Long Life Prayer for Rinpoche
Among several long-life prayers that have been composed on behalf of our teacher, one was written by Golok Khangsar Tenpo and was sent from Tibet in October 2009. Click HERE to read that prayer.

Khanchen Tupten Tsultrim Gyatso  (Khenpo Munsel), 1916-1993

In 2011, Sogan Rinpoche spoke to students in the US about his root guru, Khenpo Munsel (shown in photo above):
"Although one may have a million teachers, one needs one root guru, like a crown jewel, the most precious. One needs someone whom one can pray to when happy and when sad; and someone to pray to when one has a bad dream. And that one I pray to is Lama Khenpo Munsel Rinpoche."
Venerable Sogan Rinpoche
Spiritual Director, Tupten Osel Choling
Ven. Sogan Rinpoche (Tulku Pema Lodoe) was born in 1964 in the Golok region of Amdo, in eastern Tibet. At the age of seventeen he went to Bayan Monastery to start his formal spiritual training. Later, he was recognized by H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama as the 6th Sogan Rinpoche and as a young man was enthroned at Awo Sera Monastery in East Kham (Serta), which he founded during his first incarnation as Sogan Rinpoche. He is also the head of Bayan Monastery in Golok. He assumed responsibility there at the direction of his root guru, Khenpo Munsel, a Dzogchen master and teacher in Tibet throughout most of the twentieth century and a chief disciple of Khenpo Ngag Chung.  Click HERE to learn more about these sacred sites.  
Rinpoche has studied with many great masters of all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. After many years of study, pilgrimage and solitary retreat, Rinpoche left Tibet to continue his studies in India. While there, he studied extensively with prominent teachers and spent several years in retreat.
Rinpoche travels throughout North America and in Europe to teach Buddhism. For many years he has taught in the SF Bay region where Tupten Osel Choling is based. In 2012, his students in northern Italy founded Tupten Osel Ling, another dharma center under his spiritual guidance.
You can read about Rinpoche's current Bay Area teachings HERE, as well as teachings he has generously imparted in previous years. For more information about his approach to teaching the Dharma, click HERE.
The Sogan Foundation
In 2004 Rinpoche established The Sogan Foundation (TSF), a secular non-profit organization which funded the construction of a science and technology facility for high school students in Golok, Tibet. Kunsel Kyetsal opened its doors for the first time in 2007.
TSF's second project was constructing a basic water system for a community of elderly nomads located near Bayan Monastery. This job was completed during the summer of 2010. For the first time, residents can obtain clear, filtered water and are spared a difficult trek to an open spring which is susceptible to contamination.
In this video clip, Rinpoche interviews one of Kunsel Kyetsal's English teachers in at the school in Golok in October, 2012 as the fifth year of classes was starting. To find out more about the work of The Sogan Foundation, visit the website.
Photos of Sogan Rinpoche's activities on behalf of beings:
All Tupten Osel Choling Galleries HERE >>
The Sogan Foundation Galleries HERE >