Khenchen Trinley Paljor Rinpoche comes from the Samdrub Chöling Monastery in Nangchen (East Tibet). At the age of 19 years he took the monk’s vows and conducted his first 3-year-retreat according to the Barom tradition. The retreat was designed according to the style of Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye. One of his retreat masters was Beru Karma Gangchog. After the retreat, Khenchen Trinley Paljor Rinpoche went for a pilgrimage, visiting sacred sites such the mount Kailash, Lhasa, Tsurpu, Samye and Tashi Lungpo.

Having returned to East Tibet he started with another 3-year-retreat. After this retreat he was appointed the drupön, i.e. the retreat master of this place. Yet, during the next 3-year-retreat which he supervised he had to flee. He was then 30 years old. Having arrived in India he first visited sacred sites such as Bodhgaya, and finally came to Rumtek in Sikkim where he remained in the 16^th Gyalwa Karmapa’s monastery. At this time he also studies treatises such as the Bodhicarya-Avatara, the Abhisamaya-Alankara, different Madhyamaka-texts, and the Vinaya on the Pratimoksha-, Bodhisattva-, and Vajrayana-levels.

From the 16^th Karmapa, Khenchen Tashi Paljor received the entire transmission of the Kagyü Ngag Dzö (= the Treasure of Kagyü-Tantras). From Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche he received the Damgnag Dzö (= the Treasure of Key-Instructions), the Rinchen Terdzö (= the Treasure of the precious Termas) and the Drubtab Küntü (= the complete Collection of Methods for Accomplishment).

Finally, the 16^th Gyalwa Karmapa asked Khenchen Tashi Paljor to look after the young, just six year old Drungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche. Since then he took care of him.

Because of the developments in the context of the so-called „Karmapa issue“ there are problems with the Vajrayana samayas which many Kagyü teacher had with the 16th Karmapa. Khenchen Trinley Paljor, however, is one of those masters whose samayas are completely pure. As pure samayas and an intact lineage are decisive for the quality of a transmission, Künsig Shamar Rinpoche asked Khenchen Trinley Paljor to transmit the Six Dharmas of Naropa to the 17^th Gyalwa Karmapa. This took place in the summer of 2002 in the retreat place of Le Bost, France (more here).