Lama Rabten Tshering
In addition to his position at Shin Mei Spiritual Centre, Lama Rabten is also the resident teacher and spiritual director of Nalandabodhi Vancouver. His dharma education started at a young age under guidance of his father who taught him music and Karma Kagyu tantras. Lama Rabten spent his early years at Rumtek monastery, the principal seat of Gyalwang Karmapa in Sikkim, India where he expanded hist study and practice in the Tsurphu tradition—training in Vajrayana ritual such as music, torma, tantra memorization, and dance. In 1992 Lama Rabten was appointed disciplinary master of Rumtek Monastery by Tai Situ Rinpoche and Goshir Gyalsap Rinpoche and carried out this responsibility for five years. In 1997 he entered a three-year retreat at Pullahari Retreat Centre in Kathmandu, Nepal. While there he completed more training in meditation and tantra under the guidance of Drupon Khenpo Lodro Namgyal, Bokar Rinpoche, Tenga Rinpoche, and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche.
To serve the Nalandabodhi community, Lama Rabten came to Canada in 2002 under the invitation of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. He currently teaches regularly at Maitrivana, Nalandabodhi Canada’s headquarters in Vancouver; at Shin Mei Spiritual Centre near Victoria, BC, and travels to Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax to teach and guide students in their meditation practices. He is a first-class calligrapher, offering both Tibetan calligraphy and language instruction. Lama Rabten is fluent in several languages, including Tibetan, Mandarin, and English.