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Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Italy, June 2014. Photo by Piero Sirianni.
With the great full moon of Saka Dawa, the 2015 Work a Day for Rinpoche campaign is culminating on Tuesday, June 2.
Since 2007, students in the FPMT international community have been celebrating the birth, enlightenment and Parinirvana of Lord Buddha by offering a day of work to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision and mission through FPMT’s annual Work a Day for Rinpoche campaign.
This is accomplished by dedicating a day of one’s work income, or any amount, to further a number of FPMT activities, such as creating new texts and practice materials, livestreams of Rinpoche’s teachings, and complete online learning programs for those who can’t reach a Dharma center.
One can “work a day” for Rinpoche and be helping provide Dharma education, the building of social services and holy objects, and making the compassionate moonlight of the Mahayana tradition available to as many as possible.
Donations can made as one-time or smaller monthly gifts from now up until the holy Buddha Day of Saka Dawa.
The FPMT community is huge, and many, many offer their hard work to this mission everyday in numerous ways. The Work a Day for Rinpoche campaign extends the very good fortune of working for the guru to everyone anywhere, for the most auspicious day of the Tibetan Buddhist calendar.
We invite you to join and Work a Day for Rinpoche, whatever your form of work, by showing your support today! Virtuous acts on Saka Dawa are believed to be 100 million times stronger, and all donations received will be dedicated on the day of Saka Dawa, June 2, 2015.
To make a donation:
https://fpmt.org/support/workaday/
On March 5, Centre Kalachakra in Paris welcomed local religious leaders representing Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism and Islam. Fifty people attended the dialogue, which focused on the theme of joy and happiness.
Geshe Drakpa Tsundue, Centre Kalachakra’s resident geshe, welcomed all the participants, stressing the importance of religious dialogue specifically in Paris after the violence against Charlie Hebdo. He also introduced His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s main points concerning religious plurality and interfaith dialogue, namely, that differently religions suit different needs and interests; the importance of emphasizing the common values – such as compassion and forgiveness – shared between theistic and non-theistic traditions; the need to generate a sense of there being one human family; and the necessity of secular ethics in education to promote world peace.
“Father Quinson, representing Catholicism, said we can experience joy with Jesus being the mediator of joy,” said center director Ven. Elisabeth Drukier, who was also a presenter at the event. “Imam Mohamed replied we should give up aesthetic joy because the soul can’t be satisfied that way. Pastor Raharinaivo commented that joy comes only from Heaven. And I explained the Buddhist view of inner joy coming from peace of mind.
“Interfaith dialogue has been going on for the last 15 years in 10th arrondissement of Paris on different themes such as preparing for death, forgiveness, and freedom. We usually go to different churches, synagogues or mosques. Centra Kalachakra has hosted this event three times and we expect more after Charlie Hebdo as there is a feeling of urgency to have more interfaith dialogue.”
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Buddhist representatives meet with White House staff, Washington, D.C., May 14, 2015
On May 14, three FPMT students attended the first White House-US Buddhist Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., which brought Buddhist leaders together to discuss politics and the policies most relevant to the country with current White House administration. Long-time student and director of Guhyasamaja Center Lorne Ladner shared this report:
Lorne Ladner reading Sutra of Golden Light during the first White House-US Buddhist Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., US, May 14, 2015.
The conference was organized by a number of Buddhist groups working together, led by William Aiken of Soka Gakkai who had previous connections with some folks at the White House. Over 120 Buddhists from many different Buddhist traditions and nations were invited. There were lay and monastic participants from many places including Japan, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and so on. A wide mix of people came from all around the US. One striking, positive feature of the group was it’s diversity – people of many cultures, races, nationalities, and Buddhist traditions coming together to share a positive perspective in the political arena.
It was quite nice in that Buddhists from a number of traditions shared about social efforts that they are making to do things like help with disaster relief, feed the hungry, decrease racism in the US and combat global warming. It was pretty inspiring to see that many different Buddhist groups are working to benefit others in wonderful ways. Everyone seemed quite friendly and harmonious.
The overall group had also drafted two statements to give to the White House – one expressing extreme concern about global climate change. This statement was in line with advice given previously by His Holiness the Dalai Lama about goals for decreasing carbon emissions to help on that issue. The other statement was about the problems of racism and how those relate to police violence and the prevalence of prisons in the US. I signed on to both of those because they were quite constructive.
