Tempa Dukte Lama

Tempa Dukte Lama was born in the Humla valley of Nepal, close to the Tibetan Border into a family of Bon and Nyingma practitioners. As a young boy, Tempa lived closely with his grandfather, who was one of the village shaman priests called “Drang Rig”. His grandfather visited many sick and dying people to offer his help, and Tempa often accompanied him. At the age of six, Tempa entered Menri monastery in Dolanji, India, where he was given to H.H. Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche. He was the first child to leave Humla to receive an education. In Menri, he studied and practiced under the close guidance of H.H. the 33rd Menri Trizin, Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche and Chongtul Rinpoche.

In 1998, Tempa Lama followed his deep interest in traditional healing practices and spent a year in Humla researching traditional Bon healing practices of shamanism in his family lineage. In Summer 2000, Joan Halifax Roshi, the abbot of Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico invited Tempa to join her at Upaya to assist and support her in teaching practices related to death and dying. Tempa Lama lived in Upaya until 2005, participating in the project “Being with Dying” and supporting both caregivers and dying people through his compassionate presence and through practices related to death and dying. He also taught a variety of retreats together with Roshi Joan and visiting Bon lamas.

Since his departure from Upaya in 2005, Tempa has been living and teaching in the US and Germany. In early 2007, Tempa Lama came to Pittsburgh where he founded the non profit organization Olmoling. Tempa’s deep wish is to make the ancient teachings of the Bon tradition truly relevant and accessible for all those who feel the need to bring healing and more happiness into their lives. In teaching meditation practice and Open Presence, healing practices and other Bon practices, his emphasis is on helping people to bring their practice into all situations of their lives and to use it to transform their suffering and to help each other. As the founder of the Bon Cultural Society of Humla, Tempa Lama is also engaged in ongoing projects to preserve the ancient culture of his home valley Humla.

• Tempa Lama’s retreat and teaching schedule

• Tempa Lama’s paintings and calligraphy