Tibetan political prisoner Geshe Phende Gyaltsen has passed away in Lithang County prison.
[Posted on T.T Tibetan site 3 February 2023] According to a source cited by Tibet Times, the Tibetan monk passed away four to five days ago and died in the Lithang County prison. The news of his detention surfaced two months ago.
Although the cause of his arrest is unclear, information obtained by Tibet Times indicates that his growing influence in the community since his return to Tibet around 2017 led to his arrest and, ultimately, his death. He was well known for his meditation skills and tantric teachings among local Tibetans in his native Jongpo village in Lithang County.
Geshe Phende Gyaltsen, 56, was born in Jongpa village, Lithang County in Eastern Tibet. He came to India in 1985 to study Tantric Buddhism and received the Geshe degree at Pomra Khangtsen of Sera Mey Monastery in Bylakuppe, South India.
His excellence in monastic education led him to be titled ‘Ser Dey Ga Sum.’ In 1988, he was granted an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in connection with a case related to the Dogyal matter. He then traveled to Nepal and Bhutan for long spiritual retreats.
