Timeline of life and teachings

With love and gratitude to Vidyadhara, Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, 

and his Vajra Regent and dharma heir Ösel Tendzin, 

for the benefit of their present and future students, and all beings. 

By hearing, seeing, and practicing these teachings of the Vidyadhara

through his Vajra Regent,  may we come to realize and embody the lineage transmission.

May we closely protect this planting of Vajrayana and Shambhala vision in the West.

Through the inspiration of their gestures and words, may we cheer up on the spot.

May we not be caught by spiritual materialism in any form. 

Now, practicing each moment through this life and beyond, may we free all beings.

The Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin was born Thomas Frederick Rich, Jr., to a working-class family in Passaic, New Jersey, on June 28, 1943. He passed into parinirvana on August 25, 1990, at the age of 47.

Compiled by Joseph Parent in Ojai, May 2000, the Chinese translation by Linda Zheng in Vancouver, BC 2026.

Photos, portraits, a work photo, one with a close friend and a young portrait taken by a noted photographer.

Written to Mary Miller.

Three talks and loft dedication, New York City.

A public talk and three talks in the seminar. There was damage to the first few minutes of the recording of the Public talk. It has been partially restored.

At an Executive Council Meeting in Toronto. Date is circa May 1983.

In Toronto in 1983 at the house where the Regent was staying. I was not on the council  but I was invited to attend by the Regent. I was sitting at the very back of the outside deck of the house.

At the end of the meeting, the Regent did 3 calligraphies, which seemed traditional at the end of these meetings.

My memory is that he gave one to the Center Director/Vajradhatu Ambassador, and one to the Shambhala Directors. 

Then there was a pause..

He executed one more. Upon completion, he held it up so that everyone could see it. It said, “Good Night”. 

I thought it was very sweet, and it indicated that the event had come to an end.  

He then looked through the people gathered and at some point he asked, "Where is Michael?” People indicated that I was at the back of the deck and he motioned for me to come up. I did so and when I arrived, I knelt down in front of him to receive the calligraphy. 

As he handed it to me he said, “You are the only one who will understand this.” To this day, I’m not really certain what he meant!

An Online class led by Michael Rich, including the audio of the Talk section of each of the sessions in the Vajra Regent's original seminar from 1982. There are three classes.

Given online, discussing the "Discipline" Seminar from 1988. Two classes led by Michael Rich

Based on the Vajra Regent's Seminar, given at Karmê Chöling in July, 1981

Saturday and Sunday August 23 and 24.

Three Classes online led by Michael Rich

Three classes, led by Michael Rich, the seminar given by the Vajra Regent in Austin, Texas, March 1979.

Two sessions, morning and afternoon. The morning session includes opening remarks by Lady Lila Rich, a slide show of the empowerment with the Vidyadhara's talk as accompaniement, an early television interview and a screening of the cremation film. The afternoon session includes a talk by Lady Rich, a showing of the "Ask the Regent" compilation, and the talk opening and blessing of the Karma Dzong Shrine 50 years ago.

Two sessions, morning and afternoon, with talks given by Lady Lila Rich. The morning session in the Rigden Shrine Room and the afternoon session in the Great Stupa

A retreat at Drala Mountain Center August 26-28, led by Lady Lila Rich and Dr. Joseph Parent. 5 sessions with practice, talks and discussion

Led by Michael Rich, audio and discussion of Talk 5 from the Mahayana section of the 1988 Seminary given by the Vajra Regent

Pith instructions, history and revelations, early and later, between Lady Rich, the Vajra Regent and the Vidyadhara.

First meetings, instructions, transmissions, teachings over time and many personal exchanges

Without his teachings and support, you would not be reading this. To listen to or read his talk from Ojai in 1995, which resulted in the establishing of the Library and Archive, click here. To view our gathering after his parinirvana click here. An aspiration for his rebirth by H.H. the 17th Karmapa and three photos from Ojai, including one of the consecration of the Vajra Regent's Stupa there are here also.

Steve Roth shares eight brief recollections of being with the Vajra Regent and His Holiness in two sections, in the first Saki, an evening drive to Coit Tower, the inspiration and details for the thangka of His Holiness' visits to us in the west, and a bird contemplation and transmission from His Holiness. In the second section there is a description of transcendent speech from the Vajra Regent, a Buddha family practice he was observed doing, and talk study preparation

A two part recollection of the Vajra Regent's description of becoming a bodhisattva and Mr. Fabbro's journey to taking the vow during that seminar

Recollections of method, atmosphere, calligraphies and photos done in different situations. For a seminar where two poems were composed on the same weekend, click here

(Much more to be added to this section)

A Kasung shift recollection from Cynthia Barbaccia Strattan.

Two recollections and a poem from Dana Fabbro

Recollections of him, his choice of location in the US and his students by Ed Zaron, Steve Roth on his Tukdam, and Lyle Weinstein on Chagdud Tulku's mother's life as a Delog, and a cutting feast instruction.

A series of public, online gatherings of the Vajra Regent Library, in which sangha members share stories of the teachings they received through personal interactions with lineage masters. They began in December 2024 and have continued almost every month since then, eighteen sessions so far. The individual stories are in the process of being separated into individual recollections on the Timeline. The complete Zoom sessions are available here.

Acknowledgements

Vidyadhara, the Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Very Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche

Vajra Regent Ösel Tendzin

Patrick Sweeney Trimé Lhawang

Lady Lila Rich

Major startup donors: Ms. Maryanne de Goede, Mrs. Patty Ronca, Mrs. Avilda Moses, Mr. Donn Tatum, Mrs. Terry Colosi, Mr. Edward Zaron, Mr. Martin Miller, Mr. Ravinder Rai.

And many continuing donors.

Advisors: Mr. and Mrs. Eric and Donna Holm, Dr. Joseph Parent, Mrs. Jacqueline Saunders, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas and Martha Espeset, Mr. Mike Smith, Mr. Edward Zaron.

Major Donors for the 2026 rebuild: Mr. Andrew Heubner, Mr. Danny Mann, The Shambhala Trust

Software Developers: Beezwax Datatools, Inc. 2016, JetRockets LLC 2026

Visualizer and Producer: Mr. Robert Krupnick