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Month: February 2023

HOW CAN I VISIT DREPUNG LOSELING MONASTERY

Posted on February 17, 2023 By admin No Comments on HOW CAN I VISIT DREPUNG LOSELING MONASTERY
Travel Guide To Loseling

Where is Drepung Loseling Monastery in India?

Drepung Loseling Monastery (DLM) is located in the Tibetan Settlement in Mundgod, in the North Kanara district of Karnataka State, South India. The settlement has a population of 12,500 Tibetans and is comprised of nine camps and seven monasteries. Drepung Loseling Monastery is located in what is known as Lama Camp No. 2 in this settlement and is the largest of the monastic communities in the settlement, housing more than 3,000 monks.

How can I get to Drepung Loseling Monastery?

The most convenient way is to fly into Bombay, Bangalore or Goa. There are direct flights from major European cities to each of these three cities. From Bombay and Bangalore(Bengal?ru), one can take a domestic flight to Hubli or Belgaun. Hubli(see map) is approximately 30 miles (47 km) from the Monastery and Belgaun approximately 61 miles (100 km) from the Monastery. There are also trains running from both Bombay and Bangalore to Hubli as well. These days, there are a number of very good airlines that offer flights from Bombay and Bangalore to Hubli and Belgaun.

From Goa, there are no express train services to Hubli, so most people travel by taxi or bus from Goa to the Monastery. However, as this is a somewhat long drive of about six hours, we would not recommend this route unless you are planning on spending some time in Goa before or after your visit to the Monastery (Goa is famous for its beaches, and December/January is the peak season for tourism there). If you travel via Goa, you will need to arrange your own ground transportation to and from the Monastery, as it is too far away for the Monastery’s hospitality committee to meet you in Goa.

How can I make my travel arrangements?

The best option would be to contact a travel agency to make arrangements for all air and ground transportation up to Hubli. December/January is peak season for traveling to India, but you can find better rates with consolidators who specialize in flights to and from India. A consolidator we have worked with in the past is Everest Travel (www.everesttravel.com, phone: (770) 220-1866, email: info@everesttravel.net). If you choose to make your travel arrangements with them, please mention that you were referred by Yeshe at Drepung Loseling Monastery in Atlanta. Once in Hubli, a Drepung Loseling hospitality group will receive you, so kindly fill out the time of your arrival in the appropriate place on the enclosed application form. They will help you check into a hotel if you are planning on staying in Hubli, or help you with your transportation on to the Monastery. The drive to the Monastery takes approximately one hour from Hubli.

When should I arrive at the Monastery?

His Holiness arrives in Mundgod on January 3 and will take up residence at Drepung Lachi, the temple common to Drepung Loseling, Drepung Gomang, and Drepung Deyang Monasteries. His Holiness will then give a teaching from January 4-6 at the General Assembly Hall of Drepung Monastic University. On January 7, His Holiness will take up residence at Drepung Loseling Monastery, and will then offer the programs as noted in the invitation card. If you plan to attend a permissory empowerment into the Dharma Protector Lhamo (Shridevi) and teachings on Manjushrinamasamgiti (a famous tantric text known as the Expression of the Names of Manjushri) at the General Assembly Hall please plan to arrive at the Monastery by January 3. The Drepung Loseling events begin on the 7th with the inauguration of the new Loseling Prayer Hall and conclude with a Long-Life Puja Ceremony honoring His Holiness as well as the long-life initiation from His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the audience on January 14. You may leave on the 15th or thereafter. If you are only visiting the Monastery for the inauguration of the new prayer hall alone, you may arrive by the 5th and leave on any day from the 9th onward.

How can I obtain a visa and Protective Area Permit?

The Monastery is located in an area designated as a Protected Area by the Indian government, and therefore foreigners are required to obtain a Protective Area Permit (PAP) to enter and stay overnight at the Monastery. We have enclosed a PAP application form. Please complete one for each person who will be traveling and mail them back to us. Please make additional copies as needed or print additional forms from here: http://nagaland.nic.in/citizenservices/Forms/Restricted%20Area%20Permit.htm.

