Himachal Visit

Report of Visit to Buddhist Belt in Himachal Pradesh

TheUndersigned along with Shri Hukum Chand Negi, IRS (Retd.), Principal Commissioner, IT, Vice President, IHCNBT and In-Charge of Himachal Pradesh and Shri Tenzin, IHCNBT undertook a visit of Buddhist Monastic Institutions at Shimla, Kinnaur District and Lahoul-Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh which has a large Buddhist presence and it is also in the border regions.

The purpose of the visit was to visit the Monastic Institutions both Monks and Nuns in the buddhist region in Himachal Pradesh in the borders to inform them about the new Monastic education curriculum developed by IHCNBT with NIOS, Education Board, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India and its recognition as education in the monasteries.

In Kinnaur and Lahoul-Spiti districts there are a number of monasteries mostly belonging to Geluk, Kagyu and Sakya and Nyingma traditions under Mahayana Buddhism. Mostly the monasteries have very few monks and village type monastery for puja and rituals and it is not a proper monastic education centre. There are a few number of Monasteries and Nunneries where there is proper monastic education imparted. These institutions are supported by foreign funding through their Tulku/Rinpoches (reincarnate Lamas and Scholar lamas) and most of them also get funding from Ministry of Culture, under BTI scheme.

Our object was to visit these monastic institutions where there is proper monastic education imparted where we can implement the new Monastic education curriculum under the NIOS education board which has recognized Bhoti language and Bodh Darshan as subjects of study under their syllabus. The undersigned are the Monasteries and Nunneries visited and interactions held on the monastic education under NIOS board, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India.

The following points came out of the interactions:

That, the monastic institutions can implement the monastic education curriculum under NIOS and IHCNBT provided all the required number of Teachers for various subjects are provided.
That, the monks and Nuns students may also be supported with stipends, scholarships for the their studies.
That, teaching support materials for vocational subjects of Buddhist Art & Sculpture and painting.
That, proper Classrooms and Hostels and other infrastructural support may also be extended.
That, this will lessen their dependency on foreign funding and reduce their inadequacy in education which they have been facing.

