CURRENT ABBOTT of segyu monastery
Khen Lama Palden – Visionary Abbot of Segyu Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal
Khen Lama Palden, the esteemed Abbot of Segyu Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal, began his spiritual journey amidst the majestic landscapes of Mustang, Nepal—his birthplace and the land where his connection to Dharma was first nurtured. Born in 1983, he was raised in a family devoted to Buddhist practice, and at the young age of 12, he committed himself to the monastic path under the guidance of his root guru, His Holiness Kyabje Dagom Dorje Chang. This early training laid the foundation for his lifelong dedication to preserving and spreading the authentic Segyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
From an early age, Abbot Khen Lama Palden accepted many responsibilities within the monastery, serving as gompa keeper, secretary, and treasurer. These roles helped him gain deep insight into both the spiritual and practical needs of a monastery. In 2005, he took full ordination, marking a significant milestone in his journey. His dedication, humility, and leadership qualities were soon recognized by the monastic community, and he was entrusted with the profound responsibility of becoming the Abbot of Segyu Gaden Phodrang Monastery
Segyu National School – Monastic and Secular Education Combined
One of Khen Lama Palden’s most notable achievements is the establishment of the Segyu National School in 2022. His vision was to provide a holistic education system that merges monastic training with modern secular studies. This unique model ensures that monks and lay students alike can benefit from a balanced education—nurturing spiritual growth while also preparing students for opportunities beyond monastic life. In this way, Segyu Monastery in Kathmandu has become a leader in bridging traditional Tibetan Buddhist education with contemporary learning.
Infrastructure and Development Projects at Segyu Monastery Kathmandu
During his leadership, Khen Lama Palden has overseen several key projects that have transformed the monastery. With generous support from organizations and individuals worldwide—including benefactors from Brazil, Italy, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, the UK, the United States, and across Europe—Segyu Monastery completed a new prayer hall in 2017 and established a cost-effective water treatment plant. These projects not only enhance the daily life of the monks but also provide essential facilities for the wider community. The Abbot continually expresses deep gratitude to these international supporters for their contributions in strengthening the monastery.
Spiritual Leadership and Community Engagement
In addition to administrative leadership, Khen Lama Palden actively engages in the spiritual and cultural life of the community. He organizes annual pujas, teachings, and retreats, fostering connections between practitioners and laypeople, and helping preserve the rare and profound rituals of Tibetan Buddhism.
His compassion extends beyond the monastery as well. As vice president of a local retirement center, he works to improve the quality of life for the elderly. Looking forward, he envisions collaborations with private insurance providers to establish better medical care for both the young monks and the elderly community members, reflecting his dedication to both spiritual and physical well-being.
Preserving the Segyu Lineage and Dharma Teachings
Central to his leadership is the preservation of the three principal pratimoksha precepts and the safeguarding of the authentic Segyu lineage. His vision is to unite practitioners worldwide in a spirit of openness, inclusivity, and authenticity, ensuring that the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism remain accessible and preserved for future generations. Under his guidance, Segyu Monastery Kathmandu continues to shine as a center for both deep spiritual practice and community service.
A True Spiritual Guide and Visionary Abbot
Khen Lama Palden embodies the qualities of a spiritual guide, teacher, and compassionate leader. Through his wisdom, humility, and tireless efforts, he has elevated Segyu Gaden Phodrang Monastery in Nepal into a beacon of both tradition and progress. With the continued support of benefactors from around the globe, Segyu Monastery thrives as a place where authentic Dharma practice is preserved and where compassion is put into action.
In essence, Abbot Khen Lama Palden represents the living spirit of Segyu Monastery. Rooted in the timeless teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, yet attuned to the needs of the modern world, he carries forward the mission of preserving pure Dharma while guiding the community toward peace, harmony, and spiritual awakening.
A timeless reminder
སྡུག་བསྔལ་འདོར་འདོད་སེམས་ཡོད་ཀྱང༌། །སྡུག་བསྔལ་ཉིད་ལ་མངོན་པར་རྒྱུག།
བདེ་བ་འདོད་ཀྱང་གཏི་མུག་པས། །རང་གི་བདེ་བ་དགྲ་ལྟར་འཇོམས།།
Although they wish to be free from suffering,
They run straight toward the causes of suffering.
Although they wish for happiness,
Out of ignorance they destroy their own happiness like an enemy.
By Śāntideva