An Inclusive Approach To Embrace Our Shared Human Inner Values.
Spiti Valley - A Follow Up visit with Refreshers training
20th June to 27th June 2022
Due to the pandemic, some of the schools could not start the UEE curriculum in the last academic session. Therefore, they have recently started teaching the curriculum and have shared their plan to actively teach UEE twice a week this year. We could see few schools have already made their Time table including UEE classes twice a week and we have suggested other schools to do the same. In some schools it was observed that the teachers have made great efforts in helping the students overcome and cope with the loss of learning due to the pandemic.
The Refresher workshop was conducted on 25th June 2022 with the Cluster Head Teachers and Resource Persons in the presence of Block Elementary Education Officer –(BEEO) Mr. Chhering Chhopel. This was the first refresher training post pandemic of the current academic session. First facilitator s training workshop was organized in Kaza in July 2021, where all concepts of UEE were covered in detail of the total 23 CHTs and RPs, 19 CHTs and RPs from different clusters attended the refresher training workshop.
"A Step towards H.H The Dalai Lama’s Green Vision "
March 27, 2022
As a part of living H.H The Dalai Lama's vision and disseminating his life’s commitment to environmental protection, One of Secular Ethics department of Tong-Len's projects is planting trees for nature conservation. This project was started from Chakban Sarah (Dharamshala), near our main office location by planting 113 trees in the year 2020. Now, we have expanded the same project in Spiti valley at Kaza on a larger scale in honour and tribute to his H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama.
As in Buddhism belief H.H, the 14th Dalai Lama is the manifestation of Avalokiteshvara (God of compassion), which has 1000 eyes and hands, so 1000 plants is planted in one patch as an auspicious belief.
Significance of the project at the chosen site
Spiti valley is high altitude cold desert located in the deep Himalayas enriched with Himalayan flora and scanty vegetation. Due to global warming, the glaciers are melting and the high altitudes reason is at greater risk of a massive flood. The major rivers originating from the Himalayas are the lifeline of the people living on the plain areas. The shrinkage of glaciers at an accelerated rate can also result in a shortage of water. Unpredictable weather and scanty and irregular rainfall patterns are already evident in the present world.
Planting trees in such a landscape can be challenging but can reclaim the natural water system and ecological system. Not only to nature and the environment but it can provide communal and economic (food, reduce noise pollution, beautification, resource) benefits as well. Research has shown that trees make life nicer and calm you down. Hence, despite challenges, Spiti valley is chosen as the project site.
Talk on 4 Principal Commitment of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
March 27, 2022
The Secular Ethics Department of Tong-Len Charitable Trust organised a Talk on the 4 Principal Commitments of His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama in Shimla with Geshe Lhakdor La as the Speaker. It was a great success as the audience were very enthusiastically listening to the talk and even raised several questions to clear their doubts.
Synopsis:
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Four Principal Commitments
These four commitments shape his vision for the world.
1. Human Value
His first commitment is “the promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline.” He likes to speak of ‘human values as secular ethics’
2. Religious Harmony
The idea that there is one truth and one religion is relevant to the individual practitioner. For the community at large, several truths, several religions are necessary.
3. For Tibet
Thirdly, His Holiness is a Tibetan and as the ‘Dalai Lama’ he is
the focus of the Tibetan people’s hope and trust. Therefore, he is committed to preserving Tibetan language and culture, the heritage Tibetans received from the masters of India's Nalanda University, and also protection of Tibet's natural environment.
4. Revival of Ancient Indian Tradition
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has always expressed profound admiration towards ancient Indian knowledge for its contribution toward the understanding of the human mind, and the imbibing of practices to tackle negative emotions. His Holiness is convinced that the rich ancient Indian understanding of the working of the mind and emotions, as well as the techniques of mental training, such as meditation, developed by Indian traditions, are of great relevance today. Since India has a long history of logic and reasoning, he is confident that its ancient knowledge, viewed from a secular, academic perspective, can be combined with modern education.