Geshe Thubten Samdup  - A brief biography:

Gomde Lharampa-Geshe Thubten Samdup is a former monk of Sera Je Monastic University-one of the largest monastic universities of Tibet. He joined Sera-je monastery in South India in 1972. After studying intensively and diligently for twenty one years, in 1993, he achieved the highest degree given by the Gelugpa Tradition, the degree of Geshe Lharampa (an equivalent of PhD in Buddhism). This was followed by studies at the Gyuto Tantric College.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (The spiritual director of the FPMT organization) invited him to teach at his three Centers in California in 1996, where he was resident teacher for three years.

He has been teaching Buddhism for 28 years-14 years at the Sera-Je Monastery and 14 years in the West.

His most memorable and successful teaching in the West was "The Generation and Completion Stage of Guhyasamaja Tantra" at Vajrapani Center in Santa Cruz, California.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama asked Geshe-la to teach the Tibetan community in the West as well as in the other areas in the world during his recent visit to Vancouver, Canada on September 29, 2009.

His writings include:

1. An encyclopaedic Dharma dictionary-the largest dictionary ever in exile (in Tibetan, over 1200 pages.) The first edition was published in 2004 by Sherig Parkhang- the Tibetan government printing press in Dharamsala, India and sponsored by the private office of the Dalai Lama.

2. A commentary on the Mandala offering (in Tibetan)

3. A commentary on the Guhyasamaja completion stage, (in Tibetan)

4. A Guhyasamaja ritual text (in Tibetan)

5. A commentary on the Heart Sutra (in Tibetan) and numerous articles and other short writings as well as poems.