Usually one is required to send this application form directly to the Home Ministry of India in Delhi, but because of the shortage of time and also the special nature of this visit, our office here in Atlanta has made arrangements with the Drepung Loseling branch in New Delhi to deliver these applications by hand to the Home Ministry. The processing of these permits could take up to four months, so we request that you return the completed form to us no later than August 31. We will not be able to guarantee securing a permit for you if we do not receive this form by then. Please make a note of the following important steps:

  1. Obtain an Indian visa immediately from one of the Indian consulates nearest your town. You can get information on the U.S. locations for the Indian consulates as well as a tourist visa form from http://www.indianembassy.org. Please note that you should apply for a tourist visa and make no mention of the Tibetan settlement or Mundgod as your destination. If you indicate your intention to travel to Mundgod, it is likely that your application will be delayed in order to obtain clearance from the Home Ministry of India. You should simply state your purpose of visit as tourist and perhaps give Bombay, Bangalore, Delhi or any other major city in India as your destination. If you need to provide a reference in India, you may use Geshe Thupten Dorjee Negi, Tibetan Buddhist Temple, L90-95, Laxmi Nagar, New Delhi 110092. Telephone 011-2-244-1856. We recommend that you apply for a visa in person at one of the Indian consulates if there is a consulate in your jurisdiction near your area. If you have to send it by mail, make sure that you enclose a FedEx or UPS return airway bill and envelope, filled out to be charged to the recipient. Often people experience difficulty in getting their passports sent back to them in a timely manner, and at times it can take weeks to get a visa and passport if one mails it to them without including a return express mail envelope and airway bill.Note: Those of you who are from the metro Atlanta or nearby areas, you have an opportunity to apply for your visa on August 4 at the Summant Culture Centre, 1450 Huie Road, Lake City, GA 30260 between 9:00am and 12:30pm during the monthly visa camp day set by the Indian consulate in Houston. It would be helpful for you to connect with others in the area to arrange for a carpool to go to the visa camp location to apply for visas. Brendan has been kind to offer to facilitate this carpooling for this day; if you are interested please contact him at bozawad@emory.edu.
  2. Once you have obtained the visa, fill out the enclosed Protective Area Permit application form. Please submit to our office five copies of this completed form, five passport photos, and five copies of your passport (the first and second pages that contain your photo and other personal information and the signature of the bearer, and also the page that contains the Indian visa). Please send these along with the enclosed RSVP/Application form from Drepung Loseling Monastic Institution to us at Drepung Loseling Monastery, Inc., 2092 Vistadale Court, Tucker, GA 30084. Tel. (770) 938-9709.Note: These must arrive at our office in Atlanta by August 31 to ensure enough time for us to secure the permit on your behalf from the Indian Home Ministry in Delhi. Please check with us a few days after you mail this package to make sure that we received it.

What accommodations are available at the Monastery?

The Monastery has a limited number of simple guest house facilities with or without attached bathrooms. However, every effort will be made to accommodate our guests who request accommodations at the Monastery. You may also choose to stay in Hubli, where there are more options. There are several fairly good hotels in Hubli, not nearly as good as Ramada or Holiday Inn, but quite clean and comfortable, with rates ranging from US $30-$70 per night. If you choose to stay in Hubli, please let us know if you would like for us to assist you with booking a room by August 31. The Monastery will arrange a shuttle service to pick up and drop off guests from Hubli each day in the morning and evening. For information on accommodations in Hubli, if you would like to make your own reservation, please visit www.clickhubli.com/hubli.html. If you choose to make your own reservation, the Monastery will not be responsible for securing your accommodation, so please be sure that you secure all the necessary information and confirmations, and that you have all the necessary documents prior to your departure.

What should I bring?

Please bring a few extra passport photos, and an AM/FM radio with earphones to receive the English translation of the teachings. It will also be useful to bring along a flashlight, as the power is erratic at the Monastery. Bringing along an extra copy of your passport, which you keep in a separate location from your passport, may also be helpful in case you lose your passport while traveling. Flip-flops or other shoes that can be easily washed can also be useful.

