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Updates from Nepal After the Earthquake
Finished accommodation at Shri Sengedrak Ngedhon Samten Choeling Retreat Center.
Shri Sengedrak Ngedhon Samten Choeling Retreat Center, a Kagyu nunnery, was badly damaged in the 2015 earthquake that devastated Nepal and surrounding areas. This nunnery, located on the border of Nepal and Tibet (on the Nepal side), is under the guidance of Zigar Monastery Abbot Tinley Dorje who is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachers.
Destruction following t he earthquake at Shri Sengedrak Ngedhon Samten Choeling Retreat Center, Nepal.
Following the earthquake, construction was needed for thirty-five retreat houses, one main prayer hall, a retreat house for the abbot, and five standard toilets. The nuns had been living in temporary shelter, and the Social Services Fund issued a grant for US$185,000 for the necessary rebuilding.
New accommodation and landscape at Shri Sengedrak Ngedhon Samten Choeling Retreat Center.
Please rejoice that the accommodation is now complete and the nuns can continue their studies and practice without dire living conditions. Tremendous thanks to all of the kind donors who made this possible.
You can learn more about the Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund and the ways it supports monasteries and nunneries.
Pema Choeling Monastery suffered severe damage following the 2015 earthquake.
Pema Choeling Monastery has stood above the village of Phakding for more than 500 years. Phakding is a small village in the Khumbu region of Nepal. It is just north of Lukla.
Pema Choeling Monastery has stood above the village of Phakding for more than 500 years.
The monastery suffered severe damage following the massive earthquake and aftershocks of 2015. Rooms, the kitchen, and gompa had to be completely rebuilt. The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund recently offered US$15,000 to rebuild the gompa.
To date US$923,822 has been offered to toward rebuilding and disaster relief following the 2015 Nepal earthquakes.
Beautiful and traditional paintwork being offered on the new gompa at Pema Choeling Monastery.
Please rejoice that this historic and important monastery has received the support it needs to rebuild and continue serving as a place of refuge for the resident monks to study, practice, and live in the monastic vows. This grant was made possible due to the kindness of so many people who immediately wanted to offer support after the devastating earthquake. Thank you to all who contributed.
If you would like to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure grants such as this can continue, you can read more about the initiatives this fund supports or donate any amount to the fund itself.
Construction of the new Khumjung Gompa.
The Nepal earthquake and aftershocks of 2015 devastated much of Nepal including many parts of Khumbu region where Khumjung Gompa is located. At 12,400 feet near Everest, this monastery is a 400-year-old monastic center of Sherpa culture and Tibetan Buddhism. Over its lifespan, Khumjun Gompa was extended several times. Its original small size and weak foundation required much renovation and restoration. The last renovation was completed in 2000. The 2015 earthquake worsened the condition. Following the earthquake, the property was assessed for overall damage. The concluding report was clear that there had been major cracks and distortion of structures at multiple sites, which required reconstruction of the whole building. At this point two committees were formed (Samten Choling Gompa Management Committee and Khumjung Gompa Rebuild Committee) to raise funds and organize all aspects of rebuilding the gompa.
You can watch a short video of some of the initial damage and rebuilding efforts:
Approximately 4,000 local Sherpas live in the area. There are about 300 households which share this gompa for religious festivals.
The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, a sub-fund of the Social Services Fund, offered US$50,000 toward this important rebuilding project.
Khumjung Gompa Reopening Ceremony.
The rebuilding was successfully completed in August of 2017 and inaugurated by the abbot of Tengboche Monastery, Nawang Tenzing Jangbu, who reported, “Cultural Restoration especially after the April 2015 earthquake has become more important than ever before. It is our duty to preserve our cultural heritage for our future generation. We deeply appreciate all our friends and donors who have generously contributed towards the rebuild of Khumjung Gompa”
Welcoming guests during the reopening ceremony of Khumjung Gompa.
You can read a full report on this project completed by the Khumjung Gompa Welfare & Development Committee.
Please rejoice on this incredible effort by many in the Sherpa community and many kind and generous donors who contributed to the completion of this important restoration project.
