This short biography was originally published in the second edition in Tibetan of the author's Necklace of Gzi: A cultural history of Tibet, published by the Private Office of H.H. The Dalai Lama. It was translated into English by John Reynolds to be included in the author's booklet 'Dzogchen and Zen', published by Zhang Zung Editions, Oakland, California, 1984. It is included here as a more complete biography than Rinpoche's anecdotal account of his early life in the first chapter of this book. Since this biography will be of interest primarily to Tibetologists, we have left the Tibetan names and terms in the transcription system in which the material was originally published.

Nam mkha'i Norbu Rinpoche, was born in the village of dGe'ug, in the lCong ra district of sDe dge in East Tibet on the eight day of the tenth month of the Earth-Tiger year (1938). His father was sGrol ma Tshe ring, member of a noble family and sometime official with the governement of sDe dge, and his mother was Ye shes Chos sgron.

When he was two years old, dPal yul Karma Yang srid Rinpoche and Zhe chen Rab byams Rinpoche, both recognized him as the reincarnation of A'dzom 'Brug pa. A'dzom 'Brug pa was one of the great rDzog chen Masters of the early part of this century. He was the disciple of the first mKhyen brtse Rinpoche, 'Jam dbyangs mKhyen brtse dBang po (1829-92), and also the disciple of dPal sprul Rinpoche. Both of these illustrious teachers were leaders of the Ris med or non-sectarian movement in nineteenth-century eastern Tibet. On some thirty-seven occasions, A'dzom 'Brug pa received transmissions from his principal master, 'Jam dbyangs mKhyen brtse, and from dPal sprul Rinpoche he received the complete transmissions of the kLong chen snying thig and the rTsa rlung precepts. In turn, A'dzom 'Brug pa became a gter ston, or discoverer of hidden treasure texts, having received visions directly from the incomparable 'Jigs med gLing pa (1730-98) when the former was thirty. Teaching at A'dzom sgar in eastern Tibet during summer and winter retreats, A'dzom 'Brug pa became the master of many contemporary teachers of Dzogs chen. Among them was Norbu Rinpoche's paternal uncle, rTogs Idan O rgyan bs Tan 'dzin, who was his first rDzogs chen teacher.

When he was eight years old, the sixteenth Karmapa, and dPal spung Situ Rinpoche, both recognized Norbu Rinpoche to be the mind-incarnation of Lho 'Brug Zhabs drung Rinpoche. This latter master, the reincarnation of the illustrious 'Brug pa bKa' brgyud master, Padma dKar po (1527-92), was the actual historical founder of the state of Bhutan. Until the early twentieth century, the Zhabs drung Rinpoches were the Dharmarajas or temporal and spiritual rulers of Bhutan.

While yet a child, from rDzogs chen mKhan Rinpoche, from his maternal uncle mKhyen brtse Yang srid Rinpoche, and from his paternal rTogs Idan O rgyan bs Tan 'dzin, Norbu Rinpoche received instruction in the rDzogs chen gsang ba snying thig and the sNying thig Yab bzhi. Meanwhile, from gNas rgyab mChog sprul Rinpoche, he received the transmissions of the rNying ma bka' ma, the kLong gsal rdo rje snying po, and the gNam chos of Mi 'gur rDo rje. From mKhan Rinpoche dPal Idan Tshul khrims (1906- ) he received the transmissions from the rGyud sde kun btus, the famous Sa skya pa collection of tantric practices. And, in addition, he received many initiations and listened to many oral explanationsfrom the famous Ris med pa or nonsectarian masters of eastern Tibet.

From the time he was eight years old until he was twelve, he attended the college of Sde dge dbon stod slob grwa at sDe dge dgon chen Monastery, where, with mKhen Rinpoche mKhyen rab Chos kyi 'od zer (1901- ), he studied the thirteen basic texts used in the standard academic curriculum designed by mKhan po gZhan dga'. Norbu Rinpoche became especially expert in the Abhisamayalankara. In addition, with this same master he studied the great commentary to the Kalacakra Tantra, the Guhyagarbha Tantra, the Zab mo nang don of Karmapa Rang byung rDo rje, the Medical Tantras, Indian and Chinese astrology, as well as receiving from him the initiations and transmissions of the Sa skya'i sgrub thabs kun btus.

From the age of eight until he was fourteen, at the college of sDe dge Ku se gSer ljongs bshad grwa, from mKhan Rinpoche Brag gyab Blos gros (1913- ), he received instructions in the Prajna-paramita sutras, the Abhisamayalankara, and three tantric texts: the rDorje Gur, the Hevajra Tantra and the Samputa Tantra. By his tutor mChog sprul Rinpoche he was instructed in the secular sciences.

Also, from the age of eight until he was fourteen, having gone to rDzong gsar Monastery in eastern Tibet, he received teachings from the illustrious rDzong gsar mKhyen brtse Rinpoche on the Sa skya'i zab chos lam 'bras, the quintessential doctrine of the Sa skya pa school, and in addition, on the three texts: rGyud kyi spyi don rnam bzhag, Ijon shing chen mo, and the Hevajra Tantra. Then at the college of Khams bre bshad grwa, with mKhan Rinpoche Mi nyag Dam chos (1920- )he studied a basic text on logic, the Tshad ma rig gter of Sa skya Pandita.

