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| What are the current needs? (updated 10/10) • Konchogsum School Project (in progress) Please read more about this important project here. This is the best solution for Tamshing's long term mission and physical needs. Please read more here. • Modernized Kitchen. (This is still a pressing need!) The current kitchen is approximately 3 x 4 meters and must feed over 80 using ancient wood stoves. There is no refrigeration. (see photos). • Temple Ceilings. (This is still a pressing need!) Repairs are urgently needed in the gathering space of the temple. Sacred chants and rituals are conducted here amidst draughts and bird droppings. (see photos). • Living Quarters. (The new multipurpose building has provided seven more beds...but space is still urgently needed.) More living space is urgently needed. Typically 3 to 5 monks share one tiny, cramped unheated room. The head teacher of Tamshing shares his room with six junior monks; this leaves precious little room for meditation and study. • Classroom/Dining Hall. (Mission Accomplished 09/06!) A large room for these purposes urgently needs to be built. Classes for the monks are currently conducted outside, even in the cold! • Dance Costumes. (There is still need here.) Tamshing is one of the most important centers of dance in Bhutan its yearly festivals feature 33 distinct dances. Its dance traditions are currently being documented by Core of Culture. The sacred masks and costumes, some of which may have been in use for more than 100 years are in dire need of repair and replacement. When new masks and costumes receive funding, the ancient artifacts will be retired, stored and preserved at the monastery for future generations to study and enjoy. (see photos) • Restoration of Wall Paintings. Hundreds of wall paintings throughout the temple are in danger of being lost forever. Conservation of these 500 year old works of art will be incredibly expensive and must, for now, remain a dream as more pressing needs are met. At the least, they should be professionally photo documented so that they can be restored in the future as funds become available. (see photos). |
| What is the history of Tamshing Monastery and how is it connected to Tibet? As told to Friends of Tamshing by the Lopen Karma, 12/06 Before 1960 Tamshing was a privately owned temple (like many other temples in Bhutan). After Pema Lingpa died in the temple at the age of seventy-two in 1521 his descendants took over care of the temple. Gradually, over many years, Tamshing fell into a state of disrepair and neglect. The temple courtyard was used as a granary and local people came less and less, except for very special days. In 1959, after the failed Tibetan uprising against the Chinese Government occupation, in which almost 60,000 Tibetans were killed, many Tibetans (including the present Dalai Lama) fled the country in exile or went into hiding for fear of being killed. Quite a few came to the Bumthang region of Bhutan, known as the cradle of Buddhism in the Dragon Kingdom. In his time, Pema Lingpa received a vision to travel to Tibet where he revealed a treasure hidden by Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) many centuries before. He was given land in the Longti area of the Siti valley and built a temple there which is called Lhalung. This temple was later enlarged by his third (Tibetan) incarnation. Pema Lingpa travelled frequently to Tibet and most of his incarnations were Tibetan. The 10th incarnation of Pema Lingpa died in Tibet shortly before the Chinese Government took over. In 1960, a group of three monks from Lhalung monk body headed by Lhalung's second in command, Thinley Kuenchap (d. 1975) came to Tamshing to reestablish the Lhalung monk body at Tamshing. Lopen Thinley Kuenchap was well known to the diaspora of Tibetan monks in Bhutan. Hearing of his arrival at Tamshing, many gathered in Tamshing by late 1960 and established the monk body. Over time, this group has grown from 10 or 15 monks to over 80, with plans now to increase to over 100. [Note: The plan to take on more monks is based not on the ability to take on more monks, but rather on the need. Tamshing is, in other words, "needs blind" like US ivy league schools but without the endowments.] When Lopen Karma came to Tamshing as a young boy in 1980, most of the senior monks from Tibet had passed on, but Lopen Tseten who came from Tibet to Tamshing as a 10 year old monk in 1960 was still there. Lopen Tseten is now the head of the monastery organization and the senior teacher. Tamshing is the seat of The Venerable Lhalung Sungtrul Rinpoche and The Thugsey Rinpoche, speech and mind incarnations of Pema Lingpa, respectively. |
| What will the monks of Tamshing do with my contribution? Every dollar that you donate will be transferred directly by wire to the Monastery bank account in Bhutan. $20 can buy 80 Kg of Rice--enough to feed the monks for a day. $250 can buy weatherproof windows for the Khonchogsum Lhakang a small, but extremely historical temple nearby, which is maintained by Tamshing. $1000 can buy a tent to cover monks and teachers in the hot summer months and during festivals. $2000 can repair the ceiling of the temple and keep the wind, rain and birds out! $5000 can build a new kitchen building. $8000 can buy new masks and garments for the annual Tsechu (religious festival). An angel is needed to support the conservation of wall paintings throughout the temple. A donation of any amount can help Tamshing. See How to help for more information |
