Sponsor: A Boarder • A Day Student • A Young Monk • Before and After Stories • FAQ-About Sponsorship • Sponsor one of the 3 Monks who Live at the School - Donate: How to Sponsor or Donate • Wish List • Getting Money to the School • Astrologer helps School
• Kathleen Burckhardt Raises Money for SMD • How Karen and Emily Billing are helping SMD • A Gift From Rebecca •
Making a Dramatic Difference • NEW Sponsor Monks Meals During Yarney, Monsoon Retreat • Govinda our security guard needs help

SMD Branch School for Young Monks at Namo Buddha

A Request from Thrangu Rinpoche

Rinpoche strongly requests support for his school-going monks, in particular for the monks at SMD Branch School. He points out that the more monks who get a secular as well as the traditional monastic education, the more they will be able to benefit Dharma activities and all sentient beings.

In 2000, Rinpoche opened SMD Branch School for young monks at Namo Buddha (about 2 hours away from the main school). There are about 70 monks at SMDBS, under the capable guidance of Principal Khenpo Chonyi Rangdrol, who is also Principal at the main school. Karma Samdup is teh Vice Principal at SMDBS.

SMDBS was established to relieve overcrowding in the main school, and to give the young monks a wholesome atmosphere in which to live. The Branch School runs from Nursery up to Class 9. Rinpoche sends his more able monks down to the main school from Classes 6 to 10, with the intent that, when they graduate, they can become junior 'gegens' (teachers) at SMDBS. The reason for sending these monks to the main school is because the secular curriculum is more advanced, and so future gegens can be exposed to modern teaching methods.

All the children who are put into Thrangu Rinpoche's care are given a secular education whether they are nuns, monks or lay children. When the monks and nuns reach the age of consent, the can then take full ordination if it is their wish. If not, they can leave the monastery or nunnery. With a secular education they are able to make their ways in life and the choice of full ordination thus remains a fairly pure choice.

The monks at the Branch School follow a modified curriculum with a heavier emphasis on Tibetan language, calligraphy and grammar, along with practice in ritual. However, their days are a little more rigorous than kids' at the main school; the Branch School monks have classes 6 days a week. Class times are from 8:30 AM until 3 PM, but they also study in the morning before classes start and they study Dharma texts in the late afternoons. They do a cycle of pujas, one a day. (Chenrezig, Green Tara, Mahakala, Guru Rinpoche, Medicine Buddha, White Tara and on special <auspicious days, like Guru Rinpoche Day> they also do pujas). They dedicate the merit to all sentient beings, especially to their sponsors.

Thrangu Rinpoche has asked me to point out that the monastics' lives are not as settled as the lay childrens'. Monastics are moved around more. After they finish Class 6, Rinpoche moves them to the nunnery or monastery to study texts and learn rituals. Generally they are in their early teens by the time they get to Class 6. It is a delicate time, when worldly temptations (fashion! technology! etc.) are particularly attractive to youngsters. Rinpoche has found that it is better to move them into a monastic setting and give them some training along those lines. They don’t drift away so easily.

After a year of refreshing their motivation, Rinpoche may send them back into school, or if they show not interest or ability in their studies, Rinpoche may give them some job to do, like working in one of the offices, working on a construction  or publishing project, or driving.  After they've finished that work for some years, they will be moved on to another job or another learning situation. 

Those who have shown exceptional ability may go into “shedra”, a monastic college of higher Buddhist study where they study the sutras, commentaries, logic, rhetoric and where they take part in lively debates. Upon successful graduation from shedra, and at Rinpoche’s discretion and wisdom, a shedra graduate may win the title “khenpo”, which is akin to a Master’s degree in advanced philosophy. Rinpoche’s nuns have the same education opportunities as the monks.

After many years of service, a nun or monk may go into the traditional 3-year, 3-month, 3-week retreat. This is seen as a great reward.  One who has successfully completed the 3 year retreat (again at Rinpoche’s discretion) may be awarded the title “lama”.

As you can understand, this training is also a form of education, and it is very important for the future of Rinpoche's activities. The more monks and nuns who are trained in western education and in life skills, the more benefit will come to all beings.

