Menpa (Amjee) Namgyal Phunrab was enrolled for basic education in the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamsala in the north Indian State of Himachal Pradesh. During his schooling, he showed his skill in the field of education and other activities and obtained the school’s Best Boy Award in the year 1992 from the Department of Education, Tibetan Government in-exile. In 1993, he graduated in the first division and joined the Loyola Autonomous College at the University of Madras (Chennai), India. At college, he was the founding member of the Tibetan Student’s Association, Madras (TSAM) and also served as its President. He was also the member of the National Social Scheme, Madras and the Rotary Club, Madras. In 1996, he completed his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. Botany) in the first division. After completing his course, he joined the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute of His Holiness Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India as a Senior Researcher in the Plant Research Department and a Lecturer of Western Medical Science at the College of the same Institute. In 1997 he attended a quality control training course at the Institute of Pharmacognosy within the Centre of Pharmacy at the University of Vienna, Austria. This was part of a development project gran t(EH project no. 1663/1994) awarded by the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Department for Development Cooperation.
2000-2002, he completed a correspondence course leading to a Bachelor of Alternative Systems of Medicine (B.A.S.M), from the Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, The Open International University for Alternative Medicines (Medicina Alternativa), in Calcutta (Kolkata) India. His education in Traditional Tibetan Sowa Rigpa began under the tutelage of the Late Menpa Tenzin Choedark, senior physician to H. The Dalai Lama. Menpa Tenzin Choedak was the Root Guru who taught him the core teachings of Tibetan medicine along with its practical applications. Menpa Tenzin Choedak’s teaching made him realize the importance of studying the Tibetan medical system and its potential benefits for society. Unfortunately, this influential tutor passed away in 2001. Therefore, with a view to continuing his study as guided by his Guru, he approached Menpa Tenzin Dakpa, Lecturer at the Tibetan Medical and Astrological College in Dharamsala who had served as interpreter to his Guru. Two years later, Menpa Tenzin Dakpa, was appointed as the Chief Medical Officer at the Medicine Buddha Healing Centre, Spring Green, U.S.A. At that time, Menpa Tenzin Dakpa kindly requested Menpa Tenzin Thaye, the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Department of Men-Tsee-Khang , Dharamsala to continue Menpa Namgyal’s instruction. Menpa Namgyal completed his study under him in Dharmsala in 2005. After that, he went to Tibet to deepen his study. In 2012, he took the Certified Registered Practitioner exam conducted by the Central Council of Tibetan Medicine, which is the highest governing body of Tibetan medicine under the Central Tibetan Administration in Exile, Dharamsala. He obtained the second highest mark in that exam and achieved certification with distinction. From 1997 to 2005 he worked in the Plant Research Department of Men-Tsee-Khang, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India. He is a key translator for volume one of “A Clear Mirror of Tibetan Medicinal Plants” by Menpa Dawa (Former Director) published by Tibet Domani, Italy, 2000. He was also a key translator and took major editing responsibility for the second volume of “A Clear Mirror of Tibetan Medicinal Plants”. He has also provided English translations for over a thousand Tibetan Materia Medica exhibitions in the museum of Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan. He has represented Men-Tsee-Khang in numerous seminars and work-shops. He has attended seminars, workshops and lectures in many European countries such as Germany, Austria, France, Norway, and Belgium.. He has also written many articles on Tibetan medicine. He has visited Heidelberg University, Germany to give a guest lecture on the Traditional Tibetan Sowa Rigpa System especially focusing on how traditional Tibetan Healing approaches the balancing the body and mind. In 2013, he gave a guest lecture at Ghent University, Belgium on “The Human Body in Traditional Tibetan Sowa Rigpa”. All the Universities, Institutes, Buddhist centres and individuals who have kindly invited him have appreciated his holistic way of supporting clients and his lectures, workshops and seminars on the Traditional Tibetan Sowa Rigpa System which has a history of more than 2500 years.