S.No	Name of the Gonpa/Monastries Sects and Address	Name of Head Lama/Representative and Mobile Number		Total no. Lama/Monk	Remarks
1	Thubten Dorjey Dak, Shimla, H.P (Nyingma tradition)	1	Khenpo sonam Tashi	200	Open in -1983, Sheda- 8 Teachers & 19 Students, Student from- Nepal, Sikkim, Ladakh, Kinnaur, Darjelling, Assam, Tibet, Bhutan, Tibetan Control
		2	Lama Wangyal, Mgr Office Secretary # 9418657893
2	JonangTakten Phuntsok Chosling Cultural Society, Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Sanjauli, Shimla-6, H.P. (Jonang Tradition)	3	Khenpo Kunga Choephel	100	Teachers- 10(8+2), English, Math, Hindi, Science, HP Board Education Book, Monk rinpoche-Dirang, Tulku Tashi Tsering, Tibetan Control
		4	Tenzim Rangdol # 7018888027
		5	Mgr- SherepGuatso (Tuting) # 9805200885
3	Rinchen Zangpo Endowment Society (Jangsemling Nunnery), Village Ponda, P.O Palinga, Distt. KInnaur, Himachal Pradesh (Geluk Tradition)	6	Rev. T.K. Lochen Rinpoche	55	Nunnery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
		7	Geshe Jigme # 8219995818
4	Jampa Chhosling Buddhist Institute (Nunnery) VPO Meeru, Distt. Kinnaur (H.P) (Geluk Tradition)	8	Tenzim Dolma Tenzin Dechen # 8894415702	26	Nunnery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum Teachers-3
5	Chhos Kho Ling Boudh Sewa Sangh, Rekong Peo, Kinnaur, HP (Geluk Tradition)	9	Geshe Kunzils Dakpa # 8278838755	120	Monastery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
6	Kamtsang Thubten Ozer Rabgye Ling, Chango, HP (Kagyu Tradition)	10	Tsetan Jaypo #8894129275, 1785237257/237457	25	H.E. Tai situ Rinpoche
7	The Institute of Studiesin Buddhist Philosophy & Tribal Culture Society (Tabo Monastery), Vill- Tabo, Dist- Kinnaur, HP (Geluk Tradition)	11	Khenpo Tenzim Gyalden, Khen Rinpoche # 8988485463	65	Monastery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
		12	Urgyen Andrup, Secretary # 9015094512
		13	Tsetan Zanpo Lama # 7018719388
8	Yangchen Choling Monastery, Village Pangmo, P.O. Hull, Distt. LahulSpiti , H.P-172114 (Geluk Tradition)	14	Anni Dolma Tsering # 7876923812	47	2 Monk Teachers Nunnery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum.
		15	Karsag Mendok # 9459717560
		16	Tsetan Droma #9459056301
9	Sherab Choling Institute, Village- Morang, P.O- Hull, Dist- Lahaul & Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. (Geluk Tradition)	17	Ven. Bharti Dolma # 8219997498	66	Nunnery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
		18	Jangchuk Choeden # 7876651441
10	Dhangkar Gonpa Parbandak Committee ( Dhangkar Monastery) ,Village Dhankar Tehsil Spiti Distt Lahul & spiti, H.P 172113 (Geluk Tradition)	19	Tulku Yeashi Losar ,Spiti	200	Monastery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
		20	Lobsang Gyenzen # 8580938637
11	Padma Sambhawa Memorial Buddhist Culture Society (Uargen Sanang Chosling), Village Kungri P.O Guling Tehsil Spiti Distt Lahul & spiti. H.P 172117, (Nyingma Tradition)	21	Jigme Tenzim Dorjee Rinpoche	140	Monastery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum Sheda- 75 Students
		22	Head Lama Nawag Tsering # 8988485402
12	Chomo Gonpa Society (Dechen Chosling Nyingmapa Nunery ), Pin Valley village Kungri P.O Guling Tehsil spiti Distt Lahul & spiti . H.P 172117 (Nyingma Tradition)	23	Tsewang Khenpo # 8988279788	40	Nunnery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
13	Tangyud Gonpa Buddhist Society, VPO- Kaza, Dist- LahaulSpiti, H.P- 172114. (Sakya Tradition)	24	Nawang Kycnley, Theiszin Thinlay Rinpoche, Dehradun	200	Monastery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
		25	Lama Padma Sandup # 9418716777 , Email- sakyatengyud@gmail.com
		26	Sonam Wangdus # 9459228602
14	Nagayur Samten Chockhorling Institute, Pangan (Nyingma Tradition)	27	Jigmed Tenzin Gyurmet	40	Jigmed Tenzin Gyurmet 21 years, Sikkim, Born in Canada, Father Kinnaur & Mother- Bhiv/Tibet. 40 Monks and 70 Nuns, All nuns are above 70 Years.
		28	Secretary Lama Saro	70
15	Kinnaur Choegon Rinpoche Gonpa, Buntar H.P. (Drukpa Kagyu Tradition)	29	Choejon Rinpoche Khenpo jangchup choiden # 9459017431	95	Monastery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
16	Palpung Yeshi Rabgyeling Nunnery (Karma Kagyu Tradition)	30	Lama Sotsak # 8894648888	160	Nunnery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
		31	Khenpo Dargel # 7018116322
17	Tsechan Choeling (Sapan Foundation), VPO- Kaza/Kowang, Dist-Lahaul & Spiti, HP 172114 (Sakya Tradition)	32	Tashi Choezom	22	Nunnery can take up Monastic Education Curriculum
18	Buddhist cultural Society of Key Gonpa ( Key Monastery),V.P.O Key Gonpa , Tehsil spiti, Distt Lahul & Spiti H.P 172114 (Geluk Tradition)	33	H.E T.K Lochen Tulku Rinpoche #9418626613	350	Already State Board of HP School running upto class X But senior monks can have class X & XII students.
19	Society for Promotion of Buddhist Culture and Traditiion, Badah, HP. (Laymen-Drukpa Kagyu Tradition)	34	Sh. Norbu Barongpa, President, #9459105846		Society is working for promotion of Buddhist culture & Tradition.
		35	Sh. Bishan Parshera, Secretary
		36	P.S. Thamas, Cashier, #8283820393, Email- prem.thamas@gmail.com

