February 24, 2024 • Light action on the 'Day of Miracles'
After the festival of Losar, Tibet traditionally holds the 'Great Festival of Prayer' from the fourth to the eleventh day of the Tibetan New Year. The festival ends with the 'Day of Miracles', Chotrul Duchen, also called 'Butter Lamps Festival'. This year this day falls on February 24, 2024.
We would like to light many butter lamps on your behalf again for peace and for your personal intentions on February 24 in the Dagpo Monastery. It is said that on this day every positive act has 100,000,000 times more power.
You can participate in the special lights campaign!
Click here For more information.
Soil research
Landslides no danger, earthquakes remain risk
and good water management is important
The geological survey has been completed and the result, in the form of a thick report, is in. We have now also had the time to study it, helped by the explanation of Alessandro Marasca from Hopper BV We will take you through the process and the conclusions.
After more than a year and a half of delay, the investigation could be started. Some adjustments in the conditions were necessary because no supervisor from Hopper BV could be present. Due to the great efforts of Alessandro, the monks and an intensive e-mail exchange with the Indian company, which fortunately turned out to have experience with the way of working in Europe, the research went very well to everyone's satisfaction and was carried out according to European standards.
The main findings are:
• There is no immediate danger of landslides so there is no reason to leave the area. An exception is the piece of land on the other side of the road that runs in front of the monastery. There is a risk of landslide there and is therefore only suitable for planting with deep-rooted plants.
• Earthquakes do remain a risk. The foundations of the buildings are on a soft top layer, causing the buildings to sag and show cracks. These cracks will continue to increase. This and the way the buildings are constructed mean that in the event of an earthquake, buildings collapse within a minute.
• There is no drainage for the rainwater that comes from the mountains during the rainy season. The top layer is difficult for the water to pass through and so water remains on the site of the monastery. This water can damage the foundations and erode the top layer of the soil. This also applies to the water that falls on the site and the waste water from the monastery.
• The sewage system regularly overflows and causes a lot of odor nuisance for the environment.
Light action
Butter lamps are lit every day in the monastery. This is to clear obstacles and generate positive energy.
The monks can also light butter lamps for our personal intentions.
For every 5 euros donated for this purpose, a butter lamp is lit by the monks. The proceeds of all these lights benefit the safe and sustainable housing of the monastery. Every month, the monastery is informed about how many lights can be lit.
If you have a special intention, you can send a message to annemiekejansen2@upcmail.nl.
You transfer your contribution to NL92ABNA 0833 8907 35 in the name of The WHISE Foundation and mention 'Donation Lichtjesactie'.
Your Tsongkhapa day
December 18 is Ganden Ngam Chö, the anniversary of the death of Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) who is seen as a second Buddha. With his Lamrim, Je Tsongkhapa to this day gives many people the opportunity to understand and apply the profound teachings of the Buddha.
Lights in and for Dagpo Dratsang
Many of you probably know that this day is traditionally celebrated with lots of light and is therefore also called Light Day. Hence the possibility to light butter lamps in Dagpo Dratsang. In this way you can symbolically contribute to more light and hope for a better world.
You can read how you can participate in the light action block.
