Kyabje Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche was born in 1931 into a blessed Dharma family. His father was the great Nyingma master Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje, and his mother was Kusho Tseten Yudron.
From a young age, Rinpoche devoted himself to the study and practice of Buddhism. He studied for nine years at Mindrolling Monastery, one of the great monasteries of the Nyingma tradition in Tibet. During this time, he received many precious teachings from great masters, including his own father.
In the mid-1950s, during the difficult time in Tibet, Rinpoche left his homeland and later stayed in Bhutan with his family. Under the guidance of his father, he designed and built the Thimphu Memorial Chorten in 1974 to honour the Third King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.
In 1991, through auspicious circumstances, Rinpoche found a peaceful place in the hills of upstate New York. He named it Kunzang Gatshal, which means “Always Noble Joyful Park.” This became his home and an important center for Dharma activities for many years.
In the mid-1990s, Rinpoche built a temple there and personally guided every part of its construction with great care and devotion. Around the same time, he also founded White Lotus School, where young children could learn and preserve the pure Dharma teachings and practice.
Rinpoche passed into parinirvana in California on December 26, 2011, according to the Tibetan calendar, on the second day of the eleventh month of the Iron Rabbit year.