01. Project: Renovation for the Tsunda Monastery Complex

ACCOUNT AND EXPENDITURE OF QINGHAI NANGQIAN REGION TSUNDA MONASTERY BUILDING PROJECT

1. Main Dharma Hall, area of 1461.29m2, cost RMB$666,243.28

2. Barrier wall for Tsunda Monastery premises cost RMB$666,243.28

3. College Dharma Hall, area of 1361.29m2 cost RMB$252,656.30

4. Living Buddha main quarter, area 0f 270.17m2 cost RMB$414,991.93

5. Visitors reception quarter, area of 465.58m2 cost RMB$730,871.91

6. College Sangha quarter, area of 1561.29m2 cost RMB$2,719,335.54

7. Primary School
a) Living quarter, area of 264.96m2 cost RMB$407,750.43
b) Classroom, area of 339.66m2 cost RMB$512,097.37

8. Retreat Centre, area of 516.72m2 cost RMB$779,418.97

9. Elderly CareCentre, area of 3618.91m2 cost RMB$5,451,796.74

10. Monastery Sangha quarters, 833.65m2 x 2 cost RMB$2,553,160.46

11. Medical Centre, area of 3661.29m2 cost RMB$608,929.69

12. Monastery Dining Hall, area of 1016.81m2 cost RMB$1,832,298.56

Total sum: cost RMB$22,118,338

13. Central Hall, area of 3030m2 cost RMB$3,553,089

Grand total expenditure: cost RMB$25,671,429 or S$5,134,286

02. Project: To rebuild the Tsunda Monastery Retreat Centre

Since the 80’s, the annual (3-year) retreat is held by 9 monks in every 3 years at the Tsunda Monastery.

However in recent years, heavy downpour in Qinghai area had caused the mud walls of the retreat centre to collapse. This endangers the lives of the retreat monks, Rinpoche had to stop the retreat cycle for the re-constructed a new retreat centre before the line of retreat monks in Sakyapa tradition could continue.

Currently, the new retreat centre has been completed and the first batch of 9 new monks will be going into 3 year retreat soon. As this new retreat centre is bulit by taking loan from banks (abt S$100,000.00), Ven. Tiktsa Rinpoche would like to appeal to people capable of sponsoring retreat monks or donating to the building of the retreat centre to do so. In addition, the necessities for retreat monks were not purchase yet like beddings..etc.

Please try to contribute to the retreat centre as its will serve as a cause for Sakyapa lineage to continue. This act will sow a seed for retreats in our future lives although we are unable to do any retreats due to our hectic life in this lifetime.

03. Fund raising: Buddhist statues for the Tsunda Monastery Retreat Centre

The new retreat centre is also currently short of large images of Buddha Shakyamuni and Guru Rinpoche.

Buddha Shakyamuni:

Buddha Shakyamuni or Gautama Buddha is the fourth Buddha of the Fortunate Aeon (Bhadrakalpika) and the founder of the Buddhism. He lived during the 6th century BC in India as Prince Siddhartha, the heir to the king of Kapilavasta. When He was twenty-nine, He saw sufferings of old age, sickness and death and realized that no one can escape their sufferings of Samsara. Leaving His palace, wife and son, He searched many places and many ways for the Truth. He attained Nirvana in Bodhgaya at the age of thirty-five. He preached the way to attain enlightenment for the next forty-five years and attained Parinirvana around 480 BC in Kusinagara. He showed by His personal example the way to religious salvation.

Height: 1m
Cost: S$8,000.00

Guru Rinpoche:

Guru Rinpoche or Guru Padmasambhava, the second Buddha of our time, is a Tantric Master from the Kingdom of Uddiyana (Urgyen), who brought Tantric Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century AD. His legacy is found throughout the Himalayan region and in many caves He used for meditation one can still see handprints and footprints He impressed into solid rock, graphic testimony to the extraordinary psychic power of this Tantric Yogin. Guru Rinpoche is undoubtedly a historical figure but since His life is so entwined with many legends which displayed supernatural powers, modern people are likely difficult to find it too difficult to believe. However, two basic testaments which proved His existences are: 1. The famous Samye Monastery which was built under His directions, and 2. Tibetan Buddhism with all its body of teaching, learning and realisations which are so rich and profound that it is still converting and lifting the spiritual lifes of not only the Tibetans but people all over the world. In all, Guru Rinpoche spent His life in Tibet, between 747 AD to 765 AD, although some sources claimed that He was there for 50 years. Finally, at the Gungthang pass, He soared into the sky, riding His horse, and departed Tibet for Chamara (rnga yab gling), the south-western land of the Rakshasas. There He is said to remain, in the "immortal rainbow-body of great transference ('ja' lus 'pho ba chen po)." It is said that in different circumstances, He will manifest in various forms to those who have great devotion towards Him, chiefly eighth known as the The Eight Manifestations, or Names (gu ru mtshan brgyad). They are: 1. Padmavajra who severed the roots of the five poisons, 2. Padmaraja who provided mundane and ultimate benefits to sentient beings, 3. Padmasambhava who blessed beings endowed with faith, 4. Dorje Drollo who tamed the yakshas and haughty beings, 5. Suryaprabha who taught the Essence of Secret Mantra, 6. Sakyasimha who guided beings towards the Path of Liberation, 7. Simhanada who defeated the outside aggressors of non-Buddhists or heretics, and lastly 8. Dhimanvaruchi who showed the teachings of Sutra and Mantra.

