August 16, 2020
Himalayan Children’s Fund News Dear Friends, After taking a two year break from participation in the CFC, Himalayan Children’s Fund has joined the 2020 Combined Federal Campaign as a member of Child Aid International. Federal civilian, postal and military donors can pledge and donate to HCF during the campaign season using the code: 88367. If you would like to know more about the CFC visit: https://www.opm.gov/combined-federal-campaign/ With schools still closed in Nepal, SMD teachers are hosting a full range of academic classes online, and actual classes have begun in the mountains. Currently, SMD students in 14 villages (3 different districts) are attending classes with textbooks provided by SMD and taught by former SMD students. The school posts updates and stories by the students on their website and on FaceBook. Please enjoy and share the news. ~ Debra Ann
VVI ~ YOUNG MONKS In July it was time for the young monks at Vajra Vidya to receive new robes. Khenpo Tashi, Khenpo Chogyal and other staff distributed the clothing on the veranda and while admission numbers were being written on collars, it seems the boxes provided some entertainment! Many thanks to our HCF donors for providing this funding.
TARA ABBEY ~ SMD NUNS With the help of SMD teachers, computers, and the internet, grade school nuns are able to continue their academic education. The schedule of daily classes, Sunday through Friday, includes: Science, Math, Tibetan, Nepali, English, Computer, Social Studies, and an occasional music class. (Be sure to hover over and click the photo on the left to see the video!)
Himalayan Children’s Fund P. O. Box 15644, Beverly Hills, CA 90209 USA 310.395.6616 himalayanchildrensfund.org
YARNE 2020
HCF Page 2
The annual summer retreat began August 3rd and will continue through September 17th. Established during the rainy season at the time of the Buddha, the retreat is an opportunity for monastics to stay in one place to study, engage in meditation, and train in virtuous activity of body, speech and mind. Staying in one place also helps to avoid harming the small creatures which emerge during the rainy season. The daily schedule varies between shedra, non-shedra, and grade school age monks and nuns but they all rise early and finish the day by 10:00 PM. (9:00 PM for the younger children.) The lunch break is an hour and a half and while the younger children do have a dinner meal the older monastics observe the vow of not eating after noon. At Tara Abbey, Ani Lhamo is teaching the Jewel Ornament of Liberation, Khenpo Chonyi is giving meditation instruction and Ani Lhakpa Dolma teaches Tibetan Grammar. Within the yarne schedule, shedra nuns are continuing their daily classes and debates while school nuns have classes with Ani Menkhu and Ani Nangsal, along with their online lessons. At Thrangu Tashi Yangtse (Namo Buddha) there are a total of 93 monks in retreat including SMDBS students; at Thrangu Tashi Choling (Boudha) there are 85; and at VVI there are 131. The day begins for everyone with prayers and recitation of the Yarne text and continues with Dharma teachings, grammar and handwriting classes, meditation, prayer sessions, self study and memorization. The morning class is a study of Nagarjuna’s, Letter to a Friend and the evening class presents Gampopa’s, Jewel Ornament of Liberation. Another tradition of the summer retreat is the reciprocal benefit of offering meals and other support for the activity of the nuns and monks by the lay community. Yarne offerings can be made through HCF by check or online on our website. Please designate Yarne and which branch of the monastery you want to support. (Tara Abbey, VVI, TTC or Namo Buddha.)
VAJRA VIDYA INSTITUTE Acharya Ngodrup Gyaltsen who created the website for VVI has been sharing his knowledge of layout, formatting, and book design with the Annual Journal 2020 team at Vajra Vidya Institute.
~ And bubbles never fail to delight!
Himalayan Children’s Fund P. O. Box 15644, Beverly Hills, CA 90209 USA 310.395.6616 himalayanchildrensfund.org