Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo is remembered as a pivotal figure in the safeguarding of Tibetan Buddhism, especially at a time when sectarian divisions threatened the vitality of many lineages. As a principal architect of the nonsectarian Rimé movement, he deliberately received, honored, and transmitted teachings from all the major Tibetan schools, rather than promoting a single tradition. This ecumenical vision did more than promote harmony; it created a living network through which fragile and minority lineages could continue unbroken. By demonstrating that one could fully commit to practice while respecting and preserving diverse traditions, he helped ensure that doctrinal and practical richness did not narrow into a single stream.

A major dimension of his work lay in the preservation and systematization of texts and transmissions. He traveled widely to seek out rare scriptures and endangered practice cycles, collecting, editing, and compiling them into large, organized collections. In doing so, he not only safeguarded scattered teachings but also provided coherent frameworks that later practitioners and scholars could rely upon. His efforts extended to documenting oral instructions and codifying teachings that had previously been transmitted only by word of mouth, thereby transforming vulnerable oral lineages into durable written records.

As a renowned tertön, or treasure revealer, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo also contributed to the continuity of Tibetan Buddhism through the discovery and authentication of terma teachings. By revealing new cycles of practice and recognizing the authenticity of treasures revealed by others, he replenished the living corpus of Vajrayana instructions and liturgies. These termas did not merely add to the volume of literature; they revitalized existing traditions by providing fresh, yet rooted, avenues of contemplative and ritual practice. In this way, revelation and preservation worked hand in hand.

Equally significant was his role as a teacher and mentor to a wide circle of disciples drawn from different schools. By transmitting empowerments, oral instructions, and reading transmissions to many future masters, he ensured that what he had gathered and clarified did not remain confined to texts alone. His students carried forward his nonsectarian ethos and his vast range of transmissions, embedding them in the curricula and practice traditions of numerous communities. Through this combination of ecumenical vision, textual preservation, terma activity, and extensive teaching, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo helped Tibetan Buddhism retain both its breadth and its depth for subsequent generations.