Visiting Masters
Kyabje Nyitrul Rinpoche
Venerable Lama Nyitrul Rinpoche was one of the main disciples of Denma Gonsar Rinpoche. He has always been a friend of Lama Gangchen Rinpoche. He is not only a holder of great knowledge and of the direct lineage of Denma Gonsar Rinpoche; he is also a ‘yogi mahasiddha style’ with great realisations. Currently he is one of the most important lamas in the Kham region in Tibet where Denma Gonsar Rinpoche used to teach.
There is a well-known story about a strong earthquake in Yushu, China. The whole house fell apart but the room in which Nyitrul Rinpoche was meditating remained completely intact. The firemen had to take a ladder to bring him down, cause even the staircase had fallen apart.
Another story is when he was in jail during the Cultural Revolution. He was handcuffed during daytime, but at night-time he removed the handcuffs, got out of his cell and went around to the other cells to help other prisoners with healing and psychological help.
Vajravali – Vajra Garland
In 2018, from the 16th of April until the beginning of June, an extremely rare and precious event took place in Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre. Venerable Lama Nyitrul Rinpoche was invited by Lama Gangchen Rinpoche to give the 45 empowerments of the Vajravali cycle.
The Vajravali – or Vajra Garland – is a compendium of texts of various tantric deities and rituals. The cycle contains empowerments and blessing rituals of various aspects of deities including Kalachakra, Guhyasamaja, Heruka, Yamantaka, Hevajra, Vajrayogini, and the Five Buddha Families. Each of the 45 Vajravali tantras has an associated mandala, which can be found on the ceiling of the Temple of Heaven on Earth in Albagnano.
The event was blessed by the presence of a large international assembly of masters, lamas, geshes and monks from China, Nepal, Mongolia, India, USA, EU, Switzerland, Brazil, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Taiwan.
This auspicious event was dedicated to World Peace, Environmental Peace and the Prosperity of Italy and the World.
Venerable Luang Por Dattajeevo
Venerable Luang Por Dattajeevo was born Padet Pongsawat on December 21, 1940 to an agricultural household in Pakplaak District of Kanchanaburi province, Thailand. He graduated in agricultural science from Kasetsart University and studied in Australia at post-graduate level.
Luang Por Dattajeevo’s path on his pursuit of Perfections is filled with lots of extraordinary thoughts and ideas. Since a young age, he has always enjoyed practicing meditation and reading books on all subjects, especially about the practice of meditation found in various ancient scriptures. He sought out numerous well known meditation masters to train him in meditation in order to dispel any doubts about ‘merit, demerit, and the existence of heaven and hell’ that remained in his mind.
Luang Por Dattajeevo ordained in 1971 and became known as Luang Por Dattajeevo, which means “He who gives his soul (to Buddhism) and quickly became a well-known teacher and speaker.
Theravada master Luang Por Dattajeevo and Lama Gangchen Rinpoche maintain a long-term friendship, which is expressed in Lama Gangchen’s yearly visits to the Magha Puja celebration in Bangkok. Luang Por Dattajeevo also visited Kunpen Lama Gangchen and gave teachings to the Sangha in Italy.
Geshe Thubten Trinley
In June 2018 Albagnano was blessed with a visit by Venerable Geshe Thubten Trinley. He gave the transmission and most excellent teachings of the Ganden Mahamudra, the Great Seal, the quick way to attain Enlightenment, following the text and lineage of Panchen Losang Chöky Gyaltsen (author of ‘Lama Chöpa’ or Guru Puja).
Geshe Thubten Trinley was one of the closest disciples of Venerable Geshe Rabten Rinpoche. He spent his early years in Sera Jey Monastery, studying under prominent and eminent teachers including Geshe Rabten Rinpoche, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche. He is known for his Lamrim retreats in Dharamsala, deep practice and excellence in his Dharma studies.
Over the years, Geshe Thubten Trinley has risen to become a highly revered teacher within the Gelug lineage. Many monasteries and Dharma centres regularly invited Geshe Thubten Trinley to give teachings on Buddhist philosophy, Lojong, Lamrim and Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara, as well as to preside over prominent religious festivals such as the Great Prayer Festival (Monlam Chenmo), prayer sessions and initiations. He also gave annual teachings and initiations in Shar Gaden Monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka, India.
Geshe Thubten Trinley gave Dharma teachings in Buddhist centres worldwide.
