Whether you are a first-time meditator or an active Buddhist practitioner, Gaden Samten Ling Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Society offers a warm and welcoming environment in which to practise. Our Society is based in the Alberta Centre for Peace and Meditation in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, built in 2012 in the style of a Tibetan monastery.
Our Society is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization, incorporated in 1991 under Alberta’s Societies Act. We are also a registered charity.
Throughout its history, our Society has maintained a strong bond with our root guru His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. We are dedicated to uphold, disseminate, and teach Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, and practice, in particular the Gaden Tripa tradition of the Gelugpa lineage.
Our Society was founded by Geshe Ngawang Kaldan in 1991. Since 2000 it has been under the spiritual direction of Kushok Lobsang Dhamchöe. Kushok was born in Tibet, escaped to India in 1963, and studied for 30 years at Namgyal Monastery in India, the personal non-sectarian monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Our Society is very active. Join us for meditation and Buddhist philosophy courses and retreats, Vajrayana practices, and Tibetan Cultural activities and Dharma festivals. Be part of things by volunteering or becoming a member.
We are truly fortunate to have such a kind and knowledgeable teacher as Kushok Lobsang Dhamchöe in our midst. His warm heart and humorous teaching style attracts many new students from diverse backgrounds and cultures to join our Society's classes and retreats. His teachings on meditation, cultivating a warm heart, practising patience and many other aspects of Buddhist philosophy are in demand in meditation groups, educational institutions, yoga studios, corporate offices and support groups across Alberta.
Kushok’s intention is to always offer Buddha's Teachings wherever there is an interest. It is his life-long mission to honour his teachers and help preserve the culture, religion and philosophical traditions of Tibet. Kushok fulfills this personal commitment every day through his activities at Gaden Samten Ling the Society's Alberta Centre for Peace and Meditation and beyond.
Kushok Lobsang Dhamchöe was born in the remote valley of Kyedong, Tibet in the mid 1950s. This valley is mentioned in the famous book Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer, who wrote: “I shall never cease thinking of this place with yearning, and if I can choose where to pass the evening of my life, it will be in Kyirong.” (Translations of the Tibetan spelling of Kyedong vary.)
Kushok was orphaned at four years old. His aunt cared for him until he escaped from Tibet in 1963 with the help of his uncle. Kushok’s paternal uncle was Drakar Rinpoche Tendzin Norbu, the 16th reincarnation of the Drakar Rinpoches whose monastic lineage is a combination of Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism. After Kushok’s uncle’s death, the 17th Drakar Rinpoche was discovered at the direction of the 16th Karmapa; he now resides in Kathmandu, Nepal. Kushok’s uncle’s lineage is revered and treasured, and is unique to the valley of Kyedong.
Following his escape from Communist Chinese occupied Tibet, Kushok enrolled at Kalimpong Central School for Tibetans in India. He received his novice monk’s vows from the great Tibetan master Kyabje Song Rinpoche. After only a few years the school closed due to lack of funding and Kushok was left homeless. He spent several years working and living in Clementown, India before travelling to Dharamsala where he was accepted to join Namgyal Monastery, the personal non-secular monastery of His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama. Kushok’s primary teacher was His Eminence Lobsang Nyima Pal Sangpo, the 100th holder of the throne of Je Tsongkhapa – known as the Ganden Tripa. Following rigorous study, Kushok received his Geshe degree from the Council of Religious and Cultural Affairs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1991, acknowledging his expertise in Buddhist scripture, ritual, philosophy, chanting, meditation, ritual dance, and the intricate arts of sand mandala and butter sculpture.
In the year 2000, after 30 years of study and service to Namgyal Monastery, Kushok moved to Edmonton at the request of our Society to become the Society’s Spiritual Director. Since arriving in Edmonton he has worked unceasingly to advance the vision of the Society’s founding teacher, Geshe Ngawang Kaldän, The Society activities and membership have grown under his constant guidance and care.
The Society's Alberta Centre for Peace and Meditation opened in 2012 and since opening, Kushok has introduced new courses including Meditation: A Path to Happiness and How to Practice, Seeds of Happiness (Meditation for Parents and Children), and much more.
"Kushok" is a term of respect for monks from His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s monastery. The word officially means servant of the Dalai Lama and is reserved for monks from Namgyal Monastery. Kushok prefers to be called by this term of respect rather than by a personal name or another title.
