Christina Monson

Christina Monson (Sangye Gyalmo) was a renowned Tibetan language translator and interpreter with over thirty years of study, translation, and practice experience in Buddhism. Her interest in Asian philosophy led her to immerse herself in the study of religion as an undergraduate student at Brown University. Later, she focused her studies on Tibetan Buddhism while completing a Master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She first journeyed to Nepal in 1989 where she met her root guru, Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche under whose guidance she studied and practiced, at times in intensive retreat, for the next 27 years. He first introduced her to Sera Khandro and conferred empowerment, reading transmission, and practice instructions for many of Sera Khandro’s treasures and teachings. With the support of Chatral Rinpoche and his Sera Khandro lineage-holding disciple, Tengboche Rinpoche, Christina worked with many lamas and khenpos over several decades on compiling and editing the dakini’s collected works. This seven-volume collection was published in Tibetan language in 2020. Before her untimely passing in 2023, Christina continued to translate select sections of Sera Khandro’s works into English language as a Tsadra Foundation translator and scholar. Her upcoming publications include a volume of Sera Khandro’s zhaldam or spiritual advice entitled A Dakini’s Counsel: Sera Khandro’s Spiritual Advice and Dzogchen Instructions as well as the biography Sera Khandro penned of her lama and consort Drimé Ozer, the fifth son of Dudjom Lingpa.