Interview with Tibetan Teacher Gen Tsetan Sangpo

Gen Sangpo’s extraordinary life journey began in Tibet, where he underwent rigorous monastic training. As a courageous teenager, he decided to join the Tibetan diaspora in India, making a challenging solo journey and leaving most of his family behind. Fate led him to the Tibetan enclave of Majnu-ka-Tilla in Delhi, where he met Genla Lobsang, who recognized his potential and invited him to join Jhamtse Gatsal in 2006.

Since then, Gen Sangpo has dedicated the last 17 years to shaping the lives of children in our care. His personal life has thrived within the Community. He is happily married to Amala Yangzom, a housemother, and they are proud parents to Tenzin D., a 10th grader.

Gen Sangpo's unwavering commitment has made Jhamtse Gatsal not just a workplace but a true home and community for him. His family plans to remain part of Jhamtse Gatsal for decades to come, a testament to his enduring impact. Gen Tsetan Sangpo's journey exemplifies resilience, determination, and unwavering dedication to a greater cause.

What attracted you to Jhamtse Gatsal as a place to work? Why have you stayed?

I first joined Jhamtse with the sole intention of working as an employee at the institution, but as time passed, my main motive became Jhamtse's vision. 

Jhamtse’s values are fairly close to Buddhist principles, which teach us self-transformation, valuing others over oneself, and so on. These ideals appeal to me as they align with my personal vision. I believe the difference between working outside and working at Jhamtse Gatsal is that working outside is only for ourselves—everything becomes focused on the self and business-like, but working at Jhamtse Gatsal allows me to genuinely feel my contribution to society. I feel that living in this Community allows me to have a meaningful life while also helping children learn to live meaningful lives.

I have stayed because I believe in the term "Jhamtse." [“Jhamtse” means love and compassion in our local language.] Genla Lobsang shared his vision and goals with us, which have also become my goals.

I believe that living at Jhamtse Gatsal accomplishes two goals—as a human being, it provides me with the necessities for survival, but most significantly, it educates me on "jhamtse" on a regular basis.

What is your understanding of the Jhamtse vision? How would you express it?

Our Jhamtse Gatsal is the garden of love and compassion. Soon, this small garden will grow into a farm, and that farm will keep growing bigger and bigger until every part of the world is filled. Everybody, without hesitation and without a second thought, would be willing to express their love and compassion to those who need it and sow the very seed of love and compassion into every interaction they have.

We’ve heard Genla Lobsang refer to you (and all staff) as “teachers of life.” What does that mean to you?  

I feel that at many educational institutions, instructors, and staff often regard their jobs as a mere obligation. However, at Jhamtse Gatsal, we are concerned with more than our responsibilities as instructors in the academic space. The primary objective of being a life teacher is to make children's lives meaningful. We emphasize three primary ideas, as taught by our Genla Lobsang: educating the heart, mind, and body. Many schools exclusively target educating the mind and body, which entails providing children with the necessary academic knowledge and skills. However, a large part of the mission of Jhamtse Gatsal is to educate the hearts of the children and staff. 

Understanding the meaning of "Jhamtse" is a step towards bettering one's heart. If I were to narrow down the meaning of Jhamtse, some of its ideals include "people first," “prioritizing others before oneself,” "introspection," and “reflecting on our own faults and actions before pointing fingers at others.” 

There are several reasons why heart education is critical. Hitler, for example, was highly educated in terms of mind and body, and his speeches were compelling; but I believe he lacked heart education. As a result, he posed a serious threat to both the Earth and humanity. So, I feel that the gravitas of heart education is vital and required. Education of both the body and the intellect are essential in today's environment. As a result, we must have those as well. 

In summary, I believe that being a teacher of life involves modeling a meaningful life for children. A meaningful life is lived with a positive and compassionate heart, nurtured through heart education, a skilled body, and an intellectual mind.

Can you briefly describe your work, programs, and projects in terms of your goals and aspirations? 

I don't think there's much of a difference between my goals and Jhamtse’s. My objective is to have a meaningful life for myself and to offer a meaningful life to the children. The concept of "Jhamtse" is widely articulated in Tibetan Buddhism, and I teach such principles to the children as a Tibetan teacher. This, I believe, is my most significant contribution or effect to this Community.

I teach the Tibetan language to the younger children. And I teach the principles and positive aspects of Jhamtse to the older ones. I achieve the latter through analysis, dialogue, and debate with them over commentaries on some of the critical Buddhist philosophical texts, such as the Eight Verses of Mind Training (Lojong) and the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara). I also teach monastic debate skills to the children from Class 7 and above. Finally, I lead morning and evening prayer sessions with the children to help them learn and recite some of the most relevant Buddhist chants, like the Invocation and Dedication Prayers, the Heart Sutra, the Praises to the 21 Taras, the Eight Verses of Mind Training, among others, to keep them connected to their culture and roots. 

Has living and working at Jhamtse Gatsal changed you in any way?

Yes, without a doubt. I am one of Jhamtse Gatsal's senior-most staff members. I've been here from the beginning of this Community. I was young and inexperienced when I first arrived at Jhamtse Gatsal. All of us were new to each other. I knew very little about Jhamtse at the time, and my sole motive for coming here was to work and earn a livelihood. However, my vision and goal became intertwined with Jhamste's vision and goal over time, making it difficult not to change myself. Though I cannot practice all the values of Jhamtse, I do my best to practice as many of them as I can in my daily life.

Change is unavoidable if you are a human being as opposed to a stone. In addition, I teach the values of “Jhamtse” to young children, which helps me become a better person in every manner imaginable.

What impact is Jhamtse Gatsal having on the children? And in your region?

Jhamtse, I believe, is a great inspiration not just to its members and the surrounding region but also to many members of society and individuals outside of it. And I believe it continues to have an impact on many individuals. In terms of the fundamentals, Jhamtse Gatsal nurtures children from difficult backgrounds and assists its staff members in earning a livelihood. On the other hand, Jhamtse Gatsal educates children in academics, inner values, and more.

It unquestionably has a significant influence on the surrounding area. It takes children from difficult backgrounds from in the region and gives them a chance to reach their highest potential. Jhamtse Gatsal is an excellent example for everyone. 

The children, I believe, can have the greatest effect outside of Jhamtse Gatsal. I've heard examples from students and faculty about how they inspire others with their behaviors, per Jhamtse's philosophy.

Has there been one moment, one event, one interaction where you had a “wow” moment and said, “This is it, this what Jhamtse Gatsal is, and this is why I am here?”

Jhamtse Gatsal itself is a wow moment for me! Its goal and aim appear to be unattainable in today's world, yet it is surviving and influencing as much as possible. I am also amazed by how quickly Jhamtse has gained recognition from numerous institutions and people all over the world. 

An impressive feature of Jhamtse Gatsal is our kitchen. We get three healthy meals and snacks every day that are cooked with genuine love and compassion, which I feel makes them different from what any other educational institution may offer. In addition, the passion and commitment of the staff at Jhamtse Gatsal have always astonished me.

I am most amazed by the current state of Jhamtse Gatsal. In the early years of the Community, our Genla Lobsang used to say that one day in the future, Jhamtse Gatsal would become the teacher of many institutions and individuals. It used to be very difficult to grasp the idea then, but now I see it is very much doing so.