American teen Buddhist lama begins monastic life in Himalayas
KATHMANDU, May 15: A 19-year-old US-born Buddhist lama, Jalue Dorje, is studying at monasteries in the Himalayan foothills after being recognised from infancy as a reincarnated spiritual leader. Born near Minneapolis, he grew up balancing an ordinary American teenage life—video games, football, rap music, and friends—with intensive Buddhist training in scripture memorisation, calligraphy, and philosophy.
Identified as a tulku at four months old and later confirmed by senior Tibetan Buddhist masters including the Dalai Lama, Dorje was formally enthroned as the eighth Terchen Taksham Rinpoche in 2019. His parents, immigrants who worked hard to support him, followed guidance to keep him in the US for education before sending him to monastic training after high school graduation.
Now based at the Mindrolling Monastery in India and visiting Nepal for rituals at Shechen Monastery near Boudhanath, he performs traditional duties such as blessings, offerings, and ceremonies while wearing monastic robes alongside reminders of his American upbringing. Despite his spiritual role, he remains culturally hybrid—quoting rappers like Drake, enjoying sports, and even wearing Crocs decorated with cartoon charms.
Dorje describes his journey as the fulfilment of a spiritual prophecy linked to a reincarnation lineage dating back to 1655. He has gradually transitioned from an American high school student who played football and wrote for his school newspaper into a young monk participating in sacred rituals alongside senior lamas and other young reincarnated monks.
His daily life now includes dawn prayers, scriptural study, disciplined monastic routines, and limited comforts, balanced with occasional contact with friends in the US, watching sports, and engaging in modern pop culture. He has also built friendships with other young tulkus, including a 13-year-old reincarnated lama, with whom he shares study and daily monastic life.
Despite the demanding path, Dorje remains grounded in both worlds. He reflects on gratitude for his parents, his spiritual recognition, and his unusual upbringing that blended faith and modern life. He hopes eventually to return to the United States to teach Buddhism and become a “leader of peace,” inspired by figures such as the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela. (AP)
