Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Konchok Tenzin. I am writing this open letter to request your support to pay the penalty of my monastery and to cover my schooling needs in heigher studies of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy at Dzongsar monastery, in the north of India.

When I was only 6 years old, I was ordained at Til Kunzom monastery, in Limi, in the north of Nepal. It is the tradition or the rule of the three villages of Limi that if a married couple has three sons, one of their son need to be made as a monk. So, having four sons, my parents decided to make me the monk. One of the rules of the monasteries in Limi is that the monks are not allowed to leave the monastery. Breaking the rules the monks has to pay penalties.

The young monks in Limi get no proper training in Buddhist phisolophies because the older monks are poorly educationed in Buddhism. Therefore, my parents brought me to India in order to get a qualified teaching in Buddhism and they have been paying all their hard-earning to my monastery as the penalty.

Here, I would like to request you to help my parents to pay the panelty as much as you can afford. To say the true, I still have a few more years before I will have completed in my studies and I don't wish to drop out my studies in the monastery.

I would like to thank you for your consideration and reading my article. If you are interested in helping for my higher studies and to cover the penalty of my monastery, or, like to know more about me and want to write to me. Please contact to me following addresses:

Please contact me at the following addresses;
Dzongsar Institude, P.O. (176077) Bir, Distt Kangra, H.P. India
Email: konchoklama@rediffmail.com

Your faithfully,

Konchok Tenzin

What I have learned and What I have got to study in Dzongsar Monastery.

I joined Dzongsar monastery in 1999. Now, I have reached at the higher class six, according to the monastery curriculum. I have three more years to complete my Acharya, (which means a qualified teacher's degree in Buddhist philosophy). So far, I have learned Pramana, (reasoning and debating), Abhidharma, (general knowledge in the formation of the universe, and its inhabitances) and I have been studying Madhyamika, (middle path and understanding of emptiness).

Say a little more about the subjects. Pramana is a Sanskrit word, in Tibetan we call it, Tsedma. When I arrived Dzongsar, I studied for a year and half Tsedma by the great Indian master Chodak (Dharmakirti), and Choklang (Dignaga). It contains the prefound Budddhist philosophical reasoning and debating on any subject. I learned to qoute the great masters statements and to use my own understanding in reality of things with reasons. Abbhidharma is again Sanskrit word, the Tibetan term is Ngonpa. I spent for two whole years to learn the Ngonpa text by the great Indian master Thogme (Asanga) and Yignyan (Vasubhandu). The essence of Ngonpa is to understand the interdepandance of all the existances in the universe and how the planets and its inhabitances came to exist. It would say, it is very much a like studying science. Madhyamika is the Sanskrit , in Tibetan it is called U-Ma. Since 2003, I have began to study the U-Ma text by the great India master Ludrup (Nagarjuna). U-Ma is known as the deepest and the widest book of Buddhism. It mainly talks about the reality and emptiness of things. To learn the book completely, it takes about five years.

My goal

I am aiming to teach Buddhist philosophy to the young monks and the lay people in Limi, my home town. I know, there are no qualified teachers and needs of education for the young people. I would also like to teach in Schools if I will get the opportunity.

My past

I was born in 1983 in Limi, in the north of Nepal. My father's name is Pema Tsering and mother's name is Pema Chodzom. I have four brothers and two sisters. When I was young, I spent my time playing games with other childrens. I had no opportunity to go to a school because there was no school in the three villages of Limi. At age 6, I was made a monk at Til Kundzom Monastery and there I was taught in reading and writing in Tibetan by the monks at the monastery. I lived at Kundzom monastery as a monk for three years.

In 1993, my father brought me to India and I was spent to Massuris School, (founded by the Tibetan Government in Exile) in Dehradun, in the east of India. At the school, I learned Tibetan, English, math for two years.

In 1995, I joined the Drikung Kyagyu monastery, in Dehradun (the monastery was founded by the His Holiness the Drikung Kyadgon Chetsang Rinpoche). Until 1999, I lived at Drikung monastery and I was able to enter to the monastery school, and learned Tibetan, English grammer and math and the preliminary Budddhist philosophy upto the lower class six.

In 1996, I received my Getsul (Novice monk) vow from Drikung Kyabgon. The vow recognize me as a monk and I require to abide ten rules, which I am not allow broke.