By Khen Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden

Narration on the funeral procession of His Holiness Kyabje Lati Rinpoche

16th April 2010, After out of the Airport and took the car to return back to Gaden Shartse Monastery after six weeks. Immediately after arriving back to my residence I prepared things and went to pay respect to holy body of His Holiness Kyabje Lati Rinpoche. It was really sad to see Sopon Ngawang and listened to his narration on how things happened and how they managed to transport the holy body back from Dharamsala India to Gaden Shartse Monastery. I pay respect to holy body of Rinpoche and did prayers in the presence of the holy body for a short while.

17th April, Saturday from morning till afternoon I participated in the special ritual held in the house of H. H. Lati Rinpoche. After the ritual had a meeting with all the senior students of Rinpoche, Kyabje Lochen Rinpoche, Gelong Chophel La and drafted a step by step plan for funeral services and collecting of the relics. In the meeting I was formally requested by elders of house of H. H. Lati Rinpoche's students to compose a prayer for quick return of Rinpoche.

18th April, Sunday on completion of first week since passing away of Rinpoche a self initiation ritual of 13 deity Yamentaka was done at Gaden Shartse Monastery. I led this ritual of self initiation in the monastery. After finishing this ritual late evening I went to the pay respect to the holy body of H.H. Lati Rinpoche and in the presence of the holy body together with the students of Rinpoche we chanted the prayer for quick return of H.H. Lati Rinpoche, a calling from deep agony after getting lost in wilderness. It became really very emotional and there were time that many of us were in tears and many of us lost our voice in agony.

19th April, Monday this morning woke up around 4am and went to house of His Holiness Lati Rinpoche. After having breakfast we sat down to do special ritual. Once the ritual is over we waited a little to begin the procession to take holy body for funeral. On chosen exact time the procession started and then it finally stopped at the place of funeral stupa. The holy body was placed in the funeral stupa and closing up process of the funeral stupa took some time to complete. While that was going on the Sangha community of whole Gaden monastery gathered there and chanted Guru puja. Once the closing of the funeral stupa was complete we did the ritual of fire offering specially combined with cremation pujas. Recitation of sutras and texts in front of the funral stupa was done 24 hours every day till the opening of the funeral stupa took place on 23rd morning. In the evening Sangha community of Gaden Shartse Monastery did Tsog offering in front of the funeral stupa and I led the ritual.

20th April, Tuesday Prepared the prayer for quick return in phonetics to make it available for non Tibetan students of His Holiness Lati Rinpoche. In the evening Sangha community of Gaden Shartse Monastery did Tsog offering in front of the funeral stupa and I led the ritual.

21st April, Wednesday I translated the prayer for quick return of Rinpoche in English from original version I composed in Tibetan and forwarded it to students of Rinpoche in various countries. In the evening the Sangha community of Gaden Shartse Monastery did Tsog offering in front of the funeral stupa, I led the ritual.

22nd April, Thursday we had heavy rain on this day thus the daily Tsog offering by the Sangha community of Gaden Shartse Monastery was done in the debate hall. Few monks came to see me seek my advice on various matters.

23rd April 2010, Friday by 5am I went up to the funeral stupa and we did the ritual to let the wisdom being return. Then the helpers begin to open up the funeral stupa. Once the funeral stupa was opened many photos were taken and later Zong Rinpoche, Lochen Rinpoche and I picked up the relics left over after the cremation. There were amazing amount of relics found in the remains. We manage to pick up many of them besides the special remains of heart, tongue and eye relic and various sizes of holy bones. After that when we removed the metal cover, underneath there we found imprints of tiny human legs (symbol of quick returning of Rinpoche to guide his devotees and students). After all of that the holy relics and other remains were blessed through the ritual of Vajra Sattva. Once everything is ready to take back to the house of Rinpoche we had very elaborate procession to receive the holy remains of H.H. Rinpoche at the residence. We had well planned ceremony with ritual offerings of Tsog by the assembly of Sangha from Gaden Shartse Monastery, I led this ritual.