History
In October 2006, Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Palden, former Abbot of Sera Jey Monastic University visited New York City along with representatives of Sera Jey administration. Khensur Rinpoche met with members of Sera Jey residing in New York
area and suggested starting a project to establish Sera Jey Center in the United States. During this meeting,
Khensur Rinpoche appointed seven board members with Geshe Lobsang Ngodup as its president and the remaining members are: Jadral F. Gyalten, Tehor Deleg Lama, Tehor Sonam Dargye, Jadral Tenzin Nyima, Jadral Nawang Tsultim and Lopa Yeshi Tenzin. There were a number of meetings held among the board members discussing the preparation of starting a new center. There was discussion on possible locations and names of the new center in consultation with Sera Jey Monastery's administration. It was recommended by the Khensur Rinpoche and the administration that Sera Jey Buddhist Culture Center should be the name for the new center, and that the location should be in New York.
In October 2007, Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Donyo and two representatives of Sera Jey Monastic University visited New York City to follow up with the progress of establishing Sera Jey Center. During this time, an opening ceremony of Sera Jey Buddhist Culture Center was led by Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Donyo. A number of Sera Jey senior lamas, Geshes and members of Sera Jey Center were presided at the event. Later, our board and the attorneys prepared the incorporation application. The attorneys generiously provided their services free of charge. In beginning of 2008, they submitted an application for incorporation to the State of New York. In March 2009, the Center received an approval of incorporation letter from New York State as a not-for-profit organization. In early 2011, again with the help and support by our attorneys, we submitted an application to the US Internal Revenue Service to obtain tax-exempt status for the Center. We received a tax-exempt status from the Federal government in November 2011.
For the past four years, we have organized a number of religious services and programs for the Tibetan community in the New York area. We have organized annual Lama Tsongkhapa Day prayer services, which is one of the most important religious celebrations in Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In June 2012, Sera Jey Monastery appointed Venerable Pare Rinpoche as residentail lama of Sera Jey Center in New York. We are very pleased to have Pare Rinpoche with us. We received his teachings and blessings which are special and cherished and respected by everyone who meets with Rinpoche. We have rented a space in Queens, New York and are planning to extend our religious and cultural programs to the Tibetan community and the general public.
