In some ways communication here sucks. Following the big tower wer have discovered a "cyber cafe" which has broadband! Not even the telecom company could tell us this info.
Here is some info I wrote last night. Next I will try to load some pictures...
Greetings all.
Again, sorry for the delay. I have made attempts to call my mom now all week. But the STD booths, the phone booths here are brimming over with monks and nuns calling Tibet. I have made many attempts, waited a hour - only to have the power go off as it approached my turn. Such is life in the settlement!
The interruption in power around here causes so many delays life just kind of stops -except for the monks and nuns who put in 18 hours/day praying for all sentient beings.
For those of you who have monks and nuns who communicate via email, I can tell you for them to send even one email from here can be great labor of love. The interruption of power happens daily, and the two "cyber cafes" in the camps are always bubbling over with monks waiting to send emails.
The "cyber cafes" are actually old government buildings with clever partitions and old CRT monitors which appear to be running on one peer to peer server… thus making the already slow dial up even more agonizingly slow. Then as you begin to think your email has been sent, the power craps out and you lose it all.
I realized in my rush to get my activities up on the blog I haven't really taken much time to address the specific issues we have faced or am facing such as this. I have now decided to use the nuns new laptops for the remaining week we are here to get some of these ideas into the cyber stream.
It has been extremely busy and we have worked everyday except today when we went to market day in the village of Mundgod. Monday is market day and the tribal folk from the surrounding jungles bring their wares to market. When I get back I will be posting these images. Villagers, forest and jungle dwellers of all kinds come to town on this day, along with all the monks and some of the nuns who shop in the vegetable market. A mixture of Hindu, Muslims and Buddhist all bargaining and shopping in a ancient market that has been going on this way for thousands of years. The Tibetans obviously infuse the local economy. There is absolutely no feeling of aggression and a great feeling of peace and mutual respect. I never at anytime felt intimidated and have only been approached by maybe one or two beggars or a few Sadus (holy men) with offering bowls.
As westerners, we stand out like sore thumbs so anyone coming here must obtain the special permit or the police will pick you up in a flash. We are obviously the novelty… especially Menlo who looks like some giant Blue-eyed white deity walking among the smaller statutes. All Menlo has to do is smile at these people and they immediately melt into their mutual warmths.
Menlo has been absolutely invaluable in his contribution to this project and is great in documenting this project and has made his own investments and has his own relationships with our many monk and nun friends.
In fact Menlo and the Zong Rinpoche had a very strong connection and Rinpoche expressed with so much grace that he sensed had indeed met before. This is something to consider when one reflects on the previous great Zong Rinpoche. "Rinpoche"is a Tibetan world denoting a lineage guru - an incarnate being, a special being who has chosen to return again and again as spiritual guides. Now this is the young Zong Rinpcohe the twenty-one year old reincarnation of the great master that was only one of 50 that made it out of the initial Ganden holocaust in Tibet in 1959 and was sent here in the 70s to reestablish the monastery in exile.
Perhaps for Menlo this experience has personified the reality of the tragedy that has been waged upon the Tibetan people… as his heart is sprung wide open and being as empathic as he is, he deeply feels what has happened to these people. Especially when being invited the view the remnants of that which they took with them when they fled Tibet… the precious teachings -now stored carefully on shelves in special rooms which smell of moth balls like my grammy's closet.
Menlo is now working all the time. It’s a little more then the "Tibetan Road Show" which the cynical little circle babbles on about. You know, those in the peripherals of his life who aren't doing anything authentic in their own life except expanding their hips… so they seek to invalidate his adventure in what they perceive as my scene… -the busy little minds that hate Bill Gates but cannot really say why and still pirate his products for their own personal gain… anyway they have so much to say!
It is extremely gratifying to both of us to be able to offer lend authentic support. Any technical skill is utilized by the plenty here. Many problems they perceive as huge in actuality may be as simple as changing out a connection. Again, I am so thankful we purchased this clever little kit from Fryes for about $50 which contained several USB cords and every kind of connection and adapters in the book. Now nearing the end of this journey all the USBs and most of the serial to USB - or parallel to USB and even Firewire to USB have been distributed amongst the various computers in the monastery, nunnery, government schools, etc.
