Samding Dorje Phagmo Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche (Tibetan: བྱ་བྲལ་སངས་རྒྱས་རྡོ་རྗེ་, Wylie: bya-bral sangs-rgyas rdo-rje, "Enlightened Indestructible Freedom From Activity"; June 18, 1913 – December 30, 2015)[1][2] was a Tibetan Dzogchen master and a reclusive ngagpa yogi, known for his great realization and strict discipline.
[3] Chatral Sangye Dorje was a disciple of Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang and was widely regarded as one of the most highly realized Dzogchen yogis.
[3] Prior to his death in 2015, Chatral Sangye Dorje divided his time between Salbari, India, and Kathmandu, Nepal.
[5] Among the future predictions of Yonru Chimey Dorje, a disciple of Chagdud Pema Dudul, the following text is found: A supreme mind-emanation of Padma, A boy who is blessed by Vimalamitra, With the name Vajra, from the year the Ox, Will promote the teachings of the practice lineage.
[5] The day after Chatral Sangye Dorje was born, Asay Bigo Trulku Nyima Gyelthsen, who was an incarnation of Lopen Chandra Gomi, visited Pema and Sonam to tell them about the vision he had about his emergence.
[5][7] At age 15, Chatral Sangye Dorje left his home to study and practice Buddhism with Buddhist masters.
This act of renunciation began his life-long journey as a carefree yogi seeking enlightenment at any cost in order to effectively help other beings with compassion.
[citation needed] She passed on to Chatral Sangye Dorje the terma cycle teachings of Sera Khandro and he became the principal lineage holder of this tradition as well.
[8] Following the instructions of Sera Khandro, Chatral Sangye Dorje visited Kathok Monastery where he met his root guru Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang.
[citation needed] Chatral Rinpoche met Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje while in Central Tibet.
[10] In 1937, the fifth Reting Rinpoche and the regent of 14th Dalai Lama, Jamphel Yeshe Gyaltsen requested Khenpo Ngawang Pelzang to come to Lhasa to give Dzogchen transmissions.
Chatral Sangye Dorje stayed with Reting Rinpoche for two years, giving him many transmissions and instructions - the ear-whispered and profound heart essence of the Dzogchen teachings.
[10][13] Chatral Sangye Dorje and Merton exchanged conversations on philosophical and spiritual aspects of Christianity and Buddhism.
[8] Chatral Rinpoche died of natural causes on 30 December 2015, coinciding with the 20th day of the female wood sheep year lunar Tibetan calendar at around 5 pm (NPT) in Pharping, Nepal.
While visiting the Bodh Gaya in 1960 at age 47, Chatral Sangye Dorje became a vegetarian and made a firm commitment to give up meat and alcohol.
He was empowered as the regent of Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje and was passing on this lineage to this master's reincarnation, who lives primarily in Central Tibet.