Friday, April 1, 2011

Message from CGC's President

Dear members, benefactors and friends,

It is with much pleasure that we are introducing our newly arrived Resident Geshe, Geshe Deyang. Geshe Deyang's biography is extracted below. In wikipedia, Geshe (Tib. dge bshes, short for dge-ba'i bshes-gnyen, "virtuous friend"; translation of Skt. kalyāņamitra) is a Tibetan Buddhist academic degree for monks. The degree is emphasized primarily by the Gelug lineage. There are four categories of Geshe: Dorampa, Lingtse, Tsorampa and Lharampa, Lharampa being the highest. Geshe Deyang is of the highest academic class, a Lharampa Geshe.

In short, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche sent one of the best geshes to CGC, and we are all so grateful to the kindness of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Geshela has been awarded a 3 years visa to stay in Malaysia, and during these three years, Geshela will help develop CGC into a dharma powerhouse. CGC for the next 3 years will hope to benefit a lot of people, spread dharma to lots of people. Therefore, you could expect there will be many series of dharma teachings and activities catering for beginners, intermediate and advanced students.

3 years is a short time, and there is no more a better time to start learning dharma from the one of the most qualified teacher available in Penang.

I look forward to seeing you in CGC more regularly, and I trust that everyone is going to experience a wonderful taste of dharma nectar from Geshe Deyang. I leave you with the very high profile biography of Geshe Deyang.

For more information, do write to us.

Best wishes,
Daniel


Introducing Geshe Deyang

Past Resident Teacher of LDC (2006 Jan - 2007 Jan)

Geshela was born in June 16, 1966 in Dharamsala, India.

In 1979 when He was 13 years old, Geshela left His hometown and traveled southward to Bylakuppe, a remote neighborhood where He was admitted into Sera Je Monastic University, then home to approximately 1,200 monks from all over India, Tibet and countries of the Himalayan region. From 1979 to 1999, Geshela participated in the extensive studies of Buddhist philosophy through attending classes, daily memorization of texts and rigorous debates with classmates etc. This eventually culminated in His graduating with a Lharam Geshe degree (equivalent to PhD) in year 2000, which is the highest possible credential granted by the monastic university to any monk who successful completed his 20 years of curriculum and passed all tests with top grades, which include written tests and public debates.

In 2001 Geshela returned to Gyuto Tantric College to further His knowledge in the tantric rituals. Upon completing His study, Geshela was elected into the Gelug Examination Board as the Secretary General. From 2001 to 2003, He took charge of the monastery's examinations. After retiring from the Board of Examination, Geshela was again chosen to be the Head of Sera Je's Hayagriva Committee in 2003, Geshela is Himself an expert in the entire practices and rituals of Hayagriva.

Then at the end of year 2004, among 5 other candidates who are also Geshes and His seniors, Geshela was selected to become Sera Je's new Gegu (Master of Discipline, and a position next to the Abbot) with 60% votes from all the monks in the monastery.

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