Khenpo Jigme was born in the Kingdom of Bhutan in the town of Barshong in 1968.

In 1980 he became the first Bhutanese monk of Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery in Kanglung, Bhutan. At that time he began his monastery education in learning Tibetan studying scriptures and learning Buddhist rituals.

In 1983 he came to Thrangu Tashi Choling, the main monastery of Thrangu Rinpoche which is located in Boudhanath, Nepal. At that time he received full ordination (gelong) from Thrangu Rinpoche. During his time at the monastery he mastered ritual practices and Tibetan grammar.

He entered Namo Buddha Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies at Namo Buddha, Nepal in 1989 and completed the five-year program. In 1994 he entered and completed the traditional three year retreat at the retreat center at Namo Buddha. During this retreat, all the rituals and meditations of the lineage are learned enabling the person who completes it to become a teacher (Lama).

As Khenpo Jigme was skilled in both Buddhist philosophy, ritual and meditation, in 1997 Thrangu Rinpoche appointed him as a main teacher for the Namo Buddha Institute and the Vajra Vidya Institute in Sarnath, India and gave him the title of “Khenpo”. This title is given as a master of Buddhist philosophy, similar to a PhD. in Theology.

Since then, he has been one of the main teachers of the two monastic colleges. He has also taught Buddhist Dharma in Malaysia. In the spring 2005 he has been teachings western students, giving both translated Dharma talks and also helping to teach an intensive program in Tibetan language for westerners.

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Lama Wangdu was born in 1971 in Nepal in the area called Manang which is famous for the caves where the famous Tibetan yogi Milarepa stayed in meditation. This area is known to the local people as Nyeshang and the people call themselves Nyeshangpa. The Nyeshangpa people are very devoted Buddhists. The 10th Karmapa, Choying Dorje, established Kagyu monasteries and stupas in that area. The Kagyu lineage is the most prominent in Manang among the four main lineages of Tibetan Buddhism.

Lama Wangdu attended Tibetan school in the district of Darjeeling in India. He had a strong desire to become a monk from an early age and when he was 16 years old he entered Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery in Boudha, Nepal.

In 1989 he joined Thrangu Rinpoche’s shedra (monastic college for higher Buddhist study) at Namo Buddha, Nepal and graduated in his studies in 1994. During that time he took full monks ordination (Gelong) from Thrangu Rinpoche.

Upon completing shedra studies, he spent one year as the shedra manager. In 1995 Lama Wangdu was the Oomze (chant master) and also in charge of the monk welfare program at Thrangu Tashi Choling. After that he was manager of Shree Mangal Dvip School, Thrangu Rinpoche’s school for children in Boudha during 1996.

Lama Wangdu entered the traditional three year retreat at the retreat center at Namo Buddha in 1997 and completed the retreat in 2000. After completing the retreat, he was given the title “Lama” which means “teacher”.

Since 2001, he has been Retreat Master at the retreat center at Namo Buddha and also is also the Director of Thrangu Dharma Kara Publications. In the spring 2005 he has been teachings western students, giving both translated Dharma talks and also helping to teach an intensive program in Tibetan language for westerners.