Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche was born in Rabshu in the province of Kham in eastern Tibet. He was born at sunrise on Mahakala Day, the twenty-ninth day, of the second month in the Year of the Wood Mouse, 1924. On this day, very early in the morning, Rinpoche's mother went to fetch water from the stream, carrying the full vessel of water home. Rinpoche was then born with no pain to his mother.According to Tibetan tradition, all of these special circumstances show a very auspicious birth. Rinpoche's father was a devoted Manjushri practitioner who constantly recited the Manjushri Sutra. He would go to