About Ganden Dheling Buddhist Temple

The purpose of Ganden Dheling Buddhist Temple (hereafter referred to as GDBT) as stated in GDBT's incorporation document is:

"The members of Ganden Dheling Buddhist Temple, Inc. believe in, and as a group will follow, Lord Buddha's tenets and practice as outlined by the Tibetan and Mongolian Gelugpa tradition founded by Lord Je Tsongkhapa, and transmitted by the Lamas of the Drilbupa Heruka Dorje Naljorma and Segyu Lineages."

Kyabje Gehlek Rimpoche

GDBT'S SPIRITUAL ADVISOR &
ROOT LAMA TO PADKAR RINPOCHE

Kyabje Gehlek Rimpoche, Kyabje Nyare Khentul Ngawang Gehlek Demo Rimpoche

Kyabje Gehlek Rimpoche, Kyabje Nyare Khentul Ngawang Gehlek Demo Rimpoche is a long-time resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where his Jewel Heart Buddhist Center is located. Rimpoche Gehlek is the founder and spiritual director of the Jewel Heart Centers. He is one of the most qualified Lamas teaching Americans today, making a very strong bridge to American Buddhism. Rimpoche Gehlek's responsibility is to focus and direct the spiritual life of GDBT according to our time-honored traditions.

Kyabje Rimpoche Gehlek was born in Lhasa, Tibet in 1939. His father, Demo Rinpoche, the nephew of His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama, was a highly respected incarnate Lama: the reincarnation of past Regents of Tibet. At age 4, Rimpoche Gehlek was recognized as the reincarnation of Khenpo Tashi Namgyal, former abbot of the Gyuto Tantric Monastery.

Rimpoche Gehlek is an incarnate Lama of Drepung Monastic University. Drepung was the largest Tibetan monastery that ever existed, housing at its zenith over 13,000 monks. Carefully tutored by some of Tibet's greatest living masters, he received the scholastic degree of Geshe Lharampa (the highest degree given), at an exceptionally young age. He gained renown for his powers of memory, intellectual judgment and penetrating insight.

A refugee in India since 1959, Rimpoche Gehlek gave up monastic life to better serve the lay community. Since that time he has edited and published over 170 volumes of rare Buddhist manuscripts.

In the late 1970's the Senior and Junior Tutors to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche directed Rimpoche Gehlek to begin teaching beyond the Tibetan community. Since that time he has taught throughout the world. Rimpoche Gehlek is an internationally recognized scholar with connections to Mongolia.