After the presentations and the discussion about those documents, various government officials gave us a briefing and then answered questions at the White House. They focused on a number of issues including climate change, protecting the environment, the promotion of peace/non-violence, corporate greed, and decreasing racism in the US. Overall, it seemed like a positive first step in having the wise voice of the Buddhist tradition get more hearing in the context of the US political system. One thing that I saw clearly is that many groups in the US that have fewer members than Buddhism get more hearing because they focus more on having their voices heard on issues of importance to them. We Buddhists in the US tend to not focus on that so much!
Ven. Losang Tendrol and Jennifer Kim, director of Shantideva Meditation Center in New York, at the White House-Buddhist Leadership Conference, Washington, D.C., May 14, 2015
Ven. Losang Tendrol and I were both there from Guhyasamaja Center. She brought her prayer wheel along and spun it during the meeting which was nice. Thinking of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s many comments regarding it’s importance for peace, wise leadership and the protection of nations, I brought the Sutra of Golden Light and read some sections aloud during a break time with prayers. In terms of the overall meeting, there was also a point when members of the Sangha stood up and recited prayers including refuge. All the Buddhists together recited a version of the bodhisattva vow, which I think came from Japan.
The organizers said that they may likely organize another meeting like this next year at the US Capitol to meet with senators or congressional representatives. I want to try to help make sure that for next year they invite a few Tibetan monks as I think there was only one Tibetan person there this time. Perhaps this meeting is a step in the direction of greater compassionate engagement in the public sphere for Buddhists in this country.
For more on the meeting, see Lion’s Roar’s “Buddhist Go to the White House.”
Recitation of the Sutra of Golden Light for world peace is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for FPMT. FPMT Education Services has created a resource page to help you learn more about and start reciting the Sutra of Golden Light.
Participants in Institut Vajra Yogini’s fourth round of 108 nyung näs, Marzens, France, March 2015. Photo courtesy of Institut Vajra Yogini.
“Following up on the success of previous rounds of 108 nyung näs at Institut Vajra Yogini in France, the center started a fourth round in November 2014,” said director François Lecointre. “Midway through this fourth round, almost 600 nyung näs, an intensive two-day fasting retreat associated with Chenrezig, have already been accumulated by more than 80 different people.
“Five people still intend to do the full 108 nyung näs. To make it possible for people to commit to the whole seven months of this intense practice, each year Lama Zopa Rinpoche, through the Practice and Retreat Fund, is personally sponsoring up to 10 people willing to do 100 nyung näs.
“By starting this yearly retreat, Institut Vajra Yogini wished to help in making one of Rinpoche’s Vast Visions come true – that some practitioners might succeed in this life to complete 1,000 nyung näs.
“The nyung näs are open to anyone who wishes to join them. Some people come for eight nyung näs, some for one, some for just one session. Ven. Charles, who has guided the previous rounds, leads in French, but several people follow simultaneously in English.
“This year, we hope to accumulate at least 1,000 nyung näs by the end of this seven-month retreat. It is great to have such an opportunity to rejoice! Wherever you are in the world, any day and anytime until the end of June 2015, you can visualize the retreatants at Institut Vajra Yogini generating bodhichitta, prostrating, fasting, accumulating mantras, praying for peace, and you can rejoice in that intense purification and accumulation of merit.”
To learn more or offer to sponsor a retreatant, contact Institut Vajra Yogini.
A fifth round will be organized from mid-November 2015 to the end of June 2016. Please contact Institut Vajra Yogini if you are interested in participating in any way.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
In Manthali Gaun, Raemchhap District, Nepal, May 2015. Photo courtesy of Kopan Monastery School on Facebook.
While the ground continues shaking in Nepal, Kopan monks and nuns continue their emergency relief work in several districts in Nepal. Since the April 25 earthquake, there have been well over 100 magnitude 4.0+ earthquakes. Kopan teams are delivering relief aid on trucks to remote villages and communities in many districts, including people of the Dalit (Untouchable) caste.
