His Holiness Je Thrizur Tenzin Dendup, one of the most learned Drukpa Kagyud Buddhist masters alive, received the Order of the Druk Gyalpo from His Majesty the King on November 15.

His Holiness, who was the 68th Je Khenpo, said that he was overwhelmed by the recognition that he received from His Majesty the King at a time when Bhutan is ushering in a new era of history.

“The Druk Gyalpo conferred on me the nation’s highest honour – Ngadag Pelgi Khorlo – showing his confidence in me. This is a moment that I will treasure all my life,” His Holiness said.

In a Kasho issued to His Holiness Je Thrizur, His Majesty the King stated that “Je Thrizur has devoted his life for the propagation of the Buddha dharma and served the country and central monk body with utmost loyalty and dedication.”

Born in 1925, His Holiness the Je Thrizur started Buddhist studies at the age of seven. After completing basic monastic tutelage at the Punakha Dratshang, he went to study at the Tharpaling monastery in Bumthang and then pursued higher spiritual quest in Tibet, reaching the highest practices of the Drukpa Kayjud lineage.

His Holiness has conducted meditation retreats at sacred sites such as Sha Yuelagang, Kubo Drag at Gangtoe, and Boed Langda and received teachings from the greatest masters of the century. After completing advanced practices of the Vajrayana Buddhist traditions, His Holiness received the wholesome ordination of the Drukpa Kagyu Dam Nga (the highest ecclesiastic ordination of the Drukpa Kayju lineage) from Lam Tenzin Jamtsho.

His Holiness was the first lopon (master) of the newly instituted dubdey at Tango in 1967, and became Dorji Lopon of the Central Monk Body in 1985. A year later, His Holiness became the 68th Je Khenpo.

Under the command of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, His Holiness brought about major reforms in the Zhung Dratshang, strengthening and consolidating the institution and instituted the first Buddhist shedra (higher learning college) at Tango and Cheri in Thimphu.

In 1990, His Holiness retired and became the patron of the Tango and Cheri Buddhist shedra. He remains a spiritual icon for all Bhutanese and many Buddhists around the world.

source: Kuenselonlin