Here is the answer to some quick questions coming my way via email but there has been no time to answer individual emails.
No, we have NOT been sick, have had not had any stomach disorders -only exhausted and grungy even though we shower many times a day. This place is a dust bowl and the air quality and sun are dangerous. We are literally in a cleared part of the jungle. Yesterday a monkey almost attacked me - leaping about 8 feet out of a tree -were it not for Geshe Donyoe making himself giant sized with his red robes the monkey may have stolen my camera!
Some of the experiences are also emotionally exhausting - and some physically exhausting. Dear Joseph hooked me up with a battery of Ondre supplements, which I have been taking and the Tibetans are so fastidious all of our food is presented with great love and care and the guest house here is really like Club Med. Next time I hope to take a spiritual retreat here which I think is a very different experience. We have been blessed to meet all the high lamas.
Yes, I feel much success in the first step to getting the nuns going with their technology goals and also the help we have rendered aid to the monastery in many forms. I am presently running about $1000 over budget for a number of different reasons including having to purchase additional software, UPS systems (which are pricey and dicey here), electrical stuff, printer and more of the same. $1000 in the Karmic School of Debt is a small price to pay for this project which will have such a huge impact for the nuns.
Leap and the Net Appears
Personally, I also chose to give one of the young nuns -who is deaf and BTW the money to pay travel expenses and medical care to see a specialist doctor in the city. How could I not… you all would have done the same if this particular situation presented itself to you. These are the persoanl challenges in the face humanity… my mind says "you may not have work when you get home…?! Should I give her my rent so she may see a doctor?" So I took the universal leap of faith -because so many people have always shown up for me and I have to trust in this process. This particluar experience (which breaks my heart) - I rather speak about personally or on a one on one basis -if anyone is interested. What I think is needed though is for us to establish a medical fund for the nunnery and some guidance on how to approach health care. The girl didn't ask me for money, I I had to insist she take it. Rather she sought me out to find out if I knew what may be wrong with her. And when I saw what was wrong, my heart broke. She is in pain, suffering and needs a doctor, a surgeon, or perhaps more. I don't know.
Case in point however, if we were further along in the project and the nuns were on broadband or satellite (our ultimate goal) we could open the web portal on both sides and an expert such as Dr. Sheryl T. or Elaine or Suzanne -who have all offered their expertise to the monks over the years could offer some support via the internet. Telemedicine!
As it stands now the little nun is now on her way to see an expert woman doctor in the city. I instructed her to get everything in writing so that her written diagnosis or treatment options may be further researched out via the Internet. This concept was completely foreign to the nuns. Taking one's evaluation or diagnosis or condition to the internet for advice, action, treatment options etc.
While many monks in the monastery are onto this already… researching their own conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. The nuns had not a clue! The light went on. and I showed them some examples. Now they see it and I have no doubt they will begin to learn.
On Friday we will return to the nunnery for a final session of training moving around some equipment after some electrical work and seeing if the little nun has returned/
Please let the good people of Grass Valley and Nevada City know of this progress.
Next I'll write more on our visit to the Government High School and the progress on the satellite/broadband aspect of this project
Monday, January 29, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Needs are so great
Hello again. Man, am I homesick. I am just one of those people that doesn't like to travel much. We are so blessed to live in the land of plenty. Today, this morning I have been working all morning in the numerous office. Yesterday I felt quite depressed as the need here in the manner is vast. But the nuns are very happy. The most important thing to them is our well being. They are very curious about Grass Valley, California, women in the US and what we know about them.
Yesterday I was feeling quite overwhelmed as I have become grossly aware of what a thin thread these Tibetans in exile operate from. Its one thing to do the work at Sierra Friends of Tibet - from our safe home in California. International support is the lifeblood of their survival here - (the support of the International Community that is). Without the help of the International community, I don't know what would happen to them.
