Arjia Gegeen Rinpoche's Teachings in the East Coast
Oral Transmission of Manjusri
Teaching Schedules.
Directions to Nitsan Temple: Directions from South Jersey
via the New Jersey Turnpike
Arjia Gegeen Rinpoche (biography) by Palgi Gyamcho Arjia Rinpoche is the abbot of the Kumbum Monastery in Amdo, one of the great centers of Buddhism in Tibet. He was born in eastern Tibet and he is the reincarnation of the Father of Je Tsong-kha-pa, founder of Gelupa (Yellow Hat) Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche is one of the most important religious leaders to leave Tibet since His Holiness the Dalai Lama fled into exile in 1959. From a very early childhood, Arjia Rinpoche pursued the mastery of Buddhist studies and has received many initiations and empowerments in sutric and tantric traditions from some of the most prominent religious teachers in Tibet. Rinpoche has had more than ten lineage teachers, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the late Panchen Lama. During the Chinese cultural revolution, Rinpoche was forced to work as a farmer in the fields, nonetheless he managed to continue his Buddhist practices in secret. Fortunately, two of his precious teachers, Jayak Rinpoche (tutor to Panchen Lama) and Tsultrim Lhaksem (tutor to elder brother of his Holiness the Dalai Lama) were in his commune thus enabling Rinpoche to receive teachings and transmissions. When the political situation in China eased during 1980's, Rinpoche furthered his spiritual studies through postgraduate studies in Buddhism at the Qinghai University, tutuored by the high Gelupa teacher Shar-dong Rinpoche and also His Holiness the late Panchen Lama. Subsequently, he was nominated by the Chinese government as the President of the Regional Buddhist association and the Deputy President of National Buddhist Association. Upon his appointment as the Abbot of Kumbum Monastery, Rinpoche was able to secure the necessary funding from the Chinese government to restore and renovate Kumbum monastery; one of the six oldest monasteries in Tibet. During this period, Rinpoche put his knowledge of the Kalachakra Tantra, Tibetan Buddhist art and architecture into practice. During his tenure there, a new monkhood order was established at the monastery as well. He excels in Tibetan Buddhist arts, one of the five disciplines of Buddhism that any Buddhist scholar would seek to master. He is also a master of Tibetan architecture and crafts. In the city of Xining, Rinpoche oversaw the restoration of the Lama Tsong-kha-pa Stupa and the Golden Temple monastery. He also commissioned a 80 x 40 feet three dimensional Kalachakra mandala. He worked to preserve and promote Tibetan Buddhist traditions; such as the arts of Thangka painting, Butter Sculpturing, and Buddhist Embroidery Arts. To improve the education of Tibetans, Rinpoche built new schools in villages and established charitable foundations such as the Kumbum Red-cross to improve health conditions. He also helped provide disaster relief for snowstorms and earthquakes in eastern Tibet. Political and religious pressures following the passing away of His Holiness the Panchen Lama, forced Arjia Rinpoche to leave China in 1998. Since his arrival in the United States, He has devoted his time to further Tibetan spiritual traditions in the west. In 1999, he, along with his assistants, built a three dimensional Kalachakra mandala dedicated to world peace. This Kalachakra Mandala was then offered to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Arjia Rinpoche is fluent in Tibetan, Chinese, and Mongolian. Rinpoche aspires to preserve and promote the unique Tibetan religious heritage, it's Buddhist art, it's culture, and it's philosphy all over the world. These aspirations led to the establishment of a Buddhist Center called the THE YELLOW HAT BUDDHIST CENTER, open to all Tibetans, Mongolians, Chinese, and Westerners.
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