A goodly soul

THANK you for your obituary (10 October) and coverage (9 October) of the death of one of the founders of the Kagyu Samye Ling Tibetan Centre in Eskdalemuir who was recently assassinated along with his nephew and a fellow monk in China.

Choje Akong Rinpoche (as I knew him) was a very accomplished Dharma teacher of the Kagyu lineage of Tibet. Over the past 20 years I regularly wrote to him on issues relating to life, Buddhist teaching and Tibet and always received an honest and friendly reply.

I am grateful that I have been privileged to know someone as helpful and goodly a soul as Akong, thanks to whom many people will continue to find a place of learning, retreat and wisdom at Samye Ling, which he co-founded with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Trevor Swistchew

Edinburgh