Conversations with Tibetan Buddhist Monastics: Geshe Damchoe - a podcast by Nick Zolfo
from 2021-02-01T10:00
Ven. Geshe Tenzin Damchoe was born in Dharamsala India and attended Tibetan Childrens Village (TCV) school until the 10th grade. After that he attended TCV Bylakuppe where he received a Bachelors of Commerce from St. Philomena’s college of Mysore University.
After graduating with his commerce degree, Geshe-la joined the Institute of Buddhist Dialectic school, where he spent over a decade studying Buddhist philosophy and earning the prestigious Geshe degree (which is equivalent to a PhD) from Drepung Loseling Monastery in south India. He later became a professor: teaching Buddhist Philosophy and Practices at Earlham College and then at Oxford University in England as a visiting scholar. Geshe-la now works at Sarah College for higher Tibetan studies as a program coordinator and renowned lecturer for Buddhist Philosophy studies.
Given his expertise, Marshall and I discussed with Ven Geshe-la:
- How he became a monk
- Prevalence of monks in tibet
- What does being a geshe mean
- How to keep your cup of knowledge from getting full
- Respecting others by thinking about their good qualities
- Self centered attitude vs. self-cherising
- Unconditional vs. Conditional love
- Interdependence of everything
- Two different types of meditation: Analytical and one pointed meditation
- Two different types of compassion: Emotional and Wisdom
- Positive influence western traditions have had on him
- How karma and murphy’s law share similarities
- 4 Noble Truths
- Contextualizing the four noble truths and 8-fold path as they pertain to coping and surviving the COVID-19 crisis.
- The utility of the identities we hold
- How Finding nemo shows us a great example of the 4 noble truths
Further episodes of Catching Z's: The Millennials Guide to Mindfulness
Further podcasts by Nick Zolfo
Website of Nick Zolfo