| The following article is from the Winter, 1986 issue of the Snow Lion Newsletter and is for historical reference only. You can see this in context of the original newsletter here. |
Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey (1921–1995)
The Ven. Geshe Ngawang Dharghey trained in the monastic tradition of Buddhist philosophy, debate and meditation from early childhood and grew up to become one of the most learned and respected members of his generation.
After the Chinese takeover of Tibet in 1959, he fled to India along with the hundreds of thousands of his countrymen who followed His Holiness the Dalai Lama into exile.
In India he completed his studies, graduating with the highest degree (lharam).
At the request of the Dalai Lama, Geshe Dharghey was appointed principal teacher at the Tibetan Library in Dharamsala, a village in the Himalayan foothills where the Dalai Lama established his Government-in-exile.
For eighteen years Geshe Dharghey taught thousands of Western students every aspect of sutra and tantra with great love, compassion, and understanding.
In 1982, he traveled abroad to take up a visiting professorship at University of Washington in the United States. This was followed by a year-long teaching tour at the invitation of Buddhist centres throughout the world. At the conclusion of a very successful six-week lecture tour of New Zealand, Geshe Dharghey agreed to return to establish a Buddhist centre of learning.
In June 1985, he arrived in Dunedin accompanied by two Tibetan monk attendants and a translator. After acquiring a beautiful historic mansion, setting up a charitable trust the Dharghey Dharma Centre in Dunedin was established. There Geshe Dharghey became the resident lama and shared residence with his party and several of the centre's supporters. In the large meditation room regularly scheduled teachings and meditations were held.
