OBITUARY: His Eminence the 100th Ganden Tripa Lobsang Nyima
Wednesday, 17 September 2008, 3:41 p.m.
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Dharamshala: The Central
Tibetan Administration expressed its heartfelt condolences over the
demise of His Eminence Lobsang Nyima Pal Sangpo, the 100th holder of
Ganden Tripa.
His Eminence Lobsang Nyima – who ascended to the highest
position in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism in 1994 – passed away
after a brief illness at Kles Hospital and MRC at Belgaum in southern
India, on the 14th day of seventh Tibetan lunar month and 14 September.
He was 79.
As a mark of respect, the officials of the administration
observed an hour-long prayer session at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, following
which the departments and the offices remained close.
Expressing condolences on behalf of the CTA, the department of
religion and culture and Buddhist followers in general, Kalon Ven
Tsering Phuntsok described the Ganden Trisur as “one of the most
accomplished masters of Tibetan Buddhism, who has offered great service
to the spiritual and temporal heritage of Tibet.”
 members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and members of the Kashag were present at the prayer session in Dharamshala, on 17 September 2008. |
In 1945, at the age of 17, Gaden Trisur Lobsang Nyima began his
spiritual learning on ‘Five Treatises of Buddhism’ under the tutelage
of former tutors of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, at the Drepung
Loseling Monastic University in Tibet.
He received many degrees and posts, including Lharampa Geshe,
abbot of Gyudmed Tantric University, abbot of Namgyal Monastery,
Jangtse Choeje and an honorary doctorate degree conferred by Tibetan
Institute of Higher Studies, Varanasi.
Apart from achieving excellence in spiritual learning, he mastered the intricate arts of poetry and grammar.
His great work of writing includes “Religious History and
Prayers for Lineages of abbots of Gyudmed Tantric Monastery”, “An
Eulogy of Maitreya (Gyalwa Jampa)” and “Prayers for Long-Life and Swift
Return of Incarnations of Many High Lamas”.
