PROGRAMS
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Scholarship stipend for newly arrived monks and nuns: This is support program in which monks and nuns who recently escaped from Tibet and aged between 6 and 25 years. Such a monk or nun is provided with monthly stipend of Rs. 300 per month for 15 years or until they leave the monasteries and nunneries where they are enrolled. This program was started in 1980s and during the course of its operation the DRC was able to provide support to more than 10000 monks and nuns. The current number of monks and nuns involve in the program is 3,500.
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Support to unregistered and destitute monks and nuns: This is a support for destitute monks, nuns, and tantric who are not registered to any monasteries and nunneries and faced with difficulty in livelihood. The department provides stipend of Rs. 300 per month for them to support their lives. As of our past data, we have 48 beneficiaries and we are now in process of updating the list from Tibetan settlements.
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Support to Russian and Mongolian people: It is a scholarship support for Russian and Mongolian (whose country has strong cultural relation with Tibet) enrolled in Tibetan monastic and other learning centers. Each person is given scholarship stipend of Rs. 300 per month for 15 years or until they leave the institution to whom they belong. 150 Russian and Mongolian monks are involved in this program.
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Salary for Teachers: The DRC provides salary for Buddhist philosophy teachers, Science, Chinese Language teachers of smaller and financially weaker monasteries and nunneries, including institutions in Himalayan region. As of now we are providing salary of Rs. 3000 monthly to 65 Buddhist Philosophy teachers, Rs. 3,500 monthly to 16 Science teachers and Rs. 6,500 to nine Chinese Language teachers of various monasteries and nunneries.
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Specialization Course: Under this project, the department provides a special fund to the scholar monks and nuns who want to studies and write a thesis on one specific topic. The duration of the specialization course program is four years. During the course, department organize workshop on writing thesis and also pay scholarship of Rs. 3000 per month. The first batch of this program has 12 researchers from various schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon Tradition.
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Stipend for Temple Caretakers:There are many temples and small monasteries in every Tibetan settlement across India, Nepal and Bhutan for performing ritual services to the Tibetans. Since there is no proper financial source for them other than small amount of venerations offered by Tibetan settlers, the DRC provides monthly stipend of Rs. 2,000 to the caretakers of temples and small monasteries.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES
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Religious conference: The department organizes Religious Conference of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon Tradition in every bi-yearly. This conference was first initiated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1961 with spiritual heads of Tibetan Buddhism, Kalon, Khapo and Geshe at His Holiness residence for the propose of reviving Tibetan Buddhism in exile. Later this department took the responsibility of organizing this conference in order to carry out the works and implementing the resolutions passed in the conference. So far 12 religious conference has successfully been organized by this department.
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Erection of Buddhist Stupas: The erection of Buddhist Stupas project was one of the major activity of the department and it was began in 2014 under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The project has received financial support from Gaden Phodrang, (Private office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama) Department of Religion & Culture, CTA and General Tibetan Public Donations. The main purpose of erecting eight stupas in eight holy places of Budha is to pay a symbol of gratitude to the Government and People of India for their unflinching support to the people of Tibet and also dedicated for prevalence of global harmony and restoration of natural environment.
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Religious Seminar: The Religious Seminar of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon Tradition is the follow up works of resolution passed in the meeting of preservation of Tibetan Buddhism held in 2013. The main aims of the seminar is to share the knowledge and experiences and understand the common goal of Buddhism and Bon as a one among them. The third Religious Seminar will be going to hold soon with speakers and participants from various monasteries and nunneries.
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Religious Services: The DRC yearly organizes Chotrul Monlam Chenmo and Guru Bumtsok, conducts “long life prayers” to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and leaders of four major Tibetan Buddhist schools and Bon religion on timely basis, and coordinates other religious services required to be done by Tibetan community for the security of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and for welfare of Tibetan nation. Apart from that, Department also organized special prayer services for Tibetans in Tibet who self-immolated themselves on fire to protest against Chinese government for freedom in Tibet and returns of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.
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Modern Science Workshop: Knowing the significance of modern science workshop to the monks and nuns as well as growing the influence of science in Buddhism, the department conducted Introduction of Modern Science Workshop to the monks and nuns from various monastic institutions in yearly. In the workshop, we hired the science teachers from Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala and teach the participants for two weeks about the concepts of modern science and using scientific tools for experiment.
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Intensive Course on Tibetan Language and Buddhist Philosophy: As giving importance of Tibetan youths, coming out from college, to understand the basic knowledge on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, the DRC initiated the workshop called “Intensive Course on Tibetan Language and Buddhist Philosophy” for the period of six months in collaboration with Snowland School of Tibetan Studies at Gyumed Monastery, Hunsore. As of now the department have successfully organized four workshop and 112 Tibetan youths received benefit from it.
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Tibetan Arts and Culture Fund: Through this project, we facilitates financial support to the individuals and organizations whose works are relating with preservation and promotion of contemporary Tibetan arts and distinct culture of Tibet. The core purpose of this project is to encourage Tibetan artists to continue carry out their works for keeping alive and strengthening Tibetan culture. Last year this department selected four artists and five organizations and offered grant fund of Rs. 1, 00,000 to 3, 00,000 based on their project proposals and interview.
MINER ACTIVITIES
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Since its establishment, the department of Religion and Culture carried out so many programs and activities on timely based. There are many minor activities has been doing by this department such as collecting the data of monastic institutions scared in India, Nepal and Bhutan and Tibetan Buddhist centers around the world from time to time. It also conducts special prayers services for prevention of natural disasters, provides financial assistance for renovation of monasteries and nunneries, issues supporting letters for donations and obtaining visa for monks and nuns who are going to abroad for ritual services.