Namkhai Norbu (; 8 December 1938 – 27 September 2018) was a
Tibetan Buddhist
Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Arunachal Prades ...
master of
Dzogchen
Dzogchen ( 'Great Completion' or 'Great Perfection'), also known as ''atiyoga'' ( utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Bön aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence. The goal ...
and a professor of
Tibetan and
Mongolian language
Mongolian is the Prestige (sociolinguistics), principal language of the Mongolic languages, Mongolic language family that originated in the Mongolian Plateau. It is spoken by ethnic Mongols and other closely related Mongolic peoples who are nati ...
and literature at
Naples Eastern University
Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
. He was a leading authority on
Tibetan culture
Tibet developed a distinct culture due to its geographic and climatic conditions. While influenced by neighboring cultures from China, India, and Nepal, the Himalayas, Himalayan region's remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinct ...
, particularly in the fields of
history
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
,
literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
, traditional religions (
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...
and
Bon
Bon or Bön (), also known as Yungdrung Bon (, ), is the indigenous Tibetan religion which shares many similarities and influences with Tibetan Buddhism.Samuel 2012, pp. 220–221. It initially developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries but ...
), and
Traditional Tibetan medicine
Traditional Tibetan medicine or Sowa Rigpa is the Tibetan medical system developed in the 8th century under King Trisong Detsen that incorporated the best international medical practices of that time.Claude Arpi, ''Glimpses on the Tibet History' ...
, having written numerous books and scholarly articles on these subjects.
When he was two years old, Norbu was recognized as the
mindstream
Mindstream (Pali: ''citta-santāna'', Sanskrit: ''citta-saṃtāna;'' Ch: ''xin xiangxu'' 心相續) in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment continuum of sense impressions and mental phenomena ( citta), which is also described as continui ...
emanation Emanation may refer to:
*Emanation (chemistry), a dated name for the chemical element radon
*Emanation From Below, a concept in Slavic religion
*Emanation in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a belief found in Neoplatonism
*Emanation of the state, a lega ...
, a
tulku
A ''tulku'' (, also ''tülku'', ''trulku'') is an individual recognized as the reincarnation of a previous spiritual master (lama), and expected to be reincarnated, in turn, after death. The tulku is a distinctive and significant aspect of Tibet ...
, of the Dzogchen teacher
Adzom Drugpa (1842–1924). At five, he was also recognized as a mindstream emanation of an emanation of
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (1594–1651). At the age of sixteen, he met master Rigdzin Changchub Dorje (1863–1963), who became his main Dzogchen teacher.
In 1960, he went to Italy at the invitation of
Giuseppe Tucci
Giuseppe Tucci (; 5 June 1894 – 5 April 1984) was an Italian orientalist, Indologist and scholar of East Asian studies, specializing in Tibetan culture and the history of Buddhism. During its zenith, Tucci was a supporter of Italian fascism ...
and served as Professor of Tibetan and Mongolian Language and Literature from 1964 to 1992 at Naples Eastern University. In 1983, he hosted the first International Convention on Tibetan Medicine, held in Venice, Italy.
In 1976, Norbu began to give Dzogchen instruction in the West, first in Italy, then in numerous other countries. He became a respected spiritual authority among many practitioners, and created centers for the study of Dzogchen worldwide. Norbu taught Dzogchen for more than fifty years and was considered by the
Tibetan government in exile as "the foremost living Dzogchen" teacher at the time of his death, in 2018.
Norbu founded the Dzogchen Community, which today has centers around the world, including in the US, Mexico, Australia, Russia, and China.
Birth
Namkhai Norbu was born on 8 December 1938 in the village of Ge'u in
Derge County.
His name, ''Namkhai'', means "sky", "space", and "aether", and has the possessive case ending, thus it may be rendered into English as "...of the sky". ''Norbu'' means "jewel", "crystal", "gem", "
cintamani
Cintāmaṇi (Sanskrit; Devanagari: ; zh, c=如意寶珠, p=Rúyì bǎozhū; ; Korean: 여의보주/yeouiboju; Japanese Romaji: ), also spelled as Chintamani (or the ''Chintamani Stone''), is a wish-fulfilling jewel resembling a pearl described ...
". Therefore, Namkhai Norbu may be rendered in English as "jewel of the sky".
Recognition as a reborn master
At birth, two of Norbu's uncles, the Dzogchen masters
Palyul Karma Yangsid and
Shechen Rabjam, believed him to be the reincarnation of their master, Adzom Drugpa Rinpoche (1841–1934). When Norbu was two years old, this was confirmed by a senior tulku of the
Nyingma
Nyingma (, ), also referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by PadmasambhavaClaude Arpi, ''A Glimpse of the History of Tibet'', Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013. ...
school. Adzom Drugpa was a disciple both of
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–92) and
Patrul Rinpoche (1808–81).
