Testimonials

"I appreciate your effort to continue the Visiting Scholars Program. I and many other scholars immensely benefited from modern education through this initiative. My genuine and special thanks and appreciation goes to Kamalashila Initiative for its great contribution to HHDL's vision of modernizing the education system in Tibetan Buddhist monastic institutions. I hope and pray for the continuation of this project in the future."

- Geshe Jigme Lodoe, VSP Alumni 2014

"Of all the things that I came to know, the most important one has been the different ways of imparting knowledge in traditional Tibetan monastic universities vis-à-vis modern universities. These two disciplines differ not only in the goals of imparting knowledge but also in the ways and means by which knowledge is disseminated. There is an overall difference in these two disciplines including the bond that is shared between teachers and students."

- Geshe Jigme Lodoe, VSP Alumni, Class of 2014

"Through the exchange program, I had the great opportunity to learn the English language, both speaking and writing, and also shared my knowledge in Buddhist philosophy with UCI students and staff. All expenses including tuition, apartment and food were taken care of in advance, which allowed us to focus solely on our study and cultural exchange activities.

I and the other three visiting scholars had a very happy time at UCI and did not face any problems during our entire journey. I would like to thank everyone at the UCI-Tibet Initiative Exchange Program and all UCI staff who have made this wonderful program a success. I also thank you all for your hospitality."

- Geshe Lobsang Gyaltsen, VSP Alumni, Class of 2018

"Though my acquaintance with UCI was for just ten weeks, I am determined to make a crucial contribution to the community I came from, based on the knowledge I acquired while at UCI. It is at UCI that I gained a better understanding of today’s world. I am sure I am now better equipped to make positive impacts in every direction I go, with the knowledge I obtained from my monastic education."

- Geshe Thubten Jinpa, VSP Alumni, Class of 2019

"Through this program, I took many opportunities to interact with students at UCI, who came from all corners of the world. It is really interesting for us to share experiences with each other and to be exposed to cultural exchange of different communities."

- Geshe Tsewang Dorje, VSP Alumni, Class of 2016

"[Kamalashila Initiative's VSP] brings Tibetan monks from Nepal, India, and other parts of the world on an exchange. At UC Irvine, this program gives monks accommodation and English education. In exchange, students and faculty are able to attend their dharma talks. It was here, my perspective of Buddhism opened up. Although I was raised Buddhist, the extent of my knowledge for a long time was that there were temples and statues of Buddha of whom we respect. The idea of enlightenment felt like an analogy to Jesus' reincarnation- it just happened. To see the depth of Buddhism and how I can apply it to my daily life is what I truly treasure from this program."

- Minh Ho Anh Nguyen, regular attendee of the meditation sessions led by the Buddhist visiting scholars, Visiting Scholars Program Program