19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche (May 21, 1917 – November 4, 2003) was a reincarnation of the Kushok Bakula Rinpoche

Kushok Bakula Rinpoche

19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche was a reincarnation of the Kushok Bakula Rinpoche. He was one of the best known lamas of Ladakh, a statesman and international diplomat of the Republic of India...

. He was one of the best known lamas of Ladakh

Ladakh

Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...

, a statesman and international diplomat of the Republic of India. He is known for his efforts in reviving Buddhism in Mongolia

Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...

 and Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, linking them with the community of Tibetan exiles in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

A descendant of Ladakh's royal family, he was given to monkhood at an early age. He was recognized by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama as a reincarnation of Bakula Arhat, one of the Sixteen Arhats (direct disciples of Gautama Buddha

Gautama Buddha

Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...

).

Later he served in the Parliament of India

Parliament of India

The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...

, and was deeply engaged with welfare, education and rights of Scheduled Castes and Tribes of India. In his later years, he became India's Ambassador in Mongolia.

In 2005, the Leh airport was renamed as the Kushok Bakula Airport.

Literature

• Nawang Tsering Shakspo and Henry M. Vyner, M.D. (2006): Kushok Bakula Rinpoche - Saint and Statesman, World Buddhist Culture Trust, New Delhi