About Namgyal Monasteries
History of Namgyal Monastery
Namgyal Monastery was founded in 16th-century Tibet by the second Dalai Lama, Gendun Gyatso. Since its founding, the Namgyal monks have assisted the Dalai Lamas in public religious affairs and have performed ritual prayer ceremonies for the welfare of Tibet. The monastery was also established as an esteemed center of learning, contemplation, and meditation on the vast and profound Buddhist treatises.Situated in Lhasa next to the Potala Palace, the private residence of the Dalai Lamas, Namgyal Monastery has played an integral role in the Tibetan religious establishment over the centuries.
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Video on the History of Namgyal Monastery
Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies Ithaca, NY
Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies in Ithaca, NY, is the North American Seat of the Personal Monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The founding of Namgyal-Ithaca in 1992 marked an important new phase in the history of Buddhism and Tibetan culture in America.
Launched with the inspiration of the late Namgyal monk Venerable Pema Losang Chogyen and several of his American friends, with the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama Namgyal-Ithaca was established as a branch of the main Namgyal Monastery located in Dharamshala, India. The primary mission of the newly established Ithaca branch was to offer Western students the opportunity to study authentic Tibetan Buddhism in a monastic setting.
In keeping with the tradition of the original Namgyal Monastery in Tibet, Namgyal-Ithaca is a non-sectarian institution staffed by monks deputed from Namgyal India and offers students the opportunity to study aspects of all sects in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Classes at the monastery are taught by our faculty of Namgyal monks and visiting teachers.
Namgyal Tantric College Dharamsala, India
Namgyal Monastery was founded in the 16th century, by Gendun Gyatso, the second Dalai Lama of Tibet. The monastery was adjacent to the famous Potala Palace, the private residence of the Dalai Lama in - the center of the capital city of Lhasa and supported the ritual practices and teachings of the four main Tibetan Buddhist lineages. When Tibet lost independence in 1959, the headquarters of Namgyal was re-established in Dharamsala, India. During these last six decades in exile, Namgyal expanded by opening branch monasteries in various parts of India.
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