Friday, November 12, 2010

About: Geshe Dorji Damdul

                                                                 
                                            





Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul
Director, Tibet House, New Delhi
Cultural Centre of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

In 1988, Geshe Dorji Damdul joined the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Dharamsala for formal studies in Buddhist logic, philosophy and epistemology. After 15 years of study in Buddhist philosophy he finished his Geshe Lharampa Degree (Ph.D.) in 2002 from Drepung Loseling Monastic University. He joined Gyudmed Tantric College for a year for Tantric studies.

In 2003, the Office of H.H. the Dalai Lama sent him to Cambridge University, England for Proficiency English studies. He was a visiting fellow at Girton College, Cambridge University.


He is appointed as the official translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama since 2005. He has been serving as the interpreter for H.H. the Dalai Lama for so many years and at the same time involved in doing written translations of  many texts from Tibetan into English such as Arya Nagarjuna's "Mulamadyamikakarika" (Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way), Acharya Shantideva's "Bodhicaryavatara" (Wisdom Chapter.

While assigned with the same task of translating for H.H. the Dalai Lama inside and abroad India, he was appointed as the Director of Tibet House, Cultural Center of H.H. the Dalai Lama, New Delhi in March 2011.


As assigned by the Office of H.H. the Dalai Lama, he visited the US in 2008 to work with Prof. Paul Ekman on H.H. the Dalai Lama's book "Emotional Awareness" which is co-authored by Dr. Paul Ekman of the University of California Medical School.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama also assigned him with a text book project. He is one of the chief editors for the text book on Buddhist Science and Philosophy. This text book is to be used for Centers and Institutes all over the world to study more thoroughly on Buddhist philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology, and science.

He was also assigned, along with few other scholars to work on H.H. the Dalai Lama's book "Ethics for the New Millennium - Part II," and the series of "Art of Happiness" book which were jointly written by H.H. the Dalai Lama and Prof. Haward Cutlar. Likewise he is actively involved in critical editing works with other books of H.H. the Dalai Lama like "The Graded Path."

He was affiliated with Drepung Loseling Library where he served as the editor of Dreloma Magazine for eight years from 1994-2001. Prior to that he was the editor and contributor for 5 years for "Lhaksam Tsekpa" - a journal of comparative studies, the theme of which is on Science and Western philosophy, published by the Institute of Buddhist Studies.

He wrote number of important papers for National and International Conferences held in Delhi University, Somaya University in Mumbai, Ramakrishna Mission Institute and so forth. The papers constitute interesting topics such as  "The Paradox of Brain and Mind" and "The Ultimate Reality According to Arya Nagarjuna."

He is in the process of writing two important books, one on "Journey into the Paradox of Brain and Mind" and the other "What Constitutes the Ultimate Reality: The Effects of Understanding the Ultimate Reality."


In 2004 - 05, for two years, he was assigned as the Philosophy Lecturer for the Emory University Study Abroad Program which is being held in Dharamsala, India since 2001.

In 2008, he was appointed as a visiting fellow in Delhi University to give lectures in three of the University's departments - Philosophy, Psychology, and Buddhist Studies. The students received his lectures with such enthusiasm and rigor.

In 2011, he was recruited as one of the chief experts to design the syllabuses for B.A. and M.A. course on the Tibetan Studies as a part of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) program.


While assigned with the responsibility of the Directorship of Tibet House, the Cultural Centre of H.H. the Dalai Lama, which is based in New Delhi, India, he also gives regular lectures in Tibet House and many other places like Universities and Institutes. He also travels widely within India and abroad, like Mumbai, USA, U.K., and Singapore to teach Buddhist philosophy, psychology, logic and practice.

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