Residents

There are three resident monks living here all from Sera Je Monastery in Southern India: Venerable Geshe Sangey Thinley (Geshe-la), Venerable Geshe Jamyang Sherab (Master at Sand Mandala construction) and Venerable Karma Gyaltsay (primarily Geshe-la's attendant and cook).

Also living at the centre are Venerable Ani Jampa Tsekyi - an English Tibetan Buddhist nun - and Shelène Spoek - our spiritual coordinator - who comes from the Netherlands.

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Venerable Geshe Sangey Thinley

Venerable Geshe Sangey Thinley is Jam Tse Dhargyey Ling’s resident Spiritual teacher. Fondly known as Geshe- la. “Geshe” is a title equivalent to English “professor” and “la” is a term of respect and endearment.

Geshe-la is a highly skilled teacher who has attained the highest level of education in the Tibetan monastic system. Geshe-la was born in the Kham Province of eastern Tibet on March 17, 1941. When he was seven he was enrolled in the Dhargyey Monastery to begin his studies. In 1957 he went to the great Monastic University of Sera, near Lhasa, a 3-month walk at the time. In 1959, at the Norbu Lingka Palace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he took novice monks’ vows from the incomparably kind Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang and continued studying but immediately had to leave because of the military action by the Communist Chinese.

With many others Geshe-la fled to India and Buxa where three monasteries had been set up. He studied Madhyamaka, Prajnyaparamita and Pamana there for ten years until 1969 when, in accordance with His Holiness’s wishes, he moved to South India to help build the new Sera Monastery. For three years, there was little opportunity to study until the new Sera was completed. In 1973 he again began to study until 1985 when he entered the Lharam class, the highest class in the monastery. He was awarded first-class in the 1989 examinations. He then sat through final Geshe debates before the whole monastery, gaining this Geshe degree in 1990. From 1991 onwards he taught logic, Buddhist philosophy and practice to the monks at Sera Je School. At the same time, in his house at the monastery, he looked after the needs of 80 students to ensure their adequate food and shelter, and advise them on conduct. “In 1998 I had the good fortune to be able to go to Tibet and visit my home country and Dhargyey Monastery, as well as other places of pilgrimage. I then quickly returned to Sera Monastery.” He then received the invitation to come to New Zealand. And now he is here....

Venerable Geshe Jamyang Sherab

Venerable Geshe Jamyang Sherab is born in Kham in eastern Tibet, After both his parents passed away he enters the Dhargyey Monastery at age 16. He stays there for 2 years and then decides to go to Sera Monastery in  India. With a bag of tsampa as provision he walks in 13 days to Lhasa and it takes him another 19 days, mostly walking at night, to arrive in Nepal. Near the border of Nepal a Chinese patrol tries to stop him  but he runs away and manages to escaped in the cover of the dark night. Bruised, hungry but happy he arrives in Nepal where he works for a month making carpets to earn his fair to Sera Monastery in South India. He is accepted in House Nr. 2 at Sera Je Monastery. Geshe Sangey Thinley becomes his teacher. Besides his studies to become a Geshe he starts in 1997 a study to make sand mandalas. Lharampa Geshe Lobsang Kalden from the tantric Jiume Monastery comes regularly to Sera Monastery to teach to make the sand mandalas of Chenrezig, Yamantaka and Hayagriya.

He suffers of bad health and is invited by his teacher Geshe Sangey Thinley to come to New Zealand. He visits Jam Tse Dhargyey Ling in 1999 and in 2001. In the mean time he starts teaching to make sand mandalas in Sera Monastery, where Venerable Karma Gyaltsay is one of his students. In March 2004 he receives his Geshe degree.

Venerable Geshe Jamyang Sherab lives and studies since June 2004 at Jam Tse Dhargyey Ling. He has made many sand mandalas throughout New Zealand. Recently he has constructed the sculptures for the Enlightenment Stupa that was officially consecrated and opened at 24th February 2008.

Venerable Karma Gyaltsay

Venerable Karma Gyaltsay is  born in Kham in eastern Tibet in a village near the Dhargyey Monastery where both Geshe-las have studied. When he is 18 years old he decides to go to Sera Monastery in India to become monk. Together with 3 friends and a bag of tsampa he sets out for this journey. Near the border of Nepal he is stopped by a Chinese border patrol who doesn't believe his story about making a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and send him back to Lhasa. In Lhasa he meets a truck driver who is willing to hide him under the goods and sheep he transports and unseen by the Chinese border patrol he arrives in Nepal. There he receives a little money from the Tibetan Refugee Commission. He asks some Tibetan families to support to get to Sera Monastery and finally he has enough money for the trip to South India.

He becomes monk and enters House Nr. 2. After a while he becomes the attendant of his teacher Geshe Sangey Thinley until his teacher leaves to live in New Zealand. When Geshe-la requested for an attendant in New Zealand after a meeting in House nr. 2 was decided that Venerable Karma was the one to go. Since June 2004 Karma lives at Jam Tse Dhargyey Ling. He has learned to make sand mandalas and together with Geshe Jamyang he makes these beautiful elaborate objects of traditional Tibetan religious art.

Venerable Ani Jampa Tsekyi

Shelène Angel Spoek

Shelène started her Buddhist studies at the Maitreya Institute in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The Buddhists teachings offered her the solutions and guide lines in life she was looking for. In February 2004 was her first visit at Jam tse Dhargyey Ling where she attended teachings of Geshe Sonam Rinchen and celebrated Losar. After following the Lam Rim November course at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu in 2005 she came to live, study and work for the Dharma in New Zealand. She is living at JTDL since December 2006. She coordinates Geshe-la's teaching programme and pujas . She leads the meditation sessions and the Exploring Buddhism courses "Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism" and  "More about Mahayana Buddhism". Besides office work and designing and updating the Centre-website she is also hostess of the centre.