Venerable Kirti
Tsenshab Rinpoche
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Kirti
Tsenshab Rinpoche was born in the province of Amdo – eastern
Tibet – in 1926, and at age six was recognized as the
reincarnation of the former abbot of the Kirti Gompa. At the age
of nine, He was ordained as a monk. Rinpoche received teachings
from many high Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
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Lama
Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche is one of the holders of the tantra of
Kalachakra lineage, having received that empowerment when he was
14 years old. At the age of 32 and having completed his monastic
studies he was appointed as the Abbot of Kirti.
After
escaping from Tíbet in 1959, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche taught
Tibetan orphans at the Tibetan Children's Village, Dharamsala,
India. At the age of 45 he began a fifteen-year meditation
retreat in a small stone hermitage above Dharamsala, "big
enough for a bed, prostrations, and a stove". He spent
seven years in meditation on Lam Rim, three years on "Seven
Point Thought Transformation", and some generation and
completion stage tantra. Two years were spent only on generation
and completion stages and in the final 3 years, Rinpoche
repeated all of the above.
Rinpoche gave Kalachakra
commentary to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and was a teacher of
Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Lama Zopa Rinpoche said of Kirti Tsenshab
Rinpoche, "He is a great Kadampa master who shows real
Kadampa Tradition...so completely renounced. There's not one
slightest worldy activity, not the slightest eight world dharmas,
no self cherishing thought. Even talking, everything is as much
as possible pleasing to sentient being's minds."
Rinpoche gave teachings around
the world in many countries including: Australia, Germany,
Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and
the United States.
Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche passed
away on Lama Tsongkhapa Day, December 15th, 2006. As this
year’s December 15th is an inauspicious day, it was decided
that Lama Tsongkhapa Day (December 4th) was the best day to
commemorate Rinpoche’s passing. Prayers were offered at Kirti
Monastery in Dharamsala and Taktshang Lhamo in Tibet.

To download a copy of
Rinpoche’s returning prayer, please go to the following
address:
www.fpmt.org/teachers/kirti_tsenshab/pdf/ktrquickreturnprjan07.pdf
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