Tantric Medicinal Texts for the Library- Chodrak Dawa
Hello again! I am writing to you in good spirits as everyone in the village is still basking in the pleasure of the lama’s visit. The past few weeks in particular have been extremely chaotic. So many projects are in the final stages of their development, which is why I am writing to you today.
As I believe to have mentioned previously, our village has been occupied with three initiatives: the establishment of a medicine factory, the building of a printing press and library as well as an expedition to the caves. I finally have some free time on my hands to update you as I have been working rigorously in the establishment of the library and the printing press. The library and printing press will be located on the grounds of the monastery, as they are sacred establishments in Tibetan culture. The lama generously contributed to this project and I was inspired to do the same. I donated some resources and gold.
With much success, the library is finally almost ready for public access. As it was such a huge project, many of the village members divided themselves into subgroups. I recently had a meeting with some of the village members that were equally interested in the organizational aspects of the library. We essentially discussed what elements of Buddhist scripture should be on the shelves. I worked closely with Lavender the Translator, Pema the Builder and Pema the Ritualist. I am very pleased to be working with such knowledgeable people and believe that their contributions to the library are very valuable. As my specialty is Tibetan medicine, I focused specifically on putting together a book for tantric medicinal scriptures. I am also hoping to have it include rituals, sutras and even certain mudras.
For the other sections of the library, I believe we are working towards including the Buddhist Cannon (Tripitaka), some biographies of famous monks and nuns, even some Jataka tales if the translations come through. These texts are all relatively easy to obtain. As many people are unable to educate themselves, we are also inquiring about offering classes according to each topic in the library. Having a qualified educator would ease people into the educational system and I think our village would benefit immensely from this. Ideally, the library would be a center for Buddhist learning and for personal growth. I was hoping that the library would be seen as a peaceful area, one to reflect, meditate and be productive in. As you might be able to tell, we are assuming a modern approach with the opening of the library. Everyone should feel welcomed here. The intellectuals of our village will undoubtedly thrive here; it will quench their thirst for knowledge. I know mine is never-ending.
I have been doing everything in my power to become a qualified tantric medicinal educator. I have made it my mission to direct the section for medicine in the library onto a scholastic and philosophical path. This is my calling and I aspire to continue my studies in the Geluk School of Tibetan Buddhism. My ultimate goal is to obtain the degree of geshé lharampa, as this would fulfill my dreams of becoming a proper educator. This is certainly a lengthy and difficult path, however, these are my plans for the long-term. I would like to have an impact on the world beyond the boarders of our community.
Our project was not without struggle, as we encountered many problems on the road to success. We ran into some challenges with regards to collecting texts for the library. Because I am working on developing the section in the library for medicinal scripture, I thought it would be a good idea to have some texts explaining medicinal practices from the views of other Buddhist communities. I also made efforts to gain texts on the history of medicine in Buddhism. Sadly, certain scriptures that we were hoping would be in included in the library will not be. There was an issue at the boarder when we were trying to import them from India. This is unfortunate but I will find an alternative as I am convinced the information in these texts is essential for anyone wanting to pursue a path in medicine.
One morning, just as the village was just waking up, I decided to visit the monastery grounds before the regular hustle and bustle of a working day. I was hoping to get some extra work done early to speed things up. Just as I arrived to my working desk, I was suddenly overwhelmed with an intense awakening to the ever-changing physical world. I paused for a moment to take in my surroundings. It’s amazing that a few weeks ago, this project was its early stages, and now it is nearing completion. Just some food for thought.
The events that have occurred in our village during the course of the last couple of weeks have certainly shaped me in a spiritual way. I feel an even stronger attachment to meditation. I have regularly prayed for the safe completion of all of the projects being worked on in our village. During this journey, I experienced significant personal and spiritual growth. I can only hope to continue these improvements.
