Dear Students, As most of you know, Rinpoche has been facing difficulties in providing for his orphans and elder people in Tibet. In an effort to make the orphanage and elder center more sustainable, Rinpoche and his students developed a project aimed at providing long-term food contribution to the orphanage by starting an orphanage owned yak farm. The Dharma Tara yak farm will be run free of charge by a local businessman in Tibet and should provide the orphans and elders with dairy products - a main part of diet in Tibet. In addition, the yaks that will be purchased for the orphanage and elder center will never be killed for meat. The herd should grow every year with new calves being born. Between 50-70 yaks are needed to provide for the 180 orphans and elders. In the following years, excess dairy products could be sold for purchase of other food articles for the orphanage. To launch the project, one of Khenchen Rinpoche’s students donated 15 yaks and Rinpoche’s wish is to purchase at least 10 more this year. The cost of one yak at this time of year is about $200. The cost will rise every month until autumn, so the earlier the yaks are purchased the better. In addition, Rinpoche would like to raise funds for a shelter for the yaks, so that they would not freeze in difficult winter weather as it sometimes happens. Rinpoche is very hopeful about this project because it will provide for the orphans and elders as well as help sustain the traditional way of care for the yaks. With recent changes in Tibet, increasing numbers of yaks are being raised for meat and slaughtered in a very cruel way. Please, consider contributing to this beneficial project. Rinpoche started AWAM Foundation to support this and similar projects for the orphanage and the elder center. The Foundation has been incorporated in Arizona in April but has not obtained the 501(c)3 tax-exempt status yet. So you can donate to the orphanage by sending a check payable to AWAM Foundation, but this donation will not be tax-deductible. For a tax-deductible donation, make your gift payable to Dharmakirti with a memo ‘yak farm’. Please send all checks to Dr. Dean Pielstick at 301 N Longfellow Ave, Tucson AZ 85711. Khenchen Rinpoche sends his Dharma blessings. Sincerely, Dr. Dean Pielstick |
