It is with deep sadness that we share news of the passing of LRZTP’s beloved teacher Geshe Tenzin Wangdak (1972-2025) after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Geshe-la left this life on September 8th 2025 surrounded by friends and students while being cared for in Delek Hospital Dharamshala. His friendly guidance will be sorely missed by all of us at LRZTP and all others who were close to him.
Geshe Wangdak joined LRZTP in 2013 and eventually became one of the main Tibetan language and dharma teachers at LRZTP. Over the years he tirelessly worked creating new materials and updating the content and structure of the LRZTP 2-year program of studies. His main concern was creating a friendly and learning-conducive environment for non-Tibetans to quickly learn colloquial Tibetan language and essential Dharma terminology, and in this he made himself ever available to eager students – even his lunch breaks would somehow morph into an impromptu Tibetan language lesson.
In more recent years he was heavily involved with refurbishing the school after Covid and managing the 2-year intensive program. During the last year and even up to the final month of his life he still remained involved with school through offering regular guidance to the program coordinator and helping appoint other geshe teachers to fill his positions.
Geshe Wangdak in 2017 with Jairo, Yaron, and Martha during the LRZTP 7 graduation ceremony
Geshe Wangdak in 2017 with Greta, Yaron, and Martha during the LRZTP 7 graduation ceremony
Geshe Wangdak (far right) in 2018 with (from left) Alex, Filip and Thupten of LRZTP
LRZTP 7 cohort audience with HHDL 2017 (Geshe Tenzin Wangdak is just right of HHDL)
We would also like to share a couple memories of Geshe-la from Dr Filip Majkowski (a colleague from LRZTP) and from Heidi Minx (one of Geshe Wangdak’s early English language teachers and longtime friend).
Memories of Geshe Wangdak from Dr Filip Majkowski
I have known Geshe Tenzin Wangdak since 2017, when I first started working at LRZTP. From day one Geshe-la was very helpful and open minded about everything. He was always ready to reach out and help, he always had ideas and was a problems solver. He did everything with compassion and humour. By then he had already devoted so much of his time to LRZTP and the students. He had passion for his work and a big heart to all students. Much later, during the pandemic, he put the same heart and passion into teaching Tibetan online. He taught until his declining health allowed him to continue. In that he was a true inspiration to teachers and students alike.
The period of his sickness was a very sad time for LRZTP and everyone who knew him. After several months of fighting the disease in 2022 he was healthy again and it seemed he was winning. Then, in early 2024 suddenly things got worse. It was really sad to watch him lose energy and not be able to do what he loved. He could not teach, nor was he able to do house repairs, which was also his passion – in LRZTP he always had his kit with drills, hammers, screwdrivers etc. He loved that. But he still loved meeting people and give advice as much as possible.
I saw him last at the end of June, before I left for Europe. When he passed, I was back in Dharamsala, quite nearby, but unfortunately not able to see him. I regret that. I feel blessed I had this wonderful opportunity to meet Geshe-la in my life. I know we will meet again in some other life. Until then, may the blessings of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas be with you, Geshe-la. We miss you…
Memories of Geshe Wangdak from Heidi Minx
In 2009, a program was started by the Dalai Lama Trust for a select group of Geshes – a foreign language program so that when HH’s office received requests for Dharma teachers, students from this group could teach in either English or Chinese. Geshe Wangdak was one of two students in the advanced English class. Geshela understood the nuances of learning – that it wasn’t just a written exercise based on books, but also discovering and experiencing cultural nuances. The abundance, or lack of direct translations of many words would lead us to interesting debates. The Tibetan word for weasel, neuli, led us to the western scientific naming system for rodents, and then into evolution, back to dinosaurs. Gently debating became a regular theme – and I remember his earnest surprise that there were not ‘single words’ in English for words used commonly in debate — ‘the book is on the table, so the table supports the book, and the book supports the table – what is the single word for each of these items?’ Our classes weaved through traditional vocabulary and writing to the methods of how to teach western students.
One assignment centered on teaching the Four Noble Truths; and as they began to teach, I asked, “What IS karma?” Geshela’s face lit up, first in confusion that his English teacher didn’t know what karma was, to then a look of disbelief that a concept so deeply understood in his studies and culture might need to be explained more deeply. He grasped that moment – and I believe it is just one example of what made him an excellent teacher, the wisdom to understand that even the smallest concepts needed to be taught and explained with the same importance as deeper concepts. We discussed the differences and similarities between Buddhism as a science, philosophy and religion and how that intersected with western science, philosophy and religion.
Geshe Wangdak was a deeply committed friend as well. His dedication to our friendship was evidenced in so many ways – whether waking up early to stand in line at Yeshe Dhondup’s office when I was sick to make sure I got an early appointment so I could return to class quickly — making sure I had a seat saved with him at HH’s teachings, bringing me to his Aunt and Uncle’s for huge family meals… seeing me happy after feeding puppies at lunch then coming to love and care for dogs for many years. He loved being a teacher, and in our free time after classes took it upon himself to begin to teach me Tibetan — buying children’s primer books and getting me my first fountain pen that he cut the tip off of for best letter structure – he said ‘you will learn letters first, like I did’. Several years later Geshela and I worked together on a program to teach the students of a local Thangka school (ITTA) English with the intention that they be able to talk about and share their art with others outside the Tibetan community. Geshela was an excellent friend – when my cat died, when I lost my job, when it was my ‘obstacle year’ – Geshela would say prayers, and have his khangtsen say prayers. His smile and sense of humor made him an excellent friend and teacher as well. The day his class graduated the teacher translation program at IBD, we had a private audience with HH. At the end of the audience, we all walked out to the steps for the celebratory photo with HH. HH was looking at my tattoos and talking with me as we were walking – and as we got to the steps, HH noticed the sengye tattoos on my arm, he clasped my arm and began clapping his hand against it laughing, ‘yah bobdhuk!’ The students all looked up a bit in shock. As we walked slowly to Dharamkot for a pizza party, Geshela said, “we thought you were getting scolded – but how do you say? You got beat up by the Dalai Lama, very good blessing’ making us both laugh more as I explained the nuance of the phrase ‘beat up’.
Geshela truly embodied the intent of HH’s program, going on to support Julia with her interpreting at the Tibetan Library, and later with the LRZTP program teaching Tibetan language and Buddhism to western students, planting innumerable seeds of karma that will ripen and unfurl in all corners of the world for generations. In his last week, I witnessed the deep devotion of his students, calling and visiting – imparting to him the deep care that they have for him, as he had for them. His quick and bright smile, his nurturing and genuine care for others, his warm yet direct nature, his powerful yet gentle voice and his deep but unassuming knowledge will be deeply missed by so many who were lucky to have had the karma to know him in this lifetime.
Geshe Tenzin Wangdak with his uncle Khedrup Jamyang, Heidi Minx and his uncle’s wife taken in Dharamshala around 2012