Faculty, Staff, and Board of Directors

Faculty of Namgyal Ithaca

Venerable Tenzin Gephel

Resident Namgyal monk
Cornell University Buddhist Chaplain

Venerable Tenzin Gephel was born in exile in Northern India after his parents escaped from Tibet in 1959. He received his primary education at a Tibetan school in Dharamsala, India, and at the age of 13, he became a monk at Namgyal Monastery in India, the personal Monastery of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. There he studied the liturgy of meditation deities, and the Buddhist sciences, including epistemology, philosophy, ethics, and the esoteric tantric systems. He also trained in the traditional Tibetan sacred arts such as ritual music, sand mandala construction, and the making of tormas (butter sculptures.) In 1992, after completing the thirteen-year Namgyal Tantric College curriculum, he earned the degree of "Master of Buddhist Sutra and Tantra."

Venerable Gephel has been a resident monk of Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies in Ithaca, NY since 1997, where he teaches a variety of courses on subjects in Tibetan Buddhism. He engages the local community in activities through Namgyal Institute, serves as a volunteer for Hospice, and has created sand mandalas at many museums and universities, as well as for the yearly ritual ceremonies at Namgyal Monastery, India. In the fall of 2000 Ven. Gephel was appointed as the first Buddhist Chaplain at Cornell United Religious Works at Cornell University; he spends half his time serving as the chaplain and half his time working at Namgyal Monastery. His duties as Cornell University Chaplain include leading a regularly scheduled Buddhist meditation group, teaching not-for-credit courses through CURW, providing counseling for students and staff as needed, and participating in interfaith activities in the CURW community. In his free time, Venerable Gephel writes on different topics relating to Tibetan culture and religion. He enjoys improving his English, and taking long walks around the city of Ithaca.

Venerable Tenzin Thutop

Resident Namgyal monk

Venerable Tenzin Thutop was born in India in 1968, and entered the Dalai Lama's personal monastery in Dharamsala when he was 13 years-old. He earned the title of novice monk at 18, and at 27 became fully ordained as a monk and obtained the degree of "Master Of Buddhist Sutra and Tantra." Ven. Thutop has lived at several of the Namgyal Monastery branches, including those at Kushinagar and Bodhgaya, India. He served in the entourage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama during the Kalachakra teachings in Barcelona, Spain, and Mongolia, and on other occasions throughout His Holiness's travels in India. Ven. Thutop has participated in exhibitions of the Kalachakra Mandala in Italy, Finland and other countries, and his interest in comparative religion lead to time spent at a Catholic Monastery in Missouri in 1996.

Venerable Tenzin Thutop arrived at the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies in Ithaca, NY in May of 1999, where he currently resides and teaches classes in Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan language. He is a wonderful teacher, and during his time in Ithaca, NY, he has given several presentations about Buddhism at churches, synagogues, schools, and universities, and in the summer of 2002 he taught a month-long course on mandala studies at Cornell University. Ven. Thutop has many highly specialized skills in the traditional tantric monastic practices, such as Mandala construction, butter sculpture, and ritual performances. He continues to travel throughout the world creating sand Mandalas and sharing his knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism with its rich history of traditional ritual arts and practices.

Venerable Tenzin Chosang

Resident Namgyal monk

Tenzin Choesang was born in Khan Tsawa Pashoe, eastern Tibet, on 20th March 1968. In 1984, when he was 16 years old, he escaped to India. When he safely arrived, he was sent to Namgyal Monastery in Dharamshala where he studied with Gen Lobsang Nyima, the 100th throne holder Gaden Monastery.

After finishing his examination of higher Buddhist Tantric studies about Kalachakra, Guhayasamaja, Yamantaka and Heruka texts, he had great opportunities to take the ordinations of monk from H.H the Dalai Lama.

From 1984 -1986, he finished his examinations and began to memorize the root texts of Mandalas of Kalachakra, Guhayasamaja, Yamantaka and Heruka. He also learned about how to use the Buddhist Tantric ritual objects and instruments including Dharma dance.

In 2000, 16th year of study of Buddhism, he completed his studies and was awarded the first-position certificate of Buddhist studies in Tantra and Sutra.

From 1998 until 2001 he taught Tantra and Sutra subjects to students of Namgyal Monastery. In 2002 he became secretary of the monastery, and in 2003 became manager. In 2004 he was construction manager, and since 2005 he has been education director. He was also secretary once more for 2009.

