BDG News: Buddhist Nuns at Shugsep Nunnery in India Welcome New Research Training Center
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After meeting the Dalai Lama last Wednesday morning, we visited his library and archives in Dharamsala. Almost complete, they will be the ultimate place for researchers who wish to study his teachings.
There is a display of his honorary doctorates and other awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize; recordings of his many talks over the decades; books and other documents by His Holiness; and books written about the Dalai Lama by others. I would have loved to ask the librarians how they decided on the categorisation of the shelves.
For researchers, there are pods in a round unit styled on a traditional Mongolian nomad tent for quiet work. Or desks in a reading room with windows onto a stunning view of the snow-capped Himalayas. A truly inspiring place to study.
The young man who guided us through the library talked about how much happier he has been since leaving his career in finance and banking to work in service to his Tibetan community and the Dalai Lama. Having purpose and working in collective service is something that we heard many Tibetan people talk about as a positive force in their lives during our week in India.
This was part of a self-funded study trip organised by Australia Tibet Council
On Wednesday last week, I was honoured to meet the Dalai Lama, along with my study trip buddies Janet Rice, Brittney H., Siobhan Isherwood, Michael, Sarah Redshaw, and Zoe from the Australia Tibet Council.
In Delhi and Dharamsala, I had already spent almost a week learning about non-violent action, truth telling, preservation of culture, collective decision making, and giving up attachment in service of community. I was trying to understand a theory of change that might lead to a more peaceful world.
The Dalai Lama says that "peace starts within each one of us, then we can be in peace with those around us. When our community is in peace, it can share that peace with neighbouring communities and so on. It is important that we each make a sincere effort to take seriously our responsibility for each other and the world in which we live."
This was part of a self-funded study trip organised by Australia Tibet Council.
I hope that one day all Tibetans are able to return to a free Tibet and celebrate their country and culture.
This was part of a self-funded study trip organised by Australia Tibet Council.
Last meeting for the day was with NGOs advocating for a free Tibet and an end to human rights abuses: International Tibet Network, Tibet Watch, and Students for a Free Tibet.
This was part of a self-funded study trip organised by Australia Tibet Council.
This was part of a self-funded study trip organised by Australia Tibet Council
Supporting the Tibetan diaspora community in Australia means we need to protect community members from transnational repression, and continue to welcome refugees who work so hard to make a safe home with us.
This was part of a self-funded study trip organised by Australia Tibet Council.
Last Monday began with a kora walk around the Dalai Lama’s residence in Dharamsala, then a visit to the Tibet Museum and the Tibetan Library of Works and Archives.
Sometimes home is not a place. Having somewhere you can see the culture and history of your people maintains connection and a sense of cultural identity, and it is a peaceful act of resistance to cultural genocide.
This was part of a self-funded study trip organised by Australia Tibet Council
I flew to Dharamsala on Sunday to meet up with my study trip buddies. That night, Dr Alan Molloy (on a sabbatical from his medical practice in Melbourne to study Tibetan language) joined us to observe the chod ritual at Shugseb nunnery.
The chod ritual involves chanting and hand drums, and it works on eliminating anger, attachment and ignorance.
This was part of a self-funded study trip organised by Australia Tibet Council.
Last week, I went on a self-funded study trip with Australia Tibet Council to learn about Tibet’s ongoing non-violent efforts to end China’s illegal occupation of Tibet. I travelled with Janet Rice, Siobhan Isherwood, Michael Osborne, Sarah Redshaw, Brittney Henderson, and Zoe Bedford.
It was a life-changing journey, and for the rest of this week I’ll be sharing my adventures day by day, and talking about what I learned and the amazing people I met.
Buddhistdoor Global (BDG)
Emma Davidson