On Monday, Geshe Donyoe (many may remember from the 1st Gaden Tour) came and picked us up. We have to be careful as we did not receive the special permit needed to visit this area so we are constantly ducking the local police. From here (the nunnery) which is in Camp #3, we walked to Camp #4. There we visit a small Kagyu monastery - a remnant anyway - and then the Tibetan Government's nursery school. To me it reminds me of the Jewish holocaust where the Eastern European Jews placed their children into the hands of strangers. Same here. The Tibetans will do anything to get their children out of Tibet. We stayed at the nursery school for quite some time. It was very emotional for me - as there was this one tiny child that would not let gp pf me. The Tibetan women caring for them came out of the incursion of 1959 and are holing on to the threads of their culture. I have video of the kids singing their little folk songs and bits of their national anthem.
From there we went to the community center which is an empty shack and a field made to look like a soccer field. They are trying to raise 20,000 rupees to paint the shack. National pride is very important to them. Then onto Geshe Donyoe's, home where his mom had fixed us lunch. Dahl, rice and greens. Geshe Donyoe's mom just sat spinning her prayer wheel all afternoon. From there we went to a sort of small hill where the Tibetans do fire puja every week. We walked all the back roads and paths of the camps - where you can really see what has happened here.
In the late 1960s, the Indian government leased this land 180 acres to the Tibetans in exile to form 9 refugee camps. The Indian government was quite generous giving one acre per Tibetan at that time and constructing government houses which consist of a room probably 12 x 12 feet for a family of 3-5. While I feel the Indian government has done alot, conditions were and still are quite tough. This is jungle land and in the late 60s the Tibetans had to do all the clearing to make the land habitable. It is surrounded by thick jungle. We have seen the monkeys, snakes, there are Tibets, and rogue elephants, etc. Now, 30 years later, the 9 camps or the Settlement is something reminiscent of a Gengis Khan camp. Its is extremely well thought out, the houses, while scantly built are immaculate inside. EVERYONE welcomes us. They share whatever little bit they have in a higher aesthetic form of hospitality. Everyone has a picture, alter or place for the Dalai Lama. The little paths and little gardens are beautiful. Although they have no trash removal and no sense of it. Outside the immaculate fences of their designated camp houses, the trash piles up everywhere. The tibetans themselves are fastidious people. The most important thing to them is their country and their children's education. All the children study very hard. You see them practicing and studying everywhere.
After Geshe Donhyoe' we then went to visit the old folks home. This was very sad to m. All these people came out of "old Tibet". This it nothing like our nursing homes. No smell or death or urine or ill conditions although many of the buildings are barely shacks. Rather everyone is stiing with their prayer wheel, Dalai Lama pictures in their hands, malas and. What a tragedy these people have seen. Many of them hoped to return to Tibet but now feel they may never see their home again. They light up when they tell you about the beauty, the magic and their home villages.
After visiting there we then met the Director of the Government hight school in the camp, The have vocational computer training but no teachers. Again we were asked if we can spend time there helping get their computers in shape. We have had the same request from the government office here so we will be going there for a day to do whatever we can with their computers in a day.
Good news, Geshe Dackung (wwhat I call the Sheriff of Gaden Forest) has just arrived with our permits! Now we cam move about the camps freely with no threat of the Indian police.
This morning we fixed the nuns scanner which will help them tremendously. They have no copier and can really use the scanner!!! All it needed was a USB connection. I am so grateful I bought that universal USB kit from Fryes. So far we have distributed and hooked up over 5 connections using that kit!!!
Got to run. Sorry for the typos but the power is off and I am now on UPS. Here are some more pics... Love to everyone!
Please pass this blog along and post your comments. It is thrilling to them to hear from everyone!
Yesterday I was feeling quite overwhelmed as I have become grossly aware of what a thin thread these Tibetans in exile operate from. Its one thing to do the work at Sierra Friends of Tibet - from our safe home in California. International support is the lifeblood of their survival here - (the support of the International Community that is). Without the help of the International community, I don't know what would happen to them.