Kopan nuns loading a truck bound for Rasuwa District, Nepal, May 2015
One team was on a four-day excursion to Rasuwa District, when the 7.3 earthquake struck on May 12. Kopan Monastery shared on Facebook that the team saw landslides and more destruction to homes. A medical team was traveling with the group. After returning, a medical team member said, “I think what they really need at this moment is proper shelters. Most of them plant their own food and get water from the waterfall, but difficult to get the shelter.” She concluded by saying, “There was too little that we could do for them. I wish we can do more to help.”
Providing medical aid in Rasuwa District, Nepal, May 2015
On May 16, the team returned to Rasuwa with two truckloads of tarpaulins and food, traveling 12 hours to arrive at their destination over very difficult roads.
Kopan Monastery School wrote on Facebook, “We saw so many relief team with huge loaded trucks heading toward this place. We were so relieved that now all the villagers around this area will get the relief supplies.
“What we learned is that Nepali people are so resilient. They looks sad, but much less worries than they supposed to be.”
A road in the Rasuwa District, Nepal, May 2015
Ven. Sarah Thresher shared, “To date the monks and nuns of Kopan Helping Hands have distributed:
List of aid for May 17, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, May 2015
- Food to 5,000 families
- Shelter to 1,135 families
- 3,000 meals
- Blankets to 500 families
- Clothing to 1,800 people
- Water distribution to many parts of the city…”
The Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation, which is the organization of Losang Namgyal Rinpoche, a Kopan monk and a high lama for the Tamang people, is coordinating with Kopan on relief work. They have most recently been sending supplies to Nuwakot District.
Geshe Thubten Jinpa, a senior Kopan Geshe, shared last week on his Facebook page, “Today we were traveling more than 18 hour on the road to deliver the relief package to the most affected area, every house along the road is completely down. It’s heartbreaking to witness these all with your own eyes. It’s 2 a.m. here. We just arrived back home. The road was so bad and the heavy rain made it extremely difficult. We sent for the people whom the relief package is targeted for and hand it over in the middle of jungle and head back, but have no other choices.”
Kopan Monastery is accepting donations directly for their relief work, mention “Kopan Helping Hands” in the comments: http://www.kopanmonastery.com/earthquake
To learn more and offer support to FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, which will be used for immediate relief and rebuilding: https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/
For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,” see:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/
For continuing updates and news from Kopan Monastery and other FPMT centers and projects in Nepal affected by the earthquake, please visit our “Updates from Nepal after the Earthquake” page:
https://fpmt.org/nepal-earthquake/
We hope you enjoy the May FPMT International Office E-News.
In this e-News we bring you:
- An overview of the resources available following the earthquakes in Nepal
- Highlights from our blogs about Lama Zopa Rinpoche
- News from FPMT Charitable Projects
- New opportunities to offer service
and more!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the way to consecrate the stupa at Mahamudra Centre, Colville, New Zealand, May 2015. Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang
An injured cow is unable to stand, Nepal, April 2015. Photo by Phil Hunt.
Phil Hunt, coordinator of the Animal Liberation Sanctuary at Kopan Monastery, has been helping not only the animals at Kopan, but other animals in Kathmandu and surrounding areas. Phil has been blogging about this work at Tree of Compassion. Here are a few excerpts from his posts:
Posted May 12
“During the latest larger earthquake in Nepal (measuring 7. 3 on the Richter scale) on Tuesday 12th of May we were on the second day of an animal rescue and assistance trip in the Nuwakot region, one of the worst affected areas from the original quakes. With our veterinarian Dr. Umesh Mandal, the SPCA Nepal, Nepal Veterinary Association and senior veterinary students, we were in the town of Devi Ghat when the rumbling started. People scrambled to the streets and open areas, screams and cries going out from fear and concern for others. A few minutes after the molecules of earth and beings settled people began working out what was newly damaged and what was no longer safe.
