A SENATE RESOLUTION to honor the life and
accomplishments of Arjia Rinpoche.
, read first time and referred to Committee on
MADAM PRESIDENT:
I offer the following resolution and move its adoption:
A SENATE RESOLUTION to honor the life and
accomplishments of Arjia Rinpoche.
Whereas, Arjia was recognized by the 10th Panchen
Lama as the 20th Arijia Danpei Gyaltsen at the age of two,
meaning he is the reincarnation of Lama Tsong Khapa's
father, Lumbum Ghe, and the throne holder of the Kumbum
Monastery in China;
Whereas, Arjia has trained with many prominent
Buddhist teachers, including the 14th Dalai Lama, the 10th
Lanchen Lama, and Gyayak Rinpoche. He studied the
subjects of Buddhist philosophy, sutra and tantra teachings,
and Buddhist art, language, and architectural design;
Whereas, After being forced to leave his monastery during the Cultural Revolution in Chinese controlled Tibet, Arjia showed his dedication by continuing to practice
Buddhism and study with his tutors in secret;
Whereas, During the Cultural Revolution, Arjia's spirit
was not broken, even when required to work in a forced
Labor Camp for 16 years;
Whereas, Following the end of the Cultural Revolution,
returned to the Kumbum Monastery and reestablished
monastic life and traditional studies. The monastery is one of
the six largest monasteries of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan
Buddhism, and was once home to 3,600 monks;
Whereas, Arjia has launched several projects in Tibet,
including the Red Cross Organization in Kumbum, the
Disaster Relief Project for local villages, a clinic for
villagers that is run by monks of the Tibetan Medical
Institute, and a school for local village children;
Whereas, Arjia left Tibet for the United States in 1998
due to the strained political climate in Tibet. He founded the
Buddhist Center for Compassion and Wisdom in Mill Valley,
California, and was appointed by the 14th Dalai Lama as the
Director of the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center
(TMBCC) in Bloomington, Indiana;
Whereas, The TMBCC is a 108 acre non-profit
organization comprised of the Kumbum Chamtse Ling
Monastery, a Cultural Building, 2 traditional Tibetan Stupas,
4 Retreat Cottages, a Teaching Pavillion, and 2 private
residences. Their mission is to foster, preserve, and educate
about Tibetan and Mongolian cultures in the United States,
host cultural exchanges between Tibetans inside and outside
of Eastern Tibet, follow the example of the renowned
Kumbum Monastery in Tibet, and promote interfaith
harmony;
Whereas, Arjia built a three-dimensional Kalachakra Mandala, which was presented to the Dalai Lama, and was
later donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington
D.C.; and
Whereas, Arjia authored a novel about his memoirs
entitled
Surviving the Dragon
: Therefore,