On Monday, Geshe Donyoe (many may remember from the 1st Gaden Tour) came and picked us up. We have to be careful as we did not receive the special permit needed to visit this area so we are constantly ducking the local police. From here (the nunnery) which is in Camp #3, we walked to Camp #4. There we visit a small Kagyu monastery - a remnant anyway - and then the Tibetan Government's nursery school. To me it reminds me of the Jewish holocaust where the Eastern European Jews placed their children into the hands of strangers. Same here. The Tibetans will do anything to get their children out of Tibet. We stayed at the nursery school for quite some time. It was very emotional for me - as there was this one tiny child that would not let gp pf me. The Tibetan women caring for them came out of the incursion of 1959 and are holing on to the threads of their culture. I have video of the kids singing their little folk songs and bits of their national anthem.
From there we went to the community center which is an empty shack and a field made to look like a soccer field. They are trying to raise 20,000 rupees to paint the shack. National pride is very important to them. Then onto Geshe Donyoe's, home where his mom had fixed us lunch. Dahl, rice and greens. Geshe Donyoe's mom just sat spinning her prayer wheel all afternoon. From there we went to a sort of small hill where the Tibetans do fire puja every week. We walked all the back roads and paths of the camps - where you can really see what has happened here.
In the late 1960s, the Indian government leased this land 180 acres to the Tibetans in exile to form 9 refugee camps. The Indian government was quite generous giving one acre per Tibetan at that time and constructing government houses which consist of a room probably 12 x 12 feet for a family of 3-5. While I feel the Indian government has done alot, conditions were and still are quite tough. This is jungle land and in the late 60s the Tibetans had to do all the clearing to make the land habitable. It is surrounded by thick jungle. We have seen the monkeys, snakes, there are Tibets, and rogue elephants, etc. Now, 30 years later, the 9 camps or the Settlement is something reminiscent of a Gengis Khan camp. Its is extremely well thought out, the houses, while scantly built are immaculate inside. EVERYONE welcomes us. They share whatever little bit they have in a higher aesthetic form of hospitality. Everyone has a picture, alter or place for the Dalai Lama. The little paths and little gardens are beautiful. Although they have no trash removal and no sense of it. Outside the immaculate fences of their designated camp houses, the trash piles up everywhere. The tibetans themselves are fastidious people. The most important thing to them is their country and their children's education. All the children study very hard. You see them practicing and studying everywhere.
After Geshe Donhyoe' we then went to visit the old folks home. This was very sad to m. All these people came out of "old Tibet". This it nothing like our nursing homes. No smell or death or urine or ill conditions although many of the buildings are barely shacks. Rather everyone is stiing with their prayer wheel, Dalai Lama pictures in their hands, malas and. What a tragedy these people have seen. Many of them hoped to return to Tibet but now feel they may never see their home again. They light up when they tell you about the beauty, the magic and their home villages.
After visiting there we then met the Director of the Government hight school in the camp, The have vocational computer training but no teachers. Again we were asked if we can spend time there helping get their computers in shape. We have had the same request from the government office here so we will be going there for a day to do whatever we can with their computers in a day.
Good news, Geshe Dackung (wwhat I call the Sheriff of Gaden Forest) has just arrived with our permits! Now we cam move about the camps freely with no threat of the Indian police.
This morning we fixed the nuns scanner which will help them tremendously. They have no copier and can really use the scanner!!! All it needed was a USB connection. I am so grateful I bought that universal USB kit from Fryes. So far we have distributed and hooked up over 5 connections using that kit!!!
Got to run. Sorry for the typos but the power is off and I am now on UPS. Here are some more pics... Love to everyone!
Please pass this blog along and post your comments. It is thrilling to them to hear from everyone!
Sorry for the long delay
Hello everyone. So sorry for the long silence and all the typos etc. Everything here is a race against electricity. We have been at the nunnery now for several days. The new computer is running great and
the nuns are VERY excited to have their 2 new computers which I trust they will put to good use.The nuns are very kind and sweet and practice very hard. By no means do they have the resources of the monastery. We are so lucky to be Americans.
Here are some pictures as I am again racing against the power. Tomorrow we return to Gaden for a week of teaching computer in the Shartse school. In that school they have 11 computers and no teacher.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Delivered nuns computers
Hi everyone. I have to write very quickly as it is always a race to beat the electricity cut off.
