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turning the
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siddhartha school project newsletter |
issue #3 |
december 1998 |
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His Holiness The Dalai Lama Visits Siddhartha School
(Index)
A few days earlier Geshe-la had met with His Holiness in Choglamsar for a private meeting. His Holiness had been very keen to discuss the current state of Ladakhi culture--particularly with regard to education and religion. "We visited for about one hour. He wanted to know how many Geshes (Buddhist scholars) are in Ladakh, and he was especially interested to hearing if there was any effort on the part of Ladakhi Muslims and Christians to study Buddhism." Although Ladakhi Muslims and Buddhists had been living together peacefully in the region for centuries, tensions that began to brew in the 1980's continued to be felt into the 1990's. Fortunately, they have subsided for the time being, and efforts have been made on behalf of both communities to strengthen relations and a spirit of unity. His Holiness feels strongly that interfaith dialogue and studies in comparative religion are important tools for promoting peace. Siddhartha School shares his vision, and Geshe-la plans to introduce comparative religion and philosophy courses into the school's curriculum as the children get older. Currently he and the teaching staff incorporate into their classes visits from local story-tellers who share with the children the stories of Ladakh's unique cultural heritage. The Dalai Lama recognized Geshe-la's efforts to promote and foster Ladakhi culture last year when he wrote a letter of support and donated 50,000 rupees and a thangka (traditional Buddhist painting on cloth) from his personal collection to the Siddhartha School. "As our meeting was closing, I asked His Holiness if he would come to visit the school during his stay in Ladakh," Geshe-la said. "I knew he was scheduled to visit Stok Palace and monastery, and he would be passing our school on his way up the village road. I also knew that he had received invitations to visit almost every other school and that he had declined due to a very tight schedule." Geshe-la laughed as he recounted their exchange: "His Holiness asked how far Siddhartha School was from the road leading to the palace. I assured him that it was right off the road, and easy to walk to, but His Holiness joked that in case it was a climb, I should bring him a walking stick. He told me that if I would wait at the road with a walking stick for him, he would stop." On the day of His Holiness's trip to Stok, the teachers and staff were filled with anticipation for the Dalai Lama's visit. No one really was sure if he would be coming, because the Siddhartha School was not included on the Dalai Lama's official itinerary. As Geshe-la stood with the wooden staff, he saw the fleet of cars approach. He tried not to show any reaction when they came up the road. To everyone's surprise, among all the cars in the official caravan, that of His Holiness turned towards the school gate and drove into the Siddhartha School grounds. Geshe-la ran to catch up with His Holiness's car, and he handed over the stick and welcomed the Dalai Lama. His Holiness stepped out, chuckling, delighted with the stick, and he took it in his hand. He walked with it into the school's office where he had a bit of tea and sweets that were offered to him. Inside, he blessed the school by writing a message on a holy thangka he had given to the children. His inscription: "I give this thangka with prayers to the three jewels; the source of vast happiness and benefit to self and others, both in the present and future lives of the many children at this school, the Siddhartha School. Given by the Tibetan Shakya Gelong Bhiksu, Dalai Lama July 12, 1998" His Holiness also wanted to donate some money. While inside the office with Geshe-la, he offered him a check for 50,000 rupees. Geshe-la tried to turn down the money: "I told His Holiness that we are all so blessed and honored by his visit, that his presence at our little school was surely gift enough. I also reminded him that he gave us money last year, and that his support and good wishes meant everything to us. He looked around at the school house and said to me: 'This is great work done by a simple monk. I want to give you this money and if you take it, I'll be satisfied.'" His Holiness gave Geshe-la a check for 50,000 rupees (about 1, 900 US). Then he stood at the entrance of the school office. He complimented the Stok community for offering such a choice site for the Siddhartha School grounds. He was impressed by the beautiful view of Leh and other places visible from the school. Geshe-la pointed out different sites to him. "He liked our land very much, and the all the hard work we have been doing to make nice classrooms for the children." Then His Holiness left for the Stok Palace. There were calls after calls regarding this unscheduled visit by the Dalai Lama. Only top security had known about it. Siddhartha School was the only school chosen out of twenty schools that had requested a visit. Padma Dorje (Siddhartha School Project Coordinator) and Vivekananda (teacher and principal in proxy while Geshe-la is out of the country) conveyed their thoughts on the blessing of the Dalai Lama's visit in a letter to the US: "We all--the members, students, and staff of Siddhartha School bow at His Holiness's feet and thank His Holiness from the depths of our hearts for so kindly visiting our school and blessing it. We are so fortunate to have him come. We are also very thankful to Mr. Bill Kite (Siddhartha Cultural and Welfare Society Board member), who was also present for the welcome, for the video recording and taking of photographs." Siddhartha School Picnic