Health and Sanitation

Before leaving your country to India it would be wise to seek advice from your Department of Health as to whether you require shots as a precautionary measure to protect from flu, malaria and other illnesses. The Monastery’s LAMA clinic with their team of volunteer doctors will be always available for medical help and assistance. Due to overcrowding during public gatherings, you may wish to bring a protective dust mask with you to avoid dust inhalation-related illnesses. It may be useful to have a first-aid kit for colds, diarrhea, and fever for emergency needs for your travel in India as some areas may have little or no medical facilities. Please visit the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/indianrg.htm for a list of suggested vaccinations and preventive medications for South Asia.

What will the weather be like at the Monastery?

Mundgod, where the Monastery is located, sits at an altitude of 1800 ft. above sea level and typically experiences temperatures ranging between 70°F to 90°F during the day and an average rainfall of 0 to 1″ in the months of December and January. Evenings are generally cool in the 60°Fs.

Food and Drink

Vegetarian meals will be provided to invited guests of Drepung Loseling Monastery during the event. There are also a few restaurants within the Monastery campus, as well as local vendors selling ready-made food, fruit, vegetables, and drinks. You should be very careful regarding food and drinks, as many foreigners tend to get sick easily with food poisoning. It is absolutely necessary that you drink only bottled water or well-boiled water while you are in India, and avoid salads and fruits washed with non-bottled water.

Etiquette at the Monastery and at the Teachings

In order to honor the monastic way of life while you are at the Monastery, we recommend that you avoid wearing too revealing clothing. Short-sleeve shirts or T-shirts are fine, but perhaps not short pants or skirts. However, since the weather will be quite warm in January, it will be good to wear light clothing.

Seating and Translation of the Teachings – Foreign visitors at the teaching will be seated together in a designated area. The general convention is that you are assigned a seat on the first day of the series of teachings, and thereafter keep to that seat for the duration of the teachings. This seating arrangement is done in order to facilitate the simultaneous translation of the teaching that the non-Tibetan speaking audience will hear through an FM broadcast. In order to be able to listen to the translation, please bring an FM radio with headphones so as not to disturb the others who are listening in Tibetan. Although the quality of the signal varies according to the circumstances, you can often improve reception by changing the angle and position of the antenna of your radio, which is often incorporated in the headphone lead. Seating will be on the floor, which may become uncomfortable during the long teaching sessions. You are welcome to adjust your seating posture as necessary, but please avoid stretching your legs out, especially towards the shrine and His Holiness, as this is considered very rude in the Tibetan tradition. If sitting becomes too painful, it is all right to leave the teaching area for a few minutes to relax and then re-enter

Tea – It is customary for tea to be served to the gathering during these teachings. This will be either Tibetan butter tea, which is salty, or Indian-style sweet tea made with milk. It is not rude to decline the tea if you do not wish to drink it. Do not drink the tea right away when it is served to you, but please wait until the offering chant is made.

Interacting with the Monks and Nuns – The monastic community is very friendly and you are welcome to greet and speak with the monks and nuns. However, if you are staying at the Monastery, it is important that you not visit the monksâ private quarters after dark. It will also be inappropriate to express public displays of intimacy with other visitors, as this would cause unnecessary discomfort to the monastic community.

Changing money

The Indian rupee is not officially convertible, and a few government-run shops will still insist on seeing official exchange receipts if you’re visibly a foreigner and attempt to pay in rupees instead of hard currency. Rates for exchanging rupees overseas are often poor.

Outside airports you can only change US dollars, Euros and sometimes UK sterling pounds. In big cities, there are now ATMs where you can get rupees against your international debit or credit card (different ATMs will have varing withdrawal limits). State Bank of India (SBI) ATMs usually don’t accept foreign cards. Therefore, you may have to search around to find an ATM that will work with your card. Citibank has a significant presence in India, as does HSBC. ICICI bank has the second largest network of ATMs, and accepts most of the international cards at a nominal charge. It is always worthwhile to have bank cards or credit cards from at least two different providers, to ensure that you have a backup available in case one card is suspended by your bank, or simply doesn’t work at a particular ATM.

