Driving the Dharma Home

Driving the Dharma Home

When Geshe Dadul Namgyal, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, learned to drive in the United States, reading the Georgia state driver’s manual and the experience of learning to drive became another opportunity for him to practice the Dharma and teach for the benefit of others. He recognized that driving presents us with unending obstacles to overcome and continuous opportunities to practice kindness. In the epilogue, Geshe Dadul said: “The goal of any practice is to bring what we have learned into our daily life.” In saying this and being a living example of the Dharma, Geshela continues to teach us. This book, with its compelling message, speaks to all of us—especially young adults. Through Geshela’s wisdom, we will understand that, just as in life, the most influential, vulnerable, and dangerous entity on the road is the driver in a vehicle. The real-life anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book introduce us to the Buddha’s Eightfold Noble Path in a way that makes sense, and just as a driver’s manual guides us to travel safely, this book teaches how to live well and with kindness. Venerable Geshe Dadul Namgyal (Tenzin Chodrak) was born in 1959 just after his family fled from Tibet to India in the face of the Chinese Communist invasion. Geshe Dadul was a prominent scholar, teacher, and translator of Tibetan Buddhism. He held a doctorate (Geshe Lharampa) in Buddhism and Philosophy from the Drepung Monastic University and earned a Master’s degree in English Literature from Punjab University in Chandigarh, India. Geshe Dadul’s inquisitive mind, devotion to Buddhist philosophy, innate kindness, and gift with languages shaped his life. A brilliant and inspiring teacher, he taught at many Buddhist centers. In 2022, he joined Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist monastery in Newport, Washington, as a resident teacher and senior monastic. His wisdom, sense of humor, and the many ways he taught through words and example continue to inspire. Geshe Dadul passed away in January 2024.