A Minnesota high school graduate who followers say is a reincarnated Buddhist lama left home to study in Tibet — but still keeps up with pop culture in the US.
Jalue Dorje, 19, blessed thousands of worshippers in the Himalayan foothills this month, just one part of the religious duties that he’s been preparing for most of his life.
But Dorje is still a Gen Z teenager whose encyclopedic knowledge extends to all things sports — with a love of rap and video games to boot.
The Dalai Lama and and other Tibetan Buddhist leaders named Dorje when he was just 2-years old as a reincarnated lama, formally known as a “tulku.” The lamas are believed to voluntarily reincarnate to continue their studies and spiritual teachings — carrying the heavy burden of learning to become a monk all over again.
While his parents dutifully guided him through the demanding instruction, they couldn’t shake their worries — especially when he moved thousands of miles away after graduating high school.
“He’s a tulku, but he’s my son,” his mother said.
Even so, Dorje took his prophecy in stride. He completed his formal education at a public school in Minnesota, which afforded him a rare opportunity to be a kid outside of his religious pursuits.
Between his early morning prayers and late night studies, Dorje excelled on the football turf with his high school teammates.
He kept a journal filled with plays he wanted to try out and kept it on his nightstand, sandwiched near a DVD collection of classic American cartoons like “The Simpsons” and the manga graphic novel series ″Buddha.”
Dorje consistently praised his parents for their tireless support while he was growing up, often taking on odd jobs like cleaning hotel rooms and doing laundry at hospitals all while shielding him from strangers who cast doubt on his purported reincarnation.
“It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns every day. We overcame a lot,” Dorje said.
At heart, Dorje is still the same kid who readily accepted Pokémon card bribes from his father in exchange for memorizing Buddhist scriptures. Still, he has a matured appreciation for the long road that led him to his new home at the Mindrolling Monastery in Tibet.
While Dorje’s usual street-clothes have been swapped out for traditional Buddhist robes, he still insists on wearing a pair of white Crocs with charms of “The Simpsons” characters.
In his spare time, he builds Legos, treks to a nearby arcade to play FIFA soccer video games, and watches the NBA and NFL seasons on his laptop.
Dorje said that he’s even been able to connect with monks from all over Asia through simple conversation about pop culture and sports.
“Dudes are dudes!” he said.
Dorje found a “spiritual teacher” in 13-year-old Trulshik Yangsi Rinpoche, who is believed to be the reincarnation of the Tibetan Buddhist master who first recognized Dorje as a tulku.
“I’m profoundly grateful that I get to repay my debt to the one who found me and improving his English,” Dorje said.
Rinpoche, though, simply beamed as he declared that Dorje is “my best friend.”
When Dorje concludes his formal training at the monastery, he hopes to return to the US and teach at the Nyingmapa Taksham Buddhist Center in Crown Heights, Minnesota — his hometown.
“Everything leading up to this point in the history of all your lifetimes — the billions and billions of lifetimes you accumulated — leads to your family,” Dorje said.
Until then, Dorje assured that “this is just the beginning.”
With Post wires