Lives of the Young Monks

 

SPONSOR A YOUNG MONK'S EDUCATION

Wangdue Norbu M18

Wangdue Norbu is 13 years old from Dolokha, a district which is in the north of Nepal in the Himalayas. It lies on the Tibetan borderlands. There are seven members in his family, Wangdue is the youngest. He thinks his family is involved in farming, but isn’t sure, “…I don’t really know about their work because I cannot meet them frequently”.
He decided to become a monk having seen and admired a relative who is also a monk. He was ordained in 2007 and says, “…I can say I am very happy because our Rinpoche is very great and we get good facilities. And very good education too - I think I may be looking after yaks and cows if I am not a monk…” he wishes to become a good monk and serve the monastery in the future." Wangdue enjoys studying and his favourite subjects are Tibetan reading and writing. His hobbies include games and hanging with friends. Since April 2007, Wangdue has been studying at Shree Mangal Dvip Branch School at Namo Buddha.

Dorje Palsang M438

Norbu Gyatso M447

17 year old Norbu Gyatso has been a monk since 2004. He comes from Nubri, part of Gorkha district. Nubri is on the Nepal side of the Nepal -Tibet border. This is a very isolated region – it takes seven days to walk from his village to a place where a bus to Kathmandu can be caught. Nearly all families in his village are involved in farming. There is no hospital and only the most basic schooling. He has seven family members and parents are involved in farming for living. One of his sisters is a nun in a different nunnery.

Having been a monk for several years, Norbu now says, “… being a monk has changed me in ways more than I can count”. His favourite subject at school is Tibetan, “….because from this subject I can learn Dharma….”, and he counts among his hobbies, “…. games and computer classes and I'm keen to learn more about computer”. Since May 2004, Norbu Gyatso has been studying at Shree Mangal Dvip Branch School at Namo Buddha.

Dhundup Dorje M473

Dhundup Dorje is 11 years old from Tatopani in the north of Nepal, lying on the border of Tibet .He says, “My village is small but it is surrounded by maize fields, forests and mountains. It is a peaceful and beautiful place…” He has twelve members in his family. His father and father run a small business transporting goods from Kasa (Tibet) to Nepal. When asked, why did you become a monk? He said," My parents requested me and I have relatives who are monks monks. I got influenced by them and I became monk in 2007." How do you feel becoming a monk? He says" I am happy here and feel fortunate to be monk and everyone is friendly and that makes me feel at home."

Dhundup used to go to school when he was in his village and quit after becoming a monk. Now here at SMD Branch School, his favourite subject at school is Tibetan, “…because Dharma is written in Tibetan…” and, when asked what he would like to teach the new young monks he says, “…it would be about discipline because discipline is the key to success.”Since April, 2007, Dhundup Dorje has been studying at Shree Mangal Dvip Branch School at Namo Buddha.

Samten Dorje M486

Samten Dorje is 15 years old and comes from Lamjung in the Himalayas. It is close to the border with Tibet. He has five people in his family; he doesn't know what his parents do for living, it's been long time since he’s seen them.
He remembers his family as peaceful and loving. It was through the interest of his mother that Samten Dorje became a monk in 2005, “…my parents are very interested ...” Now he says, “…I became more responsible and put effort in my studies and I think I was careless.”When asked, ‘If you could teach the new young monks one lesson, what
would it be?’ he said, “In order to have good life we must focus on our activities and in our karma.”In school his favourite subject is Tibetan and English and his hobbies
are playing movies and reading and drawing. Since May 2005, Samten Dorje has been studying at Shree Mangal Dvip Branch School at Namo Buddha.

M492 Wangchuk Dorje 17

Wangchuk is 17 years old. He is very comfortable at SMD and says he’s satisfied to get a chance to study here. He feels lucky about being in SMD School because he can learn more about Dharma and practise it.

He likes the teachers and the graduates of SMD and enjoys their ways of teaching. He notices that the teachers and the students have a good relationship with each other. He likes the food the school is providing because it is delicious and nutritious, too.

He plans to go to Thrangu Rinpoche’s Shedra (monastic college) after graduating from SMD. After that, he thinks he will help SMD by becoming a monk teacher. He’d like to teach all the small monks, nuns and lay students about the Dharma.

