A young Buddhist spiritual leader recently conducted blessings for thousands of followers at a monastery nestled in the Himalayan foothills.
Half a year before that ceremony and thousands of miles away, the same teenager was staying up all night playing Madden NFL video games on his Xbox in a Minneapolis-area home.
These contrasting worlds both belong to Jalue Dorje.
Dorje experienced a typical American adolescence, embracing rap music, gaming, and football. Yet he’s also a future spiritual guide — identified by the Dalai Lama from a young age as a reincarnated lama.
The Associated Press started documenting his journey several years back when he turned 14.
Today at 19, he completed high school last year and relocated to northern India to enter the Mindrolling Monastery, situated roughly 7,200 miles from his Columbia Heights residence.
During a recent visit to Nepal, he reunited with his parents who traveled from Minneapolis to witness sacred ceremonies and teachings led by the abbot of Shechen Monastery. This monastery sits near the ancient 1,500-year-old Boudhanath stupa, among Tibetan Buddhism’s holiest locations.
Gone were his typical hoodies and sweatpants — replaced entirely by maroon and golden monastic robes. However, underneath his traditional garments, he sported white Crocs adorned with “The Simpsons” Jibbitz charms.
Daily routines began at sunrise. Following prayer sessions, he would walk from his lodging through bustling Kathmandu streets near the towering white dome and spire of Boudhanath — surrounded by vibrant Tibetan prayer flags and the painted, watchful eyes of the Buddha.
After the Dalai Lama’s recognition when he was 2 years old, Dorje dedicated much of his childhood to monastic preparation. He committed sacred scriptures to memory, studied calligraphy, and absorbed Buddhist teachings.
Identifying a lama relies on spiritual signs and visions.
Dorje received identification at 4 months old from Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, a respected Tibetan Buddhism master. Multiple lamas later verified him as the eighth Terchen Taksham Rinpoche — the lineage’s first incarnation dates to 1655.
Dorje’s parents brought him before the Dalai Lama during a 2010 Wisconsin visit by Tibetan Buddhism’s spiritual leader. The Dalai Lama performed a ceremony cutting a lock of Dorje’s hair. He recommended the parents allow their son to remain in America to master English before monastery enrollment.
During childhood, he frequently questioned why he couldn’t sleep in on weekends and watch cartoons like his peers. His father would explain that eventually it would benefit him, “like planting a seed that one day would sprout.”
Speaking both English and Tibetan fluently, Dorje thrived in public education. Despite his 2019 lama enthronement ceremony in India, his parents permitted him to complete his American education.
Throughout his upbringing, he displayed a Dalai Lama photograph in his bedroom above DVD collections of “The Simpsons,” “South Park,” and “Family Guy,” alongside the manga graphic novel series “Buddha.”
He struck an agreement with his father, receiving Pokémon cards for memorizing Buddhist scriptures. He amassed hundreds of cards, occasionally hiding them in his robes during ceremonies.
Each morning began with sacred text recitation. School followed, then football practice. He returned for tutoring sessions on Tibetan history and Buddhism. Evenings involved calligraphy practice or listening to rap artists. After receiving his driver’s license, he drove around enjoying Taylor Swift music.
As a passionate sports enthusiast, he supports the Atlanta Hawks in basketball, Real Madrid in soccer, and the Atlanta Falcons in football.
During football games, teammates appreciated his upbeat attitude; he encouraged them to enjoy themselves and maintain perspective after defeats. However, during his final senior season game, he wept, understanding it would probably be his last time playing.
He also pursues writing and journalism interests. During high school, he created an award-winning Tibet story for the student publication.
He frequently assisted with local Tibetan community events.
For his 18th birthday celebration, the AP documented when over 1,000 attendees gathered at the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota for his farewell party before departing for the Indian monastery.
He traveled light to his new environment: headphones, laptop, a Fantasy Football magazine, and a book about the Indian Buddhist master who introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet.
His parents accompanied him to New Delhi, then drove north to Dehradun near the Himalayan foothills, resembling a college send-off. They purchased him a larger bed, more suitable for a football player than a monk. They painted his monastic quarters and installed a shrine for prayer.
He studied Buddhist philosophy and practiced calligraphy and chanting in India while his friends attended history, science, and literature courses at American colleges.
Despite the 10-hour time difference, he maintained friendships back home through texts and WhatsApp.
During breaks from chanting and prayers, he assembled Legos, visited an arcade for FIFA soccer games, and watched Marvel superhero movies plus NBA and NFL games on his laptop. He expressed particular excitement about the Super Bowl halftime show and praised what he called an incredible performance by Bad Bunny.
This marked his first experience with ascetic living. He consumed daily portions of rice and lentils and hand-washed his clothing.
However, he adapted well, easily connecting with monks from across Asia while discussing spirituality, popular culture, and sports.
After several years of reflection and ascetic practice, Dorje plans to return to America for teaching within Minnesota’s Buddhist community.
His aspiration involves becoming “a leader of peace,” modeling himself after Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and the Dalai Lama. It represents a lengthy journey that started shortly after birth. Yet he feels prepared, stating that this “is just the beginning.”
