Venerable Geshe Kalsang Damdul

After his escape from Tibet in 1959, Ven. Geshe Kalsang Damdul studied at the Central School for Tibetans in Mussoorie, India. In 1973 he continued his education at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala where he studied all the major Buddhist texts. He received his Master of Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom Sutra) degree and was also awarded the Master of Mahdyamika degree.

Geshe la has received various empowerments, lineal transmissions and teachings from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Gaden Tripa Lobsang Nyima, Denma Lochoe Rinpoche and many other great Tibetan spiritual masters and teachers. Besides these, he received his Bhikkhu ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Kuntse Rinpoche Thupten Gyaltsen

Kuntse Rinpoche was born in the small village of Batso in western Tibet and was recognized as an incarnate lama at the age of five. He then became the Rinpoche of the Chuwar Gadhen Dophen Ling monastery, where he studied reading and writing in the Tibetan language. He memorized many prayers, manuals, and the performance of rituals. His exam before the assembly showed 1800 pages memorized. At age 10 he took the vow of Getsul from the late Tsen Shab Serkon Rinpoche.

In 1984 Rinpoche moved to Dharamsala to attend the Institute for Buddhist Dialectics where he studied English, Tibetan grammatical texts, logic, the study of the mind, ethics & many others.

He had six years of study focusing on Prajnaparamita texts & three more on the study of Madhyamika texts. When Rinpoche graduated from IBD, he was at the top of his Geshe class.

Rinpoche then went to south India, to Sera Monastic University for further studies. During those eight years he studied the Five Major Texts with extensive commentaries for all. Through the process of the six years' Gelukpa board exam, he then received his Geshe Lharampa degree from Sera University.

Rinpoche says that fruitful moment of receiving his degree was brought about by his Gurus' care and their kindness. Finally, he indicates that he is ready to work with Geshe la's guidance.

A List of Our Past Guest Teachers

Achok Rinpoche - Achok Rinpoche was born in 1944 in the Amdo province of Tibet & was identified at the age of two by the Panchen Lama as the fourth incarnation of Achok Geshe Sonam Chopel, a highly revered lama of 15th century Tibet. After studying in Amchok Tsanney Gompa and Gaden Monasteries, he and his teacher escaped to India in 1959 after Communist China invaded Lhasa. Rinpoche continued his Buddhist philosophical studies in the BuzaDuar Transit camp for exiled Tibetan monks and lamas in the Indian state of West Bengal. Rinpoche was the Abbot of re-established Tashi Kyil Monastery. He then worked for the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives for 14 years and received his Geshe Lharmapa's degree. Rinpoche taught Tibetan Language and Philosophies in Austria for two years, and then was the Abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery for a time.

Jim Blumenthal - Dr. Blumenthal completed his Ph.D. in South Asian Religions where he specialized in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist thought under Geshe Lhundup Sopa. He is currently an Associate Professor of Buddhist Philosophy at Oregon State University and Professor at Maitripa Institute in Portland, OR. Dr. Blumenthal is the author of The Ornament of the Middle Way: A Study of the Madhyamaka Thought of Santaraksita and editor of Incompatible Visions: South Asian Religions in History and Culture in addition to numerous articles on Buddhist thought and practice. He translated Nagarjuna's Sixty Stanzas of Reasoning for His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the occasion of His teachings on the text in Los Angeles in 2004. Dr. Blumenthal has studied with many great lamas both in Asia and in the West. His main teachers are Geshe Sopa Rinpoche and Gyume Khensur Lobsang Tenzin Rinpoche.

Thubten Chodron - Venerable Chodron studied and practiced Buddhism of the Tibetan tradition for many years in India and Nepal, and directed the spiritual program at Lama Tsong Khapa Institute in Italy for nearly two years. She studied three years at Dorje Pamo Monastery in France and was resident teacher at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore.

Venerable Chodron teaches worldwide and is the author of several books, including Open Heart, Clear Mind; Buddhism for Beginners; Taming the Mind; Working with Anger; and Tara: A Guiding Star. She also recorded a series entitled, "Guided Meditations on the Lamrim: The Gradual Path to Enlightenment". Ven. Chodron is founder of Sravasti Abbey, a monastery located in Newport, Washington.

Yangsi Rinpoche - At the age of six, Yangsi Rinpoche was recognized as the reincarnation of Geshe Ngawang Gendun, a renowned scholar and practitioner from Western Tibet. Rinpoche trained in the traditional monastic system for over twenty-five years. In 1995 he graduated with the highest degree of Geshe Lharampa from Sera Je Monastery in South India. In 1998, having the particular wish to benefit Western students of the Buddhadharma, Rinpoche came to the West to teach and has traveled extensively throughout America and Europe.

Formerly a resident teacher at Deer Park Buddhist Center in Madison, Wisconsin for five years and the author of Practicing the Path: a Commentary on the Lamrim Chenmo published in 2003 by Wisdom Publications, Rinpoche is founded and a Professor at Maitripa Institute in Portland, Oregon.