receive our newsletters     join Friends of FPMT
DONATE
  • Home
  • News / Media
    • Mandala Magazine
      • Online Features
      • Archive
      • About
      • This Issue
      • Subscribe
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Support Prisoners
    • FPMT News
    • Important Announcements
    • Lama Zopa Rinpoche News
    • e-News
      • e-News Archives
      • Receive Our Newsletters
      • Unsubscribe e-News
      • Unsubscribe FPMT Latest News
    • RSS Feeds
      • All News
      • FPMT Announcements
      • Lama Zopa Rinpoche News
      • Rinpoche’s Schedule
      • Rinpoche’s Health Updates
      • News About Ösel
      • FPMT Projects News
      • Education News
      • Mandala Magazine
    • Social Media
    • Videos, Photos, & Publications
      • Video Resources
      • Photo Galleries
      • Publications
      • Resources
  • Education
    • Education News
    • Programs
      • New to Buddhism?
      • Discovering Buddhism
      • Foundation of Buddhist Thought
      • Basic Program
      • Masters Program
      • Maitripa College
      • Living in the Path
      • Advice for Death and Dying
      • Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program
    • Prayers & Practice Materials
      • Available for Purchase
      • Free Downloads
      • Lam-Rim Resources
      • Dharma Dates – Tibetan Calendar
      • Prayer Book Updates
    • Mantras and Sutras
      • Various Mantras and Resources
      • Various Sutras and Resources
    • Death and Dying
    • Teachings and Advice
      • Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive
      • Audio Teachings
      • Light of the Path Teachings
      • FPMT YouTube Channel
    • Holy Objects
      • Prayer Flags
      • Prayer Wheels
      • Relics
      • Statues
      • Stupas
      • Thangkas
      • Tsa-Tsas
      • Microfilm for Stupas and Prayer Wheels
    • FPMT Service Seminars
    • Translations
    • Offer Your Support
    • Youth
      • Children’s Practice Materials
      • Mandala Magazine Articles on Youth
      • FDCW Family Activities
    • Secular
      • Loving Kindness Peaceful Youth (LKPY)
      • Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom
    • Buddhism FAQ
  • Centers
    • Center Directory
    • Center FAQ
    • Community Service
    • Affiliates Area
    • Monks and Nuns
    • Retreat Information
      • Retreat Schedule
      • Discovering Buddhism Retreat Schedule
      • Basic Program Retreat Schedule
  • Teachers
    • Spiritual Guides
    • His Holiness the Dalai Lama
      • Biography
      • Books & Teachings
      • Foundation for Universal Responsibility
      • Long Life Prayer
      • Praise to His Holiness by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
      • Speeches and Letters
    • Lama Thubten Yeshe
      • Biography of Lama Yeshe & Lama Zopa
      • Photo Gallery
      • Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive
      • Tributes to Lama Yeshe
      • Lama Yeshe’s Vision for FPMT
    • Lama Zopa Rinpoche
      • About
      • News
      • Schedule
      • Videos
      • Photos
      • Advice
      • How to Contact
      • Rinpoche’s Health – Official Updates & Practices
    • Rinpoche’s Teachers
    • Resident Teachers
    • Touring Lamas
    • Shugden/Dolgyal Information
  • Projects
    • Make a Donation
    • Charitable Projects
      • FPMT’s Charitable Projects
      • Supporting Our Lamas
      • Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund
      • Social Services Fund
      • Holy Objects Fund
      • Practice and Retreat Fund
      • Education and Preservation Fund
    • News about Projects
    • Other Projects within FPMT
      • Animal Liberation Sanctuary
      • Lama Yeshe Sangha Fund
      • Land of Calm Abiding
      • FPMT Mongolia
      • Tara Puja Fund
      • Tsum
    • International Office Activities
      • Ways to Support
      • Work a Day for Rinpoche
      • International Merit Box Project
      • Planned Giving
      • Endowment Fund
      • Give a Gift that Helps Others
    • Give Where Most Needed
  • FPMT
    • About FPMT
      • Mission Statement
      • Vast Visions for FPMT
      • The Origins of FPMT
      • Wisdom Culture
      • Video Documentary
    • Join Friends of FPMT
    • Osel Hita
      • News about Ösel
      • Photos of Ösel
      • Videos of Ösel
      • Books, Articles, Talks
    • International Office
      • Board of Directors
      • Staff – Key Positions
      • Contact Us
      • Map & Directions
      • Environmental Plan
      • Donate
    • Regional & National Offices
    • Statements of Appreciation
    • Volunteer & Jobs
    • Annual Review
  • Shop
    • The Foundation Store
    • New Arrivals
    • Specials
    • Foundation Store Newsletter
    • Practice Generosity
Projects Other Projects within FPMT The Tsum Project

A Personal Account of a Visit to Tsum

Tsum – the blessed valley

Ani Fran Mohoupt

The trip to Tsum was really, really wonderful. Tsum just felt like home. I know that sounds strange and probably many people talk like that, just blah blah. For me, arriving in Tsum and jumping out of the helicopter was like coming home.

