Supporting the remote Buddhist Academy was a long-term project for DENER. Through contact with the teachers of the Buddhist academy, we were able to prepare all kinds of supplies such as stationery, school bags, dual-use lamps and send the necessary resources to the remote Buddhist academies to support the student monks to study with a peace of mind. It has been our way to support the Buddhist Academy.
Located in Yushu, Qinghai, the Bianqian Monastery was built by the fourth Sangyenpa Rinpoche, and was an inherited ancestral temple. Sangenianpa Rinpoche rebuilt Bianqian Monastery in the early 1990s. Located next to the most beautiful grassland in Yushu, the Buddhist Academy currently has 60 monks studying there. This is one of the Buddhist academies that we have been assisting for a long time.
Because the Buddhist Academy is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of 4493.4 meters, there are only two seasons throughout the year, cold and warm. The most extreme temperature could be as low as minus 20 degrees. When we confirmed with the school regarding the supplies this year, the teacher mentioned that the monks need quilts and quilt covers. After understanding the situation, we purchased a batch of high-quality cotton quilts for the Buddhist Academy to help the Buddhist Academy replace the long-used bedding with the new ones. The weather in Yushu is gradually getting colder and we hope this batch of quilts would prevent the students from suffering the cold winter.
Located in Ganzi Sichuan, the Xeshu Buddhist Academy is the largest Buddhist academy in Ganzi. The monastery management is very well-organized, and there are many talented students. Currently, there are two thousand five hundred monk students studying here. In order to make it easy for the student to put books and scriptures, this year we specially prepared a custom school bag for the academy. In addition to stationery and scriptures, the schoolbag could also put water bottle on both sides. We hoped that the new schoolbag would bring more convenience to the students.
August is the month when the Buddhist Academy is in quiet retreat. During this period, the monk students focus on their practice and homework. During this special time, our materials were delivered to the academy and teachers helped to distribute them the students on our behalf. The monk students at Bianqian Temple lined up to receive their quilt in an orderly manner, unable to hide their joyful expressions.In the larger Xeshu Buddhist Academy, the monk students sat quietly in their seats and waited patiently.
In these remote mountainous areas, the Buddhist academies are responsible for the area’s education. Monks from all over came here to study and practice devoutly. We hoped that these materials would not only make good connections with the monk students, but also continue to support the Buddhist academy.