The passing of Kungo Kalsang Choten

Kungo Kalsang Choten, the half-brother of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, just passed away in Nepal.

More details at the Pundarika website.

Before escaping Tibet with H.H. the 14^th Dalai Lama in 1959, Kungo-la served as a high-ranking minister in Old Tibet’s parliament. His teacher after 1959 was Kungo Tak Lama, the Dalai Lama’s main advisor at that time. He went with His Holiness to Dharamsala to help establish Tibetans in exile and to work in His Holiness’ office. Progressive changes were made in the exiled government’s structure to include a younger generation of ministers. Kungo-la gave exceptional service to every community and monastery in which he resided, as well as caring for small Tibetan children through establishing a daycare school.

In approximately 1980, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche began building Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling, a monastery in Boudhanath. Tulku Urgyen asked Kungo-la to come to Nepal to help establish the monastery, and he became the monastery manager, as well as the main teacher for young monks for 13 years. He assisted Tulku Urgyen in giving many empowerments. He then completed two 3-year retreats, the first at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling, the second near Swayambhunath, during which time he came to be regarded as a great practitioner.