Wamlung Monastery Needs Funds For Main Shrine Hall

Wamlung Retreat Houses

Many thanks once again on behalf of Minam Rinpoche for the speedy response to the call for contirbutions for repairs/construction to the main shrine hall of Wamlung Monastery. Minam Rinpoche is now able to purchase materials to do repairs to the damage of the shrine hall.

Thanks to :

Kenny Tham, Ho Gek Tin, Shannies, Guan Zi Zai Buddhist Society Klang, Tan Ynu Ting & Jenny Ong, Molly Chin & Family, Lim Hua Bi & Family, Richard Ng & PY Cheong, Ng Shu Yin & Ng Shu Ting, Bay Hee Choon (from Guan Zi Zai Klang), Mr & Mrs Yeoh Kian Jin, Phik Charng, Major Leow, Irene Liew, Pauline Woo, Paul Er, Ryan Sern Chia Chien, Brenda Foo, Linda Goh, Nada, Ho Lee Chin, Mr & Mrs Kang Chik Hua, Wei Wei (Guangzhou), Teh Lah Hoong, Tham Ming Wei, Carol Low Mei Lee, Lai Soon Woh, Eunise Ling Ya, Carmen Ling Na, Sandie Foo. Mr & Mrs Michael Lim and family. Lai Kok Hong & Kok Poh Wan & their families

Total amount collected as of 23 September 2009 : RM26,500.

This amount will be remitted to Rinpoche by the end of this week. Those who have pledged but have not paid, the money will be remitted in early October.

RM16,000 remitted to Rinpoche on 28 September 2009.

Brief history of Wamlung Monastery
Wamlung Do Ngakh Choekor Ling Monastery is situated in the village of Ka-xiong (district Nangchen) in Qinghai province (eastern Tibet). It is on a high plain 4,700 meters above sea level. The location is a beautiful area surrounded by snow-capped mountains and has remained visually unaffected by modern technology such as the proliferation of electrical towers, automobiles, etc… Except for a few solar generators, which were recently installed to supply power to the area, the landscape remains pristine and unchanged.

After spending a long time here in retreat, Gyalwang Dechen Dorje felt that this area was very special and holy. He discovered that the place was a hill which resembled a Buddha seated in meditative posture. Gyalwang Dechen Dorje found that he could build the monastery right in the Buddha’s hands, which were held in the meditation mudra. Nearby, a rock was found inscribed with the seed syllable WAM, which is the seed syllable of Vajrayogini and also an aspect of wisdom.

Because of the auspiciousness of these signs, Gyalwang Dechen Dorje decided to build a temple in this location. However, one problem remained to be solved: there was no water supply at this location. He decided to enter into retreat to solve the problem. During this retreat he made many offerings to the deities and one day water oozed out from the ground. It is believed that the appearance of this water was a terma, or hidden treasure. It was for these incredibly auspicious occurrences that the monastery was built in the hands of the Buddha, on a hill resembling the Buddha in meditative posture.

During the Cultural Revolution, the monastery was completely destroyed and the water, which had flowed freely stopped. The monastery was later rebuilt in 1989 and the water miraculously flowed again from the ground. A Drukpa Kagyu monastery for many generations, many great masters have been trained here, including the root lama of H.E. Adeu Rinpoche, Choekyong Namgyal. In the past it has been the home of about a hundred monks, and of Togden Rinpoche and Mipham Namgyal Rinpoche (Minam Rinpoche).

After his enthronement ceremony in Tashi Jong, in 1997, Minam Rinpoche returned to Wamlung Monastery to carry out his duties. Similarly, Togden Rinpoche returned to Wamlung Monastery after having been recognized in 2001. The construction of the main shrine hall and retreat quarters have been successfully completed at Wamlung Monastery. Minam Rinpoche had embarked on completing another project, which he started in 1999 when he offered to financially sponsor fifteen young monks who had no permanent living quarters, and built a Dharma Institute for them so that they could pursue their studies.

However , because of the monastery’s great distance from the local village, and the added costs incurred due to the necessary transportation of construction and materials and other goods from outlying areas, building cost for the proposed Dharma Institute would be 2-3 times higher than if the Institute were built in the nearest town. To lower the costs and make the Institute more accessible, and to accommodate the district with an adequate library, Rinpoche will build this Institute in the town area and relocate the young monks there to pursue their studies. (Norling Library was officially opened in July 2007)

In order to obtain a correct understanding of Dharma, it is necessary that students have access to a well-rounded religious education. Rinpoche thinks that it is very important to preserve the precious Dharma. Rinpoche also believes that it is vital that we understand Buddhism and not just practice with blind faith. Similarly, the library will be a proper place to preserve the Dharma and the culture.

