Support Young Monks in Bhutan

The monks of Khedrup Rinpoche’s Monastery in Trongsa, Bhutan need your help!

The Monastery is home to over 50 young monks and is run by Monla Khedrup Rinpoche (affectionately known as Khedrupchen Rinpoche) who was recognised as the fifth reincarnation of Kyabgon Monla Khedrup Jigme Kundrol who was an illustrious heart son of the Vajrayana Dzogchen master Jigme Lingpa.

The Monks

The heart of the monastery are the young monks. Most of the monks are less than 20 years old with some as young as 4. Each of them has their own unique and inspirational story on how they came.

Some are orphans who had no place to go if it wasn’t for Khedrupchen Rinpoche’s kindness. Others were saved from abusive homes or extreme poverty. And others still were brought here by their motivation to immerse themselves in Buddhist teachings. What unites them is their love of the monastery and their community.

We Need Your Help

Through Khedrupchen Rinpoche’s kindness, many of the young monks have received food, shelter and teachings they could never have received otherwise. Sadly the monks quarters can no longer cater to the demand and a new building is desperately needed.

We need your help to make sure the monks have a home and others will not be turned away. Any donation will be welcome!

Fortunately, the frame of the new building has been built so we just need some additional money to complete the construction. It is estimated that it will cost USD $150’000 to complete the rest of the construction. A generous donor has agreed to match any donations that are made so your donation will count as double! We just need to raise USD $75’000.

Your donation would serve to complete this very noble project!

About the Monastery

In addition to providing food, shelter and education to the young monks, the monastery has stayed true to its traditional lineage by immersing the monks in the teachings of Longchen Nyingtik and reciting prayers in the ancient 1200 year old temple built by Guru Rinpoche’s Bhutanese consort. Additionally prayers and pujas are offered regularly to the community who consider Rinpoche and the monastery as a central pillar to their way of life.

About Khedrupchen Rinpoche

Khedrupchen Rinpoche was born in 1990 in Eastern Bhutan. He was recognized and enthroned as the fifth reincarnation of Kyabgon Monla Khedrup Jigme Kundrol, a renowned scholar and practitioner from Bhutan who was one of the main students of Jigme Lingpa, a highly revered and realized teacher of eighteenth century Tibet.

Rinpoche started his formal monastic education from the age of thirteen in Phagchok Monastery in Eastern Bhutan under the guidance of Lama Kunzang Namdrol. In 2006, he joined Mindrolling College in India for nine years of advanced Buddhist studies in sutras and tantras where he graduated in 2015 with an acharya degree (equivalent to a Ph.D.). Upon completion he was appointed teaching faculty at Mindrolling, a great honor, and taught there for three years.

He has studied directly under many eminent Buddhist teachers across various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. His main teachers are the late His Holiness the Fourth Dodrupchen Rinpoche, Dzongsar Jamyang Khyenste Rinpoche, Dza Jigme Namgyal, Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche, Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche and Khenchen Katayana. He has also completed several years of intensive short and long-term meditation retreats.

Rinpoche is Founder and President of Khedrup Foundation, a non-profit religious organization registered in Bhutan, Supreme Head of Rephel Mebar Lhakhang, a 1,200-year old temple of great historical significant in Trongsa, Central Bhutan, and Founder and Spiritual Director of Sangchen Ogyen Tsuklag Monastery in Trongsa, Central Bhutan and Phajo Gonpa Gomde, a yogi retreat center, in Samdrup Jongkhar, Eastern Bhutan.

Rinpoche’s activities often consist of putting wisdom and compassion into social action. In 2016, he founded Siddhartha’s Wisdom Club to introduce Buddhist wisdom and values for youth, helping them live in harmony with their inner and outer nature, particularly connecting inner well-being with environmental preservation. In 2017, he founded the Ami-Deva Association for elder citizens to help create a community of connection and belonging where they can deeply practice meditation for inner well-being. Additionally, Rinpoche is involved in numerous humanitarian activities across the country in a range of areas. Rinpoche travels around the world teaching and collaborating with scholars and practitioners in universities, institutes, and centers in order to innovate new skillful-means for teaching Buddha-Dharma in a modern context and to continue the lineages of Buddhism for future generations.