When he was in his late twenties two events occurred of decisive importance in his intellectual and spiritual development. One was a vision of Guru Padmasambhava and his consort Yeshe Tsogyal. The other happened in his 29th year, his meeting with the great mystic Rigdzin Kumaradza (alt. Kumaraja), from whom he received the Dzogchen empowerment and teachings in the uplands of Yartökyam at Samye, where he was traveling from valley to valley with his students in difficult conditions. Dudjom Rinpoche (1904–1987) "et al." (1991: p. 579) held that just prior to the arrival of Longchenpa, Kumaraja related to his disciples: