Commemoration Weekend for Geshe Damcho & Geshe Wangchen, with Special Guests Khenchen Rinpoche and Geshe Losel – 21st to 23rd August 2026

• Date: Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd, & Sunday 23rd August 2026

• Time: Arrive Friday evening, closing Sunday afternoon

• Format: Residential, Onsite

Overview

We invite you to join us for a special weekend of remembrance, gratitude, and practice honouring the extraordinary lives of Geshe Damcho Yonten and Gen Wangchen, two eminent masters of the Gelug tradition whose kindness continues to benefit our community to this day.

This gathering takes place around the anniversaries of both of their passing, offering a meaningful opportunity to come together celebration of their immense contribution to the Dharma in the West.

For the Lam Rim community in particular, we remember with deep gratitude Geshe Damcho Rinpoche, the founding spiritual guide of Lam Rim, whose tireless efforts firmly established the Dharma here in Wales.

The aim of the weekend is to be a fun, lighthearted and sociable dharma celebration, with competitions, walks, food and puja, whilst also to help raise money to secure the future of the centre.

Special Guests

We are honoured to welcome Phara Khenchen Rinpoche and Geshe Tenzin Losel as special guests for the weekend, who will join us in remembering the lives and legacy of Geshe Damcho Yonten and Gen Wangchen through leading prayers and supporting the commemorative activities.

Who Should Join?

Whether you wish to join us just for a day or stay over, a long-time student or a newcomer, all are welcome!

Securing Lam Rim’s Future

As well as being a special commemoration event, the event also intends to raise awareness of the fundraising needs of the Centre that will help to secure Lam Rim’s future for many more generations to come!

We are currently raising the final funds required for the attic refurbishment project, read more here: https://www.lamrimcentre.org.uk/restoration-project

Please do consider donating for Lam Rim’s future, though a donation is not essential to take part in the event.

Schedule

Below is a initial schedule subject to change:

Friday

• Welcome talk 

  • Arriving Friday afternoon or evening

  • 7:30pm - Welcome & Introduction with Khenchen Rinpoche, ‘The Why’?

Saturday

• Morning Meditation 

• Group Activities - Choose your activity or take part in all three:

  • Conch Shell Blowing Competition - who can make he best sound!

  • Momo Making - make traditional and delicious Tibetan momos as part of the lunch

  • Tsa Tsa Making - make beautiful commemorative Tsa Tsa’s for all to share

• Lunch

• Sugar Loaf Summit - we’ll drive to the carpark and gently walk to the summit for a smoke offering, the place where Geshe Damcho’s ashes were laid and where he conducted puja

• Smoke Offering Puja - Smoke offering puja at the top of Sugar Loaf with the winning Conch Shell Blower adding to the atmosphere

• Supper - at Lam Rim

• Sharing of Stories - we’ll sit around the fire sharing stories of our great teachers and hopefully some film!

Sunday

• Morning Meditation

• Group Activities

  • Prayer Flags - taking time to put up additional prayer flags across Lam Rim’s ground

  • Flag Pole Resurrection - our large flag pole fell down during a storm some time ago, we’ll need a team of people to help us reestablish the pole and hang a traditional prayer flag

• Lunch

• Lama Chopa, Guru Puja - a puja to celebrate and immerse ourselves in the blessings and inspiration of all our teachers

• Closing Remarks & Sharing Commemorating Tsa Tsa’s

• Ending in the Afternoon, circa 3pm

  • Or stay another night

Teacher Biographies

Teachers of whose lives we are celebrating

Geshe Damcho Yonten — Founder of Lam Rim

Geshe Damcho Yonten (1930–2017) was a highly accomplished Gelug scholar and practitioner who trained from childhood at Drepung Loseling Monastic University, one of the great monastic seats of learning within the Tibetan Buddhist world. Having completed the traditional and demanding course of study leading to the Geshe degree, he was later invited to the West, where he became one of the early generation of Tibetan teachers to establish Lam Rim teachings in the United Kingdom.

With immense humility, patience, and quiet determination, Geshe-la became the founding spiritual guide of Lam Rim in Wales, laying the authentic foundations upon which the community continues to grow today. Those who met him remember not only his scholarly depth but his gentleness, consistency, and unwavering dedication to his students. The very existence and continued flourishing of Lam Rim stands as a living testament to his extraordinary kindness and vision.

