Dalai Lama inaugurates his monastery’s new school complex /ENG

2017. november 2./Phayul.com/TibetPress

eredeti cikk

By Tenzin Dharpo

DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 2: The exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated Namgyal monastery’s new school complex here in McLeod Ganj on Thursday. Namgyal Phende Lekshe Ling is the principal monastery of the Dalai Lama lineage dating back to the 16th century since the 2nd Dalai Lama Gedun Gyatso.

The Dalai Lama at the inauguration ceremony said that the he and the monastery share a unique affinity that will remain in his life as well as in his death and jokingly said that the monks at Namgyal monastery are his “life-long servant” (tib. tse-yog). “Since I am the leader of this monastery, it is up to me whether this establishment flourish or decline,” he said laughing.

The new six- floor building has classes and hostels for the monks apart from living quarters for the staff of the monastery. The construction of the multi-crore rupees project was completed this year through funds donated by sponsors from Italy, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Dalai Lama Trust, which contributed one crore rupees.

The octogenarian Tibetan leader said that the traditional boundary of Tibetan Buddhism must now be opened to include people from all races, ethnicity and nationality who are willing to study dharma. He said, “I have been telling people that since there are quite a number white (caucasian) monks, a separate khangtsen (monastic group) be created only for the white people.”

Incidentally, just over a third of the 123 monks in his monastery are Tibetan. People from Mon Tawang, Mongolia, Ladakh, Zanskar and Bhutan among others have been enrolled over the years.

The egalitarian leader also said that practicing dharma means studying the texts, analyzing them even or disagreeing to it if that does not hold truth. “Ever since I came into exile, I have placed very less emphasis on the superficial practices in the Tibetan Buddhism such as the cham (ritual dance). Wearing costumes and masks and dancing about does not amount to anything where as studying the texts written by great masters and applying them in your lives does,” the Dalai Lama told a congregation at the new complex that included sponsors and monks from his monastery.

The Abbot of the Namgyal monastery Tromtok Khen Rinpoche thanked the Dalai Lama for his guidance and help in every step of the way for the new complex. Addressing the students and faculty members, he said, “I feel that the best way to teach students how to live a good and meaningful life is to live one yourself. That is the best example.”