Gurukul Reunion Programme 2013

Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama

GURUKUL REUNION

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1 - 8 June 2013

DHARAMSHALA 1

CONTENTS

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Message

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Programme Details

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Your Arrival - Information

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About the Foundation

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Join Us

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Write to us

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MESSAGE A Message from the Secretary/Founding Trustee It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you back to Dharamshala for the Gurukul Reunion. A return to Gurukul is a time for renewing friendships, re-acquainting with the community, and strengthening the connections established with the people of Dharamshala. It is also a time to reflect on the experience of Gurukul, both as individuals and collectively as a group.

As you know, the Gurukul Programme aims to enrich formal education processes by facilitating inspirational contact with masters of different spiritual traditions, particularly Tibetan Buddhism.

Through the participation in the month-long program at Dharamshala, we strive to bring the participants in contact with different people and cultures at a common platform; giving opportunities to interact and to discover diverse perspectives. Living in the monasteries and nunneries, probably you had a chance to view the life of a spiritual practitioner, up close and we hope it provided inspiration to lead a more meaningful life. Some of you also contributed back to the community by volunteering your time with various projects and programmes. We believe that such interactions catalyze new ideas and help grasp the interconnectedness of our world.

The Foundation is committed to carrying out its mission of fostering the spirit of universal responsibility, with initiatives like Gurukul Programme and now this flagship project of Gurukul Reunion.

In this regard, I invite you to become a close associate with this endeavor. During your week-long stay in Dharamshala for the Reunion, you will have the privilege to attend special teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (1-4 June) along with thousands of Indians, invited from all over India. After the Reunion programme on 5 June, we would like to invite you, once again, for our Introductory Tour along with the Gurukul 2013 participants (6-8 June). It will take you through the paths that you traversed some years back and rekindle fond memories.

I hope you share our enthusiasm for Gurukul’s success, and will join with us to fulfill our collective vision of coexistence and universal responsibility.

I take this opportunity to thank you for your time, support and most of all, the affection you have expressed for the Tibetan community in Dharamshala. Also our special thanks to those who have agreed to share their experiences during the Reunion. I am also deeply grateful to our Tibetan associates who have agreed to make presentations at the Reunion.

I look forward very much to seeing you in June. We hope that the Reunion programme will mean as much to the Gurukul alumni as it does to all of us at the Foundation.

With best wishes.

Rajiv Mehrotra

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PROGRAMME DETAILS Friday, 31 May 03:30 pm Participants to report at the address provided at page 8 05:00 pm Board the bus to Dharamshala

SPECIAL TEACHINGS Saturday - Tuesday, 1-4 June, 2013 *Special Teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on ‘Shantideva's A Guide to the Boddhisattva's Way of Life (chodjug)’.

Morning and Afternoon Sessions at the Main Temple – Tsuklag Khang Mobiles, video and still cameras will not be allowed into the teaching area. So bring standalone FM radios. Do not depend on the FM apps on your mobiles. Please listen to the FM translation only through earphones.

His Holiness will teach in Tibetan. For the non-Hindi speakers, there will be a simultaneous English translation over FM radio. His Holiness will pause between sentences and paragraphs, and allow the Hindi translator who will be sitting close to him to directly translate into Hindi over the P.A. system.

So only those who specifically need an English translation should get FM radios.

Two passport-size pictures and identity proof will be required for registration and security procedures.

Participants are requested to wear the ID badges at all times during the teachings, which will also serve as a lunch ticket. * Detailed Teachings information in separate enclosures.

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PROGRAMME DETAILS GURUKUL REUNION 2013 Wednesday, 5 June 09:30 am Introduction 10:00 am Film Screening: Gurukul Documentary Film ‘Unheard Voices and Notes to myself….’

Directed by Dev Agarwal, an ex-Gurukul Participant Followed by Q&A with the Director 11:00 am Presentation/Talk by ex-Gurukul Members 11:45 am Talk/Suggestions from invited Members of Guests from various organisations 12:15 pm Conclusion 12:45 pm Lunch Break 02:00 pm Self-Introduction Session 02:30 pm Sharing of Expectations and Experiences by the members of Gurukul 2013 and Ex-Gurukul 04:00 pm Feedback/Conclusion 04:30 pm Concluding with Tea

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PROGRAMME DETAILS

REVISIT MEMORAY LANE:

Thursday, 6 June 09:30 am Guided tour of Norbulingka Institute 12:30 pm Lunch 02:00 pm Guided tour of Dolma Ling Nunnery 03:00 pm Guided tour of Ngyingtop Ling Institute 03:30 pm Visit to Lhundrub Chime Gatsal Ling Monastery 04:30 pm End of Tour Day 1

Friday, 7 June 09:00 am Tibetan Medical and Astrology Institute of HH The Dalai Lama.men-tsee-khang.org Guided tour of the institute and museum 11:00 am Tibetan Center for Conflict Resolution 12:30 pm Lunch 02:00 pm Department of Information and International Relations 02:30 pm Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy 03:00 pm Tibet Policy Institute 03:30 pm Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile 04:30 pm Library of Tibetan Works and Archives 05:00 pm End of Tour Day 2

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PROGRAMME DETAILS

Saturday, 8 June 09:00 am Upper Tibetan Children’s Village School 11:00 am Tushita Meditation Center 12:45 pm Lunch 01:45 pm Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts 02:30 pm Tibetan Youth Congress 03:15 pm Tibetan Women's Association 04:00 pm Students for a Free Tibet 04:45 pm Gu Chu Sum Association 05:30 pm End of Tour Day 3 & End of Gurukul Reunion Programme

(Optional) Sunday, 9 June 09:00 am Thangde Gatsal Thangka Painting Studio 01:00 pm Lunch 02:00 pm Gurukul 2013 Orientation Session 04.00 pm End of Introductory Tour

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YOUR ARRIVAL - INFORMATION Reporting Information: 31st May, 3.30 pm, at EarthLink Travels, H#45 Shangrila Complex, New Aruna Nagar, Majnu-ka Tilla Delhi-110054 Phone: +91-11-64727411/65023430/9911623114 How to reach Majnu-ka-Tilla: Metro: Take Yellow Line from Airport or New Delhi Railway Station towards Jahangirpuri and get down at Vidhan Sabha Metro Station.

