A customer wrote to me last week asking if I knew how she might contribute to an organization that benefits Buddhism in the Himalayan Region. She was specifically interested in helping monks and nuns living in "remote and rustic" locations. I thought that might be a worthy topic for a newletter.

Supporting Monks, Nuns and Yogis

THE TRUE MEANING OF LIFE

We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety or one hundred yearsat the very most. During that period,we must try to do something good, something useful with our lives.If you contribute to otherpeople's happiness, you will find the true meaning of life.

H.H. The 14th Dalai Lama

From: The True Meaning of Life Wall Hanging

9 in x 16 in On Sale this month for $6

It is helpful to remember some of the positive influences in our world today. Buddhist monks, nuns and yogis devote their lives to the study and practice of the spiritual path, in order to promote peace and to help other sentient beings on the path to enlightenment.

We rely on one another for our existence here. Most of us have a naturally compassionate desire to help others. Buddhist monasteries and hermitages rely heavily on the generosity of the sponsors to provide conducive living environments for their resident practitioners. Devoting oneself fully to the spiritual path is not a particularly easy lifestyle and it pays next to nothing.

In this newsletter I'm listing a few of my favorite organizations that support monasteries, nunneries and hermitages. Since I don't have space to list them all, I've leaned more toward listing nunneries, because historically, Buddhist nuns have had less access to education compared to monks. Support for full-time practitioners is especially important in this dark age of materialism. According to the Buddhist teachings, donations supporting them produce great merit for the sponsors, regardless of the amount.

I've add a page of Organizations that Support Monks, Nuns, and Yogis to the website.

If you know of any more reputable organizations, please email prayerflags2@gmail.com and I will add them to the page.

One of my favorite organizations is the Tibetan Nun’s Project (TNP). When the Chinese army invaded Tibet, many nuns fled to India and Nepal in search of religious and educational freedom. Most of them arrived destitute and illiterate, entering a refugee community already facing significant hardships. Despite these challenges, these determined women sought to live, study, practice, and teach in alignment with their spiritual beliefs. They developed an innovative education system designed to both preserve Tibetan culture and empower nuns to thrive and lead in the modern world.

Donations may be made directly to TNP through their website

Nuns, ranging in age from 17 to 75, practice, study, and live together at Tek Chok Ling Nunnery in Nepal. They follow a rigorous schedule of pujas, study, and daily chores. The nuns also take turns doing retreat in the isolated mountains of Yolmo in Western Nepal.

One hundred and twenty-seven nuns live, study and practice dharma at Karma Drubdey Nunnery located east of Thimphu, the capital city of Bhutan. They range in age from 10 to 70 years old. The longest serving nun has been at the nunnery for forty-five years

Your sponsorship makes it possible for nuns from Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan to study and practice in Khenpo Rinpoche's nunneries.Donations may be made through their website.

Nunnery Endowment Fund or Sponsor an Individual Nun..

Khachoe Chakyil Ling

Established in 1979 by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the founders of Kopan Monastery above Kathmandu, this is currently the largest Tibetan nunnery in Nepal with 400 nuns.

In order to allow all the nuns the freedom to concentrate on their Dharma education. all facilities, including education, is offered completely free of charge. With your help, the nunnery provides a secure and supportive environment for both young and old members of it’s community. 

Sponsor a nun at Khachoe Chakyil Ling

Even though most schools in Chinese occupied Tibet are forbidden to teach Tibetan language, all the students at the schools, monasteries and nunneries funded by T.E.F. are taught to read and write proficiently in Tibetan language.

Their operations are entirely funded by the compassionate support of donors & sponsors.

Donations may be made through their website.

Kailash Fellowship

The Kailash Fellowship is dedicated to supporting the Takyak Hermitage of Anam Chatralwa in the Golok region of Tibet, and to propagating Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana teachings. With the direction of Anam Thubten, we are inspired to impart the wisdom of the great Dharma masters of Tibet, especially Dudjom Lingpa. Even though their teachings flourished in Tibet, this wisdom is still in the process of reaching beyond its traditional borders. Donations can be made through their website

Tashi Jong Monastery - Khampagar Yogi Center

A Togden Yogi is a highly accomplished practitioner of Tantric Buddhism, specifically within the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions, who has achieved a high level of realization through intense meditation and spiritual practice. Togdens are recognized not only for their spiritual attainments but also for their ability to transcend ordinary limitations, and they often live as hermits, engaging in solitary retreat for extended periods to deepen their meditation. Many Togdens are believed to have achieved remarkable levels of spiritual insight, sometimes including signs of great realization, though their main focus is on profound inner transformation and liberation.

