Beyond Talk: Awakening Dignity for Wise Leadership and Genuine Compassion

Phakchok Rinpoche

Phakchok Rinpoche is a popular and beloved spiritual teacher with a style that is at once unique, dynamic, and engaging. Born in 1981 in Kathmandu, Nepal, Rinpoche belongs to a new generation of Tibetan Buddhist masters who were born and educated outside Tibet, speaks English well, and feel equally at home in the culture of the West and in the wisdom tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

“Rinpoche,” a Tibetan word commonly translated as “precious one,” is typically used as a term of respect and reverence in addressing someone recognized as the reincarnation of a revered teacher. At the early age of one, Phakchok Rinpoche was recognized as the seventh Phakchok Rinpoche, a lineage holder of the Taklung Kagyu lineage; he was enthroned at age six. Rinpoche completed traditional Tibetan Buddhist education and was awarded the title Khenpo (comparable to a Ph.D. in Buddhist philosophy) at age 22. He then began actively and passionately traveling the world teaching Buddhist philosophy, theory, and practice.

As a scholar, Rinpoche has been vigorously preserving Buddhist teachings through Samye Translations (formerly Lhasey Lotsawa Translations and Publications). He cofounded this vibrant organization, comprised of a library of texts and a team of fine translators, with his father, Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche. In addition to traveling and teaching the dharma in Buddhist centers and universities throughout the world, Rinpoche directs Chokgyur Lingpa Foundation and several monasteries and practice centers in Asia, North America, and South America. Moreover, he oversees a wide range of humanitarian projects, including running a free clinic, offering education to monastics, and providing emergency relief for victims of natural disasters. During the 2015 Nepal earthquake, for example, Rinpoche led 300 monks and nuns in giving food, medicine, and shelter to tens of thousands of people who suffered the earthquake’s devastation.  

Phakchok Rinpoche is the author of several books including The Great Terton: The Life and Activities of Chokgyur Lingpa (Lhasey Lotsawa 2016), In the Footstep of Bodhisattvas (Shambhala 2020), and Radically Happy: A User’s Guide to the Mind (coauthored with Erric Solomon; Shambhala 2018). His newest book Awakening Dignity: A Guide to Living a Life of Deep Fulfillment will be released on December 20, 2022.