“Let’s send him off with our respect and love,” Sravasti Abbey writes following the discovery of a body matching the description of monk Geshe Dadul Namgyal, who was reported missing on November 8.

Via a media release from the Sheriff’s Department of Pend Oreille County, Washington State, comes word that the body of Geshe Dadul Namgyal, a 64-old monk who had been reported missing on November 8, appears to have been found.

Geshe Dadul had been a resident of Sravasti Abbey in Newport, Washington. The abbey was founded in 2003 by the Venerable Thubten Chodron. A January 4 statement from the Abbey reads, in part:

While walking around the pond on Abbey property yesterday, two monastics noticed that maroon-colored clothing was floating on the surface of the water. We contacted the Sheriff’s Department immediately. They came out, called for a boat, and retrieved a body which they think matches the description of Geshe Chodrak (Dadul Namgyal). The next step is the police will do an autopsy to allow for correct identification and more research on the time and cause of death. We will keep you posted as we learn more.

The Sheriff’s office statement confirms that an autopsy has been requested to determine an estimated time of death and likely cause.

For those wishing to acknowledge Geshe Dadul’s passing and honor his life, the Abbey continues:

Please join us in continuing to make prayers and dedications for Geshela, so he will be born in a pure land or take a precious human rebirth. Please also make prayers for his family and for his many students around the world, so that they will see Geshela’s death with Dharma eyes and engage in the bodhisattva practices just as Geshela did. By reciting and contemplating the “King of Prayers” and dedicating the merit for Geshela, we will send Geshela off with our respect and love.

We at Lion’s Roar and Buddhadharma offer our condolences to the Sravasti Abbey sangha and all who knew and cared for Geshe Dadul.