This was a very powerful experience for me. And it was so incredible to see all the places I had talked about to various people in preparation for the project over this past year.

The Tsum valley is truly beautiful, a long valley, with the pathways lined with stupas and mani walls, the mountains dotted with the holy places of Milarepa and Guru Rinpoche, and the caves of yogis and yoginis who have achieved realizations in this valley for many hundreds of years.

The atmosphere is imbued with spiritual energy: the wish for Dharma practice comes nearly naturally, effortlessly – an amazing and transforming experience.

For the first few days we were staying at Rachen Nunnery, which is right in the center of the valley. We were very fortunate with the weather – not too cold, not too hot. Nighttimes a warm sleeping bag was in order. What it would be like in winter is hard to imagine.

The nuns at Rachen Gompa are so sweet; there are many young ones, and a very impressive group of older nuns that have done retreat and have a lot of knowledge. We attended a guru puja at Rachen Nunnery with all the nuns. The puja lasted for seven hours and I have to admit we all started to squirm on our seats a bit, while the nuns were sitting unperturbed, beautifully concentrating on the prayers. There was much laughter afterwards as we staggered out of the gompa with stiff legs.

The author, after a long walk up a very steep hill.

From Rachen Nunnery we made a number of excursions in the valley, walking every day. It was sometimes quite tiring, with getting used to the altitude and the unaccustomed exercise. I am not fit at all, your proverbial couch potato. However the inspiring environment made up for all of it. Gelek Gyatso stayed in the lama room at Rachen, decorated with very beautifully painted murals, whereas the rest of the group stayed in the guest rooms.

Although living conditions are very tough at Rachen and Mu, one of the delightful things that the nuns and also the monks have created for themselves are the beautiful little private courtyards which provide shelter from the constant wind and trap the warmth of the sun, making it the perfect place for growing some flowers and vegetables, a welcome addition for their otherwise simple meals. Going from the courtyard to the outside area was like going under a cold shower – out comes the coat and the hat.

We visited Mu Gompa, a very a long walk of 7 hours for us, (the local Tsumpas do it in 4 hours). Mu Gompa was absolutely fantastic – everything you dream of when you image a remote monastery in a rugged valley. The monastery is built on a steep slope of a mountain. Again, it felt very familiar, specially the little house above the monastery where we stayed. Geshe Chokley, the resident teacher of both Rachen Nunnery and Mu Gompa, and the monks at Mu took excellent care of us.

We offered toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap to all the Sangha, and Frances and Chodak gave everyone a hygiene talk, which had everyone in stitches.

On the last two days we went for the longest and most beautiful walk along the mountain ridge far above the villages visiting all of Geshe Lama Konchog’s holy places. It was really very moving to know this is where Geshe-la had meditated, where he did his practices, to see his cave, the small little house where he did his main retreat. The house was not in good repair, but a beautiful wild red climbing rose was in full bloom covering the house and garden.

During the ten days of our stay, we did a health survey of people at the monastery, nunnery and in various villages. Frances Howland, a nurse who works in Kathmandu, accompanied us. She organized the survey and held a clinic each day in the nunnery courtyard with Ven. Chodak, the head master of the school at Kopan, interpreting for her.

Interviewing people for the health survey was a real eye-opener to all of us about the poor conditions that people live in – there were always many people coming to see Frances; wherever we stopped there was a bunch of people already waiting as they had heard we were on the way. It made our progress very slow, but Frances could help many people even with thelimited medicine that we had brought with us.

We saw quite a few babies whose mothers had died in childbirth; there were even two sets of twins whose mother had died, leaving the father all alone to take care of them. Not an easy task.

Many people had eye problems, mainly from working in smoky kitchens. Many old people were blind from cataracts. There was really nothing we could do for them as they needed surgery. Cataracts are very common due to the high ultraviolet light exposure. Being blind or of poor eyesight is pretty terrible there as it means you can’t go anywhere by yourself.

Gelek Gyatso Rinpoche suggested that organizing an eye camp would be very helpful for the local people. After approaching a leading eye hospital in Kathmandu, we now have a commitment from them to do an eye camp with cataract removal and lens implant early next year. Already more than 60 people have been identified as recipient for the lens implants.