Most of the Wangchuk’s family members are back in his village. His parents are farmers. They live on what they grow, which sometimes means bare survival becomes a struggle. They don’t have other means of income.


M500 Woser Dorje 16

As a monk, thinks he is very lucky to get an opportunity to study in a Buddhist school. Here, he gets to to learn about Buddhism along with other ordinary subjects. His hope, after he graduates from SMD School is to join Thrangu Rinopche’s monastic college (shedra) where he will study higher Buddhist philospophy.

He approves of the teaching at SMD, both by the teachers and SMD graduates who are on gap years to give service. Woser Dorje wants to help SMD by becoming a monk teacher so he can teach younger students.

He likes the facilities that SMD has. such as the Clinic, the library and computer lessons. Like all the monks, he likes the food he gets here. (SMD has the reputation among the nuns and monks of having very good food.)

Woser’s family is in the village. His village is very poor without services such as schools, health care and communication. His parents are subsistence farmers who survive on what they grow. They didn’t have enough resources to send Woser to school while he was in the
village.

In the future, Woser wants to change the culture of boys and girls working as slaves to get money back to the village.

Pema Yonten M516

Pema Yonten is 14 years old and is from Mugu, near the Tibetan border high in the Himalayan region of Nepal. Of his village Pema says, “…It is a small village. It is on the mountainside and is surrounded by fields of maize, wheat and potato. There is no school or hospital in my village, but it is a peaceful place, although it is very poor because it was affected by the conflict (civil war) in Nepal.”His family, numbering seven, are farmers. His siblings help their
mother in the fields and their father runs small business. It was his parents who asked him if he would like to be a monk. He agreed and took ordination in Thrangu monastery in 2006. “Being a monk my life has totally changed. I get a good education and am able to practise
Dharma which will make my life meaningful.”His favourite subject is Tibetan, “…because the valuable teachings of
Buddha are in Tibetan language…” He says he has few hobbies, “…. During holidays I play (table tennis, football) games with friends”. Since April 2006, he is studying at Shree Mangal Dvip Branch School for Young Monks at Namo Buddha.




M529 Sangay Kyab

Sangay was sent into Thrangu Rinpoche’s monastery because there wasn’t enough food for the family, and his parents had no extra resources to give him an education. Sangay Kyab is studying at the main school and says he's very happy at SMD School. He feels lucky about getting a
chance to study, especially here, where the dharma is taught, unlike in other schools. He likes the teachers and the teaching graduates of SMD. He also likes the way they teach. He thinks the teachers in SMD are very hard-working. He remarked that he likes the food the school provides. He wants to do further study of Buddhism after he graduates
from SMD and if he can, he will give selfless service to the kids in SMD in future. He wants to improve hygiene and sanitation back in his village to improve his villagers’ lives.

Thinley Singay is 19 years old.

He is from a village called Ropa, in a mountainous region of the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. His village is a peaceful place, but poor- there is neither a school nor a hospital in the village. Thinley is the youngest of three brothers. Living conditions for his family are difficult: his father looks after domestic animals and his mother works in the house and in the fields. When he was 8 years old, he left his family and moved to Kathmandu to live with his aunt and, two years later, he became a monk in Thrangu Tashi Choling monastery.

When asked how being a monk has changed him Thinley said, “I have got good facilities in the monastery. I made new and good friends who love me very much and I know more about Dharma. I got lots of knowledge from Shree Mangal Dvip High School.”

His favourite subject at school is Tibetan, “…because it is related to Dharma and also the teaching of Buddha”, and his hobbies include, “…practicing Dharma books, singing and helping others.”

Since May 2006, Thinley has been studying at Shree Mangal Dvip Branch School for Young Monks at Namo Buddha. He is now in one year retreat.

BRANCH SCHOOL WISH LIST


We almost lost this monk last year. He was critically ill, but there was no vehicle to get him to the hospital. Luckily, he survived (after 5 days in intensive care). SMD branch School is 2 hours away from the kathmandu valley. Often all the vehicle are out. This presents a serious risk when one of the monks is injured or sick. The nearest hospital is a couple of hours away on foot. $25,000


Rinpoche is eager to improve the monks' diet. All the kids who come from the mountains are malnourished. Any donation will be put to use to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.


