Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche
Lama Sonam Tashi was born on August 11, 1987 to father Champon Lama Dorjee Thinley and mother Nyima Youdon. His name was bestowed upon him by his grandfather, Aumtse Chenpo Dutse Dorjee. Dutse Dorjee was appointed as the Dudjom Tersar’s cham (vajra dance) teacher by His Holiness Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche. Lama Sonam Tashi’s father, Dorjee Thinley, succeeded his own father as the cham master and umdzé. Six children were born to Dorjee Thinley and Nyima Youdon. One passed away in childhood; Sonam Tashi is the third of the remaining five siblings.
Sonam Tashi went to the Nepal Dudjom Monastery in 1990 to study the Dudjom lineage. He attended the Central School for Tibetan Chandagiri for three years beginning in 1996. He joined Dundul Raptenling Monastery in 1999, where he learned Tibetan grammar, spelling, Lo-zin (Tibetan oral texts) and studied the Nyingma sutras with Namdrolling Khenpo. Along with all the other monks, he received the Dudjom rituals from his master the late Lama Pema Choeying. He completed his ritual studies with Lopön Jamyang after his master Pema Choeying passed away. He also received Gampopa’s dharma treasures from his father, Lama Dorjee Thinley. Sonam Tashi lacked interest in academics and was rather stubborn as a child, yet was very respectful to his teachers and elders, and was kind to the very young. At a young age he showed great determination and interest in serving the dharma, and was liked and trusted by all.
Initial Responsibility
During the decline of Dundul Raptenling in about 2005, Lama Sonam Tashi started helping the incumbent monastery president, the Venerable Tulku Tsephel by sharing some responsibilities. At first, Lama Sonam struggled to continue with all the monthly offerings and continuing with all the traditional sacred services. At the request of Tulku Tsephel Rinpoche, Lama Sonam toured India to raise funds to resurrect the monastery to its previous glory. With the donations he collected, he was able to assemble about fifteen new monks, and he used the funds to improve the situation of the monastery as well as the lives of the monks.
He has taken guidance and suggestions about monastery affairs twice from His Holiness Dudjom Yangzi Pema Zhepa Rinpoche. Lama Sonam Tashi requested financial aid from the Religious and Cultural Department of the Central Tibetan Administration for the education of the monks, and he now receives a monthly lopön’s salary from that department.
When Tulku Tsephel Rinpoche passed away in 2010, the entire responsibility for the monastery fell upon Sonam’s shoulders. He faced many challenges in financial management and planning, as there were no funds to provide for food and other basic expenses. During that time, he contacted high lamas including Kyabje Garab Rinpoche, Kyabje Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and the late Kyabje Shenphen Dawa Rinpoche for help. All three rinpoches agreed to help, and since then the monastery’s finances have stabilized.
In 2016, Lama Sonam Tashi was able to build a new dormitory and classroom building through the generous sponsorship of Dungsey Garab Dorjee Rinpoche. Other donors sponsored the purchase of new lama dancing masks for Guru Tsyengye Cham (the Eight Avatars), and many other lama dancing masks totaling seventy in all, as well as lama dancing costumes. New thrones were made, and many ritual implements and items were also purchased. Many other smaller projects have also been successfully accomplished.
Lama Sonam Tashi continues to teach Buddhist texts and rituals to the monks at Dundul Raptenling. He believes it is due to the blessings of his lamas and teachers, and the prayers and aspirations of his spiritual friends that he has been able to carry out his monastic responsibilities with few obstacles or interruptions. With the blessings of Kyabje Dudjom Yangsi Rinpoche, Lama Sonam began visiting other countries in 2019; this has helped provide the financial resources needed for the construction of the new library at Dundul Raptenling, as well as the ongoing Zangdok Palri construction project.
