Ep. 250 | MONGOLIA: Growing Up a Monk (& a Reincarnated Saint)

At 7 years old, Erdne Ombadykow’s parents sent him from his birthplace of Philadelphia to live at a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery where he would spent most of his childhood learning Buddhism. 


He was then recognized by the 14th Dalai Lama as the current reincarnation of the Buddhist saint, mahasiddha Tilopa and was tasked with leading the revival of Buddhism in Russia in the Kalmyk Republic. 

Now called Telo Tulku Rinpoche, he shares in this episode, the pressure of being such a revered religious figure at age 20, how good American rock is like Buddhist teachings & how growing up far from the streets of Philadelphia helped him avoid the sad fates of his siblings. We also covered the Buddhist version of self-care, what it means to progress while preserving culture & the interconnectedness of the world. 

Special thanks to the Tin Can Room Podcast Studio for the recording space & Meanwhile in Mongolia for arranging the meeting.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 246: MONGOLIAN YOUTUBER: THE DIGITAL & THE TRADITIONAL

Guest: https://www.instagram.com/telo_rinpoche_diluv_hutugthu/ | https://www.facebook.com/DiluvHutugthu/ | https://inner-world-journey.com/ 

Host:  https://www.meredithforreal.com/  | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/  | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert 

Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/ | https://www.ensec.net/