THE MIRROR Newspaper of the International Dzogchen Community October/November 1997 • Issue No. 42 poche journeyed to Dang-che to obtain the necessary agreements for The Tibetan the future organization of the school. In the official stipulations made with the heads of the County of Gui-de, Elementary School the school is to remain the property of the Tibetan Village of Dang-che and the cost of salaries for the teach­ of Dang-che ers, sports equipment and textbooks will be provided by the government A brief history of the project of the County and the District. The children's families are to provide food for the cafeteria and the cover by Giacomella Orofino the cost of coal for heating. The inhabitants of Dang-che, further­ The Tibetan village of Dang-che, Local statistics show that about five more, requested the County Govern­ in the County of Gui-de, is situated hundred Tibetan children a year ment to nominate Prof. Namkhai two hundred miles from Xining, the study towards their elementary the County Government of Gui-de large cafeteria (500 sq.m.) and bath­ Norbu as president of the school. headquarters of Qinghai Region. diplomas. Many Tibetan families signed a cooperation agreement and rooms (250 sq.m.) The first phase of They also wished to form a Com­ Surrounded by rocky mountains, however refuse to send their chil­ thus the Italian NGO began a fund- work began in 1994 and successive mittee made up of three separate Dang-che lies in a fertile valley dren to the nearest school where raising campaign for the construc­ phases led to the completion of the entities to oversee and direct the where wheat and barley are cultivat­ they would not be given lessons in tion of the biggest Tibetan school in entire project by June 1997. The school, the three entities to be: ed. It belongs to the ancient Tibetan Tibetan language and culture and Qinghai Province. The generous work was entrusted to local compa­ territory of Amdo. Six thousand where the children would receive response of many private individu­ nies and to Tibetan artisans who 1. The County Department of Edu­ Tibetan families live in this valley their education mainly in Chinese. als was immediately encouraging. used traditional woodworking tech­ cation. supporting themselves mainly For many years the Tibetan The following year a further agree­ niques. The local villagers orga­ 2. The Dang-che Village Develop­ through agriculture. Their houses inhabitants of Dang-che had the idea ment was signed with the local gov­ nized a Tibetan Development ment Association. are still constructed in classic of building a Tibetan language ernment for the provision of water Association for the Village of Dang- 3. ASIA Tibetan style and have wooden school for their children so that they mains and electricity and to acquire che supported by ASIA. They began These requests were accepted verandas inlaid with traditional would not see the complete destruc­ all the necessary equipment for the the construction of the perimeter and noted in a legal document. A dis­ motifs The houses lie within high tion of their cultural heritage by the classrooms, the kitchen, workshops wall in packed earth and they lev­ cussion ensued concerning the walls made of pressed earth which is next generation. The difficulty of etc. The village people would sup­ eled and landscaped the campus and development of health and educa­ the same color as the surrounding raising money for such a school ply the land for the construction of planted different kinds of trees. tion in the Dang-che valley. The principal projects outlined at the mountains and valleys. This type of seemed insurmountable. In 1992 the the buildings and would also con­ Altogether the entire project cost moment that require a further urgent earthen enclosure is very ancient Non Government Organization struct the perimeter wall and main around $200,000.00 U.S. donated commitment from ASIA are: and is found all over Central Asia ASIA came to know of the needs of gate of the school. An Australian by the Italian NGO, while and Mongolia and along the caravan the Tibetan people of Dang-che architect, Tony Laurent, provided 300,000.00 Yuan were provided by 1. To send a native-speaking English routes of the Silk Road. •<>—•"••• -«•••• thanks to Professor Tsering Thar, a the plans for the campus with build­ the government of Gui-de County, Teacher to teach a four month course Dang-che is in a place of extra­ researcher at the Tibetan Science ings to be constructed with long and this doesn't include the donation to the schoolteachers and the estab­ ordinary natural beauty where life is Institute of Beijing, who came to classical Tibetan design lines. The of the land, the perimeter wall, lishment of an English language still simple and moves to the