Geshe Dangsong Namgyal

Kunsang Gar’s Spiritual Director, Geshe Dangsong Namgyal, is a Buddhist teacher, scholar, author, and meditation master. As a Rimé teacher, he embraces all the traditions and schools of Bön and Tibetan Buddhism. 

Born in the Kham region of Tibet, he learned reading, writing, and religious practices from his father and his uncles, receiving many Bön tantric empowerments, transmissions (lung), and blessings from Dzogchen yogi Uri Lama Tsultrim Gyaltsen, Togdhen Sherab Puntsok, Lama Nyima Tsultrim of the Sharza lineage, Chung Nag Lama Sonam Yeshe, among others. Geshe received the preliminary practices from Togdhen Sherab Puntsok and completed the accumulation and purification of nine hundred thousand.

At the age of fifteen, he studied at Lungkar Monastery in the Drakchen region of Tibet where he studied drub dra from Khenpo Nyima Lodo and Lopon Tsultrim Namdhag.

In 1991, he crossed the Himalaya Mountains by foot to Nepal, then India to continue his studies at the shedra in Menri Monastery in India. Five years later, he moved to Sera Jey Monastery in South India and received teachings from many great masters, such as H.E. Choden Rinpoche, former abbot H.E. Losang Tsering, and former abbot H.E. Losang Delek on Buddhist Logic and Epistemology, Madhyamaka, sutra yana (Prajnaparamita) stages of the path to the state of Buddhahood, completing a ten-year course. Additionally, he paid attention to basic science studies.

In 2005, he returned to the Bon monastery Triten Norbutse in Nepal and completed his studies in Bön philosophy, including dbu ma (Madhyamaka), phar phyin (Prajnaparamita), ’dul ba (Vinaya), mdzod (Abhidharma), secrete Tantra, and rdzogs chen (Dzogchen). After 25 years and much study, he received the degree of Geshe.

Geshe has presented at numerous conferences in Asia, Europe and the US, and has written and more than 20 books in Tibetan and English. Subsequently, he has authored books on various non-sectarian Tibetan religious traditions and cultural studies and has also worked as a book editor. His first English book “Pure Dzogchen” is liked by many people and has been translated into several languages.

Geshe arrived in California, USA in 2013, and has been continuously providing non-sectarian Tibetan spiritual and cultural teachings to those interested in the West. Since the Kunzang Gar nonprofit was established in 2016 in California, Geshe has expanded weekly teachings in the United States, Europe, Latin American, and Asia.