Diana J. Mukpo, author, teacher, and the wife of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, passed away on September 11, 2025.
Her family had announced in May that she had decided to discontinue chemotherapy.
Lady Diana authored Dragon Thunder: My Life with Chogyam Trungpa where she wrote,
"Although he was only onstage for a few minutes, I knew that I had a very deep and old connection with him, and it stirred up a great deal of emotion for me. The only way I can describe this experience is that it was like coming home. Nothing in my life had hit me in such a powerful way. I said to myself, “This is what I’ve been missing all my life. Here he is again.” This wasn’t just some exciting, powerful experience. I knew him, and as soon as I saw him, I realized how much I’d been missing him. From that moment on, I wanted desperately to meet him."
On one of the key lessons she learned from him, she wrote,
"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."
She was also the force behind the publications of Trungpa Rinpoche’s work. During his lifetime, Shambhala Publications published about a dozen of his works. However, since his death in 1987, dozens more books based on his writings and talks have come out, overseen by Lady Diana, and expertly edited by Judy Lief, Carolyn Gimian, David Rome, and others.
Lady Diana carried the banner of the Great Eastern Sun. To the end, she remained completely committed to Rinpcohe and ensuring his teachings, and the Shambhala community (note, this is unrelated to Shambhala Publications) thrived and continue to benefit so many.
