The Dalai Lama's brother passed away without the spiritual leader by his side.
Taktser Rinpoche was 86-years-old when he died at his home in the United States after being sick for several years.
The 73-year-old Dalai Lama was notified of the family tragedy only days after he was released from a hospital in Mumbai, India after suffering abdominal pains.
Rinpoche was a retired university professor of Tibetan studies at the Indiana University and founded the Tibetan Cultural Centre at the educational institute.