Venerable Tenzin Yignyen

121 Hamilton Street, Apt # 1 Geneva, New York 14456

Home: (315) 781-3058
Work: (315) 781-3707
Email: ctenzin@yahoo.com

Date of Birth: January 1, 1953
Nationality: Tibetan
Immigration Status: USA Citizen

Education:

1985 Completed the monastic studies and received the highest degree of "Master of Sutra and Tantra" with highest honor, which is equivalent to a Ph.D. degree.

1976 Received the full ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

1969 Entered the Namgyal monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in India.

Subjects studied:

Buddhist Philosophy and practice, Ritual Theory, Art of Sand Mandala construction, Mandala Theory, Ritual Music, Butter Sculpture and Tibetan Grammar.

Teaching Experiences:

Current Position:

1998-2007
Visiting Professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y.

Previous Positions:

Fall 2005  
Director of Off-campus Indian Program NYSICCSI for 20 college students from 6 colleges in New York.

Summer 2000-01
Resident Artist and Instructor at Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio and Cleveland Institute of Arts, Durango, Colo.

Summer 1998-99
Instructor at Cleveland Institute of Art and Trinity College, Hartford, Conn.

1995-98
Senior teacher at Namgyal monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies, Ithaca, N.Y.

1994-95 Visiting teacher of Kalachakra ritual and painting at Thekcheling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Courses Taught:

Buddhist Philosophy:

An Overview of Tibetan Buddhist Tantra
Foundational Practices of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism: An Introduction
Practice of Shamata Meditation and the Six Perfections
Three Entrances of Tibetan Buddhism
Introduction to Debate in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition
Buddhist Tenets

Buddhist Practices:

Chenrezig and Tara Practice
Vajrasattva Meditation
Kalachakra Ritual
Have also conducted core classes at Several Tibetan Buddhist retreats in North America for western students

Art and Ritual Theory:

Tibetan Sacred Art
Mandala Theory: The Mandala of Chenrezig, Yamantaka and Kalachakra
Mudra Theory

Language courses:

Colloquial Tibetan
Intermediate Colloquial Tibetan
Advanced Literary Tibetan
Oral Translation of Tibetan Religious Discourses

Mandala Art Exhibitions:

2007
Strong National Museum of Play, Rochester, NY

2006
Harley School, Rochester, NY
St. John's Nursing Home, Rochester, NY
Morris School, South Hampton
Finger Lakes Community College, Canandaigua, NY
Yoga Ashram, Nassua, Bahamas
Peaceweavers , Bath, NY
EcoFest, NYC
AAAC, NY
Hobart & William Smith College, Geneva, NY

2005
Yoga Ashram, Canada
Yoga Ashram, Nassua, Bahamas
Morris Central School, South Hampton
Brearly Girl's School, NYC
Putney School, Putney, VT
St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
Hobart & William Smith College, Geneva, NY
Director of 2005 Fall Term Study for 20 college students in India

2004
Putney School, Putney, VT.
Finger Lakes Community College, Canandaigua, NY
Katonah Museum, N.Y. 
MIT, Boston, MA 
Bard College, N.Y   
Horace Mann School, NY   
Lincoln Center, NY 
Dalton School, New York City  

2003
Bard College, N.Y.
Sivananda Yoga Ashram, Grass Valley, San Francisco, Calif. 
Yoga Center, Montreal Canada 

2002
Yoga Ashram, Nassua, Bahamas 
Union College, NJ 
Riverdale School, NY 
CMA,  Durango, Colo. 
Grass Valley Yoga Center, CA 
Adirondack Lake Art Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, NY  
Peaceweavers , Bath, NY

2001
Dalton School, New York City 
CIA,  Durango, Colo.
Peaceweavers , Bath, NY
Hammond Museum, NY
Wagner College, Staten Island, NYC

2000
Smithsonian Festival in Washington, D.C. 
AAAC in New York City  
Amitabha Foundation, Rochester, NY  
Tibetan Museum of Art, Staten Island, NY

1999
St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.
Rotunda Art Gallery and NY/ Newseum in New York City
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y.

1998
Horace Mann, Poly-Prep and New Dorp high schools in New York City
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y.
Cleveland Institute of Arts, Cleveland, OH

1997
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
Asia Society, New York City
Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, N.Y.
Universal Studio, Los Angeles, Calif.

1994
Gandan Monastary in UB Mongolia

1989
Wind Star Foundation, Aspan Colorado
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Calif.

Language

Tibetan (modern and classical)
English (fluent second language)
Hindi (fluent second language)

1990-1991 Researcher and Translator for text "The Wheel of Time Sand Mandala."
1992-Published by Harper Collins.