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In the USA Siddhartha School Project |
In Ladakh, India Siddhartha School/Choskor Stok |
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SITE GUIDE School Founder Geshe Tsetan's
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Geshe Tsetan is a Tibetan Buddhist monk from Ladakh, India who has been living and teaching in the United States for nearly fifteen years. He began his monastic life at age seven in Stok, his family village. At age thirteen he joined the Stok Monastery to study and memorize Buddhist scriptures. Then in 1952, when he was sixteen years old, he walked with his father from Ladakh to Shigatse, Tibet to enter the famous Tashilungpo Monastery. The 800 mile trek took them over two months to complete. Geshe Tsetan received his novice monk vows there and studied Buddhist philosophy at the monastery's Skilkhang College with many prominent Tibetan scholars. His dream was to receive the Geshe degree in Buddhist philosophy, similar in level to that of the Western Ph.D. This dream was deferred for him when the Chinese government intensified their policy of cultural genocide on occupied Tibet in 1959. The daily public humiliation and torture of monks by Chinese officials and the mass destruction of the monasteries and colleges made it impossible to continue the pursuit of this degree there. He fled to his homeland in 1960 for safety. Once back in the village of his birth, Geshe Tsetan studied tantric practices, and then joined the School of Buddhist Philosophy in Choglamsar for seven years. Due to the fact that the Buddhist tradition in Ladakh is dependent on the Tibetan lineage of teachers to transmit and bestow higher Buddhist degrees, he chose to leave Ladakh again in 1970 in pursuit of his Geshe training. This time he went to Varanasi, India where many high lamas in exile had resettled and built new monastic colleges. There he received his Shastri degree, the equivalent of a bachelors degree. Afterwards, he felt a responsibility to return to Stok and contribute to the community through teaching. From 1974-1978 he taught high school in Ladakh. Then he met with a special invitation to come to the United States and teach at the first Tibetan Buddhist learning center of America, Labsum Shedrub Ling in Washington, New Jersey. He went in hopes of learning English and completing his Geshe degree studies. He accomplished both, and in 1984 returned to the Drepung Monastery for commencement. Since that time Geshe Tsetan has been living and teaching in the United States from October to June and returning to Ladakh during the summer months to oversee activities at the school. While in the states, he divides his time between Maine and New York City with additional teaching trips to Amhurst, MA and other areas of the United States. His association with the Manjushri Center in Amherst has provided him with extensive teaching positions and lecturing opportunities at a number of schools including Smith, Bowdoin, Amherst, Hampshire, Drew, Maine College of Art, Bangor Theological Seminary, Phillips Exeter Academy, Deerfield Academy, and others. Geshe Tsetan wants to further extend his teaching to the young people of Ladakh, making the Siddhartha School/Choskor Stok the fulfillment of his lifelong commitment to learning. In 1996 shortly after founding the school, H.H. Dalai Lama, appointed Geshe Tsetan to be the head abbot of the new Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in India. (This is in the absence of the Panchen Lama, who has been missing since the Chinese Government took him and his family into custody when he was 4 years old.) This was a great honor for Geshe-la, and one that was humbly set aside, so that he could devote himself completely to the Siddhartha School, with the Dalai Lama's blessings and support.
Geshe Tsetan's life experiences will clearly serve as a living example for Ladakhi youth in the art of transforming the problems of rapid change into fruitful opportunities. Rinpoche Tsetan's Current US Teaching Schedule Archive - 1998 Losar Message
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However
in 2005 HHDL again asked Geshe-la to accept the abbot position, and
this time he could not refuse. In July 2005 Geshe-la was installed as
Khenchen, or head Abbot of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in southern India.
His new title is Khen Rinpoche Geshe Kachen Lobzang Tsetan, and he has
assumed his new responsibilities over seeing the Tashi Lhunpo monastery
in exile. He is now, in essence doing the Panchen Lama's job. For more
information on this go to the website: 