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In the USA Siddhartha School Project |
In Ladakh, India Siddhartha Schol/Choskor Stok |
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SITE GUIDE
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February 26, 1998 Dear Kind Friend, Greetings and best wishes to you. As we prepare to inaugurate the fourth new academic year at Siddhartha School, thanks to the generosity of the members of SSP, I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for your continued support. I hope that you had a joyful, happy New Year, and I wish you an auspicious 1998. The New Year season is always a special time for me. As some of you may know, February 27th marks the beginning of Losar, Tibetan New Year. I can recall the time when I was studying at Tashi-Lungpo Monastery in Tibet for my Geshe degree; the grand celebrations and kindness the community shared with eachother on those holy days were truly memorable. New Year celebrations also make me think even further back to my childhood days in Ladakh, where we celebrate Losar in December. As a boy I would look forward with great anticipation to the village festivities; all the children shared in the excitement as we feasted on sweets and played with the elaborate toy animals that our mothers made out of baked dough for the holiday. In my culture Losar marks a time of giving thanks and paying respect. When I was in the midst of my studies in Tibet, the Chinese invaded, promising to bring electric lights and modern education. I tried to be hopeful for their promises, for there are many benefits that modern technology can bring. But they took away the inner light -- the traditions and beauty cultivated over centuries, illuminated in our holy days, such as Losar. When I fled and returned to my family village of Stok, I was very sad. Losar in Ladakh, where Tibetan Buddhist culture is free, became even more precious to me. I decided then to do all I could to insure that children in Ladakh would always have Losar and an education which honors our traditions alongside efforts to become more modern. It is for this reason that I founded Siddhartha School with the help of you and all my good-hearted friends. For some time I have been contemplating the fact that each child at the school is more than a student to me. When I am there with them, I see their parents and envision their futures as loving parents to a new generation of children in Ladakh. Remembering this I realize how important it is for a school to provide a loving, respectful and strong environment for them to study and learn about our old traditions in a modern world, to support them so they may make good lives for their future families. I have great hope that in the future we will be able, with your kindness, to protect the heritage and rich culture that Ladakh shares with Tibet. It is through your help that we were able to purchase a school bus and build two new classrooms this year! Together we are making what was once just a New Year's hope a reality. The parents of Stok just finished putting the roof on the new classrooms, so they are ready for the new school year. The parents asked me to send their deepest thanks to you. In Ladakh and abroad, people are working together for Siddhartha School and sharing their gifts in many ways. Some people have given to the building campaign, to help get good classrooms for the school. Some have paid monthly tuition and supplies for families who cannot afford it. Some have given money to purchase equipment and the new school bus. Still others give their time and energy in services like visits of medical care and so forth. I am very moved by your compassion and generosity for Siddhartha School children. As the children of my village and myself consider you to be part of the Siddhartha School family, we say thank you, and pray for your long life and an auspicious year ahead for you and your loved ones.
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