Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche was widely regarded as one of the main teachers of his generation and the principal lineage holder of the Nyingma and Rimé traditions in the latter half of the twentieth century. Recognised by Mipham Rinpoche as an emanation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, he completed twenty-two years of retreat and emerged as one of the great tertön and scholars of the modern era.
He rebuilt Shechen monastery in exile at Boudhanath, Nepal — making the Kathmandu Valley one of the world's great seats of Nyingma transmission — and was a primary teacher of the present generation of Nepal-resident lineage holders. His Collected Works fill twenty-five volumes; his terma cycles, commentaries, and devotional poetry are central to contemporary Nyingma practice.
The Brilliant Moon documentary (2010) and the Khyentse Foundation's ongoing translation work preserve his legacy. His yangsi (incarnation), Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, now leads Shechen.