Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s Vision of Jigme Lingpa
Within the Longchen Nyingtik tradition it is said that only someone who has had a vision of Jigme Lingpa is authorized to compile and compose texts for the cycle. There were once rumours that Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche had experienced such a vision, but they had never been confirmed. While writing his history of the Dzogchen lineage, A Marvelous Garland of Rare Gems, Nyoshul Khenpo wished to settle the matter and went to ask Rinpoche directly. With his customary humility, Khyentse Rinpoche was reluctant to confirm it. Undeterred, Nyoshul Khenpo wrote in his manuscript that Rinpoche had indeed had such a vision. He then returned, showed him the passage and asked whether he should let it stand or remove it. Khyentse Rinpoche replied that it could stay as it was, which amounted to confirming that he had indeed seen Jigme Lingpa in a vision. Nyoshul Khenpo wrote:
“As for his own retreats, there does not seem to be one among the entire array of practices of the Three Roots, deriving from the kama tradition or the older or newer tradition of termas, for which Khyentse Rinpoche did not complete the stages of development and completion. These included such practices as the wrathful deities of The Gathering of the Great and Glorious Ones and other practices of the Three Roots from The Heartdrop of Longchenpa [i.e., the Longchen Nyingtik], the peaceful and wrathful forms of Manjushri, Vajrakila, cycles focusing on the Eight Commands, and the wrathful feminine mamo deities. During these retreats, Khyentse Rinpoche was guided in visions by timeless awareness embodiments of the great Orgyen, Vimalamitra, Saraha, and many other siddhas of India and Tibet. In particular, at Paro Taktsang in Bhutan, he had a vision of Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa, who empowered him as a master of the Nyingtik teachings.”
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s vision of Jigme Lingpa
Created by Alex Peters at the request of the Longchen Nyingtik Project, 2026
But how did the rumour arise in the first place? Recently, as we were discussing the Longchen Nyingtik rituals with Rabjam Rinpoche, he told us the story. Khyentse Rinpoche had composed a number of texts for the Longchen Nyingtik, including the complete empowerment manual and several frameworks for drupchen practice. Chatral Rinpoche once remarked to a woman named Yudrön that these compositions showed the influence of Mindroling, the tradition followed at Shechen Monastery. When Yudrön passed the remark on to Khyentse Rinpoche, he replied that this might well be so, but that he had had a vision of Jigme Lingpa and was therefore authorized to compose them. So the very first time Khyentse Rinpoche ever mentioned his vision, it was simply to affirm his authority to compose these texts.