FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

April 11, 2026 

Contact: KPC Communications Office | comms@tara.org | 301-710-6259 x12 

KPC Tibetan Buddhist Temple Celebrates 41st Anniversary of Unbroken 24/7 Prayer Vigil; Welcomes Renowned Scholar Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche 

POOLESVILLE, Maryland — April 11, 2026 — Kunzang Palyul Chöling (KPC), a primary hub of the Tibetan Nyingma tradition in the Western hemisphere, will mark the 41st anniversary of its continuous 24-hour prayer vigil on April 18, 2026. To honor this milestone, the temple welcomes Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche, a distinguished scholar and master of the Palyul lineage, for a weekend of teachings and empowerments. 

The anniversary commemorates a vow made on April 18, 1985, by KPC’s founder and spiritual director, Her Eminence Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo Rinpoche, and her students. Since that day, KPC practitioners have maintained a continuous prayer vigil for the relief of suffering, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—one of the longest-running spiritual vigils in the West. 

“This 41st anniversary is a testament to the power of unwavering intention,” says Anne Kanengeiser, KPC Board President. “The vigil is the heartbeat of KPC, providing the spiritual foundation for our humanitarian work through KPC Buddhist Relief. Having Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche join us for this milestone is a profound honor. He brings a direct link to the heart of the Palyul tradition and the legacy of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche.” 

Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche was educated at the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute at Namdroling Monastery under such luminaries as Khenchen Pema Sherab and Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok. Formally enthroned as Khenpo by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in 1998, he is recognized for his intellectual depth and fluent command of the English language. He was specifically assigned by His Holiness to guide students in the United States, bridging ancient Himalayan wisdom with the contemporary Western experience. 

The weekend will feature formal empowerments and refuge vows. While these ceremonies take place within the temple, KPC’s “prayer in action” continues across the 72-acre campus, where KPC Buddhist Relief manages the “Giving Garden” and coordinates food distribution that serves thousands in the Maryland and D.C. region. 

Event Details: 

● What: 41st Anniversary & Teaching Weekend with Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche 

● When: Saturday & Sunday, April 18–19, 2026 

● Where: 18400 River Rd, Poolesville, MD 20837 

● Registration: Public welcome; registration required via www.tara.org 

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About Kunzang Palyul Chöling 

Kunzang Palyul Chöling (KPC) is a Tibetan Buddhist temple and practice center of the Nyingma tradition’s Palyul lineage, located in Poolesville, Maryland and Sedona, Arizona. Founded by Her Eminence Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo Rinpoche — the first Western woman to be recognized and enthroned as a reincarnate lama (tulku) — KPC’s humanitarian arm, KPC Buddhist Relief, distributes over 16,000 pounds of food monthly to nonprofit partners across the region. The Stupa Peace Parks in Poolesville, Maryland and Sedona, Arizona — including the 36-foot Amitabha Stupa on 14 acres at the base of Thunder Mountain — are open to visitors of all faiths 365 days a year. Kunzang Palyul Chöling is a Platinum-level GuideStar/Candid participant and a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. www.tara.org 

About Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche 

Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche was born in the Tashigang District of Bhutan in 1965. In 1986, he joined the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute, the prestigious Buddhist studies and research center at Namdroling Monastery in Mysore, India, where he studied under Khenchen Pema Sherab, Khenpo Namdrol Tsering, Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso, Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok, and Khenpo Pema Tsewang. He completed the Shedra program in 1995 and joined the Institute’s faculty for three years. He was formally enthroned as Khenpo by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in 1998 and assigned to teach at the Buddhist college at Palyul Monastery in Tibet. He has received all major empowerments of the Rinchen Terzod, Nam Cho, Nyingthig Yabshi, and Nyingma Kama from His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, and the Mipham Kabum from His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. His Holiness Penor Rinpoche subsequently assigned him to teach in the United States in conjunction with the ongoing programs of Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche. 

About Her Eminence Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo Rinpoche 

Her Eminence Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo Rinpoche is the founder and spiritual director of KPC and the first Western woman to be officially recognized and enthroned as a reincarnate lama (tulku). Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was recognized by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche — the 11th Throneholder of the Palyul Lineage and one of the most revered masters of Tibetan Buddhism — as the reincarnation of Genyenma Ahkön Lhamo, a 17th-century Tibetan wisdom master. She was publicly enthroned at KPC’s Maryland temple on September 24, 1988. Under her direction, KPC has grown into one of the most active and powerful centers of Tibetan Buddhist practice and humanitarian engagement in the Western hemisphere.