Geshe Jinpa Sonam
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Lharampha Geshe Jinpa Sonam is a Buddhist monk scholar; educated at the Drepung Gomang Monastery, achieving the highest rank of Lharampha Geshe. Geshe Jinpa Sonam was born on June 10th 1955 in Zhangskar, India. His father Ngawang Rabgay and mother Dolma Palzom have five children including himself. In 1967, he became a monk at Thakrimo Gompa a Drikpa Kagyu monastery in Ladhak. He studied in this monastery for six years.
In 1973, Geshe Jinpa went to study at Drepung Gomang Monastery, a Gelugpa monastery in Mungood, south India. At this time he received his full monk vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In this monastery, he studied all the five major Buddhist texts and philosophy for 16 years. From 1993 to 1996, he worked as a Chanzoe (an administrator) of the monastery responsible for financial matters related to business interests in Nepal. During this time he also served for ten years as the treasurer of the Himalayan Cultural Association, a group dedicated to educating monks in the Himalayan region.
In 1999, after a series of tests and debates in front of high lamas (including the Dalai Lama) he passed the Gelupa Board Examination and was honored with the highest degree available in the monasteries, the Lharampa Geshe Degree (which is the equivalent to a Ph.D.). That same year, he was deputed to Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana, with three other monks. As senior monk, he was responsible for the teaching and sharing of Buddhism in the center of Takster Rinpoche (the brother of the Dalai Lama.) Geshe Jinpa returned to India for a short time. Later, through the kindness of Hee-Soon Blanchet and George Soister, he was brought back to the United States where he was resident teacher at a center in Kentucky before coming to Indiana to found the Indiana Buddhist Center with . In addition, at this time Geshe Jinpa’s teacher, Geshe Lobsang Samten, is serving as Abbot of Drepung Monastery after being personally picked by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Some notable Geshes of the Lharampha rank who have influenced Buddhism in the U.S. include Geshe Sopa in Madison WI (Lama Zopa’s teacher); the late Khen Rinpoche Lobsang Tharchin; the late Geshe Wangyal (Jeffery Hopkins and Robert Thurman’s teacher); and Geshe Thubten Jinpa (currently the main translator for the Dalai Lama when in the U.S. and Canada.)
Geshe-la the last couple of years…
Geshe Jinpa has been teaching at and serving as the Spiritual Director for the Indiana Buddhist Center in Indiana for four years. He has taught numerous texts; served as a spiritual director to many; participated in several interfaith dialogs; teaches meditation at a local prison; has conducted various retreats; and regularly travels to teach in Ohio, Illinois, and California. He has also been responsible for coordinating visits from monks from various monasteries in India; high lamas from Bhutan; as well as American monks and nuns.
