His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche (1905–1989), was born in eastern Tibet and received early Dharma teachings from his parents. At the age of fifteen, he entered Palpung Monastery, receiving advanced training from the 11th Situ Rinpoche and completing two three-year retreats.
At twenty-six, he began the nomadic life of a yogi, seeking realization of his meditative training in the solitude of forests and caves. After fifteen years, he was asked to return to Palpung Monastery to lead three-year retreats. He was entrusted with the Shangpa Kagyu lineage by his main teacher, Norbu Döndrub.
In the 1950s, as China dominated Tibet, Kalu Rinpoche was invited by the royal family of Bhutan to settle in that country. He founded a retreat center in Bhutan and later founded a monastery-in-exile at Sonada, Darjeeling, India. From 1974 until his death, he traveled on behalf of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, accepting invitations to give Dharma teachings in Europe and North America. He founded sixty meditation centers and six centers for the traditional three-year retreat.
