Prof. Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche

Chancellor,
Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies

Professor Venerable Samdhong Rinpoche was born on 05 Nov, 1937 in Jol in eastern Tibet. He was former Prime Minister of Tibetan government-in-exile which was later officially called the Kalon Tripa or Chairman of Cabinet of Central Tibetan Administration based in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

Lobsang Tenzin, better known by titles Prof. Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche. To the Tibetans he is 5th Samdhong Rinpoche. Rinpoche, literally means “the precious one” used to be styled 'incarnate lamas'.

At an age of seven he took vows as a monk and started religious training at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa and completed it at the Madhyamika School of Buddhism.

In 1961, he served as religious teacher of Tibetan School in Shimla and in 1963 he was the acting Principal. In the year 1964 he worked as religious teacher of Darjeeling Tibetan School. At an age of 26, in 1965 he was appointed as the Principal of Central School for Tibetans, Dalhousie and served till 1970.

Prof. Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche received his Lharampa degree in the year 1968 and Ngagrimpa degree in 1969. In the year 1971 he became Principal of Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi. Later he was appointed Director in the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies from 1988 to 2001.

Prof. Rinpoche served twice as Speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile from 1991 to 2001.

In the year 1994 he was awarded a National Lectureship from Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR), New Delhi. He assumed many important responsibilities including President of Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Prof. Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche was Chancellor of Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies in the year 2014-15. He is regarded as one of the leading Tibetan scholars of Buddhism and is also an authority on the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.