Written by Laurence Brahm - Published by Hongkong Culture on 05/02/2007

“I just want to help my people,” exclaimed Beru Khyentse Rinpoche. Early morning spring sun beamed on his face, smiling through light. Renown as one of Tibetan Buddhism’s highest ranking and most famous “Living Buddha” teachers. His following of international students spreads across five continents, where he jets around teaching meditation and a philosophy of peace built around care for others.

But in his home village of Nyetang, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche is most at home sipping yak butter tea and eating zampa, a kind of Tibetan barley muesli. It is spring. Surrounding mountains are still frosted in snow while flowers stretch purple and red petals toward a clear impenetrable blue sky. If one listens closely, easing the sound of current can be heard from nearby Brahmaputra River, the mother water source of India which flows through Tibet from melting glaciers near Asia’s most sacred Mount Kailash. Along this bend of the winding Brahmaputra River, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche decided to build a school for poor rural children from his home village.

The sound of water is broken by rooster, laughter of children and the early morning emotions of Nyetang Village awakening. “Why can’t we give the children a chance?” asked Beru Khyentse Rinpoche as youngsters arrive at the entrance of his kindergarten, like spring flowers about to be opened. Laughing upon seeing his powerful statue draped in gold silk, shaved head warmed by a sheep wool woven hat, the children squeal, lining up for blessings. With his large yet gentle hand, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche touches each child’s head energizing them. Each child runs off giggling with a yellow blessed string tied around their neck for protection.

Nyetang village is a quiet stop on the roadside halfway between Lhasa and Gongar Airport, nestled on a bend of the Brahamaputra River. Nyetang is a magical place, a village near the legendary Brahamaputra River, which flows from sacred Mount Kailash through Tibet to nourish India. Great gurus arriving in Tibet from India such as Atisha made their home here. Today nestled among mountains which are frosted with snow when it rains in the valley, are the famous Dromalakhang or Tara Temple, Tashi Monastery and a great stone Buddha carved on a cliff side by the “Lotus-Born Master” himself, Guru Rinpoche, who was inspired to carve this Buddha to suppress Naga serpent spirits disturbing his meditation.

However, amidst the magic of Nyetang, practical problems remained due to imbalanced development prerogatives. When Beru Khyentse Rinpoche returned to his home village after decades sojourn in India and Nepal, he was disturbed by the lack of opportunity for children, many of whom had never been inside a school. When he re-visited the home village where he was first recognized as a lama reincarnation by the sixteenth Karmapa, he felt disturbed seeing so many young children outside school, not receiving any education and without social direction. Many parents could not afford to send their children to school and had to work themselves. Both concerned and inspired, his dream was to open a kindergarten in his birthplace, Nyetang village. “Some children in my home village are already ten years old, but have never even entered a school before.”

Given the difficulties of establishing a progressive school for children in China, especially in sensitive Tibet, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche called for support from two Hong Kong based organisations, the Tharjay Charitable Foundation and Shambhala social enterprise. Both are established as Hong Kong charitable organizations, and have extensive experience creating schools, medical clinics, restoring monasteries and nunneries, building bridges and roads, and supporting programs for marginalized people and sustainable development in neglected regions of western China.

Complicated government procedures involved years of liaison with authorities. The concept of introducing a charitable kindergarten to help marginalized children was something Chinese authorities could not understand. However, through quiet and consistent lobbying efforts the authorities were brought on side and even offered to donate land toward this cause.

Today in Nyetang village, up a rambling dirt road shaded by trees stands one of Tibet’s most modern kindergarten buildings. Being a non-government administered school, progressive education methods can be adopted. Montessori Beijing has provided training for Tibetan teachers and had volunteers working at the school throughout the year imparting creative out-of-the box educational methods. Three languages, Tibetan, Mandarin and English will be adopted. Tibetan people are naturally creative. Nyetang was traditionally an artisan village where wood carvers and painters sprouted. Much of this has gone into eclipse over the turbulent history of the pas half century. As Beru Khyentse Rinpoche’s visionary school may be the only shot most of these kids will get at an education, emphasis on art and artistic vocational skills will empower them with creative approaches to earning a living and having a future which a straight-jacket Chinese education can never offer.

Artists from the Gedun Choephel Artist Guild, a commune of modern young artists in Lhasa, volunteered to paint the walls of this school with bright entrancing pictures to entertain and inspire the children. A full day mural painting block party was held at the kindergarten with participating children learning from artists. By evening the white washed walls were alive with energizing images. “For us as Tibetan artists, it is an opportunity to give something back to the community and we are inspired by the children,” explained painter An Sang. “It is our intention to come here frequently, volunteer our time, and work closely with the children.” Who knows, from Nyetang, a whole new generation of artists may yet rise.

Shambhala is a social enterprise committed to promoting and supporting initiatives for ethnic diversity and cultural sustainable development. For more information go to www.shambhala-action.org

Laurence Brahm is a global activist, international mediator, political columnist and author. He is the leading advocate of a fresh development paradigm - The Himalayan Consensus - an innovative approach to development.

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