The original Khampagar yogi center, was started by the 4^th Khamtrul Rinpoche (1730-1779), at his monastery in Eastern Tibetan. He built a retreat center where 13 yogis could practice intensively; mostly in solitary retreat. Until someone at the retreat center passed away, a new yogi could not join. These thirteen yogis were called “togden”, meaning “realized one.” Thirteen yogis practiced there for the next 200 years until the Chinese invaded Tibet. The 8^th Khamtrul Rinpoche, Dongyu Nyima Rinpoche escaped from the Chinese invasion in the late 1950’s and built a new monastery and retreat facility near Tashi Jong in Northern India.

Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery has several nuns who already aspire to train as Togdenmas and are prepared to undertake the long, rigorous and austere practices which require many years in retreat, in order to attain enlightenment in one lifetime. Towards this aim, four nuns have already completed eight years of strict retreat and others have now joined, including two nuns from one of Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s nunneries who had already completed a 3-year retreat in Nepal.

Donations to support the Togdens and Togdenmas can be through the Togden.org

By supporting practitioners in retreat, one shares in the merit

that they accumulate through their intensive Dharma practice.

365 Shakyamuni Buddhas

There are 364 Buddhas in this thangka painting, plus the large one in the center. They are all Shakyamuni Buddha in his Earth-touching pose. This mudra symbolizes the moment of the Buddha's enlightenment (bodhi) under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya. It represents the Buddha calling the earth to witness his enlightenment, a gesture signifying the triumph of wisdom over the delusions of dualistic mind.

Canvas Size: 13 in x 17 in

Brocade Size: 24 in x 38 in

Price: $350 $300

I'm finally running low on rice paper prints so sometimes I'll be giving away prayer flags in the monthly drawings. This month the drawing is for a set of 10 Mani Mantra prayer flags.

OM MANI PADME HUM

The Mani Mantra, one of the most well-known and widely recited mantras in Buddhism, is often translated as "The jewel is in the lotus," with each syllable having a deep meaning that reflects aspects of the Buddhist path:

• Om: Represents the body, speech, and mind of the Buddha.
• Mani: Means "jewel" or "gem," symbolizing the intention to cultivate compassion and wisdom.
• Padme: Means "lotus," symbolizing the wisdom that emerges from the purification of the mind.
• Hum: Represents the indivisibility of wisdom and compassion, and the unity of all things.

This mantra is believed to invoke the blessings of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and it is often recited to purify one's mind, body, and spirit, and to develop compassion and wisdom. The mantra is considered a powerful tool for spiritual development and is commonly chanted during meditation or as a form of prayer.

The six syllables are arranged in a lotus mandala aroung the seed syllable "HRIH" representing "the heart of the mantra." This set of 10 colorful prayer flags (2 sets of 5 colors - yellow, green, red, white, blue) on a rope and is about 8' long.

If you'd like a chance to win this print, email me your name and address to prayerflags2@gmail.com.

Please don't forget to include your mailing address.

Congratulations to Boyd Parris of Sarasota, Florida

for winning the woodblock print of Guru RinpochR

This is the Naga’s memorial month. They remember everything that happens during this time, good or bad. Since their memory is very strong at this time, if you make offerings during the teb days, the Nagas will always remember this and they will become your faithful servant and companion. On the other hand, if you make offerings to them on the dok days, they will perceive your offerings as being rotten and foul smelling and they will abandon you.

There are six particularly good days to make offerings this month - April 4, 7, 12, 18, 19, 23.

There are also three especially bad days to avoid - April 24, 25, 29

Please send us photos of your prayer flags so we can share them.

Any size, shape and format is okay.

Email prayerflags2@gmail.com

Prayer Flags and Wild Turkeys in Fredon, NJ

Prayers for World Peace and to Avert Nuclear War - Yreka, CA

Links to all the previous Newsletters can be found in the Newsletters Archives.

If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for my newsletter, please write.

I will try to answer your emails.

Email me at: prayerflags2@gmail.com

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter.

Timothy Clark

Owner of Radiant Heart Studios