Sera-Je Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden was one of the most distinguished scholars of his generation. Yet for those of us who knew him at the Tibetan Buddhist Society, he was not only a master of Buddhist philosophy, but a deeply compassionate teacher whose impact changed our lives forever.
From Tibet to India: the journey of a great scholar
Sera-Je Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden completed his Lharam Geshe studies in Tibet. The Lharam qualification is the highest level of Geshe degree and is reserved only for the best students. In 1959, along with about one hundred thousand other refugees, Geshe-la fled from Tibet to India, escaping the violence of the Chinese cultural revolution that had led to the wholesale destruction of Tibet’s monasteries. The refugee monks soon regathered in Buxa in West Bengal to resume their monastic routine and education. Geshe-la became teacher to more than one hundred students.
In India, Geshe-la sat his Geshe Lharam examination before His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and separately before the abbots and community of each of the three main Gelug monasteries. In all his exams he scored equal best. He earned a reputation as an extraordinary scholar, a reputation that continues to this day.
Also in India, after three years’ study at India’s Varanasi Sanskrit University Geshe-la was awarded an Acharya (Master’s) degree with honours, and then after six years at Gyudmed Tantric College a master’s degree in Vajrayana Buddhism.
Geshe Loden’s arrival in Australia: extraordinary teachings at Chenrezig Institute
Geshe-la was invited by Lama Thubten Yeshe, founder of the FPMT, to become resident teacher at Chenrezig Institute, the FPMT’s first centre in the West. Following advice from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and from Geshe-la’s root guru His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche – Junior Tutor to His Holiness the Dalai Lama – Geshe-la accepted the invitation to visit Australia in 1976 for three years. He was joined by his translator, Zasep Tulku Rinpoche.
At Chenrezig Institute, over the three years, Geshe-la gave an extraordinary range of teachings on the seminal monastery texts, including:
- Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds by Shantideva
- Treasury of Knowledge by Vasubandhu
- Engaging in the Middle Way by Chandrakirti
- Fundamental Wisdom by Nagarjuna
- Ornament for the Mahayana Sutras by Maitreya
- Understanding the Mind by Phurchog Jhampa Rinpoche
- Sublime Continuum of the Mahayana by Maitreya
- System of Tenets by Sera Jetsun Chokyi Gyaltsen
These courses comprised morning and evening classes six days a week. Additionally, every night Geshe-la and Zasep Tulku Rinpoche spent time preparing for the next day’s classes.
Each year Geshe-la taught the Lam Rim – the Graduated Path, based on Je Tsong Khapa’s great Lam Rim – over four weeks. Geshe-la also gave tantric initiations and teachings on the Twenty-One Taras and One Hundred Thousand Deities of the Land of Joy.
At the time when his stay in Australia was coming to an end Geshe-la remarked that he did not think that such extensive teachings would be given again in Australia.
My early encounters: gardening, coffee and life-changing Dharma
Each year Geshe-la came to Melbourne for a few weeks to give teachings at Tara House (now Tara Institute), which was then located in Kew. In 1977, as a beginner student who’d only attended a handful of classes, I attended a four-day retreat led by Geshe-la in Mount Macedon.
This was my first contact with Geshe-la, and I was amazed. Whilst not ready to accept on face value some central Buddhist concepts such as karma and rebirth, it seemed that if someone who was so obviously erudite and analytical clearly held these things to be true then there must be something to them. Geshe-la fully embodied all of what Buddhism taught.
In 1978 I attended a four-week Lam Rim course given by Geshe-la at Chenrezig Institute followed directly be a two-week Lam Rim retreat. Everyone participating in classes had to contribute to the upkeep of Chenrezig Institute. It was my fortune to be assigned work in the Lama’s garden, just outside Geshe-la’s and Zasep Tulku’s house.
How lucky was I! Whilst up there ostensibly working, Geshe-la often would invite me to the back of the house and ply me with a cup of Ecco (ersatz coffee) and, sometimes, cheese on toast with jam. Although he’d only been in Australia for about a year, he was already learning English, and we were able to converse.
