H.E. Ven. Lingtrul Kadak Chöying Dorje (Lingtrul Rinpoche), is the founder of this Centre.

He was recognized from the age of three, by H.H. Kathok Chatsa Rinpoche as the reincarnation of Ling Lama Chökyi Dorje, (the founder of Tra Ling monastery) and thus is an emanation of of Vimalamitra and Longchenpa. He is the 8th Throneholder of Tra Ling, Golok, in Tibet.

By the time he was three years of age, he was recognized as the incarnation of Ling Lama Chökyi Dorje by many great lamas in the Golok area. At the time, due to the Chinese occupation of Tibet, his identity was kept secret.

"As a young tulku, Lingtrul Rinpoche was forced to work in labor camps and hide any sign of interest in Buddhism. In 1983 the Chinese government lifted the restrictions on religious practice, and Lingtrul Rinpoche was able to meet with his root teacher, the great Khenpo Munsel.

The lineage of the Clear Light Great Perfection teachings began with the Dharmakaya Buddha and was passed gradually from teacher to disciple, through Khenpo Munsel to Lingtrul Rinpoche. As one of Khenpo Munsel’s closest heart sons, Lingtrul Rinpoche received all the transmissions of the Clear Light Great Perfection over a period of 3-4 years. In retreat he practiced all the development stages of the Vajrayana from the preliminary practices through Trekchöd and Todgyal. He also received all of the Longchen Nyingthig transmissions as well as many other empowerments.

At the age of 37, Lingtrul Rinpoche journeyed to central Tibet, Nepal and India to visit the great power spots in these holy lands. While in Sikkim he was imprisoned for 6 months and then rescued by H.H. Dodrubchen Rinpoche. Shortly thereafter he was invited to the United States.

He diligently and devotedly studied with many great teachers such as the great Khenpo Münsel from whom he received the entire Dzogchen teachings.

In 1983 He established the Kathok Centre, in Coombs, British Columbia, and worked diligently for the Centre until he resigned as director in 2017. He lives in semi-retreat, travelling and teaching selected students. Presently, Lingtrul Rinpoche maintains residences at Tra Ling Monastery, in Golok; at Kathok Gonpa, in Oakland, California; and at Kathok Gonpa in Coombs, BC." (citation: http://kathokgonpa.ca/)

Follow this link for a selection of teachings from Lingtrul Rinpoche:

Lingtrul Rinpoche Teachings

Tulku Karzang Rinpoche is a recognized incarnation of a great yogi practitioner.

Tulku Karzang was born in 1970. At the time, Tibet was still embroiled in the Cultural Revolution, which would finally end in 1976. His parents had many joyful and auspicious dreams after he was conceived, so, from the beginning, they regarded him as a great spiritual being. When Tulku was young, many Lamas came to his family’s house and recognized him as the great Lama Gugu’s Tulku.

He shared the same teacher and lineage as Lingtrul Rinpoche, and came to the West at the request of Lingtrul Rinpoche, to assist with the establishment of the Kathok Tibetan Buddhist Centre. He is the Spiritual Director at Kathok Centre, and uses all his energies and resources to serve the lineage. 

Follow this link to  access a document providing some information about his previous incarnation:

 Read A Flash of Englightenment 

Follow this link to access a folder of teachings from Karzang Rinpoche:

Karzang Rinpoche Teachings

Kathok Dorje Den, is in Kham, Tibet and is over 840 years old.

The founder of Kathok Monastery was Kathok Kadampa Deshek, (1112-1192 c.e.) The supreme energy of Kathok Monastery was like a great sun at its zenith in the time of the fifth abbot, Yeshe Bum. During this time there were 180,000 practitioners and lamas surrounding the monastery. Thousands of them attained the rainbow body.

Kathok Dorje Den is considered in Tibetan Buddhism to be the most sacred of monasteries in Tibet. It is a precious treasure like Bodh Gaya in India. from all these great masters of Kathok history the treasure revealer, Longsal Nyingpo, is outstanding. Through his past life connections with Guru Rinpoche, and as Guru Rinpoche prophesized, he revealed many sacred texts and substances and carried on the lineage accordingly.

From the record of history, we know that on the original spot where Kathok monastery is located, Guru Rinpoche and his 25 disciples practiced for 25 days and consecrated the ground 13 times. There are many miraculous signs there such as the handprints and footprints of Guru Rinpoche in solid rock.

This was a land of great bliss where the dakinis danced and left footprints on top of the huge rocks. The master, Siddhi Choggie Sangye was a student of Ridgzen Jigme Lingpa and brought the Long-Chen Nying-Thig practices to Kathok Dorje Den.

After all of this, through the inspiration of great masters and the power of dharma protectors, the Kathok  lineage is advancing very strongly and more powerfully in these degenerating times. 

Tra Ling Monastery in Golok, Tibet is a very important branch monastery from Kathok Dorje Den. This monastery is the precious place where our teachers, H.E. Lingtrul Rinpoche and Tulku Karzang Rinpoche resided and trained in their early years and where they continue to maintain strong connections.

This monastery has about two hundred years of history. The founder of the monastery was the great Ling Lama Vajradara Chogyi  Dorje, who was a previous incarnation of  H.E. Lingtrul Rinpoche.

It houses about 600 monks. Several nuns and lay practitioners also live close by. The Ling Lama's residence and  many retreat residences overlook the monastery.

Over the past two hundred years and even in the time of the social transference it still kept a very close and pure connection to Kathok Dorje Den. Tra Ling Monastary carries the practices, ceremonies and rituals of the Kathok traditions most diligently and purely.

Since the great Ling Lama's time there have been many authentic Kathok Masters who have come to Tra Ling to give teachings and take up residence, such as the great, Kathok Siddhi Rinpoche, Kathok Chatsa Rinpoche, Kathok Mot'sa Rinpoche.

There is much communication between the two monasteries and lineage holders and scholars move back and forth. By the power of the great Ling Lama's aspiration and the disciple's pure motivation and intention Tra Ling Monastery continues to expand in every sense.