LIBRARY

BRIEF HISTORY OF DREPUNG LOSELING LIBRARY

In Tibet, Drepung Loseling Monastery was located to the north of Lhasa,founded over 500 years ago, the monastery had, on average, more than 8000 resident monks around 1950’s. This is the largest  strenght any monastic college has ever attracted. It produced myriads of highly realised  Buddhist masters and scholars such as  Panchen Sonam Dakpa, the unrivalled scholar of his  time and author of our monastic syllabic texts, Besides, the whole line of His Holiness the Dalai lama and  Kyagje Ling Rinpoche belongs to this great  monastery.  In short,  the monastery accupied as inportant place in the whole circle of Buddhist Centres of learning in Tibet.

In 1959, when the tragic event struck the whole of Tibet, Drepung Loseling Monastery also suffered  a great setback. Determine in expanding their empire, the communist Chinese brought with them wanton destruction of almost the entire range of Buddhist cenrtres, including our monastery. Wth several hundreds of its members either killed or forcefully ransacked of their monk vows, only a little over two hundred monks of the monastery had managed to escaped into exile. Spending the first ten years at a Place called Buxa, in Assam in the eastern India. Our monks are resettle in Mundgod, in South India, the present site of Monastery.

NEED OF THE SOCIETY

As the only source of livelihood, the Government of India graciously granted 142 acres of cultivable land. This was sufficent for its initial strength of 216 monks who had fleed from Tibet. However, as the yearspassed on, new induction from within the exile Tibetan community, mass and several Himalayan regions, and, more concernly, mass arrival from occupied Tibet in the recent past, have raised the number of inmates to over 2500. But no additional land  has been granted gravely. No alternative source, fitting into the fabric of a monastic life, could be throught out in the  immediate instant. Lastly, the monastery startedsending away monks on seasonal sweater bussiness in the distant Indian Cities. Likewise, monks had to enter into various other undertakings solely for livelihood, all at the forteiture of their studies. Besides, three to four month every year are regularly eaten up in sending farms work. As a result, despite every possible effort, the educational standard of the monastery weakend immensly.

Pre-occupied with the immediate pressing problem of survival, the attention of Chag-zod khang, the board of Directors, tradituionally instituted to look after the entire welfare of the monastery, naturally titled almost totally towards the sustenance aspect, and failed to render a balanced supervision over otherneeds. A strong need was within the Monastic community of instituting a separate body to take charges of the remaining fields, most crucially education and senitation. In this way, The Drepung Loseling Library Society, as it has come to be known, wasi mprovidly formed. and later on, legally registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act. 1960 No. 17/1960. S.No. 10/77-78 North kannada.

AIMS AND OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY

The aim and objectives of the Society are explicitly relected in  the Memorndum submitted to the Karnataka Government in connection with the Society’s registration:

PRESERVATION OF THE TEACHING OF THE BUDDHA:

1. Printinf Books of the Buddha’s teaching and the commentaries by his enlighten followers.
2. Helping monks in their study with food,cloth and medicine.
3. Inviting famous scholars to give rteaching.
4. Inviting scholars to give specialised teaching on different Buddhist science like medicine,mandala construction, architectture, astrology and the similar.

DIFFUSION OF THE TEACHING OF THE BUDDHA

1. Communicating with all Buddha’s follower and friends.
2. Publishing of Newspaper in English language to inform  all our members and interested parties of our activities.
3. Publishing of original text, translating, teaching tapes and a catalogue of all Tibetan texts available in India.
4. Establishing short Dharma course for interested parties in the Monastery.
5. Inviting unversity students of Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy abd language for researh studies.

ACTIVITIES OF THE DREPUNG LOSELING LIBRARY SOCIETY

Although the Society suffered a crucial beginning, concerted efforts of its staffs, through the support of our friends, no doubt, have not gone unrewarded. We have relatively succeeded in our various ventures. We sincerely owe our success, whatsoever and
whichever fields, to our generous donors and thegenernal members of the monastery. It may be noted that the entire man power absored in our ventures is obtained from the general assembly of monastery on voluntary basis. Still, there are some  among the
existing undertaking which need either your continued support or strong foundation, and other awaiting expension. At present, Drepung Loseling Library carry on the following activities :

1. Publication of Monastic Education Text book.
2. To cater a vocational Training to the monk.
3. Public Library Services.
4. Decumentation of teaching and Discoursem of Scholars and Geshe.
5. Publish Newsletter title “DRELOMA” in english language.