On 3 April, at 3:15 p.m., Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche chose to end the state of Tukdam, which is the deep meditative composure that some realized masters enter into after the demise of their physical bodies, after three and a half days. The event was accompanied by rather out-of-the-ordinary weather occurrences. Here in Kathmandu, a very strong and totally unseasonal thunderstorm was observed. Around 3:00 p.m. it began to get very dark, followed by strong gusts of wind and squalls of torrential rain. Multi-coloured lightning flashes crisscrossed the sky and several thunderclaps shook the monastery. After the weather cleared rainbows were observed by some. Similar such weather occurences were reported from other places as well. Most significantly from Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, the seat of the Karmapas in exile, where Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche served for so many years as the 16th Karmapa's vajra master. It was reported from Rumtek, that a similar thunderstorm occurred there, exactly at the same time as here. Rain, thunder and lightning, growing ever more distant, persisted throughout the night.
[The Precious Kudung - Photo taken by Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche's personal attendant Karma Sherab Wangchuk, Kathmandu, 2012]