May 1 2009

Dear Dharma Friends,

Since 2004, I have been working on publishing the textbooks that are studied in the schools of the Karma Kagyu Lineage as well as many general textbooks that are studied in all Himalayan Buddhist monastic schools. When I was a student, I had to make photocopies of books that I needed for my studies. It took a lot of time to make the copies and was a financial problem for me.

I am selling the books that I have published at an especially low price to students. For example, 4 volumes consisting of 2000 pages do not cost them more than USD 7,00. I am charging students only half the price for paper and printing that the press has me pay; our monks’ and my working hours are voluntary and free. Actually, I would like to give everything we do away. But I don’t think it is a good idea, because people who aren’t really interested might take them and just put them in their bookshelf as decoration. Then no books will be left for sincere students who really need them. Therefore I decided not to give the books away free, hoping that people who do not need them do not order them and thus do not take advantage of our generosity.

The books that I planned to publish by 2010 are nearing completion. I will then hand over this project to the senior monks of our Institute to continue. Please click here to view the list of published works so far. Warm thanks to every one who supported this project.   

 In the meantime, I have experience as a teacher . Most of the teachers at Karma Lekshey Ling have graduated from Lekshey Ling, are teaching and working very hard, and are receiving no gratification. It is important to have good teachers and unfortunately many teachers are experiencing financial problems. I, too, faced financial difficulties before travelling abroad to teach foreign students. It is my wish that our very qualified teachers also have opportunities to teach abroad, but I see that it will not be possible if they spend their time seeking financial means. If good teachers spend time seeking financial means to teach abroad instead of travelling in order to teach, then the students will experience the loss and are the ones who will be deprived. I sincerely hope but don’t think that all our teachers can go abroad to help foreign students. So, for that, I wish to give each teacher USD 30,00 every month as pocket money for holding at least two classes a day, but I need your help. At the moment, there are more than 20 teachers.

Thanks to you all for taking part in my projects and for your generous contributions and help so that they can be fulfilled.

May the brilliance of the three wisdoms spread.

Yours truly,

Khenpo Karma Namgyal