Double Rainbow - An Auspicious Day

On the day Minam Rinpoche travelled to the Retreat Center in Lhasa, there was a double rainbow in the sky.

Opening Ceremony Of Retreat Center In Lhasa By Minam Rinpoche - 2 August 2009

Thank You From Minam Rinpoche

Two little girls at the Children Section of the Library

On behalf of Minam Rinpoche I would like to thank all friends for their generous contributions towards the upkeep of Norling Library.

Ho Lee Chin, Linda Goh, Kong Keen Yung, Mr & Mrs Yeoh Kean Jin, Wendy Lim, Sweet Mui, Phik Charng, Lai Kok Hong, Kim Saw, Jade Saw, Lim Yean Nyok, Chern, Bee Eng, Juliana, Kim Ong (Singapore), Ruby Oh (Singapore), Chew Pheng Chong, Teh Lah Hoong, Susan Tang, Ming Wei, Brenda Foo, Calvin Ho, Colin Chai, Sam Kum Soon, Sue

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu

Norling Library to have New Skating Rink and Clinic

Roller skating rink in construction

Good news! Norling Library will soon have a new roller blading rink ..... believe that. Who would believe that dear Minam Rinpoche would come up with that.

Rinpoche noticed that the kids were skating dangerously on the road and knowing that Yushu drivers (seems half of them do not have a driver's licence) are not safe - for the kids at least, he decided to do what is necessary. So what does he do next? Construction work is now in progress as this is written. It will measure about 4400 square meters.

Plan for the clinic

Plan for a washroom and toilet

Next, Rinpoche will build a clinic sitting in a little extra land just beside the main gate. This will benefit many people. A bath and toilet is also in the pipeline. So all you kind and generous hearted ones ... contributions and donations are warmly welcomed!

Vajrasattva Retreat

(credits)

Minam Rinpoche is planning to hold a Vajrasattva Retreat towards the last quarter of the year (October 2009).

As we all know, to break the samayas of the Vajrayana is a great fault. The tantric samayas are subtle, numerous and difficult to keep. It would be wrong for us to suppose that we are keeping them faithfully.

The aim of this retreat is to enable us to stay undistracted and do not mix your recitation with ordinary speech. To say the hundred syllable mantra without interruption will undoubtedly purify your negative actions and obscurations, and the violations and breaches of vows and samayas

The main obstacles that prevent all the extraordinary experiences and realizations of the profound path from arising are negative actions, obscurations and habitual tendencies. Just as it is important to clean the surface of the mirror if forms are to be reflected in it, so too it is important to eliminate our obscurations so that realizations can appear like a reflection in the mirror.

There is no harmful act that cannot be purified by confession. As the great teachers of ancient times affirmed :

There is nothing good about negative actions - except that they can be purified through confession.

However, purification only takes place when you confess sincerely in the right way, using the four powers as antidotes. The purification process will never work if your eyes and mouth are otherwise occupied, or if you are just mouthing the words, "I admit ...... I confess ....." while your mind is busy pursuing other thoughts. And to think, "In future, even if I do wrong it won't matter because I can just confess afterwards," will stop the purification from working at all, even if you do confess.It is absolutely fundamental that any confession should include as antidotes of all the 4 powers.

The four powers are the power of support, the power of regretting having done wrong, the power of resolution and the power of action as an antidote.

Please drop us a line if you are keen to join us in this retreat and we shall get back to you with more information once everything is finalised. Only limited places available.

(Tentative Venue : Cameron Highlands or in Petaling Jaya)

Facilities At Norling Library

Facilities At Norling Library

1) Kagyur and Tengyur Text Library:

Kagyur texts are direct teachings of the Lord Buddha which are translated into different languages such as Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese, Korean etc. Tengyur consists of 120 thick volumes which are the commentaries of the Kagyur text. Norling Library will work to collect the Kagyur and Tengyur text in different versions and from different publications.

