Resident Teacher:
Venerable Geshe Kunchok Tenzin
Venerable Geshe Kunchok Tenzin was born in 1960 in the hills of Darjeeling to Penpa Tsering and Passang Kyipa. The fourth of ten children, Venerable Geshe Kunchok Tenzin attended CST Darjeeling School, where he was advised to become ordained for the benefits of monastic life. Along with his younger brother, Venerable Geshe Kunchok Tenzin travelled to Dharamsala and sought an audience with Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, who assigned him to Gaden Shartse Monastery, entrusting him to the care of Khen Rinpoche Jetsun Kunchok Gyatso, the 76th Khenpo of Gaden Shartse. There he took the novice monastic vow in the presence of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche during the Gaden General Meeting and began his formal study of Dialectics, the Pramanavartika (5 years), The Six Perfections (5 years), Madyamika Philosophy (3 years), Abidharma (2 years), and Vinaya or monastic ethics (2 years). In 1992, Geshe Kunchok Tenzin completed his studies, including metaphysics (2 years), scholastic education (2 years), and doctoral studies (2 years), all with distinguished results. In 1996, during the Great Monlam Prayer Festival, Geshe Kunchok Tenzin was bestowed the title of Geshe Hlarampa. Geshe Kunchok Tenzin went on to pursue his tantric education in the practice of the Guhyasamaja Tantra, the secret teachings, and tantric treatises from Khenchen Dorje Chang at Gyuto Tantric College. In 2010, he sat for the tantric debates with Geshes and masters of Gelug tradition and received the Ngagrampa Degree with highest distinction.
Among his many appointments, Venerable Geshe Kunchok Tenzin has served as Director of Gaden Shartse Library, Principal of the Gaden Shartse Monastic College, and Education Director of Gaden Shartse University. It is our privilege to offer dharma teachings from Venerable Geshe Kunchok Tenzin at Gyuto Foundation.
Past Teachers:
Venerable Sharpa Chojay Lobsang Tenzin Rinpoche
Venerable Lobsang Tenzin was born in 1937 to a humble farming faming of the Sesha clan at Yara village in the Dechen District in Eastern Tibet, southeast of Yagra Tsem Monastery. At the age of nine he joined Yagra Tsem Monastery, where he received his primary education. Thereafter, along with many companions, he travelled on foot for several months to Lhasa to join the Drepung Loseling Monastic University for his higher education. There he had lessons on various subjects taught by renowned spiritual masters, including Venerable Khensur Pema Gyaltsen, Shakor Khen Rinpoche Nyima Gyaltsen, Kyabje Denma Lochoe Rinpoche, Tehor Gen Lobsang Dhondup, to name only a few. He also had the great opportunity to attend many invaluable teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his two supreme tutors.
Venerable Sharpa Chojay Lobsang Dorjee Rinpoche
Venerable Khensur Lobsang Dorjee Rinpoche, former Abbot of Gyuto Tantric Monastery, was born in 1937 in the southwest region of Eastern Tibet. When he was seven years old, he came to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and enrolled in Drepung Loseling Monastery to study Buddhist philosophy. There he received novice vows from Gyepa Khensur Rinpoche, former Abbot of Drepung Loseling Monastery. With several different spiritual guides, including Sharchoe Tara Rinpoche and former Abbot of Drepung Loseling Monastary, Yeshe Thupten, and many other renowned scholars besides, he studied and practiced all the subjects of the monastic curriculum, from Introductory Logic (Du-ra) up to the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñaparamita).
Venerable Khensur Dhakpa Tritul Rinpoche
Venerable Khensur Dhakpa Tritul Rinpoche, a former Abbot of Sera Me Monastic University, is the recognized reincarnation of 49th Gaden Tripa Lobsang Dhargye Rinpoche, who was the head of the Geluk tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Shelo Dolma gave birth to Ven. Dhakpa Rinpoche in 1926 in Kongpo in southern Tibet. When he was five years old he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 49th Gaden Tripa by His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama. Soon after his recognition he was sent to Lhasa for his enthronement, accompanied by his parents and his assistants from his previous lifetime.
Gyudme Venerable Khensur Lobsang Jampa Rinpoche
Venerable Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa (known as Geshe Trinley Topgye) was born in 1937 in Nyaktren, a sector of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. In 1947, at the age of ten, he was admitted to Sera Mey Monastery of the Sera Mahayana Monastic University near Lhasa – one of the three major seats of highest Buddhist studies. In 1952, he received his novice monk vows from the late Minyag Tondues Rinpoche, the 95th throne holder of Gelugpa tradition in Tibetan Buddhism. In 1959, he received the complete Bhikshu vows – the highest level of ordination – from the late Yongzin Ling Rinpoche, the 97th throne holder of Gelugpa tradition and also senior tutor to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Khensur Rinpoche studied in Tibet until 1959, when he fled to India.
Venerable Khensur Ngawang Jorden Rinpoche
Venerable Khensur Ngawang Jorden Rinpoche is the Abbot of Sera Mey Monastery. He was the 121st and youngest Abbot in the history of the Gyuto Tantric Monastery. Rinpoche was born into a family of nomads in the village of Tsangwa Day, just outside of Shigatse, the location of Tashilungpo, the seat of the Panchen Lamas. In 1959 his family was driven into exile by the Chinese invasion. A baby, Rinpoche was carried on his mother’s back to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. They remained there for eight years, where Rinpoche attended school. He remembers this as a happy time in his life. When the Indian government established a Tibetan resettlement program, Rinpoche and his family moved to Bylakuppe, where Rinpoche continued his studies.
