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Drepung Loseling Monastery
Photo: John Werner |
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Geshe
Lobsang Tenzin, H.E. Rizong Rinpoche and his assistant |
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In
1988-89 eight lamas from Drepung Loseling Monastery visited North
America as part of Loseling's first world tour of Sacred Music Sacred
Dance for planetary peace and healing. While in Atlanta they were
given a small tract of land in the mountains of north Georgia. The
head lama, H.E. Gungbar Tulku, accepted the land on behalf of the
monastery.
The
following year Loseling's abbot, H.E. Rizong Rinpoche, with the
blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, visited Georgia to consecrate
the land. He was accompanied by an assistant, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin
Negi. An
outcome of that visit was that Geshe Lobsang was offered a scholarship
to pursue a Ph.D. program at Emory University. In 1991 Geshe Lobsang
moved to Atlanta to begin his course of studies at Emory, and also
to oversee the development of Drepung Loseling.
Drepung
Loseling officially opened its studies and practice training programs
in May 1991. This began with meditation retreats and teaching programs
held on the land in North Georgia and a weekly meditation and teaching
session in Atlanta led by Geshe Lobsang.
In
addition to Geshe-la's teaching program, Drepung Loseling has brought
in numerous high lama scholars from India and Nepal to lead retreats.
They include H.H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche ("Holder of the Ganden
Throne," i.e., the official head of the Geluk school). H.E.
Rizong Rinpoche, former abbot of both the Gyumey Tantric College
and Drepung Loseling Monastery, who holds the title of Jangtsey
Chojey ("Holder of the Jangtsey Throne"), served as a
visiting teacher in residence for a year; Tokden Tulku, a high incarnate
lama from Loseling, also visited the Center and taught for a year;
and Jampa Tulku, another Loseling incarnate was resident teacher
for six months.
Thus
Drepung Loseling very quickly developed a comprehensive and strong
program of teaching and practice, and by 1994 had become well established
as a major center of learning for Tibetan Buddhist studies and practice
in North America.
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