His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa
Biography
His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, is the spiritual Head of the 1,000-year old Drukpa lineage, one of the main Buddhist schools throughout the Himalayas including Bhutan, Tibet, China, Nepal and India, with over four million followers worldwide.
His Holiness' vision and mission are to preserve and restore the 2,500 years Buddhist culture and heritage; promote the Drukpa Lineage's precious teachings and bring inner peace and tranquility to all beings by integrating spirituality in daily life with love and compassion.
His Holiness is an advocate of humanitarianism. Since the early 80's, he has already set up 16 non-profit organizations and spiritual practice centers in Europe, the Americas (United States and South America) and Asia as well as schools, medical clinics, retreat centers and rebuilt monasteries. Among which, His Holiness is guiding an award-winning Druk White Lotus School in Ladakh, India, providing its students modern educations while preserving their local culture, through courses on Ladakhi history, language and customs. His Holiness stresses on the importance of education and is keen to ensure women receive an equal education. He spearheaded the construction and administration of Druk Amitabha Mountain, a nunnery that not only teaches its nuns traditional Buddhist practices, but also provides classes in English, kung fu and computer skills. While some of the above mentioned properties are still in the progress for completion, His Holiness plans to expand these meaningful projects as when and where necessary in future.
In early 2007, His Holiness founded 'Live to Love', a global humanitarian charity movement whose core practical essence is to inculcate loving–kindness and compassion in the world today. The key objectives of 'Live to Love' are :
- Provide education facilities and educational support for the needy
- Provide medical facilities and medical care
- Relief and aid to those affected by natural or man-made disasters
- Environmental preservation
- Preservation of cultural heritage
In April 2009, His Holiness initiated the First Annual Drukpa Council Meeting (ADC) aiming to provide a platform for building and nourishing multi-lateral and inter–group relationships within the Drukpa Lineage as well as introducing the richness of its spiritual heritage to the world.
The present Gyalwang Drukpa is the reincarnation of Naropa, the Indian maha siddha and the twelfth incarnation of the founder of the Drukpa Lineage, Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1611-1211). The successive reincarnation of the Drogon Tsangpa Gyare are recognized as the Head of the Drukpa Lineage and responsible for the guidance of over 800 Drukpa Monasteries in Tibet, Nepal, Ladakh, Lahaul (Garsha) and Kinnuar.
His father Zhichen Bairo Rinpoche is a renowned master of the Nyingmapa lineage, another Tibetan Buddhist lineage, and his mother, Mayum-la, is the daughter of a revered yogi. Thus, His Holiness is ecumenical in his focus, having attained mastery of not only Drukpa traditions, but also those of the Nyingmapa's.
His Holiness travels extensively to conduct Tibetan Buddhist teachings, among other countries, France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Mexico, Peru, USA, Australia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
For details of His Holiness' life stories, please visit His website www.drukpa.org
Humanitarian Projects
Druk White Lotus School
Druk White Lotus School has provided quality education to Ladakhi girls and boys since September 2001 It is a project that was started at the request of the people of Ladakh, high in the Indian Himalayas, where a large proportion of the population still maintains Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
In Shey (Ladakh), the Druk White Lotus School project began in 1992. Its remit is to provide a mixture of traditional and contemporary education to help the next generation of Ladakhis to maintain their culture and develop the skills necessary for them to survive in the modern world...
Who They Teach:
The school's catchment includes remote areas where quality education is unavailable. November 2007 saw the start of another academic year, with 408 children enrolled in nine year groups, from Nursery through to Junior Class 6. When complete, the school will accommodate about 780 young people.
What They Teach:
Nursery and Infant children are taught using the Montessori system. Children follow the national curriculum through Classes 1 to 8, which leads into the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination syllabus for Classes 9 and 10.
In addition to the core subjects of English, Hindi, Bodhic (local language), maths and social studies, children study information techhnology, physical education and creative arts (painting, drawing, model-making, drama, dance and song).
Educational Ethos:
- "The school aims to nurture life skills to give confidence and impart livelihood skills"
The educational ethos is to believe in the child as an active participant in the learning process rather than as a passive recipient. Activity-based learning forms a key part of lessons and children regularly participate in field-trips, role play, discussions, group-work and games. The school aims to nurture 'life skills' to give confidence and impart 'livelihood skills' to develop competence.
Award Winning Buildings: Our award-winning buildings embody the school's ethos.
Designed by international architects Arup Associates the buildings combine the best of traditional Ladakhi architecture with 21st century engineering excellence and so act as a model for appropriate, cost effective and sustainable development.
Ladakh is an area of few resources and extreme temperatures. Here are the highlights of Arup's design solutions to an extremely challenging design brief:
Key features:
- Using locally-available materials, which have the least impact on the environment;
- Exploiting natural ventilation and passive solar heating;
- Minimising energy use and emissions;
- Minimising water use;
- Refining and adapting traditional techniques to provide modern solutions.
