Celebrating Saga Dawa Duchen!

Our youngest student, Tshering Darjay, shares profound teachings from Buddha about the Four Noble Truths. These truths guide us on the path to inner peace. Special thanks to Alicja Zmigrodzka for the animation and script. Let's embrace these teachings and cultivate kindness and compassion.

Nature Trip Alert!

Our students recently embarked on an adventure to the Local River. Sadly, they discovered plastic and bottles scattered along the riverbanks. But fear not, they took matters into their own hands and diligently collected most of the waste they encountered. Kudos to their dedication!

For those who wish to visit the serene site during downtime, here are some heartfelt messages from our amazing students:

Ugyen Lhendup, 11 years old, shared his words: "Let's remember not to litter. It harms the environment, causes animal deaths, and can even upset the local guardians, protectors, and nature deities."

Jigme Tshering, 16 years old, reminded us of our Buddhist values: "Littering at the Deuri River goes against our beliefs, as it harms animals and the environment. Let's keep our sacred principles intact."

Adding to that, Sangay Thinlay, an 11-year-old student, requested, "Some people use traps to catch fish. I kindly ask them to refrain from making these traps and harming our fishy friends."

Let's come together to protect our precious nature! Share this message and spread the word!

Free Paint - Mind

We had a fun time with our adorable puppies! We let them express how their minds look through a free painting activity. It was a reflective and creative experience, where they could interpret and showcase this abstract yet influential thing called the "mind". Take a look at their artwork!

"Blind Turtle and Floating Log"

Buddha used a metaphor called the "blind turtle and floating log" to emphasize the rarity and preciousness of our lives. As Shantideva puts it, "Just like a turtle putting its neck through the hole of a yoke floating on a vast ocean, a human life is extremely hard to find."

Today, as part of an interdisciplinary subject, our deer class was given a craft lesson where they created paper turtles, showcasing their creativity and artistic skills. Check out these coloured paper turtles crafted by the students!

Virtual engagement with youth leaders!

Today was an enriching day for us as we had the privilege of engaging in a discussion with a group of scout leaders and school captains from Nganglam Central School on topics related to the mind, meditation, leadership, and karma yoga practice.

During the conversation, we emphasized the importance of recognizing the existence of the mind and its potential, rooted in its fundamental qualities of kindness and compassion. We also explored the significance of leadership, and how it should be founded on the basic nature of our own mind, in order to assume selfless responsibility.

In addition, we delved into the concept of karma yoga, which stresses the importance of selfless service guided by good intentions. We firmly believe that these principles are critical to cultivating a positive and meaningful life. We're thankful for the opportunity to share our insights and learn from the participants.

Local Farmer - Guide for our trip!

Meme Nganglay, our neighbour and local farmer, accompanied us on a field trip to the Deuri River and generously shared cherished memories from his childhood spent in the river. He also provided valuable observations on how the river has transformed over time.

It was an insightful experience to hear from a local about his personal perspective on the changes in the community. We are grateful for his time, stories, and observations.

Thoughts from retreat participants

Here are some thoughts shared by participants after the retreat.

Digital Images

Here are some digital images created using mobile devices by our young friends.

Community Wakefulness Retreat - Four

The foundation of human development must begin with empowering one's own mind, if we turn within, and deeply come to know our own mind, we will discover a fully awakened state that is inherently in us.

A three-day wakefulness course based on the wisdom tradition of Buddhism started today for the local community people at Chokyi Gyatso Institute - Dewathang