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Children being taught in Wenchen Lhakang
School and Medical Clinic
The medical clinic that was planned in 2006 has been put on hold for various reasons but primarily because
there are so many children in this nomadic area without ANY educational opportunities. Karma Senge Rinpoche’s
main priorty for 2011 is making space for the 160 children that are now enrolled. They are being taught
to read and write Tibetan by the senior nuns at Wenchen Gompa, but right now only 80 students can be accommodated
in the shrine room at the Gompa. Most of the students live at Wenchen Gompa, with only 20 of them being
housed at nearby Kyere Monastery. Many of the children come from families that are too poor to provide any
support and 40 of them are either orphans or only have one parent. Most of the parents in this remote part
of Chamdo Province cannot read or write their own language, much less help their children. With all the
changes happening in China, Tibetans, at the very least, need to be able to read and write Tibetan and Chinese,
and English too, if possible. Karma Senge Rinpoche and the nuns and monks of Wenchen and Kyere are committed
to providing this for them.
Wenchen Gompa (aka Weyching Gompa)
Started in 1995 by Karma Senge R., this kagyu nunnery now has 65 nuns in residence getting the same
rigorous traditional Tibetan education that monks receive. It is the first nunnery to be re-built in this
remote area and sits high above timberline on a hillside overlooking a large grassland river valley that
is surrounded by jagged Himalayan peaks. The retreat center for the ani gompa was built around a sacred
cave recognized by Choygam Trungpa R. in writings he left in Tibet, as a place where auspicious incidents
were likely to occur. When I was there in Sept of 2007, there were 5 nuns doing 3 to 6 year retreats there,
and 65 nuns studying at the gompa. Now, in 2011, there are 90 nuns living and practicing at Wenchen and
60 nuns are on retreat, most for 10 years or longer. Everyone enthusiastically hopes the nunnery will continue
to grow, as it is clear that there are many more nuns waiting to practice there. Their enthusiasm and dedication
to practice is truly inspiring.
Kyere Monastery
This monastery, where there is still a lot of restoration needed, is located at the head of the same
river valley as Wenchen Gompa. All the monks at this monastery, as well as the nuns at Wenchen are very
poor. Many of them need outside help to buy food so that they can go into retreat.
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