After two years of hard work and dedication the students of LRZTP 9 can finally say: yes, we have made it! Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo school’s ninth two-year Tibetan language program has now come to an end. The group of eleven students who came to Dharamsala in 2023 from all over the world are now happy graduates of one of the most demanding programs in the world of Tibetan language studies.

Eleven graduates of LRZTP 9

As is usually the case the students started their adventure with LRZTP from different levels. There were beginners, there were those who had already studied some Tibetan and there were those who at the beginning of the program were already quite advance either in language or Dharma studies. In the end Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program is happy to announce that the latest graduates come from: Australia, Germany, Israel, Sweden, Poland, United States and Argentina.

The final module of the two-year program (Module 9) differed somewhat in terms of the contents when compared to previous modules of the second year. The main feature of the last module was the interpretation (oral translation) workshop. There were four days each week devoted to the interpretation practice. On two days half of the class was theory of interpretation, the other half was practice. Not all of these days were mandatory, but addressed to those whose main aim was learning to interpret the Dharma teachings between Tibetan and English (or their mother tongue). Additionally, now upon the official graduation, those who are interested have been attending an extra interpretation workshop three times a week, which will be going on until the monsoon break in the latter part of July.

The main guest teacher in Module 9 was Geshe Losang Drakpa who taught Introduction to Tantra and on the dissolution stage. We are very grateful to Geshe-la and to all the guest teachers who visited in the course of LRZTP 9 for devoting their time to the students. Geshe Losang Drakpa was also one of the honorary guests at the graduation ceremony.

The graduation ceremony was preceded by an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at His residence in McLeod Ganj. The next day, 3^rd June, the actual graduation was organized at school. All students, all teachers, guest teachers and staff were invited to attend. The ceremony began with prayers, serving of tea and traditional sweet rice, followed by the official welcome of all guests by Julia Wilson, the Program Coordinator.

Several of the main teachers, including the special guest teacher Geshe Losang Drakpa, then took the stage to address the happy graduates. After all the well wishes and congratulations, students one by one came to the stage to proudly receive their well deserved certificates as well as some small graduation gifts. Finally, the students themselves, gave small individual speeches and were later interviewed in Tibetan by the reporters of Tibet Express.

The official part of the ceremony ended with a delicious lunch prepared for the occasion by the school’s wonderful cooks. Later, everyone had tea and cakes and engaged in individual conversations.

We would like to stress here how much of hard work the students have put into their learning in LRZTP. It took great effort on their part to not only master the extensive material of the two years but also to gain confidence as future translators and interpreters of Tibetan language and Dharma teachings. Everyone did a wonderful job and we are very proud of all the graduates. They all did really well in the course and will certainly be brilliant lotsawas if they only choose to. They will also carry on the good name of the Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program into the world.

In October of 2025 the next two-year program – LRZTP 10 – will begin. The registration is still open. And anyone who has been seriously thinking of joining but has not yet registered, you are most welcome to do it. Our online and at-school individual classes still continue, so if you feel like two years is too long or you have other goals, check our website and consider joining these individual one-on-one teacher-student meetings.

Big congratulations and a huge Thug Je Che to all of you LRZTP 9 lotsawas! You have done a great job!