Children who come from mountain villages know nothing about sanitation or recycling. Karma Samdup the vice principal of SMDBS has requested funds for cleaning equipment and supplies, so he can teach the boys about sanitation and conservation. $300/year


A set of new robes, underwear, socks and shoes for all the monks. It costs $35 to outfit a monk. $3500/year


What is a SoyaCow? It's a patented machine for making soymilk and tofu. We have one in the main school. It's helped us to improve nutrition (protein & calcium). And soy milk is cheap...a SoyaCow produces 30 to 40 litres of soymilk. One pound of soybeans produces about 1 gallon of soymilk.  We want to improve nutrition for the monks at SMD Branch School. Cow's milk is too expensive, but if we get a Soya Cow like  SMD main school has, we can give the monks soya milk every day. This will increase their calcium and protein intake. See for yourself: www.soyacow.com. $6000


The Branch School needs 6 new computers. The other computers need repairs: $2000


There is only 1 connection at SMD Branch School. The teachers (all monks) are requesting that the Computer Lab be wired to the internet so they can enrich their lessons and so the monk students can learn on the net. 


Especially needed: picture books for beginner readers. Please see our Wish List on Amazon (see above).


SMD Branch School is at Namo Buddha in the hills surrounding the Kathmandu valley. The hills are very steep at NB, so the little monks haven't anywhere to play sports. The side of a hill needs to be bulldozed flat, and the lower part reinforced so there will be no danger of landslide. $4000 of this money has already been raised. Still needed: $11,000 

 

:  himalayanchildren@yahoo.co.uk

Don't send anything of value through the mail

 

A Word About Sponsoring Monks' Education

Again, I'd like to remind you that the monks' education path is a little bumpier than the lay kids'. Rinpoche asked that this be made clear to anyone wanting to sponsor a monastic. Another point: when a monk leaves school and goes into the monastery, he still needs sponsorship. The monastery handles sponsorship differently than the schools do: all the money goes into a general fund so that all the monks benefit...they are fed, housed, clothed and cared for equally.

Sponsor a Monk's Education...Help to Create Benefit for Many Beings

Jamyang comes from Nubri, which is near the Nepalese border with Tibet. He has one brother and one sister. He doesn't know what his parents do for a living and says that he became a monk, "...because my father told me to." To get from his village to the monastery Jamyang had to walk for seven days with his fahter, sleeping in tea-houses at night.

He is enjoying life in the monastery and likes English and Tibetan.

Since May 2006 Jamyang has been studying at Shree Mangal Dvip Tibetan School for Young Monks.

Tashi is from Nubri which is close to the Tibetan border. To get to his village from Kathmandu means two days on buses and then a six-day walk. There are neither vehicles nor roads in these remote regions.

Tashi’s family are poor - his father works as a carpenter and he also labours in the fields; his mother is a housewife and she also helps in the fields. There are seven in his family: Tashi, his parents, four sisters and one younger brother.

It was his mother’s wish that he become a monk, which he did when he was 12 years old. Now that he is a monk he says, “Being a monk has changed my character. I learn how to help and respect others, how to meditate and pray and be kind…”

His favourite subjects in school are Tibetan and English, “…because my aim is to become a translator - I want to translate Tibetan Dharma into English for western people.” His hobbies are reading Dharma books and story books.

Since May 2006, Tashi Tsering has been studying at Shree Mangal Dvip Branch School at Namo Buddha. He is now studying in pre-shedra (shedra is a monastic university of Higher Buddhist studies).


The biographies of these two monks, little Jamyang, and Tashi Tsering underline the benefit of the education Thrangu Rinpoche gives his monastics. They all receive a secular education as well as the traditional spiritual training. Rinpoche points out that a well-educated monastic can help more beings more than someone who only has a materialistic education. A doctor, for example can help the sick, but a well-educated monastic can help beings in countless ways.

By the time these young monks are in their teens, they are beginning to think about the Dharma, their individual responsibility and how to benefit beings. With a Western education, they understand the 21st century. At the same time, they are well versed in the Buddha's teachings. They have the potential to help beings in so many ways.