Lama Zopa Rinpoche with a picture of Lama
Tsongkhapa that Rinpoche liked very much,
Kopan Monastery, Nepal, February 2022.
Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.

The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund (LTKTF) continues to be a cornerstone in preserving the Geluk lineage of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. Named after the 14th-century master Lama Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), the Fund embodies His vision of integrating deep scholarship, ethical discipline, and meditative insight. In 2025, the Fund has already disbursed US$174,568, reinforcing its commitment to sustaining the living transmission of Dharma teachings.

Lineage Teachers | Annual Geluk Exam | Annual Winter Debate | Scholastic Achievement | Geluk Lineage | Medical Research | Thank you! 

Supporting Our Lineage Teachers

Since its inception in 1997, the Fund has provided monthly stipends to 141 senior Geluk teachers, including past and present abbots of the main geluk monasteries, umzes, and teachers from major monasteries such as Sera Je, Sera Mey, Gaden Jangtse, Gaden Shartse, Drepung Loseling, Drepung Gomang, Gyudmed, Gyuto, Rato, and Tashi Lhunpo. These stipends – totaling around US$14,080 annually – ensure that these scholars can focus fully on their spiritual and academic pursuits.

On August 31, 2025, the annual graduation ceremony of Great Examination of Gelugpa University was successfully completed with the graduation of second-year Lhopon, and a closing ceremony was held. During the ceremony, certificates and tokens of appreciation were also presented to the participants.

Supporting the Annual Geluk Exam

Supporting the Annual Geluk Exam.

During the event, Geshe Sonam Norbu, Director of the Gelugpa Cultural society, spoke about how the great patron of the teachings, the late Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who from 1997 until now, through the Lama Tsong Khapa Teachers Fund, has provided food, provisions, and travel expenses to retired abbots from the three great monastic seats, great teachers, and participants in the Gelug debate examinations. The director dedicated the merit of such extensive service to the teachings and expressed prayers and encouragement that Rinpoche’s unmistaken reincarnation would quickly arrive and be able to continue his predecessor’s legacy of spiritual accomplishments.

In 2025, US$10,841 was allocated to support the Geluk Exam, a rigorous test of philosophical understanding.

Supporting the Annual Winter Debate

His Holiness the Dalai Lama arriving at debate ground of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery to attend the Winter Debating Session in Bylakuppe, Karnataka. Photo by Tenzin Choejor. January 2025

The Fund also sponsors the annual Winter Debate, which bring together hundreds of monks from the eight major Geluk monasteries.

The Winter Debate, hosted this year at Gaden Monastery, received US$16,609 in funding. This covered round-trip bus travel and offerings of milk and fruit, and organizational costs for nearly 500 monks.

Honoring Scholastic Achievement

Since 2000, a cherished tradition has been upheld through the offering of complete sets of robes to monks who successfully memorized the Migsel Loguk Chenpo text. For 25 years, this offering has honored their dedication and inspired continued excellence in Dharma study. In 2025, 119 students were recognized with robes and ceremonial scarves, representing a total offering of US$3,038.

Strengthening the Geluk Lineage

The LTKTF and its partner, the Geluk International Foundation (GIF), have made remarkable strides in 2024–2025 in preserving and advancing the Geluk tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Through sponsorship and coordinated efforts, this initiative has empowered scholars, teachers, and monastic institutions across India to deepen their study and transmission of the Dharma.

Jangchup Choeling Nunnery nuns are celebrating Lama Tsongkhapa’s Day on December 25th, 2024.
Source: Jangchup Choeling Nunnery’s website.

The Research and Training of Specialist Geshes and Geshemas project, initiated in 2020 under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, has grown to include dozens of scholars from over 10 major monasteries, including: Sera Jey & Sera Mey, Gaden Jangtse & Gaden Shartse, Drepung Gomang & Drepung Loseling, Gyuto & Gyumed Tantric Monasteries, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Rato Monastery, and Jangchup Choeling Nunnery.

Each scholar is engaged in a three-year research program focused on one of the five major treatises of Buddhist philosophy: Pramana (Logic), Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom), Madhyamaka (Middle Way), Abhidharma (Phenomenology), and Vinaya (Monastic Discipline). Their work includes quarterly submissions of research papers, guided by appointed instructors and supervisors, and culminates in a thesis reviewed by an expert committee.

The Geluk International Foundation has implemented a robust monitoring system, including:

• Regular workshops on research methodology
• Quarterly progress tracking and feedback
• Personalized mentorship for each scholar
• Coordination with abbots and monastic leaders to ensure timely submissions and project alignment

This year, the annual grant for the Research and Training Project for Specialist Geshes and Geshemas reached US$77,500, while the Third Research and Training Project received US$37,500.

These funds, were used to provide stipends to scholars, instructors, and supervisors across all participating monasteries. Together, these initiatives cultivate the next generation of Buddhist scholars, ensuring the Geluk tradition remains intellectually robust and accessible to future generations.

Funding Tibetan Medical Research

On March 25, 2025, Men-Tsee-Khang celebrated its 109th founding anniversary since its establishment in Lhasa, Tibet, in 1916 by His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama, and its 64th year since its re-establishment in Dharamsala, India, in 1961 by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Source: Men-Tsee-Khang’s official website.

In 2025, a grant of US$15,000 was offered to Men-Tsee-Khang. Men-Tsee-Khang’s Clinical Research Department has launched a retrospective observational study to evaluate the role of Traditional Tibetan Medicine (TTM) in cancer care. Led by Dr. Dorjee Rabten Neshar and a team of Tibetan medical researchers, the study explores how ancient Sowa Rigpa principles can complement modern oncology. 

TTM views cancer as an imbalance among the body’s three energies: rlung (wind), mkhris-pa (bile), and bad-kan (phlegm), and treats it holistically through herbal formulations, dietary changes, external therapies, and mental well-being practices.

The two-year study will analyze patient records from Men-Tsee-Khang clinics to assess survival rates, quality of life, symptom changes, and safety outcomes among cancer patients who received TTM for over three months. Results will be compared to existing cancer survival data to evaluate TTM’s potential as a complementary, safe, and affordable treatment option.

This initiative marks a significant step toward integrating Tibetan healing wisdom with global cancer research—bridging tradition and modern science for compassionate, holistic care and this research continues to advance knowledge and share valuable findings at Tibetan medical conferences in Dharamsala.

Full funding for the Research and Training projects, as well as the Tibetan Medical Research, has already been received and is being administered by the Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund.

Thank You!

Your continued support is not only sustaining the Geluk lineage but actively nurturing its future. With your help, these scholars are building bridges between tradition and contemporary understanding, ensuring that Lama Tsongkhapa’s legacy continues to illuminate minds across generations!

The Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund preserves the unbroken Tsongkhapa lineage, and cultivates the foremost scholars of tomorrow. The fund provides support to the abbots and senior teachers of the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition, supports the annual Gelugpa exam and monks and nuns to attend the annual winter debate among many other activities.