His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Drepung monastery to inaugurate the new prayer hall temple of our neighboring monastery, Drepung Loseling Monastery. His Holiness arrived here on the 2nd of January and gave teachings at Drepung Tsokchen (the main temple of Drepung) from the 3rd to the 5th.. He inaugurated the Drepung Loseling prayer hall temple on January 7th. Scores of people attended the inauguration ceremony, including persons from 23 different countries. His Holiness also inaugurated the new prayer hall temple of Deyang Dratsang. His Holiness also spend one night at our prayer hall temple and gave religious teachings, met our foreign students, our guests, and special guests before leaving for Bangalore on the afternoon of the 17th.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Palden Drepung Gomang Monastery's Temple

Offering of Mandala to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by Abbot of the Monastery, Khen Rinpoche Lobsang Samten

His Holiness on the Throne at Gomang Temple

During His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to Drepung Monastery, to our good fortune, some of our respected sponsors and supporters of the monastery were able to attend the teaching: Geshe K. Monlam- la, Ama Sandra, Ama Chela, Ama Mary, Laurel and Jennifer Antti, Corrine Lye, Colin Gregg, Curtis Jones, Annie Bruno Pinel, Danielle Rose Marie Barta, Donald Greg Hunt, Telo Tulku, Michael Pittman, and scores of parents, and friends of Russian and Mongolian students.

Gomang Supporters at Thank-you Dinner

Gomang Supporters at Thank-you Dinner

His Holiness with Gomang Monks and Supporters

Once again with the kind assistance of the Canadian Friends of Drepung Gomang, the monastery will be sending eight monks to Canada to raise fund for the monastery. The tour is scheduled to begin at the end of March if visas are granted by the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi. Jennifer Antti (President of CFDG) and Laurel Antti (Vice President of CFDG and National Tour Coordinator) visited the monastery with Mr. Colin Gregg and Corrine Lye. Jennifer and Laurel Antti later took time to accompany the group to apply for their visas in Delhi. The previous tours to Canada were very successful because of the great efforts of the members of the Canadian Friends of Drepung Gomang, volunteers, supporters, local coordinators, friends, hosts, driver Shedup la and also the monks themselves. We hope and pray for success again this time.

Canadian Tour Group and Supporters

The 2008 Land of the Snow Lion Tour has been delayed because the U.S. Embassy has not yet issued their visas. We hope that permission to tour the USA will be granted soon, and they will be able to catch up on their visits that have been scheduled throughout the States by coordinator Sue Simone.

Below is a picture of the 2008 Tour Group members taken with the 2007 Tour Group after the latter group returned to the monastery at the end of their tour.

Monks of the 2006-07 and 2008 Tour Groups

Drepung Gomang Monastery has taken the initiative to have its monks pledge not to worship Shugden in place of the monastery’s protector, Six-armed Mahakala (Gonpo Chakdug) . Gomang was the first of all of the other monasteries to take this step.

Gomang Protector, Gonpo Chakdug

A like initiative was taken by Drepung Gomang Monastery in the year 1996. Again, Gomang was the first of all of the other monasteries to have its monks make this pledge. Since that time, before he is allowed to attend prayers in the prayer hall, every new monk admitted to the monastery has been taken to the Protector’s Chapel--along with one of the administrators--to make the pledge that he will not worship Shugden.

Also, during the recent (2007) Jamyang Gunchoe debate congregation, one class (Tsemai Class) of Drepung Gomang Monastery decided not to debate since one of the monk from the other monastery whom they had to debate that night was a worshipper of Shugden. Moreover, the overnight debate congregation (Tsen pu damcha) which was to be conducted at Drepung Gomang Monastery was cancelled by the Karam class as a protest against the monks who worship Shugden and who were taking part in the overnight debate congregation.

Taking this as an important issue, on the 12th and 13th of January 2008, around 1,740 monks of this monastery took time in the evening after His Holiness’ teaching to make the pledge to not worship Shugden and to not be involved in any other activity related to Shugden. It was also decided that monks who are abroad or not presently at the monastery should make their pledge within one week’s time after they return to the monastery. A Resolution was passed by the 16 Khangtsens to expel from the monastery any monk who does not make this pledge within the stipulated time.

On December 1, 2007, a new administrative staff took charge of the monastery. The monastic administrative staff is elected every three years. Once elected, a staff member is required to serve the monastery.

Geshe Tsultrim Nyima	Geshe Jamyang Nima
Geshe Kunchok Sopa	Ven. Tenpa Dawa
Geshe Lobsang Yonten	Ven. Tenzin Norzang

Mr. Migmar Tsering has been the Secretary (English section) since June 2, 1996.

