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As I mentioned earlier, I was both an aspiring scholar and Tibetan Buddhist. The Buddhist side of me wanted to ask my teacher’s advice. My teacher, the late Bardor Tulku Rinpoche, came from Kham and had a direction connection to the Ri-mé. Rinpoche was recognized as the third reincarnation of the 19th century master, Barway Dorje. Barway Dorje was one of Chogyur Dechen Lingpa’s main disciples and like Chogyur Lingpa, Barway Dorje was a renowned and prolific revealer of Padmasambhava’s treasures.

The summer before my trip, I headed off to Rinpoche’s office for an audience in upstate New York. Bardor Tulku Rinpoche was always warm, dignified, and stern. A dimunitive man of powerful build, he had a face that was both noble and cherubic. A stroke in 2015 had slowed him somewhat but he still radiated a kind, loving power.

Rinpoche sat cross-legged on a low Tibetan bench, robed in maroon red and saffron yellow. The yellow audience room was filled with a gentle afternoon sun. I sat down nervously and explained I was studying Gesar for my phd and that I was heading to Chengdu to study Kham dialect. I asked him if there was anywhere I should visit. He replied softly but firmly, “Nangchen”. He then friended me on WeChat, the Chinese equivalent of Facebook, and shared the contact information of a lama in Nangchen. I was to contact the lama when I arrived in Sichuan. I thanked Rinpoche and with that, the audience ended and my journey began.