Lama Karma Thinley Rinpoche  
  8 Auspicious Symbols  
 
 
 
     
  Nangchen, China - page 3  
     
 
Rinpoche asked his student, Kirsty, to help build two schools in his native home area that had no access to education, one in the Sangshung valley, Nangchen, and the other one in Brongsar-Dokshok. Kirsty was able to sponsor only one school, so Rinpoche chose the Sangshung valley - the area in most need of a school. He selected a site for the school in a lovely area of open grassland and consecrated the land with his brother. That day, many local people performed dances, and Rinpoche gave each of them a photo of the Sixteenth Karmapa as a blessing and a white scarf.
  View of Sangshung School before completion
   
Sangshung school, Nangchen
Photo of the first stages of construction, before
the school had grown to its present size
 
 

Soon after, Kirsty built a big school building there which Rinpoche named Jamyang Lobdra (Manjushri School). It is known locally as Sangshung Lobdra, and now has over one hundred students. In both 2004 and 2005, the local Chinese education office said that Sangshung School rated first in exams among the local Nangchen schools, doing especially well in dance. Rinpoche is very happy to bring this benefit to his homeland.

 

Rinpoche on a visit to the school

 
Rinpoche giving advice and presents on a visit to the school
 
 
Sangshung pupils in a traditional dance
 
Sangshung students dancing (2005)
 
 
     
Sangshung students in 2005
  Photo of Sangshung pupils wearing katas