Venerable Khensur Geshe Wangdak Lobsang Tenzin Rinpoche

Lobsang Tenzin Geshe Wangdak, Khensur Rinpoche, was born in 1934 in the Kham province in Tibet. At age ten he entered Ba Zingon Monastery there. At 18, Rinpoche journeyed to central Tibet and joined the Loseling College at Drepung Monastery near Lhasa, where he studied until 1959. In 1960, after fleeing to India, he resumed his studies at Buxa, where a temporary monastery was established. In 1970, he moved to the newly relocated Drepung Monastic University in Mundgod, south India. After two years of intensive study and practice he moved to Sarnath, studying there until 1977. Rinpoche returned to Drepung to take his Geshe exams, and his scholastic achievement earned him the Geshe Lharampa degree.

Soon after completing his Geshe exams, he was invited to teach at Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, India, where he was senior teacher for 14 years, teaching both sutra and tantra. While at Namgyal, Rinpoche received initiations and teachings of tantric practices of all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1991, he was appointed Abbot of the monastery by H.H. the Dalai Lama, a position he held until 1994. In 1995, His Holiness appointed Khensur Rinpoche Abbot and Senior Resident Teacher at Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca, NY. He retired from Ithaca in 1998, and now resides at the Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center in Middletown, Connecticut.

Besides his studies in the core curriculum under his tutor at Drepung, H.E. Drepung Khenchen Pema Gyaltsen, Khensur Rinpoche received tantric initiations from His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso; from His Holiness' two tutors, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche; and other esteemed scholars including His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.

The Venerable Geshe Lobsang Gonpo

Geshe Lobsang Gonpo was born in 1937 in Kham, Eastern Tibet. He entered Ba Zingon Monastery at the age of 10 where he studied for 8 years. When he was 18 years old, he made the long trip to Lhasa, Tibet to enter Drepung Loseling Monastic University. He studied in Drepung Loseling until the Chinese invasion in 1959. Then like many monks he stayed in India in Buxa for ten years as a Tibetan refugee, continuing his studies.

Slowly Drepung Loseling was being rebuilt in South India. Helping with that project he eventually moved into Drepung Loseling in South India at Mundgod. After 32 years of rigorous study of the five philosophical subjects he earned the degree of Geshe Lharampa.

After receiving his Geshe degree he stayed one year in the Gyume tantric monastery. From 1989 – 1991 he served as the discipline master for Drepung Loseling. Geshe-La has a large number of students in Drepung Loseling. He teaches extensively from all of the five philosophical texts: Pramanavartikakarika, Abhisamayalamkara, Madhyamakaavatara, Vinayasutraalamkara, and Abidharmakhosha.

News of his passing was received March 11/12, 2008. Geshe Gonpo will be remembered and loved. May his teachings continue to shine forth!