| About us and why we are helping Tamshing. In late 2005, Seattle artists David Roos and Ian Challis were moved by their first visit to Bhutan, by its holy places and by its gentle people. When they were asked to help the impoverished yet vital Tamshing Monastery they readily agreed and created Friends of Tamshing. Our goal is to raise money for improvements to the monastery, for support for the monks, and for the preservation of the temple, especially at this crossroads in Bhutanese history. We believe that Bhutan and the whole world will benefit from the preservation and support of Bhutan's strong, yet threatened culture. |
| About Bhutan Bhutan is the only surviving Buddhist kingdom in the world. This land-locked Himalayan country, the size of Switzerland (and just as mountainous), is nestled between Tibet and India. The king and his government are famously more concerned with the "Gross National Happiness" of the country's citizens than the Gross National Product. Economic growth is welcomed, but gradually and deliberately. Most citizens are still homestead farmers. Because of slow growth and careful stewardship, the country is an environmental jewel--Bhutan is the only state on earth where the forest cover is actually expanding. The government's goal is that the growth of western-style commerce and industry not be at the expense of the environment or a cause of cultural degradation. The people of Bhutan are largely Vajrayana Buddhist. Their spiritual beliefs and compassionate outlook inform every aspect of Bhutanese culture and day-to-day life. It is these principles and profound respect for all life which has created something of a Shangri-La. Visitors from the west who have had the good fortune to visit this unique realm will never forget it, and often feel changed by the experience of witnessing an intact, original culture on the brink of modernization. As powerful as tradition is in Bhutan, and as thoughtfully as the country modernizes, major change is underway. It is hoped that the cultural strength, spiritual tradition and magic of Bhutan can survive and flourish in the face of mounting pressures. As the economy of the country changes, and as the culture becomes more outward looking, it is inevitable that some of the old ways of supporting the temples and monasteries, (which are the repositories of traditional wisdom), are being tested. Today, because of societal changes, if a temple such as Tamshing, is not government supported, or does not have an international following for its high lamas, it faces an increasingly difficult time maintaining and supporting itself. While the nation as a whole is undergoing the stress of growth and modernization, we can help by aiding in the preservation of the strongholds of its culture--the temples and monasteries. Unique among its neighbors, Bhutan has never been occupied, it has never been colonized, and thus its legacy has survived intact into the present. To support this essential and beautiful traditional culture now is to help preserve it for the Bhutanese and the entire world for generations to come. If you are interested in travelling to Bhutan, we recommend All Access Bhutan, a small, quality tour company owned and operated by a devout buddhist with deep affection for Tamshing and its mission. |
| Why is Tamshing Special? And why does it need my help? In a land full of temples and monasteries, Tamshing in the Jakar Valley of the Bumthang region is truly remarkable for its age, beauty, and direct connection to the Bhutanese saint, cultural hero, and spiritual treasure revealer (terton), Pema Lingpa. Tamshing is considered to be the most important Nyingmapa lineage temple in Bhutan. The temple was built by Pema Lingpa himself in 1501, and it is home to hundreds of wall paintings and other artifacts he created. It is also the original home of sacred dances that are celebrated at traditional Tsechus (festivals) throughout Bhutan. According to Joseph Houseal, director of Core of Culture, Dance Preservation: "Dance...is the living tradition of their founding identity and the means by which Pema Lingpa sought to teach the world Buddhism - and the treasure he specifically left the Tamshing monks. It is the life of the order, the Buddhist truth they maintain. That is one reason we have focused on Tamshing: their dances were revealed by the most famous Bhutanese saint, and Tamshing alone performs the dances correctly..." By helping Tamshing survive we can keep this cultural jewel of dance alive and thriving. Justly famous for their dance traditions, on a day-to-day level the monks of Tamshing also play a vital role in the daily lives of the community by performing religious ceremonies, community services and by offering compassionate counsel to the local polpulation. Most immediately, Tamshing houses, educates and feeds over 80 monks, (soon to be over 100 monks). It receives almost no government support, despite its great historical significance. Most of the young monks are either orphans or from very poor families. Tamshing has no endowment; no mission to make money, its only mission is to meet the needs of the community. Currently, the monastery runs at a loss and makes up the difference with interest bearing loans. Although the central focus of the leadership of Tamshing is teaching the Dharma (Buddhist doctrine) and meeting the living needs of the community and the monks, it also needs to maintain and preserve the physical structure and activities of the temple. |