Height: 1m
Cost: S$8,000.00

Benefits of Buddhist Statues:

In order to attain buddhahood so that all sentient beings, who have been our mothers, may attain buddhahood as well, it is necessary for us to gather the two accumulations of merit and pristine awareness and at the same time to purify ourselves of the twofold obscurations—those of the afflictive emotions and those of ignorance concerning the nature of reality. There are no means in the sutra or the tantra tradition to attain buddhahood without this twofold process. The Vajrayana offers very profound and unique means for doing so. It is geared toward people of the highest acumen, provides many skillful means that do not involve a great deal of hardship compared with other paths, and is extremely precise about the understanding of the nature of reality that comes about through such practice.

Any kind of physical effort associated with creating or honoring a representation of enlightened form, speech, or mind such as prostrations, circumambulations, or pilgrimage is a way of gathering the accumulations and purifying obscurations. Just as texts are representations of enlightened speech of the Buddha and stupas are representations of enlightened mind of the Buddha, statues are representations of the enlightened form of the Buddha.

The Buddha said, "This is due to the blessings of the Buddha. This is the reality but ordinary beings whose minds are undeveloped cannot see these benefits." "This is due to the blessings of Buddha" means that making offerings to statues has the same result due to the power of the holy object. Further reasons as to how the benefits of making offerings to Buddha and the statues of Buddha are the same are mentioned in the Guhyasamaja root text.

The text says, "Those sentient beings who do not have the fortune actually to meet the Buddha need the holy objects of body, speech and mind as the field in which to accumulate merit. These holy objects are necessary."

Thus, with these holy objects, they become the cause of success and happiness. Because these holy objects exist, sentient beings make offerings to them, pray to them. This helps them to create the cause of happiness, and this is how they experience happiness up to the highest happiness of enlightenment. Because the temporary and ultimate happiness of yourself and others depends on the existence of holy objects, this is a purpose in making or sponsoring the making of the holy objects.

04. Fund raising: Vajra Dance Costumes for Grand Vajrakilaya Puja of the YangDak Heruka tradition

Over the past 20 years the Tsunda Monastery has been performing the Grand Vajrakilaya Puja of the YangDak Heruka tradition concurrently in 2 separate dharma hall to hold this particular event.

Persistently for the last 20 years the events were been held without interruption. This Grand Vajrakilaya Puja lineage came down from the Guru Rinpoche is divided into the creation and the main stages. Vajrakilaya dance also divided into the peaceful and wrathful forms, it is very profound with great blessings. All these accompanied with various costume of as shown in the photographs. Peaceful Vajrakilaya dance with special heargear, crown ornaments, the upper and main dress, skirting and waistpiece ornaments, skull ornaments, various ritualistic items such as the drums and dance shoes, including the main tent.

The wrathful Vajrakilaya comprises of different wrathful face-masks, various costumes such as headgear, crown ornaments, the upper and main dress, skirting and waistpiece ornaments, especially various ritualistic items, such as Vajrakilaya staff, bones ornaments and dance shoes and so forth.

We need a total of 40 sets these costumes for ritual dance performances and therefore we seek your generous contribution for these grand event. Innumerable merits indeed.

One set of Vajra Dance clothes - S$200.00

One set of clothes, hats and special shoes - S$600.00

One set of special mask - S$150.00

One set of phurba and kapala made of wood - S$100.00

One set of phurba and kapala made of iron - S$250.00

One set of bone ornaments - S$200.00

05. Fund raising: Rinpoche's Throne

The wooden throne is a furniture which Rinpoche sits to give teachings and blessings in the monastery.

The ornament and decoration of the throne are damaged, thus, it is very inauspicious. A new throne is costed about RMB$38,000.00 or S$7,600.00.

Anyone experiencing difficulties and requiring ritual performances, please kindly contact with the correspondants below for more informations.

View above urgent request, we welcome any contribution and donation to our Tsunda Monastery and we greatly thank you sponsors for your meritorious deed.

Monastery's mailing address, email address and contact numbers:

Rinpoche's personal email: jitsayangsi@gmail.com
(Please take note the above contact is mainly for Mandarin and Tibetan speakers only.)

Correspondent for Hong Kong and Taiwan only:

Correspondent for Malaysia, Singapore and other parts of Mother Gaia:

Email: denpoh1@hotmail.com (Dennis Poh)
Handphone nos: 90400867 (Ah Mu) / 97441781 (Dennis Poh)

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