Delhi Metro Website: www.delhimetrorail.com Ride: From Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, take a cycle rickshaw or auto rickshaw for Rs. 20-40 to Majnu-ka-Tilla and ask for Earthlink Travel Agent Accommodation & Transportation: We are happy to welcome you as our guest and to meet your basic expenses on travel to/from Delhi, basic board and lodging. As you know the Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that sustains itself from donations and the support of the community. We welcome donation and contributions. These help cover the costs of the ongoing Gurukul programme, the reunion and other projects. For example we anticipate expenditure of approximately Rs. 5000/- per head for the reunion. Please do not feel pressured to make a contribution, particularly if you are still a student or have recently graduated. What is most important for us is to be able to welcome you back amidst us.

For further information about Dharamshala, we recommend you to check & explore www.dalailama.com/teachings/dharamsala-guide Reunion Venue: Library of Tibetan Works and Archive Gangchen Kyishong Dharamshala, District Kangra – 176215, HP, India RSVP: +91 9999660585, Thupten / +91 9911956539, Nyima Registration& Badges: Registration for both Special Teachings and Gurukul Reunion will take place inside the main temple at Indian Sangha Teachings Office in the morning of 1st June. Mr. Nyima Dorjee of the Foundation will be at the desk to greet you with Special Teachings and Gurukul Reunion packets and badges. Registration desk is open on 1st to 2nd June, 08:00-10:00 at the main temple and at the Reunion venue on 5th June, 08:00-09:15 Contacts: For further information, please contact: Thupten Tsewang, 9999660585, thuptentsewang@furhhdl.org Nyima Dorjee, 9911956539, Nyima@furhhdl.org 8

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION "This Foundation will implement projects to benefit people everywhere, focusing especially on assisting nonviolent methods, on improving communications between religion and science, on securing human rights and democratic freedoms, and on conserving and restoring our precious Mother Earth."

– His Holiness The Dalai Lama

VISION •

Foster the celebration of diversity, the spirit of universal responsibility and the understanding of interdependence across faiths, creeds and religions.

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Support personal transformation in ways that facilitate larger processes of social change.

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Develop and sustain peace building and coexistence initiatives in regions of violent conflict and social unrest.

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Encourage and cultivate Ahimsa (nonviolence) as a guiding principle for interaction among human beings and with their environments.

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Offer inclusive and holistic paradigms of education that prioritize experiential learning, cross-cultural dialogue, and a global ethic of peace and justice.

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Build capacity for conflict transformation, human rights and democratic freedom through partnerships with civil society groups across the globe.

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Explore new frontiers on understanding of the mind by building bridges between science and spirituality.

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Support the professional development of future leaders and decision-makers through scholarships and fellowships.

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Create media products and educational materials that promote the objectives of the Foundation.

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Nurture an understanding of the relevance and value of Tibetan civilisational heritage to contemporary issues and predicaments.

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ABOUT THE FOUNDATION MISSION 

To promote universal responsibility in a manner that respects difference and encourages a diversity of beliefs, practices and approaches.

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To build a global ethic of nonviolence, coexistence, gender equity and peace by facilitating secular processes that cultivate personal and social ethical values.

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To enrich educational paradigms that tap the transformative potential of the human mind.

The Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama is a not for profit, nonsectarian, non-denominational organisation established with the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to His Holiness in 1989. In the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, the Foundation brings together men and women of different faiths, professions and nationalities, through a range of initiatives and mutually sustaining collaborations.

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JOIN US ONLINE RESOURCE Website www.furhhdl.org Email Alerts Sign up by sending an email at info@furhhdl.org Facebook www.facebook.com/furhhdlindia Twitter www.twitter.com/furhhdl Books/ DVDs www.furhhdl.org/content/ publications-films-

SUPPORT US! The Foundation works with a modest corpus. There are no charges or tickets for our events. DONATIONS are welcome to meet expenses towards organizing secular events like this one. These are tax exempt under Sec 80G in India.

Contributions are accepted preferably by cheque or draft payable to: ‘Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH The Dalai Lama’ and send to: Core 4A, UGF, India Habitat Centre, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110003, India For other modes of payments, please visit, www.furhhdl.org/how-to-help

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WRITE TO US! Gurukul Reunion Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama Core 4A, UGF, India Habitat Center Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003 Tel: (91) (11) 24648450 Fax: (91) (11) 24648451 furhhdl@furhhdl.org www.furhhdl.org

Should you have any queries regarding the Gurukul Reunion, or any queries in general, we will be glad to hear from you.

REGISTERED OFFICE The Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH The Dalai Lama Private Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama Thekchen Choeling, McLeod Ganj Dharamsala - 176 219 District Kangra Himachal Pradesh India Tax ID No in India: AAATF 0174 E Trust Registration No.7989/ FCRA182450033

Tel: (91) (1892) 221879 Fax: (91) (1892) 221813 www.dalailama.com

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