During the late 1990’s, a man by the name of David Lunsford, met his root guru teacher,

Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche. It was from this relationship, the help of Stephanie Lain, and
events to follow that led to the creation of Norbu Sam Phel Ling, and then the creation of
Palri Pema Od Ling.

Norbu Sam Phel Ling (NSPL) began at the private Hyde Park residence of David Lunsford. He
converted the basement level into a shrine room where students gathered to practice and
receive teachings and empowerments. At one point the space also was used for the Palri
Parkhang. (Parkhang means printery) The basement was decorated in the fashion of an
authentic Tibetan Buddhist shrine room with thangkas, statues, texts, and many other Tibetan
Buddhist ritual items all of which now reside in the temple of Palri Pema Od Ling. For many
years NSPL served as a space for Dharma to flourish. It provided a place for Dharma activity
and the upstairs residence provided on site lodging for teachers, translators, artists, lamas,
monks, and students. Through this activity and the blessings bestowed by all who visited from
1999 onward, the seeds were sown for the Tibetan Buddhist center – Palri Pema Od Ling
(PPOL).

The progression of events goes something like this...
Early on with the guidance of Gyatrul Rinpoche, David invited the Nepalese artist, Sonam
Tsering, to Austin to build a statue of Vajrasatva yab yum – Vajrasatva with consort –
representing the primordial union of wisdom and compassion. Lunsford also commissioned
Sonam Tsering to paint thangkas of the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche. During the
same time, Sonam Tsering built a throne for lamas to sit when they came to teach. The
Vajrasatva statue now resides on the third floor in the PPOL temple library; the thangkas hang
on the shrine room walls, the throne sits in the shrine room.

In 2000 Gyatrul Rinpoche arrived at Norbu Sam Phel Ling to give the first teachings – Words of
My Perfect Teacher, by Patrul Rinpoche. For the years following, Gyatrul Rinpoche would play
an instrumental role in shaping NSPL, visiting often, inviting teachers, guiding David and
Stephanie Lain to put NSPL and later Palri Pema Od Ling on the map. Feeling inspired, a small
group of students began working on the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro practice, then Chenresig
practice. Gyatrul Rinpoche continued to visit NSPL to teach and bestow empowerments.
In 2001 Sonam Tsering began construction of a medium sized Guru Rinpoche statue which now
sits in Padma Peace Park – the gardens behind PPOL temple building.

During this same time, Gyatrul Rinpoche, who was the Spiritual Director for Norbu Sam Phel
Ling, invited His Holiness Penor Rinpoche to come to Austin in 2002 to bestow the
empowerments and transmission of the Nam Cho Space Treasures. Much activity ensued in
preparation for such a large event and the sangha really started to take shape.

​

Over 250 people – Rinpoches, lamas, monks, anis, students from around the globe arrived for
this event. Directly after H.H. Penor Rinpoche finished the Nam Cho empowerments, Yangthang
Rinpoche gave the complete empowerments for the termas of Dorje Dechen Lingpa. Before
leaving Austin, H.H. Penor Rinpoche consecrated the medium sized Guru Rinpoche statue in
Padma Peace Park, and he gave the name Palri Pema Od Ling (Glorious light of lotus copper
mountain sanctuary) for the future center. This was a pivotal moment in PPOL’s history.
After the Namcho empowerments, several teachers would visit – some of whom were Anam
Thupbten and Lama Wangmo.

Gyatrul Rinpoche visited Austin many times after, yet in 2004 he returned to teach for the last
time. His health took a turn and traveling from Oregon to Austin became more difficult for him.
Rinpoche still served as Spiritual Director, guiding David, Stephanie and the sangha from afar.
He continued to invite teachers and inspire the sangha to practice.
Starting in 2004, plans began to emerge for creating a space for Palri Pema Od Ling in Austin.
Working closely with Gyatrul Rinpoche and Khenchen Namdrol, David decided to set aside half
of his property in Hyde Park to be the future temple site for PPOL.

