Photo: Pedro Rocha / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
A Tibetan lama who also makes feature films is a contradiction I find irresistible, until you realize prayer and cinema both aim at the same target: the human heart. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, born in Bhutan and educated in London, directed The Cup and Travellers and Magicians while authoring books like What Makes You Not a Buddhist. To me he is fluent in two languages of meaning, the dharma and the screen, and he uses the latter to offer the former quietly, without sermonizing. In a frantic, distracted age, I am drawn to a storyteller who invites you to slow down and simply watch. His work feels like a deliberate act of stillness.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
- Name (Japanese)
- ゾンサール・ケンツェ・リンポチェ
- Reading
- ぞんさーる・けんつぇ・りんぽちぇ
- Born
- January 1, 1961 (age 65)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Ox
- Origin
- Bhutan, United States
- Occupation
- film director / screenwriter / Lama / actor / commentator
2. Background
- University
- SOAS, University of London
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Cup | — | |
| Notable work | Travellers and Magicians | — | |
| Notable work | Vara: A blessing | — | |
| Notable work | Hema Hema: Sing Me A Song While I Wait | — | |
| Notable work | What Makes You Not a Buddhist | — | |
| Notable work | Not for Happiness | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche born?
Born January 1, 1961 (age 65).
Where is Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche from?
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche is from Bhutan, United States.
What does Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche do?
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche works as film director, screenwriter, Lama, actor, commentator.
What is Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche known for?
Notable works include The Cup, Travellers and Magicians, Vara: A blessing.
Film director — see all → · Screenwriter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.