Tendzin Choegyal, the 16th Ngari Rinpoche and youngest brother of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, died on 17 February at his at his residence, Kashmir Cottage, in Dharamsala, India, on the eve of Losar, the Tibetan New Year. He was 80 years old.

Ngari Rinpoche occupied a unique position in the Tibetan diaspora. As a recognized reincarnate lama and a senior figure in the exile community, he navigated spiritual, political, and personal dimensions of Tibetan life and was was at once a witness to history and a participant, devoting his work to causes close to the heart of his older brother. 

Although recognized as a tulku at an early age, Ngari Rinpoche chose the path of a householder rather than monasticism, admitting that he was apprehensive about informing his elder brother of his decision. His Holiness’s response was characteristically wise: “You may have just disrobed, but you haven’t shredded your commitment to Buddhism.” It was a teaching that shaped the rest of his life. (Tibet Watch)

Born in Lhasa in 1946, he was recognized at the age of four as the reincarnation of a lineage of Buddhist masters historically connected to western Tibet, with traditional custodianship over monasteries in Ladakh, Ngari, and Zanskar. Ngari Rinpoche began his formal religious education at a monastery near Lhasa founded by the first Ngari Rinpoche, before continuing his studies at Drepung, one of the great monastic universities of Tibet.

His life unfolded at the center of modern Tibetan history. He accompanied the Dalai Lama on the 1954–55 visit to China, and in 1956 to India for the celebrations of the 2,500th anniversary of the Buddha’s passing. In March 1959, while in his early teens, Ngari Rinpoche accompanied the Dalai Lama on the road to exile in India, helping to rebuild their culture and spiritual traditions. In India, he received his first formal modern education at St. Joseph’s College in Darjeeling before continuing his studies in the United States. 

In 1972, Ngari Rinpoche married Rinchen Khando, who would go on to lead the Tibetan Women’s Association, found the Tibetan Nuns Project, and serve as a minister in the Central Tibetan Administration. Together they raised two children, Tenzin Choezom and Tenzin Lodoe, and shared a lifelong dedication to the preservation of Tibetan culture and Tibetan Buddhism.

From 1971, Ngari Rinpoche served the exile community in numerous capacities: as a teacher at the Tibetan Children’s Village; deputy secretary of the Department of Security; and secretary in the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He was a key figure in the Tibetan Youth Congress during its formative years, and from 1991–96 he served as a member of the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), and later served on the boards of both the Dalai Lama Trust and the Gaden Phodrang Trust. He was also a member of the Mind and Life Institute, reflecting his own engagement with the dialogue between Buddhism and contemporary sciences championed by the Dalai Lama.

As the spiritual head of monasteries in Ngari, Ladakh, and Zanskar, Ngari Rinpoche was a reforming voice within the Buddhist tradition. He was critical of excessive ritual and rigid protocol, and he worked to make monastic institutions more accessible, more educational, and more of service to lay practitioners and contemporary life.

Ngari Rinpoche travelled widely with the Dalai Lama, representing him at religious and cultural engagements across the world, and speaking with clarity about the spiritual aspects of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and the suffering of the Tibetan people. His passing has drawn widespread tributes from Tibetan leaders, activists, and international advocacy groups, who praised his decades-long commitment to preserving Tibetan culture and spiritual traditions.

Ngari Rinpoche is survived by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, his elder sister Jetsun Pema, his wife Rinchen Khando Choegyal, their daughter Tenzin Choezom, their son Tenzin Lodoe, and their extended family.

CTA President Penpa Tsering expressed his condolences in a message shared across social media:

On behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan people, I express my deep sorrow on the passing of H.E. Ngari Rinpoche (Tenzin Choegyal la), the younger brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a prominent spiritual figure. Throughout his life, Rinpoche devoted himself wholeheartedly to the cause of Tibet. He remained steadfast in his support of the Tibetan Administration and bore the hardships and aspirations of the Tibetan people as his own. At this time of mourning, I express my sincere gratitude for Rinpoche’s enduring legacy and extend my heartfelt condolences and prayers. (Facebook)

See more

Dalai Lama bereaved by the passing of his youngest brother (Tibetan Review)
OBITUARY: Central Tibetan Administration Holds Prayer Service to Mourn the Demise of Ngari Rinpoche  (Central Tibetan Administration)
A Vital, Compassionate Life: Ngari Rinpoche, Youngest Brother of the Dalai Lama, Passes Away (Tibet Watch)
Ngari Rinpoche, youngest brother of Dalai Lama, passes away at 80 (Phayul)
From Lhasa to Exile: The Life and Legacy of Ngari Rinpoche (1946–2026) (Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM))

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