Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A Couple of Weeks with Lama Phuntsho

Calling the Jangchub Choeling Nunnery with lama Phuntsho from the office of Noteable Bowls
in Lake Tahoe

Recently we were blessed with a visit from our dear friend Lama Phuntsho. You may have met LP when he worked as a translator for the Gaden Shartse monastery tour in both 2001-2002 and the 2004-2005 tour.

Now Lama Phunthso is a monk of a different color (ha ha). He is a Tibetan Buddhist monk from the mystical Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan which treasures "Gross National Happiness" as their gross national product. LP is also a tireless friend of Tibet, always remembering the plight of the Tibetan people. He is a "non-sectarian" Buddhist monk, meaning he has received training from many high masters in the 4 different sects of Tibetan Buddhism.

We were so delighted to open a website for Lama Phuntsho (http://www.lamaphuntsho.org/ )
and will be developing over the next few months while he is in the US.

I would like to add that Lama Phuntsho is also my direct connection to the Jangchub Choeling nunnery (http://www.jangchubchoelingnunnery.org/) in exile in Mundgod, southern India. After expressing our wish to work with Buddhist Women and Tibetan women in exile, Lama Phuntsho helped us make the connection with the nuns and was also responsible for escorting us to purchase computers for the nuns during our visit to Mundgod in 2008.

Although Lama Phuntsho came to visit and was on vacation, he was asked to do a few events in Lake Tahoe. Here are some pictures from that visit. Special thanks to Tahoe Mel at Noteable Bowls, Lorilyn at Mountain Yoga in Tahoe Keys, Keri at O2 Wellness Center in Minden, Unity at the Lake and Unity of Carson. More picutres will be added as I get them uploaded. Please check back:

News from Tibetech Board Member Now in Mundgod

Yes it has been a long time since we have blogged and we are going to start again. Because Tibetech.org volunteers extraordinaries David and Susan are presently in the camps in Mundgod working at the Hospital clinic and teaching English.

After a bumpy descent into life at the Gaden Shartse Monastery, Susan and David are finding their rhythms and will be sending us BLOGS of their adventures soon.

Meanwhile something to note is Susan's concern about the food at the monastery... and she is sensing a shortage of resources there. Like everything else going on in the world at this time, things have been changing there at Gaden Sharste and Susan is sensing a shortage of available resources. This is showing up in the way of the diminished rations of food.

Sponsoring a monk is perhaps the most fortifying way to help this very fragile situation. Sponsors may noW easily act online by visiting the GSCF (Gaden Sharste Cultural Foundation (a U.S. 501C3 Non Profit Organization) at www.gadenshartsetour.org.

In the meantime we are preparing for the annual visit to Placerville, Grass Valley, Roseville and now we will be adding Lake Tahoe through the kind hosts at www.noteablebowsl.com.

More to come soon on Lama Phuntsho's recent visit to Grass Valley and Tahoe