Lama Mingyur Sonam
Lama Mingyur Sonam was born in 1981 in Nepal, in the beautiful Tsum valley situated at 4,000 metres above sea level, near the border with Tibet. Since he was a child, he has been raised in a religious Buddhist atmosphere.
At the age of seventeen he decided to dedicate his life to Dharma and he joined the Benchen monastery. Under the eye of His Eminence Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche and Venerable Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche he studied basic Buddhist text, learned traditional rituals and the rules of monastic discipline. After a few years he took full monk’s (Tib. gelong, Sanskr. bhikshu) ordination.
At the age of 22 he started the traditional meditation retreat in Benchen Drubde Osal Ling drubkhang in Parping. It took three years and seven months. After completing the retreat, Lama Mingyur continued receiving studies in Benchen monastery.
In summer 2010, Lama Mingyur Sonam moved to the Benchen Karma Kamtsang Centre in Grabnik to share his experience and knowledge with us.
Presenting Lama Mingyur to Polish sangha , V.V. Tenga Rinpoche said:
"Lama Rinchen has told me many times that apart from the Benchen Karma Kamtsang Centre in Grabnik, there is also a number of other Benchen centres in Poland, which regularly invite him. When he goes there, however, the centre in Grabnik is left without a lama. And when he is needed in Grabnik, he cannot visit other centres. Therefore he has asked me to send a lama from the Monastery to help. Finally I have decided to send Lama Mingyur Sonam to Poland.
Generally speaking, there are many lamas in Benchen Monastery and all of them have good qualities. All of our lamas are very good meditation practitioners and very good monks. One of them is Lama Mingyur Sonam. Lama is distinguished by unusually calm and composed mind. His discipline as a monk is very good and his motivation is very pure. Lama Mingyur Sonam has also remarkable communication skills. That is why I have asked him to live in Grabnik and assist Lama Rinchen. I have great hope that Lama Mingyur Sonam will be very helpful in the activities of Lama Rinchen and will benefit all practitioners in Poland."