In the big cities, credit cards are accepted at retail chain stores and other westernized restaurants and stores. Small businesses and family-run stores almost never accept credit cards, so it is useful to keep a moderate amount of cash on hand.

Security at the Monastery

Recommend people to keep valuables with them at all times and note any arrangements by monastery if there is a safe to put valuables, etc

Print this page Send this page The Grand Inauguration of the New Assembly Hall of Drepung Loseling Monastery On 7th January 2008

Posted on February 10, 2023February 17, 2023 By admin No Comments on Print this page Send this page The Grand Inauguration of the New Assembly Hall of Drepung Loseling Monastery On 7th January 2008
News

Since the holy entrance of Buddhism into Tibet in the 7th century, Tibetan society has been predominantly centred around Buddhism and the Sangha, with daily life and even lay communities being influenced by Buddhism and the Sangha. As a result, spiritual values over material gains is firmly rooted in “typical” Tibetan families. Although Tibetans  were backward in terms of technology, their mental happiness was prioritised.

It is the genuine quest to facilitate this ‘mental happiness’ that Centers for Advanced Buddhist learnings like Drepung Loseling plays a vital role.

Ever since it’s inception in early 15th century, Drepung Loseling Monastic Institute had been an elite Center for Advanced Buddhist Studies and Practices. After its virtual destruction in Lhasa, Tibet by the Communists In 1959,  through the guidance and blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, it was re-established in South India and has regained its past glory.

The number of aspirants In the Monastery have been increasing – partly due to new arrivals and partly due to the recognition of Loseling Monastery as an outstanding place to study Buddhadharma and practice — well indicated by the monastery’s building of two Assembly Halls in quick succession only to be rendered over-congested in a very short time.

It was in mid-1990s, that the problem of over-congested Assembly hall came to the fore. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, seeing an urgent need, suggested that thought be given to address this acute problem. Showing tremendous concern for our monastery, His Holiness conducted many observations and consulted supreme deities and oracles on this matter.

In 2003, the New Assembly Hall Project was launched and gained instant and quick momentum, thanks to the inspiration from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the enthusiasm of the monks to proceed with the project.  A myriad number of programs, and fund-raising efforts were carried out worldwide to garner the funds needed to make the new hall possible. And now, it is ready for the formal inauguration by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 7th January 2008.

Wishing to make the Inauguration Ceremony a grand success being a matter of utmost priotiy, a 15-member Preparation and Reception Committee was constituted — one year in advance — by a unanimous General Body of Monks Meeting.  The committee has been putting all their hard efforts planning to provide the best hospitality (though very limited in resources) to those attending His Holiness the Dalai Lama’ 2 weeks’ teaching plus host a  high profile Science-Seminar, attended by many renowned Scientific figures from USA and else where.  In this regard, the committee  – criss-crossing India and beyond—-has approached many influential figures in politics and others to gather support for the event. His Excellency the Governors of Karnataka State (our home state) and two other neighboring states have graciously agreed to be among the confirmed Guests of Honour  on the auspicious occasion.

It Is our sincere desire to extend our humble helping hand to everyone coming for the teachings, hoping to relieve them of any unpleasant experiences during the stay.  It’s our honour and privilege to host as many of you and we humbly request you all to inform us of your schedule particulars, accommodation needs etc — as soon as possible, preferably through e-mail or telephone — in order to help us serve you better.

The Inauguration of the New Assembly Hall by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a great moment and grand occasion to rejoice with our friends and well-wishers and remember their perennial kind generous support all these years. Yes, it is also rare golden opportunity and privilege to play a small role to serve the Buddhadharma by hosting 2 weeks of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings benefiting one and all.

This Grand Prayer Hall is not just a matter of brick and mortar. It is the hope and aspiration of monks come to life; it is a house of prayer; a focal point to nurture humble yet profound spiritualism. It is a place where practitioners come together to help this planet and a world  which is troubled by many sorrows.

We,  the monks of Drepung Loseling Monastic Institute are eagerly looking forward to  your joining us on the Great Occasion.

