Khenpo
Phurba Wangchuk
Khenpo Phurba Wangchuk was born in 1975 to Ngawang and Kyiga at a place called Achug Tsathang at Lingtsang (the birthplace of King Gesar) in the Easter Tibetan region of Kham.
He studied diligently as young child reading, writing, rituals and conduct from Lama Karma Ngedon at Tsabtsa monastery. When he was little older he took the Getsul vow from Khenpo Palga of Gotsa, followed by a study of classical texts such as the Bodhisattva-charya-avatara, Dom-sum and more. He participated at regular activities of Tsabtsa monastery such as traditional rituals of offering and Cham dancing.
Later on, he entered the Shedra (collage of Buddhist studies). Together with some high officials he received sacred mpowerments and instructions on the practice of Mahakala (male and female) from Karma Senge – the 8 th incarnation ofTsabtsa’s accomplished master, followed by a winter group retreat. He received teachings on the practices of Bodhisattvas, the Bhodhisattvacharyavatara, the dharmas of Maitreya and more from Khenpo Sonam Yonten, Khenpo Nyima Gyaltsen and others.
He arrived in India in 2000 and entered the Sherda of Palpung Sherab Ling monastery – the monastic seat of Guru Vajradhara, His Holiness Tai Situ Pema Donyö Drupa Rinpoche. From 2001 studied for ten years topics such as Tibetan grammar, the five classical texts, Buddhist practices, three tantras of inner analysis. He also had many opportunities to participate in scientific workshops and seminars.
He took full ordination as a gelong from Guru Vajradhara His Holiness Tai Situ Rinpoche,
and studied Abhidharma, the Shangpa-Kaygu teachings, the six yogas of Naropa, instructions and empowerment of the tantric system of Marpa and the empowerment of the three volumes of Yongge. Twice he received extensive teachings on the Mahamudra – Ocean of Certainty, transmissions of the Mahamudra prayer and the Mahamudra Lamp of Certainty and the six yogas of Naropa and more.
He also received empowerments, transmissions and teachings from His Holiness the Dalai lama, His Holiness the Karmapa, Sakya Khongma Rinpoche, Goshri Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, Yongge Mingyur Rinpoche, Khenchen Tragyal and Tsultrim Namdak, Drikhung Khenpo Nyima Gyaltsen and more.
He served as a disciple master of the Shedra in 2004. In 2008 he became a debate partner of His Holiness the Karmapa and was appointed as a teacher at the Tergar Monastery in Nepal.
In 2014 he returned to Sherab Ling and became manager khenpo of the Shedra.
He received the degree of Kyorbon in 2009, Lobon in 2010 and Khenpo in 2013. He has been a teacher at the Shedra from 2010 to the present day.