Furthermore, when he was five years old, the sixteenth
Gyalwa Karmapa and the
Situ Rinpoche together recognized Norbu as the
mind emanation of the mindstream of another well-known teacher, who was in turn the emanation of
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the 17th-century Tibetan-born founder and spiritual leader of
Bhutan
Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...
. Because of this, Namkhai Norbu also bears the honorary title '
Chögyal' (), meaning 'Dharma King'.
Such recognitions conferred a great deal of attention and prestige upon him from a very young age, leading him in later life to remark: "As I grew up, I was thus given quite a few names and titles, many of which are very long and grand-sounding. But I have never used them, because I have always preferred the name my parents gave me at birth".
Tibet
In his early years, Norbu studied at the
Derge Gonchen monastery. At the age of nine, he entered a
Sakya
The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu.
Origins
Virūpa, 16th century. It depict ...
college, where he studied
Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy is the ancient Indian Indian philosophy, philosophical system that developed within the religio-philosophical tradition of Buddhism. It comprises all the Philosophy, philosophical investigations and Buddhist logico-episte ...
for many years with
Khyenrab Chökyi Odzer. He also received numerous
tantric and Dzogchen transmissions and teachings from many masters, including his paternal uncle
Togden Ugyen Tendzin, his maternal uncle
Khyentse Rinpoche Chökyi Wangchug, as well as
Drubwang Rinpoche Kunga Palden,
Negyab Rinpoche,
Drugse Gyurmed Dorje,
Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö
Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö ( – 1959) was a Tibetan people, Tibetan lama, a master of many lineages, and a teacher of many of the major figures in 20th-century Tibetan Buddhism. Though he died in 1959 in Sikkim, and is not so well known ...
,
Dudjom Rinpoche Yeshe Dorje, and
Bo Gongkar Rinpoche. He also received teachings at
Dzogchen Monastery. In 1951, he received various teachings from the female yogi
Ayu Khandro Dorje Paldrön (1838–1953).
Norbu was invited to China in 1953 as a representative of the Tibetan monasteries. After visiting
Chengdu
Chengdu; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, previously Romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chengtu. is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a ...
and
Chungching, he accepted an invitation to teach
Classical Tibetan
Classical Tibetan refers to the language of any text written in Tibetic after the Old Tibetan period. Though it extends from the 7th century until the modern day (along with Arabic, Ge'ez, and New Persian, it is one of the handful of 'living' ...
in
Menyag and also had the opportunity to learn Chinese there. During this time, he met
Kangkar Rinpoche, from whom he received instruction on the
Six Yogas of Naropa
The Six Dharmas of Nāropa (, Skt. ''ṣaḍdharma'', "Naro's six doctrines" or "six teachings") are a set of advanced Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices compiled by the Indian mahasiddhas Tilopa and Nāropa (1016–1100 CE) and passed on to t ...
, and other teachings.
After having had a vision in a dream, Norbu returned to Derge. It was here that he met his
root teacher, Rigdzin Changchub Dorje, in 1955 (when Norbu was sixteen).
He stayed at Dorje's residence in
Khamdogar for six months, and it was under this teacher that Norbu gained real experiential knowledge of Dzogchen.
Changchub Dorje was a disciple of Adzom Drugpa, Nyagla Padma Dündul, and Shardza Trashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche (1859–1935), and was the leader of a small community of lay practitioners, as well as a doctor of Tibetan medicine. From Changchub Dorje, Norbu received authentic transmissions of all three series of Dzogchen (Semde, Longde, and Menngagde).
Italy
In the late 1950s, Norbu made a pilgrimage that took him to central Tibet, India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Because of the turmoil and aftermath of the
1959 Tibetan Rebellion
The 1959 Tibetan uprising or Lhasa uprising began on 10 March 1959 as a series of protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, fueled by fears that the Chinese government planned to arrest the Dalai Lama. Over the next ten days, the demonstratio ...
, he could not return to Derge from Sikkim, so he stayed as a refugee in
Gangtok
Gangtok (, ) is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Sikkim. The seat of East Sikkim district, eponymous district, Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an elevation of . The city's population of 100 ...
