2025 Georgia Buddhist
Camp Teachers
We're thrilled to announce an extraordinary year of teachings, as we warmly welcome Buddhist masters from diverse traditions to share their wisdom, compassion, and unique practices with our community.
Gala Tulku Rinpoche
Born in Central Tibet in 1980, Gala Rinpoche joined the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamsala, India, at the age of 10, completing his high school education there. At 16, he was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the 7th reincarnation of Gala Tulku, a revered teacher from Batha Monastery in Kham Dege, Eastern Tibet. He received his novice vows from His Holiness at Drepung Loseling Monastery and full ordination vows in Dharamsala. Rinpoche completed his monastic studies in 2009, earning his Geshe degree the same year. He has served in various capacities, including as editor of DRELOMA (Drepung Loseling Magazine) and as a key member of the Loseling New Temple Inaugural Ceremony Preparation Committee. Rinpoche has traveled internationally, sharing Buddhist teachings and leading cultural tours such as the Mystical Arts of Tibet. He is currently the resident teacher at Drepung Loseling Institute of Texas.
Venerable Thich Truc Thai Phong
Venerable Thich Truc Thai Phong is the Abbot of the Tu An Bamboo Forest Zen Retreat in Lincolnton, North Carolina. Immigrating to America in his early teens, he led the Vietnamese Youth Organization and, after graduating from college, ordained as a Buddhist monk. He has been actively involved in organizing retreats and guiding meditation sessions, contributing to the spiritual growth of the community.
Venerable Jin Wei Shi
Born in Poland, Jin Wei Shi began his meditation practice in 1999. After a bohemian lifestyle, he dedicated himself to Dharma practice upon reading the Sixth Patriarch Sūtra. He volunteered in hospitals and helped organize Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (DRBA) delegations to Europe. He took novice ordination in 2015 and full ordination in 2017. In 2020, he graduated with an M.A. in Buddhist Classics from Dharma Realm Buddhist University (DRBU). He currently serves as an instructor at DRBU and Berkeley Buddhist Monastery in California, engaging in teaching and community outreach.
Venerable Dong Hue
Sister Đồng Huệ is a resident nun at Kim Cang Monastery in Atlanta, Georgia. Ordained as a monastic under the Most Venerable Thich Hanh Dat in 2010 at the same monastery, she has studied and practiced in the Plum Village tradition in Escondido, California. She has also practiced Vipassana Meditation under the guidance of Meditation Master Kim Triệu and attended retreats at centers such as Mahasi Meditation Center in Myanmar, Insight Meditation Society, and Goenka Meditation Center. Having immigrated to the U.S. in 1979, she grew up in Miami, Florida, graduated from Florida International University, and worked as an electrical engineer for 25 years. Currently, she works with the youth at Kim Cang Monastery, organizes retreats, and shares her Vipassana meditation practices with the Atlanta community and Emory Buddhist Club.
Sister Khema
Sister Khema ordained as a Buddhist nun in 2013 in Sri Lanka. She was born and raised in Vietnam and, after ordination, studied and experienced Buddhist culture in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and India. She came to the U.S. in 2022 and recently completed the Chaplaincy Internship Program at Emory Healthcare. She enjoys being a Dhamma friend to everyone, especially children, and values learning from others.
Emory Tibet Science Initiative Scholars
A group of six monastic scholars—Tenzin Wangdu, Dakpa Neaten, Tsering Gelek, Tanzin Mutup, Rinchen Lhamo, and Thupten Palmo—are collectively known as the Tenzin Gyatso Science Scholars at Emory University. As participants in the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative (ETSI), we are engaged in a two-year study program designed to bridge the disciplines of Buddhism and science, inspired by the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Hailing from Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in India, we bring years of study in Buddhist philosophy to this unique program, which integrates modern scientific education into our monastic training.