Geshe Chophel Norbu visits Pine Island
Twenty Pine islanders visited at the Pine Island Buddhist Center Saturday to hear Geshe Chophel Norbu speak about life in the monastery.
“Geshe arrived on Pine Island a week before the meeting but left for Berkley, California, to meet with Dalai Lama,” Gary Pierson said. “He returned on Friday, the day before the meeting at the Pine Island Buddhist Center.
“People began arriving early,” Pierson said. “Geshe gave a 45-minute talk about his life in a monastery from the time he was a small boy until today.”
Geshe Chophel Norbu was born in 1966 in Bylakuppe, Karnataka, a Tibetan refugee camp in the south of India.
In 1972 he enrolled as a student at Sera Mey monastery, part of the greater Sera Monastic University housing close to 5,000 monks. He pursued a rigorous study of the Buddhist Philosophy for over 20 years.
After passing the Gelukpa University examinations for 6 successive years, he achieved in 1998 the high degree of Geshe Lharampa (Ph.D. in Buddhist studies). In the same year, he joined Gyumed Tantric College and attained the highest degree of Ngagrampa.
Since 2001, he has occupied various high level posts at the monastery’s administration, including Discipline Master, the second highest post. He also participated in various committees on the review of education development, rules and regulations of the Gelukpa Tradition and has lectured on the Buddhist philosophy and way of life.
For the past 10 years now, he has been serving as the acting abbot of Sera Mey monastery during the absence of the abbot, and handles the entire administration and welfare of the monastery.
In 2013, Geshe-la took the responsibility of House Master and raises, feeds and sees to the welfare and education of 3 young monks.
“I was really pleased with the turnout,” Pierson said. “I noticed people were listening very closely as Geshe spoke. And then at the end, Geshe gave what is called a ‘healing-empowerment.’ This offers people an extended healing on their spiritual journey.”
The Pine Island Buddhist Center is at 6715 Rockaway Drive in Bokeelia. For information, call 239-282-5652.