Madison, Wisconsin: On 28 October 2025, the Deer Park Buddhist Centre in Madison invited Dr Namgyal Choedup, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to North America, as a chief guest for the enthronement ceremony of Tulku Tenzin Ngawang Rinpoche, the recognised reincarnation of the late Geshe Lhundub Sopa Rinpoche.

In his brief remarks at the ceremony, Dr Namgyal Choedup highlighted Rinpoche’s dedication and progress in studies and recalled that in 1959, following the national uprising in Tibet, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, along with thousands of people, was compelled to go into exile in India.

In 1969, following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wishes, Geshe Lhundub came to America and, from then on, introduced Buddhism to Western society, carrying forward His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wishes. Until his passing in 2024, he maintained an extremely close and pure connection in serving His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Deer Park Buddhist Centre, established by Geshe Lhundub, has benefited many people, both foreign and local. His Holiness’s first Kalachakra initiation in a Western country was held in 1981 at the Deer Park Buddhist Centre in the United States.

Later, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama officially recognised Geshe Lhundub’s reincarnation. Today, at this very Deer Park Monastery, the enthronement ceremony of the reincarnate Rinpoche is being held, and I am grateful to everyone involved for inviting me as a guest to this reverent ceremony. Representative Dr Namgyal Choedup of North America concluded, concluded Representative Dr Namgyal Choedup.

As organised by the Wisconsin Tibetan Community Association, the Representative visited the community association’s weekend school in person and gave a talk to the local community.

Earlier, at the invitation of the Tibetan Student Association of Madison, he met with Tibetan students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he spoke about the situation in Tibet and engaged in a Q&A session with the students.

After completing both programs in Wisconsin on 28 September, the Representative continued with his official itinerary, travelling by air from Chicago to Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

–Report filed by the Office of Tibet, Washington DC