, working as a writer and editor of Tibetan literature for the
Chogyal
The Chogyal ("Dharma Kings", ) were the monarchs of the former Kingdom of Sikkim, which belonged to the Namgyal dynasty, . The Chogyal was the absolute monarch of Sikkim from 1642 to 1973, and the constitutional monarch from 1973 to 1975, wh ...
government from 1958 to 1960. It was here that he met with the Italian
Tibetologist Giuseppe Tucci
Giuseppe Tucci (; 5 June 1894 – 5 April 1984) was an Italian orientalist, Indologist and scholar of East Asian studies, specializing in Tibetan culture and the history of Buddhism. During its zenith, Tucci was a supporter of Italian fascism ...
. Also during his time in Sikkim, he met and received teachings from the
XVI Gyalwa Karmapa.
Already recognized as a knowledgeable figure in all aspects of Tibetan culture at the age of 22, Norbu was invited to Italy by Giuseppe Tucci to work at the Institute for the Middle and Far East () in Rome for two years. He collaborated with Tucci and Geshe Jempel Senghe on
a catalogue and library of Tibetan texts.
In 1962, he took up a post in Naples at the
Istituto Universitario Orientale, where he taught the Tibetan language and literature until 1992. Namkhai Norbu focused his research on the ancient history of Tibet, the
Shang Shung kingdom, and the
Bön
Bon or Bön (), also known as Yungdrung Bon (, ), is the indigenous Tibetan religion which shares many similarities and influences with Tibetan Buddhism.Samuel 2012, pp. 220–221. It initially developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries but ...
tradition. His research included works on history,
Tibetan medicine, astrology, Bön, and Tibetan folk traditions.
Norbu married Rosa Tolli in 1968. They had a son, (born in 1970), and a daughter, Yuchen Namkhai (born in 1971).
Teaching Dzogchen in the West
In 1971, Norbu began to teach an ancient Tibetan form of physical yoga he called Yantra Yoga (Tibetan:
Trul Khor
''Trul khor'' ('magical instrument' or 'magic circle;' Skt. ), in full ''tsa lung trul khor'' ( 'magical movement instrument, channels and inner breath currents'), also known as yantra yoga, is a Vajrayana discipline which includes pranayama ( ...
). This system is based on the
Dzogchen tantra called ''The Union of the Sun and Moon'' and uses physical postures, breathing, and visualization to harmonize one's energy and relax the mind.
[.] Starting in 1976, Norbu began to teach Dzogchen to a small group of Italian students.
During this time, Dzogchen was barely known in the West, and Norbu worked to make it accessible to modern Western students.
As interest in his teachings grew, Norbu dedicated himself to teaching Dzogchen throughout the world through his growing "Dzogchen Community" (Wylie: ''rdzogs chen 'dus sde''). The first "gar" (gathering, settlement) of the DC was established in 1981, near
Arcidosso
Arcidosso is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about northeast of Grosseto and near the town of Montalcino.
History
The first certain documentat ...
, in Tuscany. It was called ''Merigar'' ("Community of the Mountain-of-Fire").

The Dzogchen Community would eventually grow to include thousands of members in over forty countries, including in Europe, Australia, Asia, North America, and South America.
The main DC Gars were: Merigar West in Italy and Merigar East in Romania; Tsegyalgar East in Massachusetts, USA and Tsegyalgar West in Baja California, Mexico; Tashigar North in Venezuela and Tashigar South in Argentina; Namgyalgar in New South Wales, Australia, and Kunsangar in Ukraine and Russia.
Norbu continued to travel around the world, giving Dzogchen teachings. He held over 600 Dzogchen retreats throughout his life. Since 2005, some of these teachings were also transmitted worldwide via the internet.
Norbu also developed a system of study and contemplative training for his students, which he called Santi Maha Sangha.
In the 1980s, Norbu also began to reveal a new series of Dzogchen teachings (i.e., a
terma cycle) called ''Longsal''. These terma revelations have been translated and published in ten volumes.
In 2002, Norbu oversaw the establishment of the Ka-Ter translation project, which tasked experienced translators such as Adriano Clemente,
Elio Guarisco, and Jim Valby with the translation from Tibetan of key texts, as well as the works of Norbu himself.
Other projects
In 1983, Norbu organized the First International Congress on Tibetan Medicine, which was held at
Ca' Foscari University in Venice and the
Cini Foundation
The Giorgio Cini Foundation (''Italian: Fondazione Giorgio Cini''), or just the Cini Foundation, is a cultural foundation founded by industrialist and politician Vittorio Cini on 20 April 1951 in memory of :it:Giorgio Cini (imprenditore), Giorgio ...
,
Arcidosso
Arcidosso is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about northeast of Grosseto and near the town of Montalcino.
History
The first certain documentat ...
.