(Index) A school-wide picnic was arranged on July 31st, a splendidly sunny day. It was held in the gardens of the Royal Palace of Ladakh, adjacent to the Siddhartha School's property. On this day Sonam, one of the Siddhartha School's teachers was given a send-off, as it was his last day of teaching at Siddhartha School. He has left his post to continue his education. Geshe-la thanked Sonam for his valuable service to the school and wished him success in his studies and a bright future, and he presented Sonam with a farewell gift. Sonam was touched, and expressed his gratitude to Vivekananda and Geshe-la for giving him "such a precious opportunity to work at the school and among such a dedicated staff." Geshe-la arranged for a special story-teller to attend the picnic, and he shared many wonderful stories with the children and teachers. The children also presented songs to the story-teller, much to his delight. At the end, Geshe-la thanked their guest and asked him to visit the school once a month to tell traditional Ladakhi stories to the children. He graciously accepted. Parents and Children Plant Trees and Flowers
(Index) Last spring, Siddhartha School children, their parents and teachers joined to plant four hundred willow tree saplings around the new school buildings. They, as well as the flowers in the garden, are thriving in the arid landscape because of the loving care granted to them by the children every week. They love to watch them grow! Parents' Day
(Index) On August 14, 1998 an estimated 60 parents and various government school teachers came out for the annual Siddhartha School Parents' Day Celebration. Tsewang Dorje, head teacher, welcomed Geshe-la, members, headmaster, and teachers, and all the parents present for the occasion. The program started with a "Welcome in Style" by the youngest class. Each of the students had one letter of the word "welcome" on a slate, and as music played, each child ran with their letter to arrange it in the proper place in order to spell "WELCOME". After the welcome, as it is the tradition in Ladakh, they began with a prayer called Monlam. This prayer was sung by the Upper Kindergarten class in order to insure the smooth functioning of the program and the well-being of all present. Then the first and second grade students, all decked out in traditional Tibetan dress performed a dance called Jypro with a song. After this colorful dance by Siddhartha School's most senior students, it was time for the nervous but eager Lower Kindergarten students to perform their surprise item. Ten little birds came flying and sat in a row. Then as music played "chidiya, chidiya" ("birds, birds") all of the class came out with beautifully painted faces, paper feathers on their hats, and big smiles. They sang and danced to the music with flapping wings, one after the other flying away. At last only two birds were left behind. Then one of the two went of to get married, and the last poor, cute little bird was left behind. Searching for its friends, the bird went into a deep forest in search of the others, bidding good-bye to the audience. Everyone in the audience waved good-bye to her and applauded the students for their wonderful performance. Now it was time for the first and second graders to present the concluding act in the program. Each student looked stunning in their traditional Ladakhi finery. This dress includes Mokhos and Phogos--long woolen gowns--for males and females respectively. They also wear a special cap called a Dipi, and ladies wear a special piece of cloth called Bhok. Tradition states that this mode of dress is worn on auspicious occasions out of respect for the local deities. They performed a traditional Ladakhi song called "Tashis Phapches." Padma Dorje and Tsewang Dorje played a local drum, called a Daman, as they danced. In closing, the parents, teachers, and board members discussed the progress of their children in their studies and extra-curricular activities. Geshe Tsetan, founding director, gave the keynote address. In an inspiring speech he offered a brief history of the Siddhartha School, sharing that it has been his lifelong dream to open a school for the children of his native village. At Geshe-la's invitation, the headmaster of the Government High School in Stok also spoke for the occasion. "Siddhartha School is a blessing for the poor," he said, "and it is building a strong foundation for our village's children in both the field of academics and the rich cultural heritage of Ladakh." In closing he encouraged parents to spend time talking with the Siddhartha School's teachers and staff so that they might together "discover the latent potentials in their children and find new ways to nurture them." The head teacher, Tsewang Dorje, closed the day's events with a candid talk on education. He reminded the group that education is what remains after one forgets what they learned in school. As such, he reminded everyone that continuity is essential to insuring the retention of knowledge in a child's education. He noted that many parents of means in Ladakh keep changing schools in search of a so-called better kind of education, distinguishing between public and private facilities. According to him, change of schools and comparing the virtues of public versus private schools are not the solution for improving the quality of education for young people. "The problems can only be overcome through cooperation between the two and the dedication of all parents to focus on a community school such as Siddhartha to improve it." Then Mr. Vivekananda, teacher and principal in proxy, thanked the headmaster of the government high school and the Siddhartha School teachers for sparing their valuable time to prepare the program. He also thanked the head teacher Tsewang Dorje, Geshe Tsetan, the parents, and board members responsible for the success of the Parents' Day meeting. Before dispersing, parents met with teachers to discuss their child's progress and to see the classrooms decorated with the children's work. 1999 Fundraising Drive
