We Are All Fine

Among other subjects, the ten young men from Mongolia we have sent to study Buddhism in India have also been learning English. One of them, who now goes by the Tibetan name of Minjuur Dechen Sherab, developed enough confidence in his English chops to start emailing me. Here's his latest:

"Dear Konchok Norbu

How are you? Happy new year!!! Hows your everythings? we are all fine. Mongolian 8 monks are came here. Im now blessing in bodhgaya. Im going to puja on everyday. Here very cold on morning and evening. Where you now? Ok bye please reply me."

For the record, my everythings are fine and dandy, if a little wilted in this Brisbane humidity.

In addition to being just so sweet (as well as funny that a Mongol would remark that India is cold this time of year!), this email communicates something important. Minjuur is saying that eight of the 10 have made the three-day journey from Bylakuppe to Bodh Gaya, the holy site of Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment. They have traveled to join the thousands of others who gather each year for the ten-day Nyingma Monlam Chenmo -- the great Prayer Festival of the Nyingmapa. The 19th Nyingma Monlam starts today. I'm so touched that the Mongolian devotees have the opportunity for this blessing, and I so look forward to next year when the nuns can join them.

Tulku Urgyan Tenpa directs our attention to this wonderful short video from the 2004 Nyingma Prayer Festival that highlights Tarthang Tulku's astounding generosity in the printing and free distribution of hard-to-come-by Buddhist texts. I mean, I crowed a bit about our providing 262 volumes to one monastery in Mongolia last year. How about 2 million volumes? I'm truly humbled and in awe.

By the way, our ten young Mongol women are scheduled to depart for HH Penor Rinpoche's Tsogyal Shedrup Dargyeling Nunnery in 2-3 weeks, as soon as all their paperwork is sorted out. I'm very pleased to announce that not only did we raise all the money necessary for their travel, first sets of robes and other basics, but a little extra has come in that will allow us to provide a small emergency health care fund. My deepest gratitude to all of you who supported this effort.

Comments

[dara]

Such an inspirational tale! And meanwhile, on my blog I document the color coordination of Ani Palchen and her lunch. (sigh) Pulitzer to Konchog, Razzy to Dara (lol).