Golden Light Sutra Center in Darkhan
The momentous task of revitalizing Buddhism in the Mongolian countryside has begun with FPMT Mongolia's first countryside center in Darkhan.
Darkhan, a communist-built satellite city in northern Mongolia is the second largest city with over two-thirds of the population under 25. Originally built as an industrial town, the fall of communism in 1990 brought wide-scale unemployment, poverty, desperation and social problems with widespread alcoholism.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche first visited Darkhan in 2003. So overwhelming was the response to his teaching given in a local monastery, that the police had to restrain the crowd from breaking down windows and doors to get in. A year later the local government offered FPMT Mongolia three rooms in a local kindergarten to start up a Dharma center and also gave 900 sqms of prime land to construct a permanent temple building. The Golden Light Sutra Center (GLSC) opened in summer 2004.
Since then things have developed with a vast momentum and the GLSC now has three nuns in residence who live, practice and work together. There are regular teachings both for adults and children, pujas, sutra recitations, retreats and children's activities.
Center Dharma Program
Weekly teachings take place in the GLSC on the Lam Rim (Path to Enlightenment) and on practices such as Thirty-Five Buddhas and Vajrasattva.
Medicine Buddha Practice, Tara Puja and Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga with Tsog Offering are regularly performed at the center. Pujas are well-attended, especially by children.
Monthly or bimonthly The Sutra of Golden Light is recited. The first four chapters have been transliterated from classical into colloquial Mongolian. These chapters are recited.
The Eight Mahayana Precepts have been given twice at GLSC combined with retreat weekends. Students kept the Precepts during the weekend with great sincerity and seriousness; some engaging in virtuous practices through the night.
A Vajrasattva Retreat was offered in the spring of 2005. There are plans to do more retreats over the next few months including a Nyung Na Retreat in the future.
Outreach Dharma Program
Outreach Dharma teachings has been given at the Darkhan theatre, including a teaching on the meaning of 'Om Mani Padme Hum' at a benefit concert for the victims of the tsunami. Talks have also been given to studetns in the local Darkhan Library.
During the first month of the Lunar New Year Celebration (Tsagansaar), Darkhan Broadcasting Station showed a series of 20 minute teachings from the GLSC on Buddhist topics of general interest, such as "What is a Buddhist?", "The Meaning of Holy Objects" and "The Life Story of the Buddha." These were also aired on the local radio station.
There is a definite need for outreach to Darkhan universities and schools. There have also been multiple requests from neighboring towns and from the city of Erdenet for us to come and give teachings. When the resources and conditions are present more outreach teachings are planned.
Children's Dharma Class
When GLSC first opened the regular teachings were often attended by children. In response to the clear need for children's Dharma activities the Children's Dharma Class was initiated.
Sundays at 11am, creative Dharma activities and interactive teachings on the Lam Rim are offered to children. Children learn how to do their own alter, offer water bowls, circumambulate, and do animal liberation. They listen to stories, follow guided meditations, learn simple English conversation and play games. This class is taught by both Western and Mongolian teachers and has been eagerly attended by local children.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche has specifically asked that the children be taught the Lam Rim, especially about Karma.
Mother Tara Kids Camp
As an extension of it's children's Dharma activities, Golden Light Sutra Center held its first Mother Tara Kids Camp in June 2005. Over one-hundred children attended this five-day camp. According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche's advice, they learned how to do Tara Puja and were introduced to the Lam Rim. Children learned how to do prostrations, do an alter, make offerings, circumambulate, recite mantras, do daily prayers and benefit animals. They also enjoyed playing games, learning English songs and taking a field trip to visit the large Buddha statue in Darkhan. Both parents and children wished the camp would have continued longer.
The camp was such a success that there are plans for this camp to be offered in other cities in Mongolia in the future.
Tsa Tsa Workshop
In early spring GLSC opened a Tsa Tsa workshop. The workshop has received generous donations of tsa tsa moulds from individuals and from Nalanda Monastery. One Mongolian is employed full-time to make tsa tsas. Other volunteers also help.
Rapidly Growing
GLSC is rapidly outgrowing its in current rented premises and it is hoped that sponsorship will enable the construction of a permanent site on our new land to begin summer 2006.
It is Lama Zopa Rinpoche's great and compassionate vision to have a center, monastery and school in every major city in Mongolia. The Darkhan center is a proto-type for future countryside centers.
It is our firm commitment, with your much-needed support, that can make this happen. Due to the poverty levels in the Mongolian countryside we cannot rely on local support beyond goodwill and are therefore dependent on the generosity of outside donors.
Click here to view photos from Darkan
