Kopan Monastery

Posted by:  | Date: October 07, 2009

Kapan Monastery lies on the Kapan Hill, not far from the city of Boudhanath, overlooking the Kathmandu valley and surrounding areas. Previously the Monastery was situated on the Himalayan mountain range where Lama Zopa Rinpoche fulfilled a promise he had once made to build a monastic school for the children in the nearby locality. The school was called the Mount Everest Center, the name of the highest mountain in the world.

In 1971 the monks that had taken up residence here at the school moved to Kapan hill because of the harsh weather conditions experienced during winter. Today Kapan Monastery is a thriving institute housing up to 360 monks with its sister building, the Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery housing 380 nuns. The monks and the nuns come mainly from Nepal, Tibet and other Himalayan countries and are looked after by the abbot Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lhundrup Rigsel and guided in a spiritual sense by the Lama Zopa Rinpoche. From as young as seven years monks and nuns come to the Kapan Monastery to receive a good monastic education.

The educational program covers a wide range of subjects, including the traditional philosophical subjects. The Kapan Monastery also makes time twice a day for students to stop classes and get together where they can pray and meditate. Nearby there is a small college that provides the students with training in rituals for example chanting, ritual dancing and torma making. Everything that the monastery provides the students with, like board and education, is given freely to anyone wanting to lead their lives in this way.

Monastic Life
Monks and nuns from the age of seven come from all over Nepal and the Himalayan countries such as Tibet, India, Bhutan, Sikkim, and even Mongolia to attend this Gelugpa monastery, one of the best in Kathmandu valley, to receive a classical monastic education.
The students receive extensive training traditional philosophical subjects as debate. A small tantric college under the supervision of teacher from Gyumed college in South India was established some years ago, where rituals subjects such as torma making, chanting, and ritual dance are taught and tantric texts are studied. Additionally the monks and nuns assemble twice a day for prayers dedicated to the well-being and happiness of all sentient beings.

Preserving the religious and cultural heritage of Tibet
The yearly cycle of ceremonies and rituals at Kapan includes the observance of the annual rains retreat during the summer months, and the observance of other monastic disciplines and rituals. In this way the tradition of the Buddha’s teachings on monastic discipline (Vinaya) are upheld and preserved.

An International Centre for Study and Meditation
From the very beginning, Kapan was conceived by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche as a place of study and meditation for both the Himalayan sangha and for their many foreign students. In preserving this tradition to this day, Kapan has become a unique place, a meeting place between East and West, between religious and worldly life.

Kapan has truly been an oasis for the thousands of foreign visitors, who, tired of their materialism and hungry for something more, have made the place their home for weeks, months, even years. Regular meditation courses have been held at Kapan since Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of the founders, gave his first public teachings at Kapan in 1971 to a group of twelve Westerners. The rest is legend. This intensive one month introduction to Buddhism became the model for the meditation courses now held throughout the year at Kapan.

Discover Buddhism at Kapan
Kapan offers the perfect environment for study and meditation for serious students, casual visitors, and retreaters.  

A Place for Rest and Reflection
In between courses, you are welcome to stay at Kapan and enjoy the peace and quiet in a spiritual environment. You can participate in the teachings, meditations and discussion daily at 10 am (please check with our reception), enjoy our wonderful library, or attend the prayer session of the monks. For more information click here www.kopan-monastery.com

 

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• Kopan Monastery | October 07, 2009