If you would like to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure grants such as this can continue, you can read more about the charitable projects this fund supports or donate any amount to the fund itself.
Repairs and improvements are needed and underway at Lawudo Retreat Centre, Nepal.
The Lawudo Retreat Centre, situated high in the Himalayan mountains of eastern Nepal, holds particular significance for FPMT. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama, Lama Kunzang Yeshe, who lived and practiced in Lawudo until his passing at age 81. The Lawudo Retreat Centre was built over several years and completed in 1972 under direction from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The gompa was built so that young monks in the area could receive a good education with favorable conditions. Since that time, Rinpoche’s mother (who passed away in 1991), sister Anila Ngawang Samten, and brother Sangay Sherpa have cared for the Lawudo Lawudo Retreat Centre and welcomed pilgrims, retreatants and locals to this extremely blessed and remote place.
Lawudo’s old gompa was severely damaged in the April 2015 earthquake.
The property suffered damage from the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks which struck in April 2015 and a considerable amount of repair and rebuilding has been needed in response. Additionally, other improvements and renovations have long been needed at the center and these projects are also being undertaken. For example, a new room is being built for Lama Zopa Rinpoche so when Rinpoche is visiting, he can be offered a proper accommodation complete with a bathroom. The old gompa was also in need of renovation, and the mani prayer wheel house needed reconstruction. These improvements are underway as well.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s new room at Lawudo will be built on the ground floor and feature a built in bathroom.
The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund has been helping support the rebuilding and renovations needed at Lawudo, and there are still many repairs to be made. All are welcome to participate in the improvements needed on this very precious property.
All are welcome to donate to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund.
https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/
You can learn more about Lawudo Gompa and its history at Lawudo.com.
Group photo from the fourth meditation course held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, 1973. Photo by Christine Lopez.
At the end of last year we reported on the extensive rebuilding needed at Kopan Monastery and Nunnery following the devastating April 2015 earthquake in Nepal.
Chenrezig Gompa prior to the earthquake damage.
Kopan Monastery is FPMT’s most precious destinations as the very first FPMT teachings happend there with Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the early seventies. Since the early days of the organization, this Chenrezig Gompa has been a place for new and old students to connect or reconnect to the Dharma. The gompa was severely damaged in the earthquake. In response to the damage, engineers from Taiwan flew to Kopan to professionally evaluate the structural damages to buildings. Based on their advice, the entire Chenrezig gompa was pulled down and is being rebuilt. The foundation has now been laid and construction has begun.
There are more buildings at Kopan that still need to be completely rebuilt or extensively repaired due to the earthquake and these repairs will be happening soon.
The foundation of the new Chenrezig Gompa being rebuilt at Kopan Monastery.
Kopan Nunnery is currently the largest Tibetan nunnery in Nepal with 400 nuns. The nunnery provides full scholarship for the nuns, which includes education, accommodation, health care and food.
One of the ways the nunnery supports itself is by making incense. The building used for making the incense (which was a newly completed building at the time of the earthquake), was completely damaged and had to be rebuilt following the earthquake destruction.
All of this rebuilding is due to the generosity of donors who so kindly contribute to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund and there is still extensive need for rebuilding at Kopan Monastery and Nunnery as well as Lawudo and we will continue to support this in whatever way we can.
Thanks to all who have contributed to this fund and to those who feel moved to do so in the future. With everyone’s help, these most precious FPMT institutions can be rebuilt soon so the Sangha, teachers, and students who depend on them can benefit for many, many years to come.
All are welcome to donate to the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund.
https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/
You can learn more about Lawudo Gompa and the history of Lawudo.
http://www.lawudo.com/About
The nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery were forced into temporary shelter due to their nunnery being rendered uninhabitable following the April earthquake in Nepal.
A young nun of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery .
Following the earthquake of April, 2015, the conditions at Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery (also known as Bigu Nunnery), located in a remote area of Nepal, were such that the nuns living there had to evacuate and take up temporary shelter in Kathmandu. The earthquake destroyed all of the buildings at the nunnery and there was no safe housing for the seventy-five nuns. Additionally, there was no accessible health care facility or place for the nuns to study as all roads were blocked due earthquake destruction.
