Born in Kham in Eastern Tibet, Sogyal Rinpoche was recognized as the incarnation of Lerab Lingpa Tertšn Sogyal, a teacher to the thirteenth Dalai Lama, by Jamyang Khyentse Chškyi Lodrš, one of the most outstanding masters of the twentieth century. Jamyang Khyentse supervised Rinpoche's training and raised him like his own son.

n 1971, Rinpoche went to England where he studied Comparative Religion at Cambridge University. He went on to study with many other masters, of all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, especially KyabjŽ Dudjom Rinpoche and KyabjŽ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, serving as their translator and aide. With his remarkable gift for presenting the essence of Tibetan Buddhism in a way that is both authentic and profoundly relevant to the modern mind, Sogyal Rinpoche is one of the most renowned teachers of our time. Rinpoche has been teaching for over 25 years and continues to travel widely in Europe, America, Australia, and Asia, where he addresses thousands of people on his teaching tours and is a frequent speaker at major conferences. In 1993, Rinpoche founded the Spiritual Care Program which, under his guidance, aims to bring the wisdom and compassion of these teachings to professional and trained volunteer caregivers who work in end of life care.