Tulku A ''tulku'' (, also ''tülku'', ''trulku'') is an individual recognized as the reincarnation of a previous spiritual master (lama), and expected to be reincarnated, in turn, after death. The tulku is a distinctive and significant aspect of Tibet ...

'' Jigme Chhoeda (born 5th August 1955) is the 70th and current

Je Khenpo The Je Khenpo (; "The Chief Abbot of the Central Monastic Body of Bhutan"), formerly called the ''Dharma Raja'' by orientalists, is the title given to the senior religious hierarch of Bhutan. His primary duty is to lead the Dratshang Lhentsh ...

(Chief Abbot of The Central Monastic Body) of

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

. He became the chief abbot in 1996, and is the longest-serving holder of the office.

Early life and education

Jigme Chhoeda (རྗེ་མཁན་པོ།) was born to ''Yab'' (ཡབ།) Rinzin Dorji and ''Yum'' (ཡུམ།) Kuenzang Choden in Lhuentse at Drubtse Goenpa, Kurtoe, on the fifth day of the Bhutanese lunar month seven in the Wood Sheep year of 1955. On 22 August 1955, Jigme Chhoeda was recognized as the reincarnation of ''

Geshe Geshe (, short for ''dge-ba'i bshes-gnyen'', "virtuous friend"; translation of Skt. ''kalyāņamitra'') or geshema is a Tibetan Buddhist academic degree for monks and nuns. The degree is emphasized primarily by the Gelug lineage, but is also awar ...

y'' Pema Tshering, the learned sage of Tharpaling in Bumthang. Jigme Chhoeda joined Druk Sanga Chhoeling Monastery in

Darjeeling Darjeeling (, , ) is a city in the northernmost region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the Koshi Pr ...

, India, at the age of eight. He was ordained as a monk with commitment from Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche and then studied under Khenpo Sonam Darge and Khenpo Noryang. Later, he studied under

Dudjom Rinpoche Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe DorjeJoseph McClellan, "Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje", ''Treasury of Lives'', February 2024 (, THL ''Düjom Jikdrel Yéshé Dorjé'') was known simply as Dudjom Rinpoche (10 June 1904 – 17 January ...

in India. At the age of 15, he returned to

and studied at the

Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...

Drupdey in

Thimphu Thimphu (; ) is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan, and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's '' dzongkhags'', the Thimphu District. The ancient capital city of Punakha was replac ...

under the 68th Je-Khenpo Ngawang Tenzin Dhondup. He received the complete initiations and teachings of the

Drukpa Kagyu The Drukpa or Drukpa Kagyu () lineage, sometimes called Dugpa in older sources, is a branch of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Kagyu school is one of the Sarma or "New Translation" schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Drukpa lineage wa ...

tradition and

Dzogchen Dzogchen ( 'Great Completion' or 'Great Perfection'), also known as ''atiyoga'' ( utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Bön aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence. The goal ...

(the highest realization). He mastered the

Mahamudra Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmud ...

practices, the meditation of Naro Choedrug (the six circles of Ro-Nyom Kordrug). ''Tulku'' also studied language and literature and the 13 different philosophical texts under the 69th Je-Khenpo ''

y'' Genduen Rinchen.

Meditation and retreat

Jigme Chhoeda completed ''Losum Choesum'' three times, a meditation retreat of 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days. During the ten-year retreat, he took up sacred practice of

Vajrayana ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhis ...

, which includes La-drup, Demchog, Tandin, Dorji Phagmo, Sengdongma, Mithrugpa, Chenrezig and Dzogchen meditations.

Major positions held

'' was appointed as the head of Tango Monastery and taught language and

Buddhist philosophy Buddhist philosophy is the ancient Indian Indian philosophy, philosophical system that developed within the religio-philosophical tradition of Buddhism. It comprises all the Philosophy, philosophical investigations and Buddhist logico-episte ...

. In 1986, he was appointed as the ''Drapoi Lopen'' of the Central Monastic Body, and resigned in 1990. In 1995 Fourth Dragon King

Jigme Singye Wangchuck Jigme Singye Wangchuck (, ; born 11 November 1955) is the fourth Druk Gyalpo ( Dragon King) of Bhutan, reigning from 1972 to 2006. He is the father of the present King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. He is the only son of five ch ...

appointed him as the ''Dorji Lopen.'' On the tenth day of the Bhutanese lunar month three, 1996, His Holiness was enthroned as the 70th Je khenpo of Bhutan.

Honours

* : **

The Royal Saffron Scarf (19 March 1996). ** BHT_Order_of_the_Dragon_King_Ribbon

Order of the Dragon King, First Class (18 December 2018).www.kuenselonline.com
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chhoeda, Geshe Jigme Tibetan Buddhists from Bhutan Bhutanese lamas Bhutanese Buddhist monks Drukpa Kagyu lamas 1955 births 20th-century lamas 21st-century lamas People from Lhuntse District Living people Je Khenpos