ABOUT

Venerable Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden

Born in 1924, Geshe-la become a monk at the age of seven. Completing his study of all divisions of Buddhist philosophy, he was awarded the highest possible degree, the Geshe Lharampa. Among the candidates examined he was graded first. Geshe-la was one of the few Geshes selected by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to study for the Acharya (Master’s) degree at Varanasi’s Sanskrit university in India. He then went on to gain a Master’s qualification in Vajrayana Buddhism after six years’ study at Gyudmed Tantric College.

Geshe-la’s passing will be felt deeply by thousands of people in Australia, India, Tibet and throughout the world. For all those whose lives have been enriched by attending his peerless Dharma teachings, reading his nine precious Dharma books, his personal advice and guidance and his innumerable forms of generosity, it is difficult to express how much Geshe-la will be missed.

Geshe-la’s life has deeply inspired us: he has shown us what it really means in practical terms to practice the Dharma. To receive the precious teachings on bodhichitta, and on the perfections of generosity, ethics, patience, energetic perseverance, concentration and wisdom is one thing; but to see Geshe-la continuously putting them into practice in his daily activities has been something else altogether.

Geshe-la’s repeated message to his students over many years has been, above all, to care for others, support others, love others, avoid harming others, to look after others more than oneself. He recently said, “If we spend our time on this earth in developing the special human qualities of kindness, compassion and in looking after others then our life will be useful and meaningful.” By this, and any, measure Geshe-la’s life has been supremely useful and meaningful.

We pray that he will return to us very quickly and continue to give us teachings and inspire our Dharma practice.