2) Norling Philosophical Library:
There are four major traditions in Tibetan Buddhism namely Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug-pa. Each tradition has their root texts which has their own uniqueness and values but they are not different from each other. The ancient Tibetan Bon religion is still active and is being practiced by the Bon Tibetan followers.

3) Norling General Library:

Norling General Library is for general books in Tibetan, Chinese and English on various subjects such Science, Social Science, Mathematics, Economics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Anthropology, Computer Science, Literature, Grammar, Astrology, Medicine etc

4) Norling Exhibition Hall:

Exhibitions on eductional, environmental health, art and cultural related matters are held here periodically. This creates awareness to the community of Yushu and surrounding regions.

5) Norling Computer Lab:

The computer lab aims to facilitate the following:

a) Internet Café:

Internet connects people to sources of information that can help improve health, general knowledge, education, employment opportunities etc. Internet café is a very important resource for the students in doing their school assignments.

b) Computer Tuition Centre:

Computer science is a very important subject in both the present and future. Students in Yushu rarely receive computer lessons in school. Thus, they face problems when they join colleges and universities. Norling Computer Lab aims to hold computer tuition specially on Tibetan software such as the Sambotta, Monlam and the new Tibetan software that is compatible with Window Vista.

c) Digital Library:

Norling Library aims to have a digital library in the Norling Computer Lab for visitors to search, read books and leave comments on the books. So far the library has over three thousand Dharma texts in CD together with pictures and English translations. It is Norling Library’s dream that in the near future people from all corners of the world can benefit from our digital library.

6) Norling Recording Studio and Music Library:
Music is a universal language loved by everyone especially by the people of Yushu as the spirit of the Yushu people says; ‘Dancing is known when one knows how to walk and singing is known when one knows how to speak’. In promoting arts and culture, NPL is inspired by a conviction that art creates beauty, invites discovery, stimulates reflection, and generates self-knowledge, and that engagement with the arts promotes deeper understanding of human experience among diverse communities. Yushu has many talented people, with gifted melodious voice but few are heard outside of this community. The biggest problem they face is the lack of recording facilities in Yushu. Therefore, Norling Studio can help these talented people in realising their dreams

7) Norling Multi-purpose Hall:

Norling Multi-Purpose Hall hosts meetings, conferences, lectures, debates, essay and painting competitions and teachings that will attract mass participants. On the other hand, this hall is also a part of the Norling Computer Lab where the theoretic instructions on computer tuition will be given before going into the computer lab for practical lessons. Norling Multi-Purpose Hall has the capacity of hosting more than 70 people with fully equipped multi media facilities

8) Norling Language Centre:

Norling Language Centre holds language classes on Tibetan, English and Chinese. Norling Language Centre has an on going project on a bi-lingual Tibetan Electronic Dictionary.

9) Norling Coffee House:

This Coffee House provides a healthy and intellectual environment for our visitors. Unlike Yushu’s tea bars, Norling Coffee House prohibits smoking and drinking. Instead it provides vegetarian snacks, internet access for private laptops and reading materials such as books, news papers and magazines for our guests. Furnished in Tibetan style and equipped with modern facilities, Norling Coffee House serves great Tibetan Butter Tea and Western Black coffee.

Projects Under Planning: Funds Needed

1.Norling Children’s Library:

Three storey building to cater to the needs of different activities for the children

2. Bi-lingual Tibetan Electronic Digital Dictionary:

For the past few years Minam Rinpoche and some scholars have been working on producing a bi-lingual Tibetan electronic dictionary.

3. Preservation of Tibetan Calligraphy Writings.

Norling Library has a full collection of all the different types of Tibetan calligraphies in our exhibition room.

4. Preservation of vanishing Tibetan Traditional folk songs and dances into cassettes, CD, VCD and DVD.

Yushu has been for many centuries enjoyed and lived with the rhythms of the singing and the dancing sensation that evoke the paradise of the cultural world. Due to many cause and effects Yushu is losing her precious and traditional folk songs and dances that carry much of the deep feelings, images and cultures of the Yushu people. Folk songs remain unsung and folk dances remain un-danced . Let us bring on the music and the tapping of the feet once more.

Norling Library Opening

The vision and wishes of Venerable Minam Rinpoche saw the birth of Norling Library in year 2007. Rinpoche believes that the Dharma should be realised through intellectual studies so as to avoid superstition. It is Rinpoche's earnest wish to plant the seed of Dharma in the heart of everyone far and wide.