In our Society's name, "Gaden" means Tushita or Pure Land, "Samten" means single-pointed mind stability, and "Ling" means centre.
Our logo was designed by our current teacher Kushok Lobsang Dhamchöe in 2004, in recognition of our Society’s connection to the Kalachakra lineage. The Kalachakra is a specific teaching of the Vajrayana level that is a particular specialty of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. He has given this teaching 34 times during his lifetime and several of our Society members have attended multiple Kalachakra teachings around the world.
The scarf at the bottom of the image is a symbol of purity and peace. The ends of the scarf pointing inwards to meet each other represent the growing harmony among our Society members. The left three loops of the scarf symbolize the three higher trainings of ethics, meditative concentration, and wisdom. The right three loops of the scarf symbolize the three moralities – morality of abstaining from misbehaviour, morality of integrating virtues, and morality for the welfare of sentient beings. When the three trainings are combined with the three moralities, the long-term result is the achievement of the two bodies of a buddha – the form (rupakaya) body and the truth (dharmakaya) body. The Tibetan script on the scarf states the first three words of our Society's name, Gaden Samten Ling, as written in the Tibetan language.
Above the scarf, the three lotus petals are a representation of the Three Precious Gems – Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The lotus is a metaphor for the transformation of human consciousness through spiritual practice. A lotus plant grows from mud deep in the water but its beautiful flower carries no hint of this defiled origin. Likewise, we who are Buddhist practitioners are born in samsara, but have the pure intention to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of others. The three letters on the petals represent the first three words of our Society's name, Gaden Samten Ling.
The inner circle of the logo is yellow in colour symbolizing Buddhism in general. It is a reflection of the colour of Buddha’s body, which is said to be as pure and stainless as 24-karat gold.
The outer ring of the logo is red and this identifies our Society as a dharma centre specifically dedicated to Tibetan Buddhism. Only in Tibetan Buddhism are the robes of an ordained person red or burgundy in colour.
The sun and moon within the inner circle represent the two aspects of enlightened beings – emptiness and compassion. These are also known as wisdom and method.
The “Ham ksha” syllable at the heart of the logo is the seed syllable of Kalachakra. A seed syllable is the basis for the arising of a Buddha’s form body. Our human form on a gross level comes from the joining of the white and red drops of our father and mother. Through following the spiritual path we can eventually attain the result of the two bodies of a Buddha – form and truth. However, a Buddha’s form body does not arise from any physical basis. A Buddha’s body arises from the union of compassion and emptiness; however, these are invisible qualities. So in order to benefit sentient beings a Buddha manifests a form body displaying the 32 major and 80 minor marks. These marks are a visible manifestation of the true enlightened nature that is the basis for a Buddha’s form body.
Specifically in Kalachakra, the syllables hum and hi, which represent wind and mind, combine to form the syllable ham, which transforms into Kalachakra. The bindu or sacred drop at the top of the syllable symbolizes the union of emptiness and compassion – the union of wisdom and method – which is the basis for the arising of fully realized beings.
Especially for our Society, the Kalachakra seed syllable has deep significance. In the year 2004, 20 members from our Society were very fortunate to attend the Toronto Kalachakra teachings and initiation offered by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Out of an audience of 7,000 people, Gaden Samten Ling was the only dharma centre to have the blessing to attend as a united dharma group. We did so due to Kushok’s great kindness and guidance. Not only did our Society members receive this highest yoga tantra initiation, but all those who went to Toronto continue their dedicated daily practice of six-session guru yoga. It is in memory of this auspicious occasion that Kushok designed the Society’s logo.
Our Spiritual Director Kushok Lobsang Dhamchöe is very active both here in Edmonton and across Alberta. At the request of others, Kushok has taught at:
Travel Alberta
Transport Canada
Corrections Canada
Yoga for Today
Yoga Path
Hot Yoga in Red Deer
Shine Yoga in Caroline
University of Alberta Psychology Department
Northeast Community Health Centre
Edmonton Family Violence Centre
Alcoholics Anonymous
At the request of others, Kushok has offered displays of Tibetan monastic arts including sand mandalas, butter sculptures, and ritual object displays at:
TransAlta Arts Barns
Provincial Museum of Alberta
Whyte Museum in Banff
Red Deer & District Museum & Art Gallery
Red Deer Public Library
Comox
Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon
If you would like to request a teaching or monastic arts display by Kushok at your office, school, hospital, yoga studio, or other location, please email info@gsl-ab.ca for consideration of your request.