16 Facts About Yeshe Losal

Yeshe Losal spent his early childhood close to nature helping with the family sheep and yaks and playing with the other children in the village; the children received no education as such.

Yeshe Losal survived but only after major surgery involving the removal of one of his lungs.

Yeshe Losal continued his education at the Young Lamas Home School in Dalhousie, where he was groomed for a well paid post as an administrator of a large Tibetan settlement in India.

Yeshe Losal did indeed briefly take up this post before leaving in 1967 to serve as private secretary to the 16th Karmapa at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim.

Yeshe Losal later described himself during his time in India as "selfish and full of pride", and later "surly and miserable".

Yeshe Losal's friend took a proud picture of all the dead fish and showed this to Akong Rinpoche on their return.

Yeshe Losal heard that the Karmapa was going to the United States at the invitation of Chogyam Trungpa, and requested that he be allowed to join him on a tour of the United States and Canada.

Yeshe Losal practised hard and retreated in a small quiet cottage.

Akong Rinpoche requested that Lama Yeshe move to Purelands, a purpose-built retreat centre at Samye Ling, and in time he became the retreat master in 1988.

At Akong Rinpoche's request, in 1995 Lama Yeshe Losal was confirmed as abbot of Samye Ling by the Tai Situpa.

Yeshe Losal was the owner of Holy Isle a small island near the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde.

Yeshe Losal wished to sell the Island and had had a vision of Mary, the mother of Jesus who asked her to approach the Buddhists at Samye Ling.

Yeshe Losal had experienced flying over a beautiful island surrounded by lights.

Since then Lama Yeshe Losal has been instrumental in establishing the Centre for World Peace and Health, an environmentally designed residential venue for courses, conferences and retreats on Holy Island, and a monastery on the southern end of the Island for nuns on three year retreats.

The island is a sanctuary for wild life, and Lama Yeshe Losal is active in promoting the case for Lamlash Bay to be no take zone, a wildlife reserve for marine life, perhaps an echo of his own life-changing fishing trip.

Yeshe Losal wrote his vital and spiritual biography in the book:.