Venerable Geshe Yeshe Phelgye

Our founder, Geshe Yeshe Phelgye, was born in Chamdo, Tibet (Eastern) in 1935. At the age of 12, he entered the Gaden Shartse Norling Mahayana University in Central Tibet in 1947. He studied at Gaden until 1959 when he fled with H.H. the Dalai Lama to India following the Chinese invasion of Tibet. He continued his studies at the re-established Gaden Shartse  Norling Monastery in Karnataka, India. He completed his Lharampa Geshe degree there in 1980. (Please note that Lharampa is a title demonstrating highest rank in class, not a separate degree).

 

In 1984, he completed his Doctorate of Philosophy in Selfless Philosophy from Varanasi University in Northern India. 

 

Together with Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen in 1991, he established Thubten Rinchen Ling in Houston, TX, and was appointed as the resident Lama. TRL is the sister institution of the Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling established by Geshe Gyeltsen in Long Beach, CA. 

 

From 1991 to 2017 Geshe gave weekly teachings and invited many great teachers to the Center. In 2007, he went back to Tibet for the first time since his exile.  Our most beloved Geshe Yeshe Phelgye passed away on July 19, 2017 after several days of clear light meditation.