Longchen

Longchen is a Tibetan term used as a personal name and in various geographical and cultural contexts. Transliterations such as glong chen, Lungchen, or Longdchen appear in different sources, and the name is typically understood to convey ideas of vastness or greatness. In Tibetan Buddhism, the name is most commonly encountered as part of the title of a major lineage and as the name of a prominent historical figure.

The most notable bearer of the name is Longchen Rabjampa, commonly known as Longchenpa (1308–1364), a central figure in the Nyingma school’s Dzogchen tradition. Longchenpa is celebrated for reviving and systematizing Dzogchen teachings in 14th-century Tibet. His life and writings contributed to the revival and dissemination of Dzogchen practice, and he is regarded as a key source of doctrinal and contemplative guidance within the tradition. His work helped shape a coherent presentation of Dzogchen that influenced later teachers and lineages.

Longchenpa’s influence is carried forward through the Longchen Nyingthig, a cycle of Dzogchen instructions associated with his lineage. This collection, transmitted through successive masters, remains widely studied and practiced within the Nyingma school and has reached Tibetan Buddhist centers beyond Tibet through translations and teaching networks. In broader literary and religious contexts, the name Longchen is occasionally encountered in other names and places, but in English-language sources it is most strongly associated with Longchenpa and the tradition he helped to define.