In America they say you can take Texans out of Texas but not Texas out of Texans. As you will see Ngawang takes Ladakh with him wherever he goes.

Early Life

Ven Ngawang was born Phurba Tsering in 1955 in the town of Patung in the Zangskar district of Ladakh. Ladakh is a remote Himalayan region of north west India with a deep Tibetan culture. Ngawang’s family included his father Sonam Pema, his mother Sonam Yutan, a brother and a sister. His sister was a nun at a local nunnery until she passed away. His family are farmers, growing wheat and barley and raising cows, sheep and goats.

In the town of Patung is Kashur Monastery, a monastery in the Gelug tradition with about 200 monks. Ngawang’s uncle was a monk there and at the age of 16 Ngawang entered Kashur. At that time in Ladakh there were no schools so Ngawang had been taught to read and write at home. The rituals at Kashur were under the direction of Gyuto lamas and so at 18 Ngawang’s father arranged for him to join the famous Gyuto Monastery which at that time was in Dalhousie.