December 2003
December 24, 2003BRAZIL, SINGAPORE AND SWITZERLAND GROUPS JOIN FOUNDATION
Three New Country Reps, a New Investment Committee Chair and Web Master Join the Foundation's roster... Khyentse Foundation welcomes Manoel Vidal and Consuelo Pena of Brazil, Cheau Ho and TM Tay from Singapore and Marie Crivelli from Switzerland as the newest country representatives. We are also verypleased to announce Bel Pedrosa as the new Chair of the Investment Committee and Dave Zwieback as Web Master. See a complete list of country representatives on the Contacts page.
KEE CLUB DONATES 30 MEMBERSHIPS
Popular Club Invites Friends of Khyentse Foundation to Party For The Cause... KEE Private Members' Club in Central, Hong Kong has established quite a reputation as the happening place to be on any night of the week. Club owners Christian and Maria Rhomberg have generously donated special lifetime memberships for friends of Khyentse Foundation. All proceeds from the one-time joining fee of HK$36,000 will be donated to the Foundation and all monthly subscriptions will be waived. KEE members also enjoy overseas club privileges when they travel. Hip clubs like Castel, Cabaret, Queens and Bus Paladium in Paris are associated with KEE. For information regarding KEE membership, please kindly contact Alysia Lee Tel: 852 2525 9903/ 9492 6711 or Mazy Kwong Tel: 852 9464 0778, or email: alysia@khyentsefoundation.org or mazy@khyentsefoundation.org
BUDDING BUDDHIST SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN
Khyentse Foundation Initiative Takes Baby Steps... At Khyentse Foundation's inception, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche shared a long-term goal of establishing international, non-denominational schools for children with curricula based on Buddhist principles. In June 2003, Siddhartha's School welcomed its first students to Vajradhara Gonpa, Rinpoche's retreat centre near Kyogle, Northern New South Wales, for monthly "Children's Days". This pilot project is the seed that could blossom into realizing Rinpoche's vision. Supported by Khyentse Foundation, Siddhartha's School Children's Days are coordinated by gonpa resident Eva Thomas, who has experience as a preschool teacher in Germany, and Ari Danapati who is currently enrolled at Southern Cross University in Lismore earning a Bachelor of Primary Education, which will surely be put to good use as the school grows. "The programme is based on Buddhist principles such as loving kindness, courage, and compassion, combined with the recognition that these qualities belong to all of humanity regardless of race, religion or class," says Ari. "At the moment we are making up activities and games that foster these qualities". Activities include meditation, outdoor recreation led by Sergio Jacomy, drama and music with gonpa resident Shakti Bourke, setting up simple shrines, a children's style tea ceremony using cookies and juice and other games culled from a teaching manual published by Shambhala. In August, the children had the pleasure of meeting with Aenpo Rinpoche who was teaching at the gonpa. "So far our primary focus has been to build friendships and respect within the group," says Eva. "We hope to help develop gentleness, awareness, care for others and self confidence in the children". Students' ages range between four and twelve. Attendance varies between ten and twenty students but that number is expected to rise when adverts reach local schools. The frequency of the Children's Days is also expected to increase to fortnightly or weekly, as per demand. WHAT'S NEXT? In November the coordinators met to further develop the curriculum. "We'd like to start working with particular themes that stretch over a period of time," says Eva. "For example Rinpoche suggested we focus on the Jataka Tales". Khyentse Foundation has a five-year mission to raise seed money that will enable the creation of a fully functioning school by year 2008. Ari is hopeful. "We hope to be part of Rinpoche's vision to establish the Dharma in the West".
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
KF Begins supporting western students prusue their studies and practice... An Australian student received financial assistance to go on three year retreat in Chanteloube and numerous other students were given scholarships to attend Madhyamakavatara teachings in San Francisco. The long term goal is to have an endowment in place that allows these scholarships and grants to continue.
December 19, 2003
BILL MCKEEVER JOINS FOUNDATION
Earlier this year, Khyentse Rinpoche sent a letter of invitation to Bill McKeever inviting him to join Khyentse Foundation's budding Advisory Committee... We are very fortunate that Bill accepted. Bill has been a student of Buddhism since 1972 when he met Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche while getting his degree in Buddhist Studies at Yale. For the last ten years he served as director of Asian activities of the prestigious New York based Asia Society. Most recently he became a senior program advisor to the Garrison Institute, dedicated to the application of contemplative wisdom and practices to modern social issues. Bill has also served as director of Karme Choling, vice president of Naropa University, assistant director of education for Nalanda Foundation as well as a member of the Shambhala Board of Directors under Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. He recently relocated to Colorado to become a resident teacher at Shambhala Mountain Center. Congratulations to Bill who was recently named Acharya in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition.
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