At this time I am in the Education Office with our friend Geshe Jangchup Choeden, fizing virus problems on his laptop.
Yesterday, the entire 2005 Tour, Chuni Rinpoche, Phuntso, Tengye, Geshe Kalsang, Menlo and I all piled into a maroon truck and they took us to Hubli where we bought the nuns computer. The monks were so helpful in fulfilling my long term dream. This adventure was reminiscent of some ancient tribal Himalayan adventure. Menlo and I were in the car with all these Tibetans, we didn't understand a word they said -but then again we ddn't have to.
Today, Phuntsho took us to the nunnery and we delivered the new computers... their long time dream!!! The pictures will say it all... and as soon a I can get them loaded into this blog I will.
Yesterday too we visited the Tibetan Doctor, and the existing diagnostic center. This hospital project is really important. I have the specifics and will place them up as soon as I can. What would be great is to find a hospital who would like to engage in a Sister-Hospital relationship here. There have been offers of donations of diagnostic equiptment, etc. but Cutoms & Duties precludes bringing most things into the country. Therefore funding would help these folks with their hospital the most.
For those of you there in NC and Grass Valley with the monks now, please share the information on this blog and please encourageeveryone to read this blog and post some comments. Because we have hosted som many Tours, there is an extreme connection with our home. Every monk on all 7 tours run down the list of wanting to know in detail how people are... i.e. "How is your mother, how is Joseph, Susan & David, Sandy?, Jacobsens?, April & Alysse, Adele, Glenda, nancy & Jean, Dieno & Jobekah.. Bill Lee, Sarah, Andrea, Ezra, etc. etc. They have never forgotten anone in our community, all the many people who have been kind to them.
One final note, yesterday we visited the administrative office. On the wall, the monastery has lovingly and carefully framed and laminated preciously all the letters, keys to the City, Mayoral invitations, etc. which the Tours have acquired. When I saw this I was overcome with emotion- because it demonstrated to me just how important our relationship is to these peopl. The connection they have to us is so precious to them. The money and support which comes their way is secondary to their motive. The is pristine clear to me.
At this time I am in the Education Office with our friend Geshe Jangchup Choeden, fizing virus problems on his laptop.
Yesterday, the entire 2005 Tour, Chuni Rinpoche, Phuntso, Tengye, Geshe Kalsang, Menlo and I all piled into a maroon truck and they took us to Hubli where we bought the nuns computer. The monks were so helpful in fulfilling my long term dream. This adventure was reminiscent of some ancient tribal Himalayan adventure. Menlo and I were in the car with all these Tibetans, we didn't understand a word they said -but then again we ddn't have to.
Today, Phuntsho took us to the nunnery and we delivered the new computers... their long time dream!!! The pictures will say it all... and as soon a I can get them loaded into this blog I will.
Yesterday too we visited the Tibetan Doctor, and the existing diagnostic center. This hospital project is really important. I have the specifics and will place them up as soon as I can. What would be great is to find a hospital who would like to engage in a Sister-Hospital relationship here. There have been offers of donations of diagnostic equiptment, etc. but Cutoms & Duties precludes bringing most things into the country. Therefore funding would help these folks with their hospital the most.
For those of you there in NC and Grass Valley with the monks now, please share the information on this blog and please encourageeveryone to read this blog and post some comments. Because we have hosted som many Tours, there is an extreme connection with our home. Every monk on all 7 tours run down the list of wanting to know in detail how people are... i.e. "How is your mother, how is Joseph, Susan & David, Sandy?, Jacobsens?, April & Alysse, Adele, Glenda, nancy & Jean, Dieno & Jobekah.. Bill Lee, Sarah, Andrea, Ezra, etc. etc. They have never forgotten anone in our community, all the many people who have been kind to them.
