"We built the monastery slowly, step by step," says the 72-year-old Venerable Thubten Phuntsok, one of the key players in the reconstruction of Nechung monastery, and as the holder of the Vajra Acharya (Lopon) title, is the highest ranking monk after Nechung Kuten and Nechung Rinpoche.

Once temporarily operating from an old rented Indian house, the neatly built Nechung monastic complex near the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives is now one of the main attractions of Gangchen Kyishong, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile headed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Since then dozens of young monks have been ordained and, like in the past in Tibet, Dorje Drakden (Nechung) is daily invocated in their prayers. Tibetan refugees attribute much of their success in exile to the ongoing guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and their Protector.

The Vajra Acharya Venerable Thubten Phuntsok, too, gives credit for his monastery's accomplishments to the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Dharma Protector. He also told the Tibetan Bulletin that the encouragement received from the previous Nechung Kuten and the late Nechung Rinpoche were extremely useful. Nevertheless, it is apparent that for all practical purposes, behind all the spiritual and moral forces, lies the human spirit and determination.

"I simply worked hard to teach the Chinese that human spirit cannot be destroyed, no matter how hard they strive to destroy monasteries. Even the latter can be rebuild. My friend, Kushok Thupten Sherab (Wangyal) and others have given full support," says Vajra Acharya Venerable Thubten Phuntsok.

The Nechung monastery in Tibet also was destroyed during the fatal "Cultural Revolution." Lately, the monastery, despite Chinese vigilance, has been voluntarily and partially rebuild by Tibetans, including some former Nechung monks. It reportedly has about 16 monks only and little spiritual activity in sight (see History of Nechung monastery).

On the other hand, the scene at its counterpart in exile is a living culture for all to see. After receiving land from the Tibetan government, construction of a hostel for Nechung monks' began in 1977 and was completed in 1979. The construct ion work on the monastery was started in May 1981. It was completed in March 1984 with a private chamber for His Holiness

Dalai Lama, and statues, thankas, and religious scriptures - all systematically laid out. The monastery was formally inaugurated by His Holiness on March 31, 1985.

The monastery has 61 junior and senior monks, including five monks from the parent Nechung monastery who escaped Tibet in 1991. The daily schedule of the monks begins at 5:30 a.m. and ends at 9:45 p.m. Apart from daily prayer sessions, their study course include Buddhist philosophy, debate, training in chanting, preparation of ritual cakes and mandala creation, memorisation of religious texts and classes in Tibetan literature and English. The monks also study various subjects of Buddhist sutra and tantra of both the Ancient and New traditions. Every Saturday, the monastery also organises a talk or a seminar where the monks discuss and exchange views on various issues relating to Tibet and the Tibetan people. During these sessions, the monks are also invited to give suggestions for the smooth functioning and improvement of the monastery. Sometimes Tibetan and foreign guest speakers are invited to address the monks.

In addition, Nechung monastery has an annual ritual calendar, which among other things, comprises of a regular practice of the invocation rite of the Dharma Protector, the Thirteen deity Yamantaka and Guru Padmasambhava's sadhana and self-generation of Hayagriva deity. Then on the 10th and 25th day of every Tibetan month, Guru Rinpoche and Daniki days are respectively observed with special prayers and ritual offerings. Whenever commissioned, the monastery also conducts special prayers and ritual ceremonies for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, for welfare of Tibet and for world peace.

Under supervision of the Nechung Kuten, the Nechung Rinpoche and the Vajra Acharya, Nechung monastery is managed by a board of directors consisting of eight senior monks. Interestingly, except for the director, Venerable Thubten Sherab, who is 60 years old, the rest of the board members are aged between 25 and 38.

The board of directors include a director, secretary, manager, ritual master, chant master, disciplinarian and two additional members elected by the board. The board members themselves are elected on merit basis by the monks. However, the chant master, hand-picked from a list of five nominees by the Nechung Kuten while he is in trance, was introduced in exile in 1989.

It is with such a foresighted arrangement that Vajra Acharya Venerable Thubten Phuntsok is confident of the future of Nechung monastery and its traditions, although there are only a couple of elder monks left to guide the younger generation.

"Responsibilities have already been handed over to the younger monks. They form a committee of eight members, and I personally have nothing to do. They make the decision, and I stay away from it. However on serious matters, when I feel there is the risk of running in the wrong direction, I interfere. Otherwise, I do not involve myself in the administration of the monastery. I know, I must prepare for my final departure from this world. I am happy that they are fully capable of shouldering the responsibilities," he says.

The Vajra Acharya Venerable Thubten Phuntsok also says that Nechung monks undergo many aspects of training, adding that, "Our hope is to make them a responsible, educated and wise citizens of a free Tibet."

During his spare time the Acharya has been writing books to keep the record straight and also for consultation by the younger generations of Nechung monks.

"Since the young monks have not seen how we conduct ceremonies and observe our traditions in Tibet, I have endeavoured to write down everything. The first chapter of my book concerns the monastery's annual official ceremonies. I have completed it and it has filled around fifty folios. I have tried to explain with illustrations how each and every Tor-Ma (sacrificial cake) is made for the respective rituals; which deity is generated; and so on. In Tibet, we used to make Tor-Ma alone with 200 khel of butter. Similarly, I have recorded the history of Nechung, its traditions, liturgies, ceremonial costumes, and the monastic architecture, and so on. Up to now it is more than a hundred folios of manuscript. I have left everything in writing for the monks to learn and train," Vajra Acharya Venerable Thubten Phuntsok says.

He and his colleagues have also taken every care to revive and transmit all the lineages of practices unique to Nechung monastery to their younger generation of monks. "I am confident that they will certainly be able to take all the Nechung traditions alive back to Tibet, once Tibet becomes a free nation," he says.

"Now, they (younger Nechung monks) have fully caught with us in knowledge. Some of them know more than us. Especially because of His

Holiness' blessings, they are learning Buddhist philosophy, tantra, and modern education, and so on. I have no fear at all now. Our future is intact," says Vajra Acharya Venerable Thubten Phuntsok with regard to Nechung monastery and its traditions.

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Last updated: 10-Nov-97