(Above) Geshe Lobsang Nima teaching in January 2020 (see bio below)
Geshe Drakpa Gelek (c.1955 –2018) was born in the Keydong, Zongka region in Central Tibet. He sought political asylum in India in the wake of Communist China's invasion and subsequent occupation of Tibet, which until then, preserved one of humankind's most ancient civilizations and traditions. He began his monastic education in one of Tibet's largest center of learning, Drepung Losel-Ling Monastic University, which is now re-established in India. (Founded in 1416 in Tibet, Drepung Monastery was the home of the early Dalai Lamas.)
He was formally ordained as a novice monk by His Eminence Drepung Khenchen Pema Gyaltsen and was given the religious name Drakpa Gelek. In 1991, Geshe Drakpa Gelek successfully completed the intensive spiritual studies and training in the five sciences, and graduated with a Master of Metaphysics degree, called Geshe, from Drepung Loseling Monastic University. Following completion of the Geshe degree, he enrolled himself at the re-established Lower Tantric University in Hunsur, India, in 1992. For his skilled communication and originality, he was unanimously appointed as Disciplinarian of the Tantric University. Geshe Drakpa taught Buddhist philosophy and practice at Drepung University from 1991 to 1997, and is well-known for his spiritual insights, knowledge, and debating skills. Geshe-la spend many years living in solitude in spiritual retreat in the high mountains in Dharamsala where the headquarters of the Tibetan Government in-exile is based. He receives empowerments and experiential teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and occasionally from other spiritual teachers. He has taught general Tantra and Kalachakra Tantra grounds and paths to the monks of Namgyal Monastery, the personal monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, during their regular annual summer retreat. In recent years he traveled to the United States, South Korea, Spain, Belgium, and France to give teachings. He received profound and vast Buddhist teachings from distinguished and accomplished spiritual teachers including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the Dalai Lama's tutors His Eminence Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and His Eminence Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, as well as other realized Buddhist saint-scholars. He received spiritual education in the five major Buddhist philosophy and tenets (such as the Buddhist Science of Debate, the perfection of wisdom, the theory of the Middle Way View, ethical discipline, and the Buddhist science of Cosmology by several of Tibet's renowned saint-scholars and accomplished spiritual masters such as His Eminence Drepung Khenchen Pema Gyaltsen, and His Eminence Shakor Khen Nyima Gyaltsen. Geshe Drakpa received rare oral transmissions of the entire texts of the Buddha's actual teaching, the Kangyur in 1999 and 2000, and the complete works of the founder of the Gelukpa sect, Je Tsongkhapa Rinpoche, and his two heart-disciples saint-scholar Gyaltsab Je and Khedrup Je. He also received explanatory transmission of "The Great Commentary of the Kalachakra Tantra" from His Eminence Kyabje Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, and the complete oral transmission of the 225 voluminous Buddhist spiritual commentaries, the Tengyur, written by the great masters from India and Tibet, from the accomplished hermit His Eminence Paknang Rinpoche. |
Lama Passang Gelek, Teacher, was born in 1965 in Sikkim, India, after his parents fled Tibet under Chinese occupation. He was raised in the Tibetan exile community that gathered around His Holiness the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamshala, Himacha Pradesh India. In 1975 Lama Passang travelled to Southern India to enter Drepung Loseling Monastic University and received his novice ordination from Ling Rinpoche. At the age of 20 he received full ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Lama studied Tibetan Buddhist philosophy for 15 years at Drepung Loseling monestery and received additional teachings and empowerments from accomplished masters, including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Ling Rinpoche, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Samdhong Rinpoche and others. In 1990 lama Passang entered the Cenral Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies in Varnasi, where he studied Tibetan and Indian philosophy ncluding Tibetan literature, Tibetan history, English, Sandskrit. He graduated Shastri and Acharya degrees, the equivalent of a Beachelors and Masters degree. He is fluent in Tibetan, Hindi, and English. He returned to Drepung and taught Tibetan, English, and Social Studies. Since 2002 Lama Passang Gelek has been living in the United States, and became a US Citizen in 2011. He has been teaching his students and translating for visiting Lamas. He often travels to India to visit his family and receive teachings from revered teachers such as HH the Dalai Lama and Samdhong Rinpoche. 
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Geshe Lobsang Nima was born in Kham, Tibet. He started his Buddhist studies and practices at Gaden Dhondup Ling monastery when he was thirteen years old. Motivated by a wish to study and practice a profound level of Buddhism, in 1992, he and a small group of fellow monks escaped from Chinese-occupied Tibet. They walked from Tibet to India in the harsh winter months, and eventually Geshe-la joined Drepung Loseling monastery in India.
After several years of Buddhist studies in the monastery, in 2010, he took the next step and joined the Gelgupa University, where he underwent all examinations to achieve his Geshe Lharampa doctoral degree in Buddhist philosophy. He was awarded his Geshe Lharampa degree in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Drepung Monastic University in 2015, and later completed tantric studies at Gyuto Tantric College in Dharamshala, India.
Geshe Nima has served the monastic community in a variety of positions. He has taught both undergraduate and graduate students at Drepung Loseling Monastic University. He also served as secretary of Drepung Loseling Educational Fund, and editor of the Drepung Loseling monastic university journal. He served as the Principal of the Drepung Loseling Monastery academic school, and currently is the monastery Disciplinarian.
At Lama Passang Gelek's invitation, Geshe Nima first visited San Antonio in the spring of 2018. Lama Passang had known and supported the junior monk, and admired his commitment to the Dharma. Nima and the San Antonio students quickly formed a bond, and he kindly returned for a five-week residency in January 2020. In addition to conferring basic refuge vows, In 2020 Geshe-la provided Bodhisattva vows to students who wished to take the next step in their commitment to the Dharma. We are fortunate that when possible Geshe-la will return to San Antonio. In the meantime web-based teachings are offered as schedules permit.
After several years of Buddhist studies in the monastery, in 2010, he took the next step and joined the Gelgupa University, where he underwent all examinations to achieve his Geshe Lharampa doctoral degree in Buddhist philosophy. He was awarded his Geshe Lharampa degree in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Drepung Monastic University in 2015, and later completed tantric studies at Gyuto Tantric College in Dharamshala, India.
Geshe Nima has served the monastic community in a variety of positions. He has taught both undergraduate and graduate students at Drepung Loseling Monastic University. He also served as secretary of Drepung Loseling Educational Fund, and editor of the Drepung Loseling monastic university journal. He served as the Principal of the Drepung Loseling Monastery academic school, and currently is the monastery Disciplinarian.
At Lama Passang Gelek's invitation, Geshe Nima first visited San Antonio in the spring of 2018. Lama Passang had known and supported the junior monk, and admired his commitment to the Dharma. Nima and the San Antonio students quickly formed a bond, and he kindly returned for a five-week residency in January 2020. In addition to conferring basic refuge vows, In 2020 Geshe-la provided Bodhisattva vows to students who wished to take the next step in their commitment to the Dharma. We are fortunate that when possible Geshe-la will return to San Antonio. In the meantime web-based teachings are offered as schedules permit.