THE SNOW LION NEWSLETTER

Konchog Norbu in front of Migjid Janraisig Temple at Gandantegchinlen Monastery

Sedona Buddhists Send Monk to Mongolia Konchog Norbu to Initiate Project to Help Revive Ancient Lineage On Friday, March 18, the Kunzang Palyul Chöling (KPC) Buddhist community of Sedona sent one of its monks, Konchog Norbu, to be the first representative in what will be a long-term project to help revive the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma lineage within Mongolia. KPC members practice within the Nyingma tradition, which is the most ancient of the four that have survived in Tibet. Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo, KPC's Spiritual Director, initiated the project upon hearing of the Mongolians' struggle to re-establish their traditional Buddhist culture following independence from 65 years of Soviet communist occupation in 1990. She received encouragement and invitations from the former and current Mongolian Ambassadors to the U.S., the abbot of the seat of the Nyingma, Khamar Monastery, and the Member of Parliament who represents the region where Khamar is located. Jetsunma intends to visit Mongolia herself this summer.

"My function as I understand it is to be KPC's first 'eyes and ears' in Mongolia, and to do some detective work concerning the history and current status of the Mongolian Nyingma," said Norbu. "I've done as much research as I can from afar, but there's a point at which it all fades into a kind of twilight, which is understandable. Religious practice was illegal under the Soviets, and Mongolia is really just emerging from a very difficult political and economic transition to independence. But we want to find out the Mongolian Nyingmas' hopes and plans, and help to achieve them."

Mongolia is a vast, arid, landlocked country sandwiched between Siberia and China, with Kazakhstan as its western neighbor. It's as big as two states the size of Texas, but there are only 2.7 million inhabitants, one third of whom live in Ulaan Baatar, the capital city. Mongolia's Buddhist history stretches back to the time when Genghis Khan's son, Ogedei Khan, ruled over the Mongolian empire in the 13th c. It was another Mongolian ruler, Altan Khan, who first bestowed the title "Dalai Lama" on a Tibetan master named Sonam Gyatso in the 16th c. Dalai is the Mongolian word for "ocean", referring in this case to the vastness and depth of an individual's wisdom. The current Buddhist renaissance is the result of three generations of brave people who maintained their faith in secret.

Norbu will be based in Ulaan Baatar, but will spend considerable time in the Eastern Gobi region, the traditional center of the Mongolian Nyingma. He will be joined in May by another Sedona monk, Palzang. Norbu is chronicling his Mongolian journey on a public internet weblog called Dreaming of Danzan Ravjaa, a reference to a famous Mongolian Nyingma lama who lived in the early 19th Century. Other information about the Mongolia project may be obtained at KPC's website at www.tara.org.