Khachodling - Land of the Blissful Dakinis

Khachodling The Vision and Projects of Khandro Thrinlay Chodon

education of children

Khachodling Children's Project

Education of Children and Youth

Remote Himalayan communities have limited educational opportunities for children. Often parents are very poor, teachers (especially good ones) are hard to get or keep, and local cultural traditions are rarely if ever taught. Even when children leave their remote communities to pursue a modern education on the plains they most often become disconnected entirely from their own people sometimes not even returning home again.

It is crucial for the future of these peoples that children are educated in a manner that prepares them for the modern world without losing their ancient wisdom, values, traditional culture and local language (written and verbal).

In 2009 Khachodling began the Children’s Education Project which funds the education of poor children from remote areas into schools that offer a modern education. Presently all children are attending local Manali schools and Khandro-la has kindly set up a dharma school on Sunday afternoons at her home, Drukpa Gompa, so they can also receive education in their own cultural and spiritual heritage. The parents are very happy that their children will receive the benefit of such an education and the smiling, happy faces of the children in the Project are a great source of joy for their families, the community and Khachodling.

There are currently eight children from nursery to Grade 3, in this Project. Many come from very poor communities where the parents are road workers or sell trinkets. Their home village is in Parda, Jammu and Kashmir State. Each year we aim to increase the number of children being supported. In 2011 the project will also open to children from the Pangi area, Himachaal Pradesh.

“Friend of the Children’s Education Project”

$1 per day will educate one child

It costs approximately $1 per day per child to cover school fees, uniforms, books and dharma school costs. Khachodling has established a general Children’s Education Project fund account into which all donations are evenly distributed on behalf of all the children. However, if you wish to commit to supporting a single child (or children), you can receive a photo and news of their progress.

For more information please contact Khachodling’s Children’s Project Coordinator, Deborah Sheehy Email: deborahsheehy@optusnet.com.au Tel: 61-(0)3-95056274

Please click here to see photos of children and youth currently in this project

Other Projects

Self Sufficiency Projects

The remote Himalayan communities are endangered. They are tending to become carried away with modern glamour and materialism and lose their natural way of life. Khachodling seeks to support local traditional communities, particularly women, to become self sufficient. This improves self confidence and enables them to stay in their localities while upholding and preserving their enriched culture. It is also important that in these modern times, when fewer people offer to spiritual communities, that the hermitages find projects that enable them to become self sufficient.
Khachodling has two self sufficiency projects at present -
Making and selling of solar lamps to the local community of Zanskar
Carpet weaving to support the nunnery

Training and Education Centre in Himachal Pradesh

Khandro-la envisages the establishment of an educational and retreat centre that will be an important hub for East-West training and dialogue.

Nuns from Zanskar may travel to this site to receive invaluable religious instruction from Tibetan Masters who may find it more difficult to travel to the remote parts of the Himalayas. Alongside religious training, these nuns will receive vocational training in becoming outreach workers back in their own remote local communities.

The centre will be a place also for western students to do retreat and study.

It will provide space for westerners and lay Himalayan people to participate in the exchange of skills, knowledge and expertise to develop and maintain the outreach and self-sustainable economic projects of Khachodling.

healing Garden Temple

Namaskar

Projects in memory of His Holiness 9th Shabdrung of Bhutan
(Khandro-la's late husband)

Pedong, in Kalimpong region of India, is an old Bhutanese area where Khandro-la lived with her late husband, His Holiness the 9th Shabdrung Ngawang Jigme. Khandro-la worked tirelessly to assist Rinpoche in the establishment of his gompas, both in Pedong and also Bodhgaya.

Since His Holiness' passing from this life in April, 2003, the monk body continues the monastic duties of this lineage. While now also engaged in her own Khachodling work, Khandro-la unwaveringly continues her devotion to her husband's lineage. For example, in 2008 Khandro-la completed the construction of a stupa dedicated to His Holiness' memory in Padum, Zanskar. This is where His Holiness taught and manifested many miracles.

Khandro-la also offers welfare and spiritual support to Pedong's local community with whom she visits. Their love and devotion completely binds her to them. Even though Kalimpong and Bhutan are a long distance from Manali, where Khandro-la is now based, the local Pedong people and the Bhutanese followers of His Holiness come to pay their respect there.

Australia

Khandro-la has a strong connection with Australia. When young she had an Australian sponsor and many Australians studied in her Manali home under the guidance of her parents and Gegen Khyentse. Since 2005 she has been teaching annually in Australia and has a growing sangha. Mid 2009 Khandro-la led a pilgrimage to Central Australia ("Return to the Heart"). This journey to sacred sites deepened her connection to this ancient land and its indigineous people. Through Australia Khachodling, Khandro-la holds the intention to facilitate beneficial activities or projects that honour the land as well as its traditional people.

Education and Other Projects

Khandro-la Namaste

"All this I offer to my gurus"

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