Geshe Sonam Thargye
Geshe Sonam Thargye is a Tibetan Buddhist monk in the Mahayana tradition. He was born in Kham, a province in eastern Tibet in 1962. He was ordained as a novice monk at the age of seven. As access to qualified spiritual teachers in Chinese occupied Tibet is very rare, he decided at nineteen years of age, to leave his homeland and travel to India.
This meant making the long, arduous journey across the Himalayas to reach India; a journey involving many dangerous risks from weather, the dangerous terrain, lack of food, and fear of detection by Chinese authorities. After successfully crossing the mountains and entering Nepal, Geshe Sonam made his way to Dharamsala in northern India, where a meeting with the Dalai Lama led to his entering Sera Je Monastic University in South India and commencing the traditional study program for the Geshe degree.
After many years within the monastic system undergoing intensive training in Buddhist philosophy and practice, he graduated in 1994 with the highest degree of Lharumpa Geshe. After completing his studies, Geshe Sonam decided to return to Tibet to teach in his homeland, where he felt there was a need for qualified teachers. In 1995, he returned to Kham. Whilst in Tibet, he became deeply concerned about the lack of educational opportunities for young Tibetans in both secular and Buddhist studies. He resolved to try to help improve the education system in his home region.
After eighteen months in Kham, unfavourable political circumstances forced Geshe Sonam to leave and return to India. He then completed twelve months’ study at Gyume Tantric University in southern India. During this period, his wish to help underprivileged children in his homeland remained constant. The opportunity to turn his wishes into reality presented itself in 1998, when he was invited to take up residence in Australia and teach.
In 1999, he founded Drol Kar Buddhist Centre in Geelong, Victoria where he is still the resident spiritual director. A short while later he also founded Nying-Jey Projects for Tibetan Communities, an organization which now helps set up and support infrastructure for educational and health services in Kham. He continues to work tirelessly to raise funds to improve the conditions for Tibetans in Tibet and in exile in India.
In 1999, Geshe Sonam initiated a tour to Australia by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The tour took place in May 2002 and His Holiness’ teaching was heard by huge numbers of people in Sydney, Melbourne and Geshe Sonam’s new home city, Geelong.
In 2005, he relocated the Drol Kar Buddhist Centre to a beautiful property near the coastal town of Anglesea in Victoria. In 2007, he invited His Holiness the Dalai Lama to visit Geelong for the second time, to bless the new Centre and give teachings in Geelong.
Geshe Sonam has initiated and directed six tours of Australia by Tibetan monks from monasteries in southern India, demonstrating the construction of sacred mandalas, promoting Tibetan culture and raising funds for and awareness of his various projects.
Geshe Sonam has travelled widely throughout Australia, Europe, North America and Asia. He has, however, made Australia his permanent home base, becoming an Australian citizen in 2002.
