Vajracharya Ven. Peling Tulku Rinpoche was born in Havana, Cuba of German and Spanish parents on August 2, 1938. He arrived in Canada in January of 1959 after the Cuban Revolution. A life long student and practitioner of the Dharma, Rinpoche was given Bhikkshu ordination and the name Lama Karma Jetsun Dorjechang Jamgon Jampa Rabjam Tenzin Dorje in 1977 by His Holiness Karmapa XVI. His Holiness also recognized Rinpoche as the mind emanation of Padma Lingpa and the activity emanation of Karma Lingpa during a visit to his Toronto centre in 1980.

After teaching the Dharma in Toronto for many years, in 1984 Rinpoche founded Orgyan Osal Cho Dzong Temple and Retreat Centre near Madoc, Ontario on the birthday of Guru Padmasambhava. Rinpoche never advertised teachings or promoted himself and did not allow his students to do so. He spent most of his time either in retreat or teaching his students.

Rinpoche met His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in 1985 at Ven. Gyaltrul Rinpoche’s centre, Tashi Choling, in Oregon. He felt immediate and very profound devotion towards His Holiness and from then on regarded him as his Root Lama. Rinpoche invited His Holiness to Canada in 1988 to bestow the Longchen Nying Thig, the Zab Mo Yang Thig and to bless the temple and its lands. During this visit, Rinpoche requested to make the centre Palyul, which His Holiness graciously agreed to.  In 1997, Rinpoche invited His Holiness to give the wangchen of Guhya Garbha, and in 2000 to give Ratnalingpa’s Vajrakilaya and the Nying Thig Yab Zhi. In 1995, His Holiness gave Rinpoche the title of Vajracharya in recognition of his spiritual attainments and abilities. In 2001, he enthroned Rinpoche as the mind emanation of Padma Lingpa and the activity emanation of Karma Lingpa and gave him the name Peling Tulku Rinpoche.

Rinpoche received extensive teachings from the major lineage holders of the Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya schools, and in particular, he received the Nam Cho, Long Chen Nying Thig and Nying Thig Yab Zhi, the Nyingma Kama and the Rinchen Terdzod from His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. Rinpoche spent many years in retreat practicing Ati Yoga (Dzog Chen), Mahamudra, and different traditions of the six yogas. Throughout his life he spent most of his time in retreat. He was well known as a very pure lama who showed great compassion for all beings. An accomplished Dzog Chen teacher, he was able to make the dharma arise as an actual experience within the minds of his students.

Rinpoche passed into parinirvana on May 14, 2009 within 49 days of the parinirvana of his beloved Root Guru, H.H. Penor Rinpoche on March 27, 2009.  His loving, smiling face and warm, wise and compassionate heart is sorely missed by all of his students and those whose lives he touched.

Swift Rebirth Prayer for Ven. Peling Tulku, Rinpoche written by H.H. Penor Rinpoche