Gareth Sparham

Gareth Sparham was a monk for more than twenty years and an oral interpreter for many learned lamas while living in India. He holds a PhD in Asian Studies from the University of British Columbia. The author and translator of numerous works, many focusing on the writings of Tsongkhapa, he has taught Tibetan language at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the University of California at Berkeley. He lives with his wife in Walnut Creek, California.
Books, Courses & Podcasts
Vast as the Heavens, Deep as the Sea
Revered by many—especially His Holiness the Dalai Lama—as the very embodiment of altruism, the late Khunu Rinpoche Tenzin Gyaltsen devoted his life to the development of bodhicitta—the aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. Presented in both English and the original Tibetan, this modern classic is a collection of Khunu Rinpoche’s inspirational verse.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama reading from Khunu Rinpoche’s ‘Jewel Lamp’ during the second day of his teachings at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia on June 15, 2013. Photo/Rusty Stewart/DLIA 2013
Tantric Ethics
Tantra, or Vajrayana, Buddhism is a set of esoteric practices that involve mantra recitation and complex visualizations. Tantra constitutes the fabric of a Tibetan Buddhist’s daily practice, but no practice of tantra can be successful without adherence to the tantric precepts, the highest of three complementary sets of vows. Tsongkhapa is perhaps the greatest philosopher ever produced by Tibet’s Buddhist culture, and this book is a translation of his explanation of the tantric precepts.
Read Tsongkhapa’s biography at the Treasury of Lives.