Geshe Denma Gyaltsen

Geshe Denma Gyaltsen is the resident lama of Ligmincha Texas. He arrived in Houston in January 2016 to serve as Ligmincha Texas’ first resident lama.

Geshe Denma Gyaltsen was born in the Dolpo region of northern Nepal. In 1981 his father brought him to Menri Monastery in India, regarded as the most important Bön monastery, to begin his program of study toward the Geshe degree. He received all the Bön teachings, initiations and transmissions in sutra, tantra and dzogchen from His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima Rinpoche, the 33rd Menri Trizin, and His Eminence Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. When he became a senior student, he was asked to teach philosophy to younger students. He successfully completed this degree program in 1996 and was awarded the Geshe certificate, which is considered equivalent to a Ph.D. in Bön Buddhist philosophy and religion.

Geshe Denma was an accomplished teacher and in 1998 was appointed by His Holiness, with the approval of the Tibetan government in exile, first abbot of Zhu Rishing Yungdrung Kundak-Ling Monastery, a Bön Monastery in Sikkim, India. He served two terms in this capacity until 2003. In addition, from the time he graduated until 2008, Geshe Denma also was active in assisting Geshe Nyima Dakpa with the Bön Children’s Home, which houses many children in Dolanji, India, providing them with food, healthcare and free education.

Geshe Denma has traveled and shared the teachings of Bön across the US, Austria, Poland, Canada, Russia, Belarus, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. In additions to the many retreats he leads, he creates and teaches online courses for Ligmincha Learning.

 Geshe Denma has traveled and shared the teachings of Bön across the US, Austria, Poland, Canada, Russia, Belarus, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. In additions to the many retreats he leads, he creates and teaches online courses for Ligmincha Learning.