The Venerable Panchen Ötrul Rinpoche started his religious training in Tibet as a monk at a very early age. In 1960, during political upheavals, he left Tibet for India where he received his full ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and continued his studies under many renowned and highly qualified teachers. On arriving in India in 1960, he joined Varanassi Sanskrit University where he attained a degree in Sanskrit and achieved the level of Acharya in Buddhist Studies.
In 1980, Ven. Rinpoche was awarded the highest degree in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy (Geshe Lharampa). After achieving his Geshe, he studied Tantra at Gyume Tantric College in Hunsur. While Ven. Rinpoche was living in India he helped to redesign the educational programmes for the three largest monasteries there, Drepung, Sera and Ganden. Afterwards he went into retreat until being asked by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to travel to Britain to engage in interfaith dialogue.
In 1990, Ven. Rinpoche was asked by Irish students of Buddhism to become the Spiritual Director of Jampa Ling, the newly established Buddhist centre in County Cavan. He teaches regularly in Ireland and has travelled and taught in Europe, North America and the Far East. Ven. Rinpoche visits Mongolia every year where he is heavily involved in charitable work and with the re-emergence of Buddhism there.