Gen Jampa Gyaltsen is a Tibetan Buddhist monk and scholar from Sera Jey Monastic Institute, with over twenty years of training in Buddhist philosophy within the Gelug tradition. Alongside his traditional monastic education, he has pursued academic studies in Buddhist Philosophy and Buddhist Studies at the University of Delhi and Gelugpa University.

He has also served as a teacher and director of the Sera Jey Translation Department, participated in the Emory–Tibet Science Initiative, and visited the University of Oxford as a visiting scholar, where he taught Buddhist textual studies. His academic work explores the connections between Buddhist philosophy, modern science, neuroscience, and psychology.

In this conversation, we explore how traditional Buddhist education can engage with modern academic learning, science, and different Buddhist traditions. Drawing on his experiences studying and teaching in India, Thailand, and Oxford, Jampa Gyaltsen reflects on how exposure to different disciplines can deepen our understanding of Buddhism.

We also discuss the role of monastics and laypeople in preserving and transmitting the Dharma, the relevance of meditation and applying Buddhist teachings in daily life, and how monasteries can prepare future generations to carry the tradition forward.

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:52 - What inspired you to pursue modern education, including science, languages, and the Pali tradition?

04:20 - Did you feel that traditional Buddhist education alone was not sufficient?

06:03 - How do traditional Buddhist education, languages, and modern science complement one another?

14:20 - How can valuable Buddhist teachings be brought into wider society and applied to modern life?

17:39 - Will laypeople eventually take greater responsibility for preserving and transmitting Buddhism?

25:46 - How should laypeople study Buddhism to help preserve the tradition?

29:17 - How can we put Buddhist teachings into practice?

33:13 - What is the importance of meditation, retreat, and solitary practice today?

44:00 - How important is it for monks to travel abroad and experience different cultures?

47:56 - What makes our traditional monasteries and learning centres special?

50:47 - What should monasteries provide to prepare monks to transmit Buddhism effectively in the modern world?

55:09 - What is the essence of Buddhist teachings for you?

Find out more about the SINI Three Cups Initiative and Teacher Trainings:

- https://www.sinithreecups.org/

Hosted by Gangar Metok. Produced by Stephen James Pigott (https://www.guruviking.com) and Senge Catherine (https://www.sinibridge.org/team/).

In this episode, Geshe Lharampa Ngawang Thokme of Sera Jey Monastery shares his journey from Kham in Tibet to a life devoted to Buddhist study and teaching in India.

He reflects on the influence of his parents, his early years as a monk, his decision to pursue deeper philosophical studies, and the guidance that led him to become a teacher.

Drawing on more than twenty years of teaching experience, Geshe-la also discusses the value of Buddhist education, the responsibilities of monastics, the importance of patience, and the need to strengthen the connection between monasteries and the wider lay community.

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:55 - Introduction and early life

02:38 - Journey from Tibet to India

05:25 - Beginning his teaching career

06:32 - Geshe Lharampa examinations and tantric studies

07:36 - Growing up during a turbulent period in Tibet

14:10 - The influence of his parents

17:15 - His original wish to become a practitioner

19:05 - The rewards and challenges of becoming a teacher

20:25 - Recognising the value of Buddhism

22:24 - Inspiring young children to study

24:47 - Teaching students of different capacities

25:42 - How Geshe-la teaches a Buddhist text

27:15 - Responding when students are inattentive

29:32 - Students who unexpectedly excel

30:25 - Patience as an essential quality of a teacher

31:25 - The responsibilities of monastic life

33:25 - Respecting lay Buddhist practitioners

36:25 - Never becoming complacent in one's studies

37:25 - The true purpose of education

39:14 - Why fewer Tibetan families send children to monasteries

44:25 - Bridging the gap between lay and monastic communities

56:21 - Short-term Buddhist programmes for laypeople

57:25 - Reflecting on more than twenty years of teaching

01:00:27 - Hope for the future of Sera Jey

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Find out more about the SINI Three Cups Initiative and Teacher Trainings:

- https://www.sinithreecups.org/

Hosted by Gangar Metok. Produced by Stephen James Pigott (https://www.guruviking.com) and Senge Catherine (https://www.sinibridge.org/team/)

Venerable Khenpo Ngawang Tenzin is a resident teacher at the International Buddhist Academy (IBA) in Kathmandu, Nepal, founded by the late Khenchen Appey Rinpoche.

Originally from Mustang, Nepal, he studied at Sakya College in Dehradun under the guidance of the late Khenchen Sonam Gyatso, graduating in 2010, and later earned a master’s degree in Buddhism and Himalayan Studies from Lumbini College.

He has served as a translator for the heads of the Sakya order, including the Sakya Gongma Rinpoches, and has been a visiting scholar at Lawrence and Oxford Universities. Alongside teaching Buddhist philosophy and meditation to international students, he translates Tibetan texts into English and Nepali, reviews publications, and contributes to Buddhist scholarship.

He currently leads a training program at IBA to prepare graduate monastics to become translators and writers, helping them develop the skills to preserve and share the Buddha’s teachings worldwide.

Topics include:

00:00 — Introduction

01:44 — You have taught people from different backgrounds and cultures. What has been your most meaningful experience?

04:36 — Have you experienced cultural misunderstandings when teaching Buddhism to international students compared with Tibetan and Himalayan students?

09:24 — What benefits might modern educational methods, particularly academic research, bring to monasteries?

11:58 — What should young monks prepare for if they want to pursue academia, translation, or PhD studies after shedra?

15:16 — Did you become a translator through personal interest or the influence of teachers?

25:19 — What can monks do if they want to become translators but lack access to a supportive platform?

31:58 — How can one pursue modern education abroad while remaining rooted in Buddhist tradition, faith, and practice?

36:01 — What teaching methods have worked best when teaching international students?

39:43 — How can monasteries educate monks who combine traditional Buddhist learning with modern education and help the Dharma flourish?

46:12 — With declining monastic populations and changing language practices, how do you envision the future of monasteries, particularly Dehradun Salya College, over the next twenty years?

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Find out more about the SINI Three Cups Initiative and Teacher Trainings:

- https://www.sinithreecups.org/

Hosted by Gangar Metok Produced by Stephen James Pigott (https://www.guruviking.com) and Senge Catherine (https://www.sinibridge.org/team/)