Tashi Lhunpo was founded by H.H. the 1st Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Gendun Drup, in 1447. It is one of the four great monasteries of Central Tibet which was supervised and looked after by the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas and has the glory of producing thousands of renowned scholars in the field of Mahayana Buddhist Philosophy. After the invasion of Tibet in 1959, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery was re-established at Bylakuppe in South India in 1972. The monastery has monks coming from Tibet and Himalayan regions like Spithi, Khunu, Ladakh, Ghashar and Sangkhar. At present there are over 250 monks including many Tulkus (reincarnate lamas). The monks have to go through year intensive program of study of both sutra and tantra, debate, and are instructed in the creation of sand mandalas and butter sculpture, ritual performance, music, chanting, dance and basic literary skills in Tibetan and English. Each monk must also complete a two to three month meditation retreat for each of the principal deities and protectors, in order to qualify to perform their rituals. The cycle of retreats might take up to six years to complete.

Tenzin Tsundue is a poet, writer and Tibetan activist. He won the first-ever Outlook-Picador Award for Non-Fiction in 2001. He has published three books to date, translated into several languages. Tsundue’s writings have appeared in various publications around the world including the International PEN, Outlook, and The Times of India. In 2002 the Indian edition of the international fashion magazine Elle, named him among ‘India’s 50 most stylish people’.

Tsering T. Drungtso is a traditional Tibetan doctor graduated from Tibetan Medical and Astrological College (Men-Tsee-Khang) Dharamsala, India. He has been editor of many noted Tibetan magazines for health and well-being. He has a deep understanding of modern and traditional medicines and  travelled extensively around the globe for healing seminars. He was also awarded the status of Visiting Research Associate Scholar and member at the Darwin College, Cambridge, UK in 2005. Doctor Tsering is a compassionate traditional practitioner while keeping the values of changing modern world.

Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Australasia was born in Tibet in 1956 and escaped to India in 1962. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Sonam has been a member of HH the Dalai Lama’s delegation to China from 2002 to 2008 and is a founding member of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy and the Tibetan Young Buddhist Association.

Tenpa was born in Tibet, grew up in India and is now living in Sydney. With his partner, Karen- he started ‘the Tibet effect’ movement-to document and further the positive impact of the Tibet movement on humanity on every level – He returned to his birthplace in Tibet for the first time in 2007 with his family, since he escaped as a baby on his Mother’s back. The return has been compiled into a book titled ‘ Our Tibet which was published in 2008.

Kyinzom is a campaigner with Australia Tibet Council, an organisation that campaign for the human rights and democratic freedoms of the Tibetan people. The daughter of a noted Tibetan activist, Kyinzom grew up in Dharamsala and was schooled in the Tibetan Children’s Village. After studying at Delhi University, Kyinzom worked a journalist for the Times of India and The Asian Age. She has lived in Australia since 2006 and was the official reporter for the Dalai Lama’s 2011 Australian visit.

Rollicking Tibetan folk, afro-reggae guitar grooves and intricate Indian tabla sound as if they were made for each other! Together, Tenzin Choegyal, Marcello Milani and Shen Flindell create a new joyful sound that transcends cultural boundaries. Tibet2Timbuk2 has an eclectic repertoire resulting in an overall sound which is full and organic. All three musicians share melody, harmony, bass and percussion roles to create a solid yet easy groove.