Central Tibetan Administration Mourns the Demise of Taktser Rinpoche
Saturday, 6 September 2008, 12:31 p.m.
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Dharamshala: The Central
Tibetan Administration mourns the demise of Taktser Rinpoche Thupten
Jigme Norbu, former representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in
Japan and former abbot of Kumbum monastery in Amdo.
Taktser Rinpoche, who is the eldest brother of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama, breathed his last at his home in Indiana in the United
States, on Friday evening, 5 September, owing to prolonged illness. He
was 86 years old.
As a mark of respect and gratitude for dedicating his entire
life to the revival of Tibet’s heritage and hope for the Tibetan
people, the departments and offices of the Administration would remain
closed this afternoon, following an hour-long prayer session at 2 p.m.
Senior officials of the Central Tibetan Administration, including the members of the Kashag, will attend the prayer session.
In his brief address, Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche expressed
his condolences to the family members over the sad demise of Taktser
Rinpoche.
Taktser Rinpoche was recognized at the age of three as the
reincarnated abbot of Kumbum monastery in Amdo, Tibet, one of the most
important monasteries in Tibet, and was therefore already a prominent
figure in Tibet’s religious hierarchy even before his brother His
Holiness the Dalai Lama was born.
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In 1950, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama was still in Lhasa,
Chinese officials attempted to persuade Taktser Rinpoche to travel to
Lhasa and convince His Holiness the Dalai Lama to accept the “peaceful
liberation” of Tibet, even promising to make him the governor of Tibet
if he succeeded, according to one account. Taktser Rinpoche eventually
agreed to travel to Lhasa to see His Holiness, but evaded his Chinese
escorts on route and instead conveyed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama
his deep misgivings about China’s influence in Tibet, and urging His
Holiness to retreat to the border with India.
Upon leaving Tibet in the 1950s and over a long and prolific
writing career, he wrote several academic papers and books on Tibet
including his own autobiography, Tibet Is My Country, one of the first
books on the Tibetan experience to have scholarly credibility. He went
on to serve as Professor of Tibetan Studies at Indiana University in
the United States, where in 1979 he founded the Tibetan Cultural
Center.
Taktser Rinpoche was a tireless advocate for the protection of
Tibetan culture and the rights of the Tibetan people in Tibet. Each
year – including this year prior to the Beijing Olympics – he
participated in long walks and cycle rides to raise awareness of the
plight of the Tibetan people.
He is survived by his wife Kunyang Norbu, and three sons.
