Karmey Khenpo Rinchen Dargye

Karmey Khenpo Rinchen Dargye was a reincarnation of the great pandita, Shantarakshita, who Tibetans commonly call Khenpo Bodhisattva. Shantarakshita was from the Indian country of Sahor and was the very first master invited for the construction of Samye in Tibet. Karmey Khenpo was often compared to Karmey Chagmey in terms of caliber. He had his own seat at the great monastery Karmey Gon in Kham and, even though he was a disciple of Chokgyur Lingpa, his background was Karma Kagyu.
Karmey Khenpo was an extraordinary master and looked like one of the sixteen arhats. He was a completely pure monk and never let meat or alcohol touch his tongue his entire life. He also said that his hand had never even grazed a woman. They also say he never allowed a lie to cross his lips. Yet, even though he was so gifted and quite close to Chokgyur Lingpa, he still didn’t have the fortune to receive the Dzogchen Desum in person. However, after the great terton passed away, Karmey Khenpo did have a vision of Chokgyur Lingpa’s wisdom-body and received the complete empowerments and transmissions then.
Karmey Khenpo was an incredibly great master. Even Dudjom Rinpoche was amazed by his writings and once told me, “It’s so wonderful that someone like Karmey Khenpo could possibly exist in this world.” He lived, I believe, into his early 80’s and was then reborn as the son of Samten Gyatso’s sister.

--extract from Blazing Splendor, the momoirs of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche