Rinpoche or Rinboqê is an honorific used in Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...

. It literally means "precious one," and is used to address or describe Tibetan lamas and other high-ranking or respected teachers. This honor is generally bestowed on reincarnated lamas, or Tulku

Tulku

In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is a particular high-ranking lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one, who can choose the manner of his rebirth. Normally the lama would be reincarnated as a human, and of the same sex as his predecessor. In contrast to a tulku, all other sentient beings including other...

s, by default. In other cases it is earned over time, and often bestowed spontaneously by the teacher's students.

Kang Rinpoche is the Tibetan name of Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet...

, sacred to Bön, Hinduism

Hinduism

Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

 and Jainism

Jainism

Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...

 as well as Buddhism. Kang

Kang

-Royalty:* King Kang of Zhou , third sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty* Tai Kang , third sovereign of the Xia Dynasty-Surname:* Kang , a Chinese surname 康...

is a Tibetan word for "snow peak" analogous to alp or himal.

Guru Rinpoche refers to Padmasambhava

Padmasambhava

Padmasambhava ; Mongolian ловон Бадмажунай, lovon Badmajunai, , Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighbouring countries in the 8th century...

, the "Second Buddha", who brought Tantric Buddhism to Tibet.

Je Rinpoche refers to Je Tsongkhapa

Je Tsongkhapa

Tsongkhapa , whose name means “The Man from Onion Valley”, was a famous teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Geluk school...

, the founder of the Gelug

Gelug

The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...

 School.

In film

The documentary films The Reincarnation of Khensur Rinpoche (1992) and Unmistaken Child

Unmistaken Child

Unmistaken Child is a 2008 independent documentary film, which follows a Tibetan Buddhist monk's search for the reincarnation of his beloved teacher, the world-renowned lama Geshe Lama Konchog . The filming, which began in October 2001, spans a time frame of five and a half years...

(2008) document the lengthy procedure of searching for and finding the reincarnation, or tulku

Tulku

In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is a particular high-ranking lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one, who can choose the manner of his rebirth. Normally the lama would be reincarnated as a human, and of the same sex as his predecessor. In contrast to a tulku, all other sentient beings including other...

, of a Tibetan lama.

The documentary films Tulku

Tulku (film)

Tulku is a 2009 documentary film, written and directed by Gesar Mukpo. The film details the personal experiences of five young Western men who were identified in childhood as being tulkus, or reincarnated Tibetan Buddhist masters....

(2009) and My Reincarnation

My Reincarnation

My Reincarnation is a 2010 documentary film directed by Jennifer Fox. It is a drama between father and son, spanning two decades and three generations...

(2010) document the existence and struggles of Tibetan Buddhist masters who have reincarnated in the West.