Geshe Tenzin Zopa and the Unmistaken Child

After the much revered Tibetan Buddhist master Geshe Lama Konchong passed away in 2001 at the age of 84,  the Dalai Lama assigned the monumental task of locating his reincarnation to the master's closest Heart Disciple, Tenzin Zopa. 

Tenzin Zopa was designated from the age of 7 to be special, and his childhood was similar to that of reincarnated masters.  He was not allowed to play with monks his own age and was always in classes or with Geshe Lama Konchong and the rest of the monastery heads.  Tenzin completed most of his studies on the road, and went to the university in southern India for exams only.  He was always ranked among the top five students out of more than 5,000 monks. He was permitted by the request of the Dalai Lama to schedule his final exams four years ahead of time. Tenzin is today one of the youngest Geshes (equivalent to PhD in Buddhist philosophy) in Tibetan Buddhism. 

Despite his many accolades and special treatment, Tenzin Zopa remains shy and humble in his demeanor, and when assigned the task of locating his master's reincarnation, he doubted his ability to accomplish this duty.  Tenzin's search is documented in the movie entitled Unmistaken Child.




It would take Tenzin Zopa 4 years to locate the toddler, who would eventually be confirmed as the unmistakable reincarnation of Geshe Lama Konchong.  Renamed Phuntsok Rinpoche by the Dalai Lama, you can view recent photos by clicking here which will take you to a blog, maintained by Geshe Tenzin Zopa himself, which updates us on the Rinpoche's (precious one's) progress.