With Künzang Dorje Rinpoche
Yang-lé-shöd Nepal, – October 1995
Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche is little known in the West and has never travelled to the West. He has always sought anonymity and rejected every position of spiritual status to which he has been invited. He is nonetheless revered as a highly realised Dzogchen yogi, teacher of rTsa-rLung, and master of karmamudra.
Ngak’chang Rinpoche has always described Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche as a ‘wrathful Lama’, but when they met in 1995 the apprentices were amazed to find him to be the epitome of cordiality. Gyaltsen Rinpoche commented that Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche had indeed exhibited an astonishing change in terms of how he manifested as a Lama.
Ngak’chang Rinpoche was noticeably moved by the experience of meeting Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche and never more so than when Künzang Dorje Rinpoche pulled him onto his throne for a picture to be taken of them sitting together. A great deal of humour ensued as each apprentice was presented to Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche, in which personal comment of a delightful nature was made about each person. As one disciple paid his respects Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche beamed at him and exclaimed: ‘Thang-tong Gyalpo!’ Thang-thong Gyalpo was a Nyingma gTértön who is always portrayed as an expansive yogi with a mighty beard.
