Dharamshala: The 7th Non-Sectarian Tibetan Buddhist Scholars’ Conference was commenced at Khamgar Druk Dharmakara College, Tashi Jong, in Himachal Pradesh, on 3 May 2024.
Over the course of this conference, a group of eighteen scholars will discourse on the intricacies of Buddhist dialectic through the presentation of their insightful research papers.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by the monastery’s Supreme Head, Khamtrul Rinpoche as event’s chief guest, along with special guests Additional Secretary Kunga Gyaltsen from the Department of Religion and Culture (CTA), Khenpo Sonam Wangyal, the chairman of the conference’s organising committee, and 250 participants from 32 different monasteries and nunneries.
Additional Secretary Kunga Gyaltsen, in his opening remarks, introduced the objective of this conference during the inaugural followed by Khamtrul Rinpoche’s keynote speech. The latter shed light on introduction and spread of Buddhism in Tibet and shared his insights on studying and practicing the Buddhist principals.
In accordance with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s guidance during the 11th religious conference, the Department of Religion and Culture annually held this conference since 2015 to promotes religious harmony and exchange of knowledge between all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Bon tradition.
The venue, Khamgar Druk monastery in Tashi Jong, became the fourth monastic residence of Gyalwa Dhokhampas. Upon his arrival in India, the 8th Gyalwa Dhokhampa Kalzang Dhongyud Nyima spent significant time in Kalimpong, Banuri, and Dalhousie and performed series of religious teachings and practices. Rinpoche first established his monastery near Jalandhara in 1966 and later in 1968, Rinpoche settled in Tashi Jong, a picturesque valley in Himachal Pradesh.
On the auspicious day of 27 September 2023, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama graciously inaugurated the Khamgar Druk Dharmakara College located inside the premise of Khamgar Druk monastery.