Introduction The Venerable Ralo Rinpoche Ralo Rigdzin Wangyal Dorje Rinpoche was born at dawn on August 8, 1933 (the year of the wood dog) in Pargon Dechen Kyiphug, Tibet. This was the place where Terton Sangye Lama, the first of all treasure discoverers, had been in retreat. (A treasure discoverer is one who has a pure mind and has cultivated very hard, and therefore has the special ability to obtain dharma treasures from the skies, rocks, oceans, and high mountains.) During the month of Ralo Rinpoche's birth, all the farms had great harvests and everyone believed that this was an auspicious sign. Ralo Rinpoche grew up learning the dharma from his grandfather, Dhechen Rinpoche, and his father, Ralo Karma Vajra Rinpoche. They are all descendants of the Ra Tobden Pawo lineage. When he was eleven years old, Ralo Rinpoche went on a three-month retreat, where he recognized and gained profound insights into shunyata, or emptiness. As a cause of his bodhichita, he vowed to learn Atiyoga. When he was seventeen years old, Ralo Rinpoche went on another retreat for three years, three months, and three days, where he attained realizations of the Three Roots (Guru, Yidam, and Khandro). At twenty-six, Ralo Rinpoche moved from Tibet to India. The royal family of Bhutan invited him to go there on retreat. He accepted this offer and cultivated Kusali, the practice of sacrificing your body to all spiritual beings, in the high mountains. At twenty-seven, he moved from Bhutan to Darjeeling, India to request teachings from Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche, the great Dzogchen Master. Ralo Rinpoche received the Great Perfection empowerment, oral transmission, and instruction from him and went into retreat for another three years, three months, and three days. After his retreat, he achieved Dzogchen realizations and received signs of accomplishment. At the age of thirty-three, Ralo Rinpoche received the Phurba Teaching and went on another three year, three month, and three day retreat. Then he moved from India to Asura, Nepal. This was where Guru Rinpoche had been on a retreat and had received the Phurba Power. It is here that Ralo Rinpoche went on a retreat for six years, six months and six days, and completed the whole of the Phurba Practice. At about the end of Ralo Rinpoche's Phurba Retreat, a man by the name of Mr. Lui Han Chiang met His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and requested for him to travel to Taiwan to give teachings. Due to travel difficulties, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche recommended Mr. Lui to ask Ralo Rinpoche to go to Taiwan. Mr. Lui then asked Ralo Rinpoche to give teachings in Taiwan and he accepted this offer. This was the beginning of Ralo Rinpoche's teachings in Taiwan. He later traveled to many other places such as Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States, where he gave teachings and established Dharma centers. In order to benefit more sentient beings, Ralo Rinpoche has also learned the Dharma of the schools of Kagyu, and Sakya and obtained empowerments, oral transmissions, and teachings. Many great Rinpoches such as the Glorious Karmapa, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche, and Penor Rinpoche have given him teachings and advice. Ralo Rinpoche has a vast knowledge of Buddhadharma, which he has obtained from the valuable teachings and from practicing during a total of seventeen and a half years of retreat. Having taken the inner and outer vows of the Vajrayana without exception from great Vajradharas, Ralo Rinpoche was enthroned as a Vajradhara of the Three Vows. Ralo Rinpoche also has accomplishments in Tibetan Medicine and upon request, examines and advises individuals of the proper course of action to take to treat their illness. There is a continuous flow of compassionate activity from Ralo Rinpoche's heart and mind. Ralo Rinpoche lives at his monastery in Parphing, Nepal and oversees the training of forty-eight monks. At the monastery there are thirty-six retreat rooms where monastics and lay people do their practices in a secluded, sacred space. Rinpoche also oversee three year, three month, and three day retreatants. Venerable Ralo Rinpoche gave Amitabha Empowerments Washington Centger for Buddhist Studies Eight people finished a 4 days 3 nights Powa Retreat July 6, 1999 Venerable Ralo Rinpoche gave teachings at HB Woodlawn High School Arlington, VA Venerable Ralo Rinpoche and some of his students Washington Center for Buddhist Studies Venerable Ralo Rinpoche at McLean, VA during a smoke offering Liang Hwa Chin Ser Dharma Center Copyright © 2000 Washington Center For Buddhist Studies