His Holiness Lungtok Tenpé Nyima, and took the vows of a fully ordained monk, receiving the name Dawa Dargyal Wangpo.
In 1996, he obtained the title of Géshé Lharampa and continued to assume various responsibilities at the monastery. In 1997, he journeyed to India to study at Pel Shenten Menri Ling Monastery, where he retook the novice vows and pursued his studies for fourteen years.
In 2012, he received the title of Géshé and assumed various roles at the monastery. After the passing of the 33rd Menri Trizin in 2017, he was selected as the 34th Menri Trizin on January 1, 2018, and enthroned on February 20, 2018. He continued to travel and meet spiritual leaders while maintaining the Bön teachings.
On September 14, 2017, the global Bön community suffered a significant loss with the passing of the 33rd Menri Trizin Rinpoche. At that time, Lungtok Dawa Dargyal, then General Secretary of the Yungdrung Bon Monastic Centre Society, took charge of organizing the memorial services and cremation ceremony.
On January 1, 2018, Geshe Dawa Dargyal was selected as the 34th Menri Trizin in a traditional ceremony called Tagdril. Bönpos worldwide celebrated this selection at Menri Monastery. His enthronement took place on February 20, 2018, marking the beginning of his spiritual reign.
On March 21, 2018, he traveled to Triten Norbutsé Monastery in Nepal, where he met Yongdzin Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. On April 6, he met the 14th Dalai Lama. On September 3 and 4, 2018, he presided over the one-year memorial ceremony for the 33rd Menri Trizin, consecrating a great stupa in his memory and launching a photobiography.
On September 6, 2018, a grand enthronement ceremony took place at Menri, attracting thousands of devotees. In October 2018, he visited Sikkim for the first time, blessing the monasteries and Bön devotees.
In 2019, His Holiness the 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche honoured Shenten Dargye Ling with his visit. On this occasion, he offered a precious teaching, bringing together many practitioners.
The selection process for the 34th Menri Trizin: Tagdril
The selection process for the 34th Menri Trizin, spiritual leader of the Bön tradition, followed a traditional divination ritual. Following the death of His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin, the transition was led by Menri Ponlob Thinley Nyima Rinpoche, in close consultation with Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche and other great lamas, tulkus and lineage holders inside and outside Tibet.
The candidates, all of whom hold the title of geshe (equivalent to a doctorate) and have studied the Bön teachings (sutra, tantra and dzogchen) for at least 15 years, were announced on 10 December 2017. Of the 100 eligible, those who did not wish to participate could withdraw.
On 19 December 2017, the names of the 64 remaining candidates were written on pieces of paper and sealed in ritual pellets (tsampa pills) of identical weight. These pellets were placed in closed bowls, sealed and kept in a shrine for rituals and prayers led by monks and nuns in honour of protective deities, including Sipe Gyalmo and Phurpa.
On 27 December, a first selection took place: two pellets emerged from the bowls after the prayers. These were returned to a shrine for further rituals. Finally, on 1 January 2018, during the final ceremony, one last pellet was drawn, revealing Geshe Dawa Dargyal as the 34th Menri Trizin.
In February 2018, this selection was celebrated by the Bön community worldwide. T
hen, on 6 September 2018, his grand enthronement ceremony took place at Menri Monastery, officially marking the beginning of his tenure as spiritual leader of the Bön tradition.
source of this biography
The website :
Yungdrung Bon Monastic Centre Society
