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Ngari Institute’s new magnificent temple.
Ngari Institute is located in the Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh in a small village called Saboo. The main vision of Ngari Institute is providing a modern education for underprivileged children from different regions of the Himalayas. The Institute, which is spread over 20 hectares of deserted land, provides free education, a hostel, meals, and other basic necessities. Since 2014, the FPMT Social Services Fund has been sponsoring daily meals for eight-three students and staff members at this campus.
Inside the beautiful new temple at Ngari Institute with 1,000 buddhas painted. Photo courtesy of Ngari Institute Facebook page.
Blossoming apple trees at Ngari Institute. Photo courtesy of Ngari Institute Facebook page.
In 2016, Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered US$100,000 toward the magnificent new temple being built and recently we also offered US$63,048, thanks to a kind grant from Unione Buddhista Italiana. This new temple includes incredible and inspiring artwork on the walls, such as the painting of 1,000 Buddhas. The temple will have solar panels and include a new kitchen and dining hall.
In coming years, Ngari Institute will also be building a new children’s kitchen, dining hall, and extension for the girls hostel. In the future there are plans for an elderly home and animal sanctuary that Rinpoche is hoping to offer some support toward.
In 2019, in honor of Lama Tsongkhapa’s 600th anniversary, Ngari Institute planted 600 apple trees as a little contribution toward freedom from the causes of suffering due to global warming.
Ngari Institute started building this new temple in 2015, but it took much longer than expected as they had to raise the funds for such an ambitious big vision. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was very happy to offer support to Ngari Institute to actualize this new temple. The inauguration for the temple has been delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but hopefully will happen soon. 104th Gaden Tri Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Tenzin has been invited for the inauguration, as well as requested to offer a few days of teaching afterward.
Inside the gompa of Ngari Institute temple. Photo courtesy of Ngari Institute Facebook page.
Rinpoche has said about the benefits of supporting places such as centers and temples where people come to listen to the Dharma, study Dharma, meditate, collect merit, purify defilements, and come there to take Refuge, generate bodhicitta, and dedicate their practice for all sentient beings:
“Each time one practices there, by dedicating to sentient beings, it helps the six-realm sentient beings, without even one being left out, not even one ant, or one maggot, not even one slug is left out. So all the practices are dedicated for them, you practice Dharma for them. So the centers, monasteries, and temples are places to develop Dharma wisdom and compassion for all sentient beings as well as the whole gradual path to enlightenment, to learn the essence, to learn the middle and to learn the elaborate teachings, according to the intelligence of the people.”
Thank you to all who made it possible to offer the support toward this new temple at Ngari Institute in Ladakh, and especially thanks to Unione Buddhista Italiana. May this temple be a place of great learning and benefit for all beings.
If you are inspired by grants such as this, you are welcome to contribute to the Social Service Fund and help ensure that work like this can continue.