This site is a tribute to His Holiness Orgyen Kusum Lingpa, who passed on Feb 26th, 2009.

We have received word that His Holiness Orgyen Kusum Lingpa of the Nyingma lineage died on February 26th, at the age of 76. A short biography page (which as of this writing does not mention his passing) including a list of his teachings and empowerments can be found here.

Known as Lama Tsang (or Lamasang) to his close students, he was a teacher of B. Alan Wallace and filmmaker Oliver Stone, and surprised the modern Buddhist community with the recognition of the Americans Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, Khandro Susan Blaikie Recto, and Lama Changchup Kunchok Dorje.

He had apparently been in ill health for several months. According to son Dorje Trangpo, “When Lamasang passed from this world, he was in no pain, he had no fear, he was not sick, he was totally peaceful. Just as in life he always said ‘I am not sick, there is nothing wrong’ […] at the moment of death.” Son Hung Kar Dorje writes, “Even while facing the dangers of approaching death and while remaining ill for an extended period of time, without any real prospect for recovery, his speech at all times remained warm and full of good humor… We must be able to see the living example of our Lama Rinpoche passing into the state of peace as a profound, personal instruction that symbolically points us toward an understanding of the true condition of impermanence.”

His Holiness was an avid and outspoken person for the environment and how we need to take better care of the world we live in.