Geshe Wangchen — Senior Gelug Teacher and Jamyang London Resident Teacher

Geshe Wangchen, a Lharampa Geshe of the Gelug tradition, also trained extensively at Drepung Loseling Monastic University, sharing the same great monastic heritage as Geshe Damcho Rinpoche. After more than two decades of rigorous philosophical study, dialectical debate, and contemplative retreat, he emerged as a highly qualified scholar-practitioner within the classical Gelug system.

Geshe Wangchen went on to serve for many years as a resident teacher at Jamyang Buddhist Centre London, where he became widely respected for his clear, methodical presentation of the Lam Rim and Buddhist philosophy. His teaching style is characterised by precision, structure, and deep faithfulness to the classical texts, while remaining accessible and supportive for Western students. Through his sustained teaching activity in the UK and internationally, Geshe-la has played an important role in preserving and transmitting the authentic scholarly and contemplative traditions of Tibetan Buddhism to new generations of practitioners.

Special Guests

Teachers attending to support the event

Phara Khenchen Rinpoche

Phara Khenchen Rinpoche is recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the respected Gelug Buddhist master, Khensur Pema Gyaltsen.

Born in Tibet in 1989, he was taken into exile at the age of three in order to receive a traditional Buddhist education. He entered Drepung Loseling Monastic College in South India, where he studied for more than twenty-five years under the guidance of Geshe Wangchen. Following the completion of the monastery's extensive programme of Buddhist philosophy, debate and monastic training, he was awarded the Geshe degree. He subsequently undertook further studies at Gyumed Tantric College. On the advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Rinpoche later travelled to the United Kingdom to study English. During the Covid period, he spent time at Land of Joy Retreat Centre in Northumberland, where he continued his language studies and Buddhist practice.

Today, Phara Khenchen Rinpoche teaches Buddhist philosophy and practice to students in the UK and internationally. He is known for combining the traditional monastic training of the Gelug lineage with an accessible and approachable teaching style.

Geshe Tenzin Losel

Geshe Tenzin Losel was born in mid-20th century Britain. He first met Buddhist teachings in England thanks to the exceptionally kind efforts of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa, reaching out to westerners. He left for India in 1990 for further studies and received full ordination as a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan tradition from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1994. He is one of the handful of Westerners trained for two decades in the traditional Tibetan way as a geshe. While a student at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, he attended many public teachings by His Holiness there. In 2006 he received his geshe degree from Drepung Loseling, the monastery where the late Geshe Damcho, founder of Lam Rim Wales also trained. After returning to Britain to care for his parents in their last years, he moved in 2018 to Nalanda Monastery in France. As well as teaching, he has been involved in translating vinaya materials, which deal with ethical conduct and vows, especially for monastics. In fulfilment of Geshe Damcho’s request to him to teach in his centres, he is now associated with Lam Rim Wales and Lam Rim Bristol.

Tickets & Donation

Everyone is welcome to attend Buddhist teachings freely, with no donation required. However, the Centre relies on the kindness and generosity of the community to remain open and continue offering teachings and retreats. We offer two main suggested donation levels to help make attendance accessible to as many people as possible, and we kindly encourage those who are able to contribute at the higher rate to do so. A portion of each donation is also offered to the teacher leading the retreat. Your generosity genuinely helps sustain both the Centre and the Dharma.

• Standard Rate - Contributes to running costs and a little more to help sustain the Centre. Ticket includes food and accommodation at Lam Rim for the duration of the course.

• Basic Rate - Contributes to the very basic running costs of the course. Ticket includes food and accommodation at Lam Rim for the duration of the course.

• Attendance Only - For those who wish to attend the event but stay in nearby accommodation. Ticket includes lunch and supper for the duration of the course.

• Support Rate - Contact us via lamrimwalesmanagers@gmail.com if the above rates are too high for you where we can discuss further subsidised options, including open entry.

• Fundraising - Part of the intention of this event is to help inspire and raise funds to support the future of the Centre. If you are in a position to give more generously, your contribution is deeply appreciated. Further donations can also be made onsite during the event or online.

• Guests are also welcome to stay one or two days before or after the event, please let us know in advance by email or request in the notes section of the booking form.