(Index) Siddhartha School has made a huge difference in the lives of the children of Stok and surrounding villages. The children are being prepared for their changing world by learning English, Hindi, mathematics and other subjects. At the same time they are being immersed in their rich heritage by learning Classical Tibetan (the language of the Buddhist scriptures), listening to the lessons imparted by local oral tradition, and being taught in Ladakhi, their native tongue. They have all passed their annual compulsory examinations and are successfully advancing a grade each year. The children maintain good health thanks to the yearly check-ups and the beginnings of a clinic with medicine and basic supplies given by Dr. Heinz-Gunther Koke, a founding board member of the Schulprojekt Ladakh, e.V., in Munich, Germany, who visits the school every year. Each year Siddhartha School is required by Indian law to enroll a new class. This means that new classrooms must continue to be built in order to accommodate the growing school, which eventually will house ten grades. We will need to raise another eight thousand dollars this year in order to construct new classrooms next summer. With the introduction of each new class, new teachers must be hired, and since Siddhartha School promises to provide the highest quality Ladakhi educators, it is essential that our teachers' salaries be competitive. We also wish to keep tuition rates lower than those of any other private school in the area. Furthermore, the health clinic must be made more extensive in order to ensure that the children receive any medical attention they might need on the grounds. Siddhartha School is a success because of the donations of SSP members and friends. As Tsewang Dorje, Siddhartha School's head teacher said in his speech on Parents' Day, continuity in schooling is essential for the overall improvement of education. And education, says His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is the most important key for ensuring peace and understanding in a precious and rapidly-changing world like Ladakh. The long-term goal of Siddhartha School is to become independent, so that it can run without having to rely on the generosity of people around the world for support. We have begun to build an endowment fund, and the parents and community work together to avoid having to pay for labor whenever possible. But Siddhartha School is still very young, and it needs your help and encouragement in order to thrive. Two New Classrooms Are Being Built
(Index) Two new classrooms are being built to accommodate next year's admissions. It is hoped that this project will be completed by the end of 1998. Thank you to all SSP members and friends who continue to contribute to Siddhartha School's progress. Last year we raised almost eight thousand dollars for construction and the development of the school's curriculum, including the addition of new teachers and supplies. Moreover, the generous sponsorship of individual students has assured many Stok families that their children can get the education they deserve. If you haven't considered sponsoring a child, it is a wonderful way to make a difference and to support Geshe Tsetan in providing a unique and vital center for this community. Staff Profile: Tsewang Norbuvivekananda
(Index) T. N. Vivekananda, a native of Stok, has been educated both in a western-style Christian school and in traditional Buddhist institutions, so he is uniquely qualified as a teacher and administrator at Siddhartha School. When Vivek, as he is called by his friends and colleagues, was ten years old, his mother died, and his father who was unable to care for three children alone sent him to a Christian school in Kashmir. After attending school in Kashmir for several years, Vivek moved to Bangalore in South India, where he studied to become a Buddhist monk. He stayed in Bangalore until he received his B.A. degree. Geshe Tsetan felt that Vivek's experience in teaching young novice monks, performing administrative duties, and his ultimate roots in Ladakh made him the perfect candidate for the teaching staff at Siddhartha School. When Geshe-la is away in the States, Vivek serves as Acting Principal, and he assists Project Coordinator Padma Dorje with the administration of the School. Indeed he has proven to be a dedicated and invaluable member of the Siddhartha School family. The Siddhartha School Project |
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Early in the morning on July 12, 1998 the Siddhartha School children, their parents, teachers, staff, and board members lined the roadside in front of the schoolhouse
carrying kataks (white Buddhist offering scarves), sticks of burning incense, and flowers. They were waiting for His Holiness the Dalai Lama to pass by. Geshe Tsetan, director and founder, waited with a wooden staff draped with a white scarf, filled with hope and excitement.