“To meditate means to become familiar with your positive thoughts, positive mind [the Tibetan word for meditation, gom, means to “familiarize”]. Try to increase the positive potential of your mind and reduce negative imprints in your mind. If you can’t do that, it’s useless to focus your mind on just your breath. It’s meaningless. The main thing is to increase the positive potential that is already in your mind-stream. This is truly meditation.”

Gyalten Khen Rinpoche, through joyful effort and diligence, has built and continues to buildout, the Lama Gaun Campus complex near Pharphing, Nepal. The wish of H. E. Chöden Rinpoche is coming to fruition under the guidance of Gyalten Khen Rinpoche and the many supporting students of Awakening Vajra International. The Lama Gaun Tashi Rabten Monastery Campus is comprised of many buildings that are either completed or under construction as of 2024. The Monastery houses many young monks, older lifetime meditators and international students who come for retreats. In the future, the mission of Khen Rinpoche is to fulfil the vision of H. E. Chöden Rinpoche by having the Lama Gaun Campus become the epicenter for the study of the Five Branches of Knowledge. It was Rinpoche’s expressed belief that the Five Branches could offer many benefits to humanity.

The proposed Lama Gaun Monastery Campus, under the abbotship of Khen Rinpoche, has to date finished the Lama Gaun Monastery, established the Gyalten Health and Wellness Clinic, built the Lama Gaun School for Monks, created living spaces for lifetime meditators and is involved in planning many future projects including a proposed nunnery. Much is happening and more will happen under the leadership of Khen Rinpoche and the involvement and generosity of AVI students globally.