“… More fractures, slow healing wounds, downed animals, infections, abscesses, persistent diarrhoea and even a case of toxicity due to a home treatment remedy gone wrong (burnt motor oil smeared over a calf to treat a skin infection). We have seen food and medical aid getting to towns and villages in this area, which is so important, but helping the animals is also of great assistance to the people. They need these animals for their livelihood and they also treat them like family and worry for them. When their house is in ruins, when loved ones have died, when they are living in makeshift shelters and struggling, seeing an injured or sick animal get often lifesaving treatment is a great emotional (and financial) boost. …”
Posted May 2
“In the morning we headed out of Kathmandu Valley to a village where Dr. Umesh has been helping for some time. All along the way the devastation of the earthquake can be seen, with twisted and broken buildings scattered between the lucky ones with no apparent damage, the ones with small cracks, those with deep and ominous cracks, and those missing parts of walls and roofs. Out of the valley, it is clearer still in the rural communities that the traditional mud-brick or stone walls are the most affected as they have little mortar and certainly no metal rod internal support to hold them together.
“… We stop at one of the heads of the village. The cement and stone building is low and modest, even more so now as the entire main living area has lost its walls.
“… If the house had collapsed in its entirety, the cow and goats under the house would have been in trouble. Back in Kathmandu, 13 cows part of a backyard dairy were buried by a collapsing adjacent building. Only five could be rescued. In Nepal many people even in the city have one or two animals and small micro-farms are still important livelihoods.
Dairy cows who survived the earthquake, Nepal, April 2015. Photo by Phil Hunt.
“After checking the animals in the village, the next call is to a small dairy back in the Kathmandu Valley. A large house has collapsed across the normal access road and it requires a detour. Other roads are also blocked due to unstable buildings. The proliferation of four-story buildings means the risk is magnified. At the dairy we check the buildings and animals. Walls came down, but the animals are all fortunately safe.
“A call comes in from near Bhaktapur of an injured cow, unable to stand. When we arrive, we see it is due to another wall collapse. The cow is under a temporary shelter. She wants to stand but can’t and is distressed. I fear the worst. Dr. Umesh methodically checks for injuries and the cause of the problem. Fortunately he finds it is only a broken rib and bruising and slight lacerations on her back from falling bricks. She is given analgesia for the pain and some other medication to help her mend. We will revisit and follow up. She also needs her hoofs trimmed as they are terribly overgrown. Family and friends gather around and are relieved that the cow will recover. A young girl sweeps biting insects from her side. …”
Puppy rescued after Nepal earthquake, April 2015. Photo by Phil Hunt.
Posted May 1
“Another jolt in the night. Those that were here for the first two big quakes are hypersensitive to tremors and confess they are not sure sometimes whether they feel an actual tremor or it is their imagination.
“… It feels like a good day to stay put, hide in a dry corner like the monastery cat Shamatha. But knowing there are animals in distress that could be helped means there is no time for us to rest and makes every delay incredibly frustrating. Yesterday, several Israeli disaster response people were visiting the monastery. They were waiting for doctors to arrive before deploying.
Government officially declared this cottage condemned, Nepal, April 2015. Photo by Phil Hunt.
“… This morning it was business as usual at the Animal Liberation Sanctuary, tending to animals requiring care and ensuring day-to-day operations are in hand. We had to avoid the damaged track and take the longer track below. There is no permanent road access to the land and most things are brought in on foot. Returning, we stopped at a lovely old traditional Nepalese mud-brick cottage that had been badly damaged in the earthquake. The owners were there along with some people from the government. They were assessing the damage and had just pronounced the building as unrecoverable. This decision allows the owners to move on, but it means another piece of Nepalese heritage will be gone from the landscape. It still is such a beautiful house and framed beautifully with many flowers. The mother cow and her calf survived without injury, but it will be many months of turmoil for the whole family no matter what decisions are made. ...”
To read more from Animal Liberation Sanctuary coordinator Phil Hunt, visit the Tree of Compassion news blog.
For more updates and news from Kopan Monastery and other FPMT centers and projects in Nepal affected by the earthquake, visit our “Updates from Nepal after the Earthquake” page: https://fpmt.org/nepal-earthquake/
To learn more and offer support to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund visit:
https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/
For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,” see:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Ganden Yiga Chözin Buddhist Meditation Centre in Pokhara, April 2014. Photo via Facebook, Pokhara Buddhist Meditation Centre.