Tenzin Choesang has taught and studied at many places across India and around the world.

Venerable Tenzin Choklang

Resident Namgyal monk

Tenzin Choklang was born in 1966 in the small village of Dhingri district in Tibet. In 1982, at the age of 15, he escaped to Nepal walking bare foot. It took him five days to reach India.

He joined the Namgyal monastery in the same year. He memorized the classical texts for Guhayasamaja, Heruka, Yamantaka, Kalachakra and pujas related with Dharma protectors and three jewels. He also the studied Buddhist dialectic studies. He became the member of the Namgyal Monastery in 1985. He has completed thirteen years of study in both the Sutra and Tantric Texts and in 2002 he became a Sutra and Tantra Master.

He is trained in the creation of the mandalas for Kalachakra, Yamantaka, Heruka, Guhayasamaja, and Vajrakilaya. He is also trained in ritual cymbals and dance, butter sculpture and chanting. He created the Kalachakra Sand Mandala in 1989 in Los Angeles when His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave the Kalachakra Initiation. Also again in 1991 in New York City and in 1999 at Indiana University.

Palden Choedek Oshoe

Namgyal teacher and translator

Palden Choedek Oshoe was educated at an early age at the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) in Dharamsala, India, under the direction of Jetsuen Pema la, the younger sister of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After completing the 10th grade, Palden took vows as a monk at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, where he remained and studied for seven years under the spiritual direction of the late Venerable Lobsang Gyatso and Geshe Damchoe Gyaltsen la. He left the institute in 1991 to study thangka painting from his brothers, and also to assist them in their projects. Palden was then asked by the Administrative Committee of Namgyal Monastery in India to go to Ithaca to become the official translator for Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies. Palden arrived in Ithaca in 1994, and since that time he has been the formal translator for the resident Namgyal monks and visiting Tibetan Lamas and scholars. He is also the primary instructor of Tibetan Language and Tibetan Traditional Art Classes at the Namgyal Institute. Palden is a wonderful teacher who offers an understanding of western philosophical sciences, and great insight into the Buddhist teachings.

Adjunct Faculty

The adjunct faculty consists of scholars located at University's and other institutions throughout the United States who periodically visit Namgyal to teach or offer weekend intensive teachings and seminars.

Alex Berzin

Harvard PhD in Far Eastern languages and Indian Studies, renowned translator, author, and world-wide lecturer

Thubten Chodron

American born Tibetan nun and resident teacher at Dharma Friendship Center in Seattle Washington

Daniel Cozart

Professor in the Department of Religion, Dickinson College

Anne Klein

Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Rice University, Houston Texas

Daniel Perdue

Instructor, Department of Religion, University of North Carolina

Sidney Piburn

Scholar in Tibetan Buddhism, co-founder of Snow Lion Publications and the North American Branch of Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca, NY

Craig Preston

Author, translator and founder of the Nagarjuna Language Institute in Ithaca, NY

Jhado Tulku Rinpoche

Former abbot of Namgyal Monastery, Dharamsala, India, 1997-2004; one of the most highly esteemed lamas in the Geluk lineage of Tibetan Buddhism

Geshe Tenzin Sherap

Lharampa Geshe degree, Ganden Jangtse Monastery, India; resident teacher at Land of Compassion Buddha in West Covina, California

Geshe Lobsang Tenzin

Lharampa Geshe degree, Drepung Loseling Monastery, India; PhD, Emory University; founder and director of Drepung Loseling Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, the North American seat of Drepung Loseling Monastery; senior lecturer, Department of Religion, Emory University

Robert Thurman

Professor, Department of Religion, Indo-Tibetan Studies at Columbia University

Lama Pema Wangdak

Resident teacher and founder of the Vikramasila Foundation; founder of the Pema Ts'al Monastic Institute in Pokara, Nepal, and the Pema Ts'al School in Mundgod, India; creator of "Bur Yig" system of Tibetan Braille

Staff

• Ngawang Dhondup, Administrator

Board of Directors

• M. Sue Crowley, President
• Ven. Tenzin Thutop, Vice President
• Ven. Tenzin Gephel
• Urgyen Khetsatsang
• Lane Chambliss
• Mary Gilliland
• Kathryn S. March