One final note, yesterday we visited the administrative office. On the wall, the monastery has lovingly and carefully framed and laminated preciously all the letters, keys to the City, Mayoral invitations, etc. which the Tours have acquired. When I saw this I was overcome with emotion- because it demonstrated to me just how important our relationship is to these peopl. The connection they have to us is so precious to them. The money and support which comes their way is secondary to their motive. The is pristine clear to me.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Hospital Needs at Gaden Sharste
I have to write quick as the power goes off often. The Monks have taken VERY good care of us and love us all so much. I cannot convey enough what it is to live in such a special place as Nevada County. When I see the houses and buildings all of our good effort has contributed to, it makes the other things seem so small.
It was only twenty years ago that the Tibetans came here to this jungle. All the work they did here to create this little Shangrai-la they did themselves.
Today we toured the hospital and Tibetan doctor and also Geshe Sangye's school. Today we will travel to Hubil to pick up monks returning from Sera and there I will buy the nuns computer. We will also be purchasing a computer for the new hospital. As soon as I get time I will post pictures. Please hold it in your mind about the Gaden Hospital project - which is really crucial at this point.
Last night Phuntsho took us for dinner down in Camp #3 at a Tibetan "Restaurant" which is really an outbuilding where a darling Tibetan woman serves food and then we walked back. You have to see the pics to see what its all about.
Has anyone seen the series DEADWOOD? These camps look like that - many people are down trodden - its very sad. The monastery's are doing well and are beautiful Lotus flowers in these refuge camps.
Yesterday the nuns showed up and are SOOOOOOO excited about their computers!
It was only twenty years ago that the Tibetans came here to this jungle. All the work they did here to create this little Shangrai-la they did themselves.
Today we toured the hospital and Tibetan doctor and also Geshe Sangye's school. Today we will travel to Hubil to pick up monks returning from Sera and there I will buy the nuns computer. We will also be purchasing a computer for the new hospital. As soon as I get time I will post pictures. Please hold it in your mind about the Gaden Hospital project - which is really crucial at this point.
Last night Phuntsho took us for dinner down in Camp #3 at a Tibetan "Restaurant" which is really an outbuilding where a darling Tibetan woman serves food and then we walked back. You have to see the pics to see what its all about.
Has anyone seen the series DEADWOOD? These camps look like that - many people are down trodden - its very sad. The monastery's are doing well and are beautiful Lotus flowers in these refuge camps.
Yesterday the nuns showed up and are SOOOOOOO excited about their computers!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Safe & Well at Gaden
Hi everyone.
Just to let you know we have arrived safe and well at the Gaden Monastery.
All the monks are so happy to hear about everyone in Grass Valley.
Yesterday we visited the hospital they just built. It is an empty building at this point as there are no funds for equipment and staffing the hospital. This is a project that needs alot of attention.
We'll be going over to the nunnery at the end of this week. Almost half the monks and nuns are just now returning from HH teachings. I'll be posting my pictures to the blog as soon as I get time.
Today, now I am working in the monastery office fixing the desktop. Please forward this to anyone interested.
While the monastery is very beautiful, the settlement - or camp is just that - a Refugee camp. There are 8 camps in the settlement. It is very tragic what has happened to these Tibetans. All they really care about is our well being and understanding of non violence and compassion.
This is a dualistic reality. On one hand it is very beautiful -all the monks and the monastery which has been recreated from the dust and destruction of what they took out of Tibet. On the other hand they are really hanging on by a thread. Very threatened...
Just to let you know we have arrived safe and well at the Gaden Monastery.
All the monks are so happy to hear about everyone in Grass Valley.
Yesterday we visited the hospital they just built. It is an empty building at this point as there are no funds for equipment and staffing the hospital. This is a project that needs alot of attention.
We'll be going over to the nunnery at the end of this week. Almost half the monks and nuns are just now returning from HH teachings. I'll be posting my pictures to the blog as soon as I get time.
Today, now I am working in the monastery office fixing the desktop. Please forward this to anyone interested.
While the monastery is very beautiful, the settlement - or camp is just that - a Refugee camp. There are 8 camps in the settlement. It is very tragic what has happened to these Tibetans. All they really care about is our well being and understanding of non violence and compassion.
This is a dualistic reality. On one hand it is very beautiful -all the monks and the monastery which has been recreated from the dust and destruction of what they took out of Tibet. On the other hand they are really hanging on by a thread. Very threatened...
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