Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala marks the 83rd birthday of 11th Kirti Rinpoche

Tsering Dhundup

DHARAMSHALA, Aug 8: The exile base of the Kirti Monastery in Dharamshala celebrated the 83rd birthday of its foremost religious figure His Eminence the 11th Kirti Rinpoche, Lobsang Tenzin Jigme Yeshe Gyamtso Rinpoche, on Friday with mass prayers and a cake-cutting ceremony.

Although Kirti Rinpoche is currently in Dharamshala, he did not attend the event in person. A representative of the monastery told Phayul that he is in “good health as per his age.” As part of the celebration, the monastery organised free medicine distribution at five locations in and around Dharamshala, including the Delek Hospital and Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medical & Astro Institute).

In a public statement, the monastery said, “As part of the Year of Compassion celebration marking the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, as observed by the Central Tibetan Administration, we also joyfully marked August 8 as the birthday of Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche. On this special day, we offer free medicine and prayers, dedicating the merit to the good health and flourishing activities of all non-sectarian Tibetan spiritual masters, especially His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche.”

Born in 1942 in Thewo Takmoe Gang in the eastern Tibetan province of Amdo, His Eminence was recognised as the reincarnation of the 10th Kirti Rinpoche, himself a reincarnation of Rongchen Gendun Gyaltsen, a close disciple of the great Tibetan Buddhist master Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419). He was enthroned at Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in 1946 and received novice monk vows in 1948 from Yongzin Gonpo Ludup Tulku. By 1954, he was immersed in the study of the five major treatises of Buddhist philosophy under the guidance of leading Geshes.

In 1957, fulfilling the wish of the 14th Dalai Lama, he travelled to Lhasa for advanced studies at Drepung Monastery, where he received an honorary title. Following his escape to India in 1959 alongside the Dalai Lama, Kirti Rinpoche continued his scholarly and administrative work, playing a vital role in the Central Tibetan Administration and the revival of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism in exile.

For Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet, especially in Ngaba, Amdo, Kyabje Kirti Rinpoche remains a revered spiritual leader and root guru whose life continues to inspire devotion and resilience.