slow Europe on a study scholarship. buildings included a large two-story courtyards, and gardens provided by course from the third to the fifth ele­ rhythms of the earth. A number of Immediately upon hearing of Dang- structure for the classrooms (about the Local Villagers' Association. mentary grade. nomad families, all of whom have che's needs, ASIA decided to initiate 1300 square meters), one building During the month of June 1997, 2. To acquire four computers and many children, still live in yak-skin a project which envisioned the con­ for the teachers' quarters (500 sq.m), before the official inauguration of to send a computer science expert tents on the mountains around struction of a school for at least 500 another for student dorms (600 the school, the president of ASIA, to give the schoolteachers a Dang-che. They live off their flocks. Tibetan children. In 1992, ASIA and sq.m.), kitchens, storerooms and a Professor Namkhai Norbu Rin- course on computer use and soft- continued on page 12 We had been driving on this our own Hongkong Picnic, by hik­ bumpy and muddy road known as ing on the mountains surrounding CONTENTS the Sichuan-Tibet "Highway", and Environmental Riwoche. We were taking it easy 105km to the Northwest of Cham- uphill, both of us still had to get used do, for four days. Cloudy skies con­ Projects in Riwoche to the altitude, so we were enjoying Dzogchen Longde, Tantra of Space cealed the peaks of freshly snow the flowers, small blue Iris, bright Part III capped mountains. Regularly the crimson Incarvillea and purple and Choegyal Namkhai Norbu 2 by Daniel Winkler monsoon clouds released their white Rhododendron shrubs. Ontul Rinpoche in Tsegyalgar heavy load, causing the bad roads to Two sites that we should visit as and Merigar 4 disintegrate even more. Frequently future project sites had been select­ Interview with Tashi Dolma 5 the old Beijing-Jeep provided by ed. One was Yiri, the other was Riwoche's Forest Police broke Chamoling, about 60km to the NW Master biography down, once it got stuck in the mid­ of Riwoche. Chamoling (Tramol- Jim Valby 6 dle of a flooded creek. The water ing), which is already mentioned in Book Reviews 6 flushed out the muddy inside floors. the Gesar epos, was declared a Luckily a nearby truck pulled us out Nature Preserve in 1976 to protect A Preliminary Archaeological within an hour (not without exact­ its wildlife, especially the popula­ Survey of gNam mtsho and ing a small fortune from our tion of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus Dang ra g.yu mtsho by John Bellezza 8 predicament). On our fourth day we macneilli), which due to the efforts finally entered Riwoche County, of the local people and administra­ August Moon Reflections our destination. Crossing the Dzekri tion has survived. In many areas in by Des Barry 9 La we were greeted by a mountain Tibet deer populations went extinct made of beaming white marble in the 60's and 70's. In addition the Community News 10 under a deep blue sky. The slopes area is supposed to contain popula­ Special Practice Calendar 12 were clad with dense dark spruce tions of Snow Leopard, Wolf. forests interspersed with lush pas­ International Dzogchen Contacts... 13 Yiri district D. WINKLER Tibetan Brown Bear, White-lipped tures. It truly seemed like paradise. gigantic spruce trunks. Some the projects in 1998. Once we Deer. Musk Deer. Goral. Blue Relatively Speaking Very appropriately Takzham Gom- decades ago the county seat has arrived in Riwoche we were Sheep. Eared Pheasant. Brahminy by Cheh Goh 14 pa, the first monastery entering Shelduck, and Crane to name a few been moved from Riwoche to Ratsa- received warmly by the heads of the Reflections: Riwoche is built in Zangdok Pelri rarer species. The forest department ka, which is located on the Sichuan- forest department. Yet to our dismay One Drop Too Much by Glen Eddy style, representing Padmasambha- has hired one wildlife guard to Tibet "Highway", and 105km to the the weekend was ahead and every­ Life in America by Gendun Sakyal va's own divine abode. NW of Chamdo. Now Ratsaka is body was out having 'Hongkong ensure wildlife protection in an area How I Met the Teachings Riwoche is famous throughout generally referred to as Riwoche Picnics'. We were left with the rec­ of 637 km, which is located between by Costantino Pucci 18 Tibet for the impressive Tsuk- town. Our plan was to visit Riwoche ommendation to rest. Finally we had 3850m and 5274 m a.s.l.. The land­ lakhang temple founded in 1276, and conduct a feasibility study tour reached our destination, we surely scape is dominated by grassland Naked in New York which is the main seat of the Tak- to understand the local situation and did not feel like resting! Instead mountains used for grazing.