Khenpo Jigphun Rinpoche was born in 1937 in eastern Tibet. He is
the reincarnation of the Terton Lerab Lingpa (Sogyal), who a close
friend to H.H. the 13th Dalai Lama. Rinpoche is also a Terton in
this present lifetime. At the age of fourteen, Rinpoche took vows
from Khenpo Sonam Rinpoche and at the age of twenty-two he became a
fully ordained monk. Under Khenpo Thupga Yeshe Norbu, Rinpoche was
taught Dzogchen and given the Nyingma transmissions. He also
studied under Konchok Chopel, a master of the Nyingma and the other
Tibetan lineages. For six years, Rinpoche practiced in strict
retreat. He has received visions of Sakya Pandita and
Manjushri.
Even during the Communist oppression of Tibet, Rinpoche taught at
his own life's expense. He ordained thousands of monastics in Tibet
and made pilgrimage to Mt. Wutai Shan, the abode of Manjushri. He
likewise taught numerous Chinese and Mongolian people.
In 1993, he was able to visit His Holiness the Dalai Lama in India
and bestow transmissions to the Dalai Lama.
In 1980, Rinpoche established a renown institute known as Serthar
in Sichuan which educates over nine thousand disciples. In 2001,
the Communist government arrested Rinpoche due to the flourishing
of his monastery. Over ten-thousand students had gathered at the
monastery, making it one of the largest in the region.
The Ven. Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche passed away at the age of
72 years on the evening of January 6, 2004, in a military hospital
in Chengdu, China. Khenpo Rinpoche was a living terton and one of
the most realized Nyingma and Dzogchen masters. He was responsible
for revitalizing Buddhism in Tibet and established the renown
Sertar Institute which drew thousands of students from Tibet, China
and around the world.
The passing of Khenpo Rinpoche is a great loss to the world. May
his activity continue to bring many more onto the path of the
dharma.
http://www.simhas.org/kjigme.html