SPECIAL GRATITUDE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ON INAUGURATION

We are profoundly grateful to our sublime His Holiness the Dalai Lama for gracing this occasion with His precious teachings and allocating time to officiate the Inauguration despite his busy schedule.

We are deeply grateful for the presence of our honoured guests and dignatories for your years of help, understanding and friendship.

We greatly appreciate our friends and well-wishers here and around the world facilitating the successful completion of this grand New Assembly Hall —currently the largest Buddhist Congregational Prayer Hall in the world. It would have been remained just a plan-on-paper without your generous support.

WITH PRAYERS FOR YOUR GOOD HEALTH AND FULFILLED NOBLE WISHES

Songs of the Spirit: music to live by

Posted on February 5, 2023February 17, 2023 By admin No Comments on Songs of the Spirit: music to live by
Events, News

By MICHAEL LISI, Special to the Times Union
First published: Sunday, November 18, 2007

TROY — Remember “We Are The World,” the 1980s hit performed by a plethora of ’80s hitmakers that called themselves USA For Africa?

Or WOMAD, the ongoing world music tour inspired by Peter Gabriel?

That’s sort of what Songs of the Spirit concert series is like — without so many stars or any big hair. Sort of.

A celebration of unity through music, Songs of the Spirit is a spiritual melding of musical styles that seem to clash at first blush. I mean, who would ever think to mix spacey jazz with the chanting of Tibetan monks?

It certainly worked at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Saturday night. The three-hour performance — featuring Odetta, Hugh Masekela, Klezmatics trumpeter Frank London and Persian/Suri trance rocker Haale among others — was eclectic, spiritual, surprising and pleasing all at the same time.

From trombonist Craig Harris and his band playing psychedelic jazz behind the monotone chanting of the Tibetan Monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery to the sheer joy of the traditional Yiddish folk performed by London accordionist/singer Lorin Sklamberg, Haale and others, Songs of the Sprit soared.

And that was just the first half of the show.

The second half featured the spirited cornet playing of South African horn great Hugh Masekela, who was upstaged — much to his delight — by folk icon Odetta, who sang with passion after being guided on stage in a wheelchair.

The show, broken into two 90-minute sets with a 20-minute intermission, was interesting and quite accessible; the focus was on the musical genres, not the music or even the performers. Folk, jazz, blues, rock, klezmer, gospel, chanting, trance, and pounding African rhythms were all incorporated into the performance, which was intriguing and entertaining from start to end.

It helped that the performances were as visual as they were musical; the Tibetan monks took the stage in traditional garb, while the Shangilia Youth Choir of Kenya were dressed in colorful African-style clothing. Musicians joined each other on songs throughout the night; it was always a pleasant surprise to see the likes of London and Haale or Masekela and Odetta playing together.

Odetta took the stage last, coming on just before 11 p.m. The wait was worth it; this woman still possesses the fire and soul that made her one of the folk/blues greats of the 20th century. She may be in a wheelchair, but Odetta wasn’t feeble by any means. She got herself comfortable and belted out about 15 minutes of solid blues, including the lovely “Something Inside So Strong” and the saucy “Alabama Bound.”

Masekela was amazing, his dulcet horn tones simply lovely in a South African love song he said was called “The Love Bird.” He danced and chanted, sharing the stage with the Shangilia Youth Choir of Kenya, which opened the second set with 10 minutes of stomping and dancing, all to thumping drum beat.

Songs of The Spirit lifted the spirit and made for a memorable night at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Saturday night.

Michael Lisi is a freelance music writer from Rotterdam and a frequent contributor to the Times Union.

SONGS OF THE SPIRIT with Hugh Masekela, Odetta, Craig Harris & Friends, Frank London & Lorin Sklamberg, Haale, Tracy Grammer, The Shangilia Youth Choir of Kenya, and The Tibetan Monks of Drepung Loseling Monastery.

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, 30 Second St., Troy

Length: Two 90-minute sets, with a 20-minute intermission.

The Crowd: A diverse, nicely dressed, enthusiastic crowd of about 500, which enjoyed the sampling of world music served up in Songs of the Spirit on Saturday night.

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