Glimpses of Himachal Visit :

Confidential Note:

The Buddhist Himalayan region of India from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh region has same religious, culture, language and racial features with Tibetans from Tibet. Due to these similarities the relationship amongst the Tibetans refugees who came after 1959, the Tibetan religious institutions, Rinpoches, Tulkus and Indian Tribal Buddhist people in the Indian Himalayan region has deepened and led to the development of mini Tibet in the region. Religion and Culture play a very important role in the development of society. Buddhism under the name of Tibetan Buddhism has flourished and developed all across the region under different Tibetan religious Tulkus and Rinpoches and also Tulkus and Rinpoches of Tibetan origin born in India or else where but operating in Indian Himalayan region through their monasteries. The Tulkus/Rinpoches have tremendous religious influence in the region as Buddhism is practiced more on faith and ritual basis rather than true essence of learning and reasoning in the Himalayan region. All the more most of the Tulkus and Rinpoches have their transnational linage loyalties in Tibet which is under China. It is therefore felt important to make the distinction and develop the Indian narrative of Nalanda Buddhism and re-orient the Buddhist institutions by expressly showing the role of Govt. of India in developing the Buddhist institutions. For this cause only the Indian Himalayan Council of Nalanda Buddhist Tradition (IHCNBT) has been formed to take up the Indian Buddhist leadership through the Indian Tulkus, Rinpoches and Sangha members who has a large influence on the society as the arm of the Government. This is required keeping in view the strategic importance of the region vis-à-vis China that is majorly developing its borders through the scheme of High-altitude migration & settlement and settling the population on the borders and they have target to establish 620 villages across the Tibetan-Indian border. That, presently, a number of monastic institutions across the Himalayan region is supported by funds coming through the Tulkus/Rinpoches from the countries like Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia etc. that has Chinese population supporting the projects. We do not know how things will latter turn up to with such support and activities.

The Ministry of Culture is already running a scheme called Buddhist/Tibetan Institutions (BTI) through which it is providing funds to the Monastic Institutions and Buddhist organizations for running Monastic institutions and Nunnery which are registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860.

Under this scheme only provision may be made for listed and registered Monasteries and Nunneries with IHCNBT for granting funds as per the proposal prepared through registered Architecture for infrastructure and recurring cost through registered CA. IHCNBT shall be responsible for the scrutiny and submission of these proposals to Ministry of Culture for release of funds to the Monastic institutions through IHCNBT. Thus, IHCNBT shall be the nodal agency responsible for the implementation of the projects in the Monastic institutions and Nunneries in the Indian Himalayan region. This process will give the Indian orientation to the development of the Nalanda tradition of Buddhism, culture and tradition in the strategic Himalayas and reduce the dependency on the Tibetan establishments and Tulkus etc. who have their linage obligations tracing to Tibet.

Apart from this, IHCNBT may be given the mandate to establish and run Educational Institutions across the Indian Himalayan region to strengthen the Indian narrative of Nalanda Buddhism for which support may be extended by the Ministry of Culture and Education. This will lessen the Tibetinisation process and strengthen the Indian narrative of Nalanda Buddhism. This is very important from strategic perspective and in the post Dalai Lama scenario.

That, as per the budget proposal 2022 the scheme of Vibrant Village program of Govt. of India, IHCNBT may be given the responsibility of Villages in the border areas in the Indian Himalayan region for the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh UT, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand. IHCNBT is already working with the boder villages all across the Indian Himalayan region and knows the people and topography. Thus, IHCNBT may be the nodal Agency under MHA for the scheme of Vibrant Village Program and its implementation. This will give proper India orientation through IHCNBT as MHA agency and handled by the Indian organization manned by the Indian Tulku/Rinpoches and Sangha. Anything going through this body/Agency IHCNBT will create Indian stamping and serve the strategic purpose. IHCNBT is a registered Institutions working with the objective of strengthening the Nalanda Buddhist perspective and securing the second line of social defence. (Note to further elaborated).