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Lama Karma was born in Paro, Bhutan in 1964. His father’s family is of the Peling Lineage from Eastern Bhutan in an area called Bumthang. His father’s lineage is Nyingma from Pema Lingpa who brought this lineage to Bhutan. His mother’s lineage is Drukpa Kagyu from Phaju Gompo who brought this lineage to Bhutan. At age seven (7), Lama Karma became a monk and attended the Paro Dzong Monastery which is a Drukpa Kagyu monastery.
While attending Paro Dzong, Lama Karma’s guru was His Holiness Ngawang Thinlay Lhundup. He was known as a great healer in Bhutan. Lama Karma excelled at sacred dance. Lama Karma still performs the dances of the Black Hat, Invitation to Guru Rinpoche, Mahakala, Lord of the Cremation Grounds, and Dakini with the traditional costumes and music. Lama Karma learned how to play instruments as well that were used for observing these festivities and then taught the monks. These instruments included horns, flutes, drums and damarus. Lama Karma learned about healing using mantras, chanting and divination. Currently, Lama Karma still enjoys playing these instruments and performing sacred chants. He performs divination and various healing ceremonies and prayers for land sites and individual people. Lama Karma has also performed ceremonies for people who are near death or have just died.
After completing his undergraduate education at Paro Dzong monastery, Lama Karma went to Nepal to study Buddhist Philosophy at the Tharthang Nyingma Institute in 1987. He was 21 years old when he started. He studied here for nine (9) years with Khenpo Rigzin Dorje. Khenpo Rigzin is a Dzogchen Master, Regent of Chatrul Rinpoche and His Holiness Palno Rinpoche, and one of the most revered teachers of the Nyingma lineage. He is known for writing the text on the thirty-seven (37) Practices of a Bodhisattva which is taught by his eminence Namkai Nyingpo.
Lama Karma graduated in January 1996 from the Tharthang Nyingma Institute in Nepal.
In March 1996, Lama Karma came to the United States and went to Washington state to stay with his brother who was attending Washington State University. He took two (2) semesters of English to learn how to speak and write in the United States. He then moved to the Boulder area in Colorado.
Lama Karma has been teaching the Tibetan language in the United States since 1996. He speaks five (5) languages: English, Bhutanese, Tibetan, Hindi (India), and Nepalese. He is qualified to teach the Buddhist monastic music, chanting, dancing and philosophy.
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