His Eminence Khensur Rinpoche was Born in 1939 in Karze District, Tibet, as Lobsang Delek. At seven years old, he joined Karze Monastery and started memorizing traditional monastic scriptures. He received the ordination name of Ngawang Soepa (Lord of Speech {Mañjuśrī} and Patience) at 17 years of age. In 1959, he fled to India and continued his Buddhist philosophical studies at Buxa Chogar, India. In 1968, he received full-ordination vows from His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. In 1982, he was honored with the highest Lharam Geshe degree. In 2005, he was enthroned as the Abbot of Gyudme Tantric Monastery, and he became the 75th Abbot of Sera Jé Monastery in May of 2012. Much of his time is presently devoted to giving precious Buddhist teachings, as well as bestowing oral transmissions (lung), commentaries (tri) and empowerments (wang) of many Highest Yoga Tantras. As Gyalten Khen Rinpoche indicated, he also is the main tutor of H. E. Chöden Rinpoche Gyalten Tenzin, the reincarnation of H. E. Chöden Rinpoche.
Gyalten Khen Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, teacher, and scholar in the Gelupa lineage traditions. He spent over twenty years as a close disciple and attendant of the great master yogi and scholar H. E. Chöden Rinpoche. During this time, Rinpoche personally transmitted and trained Gyalten Khen Rinpoche in many areas of Tibetan Buddhist studies including traditional rituals, seminal philosophies, and important Vajrayana practices. He became in essence one of Rinpoche’s main “heart” sons—a heir to all the outer and inner teachings of Buddhism.
Born in Bomdila, India June 27, 1966, Gyalten Khen Rinpoche, while still in his mother’s womb, received his Dharma name of Tseten Gelek from H.E. Chöden Rinpoche. This was an auspicious sign and was a preview of Khen Rinpoche’s lifelong aspiration to follow the spiritual and mind training comprehensive Buddhist path.
In 1985, he left Tibet and went to India to meet H.H. The Dalai Lama to receive lifelong guidance and his blessings. At that time, The Dalai Lama advised him to study in Dharamsala, India. Gyalten Khen Rinpoche received ordination as a monk from H. E. Chöden Rinpoche in 1990, and subsequently Rinpoche chose him as a special personal student while Khen Rinpoche attended Sera Jé Monastery to study for his Geshe degree (PhD in Buddhist Studies.) Under Chöden Rinpoche’s masterful guidance, Khen Rinpoche learn the Five Great Classical Treaties of Buddhist Philosophy: The Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras), Middle Way (Madhyama-pratipadā), Logic and Reasoning (Pramana-vada), Treasury of Knowledge and Monastic Discipline (Vinaya). Khen Rinpoche received, with honors, the Geshe degree in 2005.
In 2011, Gyalten Khen Rinpoche co-founded with H.E. Chöden Rinpoche Ananda Dhrama Retreat Center in San Jose, California. In 2013, he founded and is the Spiritual Director of Awakening Vajra a consortium of centers and groups to advance Tibetan Buddhism in the lineage of H. E. Chöden Rinpoche. In 2019, Awakening Vajra was legally renamed Awakening Vajra International, a 501 (c)3 organization to redefine its international reach and its vision and mission to achieve multiple projects worldwide. These projects include building Lama Gaun Tashi Rabten Monastery, of which Khen Rinpoche is the Abbot, designing and building Lama Gaun School for Monks, providing medical care and wellness programs to the region around Lama Gaun through The Gyalten Health and Wellness Clinic, publishing Tibetan Buddhist books through Gyalten Publishing Group and other projects to make the world a better and more peaceful place.
Under the spiritual guidance of Gyalten Khen Rinpoche, the astute leadership of his dedicated students and the ever-present loving vision of H. E. Chöden Rinpoche, Awakening Vajra International remains a vibrant meditational community making people and the world a more loving, compassionate place filled with joyful wisdom.