In recent years he was a resident teacher at Rabten Choeling Monastery in Switzerland, where he taught the Lamrim Chenmo three days a week. Besides the weekly public teachings, Geshe Thubten Trinley also tutored the current incarnation of Geshe Rabten, Venerable Tenzin Rabgya Rinpoche.
Geshe Thubten Trinley left his body in June 2019.
Sherab Rinpoche
Sherab Rinpoche is a reincarnated Lama of the Shar Gaden Monastery in India. He is a direct disciple of Ghesce Lobsang Tenzin, a great master and holder of various lineages, among which is Chö. In his previous life Sherab Rinpoche had a very close connection with Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang and today he is a renowned Lama in the Ganden Nyengu tradition. He is the teacher of Domo Geshe Rinpoche, one of the supporters of the throne of the Monastery of Shar Gaden in India.
H.E. Domo Geshe Rinpoche
Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche Losang Jigme Ngak-Gi Wangchuk was recognized and confirmed as the authentic reincarnation of Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche Ngawang Jigme Chokyi Wangchuk by Kyabje Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche after careful divination, invocation of the Dharmapala, and prayers spanning a period of four years (2002 to 2006). The previous Kyabje Domo Geshe Rinpoche was also recognized by previous Kyabje Yongzin Trijang Dorjechang jointly with Kyabje Pabongkha Dorjechang.
He was born in New York, USA on the 2nd of June, 2003.
His official enthronement took place at Dung Guen Samtencholing, Darjeeling, his principal monastery in India on the 3rd of March, 2008.
On 23rd June, 2008, he was enthroned at Gangjong Namgyel, Lew Beach NY, the US residence and headquarters of the previous Domo Geshe Rinpoche. The enthronement was presided over by Kyabje Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche and Kyabje Yongyal Rinpoche, Druwang Gangchen Rinpoche, Achok Rinpoche, Lama Michel Tulku Rinpoche and Zawa Tulku Rinpoche attended. Geshe Helmut Gassnerattended as Gonsar Rinpoche’s representative. Kyabje Phabongka Rinpoche too sent his blessings and a Representative (Khentrul Rinpoche).
He was formally enrolled and enthroned at Shar Gaden Monastery on 25th April, 2009. He is presently studying here at Shar Gaden with several tutors, as well as continued contact and guidance of his spiritual Guru and Mentor H.E. Kyabje Trijang Choktrul Rinpoche.
He has visited Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre and the Borodubur Stupa in Java Indonesia with Lama Gangchen Rinpoche and disciples around the world.
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Geshe Kunchok Gyaltsen
Geshe Kunchok Gyaltsen was born in 1964. In 1973 he joined Shartse Monastery of Ganden Monastery in South India. There he met over twenty-seven great masters including his root Guru H.H Zong Dorje Chang with whom he studied for 23 years the following subjects: Tibetan literature, the five major texts of Buddhist philosophy, Sutra and Tantra. As a result he was conferred the Geshe Lharampa degree in 1993. Throughout this time he travelled to America and Europe to raise funds for the Monastery.
Realizing that his studies should be integrated with practice, he completed a three-year intense meditation practice.
From 1996 until 2009 he engaged in social and religious harmony work in New Delhi, India.
Since 2004 he has been living in Novara,Italy he teaches Lamrim, Tibetan culture and so on to students, friends as well as to the general public.
Geshe Kunchok Gyaltsen has been a faithful friend of Lama Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche.
Venerable Anaruddha
The Venerable Anuruddha Thero Karuwelagaswewa is an Insight Dialogue Teacher in Training. He was born in Sri Lanka in 1971. At 8 years old he joined the monastery, was ordained as a monk at age 12, and later studied Buddhist philosophy at the University of Jayawardhanapura and a Buddhist approach to counseling at the University of Kelaniya’s Postgraduate Institute of Pali Buddhist Studies. Bhante Anuruddha earned a postgraduate diploma in counseling in Vellour, India.
Since 2003 Bhante Anuruddha has been the abbot of the Zurich Buddhist Vihara in Switzerland where he teaches Theravada Buddhism and Vipassana meditation to all those who want to expand their knowledge and their horizons. Bhante Anuruddha was first introduced to Insight Dialogue on retreat in 2005. Insight Dialogue is what he had looked for in the counseling field for many years and Bhante Anuruddha is happy to practice the Dhamma in a practical way.
