The nine-members of the 2003-04 Tour Group, led by Geshe Tenpa Sonam, have received one-year visas from the US Consulate in Calcutta. The Tour Group will leave for the USA shortly to begin their tour in Bloomington, Indiana at the Tibetan Cultural Center where they will chant at the ceremonies for the dedication of the Chatmse Ling Temple. His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet will consecrate this temple on the morning of September 7, 2003. For more information about the Chamtse Ling Temple Dedication, please go to the website of the Tibetan Cultural Center. 

During their stay in Bloomington, the Tour Group plans to create a sand mandala in honor of His Holiness at Barnes and Noble Bookstore and will do a Cultural Pageant performance at a local auditorium. Then they will visit a variety of centers, cities, and universities in the midwest area before heading eastward. The tour will stay in the New England/New York/Pennsylvania area through December 2003. 

On New Year's Day, the Tour Group will begin their southward journey--first to Florida and then to Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. They plan to arrive in California around the middle of February and will be primarily in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. At the end of March, they will go north to Vancouver, Washington and then swing eastward through Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois before they return once more to Indiana by the middle of May. 

They will rest for a short time again at the Tibetan Cultural Center before beginning the last leg of their tour which will take them north to Wisconsin and then to Michigan and once more to the New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. The group will end their 2003-04 USA Tour in Independence, Kentucky at the Gomang Meditation and Dharma Center. Then they plan to fly back to India sometime after the middle of July 2004. For complete information about their itineary, please go to Tour Schedule. 

All in all, the 2003-04 Tour Group plans to visit 47 different places in the United States. Their mission is to spread a message of peace and compassion and to inform the public about the culture, the traditions, the arts, and the religion of Tibet. Any donations they receive will go directly to the Food Foundation , an enterprise dedicated to insuring a healthy and adequate diet in years to come for the more than 1,700 Tibetan refugee monks now residing at Drepung Gomang Monastery in south India. 

While on tour, the monks will offer a variety of programs to the public. The main event is called A Cultural Pageant of Tibet. It features 3 dances: one sacred, one ethnic, and the over-popular yak dance. In addition, the monks will chant 4 chants and demonstrate a Tibetan Buddhist Debate. 

The tour group will create sacred sand mandalas at various universities, museums, and centers throughout their tour and can perform a Traditional Tibet Art Demonstration. 

In addition, the tour leader, Geshe Tenpa Sonam, will give dharma teachings and, upon request, will bestow the White Tara Initiation. As always, the monks will be available to bless homes, health facilities, and businesses and give chantings at churches and centers. 

For detailed information about the 2003-04 Tour, please go to their website. 
 

Tenzin Drolma (Kristin Ouwehand) is a woman from Canada who teaches art and English to students at Drepung Gomang College.  She regularly takes notes on happenings at the monastery and has agreed to share some of them with those persons who may be interested in what occurs during daily life at a Tibetan monastery in south India.

Malaria in India

I'd suspected for a long time that Indian village hospitals wouldn't be the nicest of places in which to be ill, and the week following our return from Bodh Gaya pretty well confirmed my suspicions. Not that I was sick myself--two students of mine had felt unwell in Bodh Gaya, with fevers and colds, and had left immediately following the teachings to return to the monastery.

One, Tsultrim, I had known to be sick. He's told me he had a bit of a cold, but then said he was too ill to wait and return with us. He preferred to leave straightaway. So off he went, only to find that the trains were all running very late due to the heavy damp fog blanketing Bihar. He ended up having to wait in the station, shivering in the freezing night dampness for the train which arrived six hours late. His fever worsened and having to travel in the crowded third class car after having missed the connecting train made matters even worse. Two days of travel amidst masses of Indian villagers with their stacks of luggage, sweat, and rank curry smells--worsened by the heat of crowded bodies and and nowhere to lie down to sleep--made the trip a travelling hell. His companions, though willing to help, could speak no English and little Hindi.

I head all this after the four days I spent with him in the hospital when he'd recovered enough to talk. It turned out that he had malaria and he couldn't even remember the final part of the journey--not even being carried off the train by his friends. He said he thought he was never going to make it back to the monastery and was worried about his friends having to tell his family that he had died.

