The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Activities

This center has initiated activities to "increase awareness in North America of the unique Tibetan culture, and also to help support Drepung Loseling Monastery in India." These include the Drepung Loseling Educational Fund which raises money and materials to support refugee monks in India, and the Mystical Arts of Tibet Tours which include music, sand mandalas, and an exhibition featuring some of the Dalai Lama's personal items. For a richer description of these activities and more, visit the program page of their website.

The Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc. hosts a number of events on a weekly basis including meditation, teachings, and Tibetan language instruction. For a full listing of events, please visit the calendar on their website.

History

According to their website, "In 1988-89, eight lamas from Drepung Loseling Monastery visited North America as part of Loseling's first world tour of Sacred Music Sacred Dance for planetary peace and healing. While in Atlanta, they were given a small tract of land in the mountains of north Georgia. The head lama, H.E. Gungbar Tulku, accepted the land on behalf of the monastery. Drepung Loseling Institute officially opened its studies and practice training programs in May 1991. This began with meditation retreats and teaching programs held on the land in North Georgia and a weekly meditation and teaching session in Atlanta led by Geshe Lobsang."

In 1990, Loseling's abbot, H.E. Rizong Rinpoche, visited Georgia to consecrate the land with the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He was accompanied by an assistant, Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi. An outcome of that visit was that Geshe Lobsang was offered a scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. program at Emory University. In 1991, Geshe Lobsang moved to Atlanta to begin his course of studies at Emory, and also to oversee the development of Drepung Loseling Institute.

Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc. is now an affiliate of Emory University and is the North American Seat of Drepung Loseling Monastery.