Pema Gellek

Faculty

Pema Gellek, Dean

Pema Gellek, M.A., is a disciple of her father, Tarthang Tulku, and Chadral Rinpoche, and studied Tibetan Buddhism at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Nepal. Working within her father’s mandala of organizations, she serves as a bridge between dharma in the East and West and has helped carry out Tarthang Tulku’s dharma activities in Asia for the past 20 years. Pema is also a filmmaker and director of Guna Foundation and has been a faculty member of Dharma College. She is co-dean at the Nyingma Institute and her areas of teaching at the Nyingma Institute are Buddhist Studies and Nyingma Psychology.

See her current workshops and courses.

Read a letter from the deans.

« View all faculty

Lama Palzang

Faculty

Lama Palzang, Dean

Lama Palzang is a Nyingma lama who was born in the Gyarong region of Tibet, where from a very young age, he was trained in the dharma under Jigme Tenpa Dargye Rinpoche. He was formally educated at Minyak Lhagang Monastery in Kham and trained in the Longchen Nyingtik tradition under his root teachers, Khenchen Chodrak Rinpoche and Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche. He completed a traditional three year retreat under Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche in Beyul Yolmo, Nepal. Since 2002, Lama Palzang has assisted Tarthang Rinpoche with large-scale dharma projects in Asia. Lama Palzang teaches classes on Buddhist Studies and Nyingma Meditation and guides traditional dharma retreats at the Institute.

See his current workshops and courses.

Read a letter from the deans.

« View all faculty

Hugh Joswick

Faculty

Hugh Joswick, Instructor

Hugh Joswick, Ph.D., has been studying and practicing at Nyingma Institute under Tarthang Tulku’s senior students since the mid-1990’s. He has also co-edited several books under the close direction of Tarthang Tulku, including Caring and the Lotus Trilogy books. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University, and a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has taught philosophy at the university level and is currently the Managing Editor of Mangalam Press, the publishing arm of Mangalam Research Center for Buddhist Languages, which focuses primarily on scholarly works in the fields of Buddhist and Religious Studies. Hugh brings a gentle approach and skillful style of inquiry to his teaching.

See their current workshops and courses.

« View all faculty

Santosh Philip

Faculty

Santosh Philip, Instructor

Santosh Philip, M.A, an architect and entrepreneur, has studied Nyingma teachings since 1995. His primary teaching area is Kum Nye, where he conveys his considerable love and respect for Tibetan Yoga self-massage and movement practices to his students, both at the advanced and introductory levels. Nearly every Sunday throughout the year, Santosh and fellow Kum Nye instructors alternate teaching a drop-in Kum Nye morning class from ten to Noon; Santosh also teaches Nyingma Practices classes, including classes in dream yoga.

See his current workshops and courses.

« View all faculty

Mark Henderson

Faculty

Mark Henderson, Instructor

Mark Henderson, J.D., LL.M., currently works full-time on sacred art projects with the Nyingma Mandala of organizations as a project manager and has helped create over one hundred thousand prayer wheels. He first encountered several great masters of the Nyingma lineage in the mid-1970s and is an avid student of Buddhism, with great appreciation for its vast and rich collection of texts. In his professional career, Mark was a practicing attorney, recognized by the California State Bar as a certified specialist in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law. In the nonprofit sector, he served as both a Board Director and as an Executive Director. At the Nyingma Institute, he teaches classes in Tibetan Language, Tibetan Chanting, and Buddhist Studies.

See his current workshops and courses.

« View all faculty

Bob Byrne

Faculty

Bob Byrne, Instructor

Bob has two agricultural degrees and a Master’s from Johns Hopkins SAIS in International Relations. A student of Rinpoche since 1969, he first taught here at the NI in 1972. His passion for Buddhist Studies and Nyingma practices has been evident throughout his adult life. After a successful career in business Bob and his spouse Renie Byrne co-directed Dharma Publishing from 1998 – 2003; Bob also served as an advisor for TAP from around 1994 – 1997. Bob and Renie are now active in a biodynamic compost business.

See his current workshops and courses.

« View all faculty

Barr Rosenberg

Faculty

Barr Rosenberg, Instructor

Barr Rosenberg, Ph.D., has been a student of Tibetan Lama Tarthang Tulku since the early 1970’s. He is a member of the Yeshe De translation team, and is a successful entrepreneur. Barr taught for many years at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, has taught at the Nyingma Institute since 1982, and served as Co-Dean of the Nyingma Institute from 1999-2016. He regularly teaches courses at the Institute in Nyingma Meditation, Buddhist Studies, and Tibetan Art and Language.

See his current workshops and courses.

« View all faculty