Tibetan lama makes his home in suburban New Jersey

Geshi Dakpa survived the Chinese invasion of his homeland, Tibet, in 1959.

Photos by Jim Purcell

A Howell Township Tibetan Buddhist temple is the home to Geshi Dakpa, a lama who has survived the Chinese invasion of Lhasa, Tibet, studied Buddhism in India and Thailand, and taught at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dakpa is the spiritual shepherd of more than 300 families now and discusses life, death and loss as he reveals his insights about living a full and happy life. Are there secrets about enlightenment and living life happily? Surprisingly, nothing each of us do not already know.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every walk of life, for careers in ministry.