From Tracy Howard:
August 2009
Xining, China
Dear Friends of Khenpo Sherab Ozer,
It has been nearly two years since my last Khenpo update and, since joining him again at the nunnery earlier this summer, I have been wishing to share so many details of his present situation with you all. I currently find myself in the provincial capital of Xining, having parted ways with Khenpo who left for his home town to visit his elderly mother and then back to the nunneries of Kham. We will meet again in a short time.
It is rare for Khenpo to be away from the nunneries in summer like this; his intense schedule does not usually allow for it. During teaching periods, the nuns take one rest day every two weeks. Khenpo uses these days to visit the retreat center to give necessary teachings and empowerments. Thus, he never has a day off. But he works like this with great joy because the nuns match his work ethic and their progress is unmistakable. They study with an unrivaled diligence; I have witnessed Khenpo say on several occasions that he has never seen such dedication from monks or other nuns anywhere in the world.
Khenpo speaks of his nuns like this with the pride of a father – to lamas, monks, and lay people, to whomever will listen – he loves to show them off. Recently, when Khenpo was visiting one monastery in the area, some of his nuns came to visit. Khenpo had them come to the front and perform for the entire assembly of monks. A group of four young nuns came up, two sat down, two stood. The two standing began to rapidly ask question after question about the 37 Bodhisattva Practices which the seated two answered in unison. After about fifteen minutes straight of question-answer like this, Khenpo stopped them and asked them to skip to the end for sake of time. The assembly of monks and I were all duly impressed and watched in silence as the nuns made there way through the entire text, picking it apart in detail through questions and answers. Later Khenpo asked me, “So, how impressive are my nuns?” with a giant grin on his face. Quite impressive, for sure, dear Khenpo.
And further impressive in that, while these four young nuns were in the youngest class, just beginning to study the curriculum, the older classes are already at the point where the fruit of their diligence is beginning to ripen as knowledge which is of benefit to the greater community. Khenpo is not simply working towards giving them an education; he is working towards educating them to be of benefit and to accomplish great things. The rate of his progress arouses my respect. Next year, already, Khenpo has arranged for over seventy nuns to participate in the annual Drikung Kagyu conference held at Drubgyu Monastery on the anniversary of Jigten Sumgon’s passing. Until the present, this event has been held exclusively by monks. Furthermore, in three or four years many of the nuns will have completed the curriculum and Khenpo told me that he expects ten nuns to be fully qualified to receive the title of Ani-Khenpo.
With such rapid results it is no big surprise that Khenpo, himself, is gaining a reputation in the larger community of Eastern Tibet. He receives more invitations than he can possibly accept due to growing repute of his work at the Drikung nunneries. Recently, between teachings, Khenpo visited a valley which is home to many of the nuns from Samten Choling. He was received by the local lamas with great procession and respect. Later, in front of many nuns and local people, they spoke of how grateful they are for Khenpo’s work, of how kind he is for endeavoring in such work. Khenpo was not allowed to leave before accepting offerings of yaks, horses, a giant tent, and monetary offerings. This was quite moving to observe. On another occasion Khenpo related to me that one monastery had told him it would be very difficult for them to find such a teacher to educate their own monks, as fully qualified teachers are hard to come by and, if you happen to find one, they require a salary. Khenpo always says that it is because of the kindness of his American students that he is able to strive for the nuns, requiring nothing but willing students. And his students are willing and ardent.
Not only do their studies impress me, but also their overall sincerity and genuineness in all aspects of life, whether work or play. I was greeted by so many familiar smiling faces when I arrived at the nunnery this year. The smiles continued as the teachings ended and they held two full days of games and performances, during which they dressed up as men, Tibetan heros, animals, etc. and laughed and laughed. They play with the same zeal with which they study. As Khenpo watched from a seat above, they played tug-of-war, various races, sang songs, and in general had a good time.
When the fun and games are over and work begins their tirelessness continues. The night before Khenpo was to leave Samten Choling torrential rains and thunder befell the mountain and created a flash flood; rivers of rushing water washed out seven homes as well as good chunks of the road leading to the nunnery. For these nuns, who live under the most basic of conditions, the storm was no less than a disaster. Yet the next morning, at the first light, they were out in the mud with their shovels and hands in their flip-flopped feet, beginning the overwhelming task of clean-up and repairs. They worked until the light disappeared, hauling load after load of debris, splitting fallen boulders until they were in small pieces which could be carried on their backs to the washed-out road. I walked down the road with Khenpo, surveying the damage. He stayed with groups of nuns all day, lending moral support for their toils as they built up the road – a project I would have predicted required professionals. These women work without complaint, whether in their studies or in taking care of their nunnery. I am impressed and moved again and again. Seeing it first hand makes it easy to understand Khenpo’s joy in the product of his labors.
