Kyabjé Chhi’mèd Rig’dzin Rinpoche
Khordong gTérchen Tulku Chhi’mèd Rig’dzin Rinpoche
Kyabjé Chhi’mèd Rig’dzin Rinpoche was the incarnation of Khalden Lingpa – a great gTértön of the turn of the 19th and 20th century. In his most recent life he was renowned in the Northern Kham and Golok regions of Tibet as the gTértön Zilngön Lingpa. He was the lineage holder of the Khordong gTérmas and also of the Chang gTér lineage of the Nyingma tradition. He was the head of Khordong Gompa in Sér-ta valley in the plain of Gor-gon-thang, Northern Kham. Khordong is the main gompa of 13 associated gompas and retreat places.
This photograph was taken in Gangtok, Sikkim, when Rinpoche was in his early 20s. He is performing gar’cham (vajra dance) wearing the peaceful costume and the crown of the five Buddha Families – the sang-gyé rig-nga (sangs rGyas rig lNga). Ngak’chang Rinpoche studied with Kyabjé Chhi’mèd Rig’dzin Rinpoche between 1978 and 1993 during which time he studied Chang gTér and Khordong gTér Mahayoga sadhanas as well as receiving informal symbolic transmission on many occasions and under a wide variety of circumstances. In 1988 Kyabjé Chhi’mèd Rig’dzin Rinpoche came to stay at Ngak’chang Rinpoche’s home in Cardiff, Wales, where he gave a series of empowerments to students from Britain and Europe, and publicly tied a takdröl ornament into Ngak’chang Rinpoche’s hair (top-knot)
