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Lama Lodru was appointed
resident lama of Kagyu Droden
Kunchab in San Francisco in 1976 by His
Holliness the Gyalwa Karmapa
and His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche. He was born in
Sikkim in 1942 into a
Tibetan family. His grandfather, Lama Wongten,
was held in very high
esteem throughout the region as a yogi and
general practitioner of the
Dharma. Lama Lodru Rinpoche completed his
preliminary training and
education at the monasteries of His Holiness the
Karmapa and His
Eminence Kalu Rinpoche. He also studied and
trained under the great
yogi Drupon Tenzin Rinpoche and His Eminence
Thrangu Rinpoche.
Lama Lodru Rinpoche
completed the traditional three-year
retreat under H.E. Kalu Rinpoche, and then spent
a period of time
leading isolated retreats. He then went to Kalu
Rinpoche's monastery in
Sonada and served for seven years as a puja
master. He taught for two
years at various European centers before coming
to KDK.
His Holiness, the Gyalwa
Karmapa during one of his visits to
San Francisco, emphacized that those whoare
interested in the teachings
of the Buddha are very fortunate to be involved
with KDK and should
take advantage of the precious opportunity to
study and practice the
Dharma with Lama Lodru Rinpoche. The Karmapa
descriped Rinpoche as,
"... a lama who has highly developed his inner
practice."
Lama Lodru Rinpoche's
teachings are very clear, unique, and
profound. They touch the heart of everyone who
listens. For example,
during an initiation ceremony, Rinpoche will
explain every detail. This
makes a definite difference in the student's
understanding of the
method and makes it easier to experience the
simplicity of the nature
of mind. Rinpoche is very accomodating to anyone
who wants to seriously
practice meditation.
Lama Lodru Rinpoche's
teachings benefit many people of all
ages and levels of experience. His direct
insight and simplicity as
well as his humor and kindness make these
teachings appear as
transparent and brightly radiating five colored
light, powerfully
illuminating the truth. He teaches us to
cultivate virtue and avoid
wrong actions, stressing the value of true
compassion as the key for
liberation and supreme knowledge.
In this era of disease,
famine, war and untimely death, we
the students of this excellent Rinpoche pray for
his good heath and
long life. We rejoice in his guidence and pray
that all may learn
loving kindness for each other, and share his
limiless profound
realization until we reach enlightenment.
(writtten by Don Iocca,
a devoted student who went on
three year retreat)
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