Kunga Rinpoche
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lama Kunga Rinpoche was born into a noble family in Lhasa in 1935, the son of Tsipon Shuguba, The Last Treasurer in the Dalai Lama's government in Lhasa.
At the age of 7, he was recognized as a reincarnation of Sevan Repa, a heart disciple of Milarepa, Tibet’s great 11th century poet-saint. Rinpoche entered Ngor Monastery at eight and was ordained as a monk at sixteen. In 1959, he was Vice-Abbot of Ngor Monastery, in the Sakya Tradition, but fled Western Tibet with his countrymen at the time of Chinese invasion.
In 1972 Rinpoche came to America and established Ewam Choden Tibetan Buddhist Center [1] in Kensington California. There he has sponsored visits from great Teachers of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism diaspora, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, H.H. Sakya Trizin, Kalu Rinpoche, Chögyam Trungpa and many others.
Lama Kunga has also taught in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, Oregon, Florida, Utah, San Diego, Minnesota, and Arkansas. A skilled and compassionate teacher, Lama Kunga Rinpoche’s has a unique rapport with western students.
He has authored the following books:
- Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet's Beloved Saint, Milarepa - with Brian Cutillo ISBN 0861710630
- Miraculous Journey New Stories and Songs by Milarepa - with Brian Cutillo,
- In the Presence of My Enemies : Memoirs of Tibetan Nobleman Tsipon Shuguba, - with Sumner Carnahan. This is the biography of his father
Rinpoche is now licensed in California to perform marriages with a Tibetan Buddhist ceremony.
