Bylakuppe, Karnatakaka: A resident of Sera Mey’s Samnorling monastery in Bylakuppe, Geshe Ngawang Palsang, the eldest member of the institute passed away on 17th October. Since then, he has remained in a’thukdam'(meditative state) completing 16 days without emitting a sign of death or decay of his body, according to a report received by Chorig Department.

Thukdam is a rare Buddhist phenomenon in which realised master’s consciousness remains in the body despite its physical death. Though they are declared clinically dead, their bodies show no signs of decay and are found to remain fresh for days or even weeks without preservation. The scientific inquiry into this phenomena has begun a few years ago under the initiative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

A brief biography of Geshe Ngawang Palsang:

Born on June 3, 1934, in Kham’s Tongkhor region to parents, Phurwa Gon and Rigjey Wangmo, Geshe Ngawang was initiated into the religious order as a young child at nearby Dorjeling monastery where he pursued his monastic education. At age 14, under the 42nd abbot Lobsang Jampel and Ngawang Choejor, he has ordained a monk and received his new name, Ngawang Palsang.

In the 1950s, he moved to central Tibet and continued to pursue his monastic training at Samnorling monastery. A few years later in 1959, when His Holiness the Dalai Lama escaped into exile many Tibetans followed, including himself who then joined Buxar monastery, where he continued his religious studies.

In 1970, after he settled in south India, he took part in the efforts to pave for the reconstruction of monasteries to preserve Tibetan Buddhism in exile that required forest clearance and land tilling. In the reconstruction project, he dedicated more than 40 years taking on a range of responsibilities. Around 1989, he was awarded the Geshe title and accordingly fulfilled his duties. Throughout his life, he was committed foremost to practise the Buddhist principles.

Read the original report in Tibetan here.