Lama Thubten Yeshe
Lama Thubten Yeshe was born in 1935 in Tibet and began his Buddhist monastic studies at the age of 6. After China's invasion of Tibet, Lama Yeshe was forced into exile in India for 8 years, finally establishing himself in Nepal in 1967. Outside Kathmandu Lama Yeshe founded the very famous Kopan Monastery and began his education of the West. Lama Yeshe was special and influential for a number of reasons but his real passion was in his thoughts that dharma should not be something exclusive, rather, it should be shared with all. He made it his mission to spread Tibetan Buddhism to the West and his influence can be seen by the extensive network of Mahayana followers and institutions in North America and Europe. You can find some of his publications at http://www.wisdompubs.org and they are all worth the read.
Lama Yeshe's story gets particularly interesting though after his death at the early age of 49. He had spoken often of how when he died he wanted to be reincarnated as a Westerner; no longer a mystic from the East but someone his followers could relate too. Not even six months after his death a disciple of his in Spain became pregnant and when the child was only two the Dalai Lama confirmed he, Ösel Hita Torres, was the reincarnation of Lama Thubten Yeshe. He had succeeded.
Lama Yeshe's story gets particularly interesting though after his death at the early age of 49. He had spoken often of how when he died he wanted to be reincarnated as a Westerner; no longer a mystic from the East but someone his followers could relate too. Not even six months after his death a disciple of his in Spain became pregnant and when the child was only two the Dalai Lama confirmed he, Ösel Hita Torres, was the reincarnation of Lama Thubten Yeshe. He had succeeded.