School

 

Odiyana Children’s School

The surrounding Buddhist community is already very much involved with the Odiyana Temple’s ongoing activities and events. Many young people in the community have been interested in becoming monks and being a part of the temple. Over the last year, we began accepting young boys who are enthusiastic and intelligent to live at the temple. They are being educated by resident and visiting teachers, mainly in Tibetan studies.

 

A new full-time teacher has joined our team of three resident teachers to teach English, Mathematics, and Science.

Words of Appreciation for Volunteers:

For the past two years, our sangha members have enthusiastically volunteered their time to teach English, math, arts, yoga, and various other skills to our students.

We sincerely thank Talia Pinnel, Norbu Kangchen, Kyndra Irwin, Tsering Wynne, Clair Woolson, Marilyn Stoner and Nurha Des for their dedicated efforts.

We hope that more volunteers will come forward this year and in the future to continue this wonderful work.

Even though young monks will continue to be part of the Odiyana Children’s School, the school itself will consist of young boys and girls in addition to the young monks.

 

Activities on the Land:

Everyday: Young monks at the Odiyana Children’s school study reading, writing, art and rituals in Tibetan. They also engage in all other sorts of Dharma activities including prayers and meditation. Students follow a well established schedule, starting from 6 in the morning till 8PM led by the head teacher Loppon Phurpa Dorjee from Namdrolling Monastery and our resident teachers: Lama Ngawang, Lama Jurmey and other visiting teachers. 

As a part of Odiyana Children’s School, construction of the young monks’ quarters began earlier this year. This three story building holds a capacity of 40+ student residents. It is scheduled to complete sometime early next year, if not sooner.

Odiyana Children’s School

India maintains a long and illustrious history of valuing education; in fact, the great monastic center of Nalanda, founded in India in the 5th century, was possibly the world’s first university, where at its height, as many as 5,000 were instructed by 1,500 teachers.

It is important for young children to receive education that is deep as well as broad, to build human as well as to learn academic skills, and to have teachers that are caring as well as knowledgeable. Finally, quality education must be available to all, not just to the privileged few. Only then can it be an equalizing and democratizing force in society.

Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche lived, studied, and taught at a university based on the Nalanda tradition. He subsequently moved to the United States, where he has lived, studied and taught for the past 20 years. In that time, he has seen that there are so many benefits to obtaining a good education. Education a major factor in lifting communities out of poverty and giving young people opportunities to pursue their professional goals. Moreover, education can be a platform for understanding the world and for developing a virtuous heart and mind. Education is a true gateway to self-actualization. Because of Buddhism’s emphasis on developing the mind and altruistic service to others, and because of Rinpoche’s personal views, he knew upon being offered the land that he would like to build a school there as an expression of compassion-in-action.

Many people in the Arunachal and Assam region live in relative poverty, and children do not have access to a good education. Therefore, the intention behind the Odiyana School is that roughly one-third of the enrollment spaces will be reserved for local orphans, who will receive not only a full education but boarding, food and clothing at no cost. Furthermore, Rinpoche envisions that tuition for day students will be adjusted based on financial need.

Our Project:

The Odiyana Children’s School will include modern classrooms for each grade, administrative offices, a kitchen and dining hall, and a library. The educational program will offer a comprehensive K-6 contemporary curriculum in Language, Math, Science, History, Visual and Performing Arts, and Movement. A unique aspect of this modern academic program is that it will be informed by buddhist principles of love and compassion, non-violence, interconnectedness, stewardship of the planet, and deliberate cultivation of the heart and mind through mindfulness and meditation.

Our vision is to recruit highly qualified, full-time teaching faculty from the local Indian population. In addition, the Odiyana Project will offer volunteer teaching opportunities to educators from abroad. Foreign volunteers will receive travel assistance, food, room and board. They will gain unique and life-changing personal and professional experience, while positively impacting the lives of so many wonderful children and their families, in one of the most remote and stunningly beautiful places on earth. Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche envisions the Odiyana School as a place for developing kind people with leadership skills who possess peace, wisdom and may benefit society for generations to come.

If you wish to support the young monks, teachers and the caretakers at Ati Jangchub Choeling monastery, please let us know at odiyanasb@gmail.com or simply use the link to make Tax-deductible donations please click here.

Please enjoy our postcard with  Little Norbu’s message.