Empowerments, Initiations and Transmissions
Lama Sonam Tashi received the first half of the Dudjom Tersar empowerments from Kyabje Terton Namkha Drimed Rabjam Rinpoche. He has now successfully prepared and organized that empowerment at Dundul Raptenling. He received the second half of the empowerment and the complete lung of the Dudjom treasure lineage from the late Tulku Tsephel Rinpoche; he also received the secret Me-Ngag and Dam-Ngag from Tulku Tsephel. He received the oral transmission for Kyabje Jamgon Kongtrul’s Nyungne prayer from Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche. He received the full oral transmission of the Kyabje Jamyang Khyentse Chockyi Lodoe zungbum (collected works) from Kyabje Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche. He received Troma teachings from Kyabje Pekoe Gyalsey Rinpoche as well as the teachings preceding Dudjom Rinpoche’s Dham-ngag and Phowa. He received the full oral transmission of Kyabje Degyal Rinpoche’s zungbum from Kyabje Tulku Gyepa Dorjee Rinpoche. He received the empowerment of Taksham Terchoe from Kyabje Terchen Namkha Drimed Rabjam Rinpoche. He received the empowerment of the entire Rinchen Terdzö from Kyabje Drupwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche. He received the complete oral transmission of the Rinchen Terdzö from Kyabje Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche. He received the Kalachakra empowerment from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He received the Grand Troma Empowerment from Kyabje Dungsey Garab Rinpoche. He also learned the Dudjom dharma lineage dances from his father, Champon Lama Dorjee Thinley. He received the Ling Dro (Ling Gesar’s Sacred Dances), and the Lhamo of Druptop Thangtong Gyalpo from the instructors at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Dharamsala, India. He received the Jatsön Nyingpo empowerment and transmission from Kyabje Pekoe Gyalsey Rinpoche. He has received the Troma empowerment, as well as the Dorje Drolö and Tara empowerments from Kyabje Dudjom Yangsi Rinpoche.
His additional achievements
Lama Sonam Tashi has published the Dudjom Comprehensive Mandala, which has benefitted practitioners of the Tersar lineage worldwide. He has also written a book on Tibetan handwriting, the Kunphel Yigsu Theb, the Dudjom Solka, as well as a Rime (nonsectarian) daily prayer book. He also created a video CD of the Dudjom Tersar tradition of cham, or lama dancing. The CD was appreciated by Dudjom Rinpoche and Dungsey Garab Rinpoche, both of whom provided support for this project. Lama Sonam has organized the rare and sacred Kilaya Mendrup Drupchen three times at Dundul Raptenling, each led by high lamas at the monastery. He is also currently overseeing the newly formed Troma Tsogpa, a group of lay practitioners at Odisha. He teaches and leads them in a monthly Chöd gathering.
Lama Sonam Tashi’s gratifying accomplishment
During February and March of 2016, Lama Sonam Tashi was able to host the visits of two Dungseys, Kyabje Garab Dorjee Rinpoche and Kyabje Kathok Situ Rinpoche. During those visits, both Rinpoches conferred many empowerments and gave heartfelt spiritual counsel and advice to the monks and general public as well. All these events occurred without obstacles or impediments of any kind, leaving all the participants blessed and in awe. At that time, Lama Sonam also held the grand enthronement ceremony of his karmic guide and root guru, the Yangsi of the venerable Tulku Tsephel Rinpoche. The ceremony was conducted by Kyabje Kathok Situ Rinpoche, following the Yangsi’s recognition and authentication by the late Dudjom Sangyum Khandro Rigzin Wangpo Rinpoche as well as the late Kyabje Shenphen Dawa Rinpoche.
In 2017, Lama Sonam Tashi was the chanting master at the Second Troma Bhumtsok puja led by His Holiness Dudjom Yangsi Rinpoche in Nepal, where the Million Tsok Puja was offered for world peace. At that time, Lama Sonam Tashi also chanted Bhumtsok for several days in the Sherpa Monastery of Kathmandu. He chanted in front of thousands of rinpoches, lamas, monks, nuns, and the public. Lama has taught over one hundred Troma practitioners in South India in Bylakuppe, over one hundred Troma practitioners in North India in Uttarkhand, and over fifty Troma practitioners in Odisha. Lama Sonam Tashi is very pleased that many people are joining the Troma practice. In 2020 Lama Sonam Tashi organized the Jatsön Nyingpo empowerment in Odisha led by Kyabje Pekoe Gyalsey Rinpoche and Kyabje Dakpo Rinpoche. Thousands of people attended.
With the wonderful help of his students in Singapore, Lama Sonam has completed a new class room, an additional dormitory, a computer room, a library, an office and a large teaching hall measuring 170 feet long. This was all completed early in 2020. During the COVID-19 lockdown period, Lama Sonam Tashi provided rations and food staples for almost 1,000 Indian and Tibetan households. He was also able to provide PPE kits to all the doctors and nurses in his area, as well as to provide 3,000 masks for the population of the Tibetan settlements.