His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with Rinpochen and monks at Slovenijo (Itali) 2006

At the moment, there are now thirteen young monks admitted and all together there are twenty-one monks in the Monastery.

The eldest monk is Venerable Lobsang Phuntsok, and he was born in 1935 in Tibet. He joined Chargayling Monastery in Tibet at the age of 14. After the Chinese occupation, he fled to Pokhara, Nepal, and joined the monastery.

The youngest monk is Tenzin Gyalpo, who was born in 2007 in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Tenzin’s family is very poor. His parents work as labourers on road work to support the family of four.

Current Monks at the Monastery with Rinpoche

Most of the monks are from impoverished remote areas. Shree Gaden Monastery does not take any fee from them. Basic necessities are purchased from money which the elder monks receive for prayer services in other people’s homes.

Rinpoche leading the ceremonial prayer with the other monks

The monks, under the guidance of Tulku Lobsang Jamyang, lead a simple life of self support. There are no sources of income except from small cooperative shop’s minimum profit, and offerings made by sincerely performed prayers and religious activities for individual families. The host family in turn offers the monks a sum of Rs. ? per head after the performance, but this is not compulsory.

Monks relax at Shree Gaden Dhargay Ling Monastery                                                                        Photo Credit : Barbara Weibel

Meet some of our Junior Monks