Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and the Baja Retreat Land

Choegyal Namkhai Norbu was born in 1938 in Derge, in Eastern Tibet and was 
recognized at birth as the reincarnation of a noted exponent of the Dzogchen tradition. Notwithstanding his youth, he was already well known by the end of the 1950s as a person with a profound knowledge of the Dzogchen teachings and also as a spiritual teacher.

In 1962 he took up a post teaching Tibetan language and literature in Naples at the Istituto Universitario Orientale di Napoli where he worked until 1992. From the mid seventies Namkhai Norbu began to teach Yantra Yoga and Dzogchen meditation to a few Italian students and the growing interest in his teachings convinced him to dedicate himself increasingly to such activities. Together with a number of disciples he founded the first Dzogchen community in Tuscany, and then later founded other centers in various parts of Europe, Russia, the United States, Central and South America and Australia. 

The Retreat Land in Baja Ca Sur, Mexico is slowly being improved and developed into a spiritual center for retreat and deep practice. Tsegyalgar West is a 3,000-acre tropical drylands ranch in the mountains just northwest of San Jose del Cabo. This amazing ranch in the natural biosphere was given to Choegyal Namkhai Norbu in 2003.  There are now 20 small casitas, palapa kitchen, a large outdoor teaching area and Tibetan Yoga/Vajra dance area to support retreat activities and study of Buddhism and Dzogchen.