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Je Khenpo


The Je Khenpo (Tibetan: རྗེ་མཁན་པོ་Wylie: Rje Mkhan-po; "The Chief Abbot of the Central Monastic Body of Bhutan"), formerly called the Dharma Raj by orientalists, is the title given to the senior religious hierarch of Bhutan. His primary duty is to lead the Dratshang Lhentshog (Commission for the Monastic Affairs) of Bhutan, which oversees the Central Monastic Body, and to arbitrate on matters of doctrine, assisted by lopons (learned masters). The Je Khenpo is also responsible for many important liturgical and religious duties across the country. The sitting Je Khenpo is also formally the leader of the southern branch of the Drukpa Kagyu sect, which is part of the Kagyu tradition of Himalayan Buddhism. Aside from the King of Bhutan, only the Je Khenpo may don a saffron kabney.

According to the dual system of government established by Ngawang Namgyal in the 17th century, the powers of the government of Bhutan are ideally split between the religious branch, headed by the Je Khenpo, and the administrative branch, headed by the Druk Desi. The position of Je Khenpo is granted on merit by election, and typically is given to the most respected monk in the Dratshang Lhentshog (Commission for the Monastic Affairs). Thus, unlike reincarnation lineages such as the Dalai Lama, Zhabdrung Rinpoche, or Panchen Lama, the position of Je Khenpo is never held by a child but always by a seasoned monk.


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