Karma Drubgyu Chokhorling
Karma Drubgyu Chokhorling is a Karma Kagyu lineage monastery situated in Pokhara, Nepal. There are currently about 100 lamas studying and staying there under the guidance of Nyedon Rinpoche who has to take care of their daily needs and the monastery’s maintenance. Besides studying the Dharma, these Lamas have to perform daily Pujas and certain practices of the Karma Kagyu lineage on important dates.
The monks who live in the monastery are from 7 to 25 years old and come from different families and races. A lot of kids are from poor families with non-educated parents. The monastery provides them cloths, food, accommodation, medical care and education. They are educated in Tibetan, Nepali, English, Philosophy and also learn practical things like Turma. On Saturday the monks have holiday and most of the time they go to play football together.
The monks live unsolicited in the monastery and can leave at any time.
So far the monastery has broad up more than 300 kids who have already taken their own ways. Some of them went to India to study the Dharma, some of them went back to their villages to care about their parents and some others have become Lamas who travel around the world spreading the Dharma.
For the monks the day starts at 5.30 a.m. with the morning Puja which takes about two to three hours. After breakfast they either have Tibetan lesson where they learn reading and writing. At 11.30 a.m. they eat their lunch all together. Until the next Puja starts at 13.00 p.m. they have free time. After this Puja they have tea break. Later on they learn to make Turma, which plays a very important role in the monastery. That is why the little monks also practice it from an early age.
