By Kelsang Rinchen,
Phayul Reporter
Dharamsala, May 20 – In a sad and an irreparable loss to the Tibetan Medical tradition, Dr. Lobsang Wangyal la, the senior personal physician to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, breathed his last at around 7 PM yesterday.
The Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute remained closed in tribute to the demised soul.
The Central Tibetan Administration also paid its respect to the departed soul by holding an hour’s prayer session and remaining closed for the afternoon session.
Dr. Wangyal la was a great practitioner of Tibetan medical tradition and has played an important role in preserving and upbringing the great healing science of Tibet.
Born to the parentage of Phurbu Dorjee and Tsering Palzom in 1920 in Chongye, central Tibet, he joined Chongye Tashi Dechen monastery to study Buddhism.
In 1935 (wood pig year) he joined Lhasa Mentseekhang to study Tibetan medicine. In 1944, he had the first opportunity to meet his teacher Dr. Khenrab Norbu, founder of the Lhasa Institute of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology and a Personal Physician to the thirteenth Dalai Lama.
After the brutal invasion of Tibet by the PLA troops, Dr. Wangyal la was sentenced to seven year’s imprisonment and three year’s deprivation of rights for taking part in anti China activities. He was appointed the Senior Personal Physician to His Holiness the Dalai Lama after the death last year of Dr. Tenzin Chodak.
Kelsang Rinchen can be contacted at kalsangr@yahoo.com.
