At
around noon today, I received news from DPL (Gaden Shartse
Drophenling) that one of my most respected gurus, His Eminence
Kensur Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, has passed away early this morning at
5:25am, 12 April in Dharamsala India. Lati Rinpoche was 88 years
old.
Rinpoche passed away peacefully in his residence unexpectedly. He
was not hospitalized. This morning when Rinpoche woke up, he did
his usual prayers and told his personal assistant, Sopon-la, he
wanted to take his bath. This was unusual as Rinpoche normally had
his breakfast before his bath each morning. Prior to that, he had
also circumambulated His Holiness the Dalai Lama's
temple
His
Eminence Kyabje Lati Rinpoche was born in the Kham region of
Eastern Tibet in 1922. After the famous Gongkar Rinpoche (previous
incarnation) identified and recognized Him as a reincarnation of a
great practitioner, Rinpoche consequently embarked on the
fulfillment of His destiny by joining the local monastery in Tibet
- at the age of ten.
By fifteen
years old, Rinpoche was enrolled in Gaden Shartse Norling College,
located in central Tibet. It is the most prestigious and renowned
school in Tibet, and it was at Gaden Shartse Norling College where
Rinpoche pursued his study of Buddhist scriptures, and eventually,
earning Him the highest honours among the foremost scholars of His
day. At that time, Rinpoche?s field of study included Pramana Vidya
(Logic), Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom), Madhyamika (Middle
Philosophy), Abidharma (Treasure of Knowledge), Vinaya (Spiritual
Rules and Moral Law).
In 1959,
after nineteen years of intensive study and training, Rinpoche sat
for the Geshe Lharmapa examination. This major examination was held
in the summer palace of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, located
in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. Candidates were various scholars
and top students from the 3 main monasteries, and yet Rinpoche
still managed to emerge 2nd overall. In the next year, H.E. was
officially conferred as "Geshe Lharampa", a qualification which is
equivalent to the PH.D. degree in the Indian universities. And in
that same year, Rinpoche joined the tantric college in Lhasa, and
started intensive study in Tantra since. In the following years,
H.E. taught many young incarnate lamas, as well as gave dharma
talks to the mass public. In 1964, Rinpoche arrived in Dharamsala,
and was subsequently appointed as Spiritual Assistant to His
Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Rinpoche serves His Holiness
faithfully till today.
http://lol8.blogspot.com/2010/04/kyabje-lati-rinpoches-passing.html