The Podcast
Episode 6: Geshe Lharampa Ngawang Thokme
About the Guest
Geshe Lharampa Ngawang Thokme was born in Kham, Tibet, and became a monk in 1987. He later travelled to India, initially drawn by a wish to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and went on to dedicate himself to Buddhist philosophical study at Sera Jey Monastery. In 2004, on the advice of his teacher, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, he began teaching, and he went on to complete the Geshe Lharampa examinations around 2014–2015 before continuing his studies at a tantric college. He has now taught at Sera Jey for more than twenty years.
Episode Summary
In this episode, Geshe Lharampa Ngawang Thokme shares his journey from Kham, Tibet, to a life devoted to Buddhist study and teaching at Sera Jey Monastery. He recalls growing up during a turbulent period when Buddhism was not openly accessible, becoming a monk in 1987, and his early monastic life centred on prayers and rituals. He explains how his move to India was first motivated by a wish to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and how he gradually dedicated himself to deeper study, the strong influence of his parents on his early life, and his original wish to devote himself to practice and retreat before his teachers encouraged him toward teaching instead.
Geshe-la reflects on more than twenty years of teaching since 2004, sharing his approach to explaining a text, the importance of addressing students of different capacities so that all can benefit, and patience as one of the most essential qualities a teacher must develop. He discusses the particular challenge of motivating younger students, who respond best to practical encouragement before deeper motivation can be introduced as they mature, and speaks about the responsibilities of monastic life: that monks should never use their position for personal advantage, and should always take lay practitioners' questions seriously, maintaining a close relationship between monastic and lay communities.
Looking at the wider picture, Geshe-la emphasizes that the true purpose of education is to become a good, kind, and well-behaved person, and voices concern that fewer Tibetan families are sending their children to monasteries despite Sera Jey's growing modern and academic opportunities, largely for financial reasons. He describes efforts to bridge monastic and lay communities, such as holiday programs that bring children into contact with the monastery, and considers whether monasteries might offer short-term programs similar to Goenka Vipassana courses. He closes by sharing his hope that Sera Jey can recover the atmosphere it had twenty years ago, when the monastery was full of enthusiastic, committed, and high-spirited monks.