Post by Neo on Nov 8, 2020 23:19:43 GMT -5
Hello Mahasiddhas,
In 2003, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was requested by Dukpa Rinpoche, a Bhutanese lama, to take care of his monastery and nunnery in the remote Tsum valley. Thirty monks were living at Mu monastery when Geshe Lama Konchok was abbot in the 1970's. The three monastic practices were observed. During summer Geshe la would take the monks and nuns to some holy place in the valley such as one of the Milarepa caves and give teachings for several months, begging in the surrounding villages for food for his disciples.
Of the original 30 monks only 7 are still there, all of them 60 years or more. They spend their time in life long retreat, living in utmost poverty. One of them explains the situation like this: "Before, it was very sad here; the walls were falling down, there was hardly any food, nobody came to make offerings or to support us. It seemed there was no hope." Because the monastery could not provide education, food and shelter, not one single boy or man had joined the monastery in the past 20 years.
Now, however, there is hope. Since the monastery was handed over to the care of Lama Zopa Rinpoche the living conditions already have improved a lot. Now there is a regular food supply. Caravans of yaks travel to Tibet every two months to get the necessary food supplies. Some ten young monks have joined the monastery and are studying Tibetan and learning prayers and rituals from a qualified resident teacher that joined the monastery from Sera University in India earlier this year.
Source:
fpmt.org/projects/other/tsum/
In 2003, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was requested by Dukpa Rinpoche, a Bhutanese lama, to take care of his monastery and nunnery in the remote Tsum valley. Thirty monks were living at Mu monastery when Geshe Lama Konchok was abbot in the 1970's. The three monastic practices were observed. During summer Geshe la would take the monks and nuns to some holy place in the valley such as one of the Milarepa caves and give teachings for several months, begging in the surrounding villages for food for his disciples.
Of the original 30 monks only 7 are still there, all of them 60 years or more. They spend their time in life long retreat, living in utmost poverty. One of them explains the situation like this: "Before, it was very sad here; the walls were falling down, there was hardly any food, nobody came to make offerings or to support us. It seemed there was no hope." Because the monastery could not provide education, food and shelter, not one single boy or man had joined the monastery in the past 20 years.
Now, however, there is hope. Since the monastery was handed over to the care of Lama Zopa Rinpoche the living conditions already have improved a lot. Now there is a regular food supply. Caravans of yaks travel to Tibet every two months to get the necessary food supplies. Some ten young monks have joined the monastery and are studying Tibetan and learning prayers and rituals from a qualified resident teacher that joined the monastery from Sera University in India earlier this year.
Source:
fpmt.org/projects/other/tsum/