About Lachen Gomchen Rinpoche

Lachen Gomchen Rinpoché (1867-1947), born in Namok, Sikkim, was a prominent Nyingma lama and the abbot of Lachen Monastery. Known also as Ngawang Kunzang Rinchen, he became the spiritual teacher of Alexandra David-Néel in 1915. He was esteemed by many Western explorers and scholars, including Marco Pallis, who met him in 1936, and Anagarika Govinda, who encountered him in Sikkim in 1937. His teachings and presence significantly influenced the spread of Tibetan Buddhism in the West.