This season (2022-23)
Venerable Geshe Dorji Damdul
Ven Geshe Dorji Damdul is presently Director at Tibet House, New Delhi, Cultural Centre of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In 1988, Geshe Dorji Damdul joined the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Dharamsala for formal studies in Buddhist logic, philosophy and epistemology. After 15 years of study in Buddhist philosophy he finished his Geshe Lharampa Degree (Ph.D.) in 2002 from Drepung Loseling Monastic University. He joined Gyudmed Tantric College for a year for Tantric studies.
Geshe Dorji Damdul was appointed as the Director of Tibet House, Cultural Center of H.H. the Dalai Lama, New Delhi in March 2011 and is currently the teacher and director there. Geshe la has taught and run the Nalnada Masters and Diploma Courses which are very popular structured courses attended by students from all over the world. While assigned with the responsibility of the Directorship of Tibet House, the Cultural Centre of H.H. the Dalai Lama, New Delhi, India, he also gives regular lectures in Tibet House and many other places like Universities and Institutes. He also travels widely within India and abroad, like Mumbai, USA, U.K., and Singapore to teach Buddhist philosophy, psychology, logic and practice.
As assigned by the Office of H.H. the Dalai Lama, he visited the US in 2008 to work with Prof. Paul Ekman, a world renowned Psychologist, one of the pioneers of the science of micro-facial expressions, on H.H. the Dalai Lama’s book “Emotional Awareness” which is co-authored by Dr. Paul Ekman of the University of California Medical School. His Holiness the Dalai Lama also assigned him with a text book project. He was one of the chief editors for the text book on Buddhist Science and Philosophy. This text book is to be used for Centers and Institutes all over the world to study more thoroughly on Buddhist philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, and science.
He was affiliated with Drepung Loseling Library where he served as the editor of Dreloma Magazine for eight years from 1994-2001. Prior to that he was the editor and contributor for 5 years for “Lhaksam Tsekpa” – a journal of comparative studies, the theme of which is on Modern Science and philosophy, published by the Institute of Buddhist Studies.
He wrote number of important papers for National and International Conferences held in Delhi University, and so forth. The papers constitute topics such as “The Paradox of Brain and Mind” and “The Ultimate Reality According to Arya Nagarjuna.”
In 2004 – 05, for two years, he was assigned as the Philosophy Lecturer for the Emory University Study Abroad Program which was being held in Dharamsala, India since 2001.
In 2008, he was appointed as a visiting fellow in Delhi University to give lectures in three of the University’s departments – Philosophy, Psychology, and Buddhist Studies. In 2011, Indira Gandhi National Open University recruited him as one of the chief experts to design the syllabi for B.A. and M.A. course on the Tibetan Studies as a part of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) program.
This season: Bodhicitta Retreat – 6 – 13 Nov, 2022 (in-person)
Venerable Tenzin Legtsok
Venerable Tenzin Legtsok is in the sixteenth year of the Geshe Studies Program at Sera Jey Monastic University in South India where he studies classic Indian Buddhist treatise and their Tibetan commentaries in the tradition of ancient Nalanda University. He has been ordained as a Buddhist monk since 2001.
Born in Virginia, USA in 1973, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College in 1995. The question, “What makes for the most happy and meaningful life?”, which compelled him to major in philosophy during college, gradually led to his study of meditation and philosophy with teachers among the exiled Tibetan communities in India and Nepal from 1999 until the present.
For the past ten years he has tried to make basic Buddhist teachings accessible to various audiences in India and the US through lectures, essays, and meditation instruction.
This season: Meditation on Great Compassion, 24 – 27 Dec, 2022
Venerable Olivier Rossi (Losang Jamyang)
Born in France in 1969, Ven. Olivier joined the Masters Program at Institute Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy from 1998 to 2005 under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Jampa Gyatso of Sera Jay Jhadrel Khamtsen and took ordination in June 98.
On the advice of his teacher he took the positions of teacher assistant for the residential Basic Program at ILTK from 2005 to 2007, for the Masters Program 2008 to 2013 and again for the Masters Program in 2015-2016.
He his currently teaching the residential Basic Program at Munigyana Center in Sicily. Over his 23 years of ordination, Ven. Olivier has also been leading numerous retreats and weekend courses in FPMT centers in Europe and India.
This season: Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend, 9 – 13 Jan, 2023 (in-person)