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The Tashi Lhunpo Monastery

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Tibet

History

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery was established by The First Dalai Lama in 1447. Situated in Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet, it is one of the four great Monasteries of the Gelugpa tradition.  It has produced thousands of renowned scholars in the fields of Mahayana and Tantric philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism.

By 1959, 5,000 monks were residing at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse and there were about 2,000 monks outside of Tibet.  Following the Chinese Communists' invasion of Tibet and the Cultural Revolution, only about 400 monks remained in the Monastery.  In 1959, approximately 300 monks followed His Holiness The Dalai Lama into exile.  In 1972, the Monastery was reestablished under the guidance of His Holiness The Dalai Lama in South India.  It now has over 250 monks from Tibet and other Himalayan regions.  These monks follow the same traditions and principles as do the monks affiliated with the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Tibet.

During the 1960s, numerous senior Lamas and monks left Tibet because of the difficulties they faced when practicing Buddhism under the Communist Chinese occupation.  Many of them helped to reestablish Monasteries in India, Bhutan, and Nepal.  The 10th Panchen Lama was not able to leave Tibet, and as a result, a large number of the senior Lamas from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery remained inside Tibet.  Without the guidance of the senior Lamas, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery has been at a disadvantage.  Consequently, it is one of the poorest of the Tibetan Monasteries in exile.

The Panchen Lama

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is the seat of The Panchen Lama, the second most important Tibetan spiritual leader after His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The 10th Panchen Lama was unable to escape into exile, and He went through hardship including imprisonment for nearly ten years during the Chinese cultural revolution. He became outspoken in His resistance to the Communists and died under mysterious circumstances in 1989 at the age of 52.

On May 14, 1995, a six year old Tibetan child, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was recognized by His Holiness The Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of The 10th Panchen Lama.  Apparently, on May 17, 1995, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, His family, and Chadrel Rinpoche and His Secretary, who both led the search party for Him were taken by The PRC to Beijing.  Two other boys who were considered strong choices for The Panchen Lama were also taken.  A total of 50 people disappeared that night.  As of today, all of these persons are still missing except Chadrel Rinpoche, who has reportedly been released on "house arrest" somewhere in Tibet. No one has been able to talk with Him to verify His condition.  There has been no indication that the others are alive or still being held as political prisoners in spite of inquiries from the U.N. and various international humanitarian agencies.  The PRC government has declared another Tibetan boy as their Panchen Lama.

As China emerges as an economic power and world leader, it is critical that it account for past actions such as the abduction of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and the others taken with Him.  These actions reflect poorly on the human rights policies and conditions for all citizens of China as well as Tibet.

How to help

The primary goal of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is to work toward the release of The Panchen Lama and those abducted with Him.  Donations to the Monastery help support the work of the Monks and supplements the money they earn from tours, sales of incense, and other items made by the Monastery.

ITIM is committed to strengthening the Monastery so it can concentrate greater effort on securing the release of The Panchen Lama.  As a result, ITIM is coordinating raising funds to help meet the various needs of the Monastery listed below.

1. $10 to support a monk for a week, including food, personal items, and educational expenses.

2. $25 to sponsor a teacher's salary for a week at the Monastery.

3. $50 to contribute towards the Monastery's administration costs (e.g., Salaries for cooks, secretaries, driver, etc.).

4. Funds to sponsor a Room to house two Monks (Individual donors, including organizations, of $100 or more will have their name on a plaque outside the room when the cost ($2000) of constructing the Room is raised).

5. Funds to assist with the Monastery's medical expenses will be greatly appreciated (e.g., medicine, surgery, x-rays, etc.).

6. A donation of any size will be added to the Monastery's general fund (e.g., for meals, utilities, expenses, etc.).

Donations can be made to ITIM and sent to the address below.  ITIM is a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by U.S. law.

ITIM
PO Box 592
Fishers, Indiana
46038 USA

Further information email: rangzen@aol.com; dolma@tashilhunpo.org