Biographies

Ven. Lama Tenzin Jottotshang

The Ven. Lama Tenzin Jottotshang, Gelug, was born in Lhasa in 1942. During his years of schooling he was educated in Tibetan script and calligraphy. Afterwards he joined Sera Monastery and studied Buddhist philosophy. In 1959 he left Tibet and went into exile in Buxar/North India, where he continued his studies and taught Tibetan script and grammar to the monks. Together with three other monks and upon the wish of the Dalai Lama, he accompanied the first Abbot of the monastic Tibet Institute, Geshe Ugyen Tseten to Switzerland in 1967. He acts as representative of the monastic community in the Tibetan community of Switzerland since its foundation in 1973. From 1980 to 1982 he was director of the Tibet Office in Switzerland and in 1990 he was part of the election commission for Tibetan Members of Parliament in Europe. Since 2001 he represents the monastic community in the foundation committee. For 37 years he taught Tibetan language, script, religion and history in the Tibetan school in Rikon. He is author of the modern German-Tibetan textbook, which appeared in its 3rd edition in 2003 and is very popular. Up until today he continues teaching Buddhism and Tibetan language to Tibetan and Western students.

Ven. Lama Gendün Gyatso

The Ven. Lama Gendün Gyatso, Sakya, was born in Markham/East Tibet. As a child he learnt to read and write with a Lama living in retreat. At the age of eleven he joined Dechen Tenphel Ling Monastery where he learnt Buddhist scriptures by heart and received an education in rituals and Buddhist chants. Five years later he was sent to the main Sakya Monastery. Under the guidance of the Abbot of Sakya he studied the dialectic scriptures Rigter, Prajna Paramita, Domsum and the writings of Sakya Pandita until he had to flee from Tibet to India after the invasion of the Chinese in 1959. He continued his studies with a thousand other monks of all four traditions in Buxor/North India. In 1969 he went to the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, where he received the degree of Acharya (spiritual master) with distinction. He then joined the Sakya Centre in Rajpur as a teacher. Upon the wish of H.H. Sakya Trizin he went to Switzerland in 1979 and became member of the monks’ community of the monastic Tibet Institute, where he continues living today, giving teachings to Tibetans and interested western people.

Ven. Geshe Khedup Tokhang

The Ven. Geshe Khedup Tokhang, Gelug, was born in Lhasa in 1931. At the age of six his parents took him to the small Pasang Lung Ritrö Monastery where he received lessons in reading and writing and learned numerous prayer texts by heart. At the age of thirteen he started studying Lamrim and two years later, upon his own wish, joined Sera Monastic University. After receiving the degree of Geshe Lharampa from there in 1954, he returned to his monastery where he served as prayer leader. In 1959 he left Tibet and joined a monks’ community in Dalhousie/North India. In 1963 he was sent to Switzerland by H.H. the Dalai Lama to lead the Tibetan colony in Unterwasser. He there worked in a weaving mill and taught the Tibetan children. Since 1969 he lives within the monks’ community at the monastic Tibet Institute. From 1970 to 1993 he was also active in mentoring Tibetans on behalf of the Swiss Red Cross. Since his retirement he teaches Buddhism to Tibetan and western students. Lately he also increasingly carries out translation work and teaches German and religious education to Tibetans.

Ven. Acharya Pema Wangyal

The Ven. Acharya Pema Wangyal, Kagyu, was born in Orissa in 1976 and went to the Tibetan school in Mussoorie. In 1987 he became monk in Thubtan Sangag Choeling Monastery in Darjeeling, an education centre of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition, and there studied the basics of Buddhist philosophy. The famous Yogi Sherab introduced him to the teachings of Ngondro, which he then practiced in retreat. He received the full teachings and initiations of the line of H.H. Gyalwa Drukchen, as well as of his master Singdrak Rinpoche and was educated in Buddhist rituals, Buddhist chants and the making of mandalas. In addition, he attended classes in natural sciences, English and Hindi. From 1999 until his departure for Switzerland in September 2006 he studied the Indian and Tibetan classics of Buddhist philosophy, Sankrit and English at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi. He conducted the rituals for the Kagyud Relief Fund as chant leader. Since 2001 he is involved with the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Movement and does voluntary social work. At the Tibet Institute Rikon he is the representative of the Kagyu tradition.

Ven. Lopoen Dekho

The Ven. Lopoen Dekho, Nyingma, was born into a nomad family in Golok/Amdo (East Tibet) in 1976. At the age of ten he joined the local Nyingmapa monastery and began his monastic education in Buddhist philosophy, rituals and chants. In 1991 he received his full monk’s ordination. In 1997 he left Tibet and joined the Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery in Bylakuppe (South India), which is home to nearly 5000 monks and nuns. There, he continued his Buddhist studies and received the degree of Lopoen in 2008. Since then he was teaching novices in Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan history and Tibetan language. Upon request of the Department for Religion and Culture in Dharamsala he was selected by his monastery in 2010 to represent the Nyingma tradition at the Tibet Institute Rikon.

Biographies

Ven. Lama Tenzin Jottotshang

Ven. Lama Gendün Gyatso

Ven. Geshe Khedup Tokhang

Ven. Acharya Pema Wangyal

Ven. Lopoen Dekho

Ven. Geshe Jampa Dadak

Ven. Geshe Jampa Rapten

Ven. Lopoen Ngawang Tangay