The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund was recently able to offer US$5,875 to the nuns, to help with food and health care needs while they are in their temporary shelter in Khatmandu.
These nuns have been offering two 100 million mani retreats every year, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been supporting this through the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund; the sponsorship of 100 million mani retreats is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization. The nuns are still engaged in this retreat while in Kathmandu, 200 million mani mantra recitations are nearly finished.
You can learn more about the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund and the support it has offered following the Nepal earthquake, the Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund, or about the 100 million mani retreats that the nuns of Tashi Chime Gatsal Nunnery have offered in alignment with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Vision for FPMT.
Due to a US$50,000 grant from the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, Kopan Helping Hands was able to distribute aid to ten villages in Nepal over July and August.
In June of this year, due to the generosity of many, the Earthquake Support Fund was able to offer a US$50,000 grant to Kopan Helping Hands in support of their ongoing work to offer relief aid in Nepal. This grant is part of a total US$793,400 which the Earthquake Support Fund has offered to Kopan Helping hands since the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks. We are pleased to offer this report on how that $50,000 grant was used in ten different areas. Please rejoice in the distribution of all this essential aid in July and August to various villages in need!
- Orang VDC Dolakha: 610 bags of rice, 161 gallons of cooking oil
- Babare Chilan Kha Dolakha: rice, cooking oil, and salt for 250 families
- Lambager VDC Dolakha: rice, cooking oil, and salt for 180 families
- Balefi Sindhupalchok: rice and cooking oil for 95 families
- Lamjung: mattress foam for 158 families
- Buling VDC Dolakha: 715 bags of rice, cooking oil
- Kopan Village and surrounding area: 41 bags of rice, 17 sacks of sugar
- Bimtar VDC Sindhupalchok: 174 bundles of zinc sheets
- Lava VDC: 66 pounds of rice for 56 families
- Khaten Gompa Dhadaing: 22 bundles of zinc sheets
The devastation in many areas left villagers with very little. The essential aid offered through Kopan Helping Hands has made a huge difference to many lives.
A tremendous thanks to all generous donors who made this offering of aid possible. Additionally, many individuals and organizations have offered support directly to Kopan Helping Hands, a tremendous collective effort around the world has enabled their work to flourish in Nepal.
To learn more and offer support to FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, which was established to support relief and rebuilding efforts: 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/
The gallery includes touching images of the courageous relief work of volunteers and groups such as Kopan Helping Hands. One can glimpse the massive amounts of aid supplies distributed to affected people and the dramatic destruction that was inflicted onto monasteries, residences and other structures.
Much of the recovery work and humanitarian aid seen in these gallery photos was supported by the incredible kindness of donors in and outside of the FPMT community, who quickly and generously came to Nepal’s aid through the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund.
Please visit the Nepal Earthquake Support Fund photo gallery here, and we invite you to rejoice in all of the compassionate actions of so many volunteers and donors.
FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund supports Namgyal Rinpoche’s efforts to provide short and long term aid to those devastated by the Nepal earthquakes. Photo courtesty of Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation Facebook page.
Losang Namgyal Rinpoche, a Rinpoche from Kopan Monastery and a high lama of the Tamang people, has been coordinating relief aid and leading efforts to provide much needed short and long term aid to victims of the earthquakes in Nepal which destroyed lives, property, and holy objects in 14 districts.
Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation worked with Kopan Helping Hands in August to distribute food to villagers in need in Dhading District, Nepal. Photo courtesy of Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation Facebook page.
The first phase of relief offered to those devastated by the earthquake was in the form of essential food and medical supplies to 5,000 families. The Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation has been working with Kopan Helping Hands since the very beginning to provide food staples to families. This collaboration continues and with both organizations putting resources together, more benefit is offered to those in need.
The second phase of aid was offering temporary shelter to villagers rendered homeless by earthquake destruction. The monsoon season brought great need, and also new challenges, in terms of providing temporary shelter so desperately needed by villagers who had not received any government assistance at the start of the heavy rain season.
The Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation offering bundles of zinc sheets to Bhanjyang and Phedeghau villages in the Kavre District, Nepal. Photo courtesy of Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation Facebook page.
The third phase will be providing permanent shelter and helping to rebuild structures such as homes, gompas and schools.
The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, due to the kindness of many generous donors, has been able to contribute to these efforts, and will continue in the future if possible. Please rejoice in the ongoing work of many from the Namgyal Rinpoche Foundation to provide this incredibly compassionate aid to those in need.
To learn more and offer support to FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund: https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/
For “Prayers and Practice for Earthquake in Nepal,”:
https://fpmt.org/edu-news/prayers-and-practices-for-earthquake-in-nepal/
9,135 families and many individuals in the eleven most affected districts of Nepal have been assisted so far by Kopan Helping Hands.
Kopan Monastery and Nunnery have been actively involved since the very beginning with relief efforts for those devastated by the Nepal earthquake and subsequent aftershocks through Kopan Helping Hands. The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund has been able to offer grants to assist with this aid due to the kindness of many generous donors.
Essential food items, shelter, blankets and clothing, along with medical attention have been offered to those in need by Kopan Helping Hands.
Incredibly, 9,135 families and many individuals in the eleven most affected districts of Nepal have been assisted so far by Kopan Helping Hands. Geshe Thubten Jinpa recently sent the below inspiring report of some highlights of aid and service that has been offered:
- 4,280 pieces of tarpaulin and zinc sheets have been offered for temporary shelters
- 580 tents
- Blankets and clothing for warmth
- 19,7200 kg of rice have been offered
- 20,010 kg of dahl have been offered
- 11,310 liters of cooking oil have been offered
- 4,390 packets of salt have been offered
- 3,840,000 packets of noodles have been offered for sustenance
- Many of the Sangha donated their blood at local hospitals and also Kopan set up a blood bank
- Sangha members were mobilized around Kopan to clear the debris which blocked the road so that the rescue operations could be performed
- Cooked meals were served to the patients and the families in the local hospitals following the earthquake
- Drinking water was supplied to the various parts of the city where the normal water supply had been disrupted
- Sangha members were mobilized to keep the surroundings free of garbage in order to eliminated post-earthquake health hazards
- Special prayer sessions were held every evening at the monastery for those who had lost their lives and for the grieving family members. (The first week of prayer prayer was led by Lama Zopa Rinpoche every evening.)
- An emergency medical team was airlifted to treat patients in critical condition.
- Medical and sanitation facilities were provided to various temporary resettlements around Kathmandu
- Food and other facilities were offered to the Sangha community who came to resettle in Kathmandu after their monasteries were destroyed in the villages
In spite of danger and difficulty, Kopan Helping Hands has continued to offer aid to the eleven most affected districts of Nepal.
Kopan Helping Hands was able to reach eleven of the most affected areas:
- Solukhumbu
- Dolakha
- Ramechap
- Sindupalchok
- Kavre
- Nuwakot
- Okhaldunga
- Gorkha
- Kathmandu
- Lalitpur
- Rasuwa
This aid was offered despite incredible challenges and potential danger and difficulty due to landslides, destroyed roads, heavy rains and constant aftershocks. For example, the Kopan Sangha traveled for many hours on the back of open trucks that were fully loaded with supplies to help.
Please rejoice in the incredible and compassionate aid that has been offered by Kopan Helping Hands and thank you to the many people who have supported and made it possible for so much assistance to be given.
This aid will continue and now with the onset of monsoon season new challenges are presented. Repairs and rebuilding of Kopan Monastery and Nunnery have also started and support is still needed to complete these essential projects.
To learn more and offer support to FPMT’s Nepal Earthquake Support Fund: https://fpmt.org/support/socialservices/id.
Kopan Monastery is accepting donations for their ongoing work, mention “Kopan Helping Hands” in the comments: http://www.kopanmonastery.com/earthquake
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/
Kopan monks and nuns worked with several charities and individuals to distribute much needed aid to villagers in upper Tsum.
