Gangshar Wangpo

Who is Gangshar Wangpo?

Khenpo Gangshar Wangpo was a highly respected lama in Eastern Tibet and one of the primary teachers of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and the 9th Thrangu Rinpoche. Khenpo Gangshar was trained in Shechen Monastery, a monastic center established in the end of the sixteenth century and part of the Mindröling lineage within the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Khenpo Gangshar was a primary teacher for Trungpa Rinpoche from the age of 13 until presiding over Trungpa Rinpoche's kyorpön and khenpo degree examinations at the end of 1957. He was also referred to as a "crazy saint". Multiple accounts refer to a serious illness which transformed him from a more quiet monk to an unconventional teacher who renounced his vows, entered into a romantic relationship, and often acted strangely or outrageously. Pema Chödrön credits Khenpo Gangshar with her teachings to "lean into the sharp points" and to "meditate on whatever provokes resentment".