A New Abbot of the Drepung Gomang Monastery-University Approved

His Holiness the Dalai Lama appointed the venerable Geshe Lharampa Jigme Gyatso as the 81st abbot of the Drepung Gomang monastery-university. The appointment took place due to the expiration of the previous abbot's term. According to tradition, when the previous abbot's term (6 years) comes to an end, he has the opportunity to ask to relinquish his powers or to continue holding the post. If he intends to step down, general monastery elections are announced, based on the results of which a list of candidates for the post of abbot is formed. Then the list of names of those who received the most votes is sent to the office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and from the provided list His Holiness approves the name of the new abbot of the monastery. In the recent elections, Geshe Jigme Gyatso received an overwhelming majority of votes and topped the list of candidates. Let us recall that for many centuries, according to tradition, it is precisely at the Drepung Gomang monastery that monks from Mongolia, Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tyva study. There they form the community-fellowship “Khardong.” At various times, representatives of the Mongolian peoples headed the Drepung Gomang monastery, among them the 70th abbot Geshe Ngawang Lobsang and the 72nd abbot Agvan Nima. To date, six representatives of Kalmykia continue their studies in various courses of the university. The venerable Geshe Lharampa Jigme Gyatso was born on February 19, 1965, in the province of Amdo, near the “Labrang Tashi Kyil” monastery in the locality of Sangkog, in a family of Tibetan nomads. He was the second of seven children. At birth he received the name Tashi Tsering, bestowed upon him by the venerable Konchog. In 1984, at the “Labrang Tashi Kyil” monastery, he took the vows of the initial monastic ordination (getsul) from the venerable Geshe Gendun Gyatso and received the monastic name Jigme Gyatso (which in Tibetan means “Ocean of Fearlessness”). In 1986, he enrolled in the philosophy school (choira) of Mejung Tosamling. In 1990, while in his 4th year (Duychen), he set off for India and arrived there by the end of the year. On January 10, 1991, he enrolled at the Palden Drepung Tashi Gomang monastery, which is called the second “Indian Nalanda,” in the “Lorig” course. That same year he mastered the material for two courses — Lorig and Dondunchu — and in 1992 moved on to the Shung-sar course. In 1993, he received full monastic ordination (the vows of a gelong) from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. In 1995, he passed the exams for the “Parchin” course and was appointed one of the teachers of the Gomang monastery. In 2000, he began taking the higher exams of the Gelug tradition and, having completed them in 2005, defended the highest academic degree of Geshe Lharampa. In 2006, having gone to the tantric monastery of Gyume, he made considerable efforts in the hearing and study of the Secret Mantra. In 2013, he completed the tantra study course for geshes at the Gomang datsan, which was then organized for the first time. The teachers of Geshe Jigme Gyatso are: Rato Kyongla Rinpoche, Jagyab Togden Rinpoche, Dagpa Tritshul Rinpoche, Gen Jampa Choydag, who was a mentor at the Gyume monastery, and the Throne Holder of Drepung Geshe Lobsang Tenpa. From them, over the years of study, he received many Teachings on Sutra and Tantra. At present, he himself is a mentor of Changkya Rinpoche and Kundeling Rinpoche, as well as of many hundreds of other monks of the Gomang monastery, to whom he continues to this day to uninterruptedly transmit numerous instructions on sutra and tantra.