Norbu also convened the first three International Conferences on Tibetan Language, held at various major universities.
Apart from his spiritual activity, he founded the International Shang-Shung Institute for Tibetan Studies in 1990 to preserve the cultural traditions of Tibet (including Tibetan medicine and language). The institute has a large collection of Tibetan books and manuscripts, and it also publishes the works of Namkhai Norbu. The institute was inaugurated by the XIV Dalai Lama in 1990.
In 2005, the Shang Shung Medical Institute began to offer a four-year course in traditional Tibetan medicine.
Norbu also founded the NGO A.S.I.A (Association for International Solidarity in Asia), which works in Tibet, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Mongolia, and Sri Lanka.
A.S.I.A. has worked on more than 200 projects, including building twenty schools, where 3,000 Tibetan children learn Tibetan language and culture.
Recognition and legacy
Chögyal Namkhai Norbu's teachings on the Dance of the Vajra and Khaita Joyful Dances (a program based on the study, singing, and dancing of traditional and modern Tibetan songs) have been recognized at
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
's
International Dance Council
International Dance Council (CID, in French: Conseil international de la danse ) is the umbrella organization for all forms of dance in the world. It was founded in 1973 at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris "under the auspices of UNESCO as a ...
(CID).
The numerous cultural artifacts collected by Norbu, such as valuable Himalayan and Central Asian works of art, sacred objects, documents, and handicrafts, are now in the collection of the Museum of Asian Art and Culture in Arcidosso (2016).
In 2000, Norbu was invited to the UN's Millennium World Peace Conference of Religious and Spiritual Leaders in New York.
On 10 September 2018, the Italian government conferred upon him its highest award,
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...
; this was presented by President
Sergio Mattarella
Sergio Mattarella (; born 23 July 1941) is an Italian politician and jurist who has served as the president of Italy since 2015. He is the longest-serving president in the history of the Italian Republic. Since Giorgio Napolitano's death in 20 ...
.
Works

Chögyal Namkhai Norbu wrote more than eighty works, which have been translated into numerous languages. His oeuvre includes books on Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan history, poetry, biographies, and works on Tibetan culture and Tibetan medicine.
Books
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Contributions
* Introduction: Beyond Words: Dzogchen Made Easy (2003) (Element Books)
* Introduction: Self-Liberation: Through Seeing with Naked Awareness (2000) (Station Hill Press)
* Introduction: The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Awakening Upon Dying (2013)
* Introduction: The Golden Letters (1996) (Snow Lion)
* Introduction: Togden Shakya Shri. The Life and Liberation of a Tibetan Yogin (2009) (Shang Shung Edizioni)
* Introduction: You Are the Eyes of the World (2011) (Shambhala )
Discography
* ''Chöd: Cutting Through Dualism'' (1995) CD (Amiata Records) ARNR-0193
* ''Purification of the Six Lokas'' (2001) CD (Shang Shung) 10020
* ''General Introduction to Dzogchen'' (2009) DVD
* ''Music for the Dance of the Vajra'' (2009) CD (Amiata Records) ARNR-0200
* ''My Reincarnation'' (2012) DVD (New York)
See also
*
Lucid dream
In the psychology subfield of oneirology, a lucid dream is a type of dream wherein the dreamer realizes that they are dreaming during their dream. The capacity to have lucid dreams is a trainable cognitive skill. During a lucid dream, the dreamer ...
* ''
My Reincarnation
''My Reincarnation'' is a 2011 documentary film directed by Jennifer Fox (documentary filmmaker), Jennifer Fox. It is a drama between father and son, spanning two decades and three generations. The film addresses spirituality, cultural survival, id ...
'' – a documentary film by Jennifer Fox
*
Rimé movement
The Rimé movement (Tibetan Wylie: ''ris med''; approximate pronunciation "reemay") also written in some English sources as Rime, Ri-me, Rimay) is a movement or tendency in Tibetan Buddhism which promotes non-sectarianism and universalism.Sam ...
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Six realms
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Zhitro
References
Notes
Citations
Works cited
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Further reading
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External links
Namkhai Norbu biographyby Adriano Clemente on the Treasury of Lives
International Dzogchen CommunityList of international gars–Dzogchen community centres* – newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community
Official Yantra Yoga website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norbu, Namkhai
1938 births
2018 deaths
Commanders of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Dzogchen lamas
Italian people of Tibetan descent
Italian writers
Nyingma lamas
Rinpoches
Tertöns
Tibetan Buddhism writers
Tibetan Buddhist spiritual teachers
Tibetan Buddhists from Tibet
Tibetan emigrants to India
Tibetan writers