Indien, Diwakar Academy

We recently received the following message from Diwakar from Karma Tsundu,
the secretary of the Diwakar Buddhist Academy:

‘It is currently raining heavily in Kalimpong as usual, which provides a favourable environment for the monks to study. At the moment, we are in the middle of our 45-day summer retreat, which started on 22 June and will continue until 5 August.

The retreat is a three-month or one-and-a-half-month period in the Tibetan tradition, depending on the counting method, which generally begins after the full moon day of the eighth lunar month (usually July) and during which the monks must stay in one place. The Buddha instructed the monks to stay in one place during the monsoon season to avoid killing insects and worms while walking on muddy roads. It is one of the three basic rituals of the Vinaya.

Our institute is home to over 100 monks, teachers and staff. We scrupulously follow the rules and regulations laid down by our root guru Shamar Rinpoche. During this retreat period, everyone stays in the monastery and concentrates on practice and the study of various texts.

I recently spoke with our director about the most pressing needs of the academy. He mentioned that we would greatly appreciate help in renovating our aging buildings. We also need support for medical care for our students.’