Ganden Yiga Chözin Buddhist Meditation Centre in Pokhara (about 200 km/120 miles from Kathmandu) was the only FPMT center in Nepal to not experience structural damage by the recent earthquake. Director Drolkar Maree Court shared in an email how the earthquake affected their weekend meditation course and what life is like in Pokhara now:
Sent April 28
The earthquake was very intense and scary and happened during the weekend course when we were on the topic of karma and the delusions. The quake lasted about two minutes and we ran into the garden, watching the neighbor’s building that was under construction, but nothing fell down. We have some cracks in garden walls, but that’s about it. And there was some smashed tsa-tsas in the tsa-tsa house on top of the gompa.
The next day when we again had class, we had a pretty big aftershock and the students just flew out the door this time. The day before they’d left quite slowly – a little too slowly it seemed though – I was at the back! But after that, they were very jittery and frightened. Pokhara is relatively unscathed. Just a few houses collapsed apparently and only one or two deaths, which is bad, of course, but nothing like anywhere else.
Since then, we’ve had to deal with all the anxious students who were here on the weekend. We had 26, which was a great number, but I think now that will be it for this season.
… And the weather’s been really bad lately, even before the earthquake. Very strange.
Sent May 6
Pokhara is practically deserted of Westerners and the people here are feeling it. Usually, May is very busy with tourists and people expect to make enough money each tourist season to tide them over during the monsoon and winter months. The center is no exception. We need to make enough money during the two tourist seasons to keep the center running through those empty months. But now with all the tourists gone, you can see the worry on people’s faces as they sit outside empty shops and restaurants. Apparently, many people have already lost their jobs as the employers start to panic over income. I’m sure it’s the same all over Nepal, not just here, as Nepal relies so heavily on tourism.
Nobody is sure when the tourists will come again either. Let’s hope that September (post monsoon) brings a fresh wave of tourists to re-energize the economy.
For more news from Kopan Monastery and other FPMT centers and projects in Nepal affected by the earthquake, visit our “Updates from Nepal after the Earthquake” page:
https://fpmt.org/nepal-earthquake/
To learn more and offer support to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund visit:
https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/
For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,” see:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/
You can receive an email daily digest of news from FPMT.org, including our updates from Nepal, by signing up at this address:
https://fpmt.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=97e3ebb09472d09e0e699efd3&id=b248a1a45e
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
The view from Rinpoche’s cave in Lawudo two weeks before the earthquake, Nepal, April 2015. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang.
Lawudo Gompa and Retreat Centre, located in the mountainous Solu Khumbu region of Nepal, is an essential part of FPMT. “Lawudo is the heart where FPMT started,” FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche has said. The cave at Lawudo is where Rinpoche’s previous incarnation Lawudo Lama Kunsang Yeshe meditated for 20 years. Many of the first Kopan monks came from the area and many FPMT students have meditated in the remote location.
Early reports from Lawudo describe considerable damage to the buildings there. On the top floor above the gompa, the side wall is badly cracked and pieces have fallen out. They fear the wall could fall down at anytime. In the dining room, half of the ceiling has fallen down due to the rocks that support the roof falling onto the ceiling. The side walls of the library have collapsed and the rocks supporting the roof have fallen through the ceiling. In the room of Ani Ngawang Samten, Rinpoche’s sister and manager of Lawudo, the rocks supporting the roof have fallen through the ceiling into the room. The cow shed side wall has collapsed as well as Nima’s house (Nima helps Ani Ngawang Samten maintain the center) and the buildings on both sides of the cave are badly cracked and pieces are falling out. In addition, walls have collapsed in the upper and lower retreat rooms.
Sangay Sherpa, Rinpoche’s brother who is the director of the center, has said that he has already booked a builder for the rebuilding, starting in a month. He plans to go to Lawudo soon himself and further assess the damage and begin collecting needed materials. The rebuilding of Lawudo will be supported by FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, which is funding both immediate emergency relief and the long-term rebuilding of FPMT centers and projects in Nepal.
Lawudo is also very near Thame, where Lama Zopa Rinpoche was born. Rinpoche feels a strong connection with the area and is supporting disaster relief efforts there. Through FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund and in coordination with Cherok Lama Sherpa and the Himalayan Peoples Project-Nepal, an emergency aid shipment of tents for nearly 200 families in the region arrived last week. Next, food shipments will be sent up to the area, which is at an elevation of 3,800 meters (12,5000 feet) and only accessible by foot or helicopter.
