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Geshe Ngawang Tenley is from the nomadic regions of Kham in eastern Tibet. He was ordained in 1990 and that same year began the geshe study program at Sera Jey Monastic University. During the course of his studies, he has received many teachings from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as well as many other highly qualified masters. In 1998, Geshe Ngawang Tenley received his full ordination (gelong) vows from His Holiness. At the great Tibetan monastic universities, the course of study stretches over 20 years and comprises the Five Great Texts:
1) Abhidharmakosha by Vasubandhu,
2) Pramanavarttika by Dharmakirti,
3) Abhisamayalamkara by Maitreya Buddha,
4) Madhyamaka by Chandrakirti,
5) Vinaya (Root Sutra) by Buddha Shakyamuni,
as well as commentaries by other Indian and Tibetan masters. In November 2008, after eighteen years of rigorous studies of these texts, he successfully completed his final exams and was conferred the geshe degree at Sera Jey Monastic University.
Geshe Tenley began teaching at Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies (affiliated with the FPMT, or Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) in 2005 while his uncle, Geshe Tsultrim Chöpel (Geshe Tsulga) was the Resident Teacher. Following Geshe Tsulga’s passing in 2010, upon the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Spiritual Director of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, he was appointed Resident Teacher by the Kurukulla Center Board of Directors. Both His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche have great confidence and trust in Geshe Tenley, as evidenced by their frequent meetings.
At Kurukulla Center, Geshe Tenley teaches Buddhist philosophy, lamrim and mind training. He has many students across New England, New York and Florida, and also regularly teaches online through social media.
During his tenure, Kurukulla Center has become a spiritual hub not only for Western students, but also people from the Nepali, Chinese and other immigrant communities with Buddhist cultural and religious traditions. He has also developed strong connections with Buddhist leaders from the many different traditions in the Boston area. He is one of the spiritual leaders of the Tibetan community in the Boston area, where he plays a key role in helping them to sustain their cultural heritage by teaching Buddhism to the Tibetan children of the community. He also organizes and leads monthly Tibetan Seniors Picnics to recognize the kindness of the senior generation of Tibetans.
One of his notable initiatives has been the annual Sakadawa Interfaith Celebration. This annual gathering was created in response to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s frequent emphasis on the great importance of inter-religious harmony. Religious and community leaders from all faiths in the Boston metropolitan area are invited every year to celebrate the anniversary of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing into parinirvana, in Tibetan called Sakadawa, and to join together to pray for world peace.
Geshe Tenley is a member of the Medford Interfaith Clergy Association and the International Association of Non-Sectarian Tibetan Religious Traditions; he is the Spiritual Advisor for the Geshe Tsulga Non-Profit Association and Buddhist chaplain for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Note: This is my first try, so please do not bite me. This text was dictated by Geshe Ngawang Tenley to two of his students, who then turned his spoken account into the edit biography you see here. Neither student, especially the one who is posting this, is in any way, shape or form compensated by either Geshe Ngawang Tenley himself, or by his employer, Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies, or by the FPMT. All that said, I (DHARMAMAE) am affiliated with Geshe Ngawang Tenley to the extent that I am his student. Once I figure out whether and how to disclose this I might more forward to publish this article.