Venerable Thubten Chokyi
Venerable Chokyi is a highly regarded senior Western nun in the FPMT, and has been dedicated to the dharma since 1990. She was devoted to Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and ordained by him in 2006. Prior to ordination she had an academic career related to indigenous affairs, and 20 years experience in the arts sector.
Since ordination, Venerable Chokyi served as Spiritual Programme Coordinator at Vajrayana Institute in Sydney for 10 years, and from 2018-22 was the resident Western teacher at Chenrezig Institute in Queensland.
Venerable Chokyi has a deep dharma knowledge, great enthusiasm for the dharma and a big heart. These attributes coupled with her life experience combine very well to bring the traditional Buddhist teachings to our western minds. served as his attendant from 1983 -1986.
Touring Geshes
Geshe Tenzin Zopa
Geshe Zopa grew up in the Tsum Valley where he attended the yogi Geshe Lama Konchog during his years in retreat. He was educated at Sera Je monastery and obtained his Geshe degree at an early age. When Geshe Konchog passed away the young Tenzin Zopa was sent to search for his reincarnation, a story documented in the movie “Unmistaken child”. He now oversees the education and care of the young Rinpoche. Geshe Zopa has been a resident teacher at FPMT Malaysia. He is currently spending time teaching at centres in Australia.
Geshe Thubten Sherab
Geshe Thubten Sherab was born in 1967 in a small village in the province of Manang, the western part of Nepal, to a Kagyu-Nyingma family. He entered Kopan Monastery at the age of nine and completed his Geshe studies at Sera Je monastery in South India, followed by a year at Gyumed Tantric College. He then completed retreat and teaching assignments both in the U.S. and Asia. He served as Head Master of Kopan Monastery’s school for four years, overseeing debate training and tantric training activities. Geshe Sherab understands and connects very well with Western students, presenting the Dharma in English in an accessible, warm and open manner.
Previous Teachers
Geshe Ngawang Sonam
When he was resident teacher at Hayagriva Buddhist Centre in Perth, Geshe Sonam used to visit Tara Meditation Centre every month
Geshe Ngawang Sonam was born in 1963 in Tibet. At the the age of five, with his two older brothers and parents, the family fled Tibet, alone, over the mountains to India. Venerable Thubten Dondrub
Venerable Dondrub met Buddhism in 1976 through attending teachings from Lama Yeshe & Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Chenrezig Institute, Queensland. He took gelong ordination from Lama Zopa in 1979 & served as his attendant from 1983 -1986. Venerable Dondrub has taught all around the world & led the renowned November course at Kopan Monastery in Nepal 8 times.
Venerable Dondrub was a much loved resident teacher at Hayagriva Buddhist Centre from 2002 – 2012. During that time he also taught regularly at Tara Meditation Centre until moving to Buddha House in Adelaide where he still teaches.
Venerable Tony Beaumont
Visiting teacher 2016
Venerable Tony’s first intensive contact with Buddhism was in Nepal and India in 1976-1977.
He returned to Australia, working as a psychiatric nurse for four years before moving to Queensland’s Chenrezig Institute where he lived and worked for most of the 80‘s.Venerable Tony gained full ordination in 1993. Since then he has been based at Nalanda Monastery in France and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery in Bendigo, Australia, where he was director for four years. He has been teaching in Tushita and Chenrezig Insitute in Queensland in 2016.
Venerable Robina Courtin
Visiting teacher 2016
Venerable Robina Courtin has been a nun for over 20 years in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Ven. Robina spent 10 years editing for Wisdom Publications followed by over 5 years as the main editor of Mandala, the international Buddhist news magazine of the FPMT. Ven. Robina travels the world teaching Buddhism to students of all ages and levels. Ven. Robina’s prison work was profiled in an award-winning documentary, Chasing Buddha.
Ven Jampa Dekyi
Visiting teacher 2017
After living in the Solomon Islands for many years and raising a family, Ven Dekyi became a nun in 1993. Over the intervening years Venerable Jampa Dekyi has studied most of the Basic Studies Program topics including Lama Tsong Khapa’s long Lam Rim, the Lam Rim Chen-mo. She was resident teacher at Vajrayana Institute in Sydney for five years and for a year at Kadam Sharawa Centre in Gosford.
Venerable Dekyi was a visiting teacher at Hayagriva Buddhist Centre before travelling to Tushita Meditation Centre India where she was the resident teacher for a period. She resides at Chenrezig Institute In Queeensland.
Venerable Lhundrup
Visiting teacher 2016
Venerable Lhundrup first attended Buddhist teachings in 1995 with Geshe Doga at Tara Institute. He moved to Shedrup Ling monastery in 2002 , where he has been the director. He spent 2005 in Darjeeling, India studying Tibetan language and 2014 in Dharamsala pursuing further studies. Venerable Lhundrup is the author of Practical meditation.
Corey Jackson
Visiting teacher 2016
Corey is a former Jazz musician, who has worked as a Tibetan translator for FPMT Geshes. He has recently completed a degree is psychology and is specialising in modern contemplative sciences. He is currently resident at Chenrezig Institute were he is developing and running programs in mindfulness and compassion meditation. Corey also works with groups such as NIDA, Greenpeace and Wesley Missions to skill the workplace in dealing with stress in modern living.