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Rakra Rinpoche (Rakra Tethong Thubten Choedhar; 1925-2012) wrote The Life of Buddha in Colloquial Tibetan in 1983 for children aged around 13 to 14. The 25 drawings reprinted in the book are also from his hand.
As a student of the great Tibetan scholar Gendün Chöphel and one of the most skilled practitioners of the art of classical Tibetan poetry, the author was nevertheless a passionate advocate of the colloquial tradition and also treasured the richness of the Tibetan dialects. These are the two factors he considered important for understanding the Tibetan classical literature, which also shaped the entire book.
The Life of Buddha, now newly edited by Shingza Rinpoche (Lobsang Tenzin Choekyi Gyaltsen; *1980), is also highly suitable for foreigners who are learning Tibetan.
About the author
Rakra Tethong Thubten Choedhar (Rakra Rinpoche, ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿; 1925-2012) was born in Derge in eastern Tibet. He was a painter, scholar and one of the most skilled practitioners of the art of classical Tibetan poetry. He had studied under the great Tibetan scholar Gendün Chöphel (1903-1951). After spending several years in India, he moved to Switzerland in 1960, taking charge of Tibetan refugee children at the Pestalozzi International Children's Village. He died 2012 in Swiss exile.
