Geshe Dorji Damdul: Buddhist Psychology for a Happy & Meaningful Life

September 15 – September 25, 2026

This 10-day residential course is suitable for beginners and experienced students!

Geshe Dorji Damdul is the Director of Tibet House in New Delhi, eminent scholar and author, and one of the official translators for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Geshe Dorji Damdul is widely renowned for his highly dynamic, engaging and inspiring teaching style – combining his deep understanding of Buddhist philosophy in the Nalanda tradition with the tender heart of Bodhicitta and a keen interest in modern science. This way Geshe-la makes even the most profound and complex topics accessible to new and experienced students alike.

Based on A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life by Bodhisattva Shantideva, Chapter 6

In the whole of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, there is no single treatise more deeply revered or widely practiced than A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life. Composed in the eighth century by the Indian Bodhisattva Santideva, it became an instant classic in the curricula of the Buddhist monastic universities of India, and its renown has grown ever since. Shantideva presents methods to harmonize one’s life with the Bodhisattva ideal and inspires the reader to cultivate the perfections of the Bodhisattva: generosity, ethics, patience, zeal, meditative concentration, and wisdom.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said: “If I have any understanding of compassion and the Bodhisattva path, it all comes from studying this text.”

Shantideva composed his text in the form of an inner dialog. He turned his own weapons upon himself, doing battle with his negative emotions. Therefore, when we teach or listen to this text, it is important that we do so in order to progress spiritually, rather than making it simply a subject of academic study.

Download Link for the Text:

• English

Teacher

In 1988, Geshe Dorji Damdul joined the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Dharamsala and went on to gained his Geshe Lharampa Degree in 2002 from Drepung Loseling Monastic University. He then joined Gyudmed Tantric College for Tantric studies. In 2003, recommended by the Office of H.H. the Dalai Lama Geshi La studied English language at Cambridge University, England UK.

Appointed as translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama since 2005, he also translates texts such as Arya Nagarjuna’s “Mulamadyamikakarika” (Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way), Acharya Shantideva’s “Bodhicaryavatara” (Wisdom Chapter). Geshi La has co-authored, scientific, philosophical, Buddhist and secular books with prominent professors in the UK and USA as well as with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

Since 2011 Geshe La has served as Director of Tibet House, Cultural Centre, New Delhi where he gives weekly teaching Buddhist philosophy, psychology, logic and practice. He has also lectured at Delhi University and presented papers for National and International Conferences held in Delhi and Mumbai and is presently writing two books:

• Journey into the Paradox of Brain and Mind, and
• What Constitutes the Ultimate Reality: The Effects of Understanding the Ultimate Reality.

Geshe-la’s passion is to help students gain deep understanding of the Nalanda tradition of Buddhist philosophy and imbue that knowledge with the heart of Bodhichitta, so that practitioners can transform their own continuum into the path of enlightenment. Geshe-la’s knowledge of science and interactions with world renowned physicist give him the unique ability to teach Buddhist philosophy with a modern twist that many of his non-Tibetan students appreciate.

For more information please visit Geshe Dorji Damdul’s website – Bodhiwisdom and Tibet House New Delhi.

Course Requirements

This very popular course requires a non-refundable/ non-transferable deposit. For more information on this, see our FAQs, under Courses General. Please only register if you can make this deposit promptly!

To be clear about conditions of our residential courses, please refer to Programs > Introduction to Buddhism Courses as well as Being Here > The Retreat Environment.

Schedule

September 15 – September 25, 2025

This retreat starts with check-in at 1pm on September 15 and finishes with check-out at 1pm on September 25.
The schedule for the check-in and check-out days will be confirmed on short notice.
Please come on time for check-in, otherwise you will lose your space on the retreat!

05:45 – 08:00am	Morning Practice in congregation which will include: Prostrations 10 minutes breathing meditation Meditation on the four seals of Buddha’s teachings Meditation on Bodhicitta and taking the aspirational Bodhisattva vow Meditation on Emptiness
08:00 – 09:00am	Breakfast
09:00 – 10:30am	Teaching followed by Questions & Answers – Session I
10:30 – 11:30am	Tea break with Group Discussion (among the participants)
11:30 – 12:30pm	Teaching followed by Questions & Answers – Session II
12:30 – 03:00pm	Lunch and free time
03:00 – 04:30pm	Teaching followed by Questions & Answers – Session III
04:30 – 05:30pm	Tea Break with Group Discussion
05:30 – 07:00pm	Teaching followed by Questions & Answers – Session IV
07:00 – 08:00pm	Dinner
08:00 – 09:00pm	Group discussion (optional) / personal practice Silence till next morning session

Schedule is subject to change on short notice!

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Scholarships

This retreat is open to the public, with scholarships available for students and monastics. To apply for a scholarship, follow this link.

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