Rato Khyongla Rinpoche died this morning.

24 May 2022 

Dharamsala, HP, India

Khyongla Rato Rinpoche died this morning in McLeod Ganj. He was probably 101 years old. The registry of births in Tibet was not very precise when he was born, but who’s counting? My landlord, Hari Singh, who has been his driver at least since the onset of COVID, just texted me.

Hari called Rato “The Holy One” out of his deep respect and love. I called him “Chuck Rinpoche.” 

Perhaps 8 months ago, Hari asked if his wife could use my kitchen to cook a meal for the Rinpoche. He’d made a special request to eat some of Reshma’s home-style cooking. The flat was also easier for Rato to negotiate, and the seating was more comfortable. I said, of course. We all had greeting scarfs, and Hari lit a smudge pot smoke offering on the steps. At about 1 PM, we welcomed Geshe Nicky Vreeland, followed by Rato, helped by his attendant Norbu. 

The food was terrific—lamb curry, North Indian style. Watching Rato, Nicky, and Norbu eat with such gusto amazed me. Reshma carefully prepared the Rinpoche’s dish with rice, smaller pieces of mutton, and lots of gravy. 

My friend Alex Kype was also there. He’d warned me to be on my best behavior. The Rinpoche was high up the ladder of Buddhist royalty. I sat next to Rato, and Nicky was to his left. Rato's voice was barely audible, but Nicky repeated his words. In the course of the conversion, Rato told a story about when he went to New York City in 1968 to found the Tibet Center. He found a small apartment midtown, but he had no money. So he went to work as a stock boy in B. Altman at their Midtown flagship store, Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. No one could pronounce his name, so he told them to call him Chuck. He started laughing at the memory. I jumped in and asked if I could call him Chuck Rinpoche. He laughed more. 

Rato’s scholarship and dedication to the Way were remarkable and revered over several incarnations, but he’ll always be just Chuck Rinpoche to me. 

Thank you for your visit. We were honored.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche visiting Khyongla Rato Rinpoche. New York, USA, August 2016. Photo by Ven. Losang Sherab.

*This is an interesting factoid. “Chuck” probably earned minimum wage in '68, which was $1.60 per hour (equivalent to $12.47 in 2021).