Geshe Denma Tenpa Gyaltsen
Former Abbot of
Sikkim Bönpo Monatery
Resident Lama
Ligmincha, Texas
Geshe Denma Gyaltsen was born in
exile in the first Tibetan refugee camp of
Dorpatan, in northern Nepal. He was the
oldest child of two boys and three girls.
He received his fundamental education at
the first Bönpo Tibetan monastery in
exile, founded by the 32nd sMenri Trizin,
Kundun Sherab Lodro. His teacher was
Sonam Gyaltsen Rinpoche, Abbot of
Tashi Gegye Tha-ten-ling.
In March of 1981, Sonam Gylatsen
Rinpoche and his father took Denma to
sMenri Monastery along with three other
boys. There, on Tonpa Shenrab's birth
anniversary in 1981, Denma took his monks vows from H.H. 33rd sMenri Trizin and H.E.Yongzin Rinpoche and joined the Bon dialectic school of sMenri. For the next 15 years he studied for his Geshe degree. He served twice as accountant and vice president of the dialectic school. His root teachers were H.H. 33rd sMenri Trizin, H.E. Yongzin Rinpoche and Geshe Youngdrung Namgyal or Tsondru Gong phel.
In 1991 his holiness H.H. 33rd sMenri Trizin sent Denma Gyaltsen to the Sikkim Bönpo monastery of Zhu Ri Shing Yung Drung Kundak-Ling, to organize the monastery and to teach young Sikkimese monks to read and write Tibetan so they could know their sacred texts. H.H. the Dalai Lama visited the monastery in April 1993, on the request of Denma Gyaltsen, and blessed the monastery. The Dalai Lama encouraged all the monks and lamas to keep on with further study. Lama Yungdrung Tsultrim, the founder of the monastery and the local Sikkimese villagers requested that Denma Gyaltsen stay on. But, needing to complete his Geshe degree, he returned to sMenri at the end of the year.
He graduated in 1996 from the Bön Dialectic School of sMenri Monastery and obtained his Geshe degree (PhD). He began accompanying Latri Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche on his travels to the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Russia where he was teaching and raising funds and awareness for the Bön.
In 1998 the religious department of H.H. the Dalai Lama's Tibetan government in exile gave recognition to three Bönpo monasteries and their abbots appointed by H.H. 33rd sMenri Trizin. It was then that H.H. 33rd sMenri Trizin appointed Geshe Denma Gyaltsen the first Abbot of the Zhu Ri Shing Yung Drung Kundak-Ling monastery in Sikkim.
He remained as Abbot for two terms, visiting the Sikkim monastery each year, bringing contributions for the students and monastery from his trips to the United States. On his yearly visits Geshe Denma Gyaltsen taught the children in the monastery formal Tibetan language as well as reading and writing, religious prayers and rituals and history of Bön. He established good relationships with the local Sikkimese people. His plan was for local boys to attend sMenri's dialectic school and become Geshes, thereby helping the indigenous people to have their own Sikkimese lamas. Eventually, four boys were admitted to the dialectic school of sMenri monastery and are now working toward their Geshe degrees. Geshe Gyaltsen is still their main means of financial and emotional support.
Since 1996, on the request of Nyima Rinpoche, Geshe Denma Gyaltsen assists him with his work operating the Bon Children's Home, which serves the many impoverished children of Dolanji providing education, healthcare and a place to live. He is the treasurer and co-editor of Bön sGo magazine; Door to Bön and for three years, 2002–2005 the elected secretary of the Local Tibetan Assembly in Dolanji.
Currently he is resident lama at the Lingmincha Texas Institute in Houston.
