Geshe Yeshe Tobden

Geshe Yeshe Tobden was born in 1926 near Lhasa, Tibet. He studied at Sera Me Monastic University until 1959 when, due to the Chinese invasion he was arrested and imprisoned. He escaped and spent two years crossing the Tibetan plateau on foot until he reached India. There, he finished his studies and achieved the Larampa Geshe degree (which is the highest level of the highest academic degree possible) at Sera Me Monastery, which had been rebuilt in exile.

For several years he taught Buddhist philosophy at Sera Me and at Varanasi University. Then he was able to fulfil his wish to go to the mountains to meditate. For most of the last 30 years of his life he meditated in a single-room hut above Mcleod Ganj in Dharamsala, India.

In 1979 he was the first resident lama in Italy at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa where he taught for two years. His knowledge and great compassion conquered the hearts of many disciples who began their spiritual practice under his guidance.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “Geshe Yeshe Tobden had the rare distinction of being not only qualified as a scholar, but also of having gained long acquaintance through many years of meditation in the mountains. As a result his explanation of the teachings had the special flavour of heartfelt personal experience.”

Geshe Yeshe Tobden passed away in July 1999 in Dharamsala. From that moment, for 12 days his mind remained in deep absorption, and his body showed no sign of decay, instead emitting a fragrance and luminosity. According to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this demonstrated the tremendous power of Geshe Tobden’s meditative concentration. After the sign of the last phase of absorption of subtle awareness had manifested and the entire death process had come to an end, the cremation ceremony began in the presence of various monks and disciples. The burning lasted more than two hours without producing any smoke, and shortly before sunrise a half-rainbow appeared, which is considered to be a particularly auspicious sign for a swift reincarnation.

Provenance

Hair and ash relics of Geshe Yeshe Tobden were offered by Fiorella Rizzi who received them from Venerable Losang Donden, the personal attendant of Geshe Tobden.