Name: Lobsang Monlam
Born: Amdo Ngawa, Tibet
Nationality: Tibet
Profession: Buddhist Scholar/ Computer Engineer
Life and Education:
Lobsang Monlam was born at Trosig in Amdo Ngaba in Tibet and became a young monk at Trosig Monastery after he had completed studies at his primary school. At the age of sixteen, he started studies in Tantra Sections and liturgy, as well as studied Tibetan Traditional Thangkha painting from the age of fifteen and then studied modern painting after reaching in India. He was drawn into technology and engineering at an early age and created an FM Microphone for teaching Dharma at his monastery when he was fifteen. It was his first time to deal with technology, and the result was excellent.
He became a Buddhist student at Sera Mey Monastery and studied Buddhist philosophy for sixteen years after being fled to India in 1993. He was the designer and took responsibility for architecture during the establishment of Sera Mey congregation hall in 2001. During the construction of the new prayer hall of Sera Me monastery, he took responsibility for the architecture, the project of building the interior monuments, and the interior and exterior paintings of the congregation hall. It was his great honour to have a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the Inauguration Day of Sera Mey congregation hall.
From 2003 his interest on computers was increased by using them in his daily life and started to think about some ways to develop Software, and after several experiments and employing different methods, he has developed a Tibetan Cursive Font. Later he developed the first Monlam Tibetan Font in 2005 and contributed it to the Tibetan communities. It was undoubtedly the first Tibetan Font which was produced by a single person. In 2013, he graduated as a Geshe from Sera Mey Monastic University for Advanced Buddhist Studies and Practices, and he has held the title of Monlam IT Research Centre’s Director since the day he founded it, also researching on a variety Software which is relevant to the Tibetan language.
With Tibetan Scholars
Work and Invention:
He has learnt Computer for himself and gradually developed MonlamBod-yig1, Monlam Bod-yig2, Monlam Bod-yig3, Monlam Tibetan Grand Dictionary Software, Monlam Unicode and installed Monlam Tibetan and Dictionary on Android OS. Monlam Tibetan Grand Dictionary Software is huge of benefit to Tibetans who are staying inside or outside Tibet.
Giving a talk at Emory:
In 2012, under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and enthusiastic support from exceptional Tibetan scholars, he founded Monlam IT Research Centre at Dharamsala.
In 2010, he attended a conference “Digital” organised by Trace Foundation and had an excellent opportunity to discuss with many computer experts from inside Tibet. In 2011, he presented a paper at the Third International Conference on the Tibetan Language. Later in that year, he visited Japan University to give a talk on the usage of Tibetan language utilising on Macbook. He also held several workshops on the computer interacting with digital in several Tibetan communities.
Contribution and Cooperation:
In 2013, he attended an International Association for Tibetan Studies in Mongol and met with great scholars from inside and outside Tibet, as well as visited the national library with the director of Otani University. In 2015, he received an innovation award for development of software during the celebration of His Holiness Dalai Lama’s Eightieth Birthday.
Monlam with Students
In 2016, he attended a conference to the International Association for Tibetan Studies in Norway and presented a paper on Tibetan lexicography. With the cooperation of the Taiwan International Buddhist Association and Monlam IT Research Centre he has developed Chinese-Tibetan Dictionary software, as well as twice visiting in Taiwan for the work of translating Monlam Grand Dictionary into Chinese.
At the end of that year, he visited Oxford University, London University, INALCO, Columbia University, and Virginia University. He also attended at Apple and Google headquarter and held a discussion on the promotion of Tibetan language. In 2017, he created His Holiness Dalai Lama’s Tibetan website, developed a Library Management, Tibetan astrology Software, a software on translation, a software on transliteration, Tibetan-Chinese Dictionary Software and installed Monlam Tibetan Grand Dictionary on android.
In addition to that, he spoke at Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts in Taiwan. He also entered into an agreement on creating a Software for Sanskrit Grand Dictionary, Sanskrit-Tibetan Dictionary, Sanskrit-Tibetan transliteration and Sanskrit Transliteration with Central University of Tibetan Studies.
Monlam developed Apps
Recent Works:
In 2018, he developed a software App for Tibetan Astrology to bring all other astrological calculations together in one platform. In the same year, he visited Emory University for the International Tibetan-Science Terminology Conference and attended many universities and other academic institutes to discuss the future cooperated works. Since 2019, he is working on his Monlan Grand Dictionary, which will be the biggest dictionary in Tibetan history.
Ven. Lobsang Monlam’s Talk in London:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtqF_RqcAkw
Monlam Grand Dictionary’s Edition Process Introduction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z91IrBv8j7o
