1.Current Situations
The Kham Golok Monastery is a famous Geluk monastery of East Tibet in the Golok region, which was built six hundred years ago. The last Gosok Rinpoche was the abbot of this monastery. Under the great care of local people, it survived the disastrous “Cultural Revolution” (1966-76). The old monastery now has two prayer halls and a Dharma protector hall. Its buildings, constructed with traditional wooden, rock and clay materials and with wooden floor and pillars, are all dilapidated and can no longer be maintained by normal repairs. The Yajiang County was hit by torrential rains a year ago which brought flood to neighbor areas, and this worsened the damages of the old monastery buildings. The rear prayer hallpartially collapsed, and the site has been assessed by local government as dangerous buildingsunsuitable for living. Therefore, constructing new buildings is in urgent need in order to maintain the regular function of the monastery.
Rinpoche has decided to erect a new Golok Monastery down the valley from the original site. A new grand prayer hall and adjoining conveniences, a Buddhist academy building, and monastic residential houses will be built. The new monastery will be able to facilitate the study and living of five hundred monks.
There are bigger plans in Rinpoch’s mind.Golok is a very poor region in terms of living and medical conditions. Many families have children who lost both parents. Therefore it is also our teacher’s desire to establish an elementary school to receive and provide orphans with needed education, and a hospital to alleviate the suffering local patients. Nevertheless due to lack of funding, these good wishes are yet to be gradually fulfilled. The priority is, as our teacher has indicated, to sustain Sanghaeducation, and therefore the first thing is tobuild the new monastery. Thefirst phase of the entire construction will include the main hall andits wings, the academybuilding and monk’s resident housing. An estimation of cost for this will be 4500,000 New Taiwanese dollars (approximately US $155,000)
2. The Sponsorship
To support our Teacher for the accomplishment of this grand undertaking which will bring great benefits to the Dharma and sentient beings, The GosokKunphen Association is setting up the Kham Golok Monastery Reconstruction Foundation. We are calling for five hundred (500) supporting members to join the foundation, with a committed monthly donation of 1000 New Taiwanese Dollars per member on a three-year membership (for the first phase of construction project). We also welcome support and donations from all friends and followers, so to gather the power of people – just as the accumulation of small sand grains can form a solid stupa – we will together help to fulfill our Teacher’s compassionate prayer.
The merit fromsponsoring the building ofa Buddhist monastery is inconceivable. As the Buddha says in the Lotus Sutra, one will gain ten great merits through sponsoring the building of a monastery:
1. Diminishing and eliminating all non-virtuous karma accumulated inbeginninglesslife times.
2. Being protected by heavenly beings, and reverting unfavorable situations.
3. Removing of obstacles and avoiding sufferings caused by revenges from your previous hatred relations.
4. No evil beings and monsters will be able to assault you.
5. You will be freed from affliction and ignorance.
6. You will enjoy plenty of cloth and food.
7. Your speech and actions please both human and heavenly beings.
8. You will increase the two provisions of wisdom and merits.
9. You will gain a supreme rebirth, born with a good looking and endowed with talent and fortune.
10. You will be able to be born in a country where you can listen to the Dharma, and (eventually) you will be able to quickly achieve the Buddhahood.
We are looking forward to your enthusiastic sponsorship to this meaningful project! For donations, please use the following banking information:
Postal transfer account: 42240331
Account name: Gosok Lama, GosokKunphen Association, R.O.C.