Dr. Lama Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche

Lama Gangchen was born in western Tibet in 1941. He was recognised at an early age to be a reincarnate lama healer and was enthroned at Gangchen Choepeling monastery at the age of five. When he reached the age of twelve he received the 'Kachen" degree which is usually conferred after twenty years of study. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, he studied medicine, astrology, meditation and philosophy in two of the major monastic universities of Tibet: Sera and Tashi Lhumpo. He also studied in Gangchen Compa, Tropu Gompa, and Neytsong Monastery.

In 1963 he went into exile to India where he continued his studies for the next seven years at the Varanasi Sanskrit University (Bishwa Vhidhyiana) in Benares.

In 1970 he received the Geshe Rigram diploma from Sera Monastic University situated in South India.

After his graduation, he worked as a reincarnate lama healer among the Tibetan communities in Nepal, India and Sikkim, during which time he saved the lives of many people and was named private physician to the Royal family.

In 1981, Lama Gangchen visited Europe for the first time. In the same year he also established his first European centre: Karuna Choetsok in Lesbos, Greece, where he is known to have planted a bodhi tree in the 'Buddha Garden', and in the centre of which he consecrated what was to become the first of a long line of World Peace Buddha statues, thankas and images.

Since 1982 he has travelled extensively, both healing and teaching in Italy, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, England, Ireland, U.S.A., Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Mongolia, China, Tibet, Russia, and Buriyatia.

During these years he has lead many pilgrimages to some of the most important holy places of the Buddhist tradition, in India, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tibet, guiding large groups of friends and disciples from all over the world, the majority of whom have reported many physical and mental benefits from the experience.

In addition to these pilgrimages to Buddhist holy places, Lama Gangchen has visited many holy sites in Europe, including that of Assisi, Italy the home of Saint Francis; the ancient temples of Delphi and Athens in Greece. In England he has visited the sites of Stonehenge and Avebury as well as visiting many Western Buddhist centres and temples. During all these pilgrimages he has met many high lamas, both in the East and the West.

In 1988 he opened his first residential dharma centre outside of Asia: 'Shide Choe Tsok' Peace Dharma Centre, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. At present he has 85 Inner Peace Education Centres worldwide.

Since coming to the West in 1982, and later becoming both a resident in Italy and and eventually an Italian citizen, Lama Gangchen's activities have taken on an ever increasing worldwide scope towards the achievement of World Peace.

Mainly, it began with the founding of :

The Kunpen Lama Gangchen Institute for the propagation and preservation of the Tibetan Medical Tradition in Milan, Italy in 1989. Here Lama Gangchen has initiated the first extensive programmes of Himalayan medical and astrological studies for Western students. Also concerned with the preservation of the Himalayan culture, the centre holds courses in Buddhist philosophy, thanka painting and other arts. Lama Gangchen has invited many groups of Tibetan monks to Europe such as the Ganden Shartse monks, the Sera-Me monks, the Nyalam Phengyeling monks and the Segyupa monks to make sand mandalas and perform sacred Cham dances; all of their activities are dedicated to world peace.

The Institute is also the Western Headquarters of Lama Gangchen's activities and his Western residence.

The Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation (L.G.W.P.F.), International Friendship for the Support of Tibetan Medicine, Vajrayana Buddhist Philosophy and Self Healing to Develop World Peace, established in 1992 following an International conference of doctors, healers and therapists held in Milan, Italy. The Foundation has its main seat in Spain and was officially recognised by the Spanish government in November 1993.
Each year the L.G.W.P.F. holds an International congress m Madrid, Spain, which provides a forum for discussion between scientists, doctors, therapists and philosophers. One of the major aims of the Foundation is to provide documented scientific evidence about the benefits of ancient Tibetan Himalayan healing methods, other natural healing methods and the energetic qualities of spiritual healing. The Foundation also gives a base for constructive dialogue between different cultures in order to create and promote educational methods to develop Inner Peace and World Peace.

The Himalayan Healing Centre in Kathmandu, Nepal which provides minimal cost Western medical care alongside traditional Tibetan and Ayurvedic medical care for local inhabitants. The Healing Centre offers many different facilities enabling the use of many therapeutic systems, space to hold residential courses in Tibetan medicine, lectures, conferences and so on, with the aim to create a base for the exchange of verbal information and clinics for the actual medical practice between the Eastern and Western medical sciences.

In 1994, the Kunpen Lama Gangchen Institute and the Himalayan Healing Centre jointly financed a one year project of a leprosy station in Kathmandu and another station which is linked to the Sanku hospital, 20km outside of Kathmandu.

Lama Gangchen financially supports the construction and upkeep of schools, clinics and monasteries in India, Nepal and Tibet/China, supplying them with different therapeutic systems, trained Western doctors and facilities, materials and medicines.

In 1994, Lama Gangchen founded Peace Radio 'La Radio della Pace' and Lama Gangchen Peace Publications, both situated in Milan, Italy. Their aim is, respectively, to broadcast and spread positive information about Inner and World Peace Education, Self-Healing, self-responsibility and self-morality; natural therapies, environmental awareness and inter-religious cooperation.