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2009 YEAR-END PROGRESS REPORT

and

Request for Support

“Surmang is Trungpa, Trungpa is Surmang.”

(--Vidyadhara the Ven. Chögyam Trungpa XI Rinpoche, from the book The Mishap Lineage)

Surmang shedra.  The 2009 construction season at the shedra complex drew to a close in October.  Approximately fifteen construction workers were present at the shedra this past summer.  Among the tasks accomplished were the waterproofing of the shedra roof,  laying of the stone flooring in the residential areas, work on various masonry and stucco details, completion of interior plastering, and the construction of a retaining wall in the hillside at the rear of the shedra.

There remains a large amount of painting, artwork, and other finishing work before the shedra can be consecrated.  Whether the construction work on the shedra can be finished in 2010 will depend principally on the availability of funds.

Northwest corner of shedra complex with Shelabum’s castle in background   2009

Chökyi Senge Trungpa XII Rinpoche, currently 20 years old, has been studying at Serta in eastern Tibet for most of the past year and a half.  Serta is a great dharmic institute established by H.H. Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, with more than 15,000 students.  Trungpa Rinpoche also spends time at Surmang, learning its particular dharma traditions.  In September/October of 2009, he studied the Chakrasamvara dance, and will be participating in the annual Chakrasamvara Dance at Surmang after Losar (Tibetan New Year).  In addition to performing practices and spending time with the Surmang monks, Trungpa Rinpoche accompanies the monks on visits to local villagers, doing prayers for those who are sick or dying.

Trungpa XII Rinpoche performing the Chakrasamvara Dance at Surmang  2007

photo by Khenpo Tsering Gyurme

TO READ THE ENTIRE REPORT, PLEASE GO TO 2009 YEAR END REPORT

PLEASE VISIT OUR NEW PAGE, " LIFE AT SURMANG."

ALSO, PLEASE NOTE THAT: 

Several generous patrons have made it possible for Konchok Foundation to offer some wonderful new gifts to donors, in addition to those that are already displayed on the Konchok website: 

All donors for the next several months will receive a beautiful 4x6 photo of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, courtesy of James Hoagland.  To see this photo, please go to http://www.konchok.org/donation_gifts.php

For donors of $50 or more, we are able to offer copies of the new book by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, “The Mishap Lineage: Transforming Confusion into Wisdom.” This book, based on a seminar given in 1975 about the Trungpa lineage of Surmang, is most appropriate reading for those who are supporting the rebuilding of Surmang.  These copies have been made available by the generosity of Carolyn Gimian and Shambhala Publications.  Please indicate your request for this gift in "inistructions to the merchant" during the donation process —numbers are limited.

For donors of $25 or more, we can offer sets of five beautiful hand crafted greeting cards created by a generous supporter of our work at Surmang. These can likewise be seen on our donation gifts site http://www.konchok.org/donation_gifts.php  Please indicate your request for this gift—numbers are limited!

ould ke to specify the Mishap Lineage book as a gift, please indicate this in the “instructions to merchant” in the donation process.   If you woule t

MORE ABOUT THE WORK OF KONCHOK FOUNDATION:

The Surmang region and monasteries in eastern Tibet have, for many centuries, been the home of the Trungpa tulkus (incarnate lamas) and a major place of practice for Tibetan Buddhism.   When the Communist Party' took control of  Tibet ,  the 11th Trungpa Rinpoche escaped from Surmang (his spiritual home)  in the late 1950s.   The practice of Buddhism was forbidden for many years and the Surmang monasteries were razed to the ground during the Cultural Revolution.  

During this period, the abbot of Surmang, Chögyam Trungpa XI Rinpoche, after escaping into exile, became one of the first and most influential teachers of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, founding the Shambhala network of contemplative centers.

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, successor to his father as the head of the international Shambhala community, has now accepted major responsibility for the rebuilding of Surmang, working closely with the people of Surmang. A crucial element is the shedra (school) for monastic and lay students. At present, there is no school in the Surmang Dutsi Til valley.

The Konchok Foundation, founded in 2001 by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche together with Lady Diana Mukpo (widow of Trungpa XI Rinpoche), provides financial and other support for the rebuilding of Surmang, especially the Surmang shedra. Support is also provided to the Trungpa XII Tulku and to a number of monks who are undertaking extended group meditation retreats in the area. The foundation also provides some resources to other monasteries closely associated with Surmang or with Mipham Rinpoche.

Beyond the specifics of these efforts, the Konchok Foundation is helping to initiate a remarkable coming together between two communities of people, Tibetan and Western, who share a common dharma lineage tradition but are distant from each other geographically and culturally. Exchange visits have now included travel by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche to Surmang in 2001 and 2004 and by Surmang Khenpo Tsering Gyurme to North America every year since 1999. Commencing in 2004, the two communities began working jointly together on the rebuilding of Surmang. In the next several years, we will also be working together on educational programming in Tibet, and on teaching visits to the West.

Please contact us for more information.

Khenpo Tsering helped us to revise this introduction to our website.

o specify the Mishap Lineage book as a gift, please idicate this in the “instructions to merchant” in the donation process.   wi .  If you would like to specify the Mishap Lineage book as a gift, please indicate this in the “instructions to merchant” in the donation process.   nter 2008)