2023 Winter Debate Participants, Drepung Monastery.

The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund (LTKTF) is dedicated to upholding the Gelug lineage of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism and has been instrumental since its establishment in 1997 at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Named after the Gelug lineage founder Lama Tsongkhapa (1357-1419).

Below are the activities that the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund supported through a total of US$174,162 in grants in 2023. Please join us in rejoicing!

Supporting Our Lineage Teachers, the Annual Gelug Exam, Winter Debate, & Memorization Exams

One of the significant endeavors the fund supports is the annual Winter Debate, as well as assistance to the monks who successfully passed their examinations. The Winter Debate, a prestigious event that attracts the brightest scholars from the eight major Gelug monasteries, was hosted at Drepung Monastery in 2023 with the fund covering the travel expenses for 600 monks from Sera Je Monastery to attend.

Furthermore, the fund ensured that 134 monks from the eight monasteries who passed the memorization examination of classical texts (that are very long) such as the The Five Treatises of Maitreya, Six Collections of Reasoning by Arya Nagarjuna, General Meaning of the Middle Way by Jetsun Chokyi Gyaltsen, Bodhisattvacaryavatara (Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life) by Shantideva and  texts on Abhidharma, Vinaya, Paramita, Madyamika and Lekshay Nyingpo all received a full sets of monks’ robes.

Another notable initiative supported by the fund is the support to the basic needs of 137 main teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition by providing small monthly stipends, freeing up their time to focus on their service in teaching students and deepening their own practice. The fund also sponsored the Gelukpa Examinations by covering the food and travel expenses of 540 examinees and 118 staff members, as well as providing cash offerings and meals to all participants.

These efforts, including the support provided to the Winter Debate, the stipends to teachers, and the Gelukpa Examinations, reflect the ongoing commitment of the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund to preserve the Gelug tradition, in line with the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and other senior Gelug masters.

The total amount disbursed for the supported activities in 2023 is US$44,162. This includes the $20,672 for the Winter Debate Program and Monk Support, as well as the US$23,489 for the stipends to teachers and support for Gelukpa Examinations. 

Specialized Studies for Geshes and Geshemas

Each year we are offering support towards the Research and Training of Specialist Geshes and Geshemas, with a grant of US$77,500 being provided for the stipend to candidates, supervisors, and instructors. This initiative supports the specialized studies for 35 geshe lharampas and geshemas in the subjects of Pramana, Prajnaparamita, Madhyamaka, Abhidharma, and Vinaya, allowing them to deeply focus and expand their knowledge on one of the five main monastic treatises. This project, advised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and initiated by the Geluk International Foundation in 2020 with the guidance of the Gaden Phodrang Foundation and Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, aims to provide tools for developing new interpretations or synthesized presentations of ancient Buddhist wisdom, making them practically suitable and theoretically digestible to modern mindsets. 

Participants in the 2023 Winter Debate.

Researchers in each field of Buddhist studies have been engaged in intense individual research activity for a period of three years, culminating in the presentation of a written thesis on their chosen topic. The full funding for this project has been provided through the generous support of the US-based Kaya Mandala Foundation, with the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund agreeing to support the administering of grants until the geshes and geshemas complete their specialized studies. The recipients of the grant funds come from the six major monasteries in India and various nunneries, including Geshema Namdol Phuntsok from Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery (Kopan Nunnery) in Kathmandu, Nepal. This year marks the conclusion of phase one of the project.

The first phase of the Geluk International Foundation’s major research project was the Research and Training of Specialist Geshes and Geshemas. The second phase, launched in June 2023, will focus on the topics of Vinaya, Abhidharma, Madhyamika, Prajnaparamita, and Buddhist Logic. We are pleased to offer the support required for 15 exceptional scholars from three esteemed monasteries: Gyume Lower Tantric Monastery (5 scholars), Gyuto Upper Tantric Monastery (5 scholars), and Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (5 scholars). This second phase will span 8 years, with the fund committed to granting US$37,500 each year. We are eagerly anticipating the upcoming new phase and are hopeful for fruitful results.

Funding Educational Research for Future Tibetan Medical Doctors

Committed to backing educational research and training programs aimed at cultivating the next generation of Tibetan medical practitioners. This support not only benefits Tibetan communities by providing them with qualified doctors but also contributes to the preservation of this invaluable medical science and cultural tradition. Tibetan medicine, an ancient yet relevant discipline, is regarded as the time-honored science and art of healing from Tibet. It promotes the belief that the ultimate purpose of life is happiness and emphasizes that wellbeing is a continuous journey of living in harmony with one’s constitution. For centuries, Tibetan medicine doctors have engaged in research, and now modern Tibetan researchers are carrying on this authentic tradition. 

Doeguling Branch Clinic Participates in World Diabetes Day Awareness Program, November 2023. Photo courtesy of Men-Tsee-Khang’s official website.

A sum of US$15,000 was allocated to the Tibetan Medical & Astro-science Institute in India, Men-Tsee-Khang, along with a branch clinic in Kathmandu, Nepal, to provide stipends for six participants of the Nyepa Sum Project. The Nyepa Sum Project focuses on researching the three principal energies: baekan (water & earth or cold energy), lung (air or movement energy), and tripa (fire or heat energy); and their impact on various health conditions. The dedicated doctors are conducting research on imbalances in lung, tripa, and baekan energies to address conditions such as depression, insomnia, headaches, heart and blood pressure issues, mental health problems, skin rashes, inflammations, indigestion, hormonal issues, respiratory disorders, kidney and bladder dysfunction, obesity, and diabetes.

We express our deep appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to all the kind sponsors of Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund for their generous support towards these projects! Your assistance is invaluable and immensely beneficial to humanity. The total of US$174,162 in grants offered in 2023 has contributed to these impactful initiatives. We invite you to join us in celebrating the positive outcomes of these endeavors!

All are welcome to support the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund, which preserves the unbroken Tsongkhapa lineage, and cultivates the foremost scholars of tomorrow. We also invite you to read about all the other charitable projects of the FPMT organization.