Ven.Geshe  Jampa Norbu 

Gesha-La was born in the year 1962 in Lhasa,Tibet . He studied in a local Chinese school for almost Twenty two years in Lhasa.

In 1984 with his parents guidance he fled to India to pursue spiritual studies and joined Gaden Shartse Monastery. In 1988 His holiness The Dalai Lama gave him full ordination vows for a monk. He was one of the brightest student in the Monastic school. After completing his Monastic education from the Monastery, he was honored as Geshe Lharampa (Phd.) in 2001. After successfully completing the Sutra studies he pursued further for Tantra studies at Gyuto Tantric College in North East India in 2002.With outstanding accomplishment of education he returned  to the Monastery to teach the younger monks. He was the Head of the Monastery Library for two years. He was the debate inspector for a year. He also served as Gelugpa University Teacher for one whole year. This is his first time traveling outside the Monastery for tour.

Ven.Geshe Kalsang Gyatso (Chanting master)

Geshe‑la was born on October 12th, 1972, in Orissa, India. His parents were very enthusiastic about his education, and started schooling him at a very young age. In 1983, Geshe‑la enrolled in Gaden Shartse Monastery as a novice monk. He received all the recommended teachings and became very learned in all the root verses of ritual prayers and great treatises. Reserved only for those with the sharpest mind, Geshe‑la performed an Oral Recitation of Drang‑Ney Lekshey Nyinpo, a commentary text. Having received his vows of full ordination from His Holiness Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, Geshe‑la went on to successfully train himself in ritual performance and in the chanting arts. He was nominated as Vice‑Chanting Master for nearly two years, and was then promoted to Chanting‑Master of Gaden Shartse Monastery, a position that he has held for the last six years. In the year 2005 Gesha-la went to United States, he was the chanting master in the Monastery tour 2005 "Sacred earth and Healing arts of Tibet"

He has been invited several times to perform ritual healing and performances for SARS victims in Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia with His Eminence Tri‑Rinpoche (the linear successor of Je Tsong Kapa), His Eminence Lati Rinpoche, and His Eminence Ken‑Rinpoche (the present Abbot of the monastery). In this tour Geshe-la once again will be the Chanting master.

Ven.Yeshi Dakpa

Born in 1964, in Dayab Bhugon,Western part of Tibet. Till the age of 11 he spent all his time helping his parents at home.   At Eleven he  became a monk in his home town in Tibet. In the year 1990 he fled to India away from home. He had a very rough time while moving to India. It took almost two months on his footsteps for him to reach Indian border from Tibet. With his Parents guidance and care he finally made a move to South India to pursue spiritual studies and joined Gaden Shartse Monastery.

He is excellent in performing pujas and chanting with unique multiphonic tones, he is also good in rituals and making tormas and mandalas. He took part in the grand puja performed by His Eminence Lati Rinpoche in the year 2006 in Singapore. In this tour he will lead in making butter sculpture offerings.

Ven.Tenzin Kalsang

Born in 1969,in Lhasa,Tibet. until the age of eight he spent all his time with his Parents. He then joined a Local Chinese School. At the age of 13, he then became a monk and joined a small local Tibetan Monastery. In 1989 he fled to India to pursue spiritual studies and joined Gaden Shartse Monastery. He then began his study of the main commentaries, as well as training on making butter sculpture offerings, sand mandala creation and he is a well known debater in his class.

In 2006 he took part in a Grand Puja in Singapore which was performed by H.E.Lati Rinpoche and In 2007 he once again went to Singapore for a Grand Puja performed by H.E.Gaden Tri-Rinpoche. He is one of the brightest student from his class selected for the world tour this time.

Ven. Chhyampa Nupu Lama

Born in 1979, in Nepal. He went to school in his early age. He joined monastery at the age of ten where he studied Buddhist philosophy, tantric rituals and traditional mystical tunes for more than a decade.  Side by side he took chance to learn the religious art of creating Sand Mandala and English language. He also volunteered at the monastery health clinic for three years. In this Tour he is here as an interpreter/ coordinator. 

Venerable Lobsang Wangchuk

Tour Director

Venerable Lobsang Wangchuck has served in the capacity as the Gaden Sharste Tour Director for over seventeen years criss-crossed  the United States with the Gaden Shartse Monks.

He has been a long time student of His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama.

Having first encountered the Dharma in 1979, Venerable Wangchuk studied under Venerable Kyabje Zong Rinpoche of the Gaden Shartse Monastery.

His teachers include high Lamas such as Venerable Kyabje Lati Rinpoche of Gaden Shartse Monastery and his long-time teacher, the Venerable Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen of Thubten Dhargye Ling of  Long Beach, California.

Venerable Jangchup Chophel

Venerable Jangchub Chophel , also known as John Bruna, has spent most of his adult life working with teenagers as both a counselor and a teacher. Most recently he was a high school history teacher in Long Beach, California from 2001 to 2008. Venerable Chophel graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned his teaching credential from California State University at Northridge.

Having been a student of Buddhism for many years, Venerable Chophel was inspired to become an ordained monastic after attending a teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2004.  After the teachings he received permission from his spiritual teacher Venerable Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen to take monastic vows.  In 2005 he traveled to Gaden Shartse Monastery in India and was ordained by His Eminence Lati Rinpoche.

Returning from India, he continued his monastic studies at Thubten Dhargye Ling under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Gyeltsen and returned to the classroom in monastic robes.  Now he is setting aside teaching and is joining the tour fulltime with the aspiration to help fulfill the urgent needs of our monastery.