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MEDITATION RETREAT HOUSE TO OPEN IN SERSHUL

May 18, 2000

Dear Friends of the Kham Aid Foundation, and all practicing Buddhists,

On behalf of His Eminence the Eighth Drukpa Thupten Chokyil Gyaltsen Rinpoche, I would like to tell you about Sershul Monastery's new Meditation Retreat House. When it opens this year in July, it will be an extraordinary and unique place where Buddhists from abroad can go for meditation retreat on the Tibetan plateau.

Retreat house, still under construction in May, 2000

The Retreat House is part of a major construction project at Sershul Monaster, which is located in Sichuan near the TAR and Qinghai borders. Drukpa Rinpoche (Ch Chiba Huofo) has raised funds among his many followers in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Zhejiang, and Fujian to build a grand new temple devoted to Amitabha, a Tibetan medicine hospital, a guest house, and a primary school for local children. The Amitabha Temple, Retreat House, and guest house will open July 9 in a tremendous celebration that will be attended by thousands of guests.

Drukpa Rinpoche

Sershul Monastery belongs to the Gelug Order. With 1300 monks, it is the largest Gelug monastery in Kham and the only one there authorized to bestow the Geshe degree. It has six existing temples, most of which are fairly well preserved since before 1949. The largest temple, which is more than 300 years old, contains two great chanting halls devoted to Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug Order. It also contains many precious relics including one of Tsongkhapa's teeth preserved within a sacred chorten in the upper gallery.

The Retreat House is provided free of charge to members of the Buddhist community who wish to advance their understanding of Buddhism through meditation in Sershul's inspiring grassland environment. The elevation is about 4000 meters above sea level, and the climate harsh, even for Tibet. There are no trees at all in the neighborhood. The Retreat House lies on a hillside above the new Amitabha Temple, fairly isolated from the rest of the monastery and the town below, with a tremendous view of surrounding grasslands and snow mountains. Temperatures rarely exceed 20 degrees C (70 F) and are usually rather colder, with occasional high winds. Summers are damp and stormy; other seasons are dry, bright, and very cold.

New Amitabha Temple at Sershul Monastery

The Retreat House consists of three long-houses each with about twelve rooms. There is no charge for the room, and food can be provided at cost. The rooms will have electricity, and heat will be provided by a dung fire which can be used to heat water for washing. It is expected that each room will house two people, but singles will be available if space permits. It would be better to bring your own bedding, but if you don't, then blankets will be provided. Local foodstuffs consists of dairy and meat products, noodles, tea, and tsampa; however if there are many guests then the monastery will obtain some vegetables for them in the county town. Toilets are in a separate building. Water comes from a well. The town below, which is nearly 100 per cent Tibetan, has a few small shops offering basic goods, and a couple of noodle restaurants.

To reach Sershul Monastery, travel to Xining (the capital of Qinghai) by air, then go by bus to the town of Xiewu in the province's southeast corner. From here you must either hitchhike over the border into Sichuan, or else contact the monastery and they will send a car out to pick you up. This method takes about two days from Xining. A longer route is to approach from the Sichuan side, from Chengdu by bus to Kangding, then to the Sershul County seat, where you must then hitchhike, hire a car, or contact the monastery to go the rest of the way. This takes four days.

Sershul County is part of Ganzi Prefecture in Sichuan, so it is open to foreign visitors without any special travel permit beyond a valid Chinese visa.

The nearest two towns are Sershul (Ch Shiqu) one and a half hours to the SE; and Jyekundo (Ch Yushu), three hours to the NW. Both of these places have shops where you can provision yourself with vegetables and other luxuries. In Jyekundo it is possible to extend your Chinese visa.

Monks in class at Sershul Monastery.

If you want to stay in the Retreat House, you can try to contact Sershul Monastery from abroad, but it's not really necessary. All that's really necessary is that you get there somehow, and they will find a place for you! Also, there is only one person in the monastery who understands English, Mr. Tsering Penlo (he works for Kham Aid Foundation sometimes), and he is not always there. For telephone communication, you will probably need someone proficient in either Tibetan or Chinese. Here are some phone numbers

Drukpa Rinpoche's cell phone 1370 9751413
Monastery phone number (0)688 8117001 x22681
Drukpa Rinpoche's younger brother Jasang, who speaks Tibetan and Chinese
Cell phone 1370 9766158 (does not work when he is at the monastery)
Pager (0)971 95950 x32627 (ditto)

Beijing representative Gongbo
Pager 191 x1146901
Cell phone 1360 1216793

Jyekundo representative Tashi
(0)976 822798

When dialing from abroad, use the country code 86 and omit the (0).

In August, 2000 or so they will go on-line and you can contact them by writing to Mr. Fan Yonglai at FanYongLai@263.net. He can only understand Chinese.

This is a roundabout method, but you can try writing to Kham Aid Foundation's Kangding office director, Mr. Wu Bangfu at wubangfu@khamaid.org. He understands English, and he can translate your message and forward it on to Mr. Fan.

Drukpa Rinpoche has created a Charity Foundation to promote Buddhism, help the needy people of Sershul, and protect the local environment. Anyone wishing to assist in his efforts can become a member of the Foundation for a 200 yuan annual fee. The primary school may be able to use some volunteer teachers. Please contact the monastery or Drukpa Rinpoche for more information.

During the rest of May and early June, 2000, Drukpa Rinpoche will be traveling in SE China and (probably) Hong Kong. Therefore if you want to call his cell phone, now is a good time.

I have a few brochures for Sershul Monastery, and I'll be happy to send these to anyone who would like to make a $5 donation to Kham Aid Foundation. The brochures have photos of the monastery, and information on the Grand Opening written in Chinese. Please drop me an email at the same time as you send your check, to make sure I haven't run out. (Contact information is here).

Best regards,

Pamela Logan

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