A City Center in Ulaanbaatar
Within the center there is a large class/meeting room, a second smaller classroom, the gompa (teaching and meditation room), an extensive water bowl offering room, a technology room used for translation of Buddhist texts and prayers into Mongolian, as well as accommodations for our teachers and western volunteer staff.
The centre is constantly busy with the Dharma program, the Publishing program and the English Language program and Shedrup Ling also has a Cafe which is open to the public 7 days a week.
Dharma Program
Regular Dharma Program
The Dharma program offers at least one Dharma class per day, 7 days a week, as well as regular Pujas and other practices. Thereby Shedrup Ling offers a real opportunity for Mongolians to learn more about Buddhist culture and religion. Our resident teacher offers classes 4 nights a week. They are translated into Mongolian and 2 newly qualified Mongolian geshes teach directly to the Mongolian people at the weekend. All classes are offered free of charge to any interested student and a large number of young Mongolian students have been attending these classes on a regular basis.
In addition to the regular Dharma classes and pujas (which are always held on the 8th, 10th and 25th of the lunar calendar), adhoc 1 or 2 day retreats and additional pujas are held on special days and weekends.
Buddhist Youth Club
In September 2005, an FPMT Mongolia Buddhist Youth Club was established for young Mongolians. Once a week they come to learn about Buddhism and meditation in a friendly informal environment and also have the opportunity to discuss how they can best integrate the teachings into their daily lives and deal with everyday problems and difficulties.
The initial group comprises over 25 students. New members will be welcomed when the structure and outline of the program is finalized. The club was established as a bridge for young people who are not ready for the formal Dharma teachings, as many of the initial members have had no previous exposure to Buddhism or meditation.Outreach Dharma Program
In addition to the city center Dharma activities, a regular outreach Dharma program is in place. This includes a regular radio program, prison visits, school and university visits and external teachings in other monasteries. The radio program is broadcast 4 times per month to the whole country and includes reading from the Buddhist books and a question and answer session with our resident teacher. This program is often the only access to Dharma teachings for many Mongolian people living in the countryside, especially the nomads. In addition to this country-wide long wave broadcasting we also plan to cooperate with a youth radio station and actively contribute to the program with our books, interviews and other activities. Special day celebrations of the Buddha are becoming very popular in Mongolia and public activities for youth are organized on a regular basis in cooperation with Gandentegchenling Monastery and many other Buddhist organisations, in which FPMT Mongolia is an active player. Many young people are now very enthusiastic in taking 8 Mahayana precepts. FPMT Mongolia is also planning to cooperate with many TV stations in broadcasting, translating Dharma programs and participating in various TV talks.
Publishing, Translation and Education Services (PTE)
After the political climate changed in 1990, an increasing number of Mongolian students endeavored to read and study Dharma texts in their native language. Many old Buddhist texts which survived the purges were either in Tibetan or in the old Mongolian script. The old Mongolian script had been replaced by a new alphabet and hence is difficult to understand by most Mongolians.
To help address this need, FPMT Mongolia established a publishing department to translate and publish Dharma texts and practice booklets in modern Mongolian.
To date PTE has translated and published the following texts:
- Tibetan Buddhism - H.H Dalai Lama - 9,000 copies
- Buddhism in our Daily Life - Thubten Gyatso - 9,000 copies
- The Essence of Tibetan Buddhism - Lama Yeshe - 6,000 copies
- Transforming Problems into Happiness - Lama Zopa Rinpoche - 6,000 copies
- Virtue & Reality - Lama Zopa Rinpoche - 5,000 copies
- Vast as a Heaven, Deep as an Ocean - Kunu Rinpoche - 2,000 copies
- Wheel of Sharp Weapon - 3,000 copies
- Yogi as a Child (Biography of Lama Zopa Rinpoche) - 5,000 copies
- Daily Purification - Vajrasattva Practice - 3,000 copies
- 4 Mandala Offering to Cittamani Tara Puja -3,000 copies
- Ritual and commentary on how to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts - 3,000 copies
- Refuge Booklet - 3,000 copies
- Six Sessions of Guru Yoga - 1,000 copies
- EEC4 Prayer Books - 28,000 copies
- Nyung-Na Practice - 60 copies
- Confession to the 35 Buddhas Practice -60 copies
In the near future, the FPMT Center Prayer Book will be printed. Work on new translations of the Golden Light sutra. the Sanghata sutra and the Vajra Cutter Sutra are in process in addition to many more teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other teachers.
English Language Department
One of FPMT Mongolia's social services is to offer free English classes to many Mongolians regularly, enabling us to fulfill His Holiness the Dalai Lama's and Lama Zopa Rinpoche's wishes to "work with young lay people" and help the community in general.
The English classes do not directly involve Buddhist teachings and are open to Mongolians of any age, social status and confession. In Mongolia with its rapidly growing economy and international relations, the knowledge of English is essential. Without English it can often be difficult to find a good job. On the other hand, unemployment and extremely low salaries prevent most people from affording costly language courses.
In 2002, the first volunteer English teacher came from America to set up the English Department and start ESL (English as a second language) classes at FPMT Mongolia. Since then, and thanks to a number of volunteers from different countries as well as Mongolian ESL staff, more than 400 Mongolians attend our English classes weekly.
We started with short two-month courses, now the standarised course based on the Cambridge texts has been extended and a complete beginner can attain the Upper Intermediate level within 4 years. After completing each level successfully, students receive certificates, which can be used when applying for work or study.
Stupa Café
During the EEC4 in June 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche agreed to the proposal for a cafe to be created in Shedrup Ling. The cafe would be open to all Mongolian people and would make the Center more welcoming and open for the public. A Swiss volunteer very successfully designed and ran the cafe. It is named the Stupa Cafe after the new stupa which is being built outside the centre according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche's wishes.
The Stupa café provides a friendly, cozy and comfortable place for people to warm up in winter and cool down in summer. Various hot and cold drinks are offered for sale together with many cakes and simple food items but there is no compulsion to consume as people are welcome to sit and pass the time as well. It is a place to meet friends, make friends, and exchange ideas.
Special events and evenings are organized in the café. Every second Sunday, a special gathering of kids aged 2-7 years old is organized, where they do drawing, play and entertain themselves and special displays of local handicrafts are organized. We have also started an English library in the cafe which is accessible to everyone and we offer these books free to all interested parties. In the future an English corner will be established and interesting cultural and social activities arranged.
How you can help
Given everything that the City Centre has accomplished and can accomplish with your help, we hope that you will be inspired to help continue this work, by contributing towards the cost of funding the general running of the centre, as well as all the individual projects.
Donations accepted here...
FPMT has established Mongolia, FPMT (MGN) as a designated purpose fund, which with the support of generous benefactors, supports the work of FPMT's affiliate, Mongolia, FPMT (MGN). All donations made to the fund are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.