Tent shelters provided by emergency relief set up at Thame, Nepal, May 2015. Photo courtesy of Himalayan Peoples Project-Nepal
You can view Thame and the surrounding area on Google Maps or in a video created by Google Maps of the region, released in March 2015. National Geographic has posted photos of the destruction at Thame.
For more news from Kopan Monastery and other FPMT centers and projects in Nepal affected by the earthquake, visit our “Updates from Nepal after the Earthquake” page:
https://fpmt.org/nepal-earthquake/
To learn more and offer support to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund visit:
https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/
For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,” see:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/
You can receive an email daily digest of news from FPMT.org, including our updates from Nepal, by signing up at this address:
https://fpmt.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=97e3ebb09472d09e0e699efd3&id=b248a1a45e
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Kopan monks hand out emergency relief in Rasuwa, Nepal, May 2, 2015. Photo via Kopan Monastery School on Facebook.
Kopan Monastery monks continue to lead emergency relief efforts, going out to offer aid packages to people in villages far outside of Kathmandu. The Kopan monks are helping hundreds of families in a direct and organized way with rice, dal, oil, blankets, clothing and other supplies that are needed and that can be obtained.
A sign at Kopan Monastery showing what is being sent out for aid that day, Nepal, May 2, 2015
Kopan Monastery staff have been sharing these reports on Facebook:
Day eight
As we are receiving lots of requests from the affected area, we are learning what we need to prepare. We had to shop and pack packages for tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll be leaving around 6:00 a.m. with a load of foodstuff, blankets and tents. Thanks to all the monks for being all the time there to help. Specially those monks who donated all their extra blankets for the cause.
Today we opened our school after a week-long gap. We let our students discuss natural disasters and their causes. We also let them draw pictures about what they felt or think about the current situation.
Drawing by grade 3 monk at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, May 3, 2015. Photo shared via Kopan Monastery School on Facebook where there are more drawings by students.
Young monks helping to prepare emergency relief, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, May 2, 2015. Photo courtesy Kopan Monastery School on Facebook.
Day seven
Last night we prepared all required things: blankets, clothes, and food packages, which include rice, oil, salt, beaten rices, etc. We again divided things into two trucks, one for Rasuwa and other one for Sindupalchok, and decided to leave at 6:00 a.m.
We woke up 5:30 a.m., loaded the packages, had a breakfast, then headed to Sindupalchok. It took us more than four hours to reach the place (Bade Gaon). The road up to this place is so bad that nobody would dare to go there. But thanks to our driver who dared to drop us there. On the way there is a little town by Melamche riverbank called Sipha Ghat that is almost 70% devastated. Then there’s another village called Ghote Gaun with 90% of houses devastated. All just like war zones. We were totally surprised that we’re the first to come here. At the same we felt very sorry for them that our relief supplies are too little to cover all of them.
Devastation seen along the way to distribute supplies, Nepal, May 2, 2015. Photo courtesy Kopan Monastery School on Facebook.
We climbed the rocky road about 6 kilometers and we finally reached our destiny (Bade Goun). Here also we saw the same situation with other villages though it’s not so populated an area, comparing with other villages. Moreover, there’s no shops and no proper roads and that makes for more suffering. The people around these areas are so humble. There’s no rushing and crowding like we faced in Kathmandu valley in other days.
Some Kopan Monastery monks involved in relief work, Nepal, May 2, 2015. Photo courtesy Kopan Monastery School on Facebook.
They lined up and called each person from each house to get the supplies. I saw each person giving big smiles under their sad faces when they get their supplies. Everyone staying in the field. They insisted on us to have a lunch, some asked us to see their destroyed houses. My eyes got wet. I wish to cry aloud but how can I do that in front of them. We all went to see their devastated house. They’re asking whether we are coming again or not. I was speechless to their questions. We called to Radio Nepal and reported all the situations and asked them to send a help immediately. … We distributed all things in ward 4, 2 and 3. Then we had our lunch with their cattle, where they settled as their camp. They’re not willing to take money, but we insisted that they have at least 1000 Nepalese rupees.
We learned that the urgent things they needs are tents, blankets and mosquito nets. We were a little happy when we saw on the way back that Sikkim relief groups are going towards Sindupalchok. If anyone interested to go these area to help, make sure to carry those three things, please!!!
