H. E. Kalu Rinpoche

His Eminence the Second Kalu Rinpoche is a world-renowned spiritual teacher and emissary of Vajrayana Buddhism. He is lineage holder of the Shangpa tradition, which originated from two female yoginis a thousand years ago. His face-to-face, published, and online teachings have brought to life these previously secretive practices, offering public access to those poised for profound transformation.

He was born in 1990, in Darjeeling, India. His father, Lama Gyaltsen, was a nephew of the previous Kalu Rinpoche and had also been his secretary since his youth. The Second Kalu Rinpoche was recognized on March 25, 1992, by Tai Situ Rinpoche.

In 1993, Kalu Rinpoche was inducted into Samdrub Darjay Chöling (Sonada). In 1999, he moved to the monastery of Bokar Rinpoche and in 2004, he began a traditional three-year retreat. In 2009, he received from Tai Situ Rinpoche all the transmissions of the Shangpa Lineage. On this occasion, he was conferred the cycle of initiations of the lineage 108 times.

In 2010, Kalu Rinpoche traveled to the West for the first time and took charge of the meditation centers the First Kalu Rinpoche had created around the world. In 2014, he returned to Palden Shangpa La Boulaye in France, and in 2019, he returned to the United States to resume the tradition of the Shangpa Monlam initiated by his predecessor.

Having experienced his own challenges along the way, Rinpoche is extraordinarily relatable, kind, and without judgment.