"Meeting" Ling Rinpoche in Dharamshala in January 1986

As you will see I put "Meeting" Ling Rinpoche this way for many different reasons.

Thubten who was Geshe Lobsang Gyatso's nephew who had been a Gelukpa Monk like Geshela (endearing name for Geshe Lobsang Gyatso) was in Dharamshala, India when we met him there through Geshela. He Traveled with the Gyuto Tantric Monks who do chants that are unbelievable to hear if you haven't heard this type of chanting before (very deep in sound and timber and amazing). Well the Gyuto Tantric Monks came to America and possibly Europe? and toured here with Thubten as their announcer because Thubten could speak perfect English. The reason for this is that when his parents became too ill to work and support themselves he gave Geshe Lobsang Gyatso his monk's robes for awhile so he could financially support his parents until they passed by being a Mountain Climbing Guide in the Himalayas. So, he learned partly through this perfect English. He was the one who also introduced me to Drukpa Kunley stories which had me laughing so hard I often would fall on the floor in laughter at the Drukpa Kunley Stories from Bhutan mostly.

So, one day after we arrived in Dharamshala, India Thubten Told us he had permission to take us to see something very special and secret. The secret was Ling Rinpoche who had run Tibet until the Dalai Lama had become old enough to run Tibet at I believe 18 years of age.

So, we were taken to this stone cabin on foot and we had to hike several miles (my whole family which was okay because my wife then and I were 37 years old and our children were strong and healthy and 11, 12 and 14 years old then in 1986  (two boys and one girl) the girl was the middle one.