Kopan monks with villagers in Tare Bir Gaon, Nepal, May 2, 2015. Photo via Kopan Monastery School on Facebook.
For the latest updates and news from Kopan Monastery and other FPMT centers and projects in Nepal affected by the earthquake, visit our “Updates from Nepal after the Earthquake” page:
https://fpmt.org/nepal-earthquake/
To learn more and offer support to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund visit:
https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/
For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,” see:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/
More frequent updates and news can be found on FPMT’s Facebook page.
Mandala brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings and events from nearly 160 FPMT centers, projects and services around the globe. If you like what you read on Mandala, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering prayers, blessings and teaching in the new gompa at Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery, also know as the Kopan Nunnery, Nepal, April 30, 2015. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher. This was an important event for the nunnery to have Rinpoche enter their newly completed gompa, especially in light of the trauma of the earthquake and aftershocks.
Ven. Joan Nicell, a Canadian nun currently living at Kopan Monastery, shared this report of events at Kopan Monastery and Nunnery after the April 25 earthquake in Nepal. This report wraps up a week of blog posts on FPMT.org covering the earthquake and its aftermath.
Day 1
At noon on April 25, 2015 the earth swayed and shook at Kopan Monastery and across Nepal. The earthquake registered 7.8 on the Richter scale. At Kopan 40 or so frightened foreign visitors left their lunch and stumbled out of the dining room to the open ground of the stupa garden. More than 100 monks, who were also eating lunch on their Saturday off, soon joined them. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was carried on a bamboo chair down the two flights of stairs from his room above the main temple to the garden. Rinpoche took the opportunity to give an impromptu teaching on impermanence. Meanwhile, several monks and lay people returned to Rinpoche’s room to sop up the water from the many overturned offering bowls and pick up the statues and text that had been thrown from the altars.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche leading prayers the day of the earthquake, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, April 25, 2015. Photo by Ven. Sangpo Sherpa.
In Kopan Nunnery the nuns quickly gathered in the open field between the many new buildings. One nun sleeping in her room above the old gompa watched in fear as her room shook and books and pots crashed to the ground. One of the deer on the roof of the old gompa fell and smashed to pieces on the gompa steps. The other deer and the Dharma wheel remained hanging precariously over the edge of the roof. Lay people from the surrounding houses soon began to join the nuns, many with small children.
Spilled water bowls in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s room, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, April 25, 2015. Photo by Ven. Sangpo Sherpa.
The aftershocks continued throughout the afternoon, often not more than 20 minutes between each one. Screams from the frightened people crowded into every available open area could be heard with each tremor. News began to arrive via phone of deaths and injuries throughout the country accompanied by warnings to remain outside. At Kopan, as evening approached, several small tents were quickly set up for Rinpoche, the geshes, older monks and Western nuns. A larger dormitory-like tent was erected for some of the foreign visitors. The younger monks and foreigners slept on camping mats under the open sky, while the youngest of the monks were sent to sleep in the gompa. The Kopan nuns spent the night wrapped in blankets and cloaks under the sky.
Tents set up after the earthquake, Kopan Monastery, Nepal, April 2015. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.
Day 2
The next morning at Kopan was surreal, with Rinpoche sitting, apparently very relaxed and even sleeping, in the shade of a big tree surrounded by cross-legged foreigners doing their own prayers and practices for the earthquake victims. Young monks ran around, as young boys do, excited to have a day off. At 1 p.m. when the second big tremor hit (over 6 on the Richter scale), the atmosphere turned somber again as everyone quietly gathered around Rinpoche. Prayers were recited for those who had died and been injured. The monks set up more tents at Kopan and the nuns erected plastic tarps at the nunnery as everyone prepared for another night outside. Bright orange and blue plastic tarps could be seen popping up in every open space in the valley below Kopan.
Kopan monks involved in efforts to clean up areas to prevent the spread of disease after the earthquake, Kathmandu, Nepal, May 1, 2015. Photo from Kopan Monastery School on Facebook.