In 2007 Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso came to teach for the first time. Khenchen Namdrol
Rinpoche also visited Palri Pema Od Ling to give teachings on the new site grounds and to
perform a ‘temple ground-breaking’ ceremony. Shortly after his visit, Khenchen Namdrol
Rinpoche offered a large Guru Rinpoche statue from his Padmasambhava Global Project for
World Peace (www.padmaworldpeace.org) to His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, who in turn told
Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche to send it to Austin. The statue arrived in sections in a shipping
container and was stored on the property where the temple was to be constructed.
2008 was another busy year for Palri Pema Od Ling.

At the beginning of the year Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso returned to continue with his teachings.
He gave his blessings for the construction of the new temple and he too performed ceremonial
groundbreaking. Temple construction began on the new site, and the work preparing the Guru
Rinpoche statue commenced. Sangha members sanded, welded, primed, and assembled the
statue in stages. Then at the request of Gyatrul Rinpoche, a flurry of events took place. Tulku
Theglo Rinpoche came to Austin in May to bestow the Kunzang Nyima Vajrasatva and Dudjom
Lingpa empowerments for two weeks. Lingtrul Rinpoche arrived to serve as dorje lopon for the
Vajrasatva practice retreat associated with these empowerments. Khenpo Norgay arrived to
give teachings for a weekend. Shortly after, in June 2008, Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche arrived
to bestow teachings of Longchenpa’s Tsig Don Dzod (Precious Treasury of the Genuine
Meaning). 100+ people – Rinpoches, lamas, monks, anis, students from all over the globe
attended those teachings. This would be the last set of teachings to take place at Lunsford’s
private residence.

Sonam Tsering returned to build and decorate the pedestal of the large Guru Rinpoche statue.
And then the statue was placed on the pedestal in the new temple.

In March 2009, the second annual Kunzang Nyima Vajrasatva retreat took place, with Lingtrul
Rinpoche presiding. The Temple construction was still going on. In September, His Holiness
Karma Kuchen Rinpoche and entourage - Khenpo Norgay and eight monks came to Austin
bestow the Guru Rinpoche empowerment with teachings. Due to temple construction, the
event took place at the Shambala Center in South Austin. Yet before H.H. Karma Kuchen
Rinpoche left Austin, His Holiness, Khenpo Norgay, and eight monks performed a puja with
smoke offering at the temple site to help remove obstacles and to aid with the temple’s
completion. November 2009, Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche returned once again to give
teachings. With the construction complete, he was the first to sit on the throne in the new
temple.

2010 was another pivotal year for it was during this year that Palri Pema Od Ling became a
501 c.3 non-profit organization and Lunsford gifted PPOL - the temple, its contents and land to
the PPOL Board of Directors giving them full ownership. Lama Lobtsul arrived at the Temple to
be the resident Lama serving as a puja master and caretaker of the shrine room. He was there
through 2019. His Holiness Getse Rinpoche visited PPOL for the first time. (He visited once
more in 2012). The Kunzang Nyingma Vajrasattva10 day retreat led by Lingtrul Rinpoche took
place for the third year; Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche visited again.
In 2016, Gyatrul Rinpoche officially asked Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso to become the Spiritual
Director of PPOL. Khenchen accepted Rinpoche’s request.
2017 Tulku Dawa visited PPOL for the first time.

Palri Pema Od Ling now resides under the guidance of Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche and
the Palyul Organization. The temple is visited on a regular basis by teachers, lamas, monks, and
anis to help propagate the words of dharma. Finally, the aspiration of His Holiness Penor
Rinpoche, Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche, David Lunsford, Stephanie Lain, and so many others
from long ago is coming to fruition. The seeds have been sown, the foundation set.
Palri Pema Od Ling has been, is now, and will be a peaceful space in the heart of Austin, Texas
intended for the benefit of all beings to uphold and preserve the teachings of the Buddha
through study, prayer, meditation, practice, and activity. Its goal is to make the teachings in the
Palyul Nyingma spiritual tradition of Tibetan Buddhism available to all.

Emaho!
May all beings benefit...