The Tsum Valley, which is located in the northern border area of Nepal close to Tibet, was badly affected by the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks that struck Nepal earlier this year that toppled homes, temples and other buildings, resulting in the death of over 9,000 people across the country. Many charities have formed to help care and provide for those in need following the destruction. Recently, several individual charities have been working together to provide aid for the Tsum region of Nepal.
Villagers in Tsum Valley experienced extreme devastation and this aid provided to them will make a huge impact on over 500 families’ ability to survive.
Aid of tents, sleeping bags, and cash were arranged for over 500 families in upper Tsum. The monks and nuns of Kopan have helped distribute this aid from Rachen Nunnery with the help of several charities including 16 Navigators Nepal Earthquake Relief Mission and individuals including Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Geshe Tenzin Lundrup, Dhawa Gyanjen Tsumba, and others.
Please rejoice in this incredible collective effort of generosity and kindness.
With many contributing to a collective effort of aid, over 500 families from Tsum were supported.
You can offer your support to Kopan Helping Hands so that the monks and nuns can contribute to help distribute aid to those in Tsum Valley: 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/
Recent efforts of Kopan Helping Hands have been in the Dolakha District in Northeast Nepal. This district has been most affected by the earthquake and is very difficult to obtain access to. Photo courtesy of Kopan Facebook page.
Kopan Monastery and Nunnery have been actively involved since the very beginning with relief efforts for those devastated by the Nepal earthquake and subsequent aftershocks. The Nepal Earthquake Support Fund, set up by FPMT International Office at the request of Ven. Roger Kunsang immediately following the earthquake, has been offering grants to the work of Kopan Helping Hands which continues to offer ongoing aid to those in need, despite danger and difficulty.
Geshe Thubten Jinpa continues to help with the relief efforts and keep up on updates regarding the work of Kopan Helping Hands. In a recent report, he outlined that 66 pounds of rice, cooking oil and salt was offered to families from 481 collapsed households in Dolakha District, Northeast Nepal. He reported that individuals walked twelve miles to the distribution center to collect this aid. Kopan Helping Hands was also able to offer each family 300 Nepalese Rupees for traveling expenses.
Recently Kopan Helping Hands has been able to help families from over 3,705 households in the Kathmandu surrounding districts, offering bulk food items such as rice, cooking oil, salt and mattresses and also covering traveling expenses for the families to get the aid.
Birds-eye view of the devastation of the Dolakha District of Nepal where Kopan Helping Hands is currently focusing relief efforts toward. Photo courtesy of Kopan Facebook page.
Geshe Jinpa explains:
“Our current major working area is in Dolakha District. It is the most affected area and road access to whole region was disrupted for a very long time after the earthquake. As soon as the road accessibility was possible the monsoon season began and the delivery of the relief became tough. We had to find the needed materials in local markets and some needed to place orders from outside the city and even from India. Things are then imported to Kathmandu in bigger lorries and shifted to the affected area. Not all destinations can be reached by road so items are transported by smaller vehicle up to where there is the accessibility of the road. Road to the villages are very primary it can be disrupted at any moment. If we have rain for a day landslides will occur everywhere and the vehicles get stuck in the mud. So we must load and unload the things, pushing and pulling of trucks is needed for every single delivery. The trucks, which carry the supply, got stuck in the landslide for two days and we managed to clear the road using another dodger. Four of our monks are stationed in one of most dangerous places since last week and they keep on work of distribution despite heavy rain and fear of landslides and flood. They have to be on the field to collect the data of affected people and find a most effective place for the distribution and called people from villages to the distribution center. Some people even have to walk for days to receive the relief materials. Our volunteer monks on the ground are struggling to make distributions swift and effective while coordinating with local people and authorities.“
Despite all of this, Kopan Helping Hands continues to offer this much needed support to those in dire need. Please rejoice in this inspiring and courageous effort by the monks and nuns of Kopan who are working extremely hard and tirelessly for the benefit of others.
Thank you also to all the kind donors who are helping to make this aid possible.
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/id.
Kopan Monastery is accepting donations for their ongoing work, mention “Kopan Helping Hands” in the comments: http://www.kopanmonastery.com/earthquake
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/