Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-91) was one of the great masters of Tibetan Buddhism. He was a principal teacher of the present Dalai Lama. His inner journey had led him to a rare depth of understanding and he was a wellspring of love, wisdom, and compassion for everyone that met him. Hermit, scholar, poet and artist, he was a leading custodian of Tibet's spiritual culture. Along with spending thirty years in contemplative retreat, he worked tirelessly to preserve and make known the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and his life was the living example of what he taught. He left twenty-five volumes of teachings on Buddhist theory and practice and countless disciples in all the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He founded Shechen Monastery in Nepal and was the inspiration for all its activities.
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche officiates in the early dawn light in the temple of Shechen Monastery in Nepal during a ceremony that goes on uninterruptedly for seven days and nights.1987.