Bokar Rinpoche was born to a family of nomads in Western Tibet in 1940. Recognized at four as the reincarnation of the previous Bokar Rinpoche by the Sixteenth Karmapa, he studied at Bokar and Tsurpu Monasteries. He left Tibet for India at twenty and completed two three-year retreats under the guidance of the great Tibetan master, Kalu Rinpoche. Because of his remarkable qualities and deep realization, he succeeded Kalu Rinpoche as head of the Shangpa Kagyu Lineage. He teaches advanced Vajrayana practice at monasteries in Northern India and Buddhist centers throughout the world.