Born in Lhasa, Tibet, in 1939, Kyabje Gelek Rimpoche is renowned for the crucial role he has played in the survival of Tibetan Buddhism. Among the last generation of lamas educated in Drepung Monastery, Rimpoche edited and printed over 170 volumes of rare Tibetan manuscripts and, in 1988, founded Jewel Heart to share Tibetan Buddhism and culture. As a result of his thorough knowledge of English and familiarity with modern Western culture, he has been particularly effective as a teacher of Western practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. His collected works now include close to forty transcripts of his teachings, numerous articles as well as the national bestseller Good Life, Good Death (2001) and The Tara Box: Rituals for Protection and Healing from the Female Buddha (2004).

This talk will also be webstreamed as part of Jewel Heart leader Gelek Rimpoche’s ongoing series of talks about Buddhism.

The exhibition Buddhist Thangkas and Treasures: The Walter Koelz Collection, Museum of Anthropology is part of the UM Collections Collaborations series, co-organized by and presented at UMMA and designed to showcase the renowned and diverse collections at the University of Michigan. The UM Collections Collaborations series is generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.