Losar Basket

Losar (Lo: Year + Sar: New) the Tibetan New Year was celebrated with great festivity at Gomang Monastery. The Tibetan New Year is “Year of the Earth Rat, 2135” according to the Lunar Calendar Celebrations began on February 7.

In preparation for Losar, the monastery and families in the village make kabtse, an oil-cooked Losar delicacy of different shapes and sizse. The kabtse are piled up near the Losar altar, along with sweets and fruits. Small children really enjoy Losar as they put off fire crackers. Monks wear new robes which they had kept in their tin boxes for many months. Young monks tae out their small savings which they had hidden under their pressed clothes to celebrate Losar and buy some good foods.

On the very first day of the New Year, the monks wake up early, showering greetings on other monks. Then they visit their respective teachers and go to the prayer hall and temple to start the fresh year with good fortunes and blessings.

This year, the annual Monlam Prayer Festival was held at Gaden Monastery. Monlam is the commemoration of the Buddha’s displaying paranormal feats and thereby defeating the six “heretics” who had challenged him. The festival was established by Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), the founder of the Gelugpa Sect, was immensely popular in Old Tibet. It drew about 20,000 monks to Lhasa from the three great monasteries of Drepung, Sera and Ganden and attracted throngs of people from as far away as Amdo and Kham who came to make offerings and receive blessings from the huge congregation of monks.

Maitreya Buddha

On the sixteenth of the first month of the Lunar Calendar, the sacred statute of Maitreya Buddha was carried in procession through the streets of Lhasa amidst great festivity. People sought the statute’s blessing, looking forward to the age of Maitreya when everyone will be mindful of religion, sincere, honest, and free from sickness and distress. On the seventeenth day, a cake burning ritual was typically performed in the afternoon.

2008-3-28

Today, I extend heartfelt greetings to my Chinese brothers and sisters round the world, particularly to those in the People's Republic of China. In the light of the recent developments in Tibet, I would like to share with you my thoughts concerning relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples, and to make a personal appeal to you all.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in the recent tragic events in Tibet. I am aware that some Chinese have also died. I feel for the victims and their families and pray for them. The recent unrest has clearly demonstrated the gravity of the situation in Tibet and the urgent need to seek a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution through dialogue. Even at this juncture I have expressed my willingness to the Chinese authorities to work together to bring about peace and stability.

I have appealed to the leadership of the PRC to clearly understand my position and work to resolve these problems by "seeking truth from facts." I urge the Chinese leadership to exercise wisdom and to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the Tibetan people. I also appeal to them to make sincere efforts to contribute to the stability and harmony of the PRC and avoid creating rifts between the nationalities. The state media's portrayal of the recent events in Tibet, using deceit and distorted images, could sow the seeds of racial tension with unpredictable long-term consequences. This is of grave concern to me. Similarly, despite my repeated support for the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese authorities, with the intention of creating rift between the Chinese people and myself, assert that I am trying to sabotage the games. I am encouraged, however, that several Chinese intellectuals and scholars have also expressed their strong concern about the Chinese leadership's actions and the potential for adverse long-term consequences, particularly on relations among different nationalities.

Since ancient times, Tibetan and Chinese peoples have lived as neighbors. In the two thousand year-old recorded history of our peoples, we have at times developed friendly relations, even entering into matrimonial alliances, while at other times we fought each other. However, since Buddhism flourished in China first before it arrived in Tibet from India, we Tibetans have historically accorded the Chinese people the respect and affection due to elder Dharma brothers and sisters. This is something well known to members of the Chinese community living outside China, some of whom have attended my Buddhist lectures, as well as pilgrims from mainland China, whom I have had the privilege to meet. I take heart from these meetings and feel they may contribute to a better understanding between our two peoples.

The twentieth century witnessed enormous changes in many parts of the world and Tibet, too, was caught up in this turbulence. Soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the People's Liberation Army entered Tibet finally resulting in the 17-Point Agreement concluded between China and Tibet in May 1951. When I was in Beijing in 1954-55, attending the National People's Congress, I had the opportunity to meet and develop a personal friendship with many senior leaders, including Chairman Mao himself. In fact, Chairman Mao gave me advice on numerous issues, as well as personal assurances with regard to the future of Tibet. Encouraged by these assurances, and inspired by the dedication of many of China's revolutionary leaders of the time, I returned to Tibet full of confidence and optimism. Some Tibetan members of the Communist Party also had such a hope. After my return to Lhasa, I made every possible effort to seek genuine autonomy for Tibet within the family of the People's Republic of China (PRC). I believed that this would best serve the long-term interests of both the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

Unfortunately, tensions, which began to escalate in Tibet from around 1956, eventually led to the peaceful uprising of March 10, 1959, in Lhasa and my eventual escape into exile. Although many positive developments have taken place in Tibet under the PRC's rule, these developments, as the previous Panchen Lama pointed out in January 1989, were overshadowed by immense suffering and extensive destruction. Tibetans were compelled to live in a state of constant fear, while the Chinese government remained suspicious of them. However, instead of cultivating enmity towards the Chinese leaders responsible for the ruthless suppression of the Tibetan people, I prayed for them to become friends, which I expressed in the following lines in a prayer I composed in 1960, a year after I arrived in India: "May they attain the wisdom eye discerning right and wrong, And may they abide in the glory of friendship and love." Many Tibetans, school children among them, recite these lines in their daily prayers.

