KATHMANDU, APRIL 13

Kopan Monastery Rinpoche died of altitude sickness this morning.

According to the International Office of the Foundation for Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, 77, who complained of altitude sickness in the upper part of Gorkha district, died while undergoing treatment at Kathmandu-based Karuna Hospital.

'Rinpoche had been up in the mountains in the Tsum Valley since Monday, and had to be brought down urgently as he was experiencing altitude sickness. On arrival back in Kathmandu this morning, the Rinpoche stopped breathing,' FPMT said in a statement.

The main doctor at Karuna Hospital tried for some time to revive the Rinpoche, but that was not successful and the Rinpoche passed at about 9:30am, it added. Rinpoche had been invited to Tsum Valley for a puja ceremony, Tsum Nubri Rural Municipality Chairman Nima Lama said.

'The lama gyupas and monks are taking turns in sessions offering Cittamani Tara with Rinpoche, as advised by His Holiness,' the FPMT said, adding that Rinpoche was the embodiment of bodhicitta, and always stressed the importance of remembering impermanence, and the essential need to put the teachings into practice. 'This is what we can do for our precious guru now - please try to follow Rinpoche's advice.'

A version of this article appears in the print on April 14, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.