A Tibetan monk has been awarded with the prestigious British Empire Medal (B.E.M.) in the United Kingdom in recognition of his contributions to Buddhism in the country. The Tibetan monk is a Buddhist master trained in India before moving to the UK, where he has been resident Buddhist teacher at the Jamyang Buddhist Center in London.
“We are delighted and very proud to announce that Geshe Tashi has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, for services to Buddhism in the UK.” said the official website of Geshe Tashi Tsering. Below is an excerpt taken from The Gazette, or Official Public Record:
THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of the Celebration of Her Majesty’s Birthday, to approve the award of the British Empire Medal (Civil Division) to the undermentioned:
B.E.M.
Geshe Tashi TSERING
For services to Buddhism in the UK
The British Empire Medal (formally British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. Geshe la is now entitled to use the initials BEM after his name.
Tsering was born in Purang, Tibet in 1958, and his parents escaped to India in 1959. He entered Sera Mey Monastic University in South India when he was 13 years old, and graduated with a Lharampa Geshe degree 16 years later. Geshe Tashi then entered the Higher Tantric College (Gyuto) for a year of study.
Tsering teaches in English and is renowned for his warmth, clarity and humour. Besides Jamyang, he is a regular guest teacher at other Buddhist centres in the UK and around the world as well as creator and teacher of the Foundation of Buddhist Thought, the two-year FPMT correspondence and campus course on the basics of Tibetan Buddhism.
In March 2018 it was announced that Geshe Tashi Tsering had been asked by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to become 91st abbot of Sera Mey Monastic University in India.
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