Then, in the meditation cave at Sang-chen gNam brag, he made a retreat with his uncle the rTogs Idan O rgyan bsTan 'dzin for the practices of Vajrapani, Simhamukha, and White Tara. At that time, the son of A'dzom 'Brug pa, 'Gyur med rDo rje (1895- ), returned from Central Tibet, and staying with them, the latter bestowed the cycle of rDo rje gro lod, the Klong chen snying thig, and the cycle of the dGongs pa zang thal of Rig 'dzin rGod Idem 'Phru can.

When he was fourteen years old in 1951, he received the initiation for Vajrayogini according to the Ngor pa and Tshar pa traditions of the Sa skya. Then his tutor advised him to seek out a woman living in the Kadari region who was the living embodiment of Vajrayogini herself and taking initiations from her. This woman master, A yo mKha' 'gro rdo rje dPal sgron (1838-1953), was a direct disciple of the great 'Jam dbyangs mKhyen brtse dBang po and of Nyag bla Padma bDud 'dul, as well as being an elder contemporary of A 'dzom 'Brug pa. At this time she was 113 years old and had been in a dark retrest for some fifty-six years. Norbu Rinpoche received from her transmissions for the mKha' 'gro gsang 'dus, the mind-treasure of 'Jam dbyangs mKhyen brtse dBang po, and the mKha' 'gro yang thig, in which the principal practice is the dark retreat, as well as the Klong chen snying thig. She also bestowed upon him her own mind-treasures, including that for the Dakini Simhamukha, the mKha' 'gro dbang mo'i seng ge gdong ma'i zab thig. Then in 1954, he was invited to visit the People's Republic of China as a representative of Tibetan youth. From 1954 he was an instructor in Tibetan language at the Southwestern University of Minor Nationalities at Chengdu, Sichuan, China. While living in China, he met the famous Gangs dkar Rinpoche. From the master he heard many explanations of the Six Doctrines of Naropa, Mahamudra, the dKon mchog spyi 'dus, as well as Tibetan medicine. During this time, Norbu Rinpoche also acquired proficency in the Chinese and Mongolian languages.

When he was seventeen years old, returning to his home country of sDe dge following a vision received in dream, he came to meet his Root Master, Nyag bla Rinpoche Rig 'dzin Byang chub rDo rje (1826-1978),who lived in a remote valley to the east of sDe gde. Byan chub rDo rje Rinpoche hailed originally from the Nyag rong region on the borders of China. He was a disciple of A 'dzom 'Brug pa, of Nyag bla Padma dDub 'dul, and of Shar rdza Rinpoche, the famous Bonpo treacher of rDzogs chen who attained the Rainbow Body of Light. A practising physician, Byang chub rDo rje Rinpoche headed a commune called Nyag bla sGar in this remote valley; it was a totally self-supporting community consisting entirely of lay practitioners, yogins and yoginis. From this master, Norbu Rinpoche received initiations into, and trasmission of, the essential teachings of rDzogs chen Sems sde, Klong sde, and Man ngag gi sde. More importantly, this master introduced him directly to the experience of rDzogs chen. He remained here for almost a year, often assisting Byang chub rDo rje Rinpoche in his medical practice and serving as his scribe and secretary. He also received transmissions from the master's son, Nyag sras 'Gyur med rDo rje.

After this, Norbu Rinpoche set out on a prolonged pilgrimage to Central Tibet, Nepal, India and Bhutan. Returning to sDe dge, the land of his birth, he found that deteriorating political conditions had led to the eruption of violence. Fleeing first toward Central Tibet, he finally emerged safely in Sikkim as a refugee. From 1958 to 1960 he lived in Gangtok, Sikkim, employed as an author and editor of Tibetan text books for the Development Office, the Government of Sikkim. in 1960 when he was twenty-two years old, at the invitation of professor Giuseppe Tucci, he went to Italy and resided for several years in Rome. During this time, from 1960 to 1964, he was a research associate at the Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente. Receiving a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, he worked in close collaboration with Professor Tucci, and wrote two appendices to Professor Tucci's Tibetan Folk Songs of Gyantse and Western Tibet (Rome, 1966), as well as giving seminars at IsMEO on yoga, medicine, and astrology.

From 1964 to the present, Norbu Rinpoche has been a professor at the Istituto Orientale, University of Naples, where he teaches Tibetan language, Mongolian language, and Tibetan cultural history. Since then he has done extensive research into the historical origins of Tibetan culture, investigating little-known literary sources from the Bonpu tradition . In 1963, Norbu Rinpoche hosted the first International Convention on Tibetan Medicine held at Venice, Italy. Although still actively teaching at the university, for the past ten years Norbu Rinpoche has informally conducted teaching retreats in various countries, including Italy, France, England, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and since 1979, the United States. During these retreats, he gives practical instruction in rDzogs chen practices in a non-sectarian format, as well as teaching aspects of Tibetan culture, especially Yantra Yoga, Tibetan medicine and astrology.

Moreover, under his guidance there has grown up, at first in Italy and now in several other countries, including the United States, what has come to be known as the Dzogchen Community. This is an informal association of individuals who, while continuing to work at their usual occupations in society, share a commmon interest in pursuing and practising the teachings which Norbu Rinpoche continues to transmit.

The above information was largely extracted by John Reynolds from a biography in Tibetan appended to Professor Norbu's gZi yi Phreng ba (Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1982).

From "The Crystal and the Way of Light"
by Namkhai Norbu and John Shane, 1986