When his friends did arrive in Hublai, with Tsultrim incoherent and unable to walk, instead of having him admitted immediately to the hospital there, they decided to take him back to the monastery. But when they arrived there a few hours later, our doctor took one look at him and ordered him to be sent to the Indian clinic in a nearby village.

After another trip over potholed roads--bouncing and rattling around in a hired jeep--they made it to the "hospital"--in reality a dingy, mosquito-infested little place with stained or torn sheets and "nurses" that stole from the patients.

We ourselves, not knowing any of this, arrived a few days later and quickly made the trip to the hospital to see how they were doing (Sonam, another student, was also there with malaria, having endured a similar trip back). Both students were deathly pale and alternately sweating and shivering. The little cubicles they were lying in stank of sweat and unwashed bodies. The sheets hadn't been changed since they arrived and were filthy to begin with. I was less than impressed with the sterility of the needles, IV paraphenalia and, for that matter, with the nurses themselves, who would wipe away the drop of blood that formed after the IV was pulled out with a grungy piece of cotton, then press an even grimier finger to the small wound to stop the bleeding.

Somehow, the pair of them managed to sweat it out and both did get better, but upon their releaase, we had to help again with translation and checking their bills, as both were seriously overcharged--in Sonam's case as much as 800 rupees. It was a relief to get the pair back to the monastery where they could be looked after by friends, where they could wash, and sleep in clean beds.

It was really brought home to me how terrible it is to be sick here and be far away from one's family and friends. Tsultrim and Sonam both had friends who took turns sleeping overnight at the hospital, cooking meals for them, and going out to fetch bottled water, medicines, and anything else that was needed. It made me realize again the hardships of life as a refugee, far from home. Sonam and I spoke one afternoon of the dreams he'd had of his mother while he was lying there sick and the fear he had of not meeting her again.

Fortunately, this story turned out to have a happy ending, but it was an experience I'll not forget in a hurry.

Yarney--The Summer Promise

Beginning today (August 12), the 15th day of the 6th Tibetan month, and continuing for a month and a half, Yarney (the "Summer Promises") is a time for monks to reflect and meditate on their vows. During this time, the monks aren't allowed out of the monastery, apart from instances of necessity. They may not cut grass as this kills thousands of tiny insects. This practice began in Tibet since there in the summer months many bugs appeared as opposed to the cold winter months. Here in tropical south India, there is, of course, no shortage of insects year round, but the custom continues. Originally in Tibet Yarney lasted for three months, but this was later changed to the present month and a half.

On the first day, the 15th, two piles of sticks are placed in the prayer hall. The pile of longer sticks is for "Gelung" monks (monks who have taken the full 253 vows), and the pile of shorter sticks is for "Getsuls" (monks with only 36 or 58 vows). In the days before registers and official census taking, this was the method to make a reckoning of the annual numbers of Gelungs and Getsuls in the main monasteries.

Following this ceremony, the monks make prostrations to one of about ten senior monks, vowing to abide by the Yarney promises for the 45 days. (Special allowances are made for illness or important work). At the end of Yarney is Gaiea, the "Monks' Festival" which is, in a sense, a flinging open of the doors again, allowing the monks their freedom after the restrictions of Yarney During Gaiea they are allowed to play games and watch movies-- forbidden for the rest of the year, with the exception of Losar (Tibetan New Year).

Drepung Shoton 

The 30th day of the 6th Tibetan month falls this year on August 27. Called Drepung Shoton, this day is a holiday for the monks of Drepung Monastery, dating back centuries to a tradition begun in Drepung Monastery, Lhasa. The monastery in Lhasa nestles at the base of a semi-circle of hills and its buildings sprawl over a large area at their base. The scattered buildings appear from above to resemble a "pile of rice"--the literal translation of dre-pung.

In these hills is reputed to live a fearsome demon who is said to wake up once a year on this day and rampage through the monastery. Infuriated by the sight of monks studying texts, praying, and propagating the dharma, he would kill all those he found, retreating at the end of the day--leaving the carnage behind.

In defense, the monks decided to designate this day as a holiday, on which everyone was forbidden to study. So the demon would appear, find all the monks playing or sleeping and go back happily to his hibernation.

