About Kyabje Lati Rinpoche

His Holiness 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.

Early Life

By 15 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 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).

Turning the Wheel of Dharma

In 1959, after 19 of intensive study, 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. In the next year, H.HS. was officially conferred as “Geshe Lharampa” – a qualification which is equivalent to the PHD degree in 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.H. 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 Advisor to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama – Rinpoche serves His Holiness faithfully till today.

In 1976, under His Holiness’s suggestion, various universities in America invited Lati Rinpoche over, where H.H. gave illuminating dharma discourses to an appreciative public. In addition, Rinpoche taught at Namgyal Gomba (His Holiness’s personal monastery), at the debating college, and has guided and taught many laypeople as well. In the same year, Rinpoche was appointed as the Abbot of the Shartse Norling College of Gaden Monastery, in South India. H.H. held this position for eight years – where besides looking after the administration, law and order of the Sangha, Rinpoche also personally taught extensively on all aspects of Buddhism. Rinpoche’s contribution towards Gaden Shartse Norling College is widely recognized by all, and H.H. is deeply respected by many strong devotees all over the world.

Teachings and Books

Since His retirement, Rinpoche dedicated His life mainly on dharma practice, as well as propagating the Buddha’s teachings. On repeated requests from many countries in Europe and America, Rinpoche has travelled extensively, benefiting dharma students in various parts of the world. To his credit, Lati Rinpoche has authored many important books on Tibetan Buddhism, including: Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth; Mind in Tibetan Buddhism; Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism.

Read about Lati Rinpoche on Wikipedia

Nirvana

Our dearest teacher Kyabje Lati Rinpoche passed away peacefully in his home in Dharamsala on 12th April 2010, early morning 5:45am. Rinpoche did not suffer from any illness nor discomfort, and passed into nirvana peacefully. We will always remember Rinpoche’s great kindness and love to all of us, and continue to put in effort in our dharma practice… that is the only way for us to repay his kindness.

If you wish to, please recite the Swift Return Prayers, specially composed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and His Eminence Khen Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden (current Abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery), to pray for us to be able to meet up with the unmistaken reincarnation of Lati Rinpoche soon. May Rinpoche return quickly to benefit all sentient beings, once again.

Prayer for the Quick Return of Kyabjé Lati Rinpoché

O peerless savior and supreme Teacher, Shuddhodhana’s son,
O the seventeen masters and adepts, Nagarjuna and Asanga, and so on,
O Dipamkara as well as sovereign father Tsongkhapa,
Gloriously appear here today to grant auspiciousness.

On the great path leading to the heart of Enlightenment,
You’ve traversed by means of the perfect threefold discipline,
And have enhanced ever higher the realizations of enlightened qualities –
O glorious Guru, we offer our supplications at your feet.

Pray return gloriously to propagate the teaching of Lobsang,
By tying well the sash of monastic disciplinary precepts,
And, generating the altruistic intention to free all beings,
Engage in the tantric yogas of the two stages.

Think of the unbearable pain of the sentient beings
Who’re enveloped in the forces of five degenerations;
And to open wide the lotus grove of the Buddha’s teaching,
May your reincarnation appear soon as a source of merit for us.

The students of Lati Labrang, the entire assembly of Ganden Shartse Monastery, Trijang Labrang, Zong Labrang, Lochen Labrang, the entire assembly of Spiti Key Monastery and Spiti Drakar Monastery, Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling Singapore, Gaden Shartse Phende Lekshe Ling Malaysia, Gaden Shartse Buddhist Center Taiwan, Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling Center USA, Ganden Shartse Education Committee, Gaden Shartse Phukhang Khangtsen, and Gaden Shartse Thepo Khangtsen approached me with a request to compose a prayer for the quick return of the late Lati Rinpoche. As I have had close association with this authentic spiritual teacher for over fifty years and have enjoyed a bond of pure faith and commitment, I have written this aspiration prayer. May the aims of this aspiration be fulfilled as prayed for.

This was composed by the Buddhist monk, the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, on the 5th day of the 3rd month in the seventeenth Rabjung cycle of the Tibetan calendar, namely, on 19, April, 2010.