Day 3-7
As the days are passing and news from around the country continues to worsen, “Kopan Helping Hands” is organizing truckloads of food and water to distribute to needy people in the city. The monks are also volunteering to clean up some of the tent cities that dot the city. Evening prayers with Rinpoche are an unscheduled but regular part of the day, most often in the garden but, when raining, in the main temple.
Ven. Nawang Thinley and other Kopan monks offering emergency relief, Nepal, April 30, 2015. Photo courtesy Nawang Thinley on Facebook.
Damage to Kopan Monastery
Cracked walls at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, April 2015. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.
One of the buildings with the biggest damage is the Chenrezig Gompa, the temple where all the introductory courses for foreigners are normally held. The building appears to have shifted away from the embankment resulting in large cracks in the stairwell and outer walls. Both inside and outside large pieces of plaster have shattered on the floor revealing the bricks beneath. Fortunately the statues in the altar, many of them an important part of Kopan’s history, were not damaged.
The nearby accommodation block was also seriously damaged with a gaping hole in the back of one room and deep cracks in the walls in all the lower rooms and toilets.
One of the older brick buildings that houses the monks has extensive cracks beneath the cement beams in every room but is structurally sound. The nearby large accommodation block also has many cracks, especially in the rooms on the second floor. A brick railing around the rooftop room crashed to the ground; fortunately no one was injured.
The library and bookstore floors are covered in books that spilled to the floor. A week after the quake, it was deemed safe enough for a group of guests, nuns, and monks to begin the work of putting them back on the shelves.
A collapsed brick wall at Kopan Nunnery, Nepal, April 25, 2015. Photo by Ven. Sangpo Sherpa.
Damage to Kopan Nunnery
The old gompa has been badly damaged. The walls around the building are cracked, a deer and the Dharma wheel remain dangling from the roof, some of the decorative cement victory banners fell to the ground, and windows are broken. Much of the boundary wall that surrounds the nunnery land collapsed, making it easy for anyone to enter the property. The interior walls of the new gompa have ugly cracks spoiling the beautiful artwork of the wall paintings. Externally the back wall has been damaged. The walls of the new, not yet finished, dining room also have many cracks. The new accommodation block also sustained some damage. It is not yet clear whether or not the old accommodation block has sustained structural damage. Strangely the old kitchen remained unharmed.
How to Help
Kopan Monastery and Nunnery will need financial help to repair damaged buildings and perhaps even tear down and rebuild the more badly damaged ones. For more up-to-date information check out their websites.
After today, we will post updates from Nepal after the earthquake to FPMT.org less frequently. For those interested in finding more FPMT-related news from Nepal, follow FPMT on Facebook.
Helping prepare the emergency relief aid for Thame, May 1, 2015. Photo by Tara Melwani. The emergency relief is sponsored, in part, by FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund. Five Kopan monks traveled with the suppies to manage their distribution, which an eyewitness on the ground described as “orderly.”
For updates and news from Kopan Monastery and Nunnery and other FPMT centers and projects in Nepal affected by the earthquake, visit our “Updates from Nepal after the Earthquake” page:
https://fpmt.org/nepal-earthquake/
To offer support to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund visit:
https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/
For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,” see:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/
You can receive an email daily digest of news from FPMT.org, including our updates from Nepal, by signing up at this address:
https://fpmt.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=97e3ebb09472d09e0e699efd3&id=b248a1a45e
Emergency relief supplies headed to Thame at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 1, 2015.
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Kopan monks distribute aid to villagers after earthquake, Nepal, May 1, 2015. Photo via Ven. Nawang Thinley’s Facebook page.
FPMT.org makes available a variety of resources to help concerned students and supporters stay abreast of the latest updates and news from Kopan Monastery and other FPMT centers and projects in Nepal affected by the earthquake.
Learn more and offer support to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, a fund offering initial aid in some of the most remote areas and helping to rebuild Kopan Monastery, Kopan Nunnery and Lawudo (https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/).
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice regarding “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal” to help prevent earthquakes and benefit those who have recently died (https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/).
For FPMT.org’s coverage of Nepal after the earthquake, visit our “Updates from Nepal after the Earthquake” page (https://fpmt.org/nepal-earthquake/).
Consider receiving an email daily digest of news from FPMT.org, which includes our updates from Nepal (https://fpmt.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=97e3ebb09472d09e0e699efd3&id=b248a1a45e).