Dorje Gyaltsab Tulku Ösel Dorje

Dorje Gyaltsab Tulku Ösel Dorje was born in Rome, Italy in 1980 to an Italian filmmaker, Costanzo Allione, and Lama Tsultrim Allione.  Since birth, he’s been immersed in the Dharma. There were often Tibetan Lamas at home and most vacations were spent at retreat centers with Lamas such as Lopön Tenzin Namdak, Lama Wangdor Rinpoche, and Chögyal Namkhai Norbu with whom he had a particularly strong connection. Chögyal Namkhai Norbu spoke several times of having dreams about him. 

At the age of eleven, he attended the Kalachakra Empowerment with HH Dalai Lama in NYC in 1991 and was invited to sit on the stage with his mother and received His Holiness’ blessing.  When he was twelve, he received pointing out the nature of mind instructions in the presence of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu from Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche in Kathmandu. 

After graduating from college with a degree in microbiology he met his root Guru A.dzom Rinpoche at the age of 21, and a deep desire for practice, study, and solitary retreat was awakened in him. He began to practice seriously by doing a series of long retreats in an isolated cabin on a high ridge at Tara Mandala. He accumulated four years in strict retreat during which he practiced the full preliminary practices of Ngondro five times. He also practiced Lama, Yidam, and Dakini practices from the Ösel Dorje Sang Dzo and Ösel Nyingtig. He practiced Tsalung and the Dzogchen teachings of Rushan, Trekcho and Togal under the guidance of A.dzom Rinpoche and Gochen Tulku Sangngak Rinpoche. Over the last twenty years, his primary practices have been the termas of A.dzom Rinpoche.   

After his retreats, he moved to Nepal and began further study of Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan language. While in Asia he undertook and completed a traditional 108 Charnel Ground Chöd pilgrimage in the mountains of Ladakh as a wandering yogi for four months. He also did other remote pilgrimages to sacred places of Guru Rinpoche in Nepal, Ladakh, and India.  In 2018 he received a Master’s Degree in Buddhist Studies from Kathmandu University through Rangjung Yeshe Institute.

He was recognized by A.dzom Rinpoche in 2003 as a reincarnation of Yudra Nyingpo who was present in Tibet at the time of Guru Padma Sambhava, King Tritsen Detsen, and Vairocana in the eighth century. To avoid obstacles, his recognition was kept secret for many years and not widely shared.  On his birthday in March of 2019, on a full moon, he was formally enthroned by A.dzom Rinpoche and he was given the decree to teach and spread his Guru’s precious Termas and other teachings in the West. 

In the summer of 2019, he was enthroned by Lama Tsultrim as Dorje Gyaltsab (Vajra Regent) of Tara Mandala and is now resident Lama at Tara Mandala, as well as being a member of the Board of Trustees and Prajna Council. Tulku Ösel now lives with his wife, Cady, and two sons at Tara Mandala fulfilling his duties as Dorje Gyaltsab. He is continually developing study and practice programs, writing commentaries and he teaches nationally and internationally.