Naljorpa Chhi’mèd Künzang

Naljorpa Chhi’mèd Künzang has been a student of Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen since 1998 and a practitioner of Vajrayana Buddhism since 1993. He was ordained in 2005 and has since taught sKu-mNyé and given public teachings in the Flathead Valley, Montana.

Chhi’mèd, along with his wife Christine, moved to North-West Montana according to their Lamas’ instruction – in order to live in the Hidden Land of Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche. Their first child was born recently (2006), and they feel extraordinary gratitude that he will be raised in a place where Vajrayana is the default texture of life.

In order to engage most fully with the Hidden Land, Naljorpa Chhi’mèd has taken up horse training as a profession. For many years, he was an avid practitioner of Aikido; and he has found that the methods of Dzogchen meditation –­ along with its attendant psycho-physical practices –­ are powerfully complemented by the physical dynamic of horseback riding as a practice of Warriorship. For this reason, he has recently taken up Mongolian horseback archery – as a practice of integration and as an expression of inspiration by the enlightened hero, Ling Gésar.

Before training horses, Naljorpa Chhi’mèd worked as a computer programmer, and the conceptual skills he gained in that occupation serve him well in explaining the structure of Dharma. He was the editor of ‘vision’ magazine for many years, and regularly contributed articles relevant to practice within the gö-kar-chang-lo’i dé. He holds a degree in Creative Writing from Stanford University and hopes someday to put it to use.

Upcoming events with Naljorpa Chhi’mèd Künzang: