The most Tibetan New Year fell on February 18--the Fire Pig Year, 2134. It is the most important Tibetan festival--an occasion when Tibetan families reunite and expect that the coming year will be a better one. Known as Losar (Lo - Year, Sar - New), the festival takes place from the first to the third day of the first Tibetan month. Some people even celebrate it until the fifteenth day of the first month.

It is a sign that the New Year is approaching when one sees lit torches, hear crackers cracking, and witness people running and yelling to get rid of evil spirits from their houses. Preparations for the festive event are manifested by special offerings to the family altar room. This is decked with kabtse (Tibetan cookies) and sweets. Doors are painted and walls are whitewashed. People eat guthuk (barley crumb food with filling) on New Year's Eve with their families. Eating guthuk is tricky since the barley crumbs are sometimes stuffed with a different filling to fool someone in the family. The Festival of Banishing Evil Sprits is observed after dinner.

In the monastery, monks on the first day go to their respective teachers and high incarnated lamas with scarves in their hands to get blessings for the coming New Year. A special food is served from the community kitchen for everyone. In the evening, films are shown on the wall where everyone comes with a mattress to lie on and enjoy the film.

On the sixth day, the monks’ annual Monlam prayer gathering is held. This year, it occurred at Drepung Monastery where monks of Drepung and Gaden participated. On the sixteenth day, the Maitreya Buddha was carried out in procession through the street of Drepung admid great festivity. People sought the statute’s blessing--throwing scarves, and looking forward to the age of Maitreya when everyone will be mindful of religion, sincere, honest, and free from sickness and distress.

After the procession, the annual short-course race competition, cycle race, stone lifting competition took place. On the seventeenth afternoon, at the cake burning ritual the ritual cake was thrown in the big fire to remove all obstacles and evil spirits for this New Fresh Year.

Drepung Gomang Monastery's official US and Canada tour started at the end of November 2006. Since this time, the Tour Group has been traveling throughout the Midwest and Eastern areas of the US. The monks will be traveling to Canada at the end of June where they will give many programs and teachings before returning to the States in September to visit more cities, school, and centers. They plan to be in Bloomington, Indiana in October 2007 to assist with the visit of His Holiness to the Tibetan Cultural Center. They will return to India in November of this year.

Despite facing great difficulties, the group is working hard with great dedication and have made many new friends. We give thanks to our friends and supporters in the US.

Visits

Taiwan Visit:: Four of our senior monks visited Taiwan per and invitation extended by Geshe Tenzin Mepham’s Center in Taiwan. The monks are Geshe Gelek Gyamtso, Geshe Tenpa Phakchok, Geshe Tenpa Sonam and Chanzoe Geshe Thinlay. They performed prayers and rituals in Taipei during their two months visa. The visit of our monks were first and it was great success with great thanks to Geshe-la and all the friends who supported the monastery.

Japan Visit: In November 2006, monks from our monastery visited Japan in preparation for the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The visit was very successful. His Holiness said he hoped that Drepung Gomang Temple Ryuzoin Temple in Hiroshima, Japan would do well under the spiritual guidance of Khensur Rinpoche Tenpa Gyaltsen, the head Lama of the Ryuzoin Temple and former abbot of Gomang Monastery.

The Temple is a branch of Drepung Gomang monastery in South India and is supported by Manjushri Mahayana Buddhist Association, a religious organisation that works to introduce Tibetan Buddhism among Japanese people and promote exchange of ideas between Tibetan and Japanese Mahayana Buddhism.

New Staff Elections & Appointments

Library
Kushok Nyesang (Geshe Tenpa Choklang) has taken leave from his director post at Drepung Gomang Library. The new elected Directors are Lubum Geshe Kunchok Gyatso and his assistant Ven. Tsondue.

Planning Commission (mawong zekyong tsokpa)
Since the three-year term of Planning Commission directors (Geshe Tenpa, Geshe Tenzin Woser and Geshe Lobsang Samdup) was over, new members were first elected and then officially appointed. The new members are Ngari Geshe Sherab and Lubum Geshe Yonten Gyamtso. Geshe Tenpa was once again requested by the 16 Khangtsen Members to serve another term.

Election of new Tibetan Secretary and Accountant :
It is mandatory to elect the Tibetan Secretary and Accountant one year ahead of the start of their three-year term so they can get necessary experience. Therefore, the election of the Tibetan Secretary and Accountant for the Chanzokhang was conducted. Dati Tenzin Norsang was chosen to be Tibetan Secretary and Geshe Lobsang Yonten Hamdhong as Accountant. They will take charge of their posts on January 1, 2008, but they will begin working in the office at the end of 2006.

New Geshes

We are happy to announce that in 2006, Drepung Gomang Monastery has 29 new Geshes: 11 Geshe Lharampas (equivalent to Ph.D in Western University) and 18 Geshes.

After completing their monastic studies, Geshes can appear for the Gelug Board Examination. If a candidate is able to pass all the examinations in this six-year course, then he is honored with Geshe Lharampa title which is equivalent to a Ph.D in a Western university.

The Monastery congratulates the Geshes for their great academic achievements.
 

We are pleased to acknowledge the generosity of those who donate to Drepung Gomang Monastery. Those who have worked so hard to coordinate the current 2006-07 USA Tour will be mentioned in our next newsletter (July 2007) after the monks have finished the first leg of their USA tour. Canadian coordinators will be mentioned at the end of the Canadian trip.