September 12, 2010 – Gopalpur
On Sunday, His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugurated Dorzong Monastic Institute in the presence of His Holiness Gyalwang Karmapa. Dorzong Monastic Institute is a Buddhist learning centre located in a picturesque area covered with cedar forests, near Gopalpur village, some 20 km from Dharamsala.
Over a hundred admirers and followers gathered to seek blessings, as mass prayers were made for the inauguration.
The institute was established by the Eighth Kyabje Dorzong Rinpoche, to preserve Buddhism in general and the tradition of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage in particular.
The institute helps interested students of the Himalayan regions such as Zanskar, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, as well as Tibetans residing in India, to study and practice Buddhism.
His Holiness Karmapa emphasized the need to study Buddha’s teachings on cultivating love, compassion and ethical behavior based on reasoning and their relevance in our day-to-day life. He also underlined that awareness in understanding Buddhism, through study and logic, will help its preservation and promotion of its culture.
Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche and senior officials of the Central Tibetan Administration attended the ceremony.
Former chief minister Raja Virbhadra Singh laid the foundation stone of the institute on the 5th of December 2003.