Tsum remains an impression not just in the memory, but in the heart. From Kopan I look at Himal Ganesh, the snow mountain behind which the Tsum valley is hidden, and I am instantly transported back there, the smell of the wild garlic that the nuns collected, the constant roar of the wind, the hermitage clinging to the side of the mountain like a bird’s nest, and the smile of people living there.

—Photos courtesy N. Dawson & F. Howland

How Can I Make a Donation?

Any amount of donation is welcome. To make a donation simply send your check in US dollars to FPMT Inc. and write Tsum on the check or provide your credit card details and mail to:

FPMT Inc.
1632 SE 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214-4702 USA

Click here to Donate On-Line

 

Your donation will go towards supporting the following activities
  • Building new rooms for the sangha at Rachen Nunnery and Mu Gompa
  • Providing the daily food for all sangha
  • Developing infrastructure (water supply and sanitation for nunnery and monastery)
  • Developing educational facilities – teachers wages, education material
  • Providing continued health care and affordable medicines for everybody

FPMT has established Tsum (TSUM) as a designated purpose fund, which with the support of generous benefactors, supports the work of FPMT’s affiliate, Tsum (TSUM). All donations made to the fund are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Facebooktwittergoogle_plus
  • Tagged: other projects
  • Home
  • News / Media
    • Mandala Magazine
      • Online Features
      • Archive
      • About
        • FPMT News Around the World Submission Guidelines
      • This Issue
      • Subscribe
        • Subscribe to Mandala Publications
        • Subscribe to our RSS Feeds
      • Contact
        • Laura Miller – Managing Editor and Publisher
        • Nicole Parisi-Smith – Assistant Editor
        • Friends of FPMT
        • Address Changes
      • Advertise
      • Support Prisoners
    • FPMT News
    • Important Announcements
    • Lama Zopa Rinpoche News
    • e-News
      • e-News Archives
      • Receive Our Newsletters
      • Unsubscribe e-News
      • Unsubscribe FPMT Latest News
    • RSS Feeds
      • All News
      • FPMT Announcements
      • Lama Zopa Rinpoche News
      • Rinpoche’s Schedule
      • Rinpoche’s Health Updates
      • News About Ösel
      • FPMT Projects News
      • Education News
      • Mandala Magazine
    • Social Media
    • Videos, Photos, & Publications
      • Video Resources
        • Teachings of Lama Zopa Rinpoche
        • FPMT Live Webcast Channel
        • FPMT YouTube Channel
        • Mystic Tibet
          • Credits & Sponsors
          • Pictures
          • Press Packet
          • Purchase DVD
          • Reviews
          • Synopsis
          • Watch the Trailer
      • Photo Galleries
      • Publications
      • Resources
  • Education
    • Education News
    • Programs
      • New to Buddhism?
      • Discovering Buddhism
        • Homestudy Program
        • Online Learning Center
        • Centers Hosting the Program
        • Discovering Buddhism DVD
        • See the Trailer
        • Watch Discovering Buddhism Videos
        • Resources
        • Info on Mod 14
        • Western Teachers
        • FAQ
        • Statements of Appreciation
      • Foundation of Buddhist Thought
      • Basic Program
        • Standard Texts and Commentaries
        • Subject Descriptions
        • Preparatory Study and Practice
        • Centers
        • Homestudy
        • Homestudy Teachers
        • Homestudy FAQ
      • Masters Program
      • Maitripa College
      • Living in the Path
        • Online Program
        • Register for Retreat
        • Watch Living in the Path Videos
      • Advice for Death and Dying
      • Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator Program
    • Prayers & Practice Materials
      • Available for Purchase
      • Free Downloads
      • Lam-Rim Resources
      • Dharma Dates – Tibetan Calendar
        • Purchase Calendar
        • Dates Explained
      • Prayer Book Updates
    • Mantras and Sutras
      • Various Mantras and Resources
      • Various Sutras and Resources
        • Amitayus Long Life Sutra
        • Entering the Great City of Vaishali
        • Heart Sutra
        • Sanghata Sutra
        • Sutra of Golden Light
          • Audio
          • Benefits
          • Dedicating
          • Download
          • Experiences
          • Questions
          • Reporting Recitations
        • Vajra Cutter Sutra
    • Death and Dying
    • Teachings and Advice
      • Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive
      • Audio Teachings
      • Light of the Path Teachings
        • 2017 Video Archive
        • 2016 Video Archive
        • 2014 Video Archive
        • 2010 Video Archive
        • 2009 Video Archive
      • FPMT YouTube Channel
    • Holy Objects
      • Prayer Flags
      • Prayer Wheels
      • Relics
      • Statues
      • Stupas
      • Thangkas
      • Tsa-Tsas
      • Microfilm for Stupas and Prayer Wheels
        • Information on How to Fill a Prayer Wheel
        • Benefits of Making Prayer Wheels
        • How this Latest Mani Microfilm was Developed
    • FPMT Service Seminars
    • Translations
