Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche (Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, 1904–1987) was the supreme head of the Nyingma school in exile — tertön, scholar, poet, and the author of the definitive history of his tradition.
Life
Recognized as the incarnation of Dudjom Lingpa, he was born in Pema Kö? — in southern Tibet, revealed termas from childhood, and became — after 1959 — the first elected? — the appointed head of the unified Nyingma school in exile. He settled first in Kalimpong, then Nepal and India, and finally established his Western seat at Dordogne? — in the Dordogne, France, becoming a principal teacher of Tibetan Buddhism to the West.
Teachings/Works
His history, The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism (with its Fundamentals? — the Gesar? — his doctrinal supplement), is the standard account of the oldest school. His revealed teachings (the Dudjom Tersar cycle), his commentaries, and his poetry (some dozen volumes) are core Nyingma curriculum; his liturgies are sung across the Himalayas.
Legacy
His students led the Dharma’s Western transmission (Namkhai Norbu? — among them many principal teachers); the Dudjom Tersar remains among the most practiced new-terma cycles.
Verification notes
- Life and works are documented in the tradition’s own biographies and Western scholarship.
- Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).