I'm not sure how the system is supposed to relate to south India, as it seems highly unlikely that even the most energetic demon could manage to reach us here, but the tradition continues, and Drepung Shoton is a day of rest! 

Right-coiled white conch:

The white conch which coils to the right symbolizes the deep, far-reaching and melodies sound of the dharma teachings, which being appropriate to different natures, predispositions and aspirations of disciples, awakens them from the deep slumber of ignorance and urges them to accomplish their own and other's welfare.

Precious umbrella:

The precious umbrella symbolizes the wholesome activity of preserving beings from illness, harmful forces, obstacles and so forth in this life, and all kinds of temporary and enduring sufferings of the three lower realms, and the realms of men and gods in future lives. It also represents the enjoyment of the feast of benefit under its cool shade.

Victory banner:

The victory banner symbolizes the victory of the activities of one's own and other's body, speech and mind over obstacles and negativities. It also stands for the Buddhist Doctrine over all harmful and pernicious forces.

Golden fish:

The golden fish symbolizes the auspiciousness of all living beings in a state of fearlessness, without danger of drowning in the ocean of sufferings, and migrating from place to place freely and spontaneously, just a fish swim freely without fear through water.

Vase of treasure:

The treasure vase symbolizes an endless rain of long life, wealth and prosperity and all the benefits of this world and liberation.

Lotus flower:

The lotus flower symbolizes the complete purification of the defilements of the body, speech and mind, and the full blossoming of wholesome deeds in blissful liberation.

Endless Knot:

The endless knot symbolizes the mutual dependence of religion doctrine and secular affairs. Similarly, it represents the union of wisdom and method, the inseparability of emptiness and dependent arising at the time of path, and finally, at the time of enlightenment, the complete union of wisdom and great compassion.

Wheel:

The golden wheel symbolizes the auspiciousness of the turning of the precious wheel of Buddha's doctrine, both in teaching and realizations, in all realms and at all times, enabling beings to experience the joy of wholesome deeds and liberation.

KATA

No Tibetan custom is as well known as the offering of a kata or white scarf in greeting. The kata is an auspicious symbol. It lends a positive note to the start of any enterprise or relationship and indicates the good intentions of the person offering it. Katas are offered to religious images, such as statues of the Buddha, and to lamas and government. officials prior to requesting their help in the form of prayers or other services. The offering of the kata indicates that the request is not marred by corrupt thoughts or ulterior motives. There are eight types of katas. Three sizes of elaborate dzod tak, which is a silk kata with auspicious designs woven into it, the Mongolian kata, which is bright blue, the ashi kata, which is plain silk, the subshi, which is loosely woven cotton, the sothar and the khachi. There are also instances of using katas on inauspicious occasions. One of these the tying of a kata around the neck of a corpse. It is said that once, when a wealthy man suddenly died, his servant, not knowing what else to do tied his cow's woollen halter around the corpse's neck and that this later became a tradition. It is also customary to tie a kata around the neck of a deceased lama, as a sign of petitioning his quick return and the unmistaken recognition of his reincarnation.

THROWING TSAMPA IN THE AIR

There are no written records of the origin of the tradition of throwing tsampa in the air, only oral accounts. It is said to have begun before the introduction of Buddhism, when the people of ancient Tibet observed animistic forms of religion and used the foodstuffs they produced as offerings to their gods. As the Bön religion became more established, the custom of throwing tsampa in the air became a more widespread and established ritual. In the 7th century C.E., it was employed formally at the enthronement of kings and the appointment of ministers, and came to be a mark of joy and prosperity at weddings. By about the 13th century, it had become customary to mark all important occasions of Tibetan life, such as marriages, birthdays and other auspicious occasions, by tossing a pinch of tsampa into the air. It became especially significant in celebrations of the New Year. An auspicious dialogue would take place between two people, the one making the offering would then take a pinch from tip of a mound of tsampa and throw it in the air crying out, "Tashi Delek". The person receiving it would then recite the following verse: 

Tashi Delek, good fortune and good health, May you achieve unchanging happiness, and may it ever increase.

Any donations and contributions are gratefully received.  You will be remembered in the prayers of the monks. 

• Jacki Pritchett
• Ioannis Georgiou