On the weekend of Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June 2026, Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche was with us in Hoofddorp. He gave a teaching on the life of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche and led the practice of Khandro Thugthik.
Khandro Thugthik, "Essence of the Dakini's Heart", is a central practice of the Dudjom lineage. It focuses on the wisdom of the feminine principle, embodied by Yeshe Tsogyal, and is known for its power to reveal the true nature of mind.
Khandro: she who moves through space
The Tibetan word khandro, in Sanskrit dakini, is built from "space" and "going". That space is emptiness, and the going is a wisdom that never snags on anything. Mobile, and impossible to pin down in the form it just showed itself in.
Dakinis appear in the tradition in several ways. There are wisdom dakinis, fully realised forms visualised in practice. There are women of flesh and blood recognised as dakinis, of whom Yeshe Tsogyal is the best known: the consort of Guru Rinpoche, and the one to whom we owe a large part of the terma teachings. And there is the dakini as whatever crosses your path at the moment it is needed, often in the shape of an encounter you would rather have skipped.
It is tempting to turn this into a gentle symbol of the feminine. That falls short. Dakinis are depicted wrathful as often as peaceful, and those images are not a threat. They are an indication of how thoroughly one's own grasping gets dealt with.
The lineage the practice comes from
Khandro Thugthik belongs to the Dudjom Tersar, the new treasures of Dudjom: the cycle of terma teachings revealed by Dudjom Lingpa (1835-1904) and by H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdral Yeshe Dorje (1904-1987). It is the main lineage of Rigdzin Dzogchen Ling and the tradition we practise in every week.
That Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche spoke about the life of Dudjom Rinpoche over this weekend placed the practice back in the lineage it comes from. A terma practice cut loose from the master who revealed it stays a text. With the life story alongside it, you can see where it came from and why it was passed on.
Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche
Born in 1987 into a family of dedicated practitioners, Lama Sonam Tashi Rinpoche is a master of the Nyingma tradition. He trained extensively at Dundul Raptenling Monastery in Nepal, and since 2010 has led its restoration and development, supporting both its growth and the well-being of its monastic community. He has received teachings from great masters including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Chatral Rinpoche, and Kyabje Dudjom Yangsi Rinpoche, and teaches the dharma internationally.
The teaching was open to all, from beginners to experienced practitioners. Our full programme is on the Programme page.