Diana J. Mukpo, teacher, author, and a significant figure in the transmission of Buddhism to the West and prominent member of the Shambhala Buddhist community as the spouse of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, one of the 20th century’s most renowned teachers of Tibetan Buddhism, died on 11 September at her Florida home. She was 72 years old.
In May of this year, Diana’s family announced that she taken the decision to stop receiving treatment for breast cancer, with which she had lived for many years, and to enter hospice care to begin the process of dying. At that time Diana shared the following public message:
Throughout my life, the one thread which has remained constant is my love for the Vidyadhara [Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche] and appreciation of his blessings for the Shambhala community. His love for all sentient beings was the foundation of our community and we have all benefited from that. I want to thank all of you for the love that you have extended to me in my lifetime. Let us use him as an example of how one person can change the lives of many. It is a profound legacy and I offer my gratitude to it, and to you all. (The Chronicles of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche)
In a written tribute to Diana shared on The Chronicles of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche website, the Shambhala community expressed the loss they felt at her passing, lauding Diana as the wife and widow of a prominent spiritual teacher in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, as well as “a mother, grandmother, accomplished equestrian, and steadfast protector of the Shambhala teachings and vision:”
Lady Diana played a vital role in the transmission of Shambhala teachings, traveling with Chögyam Trungpa to countless retreats and seminars and offering her own teachings, advice and presence. In more recent years she was an insightful transmitter of the Shambhala teachings herself, leading Warrior Assemblies and other programs that brought students closer to her and the tradition of Shambhala teachings. She had a particular love for Shambhala Household teachings and practices, embodying the principle that beauty and sacredness arise not from extravagance, but from wholehearted attention to the details of everyday life.
She leaves behind a legacy of courage, grace, and unwavering devotion to the dharma and Shambhala vision – a life that continues to inspire. She is survived by her husband Dr. Mitchell Levy, and her children Tagtrug, Gesar, Chandali, Ashoka, and David, as well as 5 grandchildren. (The Chronicles of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche)
Karme Choling, the residential meditation retreat center established by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in Vermont, announced that it would conduct a two-day Sukhavati Ceremony and Celebration of Life for Diana. Well-wishers are welcome to pay their respects and practice in the center’s main shrine room. Full details here.
Diana Judith Pybus was born in England in 1953. She met Chogyam Trungpa in 1968, when he was speaking in London at a Free Tibet rally. Within a year, Diana had fallen in love and she married Trungpa in early 1970 at the age of 16—despite opposition from her mother, and from Tibetan contemporaries of Chogyam Trungpa.
“Being married to Rinpoche was sometimes like being married to a cosmic force rather than a human being,” Diana recalled in a 2008 memoir. “It was not always easy to be the guru’s wife, but I must say, it was rarely boring.” (Mukpo)
Shortly after their marriage, the couple left England for North America, where Diana went on to pursue her own career and raise their five children, as well as accompanying Trungpa when he traveled, sometimes teaching alongside him. Three of Diana’s four sons were recognized as incarnations of senior Tibetan lamas.
When Chogyam Trungpa died in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1987, they had been married 17 years. After Rinpoche’s death, Diana continued to teach in the Shambhala community, sharing her personal experiences with Trungpa and her knowledge of the Buddhist teachings.
Diana subsequently remarried, moving to Providence, Rhode Island and then to West Palm Beach, Florida. She was also instrumental in overseeing the publication of a number of posthumous books based on Trungpa’s writings and talks. Diana is the author of Dragon Thunder: My Life with Chogyam Trungpa, published in 2008 by Shambhala Publications.
In a tribute on her passing, Shambhala Publications shared the shared the following recollection from Diana:
He taught me that in order to save the world, one must begin with oneself. One of the main thrusts of his teachings was to trust oneself and to rely on one’s own basic sanity. I have tried to take that teaching to heart. He devoted his life to showing others that path. His every moment was devoted to helping other people. To be able to live one’s life with a fraction of the wisdom and compassion that permeated his would make one an exceptional person. (Shambhala Publications)
References
Mukpo, Diana J. and Carolyn Rose Gimian. 2008. Dragon Thunder: My Life with Chogyam Trungpa. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications.
See more
The Passing of Lady Diana Mukpo (The Chronicles of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche)
Announcement from the Mukpo Family (The Chronicles of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche)
Lady Diana Mukpo: Sukhavati Ceremony & Celebration of Life (Karme Choling)
Remembering Diana Mukpo (1953-2025) (Shambhala Publications)
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