Bill Judge met Venerable Geshe Tsulga and took refuge with him in 1992. Later that year he took his first trip to India with Geshe La. From Delhi they traveled to Dharamsala where he was fortunate enough to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama. From Dharamsala they traveled to Varanasi and then Bodhgaya. The journey ended with an extended stay at Sera.
It was during his stay at Sera with Geshe La and his students that Bill saw a great need existed. Upon returning home he began a humble sponsorship program which eventually became “The Venerable Geshe Tsulga Non-Profit Corporation”.
Bill presently serves as Co-President of the BOD.
Andrea Judge’s interest in Buddhism began in 1992 when a co-worked suggested she might enjoy a class on Buddhism and Meditation. She took the introductory class, taught by Kadampa Center’s Don Brown, and began her journey along the Buddhist path.
In 1993 she met Geshe Tsulga when he arrived in Raleigh, NC to become the resident teacher at Kadampa Center. She continued to take classes and learn about Buddhism and served on the Kadampa Center’s Board for a time. That same year she began sponsoring one of Geshe La’s students, whom she continues to sponsor today.
In 1996 Andrea traveled with Geshe Tuslga and her husband Bill Judge, to India, where they visited New Delhi, Dharamsala, Agra and Geshe La’s monastery, Sera Jey, in South India. In 2010 she traveled to India with her husband and son, visiting Geshe La and the monks of House 2A in Sera Jey once again.
Andrea was one of the founding board members of this organization and acted as Treasurer from 2010-2017. Today, she remains on the board as a general member.