About the Chairperson

The third Agya Rinpoche, Kuenga Gyeltshen, was born in 1979 at Yarab near Agya sacred valley under Mongar Dzongkhag to father Lama Wangchuk, who was a son of Jetsun Kuenzang Minjur, a descendant of Rigdzin Pema Lingpa and mother Tshogyel Wangmo, daughter of the late Second Agya Shenphen Drodul Dorji Tenzin, who was a descendent of Terchen Dorje Lingpa. He was given the name Sherab Gyeltshen. During his childhood, he recalled and narrated the stories of his past lives. Thinking that the boy could be an incarnation of a lama, the people of the locality reported to the late H.E. Agya Lama Shenphen Drodul Dorji Tenzin Rinpoche. However, the late Memey Lama told them that a child could do anything. The future of the boy couldn’t be known at that stage and asked them to ignore their proposal.

Lam Kuenga studied reading and writing and memorizing Buddhist ritual text under the guidance of the late Memey Rinpoche. At twelve, he joined Mongar District Rabdey and was named Kuenga Gyeltshen. At the Rabdey, he received training in all three spheres of Drukpa Kagyu tradition mandala rituals: chanting, arts, and dance under the guidance of Lam Neten Namgyal.

Then, he went to Ngatshang Shedra and studied grammar and poetry, all the Madhyamika root text written by Nagarjuna from Khenpo Karma Rangdrol. He joined the Tango Choying Phodrang Buddhist institute and studied the Mahayana and Hinayana Abhidharma, Prajnaparamita, and five texts on philology from Lopen Kunleg Gyeltshen and Lopon Samten Dorji. He returned to his Memey Rinpoche and received complete empowerments, transmission, and instructions on the profound teachings of Terchen Dorje Lingpa and he practiced it for three years. Later, he went to Namdroling Nyingma Institute, Mysore, India and studied Guhyagarbha root tantra, collection of sutras, and scriptures of Ngagyur Nyingma under Khenchen Pema Sherab and Khenchen Jamyang Tshering. Similarly, he received empowerments, transmissions and instructions of both old and new translations from Kyabje Drubwang Penor Rinpoche, Kyabje Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Kyabje Taglung Tsetrul Rinpoche, Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, Sengdrag Rinpoche, Yangthang Rinpoche, Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, Ladakh Togden Rinpoche, Je Nyitrul Thinley Lhundrup, Je Tenzin Dendup, Kyabje Trulku Jigme Chodrak, Gyeltshen Trulku Rinpoche, Dodzin Sonam Jamtsho Rinpoche and many other great lamas of our time.

According to the command of the Royal Government of Bhutan and His Holiness the 70th Je Khenpo Trulku Jigme Chodra, he became the head Lam of Thekchen Chagna Pemo Gyepai Ling monastery, Themnangbi, Mongar. Moreover, he tirelessly gathered, edited and printed, distributed texts of all sets of teachings of Terchen Dorje Lingpa. He also printed and distributed the whole set of mandalas and empowerment icons(Tsakli) of Dorje Lingpa teachings.

He regularly gives empowerment, transmissions, and instructions at different Terchen Dorje Lingpa centers for the welfare of Buddhadharma and sentient beings. Currently, he resides at late Memey Rinpoche’s center, Baeyul Agya Dungkar Choling Monastery as the third Agya Rinpoche and the main lineage holder of Terchen Dorje Lingpa.