The founding of the Tibetan Buddhist Society: simple beginnings
In 1979 I returned to Chenrezig Institute for two months to attend teachings on Ornament for the Mahayana Sutras. Again, I worked in Geshe-la’s garden and had plenty of opportunities to converse with Geshe-la. Geshe-la’s commitment to teach at Chenrezig Institute for three years was drawing to a close and he was due to return to India.
By 1979 his students had established centres in Sydney and Brisbane. A few of us from Melbourne were keen to continue to receive teachings. Late in 1979, not long before he departed Australia, Geshe-la convened a meeting to inaugurate the Tibetan Buddhist Society. There, amongst others, were Toby Gillies and his family, John Edwards, Paul Sokolich (Sox), and I.
Sacred journeys: meeting His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche in Dharamsala
Geshe-la had invited Toby and me to come to India, to visit the monasteries and especially to meet His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Ling Rinpoche (Senior Tutor to the Dalai Lama) and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Geshe-la told us how Trijang Rinpoche guided the young Dalai Lama in politics and was instrumental in his escape from Tibet. As a Ganden Lineage Holder he gave extensive initiations, teachings and wrote many books. The famous Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand was compiled by Trijang Rinpoche from notes he’d taken whilst attending Je Pabongkha Rinpoche’s famous Lam Rim course in Lhasa.
In 1980 we spent several months in India. We mainly stayed at Sera Monastery but also spent two weeks at Gyudmed Tantric College. Geshe-la had been Discipline Master there alongside his friend Regzung Rinpoche, the Abbot. Discipline Master and Abbot are the seniormost roles in the monastery. Geshe-la remarked that during that period discipline at the monastery developed. Regzung Rinpoche, a renowned Yamantaka practitioner, later became Ganden Tripa, the head of the Gelugpas.
From Gyudmed Tantric College we travelled to Delhi, and from there to Dharamsala, where we stayed for two weeks. Geshe-la told us many stories about His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche. At that time, most senior Gelug monks were Trijang Rinpoche’s students. Some, such as Geshe-la and Lama Yeshe, were instrumental in establishing Buddhism in Western countries.
Geshe-la told us how Trijang Rinpoche guided the young Dalai Lama in politics and was instrumental in his escape from Tibet. As a Ganden Lineage Holder he gave extensive initiations, teachings and wrote many books. The famous Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand was compiled by Trijang Rinpoche from notes he’d taken whilst attending Je Pabongkha Rinpoche’s famous Lam Rim course in Lhasa.
Trijang Rinpoche’s poetic skills were legend. He was adored by Tibetans. Geshe-la said he could help with any questions, be they about Dharma, business, health or relationships. In Tibet thousands routinely attended Trijang Rinpoche’s teachings.
Geshe-la said that, metaphorically, Trijang Rinpoche was always at the crown of his head. Geshe-la’s guru devotion was profound, and his praise for his guru was inexhaustible. However, one area Geshe-la travelled a different path was his choice of principal Dharma protector. From an early age Geshe-la had forged a strong connection with Mahakala and he retained that singular devotion throughout his life.
Whenever Geshe-la was in Dharamsala he would stay at Trijang Rinpoche’s house. But when Toby and I were there, he declined Rinpoche’s invitation and instead stayed with Toby and me at the Rainbow Hotel. No doubt to keep a watchful eye out for a couple of innocents abroad.
Geshe-la, Toby and I were fortunate to receive several days of teachings from His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche in Dharamsala. These teachings were private, because otherwise hundreds would have tried to attend.
Return to Australia: a prophecy fulfilled
Toby and I returned to Australia whilst Geshe-la stayed on in India. In 1981, not long before Trijang Rinpoche’s passing, Geshe-la received personal Chittamani Tara initiation from Rinpoche. Rinpoche gave his blessings and advice for Geshe-la’s return to Australia. Rinpoche’s prophecy about Geshe-la’s future in Australia came to fruition.
On his return to Australia Geshe-la was based in Melbourne. From there he travelled to teach in his other centres in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth.
For information about classes and retreats held at our meditation centre in Melbourne VIC, please visit tibetanbuddhistsociety.org