Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche was born into a noble dharma family in Northern India. His father was the third incarnation of tertön Chogyur Lingpa. Rinpoche’s first teacher, his mother, was a renowned practitioner, completing 13 years of retreat.
 
Rinpoche’s root guru, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa recognized him as an incarnation of Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, a renowned master of the Rime, or non-sectarian tradition, in 19th-century Tibet.
 
Rinpoche founded Mangala Shri Bhuti, a genuine sangha of the Longchen Nyingtik Lineage, in 1990.