FOUNDER OF THE RAKTRUL FOUNDATION
 he third incarnate Terton Bardor Tulku Rinpoche was born in 1950 in Kham, East Tibet. He was recognized by His Holiness the Sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa at a very early age. He maintained a nomadic life style with his family and Dharma tutor who were all constantly on the move.
Rinpoche was quite young when the family left East Tibet on a journey that took them first to Lhasa, then Tsurphu, and then on to Drikung where they were to remain for several years at the home of his grandparents. With the Chinese Communist occupation of Tibet, the political and social conditions worsened.
Rinpoche's family, then a party of thirteen, set out towards India along with many other Tibetans who were also fleeing the fighting. They traveled through Kong Po and crossed the Himalayan mountain range, braved 17,000 foot passes, and then descended into the hot jungles of Assam, India.
When Rinpoche was nine years old, one after another of his family members died as they failed to adjust to the tropical heat. When his father, the last member of his family died, Rinpoche set out with a twelve year old friend and a group of other Tibetans who had also fled their homeland. |
At the township known as Bomdila, where the borders of Tibet, Bhutan and Assam, India meet, a bombing raid dispersed the group. Rinpoche and his young friend fled the attack and traveled westward along the border of Bhutan and India, through Gohat and Siliguri to Darjeeling. Upon arrival in Darjeeling, His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa was notified that Rinpoche had safely made his way out of Tibet. Filled with joy at the good news, His Holiness arranged for Rinpoche to be brought to Sikkim, and for Rinpoches's friend to be taken care of. It was at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, under the tutelage of His Holiness Karmapa, that Rinpoche's formal training as a tulku began.
After completing many years of study and practice, Bardor Tulku Rinpoche accompanied the Sixteenth Karmapa on his world tours in 1974 and 1976. It was in 1977 that His Holiness asked Rinpoche to remain in Woodstock, New York at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD). During his first two years at KTD, Rinpoche worked side-by-side with the staff to renovate and winterize the house and prepare for His Holiness' last visit to the West as the Sixteenth Karmapa. In 1980, during that last visit, His Holiness directed that His monastery and Seat in North America be established at KTD, and performed the formal investiture. After the groundbreaking ceremony in May of 1982, Bardor Rinpoche directed the construction plans and activities, and labored each day to build the monastery.
The Venerable Khenpo Karthar, Abbot of KTD and Bardor Tulku Rinpoche continue tirelessly to teach and work for the flourishing of His Holiness's seat and center, KTD in Woodstock, NY, and it's affiliate Karma Thegsum Cholings and Karma Kagya Study Groups.
In a previous life, Bardor Rinpoche was Nupchen Yeshe, who was one of Guru Rinpoche's twenty-five main Tibetan disciples. These twenty-five are considered to have been emanations of Guru Rinpoche. Throughout his life, the first Barway Dorge was guided by Guru Rinpoche. As a young man, he had a vision in which he received empowerment and the name "Great Bliss Blazing Vajra", from Guru Rinpoche, which he used from then on. He is therefore also known as "Terchen Barway Dorje." |
