rinpo

Rinpo, also transliterated as Rinpo or Rinpoche, is a Tibetan Buddhist honorific meaning “precious jewel.” The term derives from the Tibetan rin po che (རིན་པོ་ཆེ་) and is traditionally used to address revered teachers and reincarnated lamas, known as tulkus, who are regarded as carriers of spiritual lineages. The title signals respect for a teacher’s attainment, authority, and lineage within a given tradition.

In practice, the title is prefixed to a teacher’s name and is not a surname. The exact rendering varies by transliteration system; Rinpoche is the most common form in English-language Buddhist writing, while Rinpo or Rinpo-che appear in other contexts. The use of Rinpo indicates recognition of the person as a spiritual authority or reincarnated master and is used in formal introductions, teachings, and official communications, though casual speech may simply use the name without the title.

Rinpoches are central to the structure of Tibetan Buddhism, serving as teachers, abbots, and custodians of lineages. The recognition process, often described as search and recognition, is conducted by senior lamas within a tradition. Notable Rinpoches include Mingyur Rinpoche and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, among many others across the schools of Tibetan Buddhism.