Sara Geshe Rinpoche Nawang Jungnus, 89 was both a guide and a highly regarded Geshe Rinpoche of Ladakh who took Parinirvana on August 19 around 6:15 in morning at his residence Saspol. It set off a huge outpouring of grief the village has ever seen. He was in meditation (Thugdam) continuously for a week. On August 25, around 6:15 am the meditation was over.

He is considered the reincarnation of Ngari Mila Rinpoche Tsultrim Dorje. The first incarnation took place in Mangu Machu dho family. The second was in Chilling Sumda Izang family and the third is in Saspol Sarapa Family.  He was born in the year 1925 to father Tsewang Tashi and mother Tsering Palzom in Sarapa family, Saspol. In those days he was in Likir monastery and later at the age of 12 he went out to Tibet for further Buddhist studies.  When Geshe was in Tibet he worked very hard and completed the degree of Geshe Degree.

As the news of Sara Geshes Rinpoche Nawang Jungnus, death spread, almost half of the population of Saspol and nearby villagers flocked for the funeral procession on August 25, many of them chanting prayers and in a show of grief that brought much of the village to a standstill. It was an unfortunate day for all the people of Ladakh. A one week prayer was held in Saspol and on the last day there were 103 monks and nuns gathered for the prayer.
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He was often described by followers as “the greatest of the generation.”

“The people of Ladakh have lost one of the wisest men of this generation,” says one of the local.

Sara Geshes Rinpoche Nawang Jungnus was highly respected in his own village and among the spiritual heads of the Ladakh, he was often called "an ambassador of peace" by his admirers.

He will be remembered for his pivotal influence in Saspol after he formed the Choschogs Tsogspa in 1984. Since its founding, the Tsogspa has always sought advice from him and worked in Unity. After many years Choschogs Chogspa was well established and in 2004 he advised to build a Stupa (Chan Chub Chorten which symbolizes Buddha's enlightenment, the realization of the nature of mind, and is one of the eight different forms of stupas ) of seven feet which costs around 3 Lakh 18 thousand. A separate group was formed to look after the construction of the stupa to avoid mismanagement of funds.

Tashi Sonam, 73 is his personal caretaker an army retired and has been looking after him for more than 20 years says, “He has his perfect timings for everything. Geshe has done many social works and he knows only meditation and teaching. He was in Tibet for a long time. And in 1959 he came back to Ladakh.”

Tsewang Norboo, a local said, “I have hardly seen such Geshe Rinpoche with pure sanctity and clean character and cut off from the materialistic world. Whatever we do in our village we always take guidance from Geshe Rinpoche. There was a time when Alchi has a scarcity of water at that time Geshe Rinpoche visits Alchi and the problem was solved soon .Even in stok, hemis shukpachan there was a water scarcity but solved by Geshe. Till today we always seek the advice of his Eminence Geshe Rinpoche. Whatever problem an individual faces is also solved by his Eminence.”

Dr Morup said, “Whatever problem be it villagers or individual faces was solved by Geshe Rinpoche and we can never forget his works. He was a ‘Buddha’ for all of us. Monk like him is hardly found. He is a monk who lead a pious life throughout his entire life not only this but followed the teaching of Buddha and implement in his life.   We the people of Saspol are deeply saddened by the great loss. We can never have lamas like him. And this is a fact that if ones comes to this world, one has to go back also. Life is temporary. We cannot express how good works he has done for the villagers of Saspol and nearby villages and Ladakh as a whole. He is an example in the whole world.”

Galden Thi Rinpoche advised not to touch the body of His Eminence till his meditation is over. He further said, “There are some symbols when he will be finished with the meditation on that day His eminence will be taken to the funeral.”

Tsering Sonam, a local from Saspol said, “Three great Lamas were born in Saspol in the same mohalla Sentsa who were Jetsun Lama tsultim Nima born in 1796 and Sras Rinpoche Ishey Rabgyas 1824 and Sara Geshe Rinpoche in 1925 who have done many work for the people of Ladakh.”

After returning from Tibet Sara Geshe Rinpoche has requested the head of Likir Monastery Ngari Rinpoche as well as the monks to leave the monastery. Later he left the monastery and built a meditation Centre (Tsamskhang)  at Saspol where he took three years retreat for several times and his nephew Ishey Tsering look after Geshe Rinpoche.

Earlier there was a shortage of water in Saspol and Alchi but when Sara Geshe Rinpoche consecrated the Naga ritual vase (Lumbum Pungpa) there was abundance of water in both the villages. “Agricultural products and fruits production increases in Saspol and nearby villages,” said one of the local. 

Some Great works of Sara Geshe Rinpoche

•He was born in 1925 in Sarapa Family in Saspol.

•At the age of 12, he went to Tibet for further studies. He has to undergo many hardships in Lhasa.
•He took admission in Tashi Lumbu University in Tibet and later on he got admission in Drepung Losaling University. He did his philosophical study in both the universities.

•In the year 1959, he returned to Ladakh from Tibet and‘Tongo’ ceremony (A ceremony on completing the “Geshe” Degree, a doctoral degree in theology in the Buddhist monastic system) was celebrated in Likir Monastery.

•In the year 1965 Geshe Rinpoche started Namgyal Stongchot (long life prayer) and a silver chorten of 2 feet was built in Saspol village fully sponsored by Geshe Rinpoche.

•In the year 1980 Chamshen Dukhang was burnt but there was no loss and in 1981 it was renovated under the supervision of Sara Geshe Rinpoche.

•In 1986 Choschogs Tsogspa was formed.

•In 2004 he advised to build a ‘changchub chorten’ of seven feet which costs around 3 lakh 18 thousand.

With his death, the villagers have lost a guide and the people of Ladakh, a noble soul who kept his vows as a Buddhist monk and a follower of Buddha.