In 1974, following serious discussions with my Kashag (cabinet), as well as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the then Assembly of the Tibetan People's Deputies, we decided to find a Middle Way that would seek not to separate Tibet from China, but would facilitate the peaceful development of Tibet. Although we had no contact at the time with the PRC - which was in the midst of the Cultural Revolution - we had already recognized that sooner or later, we would have to resolve the question of Tibet through negotiations. We also acknowledged that, at least with regard to modernization and economic development, it would greatly benefit Tibet if it remained within the PRC.

Although Tibet has a rich and ancient cultural heritage, it is materially undeveloped. Situated on the roof of the world, Tibet is the source of many of Asia's major rivers, therefore, protection of the environment on the Tibetan plateau is of supreme importance. Since our utmost concern is to safeguard Tibetan Buddhist culture - rooted as it is in the values of universal compassion - as well as the Tibetan language and the unique Tibetan identity, we have worked whole-heartedly towards achieving meaningful self-rule for all Tibetans. The PRC's constitution provides the right for nationalities such as the Tibetans to do this.

In 1979, the then Chinese paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping assured my personal emissary that "except for the independence of Tibet, all other questions can be negotiated." Since we had already formulated our approach to seeking a solution to the Tibetan issue within the constitution of the PRC, we found ourselves well placed to respond to this new opportunity. My representatives met many times with officials of the PRC. Since renewing our contacts in 2002, we have had six rounds of talks. However, on the fundamental issue, there has been no concrete result at all. Nevertheless, as I have declared many times, I remain firmly committed to the Middle Way approach and reiterate here my willingness to continue to pursue the process of dialogue.

This year the Chinese people are proudly and eagerly awaiting the opening of the Olympic Games. I have, from the start, supported Beijing's being awarded the opportunity to host the Games. My position remains unchanged. China has the world's largest population, a long history and an extremely rich civilization. Today, due to her impressive economic progress, she is emerging as a great power. This is certainly to be welcomed. But China also needs to earn the respect and esteem of the global community through the establishment of an open and harmonious society based on the principles of transparency, freedom, and the rule of law. For example, to this day victims of the Tiananmen Square tragedy that adversely affected the lives of so many Chinese citizens have received neither just redress nor any official response. Similarly, when thousands of ordinary Chinese in rural areas suffer injustice at the hands of exploitative and corrupt local officials, their legitimate complaints are either ignored or met with aggression. I express these concerns both as a fellow human being and as someone who is prepared to consider himself a member of the large family that is the People's Republic of China. In this respect, I appreciate and support President Hu Jintao's policy of creating a "harmonious society", but this can only arise on the basis of mutual trust and an atmosphere of freedom, including freedom of speech and the rule of law. I strongly believe that if these values are embraced, many important problems relating to minority nationalities can be resolved, such as the issue of Tibet, as well as Eastern Turkistan, and Inner Mongolia, where the native people now constitute only 20% of a total population of 24 million.

I had hoped President Hu Jintao's recent statement that the stability and safety of Tibet concerns the stability and safety of the country might herald the dawning of a new era for the resolution of the problem of Tibet. It is unfortunate that despite my sincere efforts not to separate Tibet from China, the leaders of the PRC continue to accuse me of being a "separatist". Similarly, when Tibetans in Lhasa and many other areas spontaneously protested to express their deep-rooted resentment, the Chinese authorities immediately accused me of having orchestrated their demonstrations. I have called for a thorough investigation by a respected body to look into this allegation.

Chinese brothers and sisters - wherever you may be - with deep concern I appeal to you to help dispel the misunderstandings between our two communities. Moreover, I appeal to you to help us find a peaceful, lasting solution to the problem of Tibet through dialogue in the spirit of understanding and accommodation. With my prayers,

Dalai Lama
March 28, 2008
Note: translated from the Tibetan original

We are pleased to acknowledge the generosity of those who donate to Drepung Gomang Monastery. We are particularly grateful for all of those persons who donated time, effort, and money to support our tour groups. You are constantly in the prayers of the monks of the monastery who will never forget your generosity.

If through an error on our part, your name has been omitted from our list of donors, please notify us immediately, and we will correct our mistake.