Tibetan with
Thoesam

Tashi Delek! My name is Tenzin Thoesam, and I was born in Tibet. My father, who was deeply committed to preserving and passing down our linguistic heritage, studied under his relative, the renowned Tibetan scholar and astrologer Dreyang Gesar Rinpoche from Dechenling Monastery, who was also a teacher of Samdong Rinpoche, the esteemed scholar and former head of the Buddhist College in Varanasi. This formed the foundation of my fathers's approach towards teaching and later played a vital role in my education.

Under his guidance and support, I began reciting texts from a very young age. Every morning at 5 AM, he had me read from the comprehensive grammar texts. He would wake me early each morning to study, gradually introducing me to the foundations of grammar and poetry. One day, he suddenly took the book away and asked me to recite the text from memory.  Much to my surprise, I was able to do it! 

By the 6th grade, he explained the root letters in detail, ensuring their meaning was imprinted in my mind.  While I also learned Tibetan in school, my understanding deepened significantly in the 8th grade when my father began guiding me through more advanced aspects of the language. With kind support and care, he strengthened my understanding of Tibetan grammar and poetry and developed a solid foundation to engage deeply with Dharma texts, which are often written in poetic form.

In honor of his commitment to our linguistic heritage, I have been teaching Tibetan for over nine years. Additionally, I have received further training in second language education and helped develop various educational materials for language studies and translation training programs. I remain deeply grateful to my father for his guidance and continue striving to share this knowledge with others for the benefit of all.