    • Offer Your Support
    • Youth
      • Children’s Practice Materials
      • Mandala Magazine Articles on Youth
      • FDCW Family Activities
    • Secular
      • Loving Kindness Peaceful Youth (LKPY)
      • Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom
    • Buddhism FAQ
  • Centers
    • Center Directory
    • Center FAQ
    • Community Service
    • Affiliates Area
    • Monks and Nuns
    • Retreat Information
      • Retreat Schedule
      • Discovering Buddhism Retreat Schedule
      • Basic Program Retreat Schedule
  • Teachers
    • Spiritual Guides
    • His Holiness the Dalai Lama
      • Biography
      • Books & Teachings
      • Foundation for Universal Responsibility
      • Long Life Prayer
      • Praise to His Holiness by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
      • Speeches and Letters
    • Lama Thubten Yeshe
      • Biography of Lama Yeshe & Lama Zopa
      • Photo Gallery
      • Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive
      • Tributes to Lama Yeshe
      • Lama Yeshe’s Vision for FPMT
    • Lama Zopa Rinpoche
      • About
      • News
      • Schedule
      • Videos
      • Photos
      • Advice
      • How to Contact
      • Rinpoche’s Health – Official Updates & Practices
        • Practices
        • En Français
        • Ongoing List of Some of the Pujas Done
    • Rinpoche’s Teachers
    • Resident Teachers
    • Touring Lamas
    • Shugden/Dolgyal Information
  • Projects
    • Make a Donation
    • Charitable Projects
      • FPMT’s Charitable Projects
      • Supporting Our Lamas
        • Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund
          • News
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
        • Big Love Fund
          • News
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
        • Long Life Puja Fund
          • Photos
      • Supporting Ordained Sangha Fund
        • Lama Tsongkhapa Teachers Fund
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
      • Social Services Fund
        • Animal Liberation Fund
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
      • Holy Objects Fund
        • Stupa Fund
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
        • Padmasambhava Project for Peace
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
        • Maitreya Projects
        • Prayer Wheel Fund
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
      • Practice and Retreat Fund
        • Puja Fund
          • News
          • Activities
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
        • Prajnaparamita Project
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
      • Education and Preservation Fund
        • Scholarship Fund
          • Donate Now
        • Translation Fund
        • Preserving the Lineage Fund
          • Photos
          • Donate Now
    • News about Projects
    • Other Projects within FPMT
      • Animal Liberation Sanctuary
      • Lama Yeshe Sangha Fund
      • Land of Calm Abiding
      • FPMT Mongolia
        • Donate Now
      • Tara Puja Fund
      • Tsum
        • Living Conditions
        • Plans for the Future
        • A Personal Account
        • Health Survey
        • Photo Album
        • Donate Now
    • International Office Activities
      • Ways to Support
      • Work a Day for Rinpoche
      • International Merit Box Project
      • Planned Giving
      • Endowment Fund
      • Give a Gift that Helps Others
    • Give Where Most Needed
  • FPMT
    • About FPMT
      • Mission Statement
      • Vast Visions for FPMT
      • The Origins of FPMT
      • Wisdom Culture
      • Video Documentary
    • Join Friends of FPMT
    • Osel Hita
      • News about Ösel
      • Photos of Ösel
      • Videos of Ösel
      • Books, Articles, Talks
    • International Office
      • Board of Directors
      • Staff – Key Positions
      • Contact Us
      • Map & Directions
      • Environmental Plan
      • Donate
    • Regional & National Offices
    • Statements of Appreciation
    • Volunteer & Jobs
    • Annual Review
  • Shop
    • The Foundation Store
    • New Arrivals
    • Specials
    • Foundation Store Newsletter
    • Practice Generosity

Translate*

*powered by Google TranslateTranslation of pages on fpmt.org is performed by Google Translate, a third party service which FPMT has no control over. The service provides automated computer translations that are only an approximation of the websites' original content. The translations should not be considered exact and only used as a rough guide.

Approaching enlightenment is a gradual process, but once you attain it, there’s no going back; when you reach the fully awakened state of mind, the moment you experience that, you remain enlightened forever.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Contact Info

1632 SE 11th Avenue
Portland, OR 97214-4702 USA
Tel (503) 808-1588 | Fax (503) 232-0557

About FPMT

FPMT is an organization devoted to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service. more...

About Buddhism

If you're new to Buddhism, please read our Buddhism FAQ. A place to learn about Buddhism in general, FPMT, and our Discovering Buddhism at Home series.
Contact Us | RSS Feeds | Privacy & Security | Copyright ©2018 FPMT Inc.