McLEOD GANJ > BUDDHIST STUDIES
McLeod Ganj is the headquarters of the Tibetan Government in
Exile and residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. You can experience the
special Tibetan atmosphere in McLeod Ganj with its many monasteries and
opportunities to learn about the Tibetan people and Buddhist philosophy. Please
see your travel guidebook for full details.
Tushita's suggestions include:
His Holiness the Dalai Lama gives
annual public teachings at the main temple in McLeod Ganj after Losar
(the Tibetan New Year in February/March) lasting 2 weeks and during the
monsoon months (late June-September). This is a very special
opportunity to see His Holiness and listening to his teachings, so
don't miss it!
To check His
Holiness’ schedule, please visit:
www.dalailama.com or www.tibet.com.
If you are in McLeod Ganj
the Security Office on Bhagsu Road (tel. 221560 – opposite the ‘Sun Rise Café’
chai-shop)
or His Holiness’ private office at his temple (tel. 221343) can
provide information.
For more information please visit: HH Dalai Lama's teaching.
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Even if His Holiness the Dalai Lama is travelling, it is always worth
visiting the Tsuglagkhang complex, which comprises His Holiness’ official
residence, Namgyal monastery (His Holiness’ private monastery, where you can
often watch monks & nuns debating in the court yard), the Tsuglagkhang
itself (Central Chapel) where you can see three fine statues of Buddha
Shakyamuni, Avalokitesvara and Padmasambhava, the Kalachakra temple (with
beautiful murals, where sometimes you can watch the monks performing special
pujas and creating sand mandalas), the Institute for Buddhist Dialectics, a
museum, bookshop, café etc.
The Institute of Buddhist Dialectics (IBD) offers excellent philosophy
classes in English for experienced students between April and August. For
more information please visit IBD.
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Visit His Holiness the 17th Karmapa at Gyuto Monastery. His Holiness the
Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness is
presently residing at Gyuto monastery in Sidhbar and often gives public
audiences and sometimes short teachings on Wednesday & Saturday at 2pm
(please check with the monastery before you set off from McLeod Ganj –
tel. 236637 & bring your passport to register at the monastery before the
audience starts).
To get to Gyuto monastery (approx. 15km from McLeod Ganj) take
a taxi (300Rs, approx. 45 min.) or alternatively a bus/jeep to Dharamsala (7Rs)
and one of the frequent buses to Sidhbar (5Rs).
For more information about HH the Karmapa please visit: kagyuoffice.org.
You can combine the above with a visit to Norbulingka Institute (5 min.
before Gyuto monastery on the bus from Dharamsala) and make
this a very nice day trip to the plains, where it’s much warmer & less
rainy! Norbulingka Institute is an educational complex
which was established to teach & preserve traditional Tibetan arts, such as
thangka painting, woodcarving and embroidery (it’s usually possible to see
students at work). There is also a temple you can visit, a cultural display, a
shop and a nice shady garden with small streams & a good restaurant.
For more information please visit: www.norbulingka.org or call 246405.
The Library of Tibetan Work & Archives (LTWA) was founded by His
Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1970 and, dedicated to the preservation and
dissemination of Tibetan culture, it is one of the most important Tibetan
institutions in the world. Besides the library and archives themselves, there is
a museum (with a beautiful 3-dimensional mandala) and an education department,
which runs classes in Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy.
We recommend anybody interested in Buddhism to
attend at least one of the classes at the library. From March/April to December
there are two classes (each 1 hour) on specific topics of Buddhist philosophy
and practice taught in Tibetan by highly qualified Lamas and translated into
English. Throughout the LTWA academic year, approximately five to seven topics
are successively covered in each class. These topics vary from beginner level
to advanced, through the analysis of particular Buddhist texts. Each topic may
last from two weeks to two months, with students invited to join the classes at
any time. Just drop in for a class to get a great taste of a Tibetan Lama
teaching!
Classes are Monday – Friday & every second
Saturday at LTWA: 9 – 10am with Geshe Monlam Sangpo & 11 – 12 noon with Ven.
Geshe Sonam Rinchen (who has an excellent translator!).
For more information, including a list of this
year’s topics, please visit: www.ltwa.net or
the LTWA section of www.tibet.com or call
222467.
To get from McLeod Ganj to LTWA follow Jogibara
road down the hill towards Dharamsala (app. 20min on foot, or much faster by
rickshaw/ taxi for 50Rs).
There is a Nyingma Monastery on Bhagsu Road, where every week Chamtrul
Lobsang Gyatso Rinpoche teaches a different topic of Buddhist philosophy and
practice (not during monsoon and winter months). Classes are Monday to Friday
from 3 – 5pm. To find out this week’s topic, look out for their posters in
McLeod Ganj or call 220581. To get from McLeod Ganj to the monastery, follow
Bhagsu Road 10 min past the Green Hotel (halfway to the village of Bhagsu) -
when you pass the “Last Chance Café” (a little chai-stand on the right side of
the road), you will see the monastery up the steep driveway on your left.
The Dhamma Sikhara Vipassana Meditation Center, next door to Tushita, offers
10-day courses in Vipassana meditation (as taught by S. N. Goenka) from April to
November, starting on the 1st & 15th of each month. For more information
please check: www.sikhara.dhamma.org. or www.dhamma.org (international) or directly
contact them at the Vipassana center office, just next to Tushita’s Dharamkot
entrance (open Mo-Sa at 4-5pm, Tel. 221309).
MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY!
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