Jampal Rabgyé Rinpoche
The local name for Muktinath is Chumig Gyatsa (Hundred Waters). The tradional caretakers of Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa are the Tibetan Buddhist Chumig Gyatsa (or 'Muktinath') nuns with the head of the Gye Lhaki Dung as their abbot. The Gye Lhaki Dung is popularly known as the 'Lama Domar family', an unbroken lineage of Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma lamas from Muktinath Valley, who have Chumig Gyatsa as their religious seat for centuries. The current abbot of Chumig Gyatsa is Muktinath Lama Wangyal.

The late abbot of Chumig Gyatsa was Muktinath Lama Jampal Rabgyé Rinpoche. It is he who wrote the Buddhist pilgrimage guide to Chumig Gyatsa, The Clear Mirror.

Rinpoche ('precious one') was born in the Tibetan Buddhist Year of the Monkey in 1908 AD in Jhargot (Djarkot), Muktinath Valley. Rinpoche was known as a great Dzogchen master and had the reputation of being 'a spiritual warrior' because of his imposing appearance and strong practice. The phurba (ritual dagger) he always tucked in his cloths behind his neck during puja no doubt contributed to this reputation.
Rinpoche died in the Year of the Horse (1978 AD) at the age of 71 years.

Pictures
There are only a few pictures of Rinpoche. The picture above, given to us for publication by Upal, the head nun at Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa, is a copy of one of the three pictures the MFI has of Rinpoche. The photographer and the source of the print are unknown. Below you find two other pictures (click to enlarge).