Kungo Kalsang Choten
On the mahasamadhi of beloved Kungo* Kalsang Choten, who passed away at 7:00 a.m. on September 16, 2009, at Osel Ling Monastery, Nepal, at the age of 84:
Kungo Kalsang Choten was the half-brother of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and enjoyed a father-son relationship with Tsoknyi Rinpoche and his three brothers. He tutored Tsoknyi Rinpoche in grammar and Tibetan calligraphy (for which Kungo-la was well known), and in later years he became an important advisor and consultant to Tsoknyi Rinpoche during his early days of teaching. Kungo-la was renowned for his kindness, humility, and generosity, and he is dearly loved and treasured by all the lamas at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling. He was a supreme example of a great spiritual dharma practitioner for all, and he considered himself very lucky and fortunate to live in these celestial circumstances.
He was consistently content, happy, complete and whole, and felt wealthy because he had the richness of the Buddhadharma. Kungo-la had no desires of self and had no hesitation or fears about death. He cherished the Dharma and was devoted to his teachers. His compassion and who he was as a practitioner and how he held the Dharma filled him with such abundant joy that he knew he had everything and lacked nothing. He was completely spiritually integrated, grateful to be a practitioner and to put the Buddhadharma into daily action.
Before escaping Tibet with H.H. the 14th 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.
Lama Tashi Dorje (Grandfather) & Kungo-la
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. Kungo-la was especially grateful for the opportunity to participate in these long retreats and considered his life very, very lucky to eventually partake in lifelong retreat.
Tsoknyi Rinpoche invited Kungo Kalsang Choten to come to Osel Ling and practice there. Rinpoche built a self-contained apartment for him where he stayed in lifetime retreat for another 17 years until his death. He never left retreat and spent most of his time meditating, four sessions per day, consistently, daily, without fail. His meditation became clearer and clearer as time passed, and he felt he had everything because he had the Dharma. He received many teachings from great realizers: Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. Kungo-la also held a strong background in the Gelukpa tradition.
Kungo-la, Lama Tashi Dorje, Mingyur Rinpoche & Tsoknyi Rinpoche
Kungo Kalsang Choten was diagnosed two years ago with liver cancer and chose not to undergo surgery or chemotherapy. Kungo-la is in tukdam (meditation) pose and will continue to be served by his long-time attendant, Ani Dechen. Kungo-la’s cremation will take place on Friday, September 25th at approximately 10:00 a.m. at Osel Ling and will be presided over by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. The lamas and monks of Osel Ling will then take over those responsibilities through the duration of the 49 days. Kungo-la left detailed instructions regarding the pujas to be held during the seven weeks following his death, and he was very specific about what should take place where and by whom, incuding the participation of several monasteries (not just Osel Ling). True to his magnanimous character, Kungo-la’s estate will be distributed equally among many monasteries.
In his daily prayers, Kungo-la included the students of those who were close to him, particularly the students of Chokling Rinpoche, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche, He made great aspiration prayers for us and for our teachers on a daily basis to flourish in practice and that our paths be cleared of obstacles so that we would cross over and accomplish happy lives. Because our teachers share their minds and knowledge with the mindstream of Kungo Kalsang Choten, we in turn have lucky, lucky lives because we share in the abundant and radiant compassion emanating from him. We can increase this gift by including Kungo-la in our daily practices by visualizing him with Tsoknyi Rinpoche in our hearts, reciting mantras, and dedicating the merit of our practices on his behalf.
*also spelled “Kunga”