Progress to date:
The school is being built in phases: the Nursery & Infant courtyard opened in September 2001; the Junior School in 2005; and work should be completed on the Senior School by 2010, funds permitting. For detailed overview of Druk White Lotus School's activities, please visit http://www.dwls.org/.
How to help:
Please contact us at (852) 6148-9089 or email admin@drukpa-hk.org
Spiritual Practice Centers
ASIA
| HONG KONG |
Drukpa Hong Kong Center 4B, 87 Wing Lok St, Teda Building, Sheung Wan. Near MTR Exit A2 Tel : 852 8206-8886 Fax : 852 8206-8883 Email : admin@drukpa-hk.org Website : www.drukpa-hk.org |
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| MALAYSIA |
DRUKPA PENANG Druk Tharpa Choling 19 Love Lane, 10200 Penang, Malaysia Email : drukpapg@yahoo.com Website : www.drukpa.org.my DRUKPA DHARMASHRI No 17 Jalan Kelisa Emas 2 Taman Kelisa Emas Seberang Jaya 13700 Prai |
| TAIWAN |
DRUKPA TAIPEI No. 19, 9th Floor Te Hui Street, Taipei, Taiwan Tel :8862 2585 3678 Fax :8862 2585 3679 DRUKPA TAINAN 10th-2 Floor, No. 425 Chung Hwa Road, Yuen-Kang Tainan, Taiwan Tel :8866 202 2651 Fax : 8866 202 7389 |
EUROPE & UNITED KINGDOM
| FRANCE |
DRUKPA PLOURAY European Main Centre Bel Avenir, 56770 Plouray, France Tel : 33 2 9734 8265 Fax : 33 2 9734 8409 Email : dttl@club-internet.fr Website : http://www.drukpa.eu/ DRUKPA PARIS Druk Ngedeun Gawei Tsel 38, Avenue Pierre Semard 94200 Ivry Sur Seine, France Tel : 331 5846 0641 or 4060 6222 Email : info@drukpa-paris.org Website : http://www.drukpa-paris.org/ DRUKPA GRENOBLE Druk Paksam Wangpo Hameau Les Vincents 73670 Saint Pierre d'Entremont, France Email : drukpamonaco@yahoo.fr Website : http://grenoble.drukpa.eu |
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| GERMANY |
DRUKPA GERMANY Druk Ewam Ling Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 159 34119 Kassel, Germany Tel/Fax : 49 561 76690990 Email : info@drukpa.de Website : http://www.drukpa-germany.com/ |
| MONACO |
DRUKPA MONACO Druk Ngawang Norbu 36 Bd des Moulins, 98000 Monaco Tel: 377 9330 5799 Email : drukpa.monaco@monaco.mc Website : monaco.drukpa.eu |
| POLAND |
DRUKPA POLAND Druk Jesze Dordzé Kazimierska 29/18, Wroclaw, Poland Tel : 48 713 480 199 Email : wroclaw@drukpa.org.pl Website: http://www.drukpa.org.pl/ |
| SPAIN |
DRUKPA SPAIN Drukpa Chö Dje Ling c/ Zabaleta 33, entlo 20002 San Sebastian, Spain Email : drukpa.spain@gmail.com Website: http://www.drukpaspain.org/ |
| SWITZERLAND |
DRUKPA GENEVA Druk Namdrol Ling Grand'Rue 1262 Eysins, Switzerland Email : bbruxell@worldcom.ch |
| UNITED KINGDOM |
DRUKPA TRUST 114 Harvist Road, NW 6 6HJ London, England Tel : 44 208 964 2337 Email : london@drukpa.org.uk Website : www.drukpa.org.uk DRUKPA UK 4th Floor, Citipark Car Park Audley Square, South Audley Street London W1K 1DS, United Kingdom Tel : 44 280 964 2337 Email : london@drukpa.org.uk Website : www.drukpa.org.uk |
LATIN AMERICA
| MEXICO |
DRUKPA MEXICO Bosque de Arravanes 16 Bosques de las Lomas 11700 Mexico DF, Mexico Tel : 52 5596 2912 Website : http://www.drukpamexico.org/ Email : info@drukpamexico.org |
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| PERU |
DRUKPA PERU Drukpa Pema Karpo La Molina, Los Calculistas 149, Lima, Péru Tel : 51 1 348 32 95 Email : info@drukpaperu.org Website : http://www.drukpaperu.org |
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
| LOS ANGELES |
DRUKPA LOS ANGELES 1201 California Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90403, USA Tel : 1 310 395 7226 Email : Carrie@DrukFoundation.org Website : http://www.drukpala.org |
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| OREGON |
DRUKPA EUGENE 5277 Overbrook Lane Eugene, OR 97405, USA Tel : 1 541 338 7619 Email : Andrea@DrukFoundation.org Website : http://www.drukfoundation.org |
| NEW JERSEY / NEW YORK |
DRUKPA NY/NJ Post Office Box 383 Martinsville, NJ 08836 Tel : 1 732 563 9614 Email : knight@DrukFoundation.org Website : http://www.drukfoundation.org/ |
