The Beginnings

Over 14 years ago Khenpo Gawang and Khenpo Tsewang came to Namdrolling Monastery in South India to continue their intensive study of Sutrayana, Madhyamaka logic, Abhidharma and Vajrayana. (Shedra)

For generations both of their families lived in the Nangchen region and many still do. After they finished their studies both began to travel and teach in Asia, Europe and the Americas but they remembered Eastern Tibet and Nangchen.

In a phone conversation in early 2006 a plan to build a school to teach the children of the region came into being. The school was named Munsel and the Yak was chosen as the school's mascot. As the yak is the source of life for the people of the region; education is the source of a strong future for the children.

 

 

 

 

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15 Munsel School Children Studying in Jyekundo!

First Semester Testing News: Sonam Sangmo places second out of 800 students. Nyidub places first out of 400 students. Both children received money and certificates of honor from school. All children passed and 13 of 15 with A grades.

Munsel School Jyekundo - 3 Small Houses with Land Purchased in Jyekundo - 5 minute walk from public schools - large enough for 100

Adult Education Program Started - 70 in First Group of 2 Classes

Road Finished To Village

Neediest Family in 4 Village Area Helped

The Meaning Of The Logo For Munsel School

Munsel in Tibetan means to dispel darkness. There are two kinds of darkness; an inner and an outer. Inner darkness is ignorance and confusion. Outer darkness is no light.

How do we abandon darkness? On an inner level we gain knowledge and wisdom by studying and meditating. On an outer level the sun and moon (and modern lighting) dispel darkness. Without the sun and moon people would not be alive.

The yak has lived with the Tibetan people for thousands of years and in the high mountain region of Nangchen are small villages of people who have been yak herders for generations. The yak is strong, gentle and useful. Yaks are a source of food, the hair is woven into clothes and tents and the dung is burned for fuel. All parts of the animal are used by the people. In this beautiful land the yak is the animal of the gods (lhayak) for they know that without them the people could not live.

The yak has two horns. In our logo one horn stands for compassionate wisdom and the other for worldly knowledge. Just as a yak has two horns so the students of Munsel School will study language, mathematics, and other subjects. They will study meditation and the teachings of compassion. This way the Munsel students will dispel the ignorance in their minds and in their hearts bringing wisdom's light and a good livelihood into their lives and the lives of others.

The time of just yak herding is past and now the people must find other ways to live and their children need schooling....they must be able to, at least, read and write