And, indeed, he works with a wish to benefit them in every way. He keeps them company when they have difficult work to complete; he encourages them in their studies; he works to build their self confidence and sense of accomplishment; he even introduces these women, many of whom have never left their own village and the nunnery, to the world, taking one or two with him when he must travel to the big city of Xining. He constantly thoughtfully considers how best to help them in every aspect of life so that they may, in turn, be of benefit to their community and the larger world.
I am attaching a letter from Khenpo, himself, that he dictated to me shortly before we parted ways. He had not intended to request help, always grateful for everything you give him already, but the storm that hit the nunnery prompted him to send this letter, the nuns looking to him for help and having no where else to turn.
His impressive activities have moved me to write to those of you back home I know love Khenpo and will appreciate hearing of his endeavors on the other side of the world. Rest assured that Khenpo is well and in good spirits. He speaks often of the quality of his American students and of their kindness and of a time when he will be able to return to you all, bringing some of his nuns to teach alongside him. My own feeling is that this day will come sooner rather than later, propelled by the prayers of Khenpo and yourselves. As always, please forward this to all who may be interested to hear of Khenpo's activities as I do not have a comprehensive contact list.
With best wishes and tashi delek from the Land of the Snows,
Tracy
From Khenpo Sherab Ozer:
Dear Friends,
I would like to wish you all a warm Tashi Delek and hope that this letter finds you well. I write to you today from the mountains of Tibet where I have been living the past two years, working hard towards establishing equal and quality education for the nuns of this region. Traditionally, the humble nunneries of Kham provided few opportunities for nuns; they could not study the traditional curriculum of Buddhist texts used in monasteries. My nuns, however, are steadily progressing through the curriculum and many will soon graduate with the title of Khenmo, having completed and mastered their studies. I am continuously pleased with their progress thus far; these nuns study with unmatched diligence and sincerity, working for the peace and happiness of sentient beings.
While the education of the nuns is progressing steadily, they currently face two major difficulties. The first is that Samten Choling Nunnery is situated atop a high mountain, tucked narrowly in the hills. Because it is difficult to reach, the nuns’ homes are all built of mud and stone. When heavy rains come these buildings are often in danger of being carried away by the water. This year, the night before I left the nunnery torrential rains poured down and washed away large sections of the road as well as seven nuns’ residences. I am including pictures so that you may see the extent of the damage. Last year a similar rain washed away seven homes at which time the government said they would offer support for rebuilding. Later the nuns never saw a penny. I am writing today that you may be able to assist the nuns in this hardship. My plan is to supply bricks to the nuns that they may build stable homes that will withhold the strong rains. I personally do not have enough money to cover the costs of this project,
however, and so I appeal to my friends abroad for help in this endeavor. I hope to supply 600 bricks, at 4.5 Yuan per brick, to each of the 150 shared residences. The total cost of this project would therefore come to 405,000 Yuan (approximately US$63,000), excluding the cost of transporting the bricks from town.
The second difficulty is that Samten Choling Nunnery does not own a vehicle of its own and the nearest town, Jyekundo, is over three hours away by car. As Jyekundo is also the nearest hospital, when one of the nuns suddenly falls ill or is seriously injured it is often terribly difficult to procure a vehicle to transport her to care. I therefore am hoping to buy a small truck for the nunnery with seats in the front and room in the back for hauling goods. The price of a modest truck is approximately 100,000 Yuan (about US$15,800). I request you to find it in your hearts to help the nuns in these matters. Any assistance offered will bring much benefit to the nunnery and will help these humble nuns in all their endeavors.
My center, Drikung Namgyal Ling, in Tucson, AZ has agreed to collect tax‐deductable donations and ensure they reach me this autumn. Checks can be made out to DNL, Inc. with “rikung Nuns Project”in the memo line and sent to:
Drikung Namgyal Ling
P. O. Box 44176
Tucson, AZ 85733
www.drikungkagyutucson.org
520‐465‐1882
With Sincere Gratitude and Tashi Delek,
Khenpo Sherab Ozer
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