The Kingdom of Bhutan, or Druk Yul (Land of the Dragon) as it is know locally, is one of the last Buddhist kingdoms in the 21st century. It lies in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas. Bhutan is landlocked between India to the west, south and east and the Tibetan Autonomous Region to the north. It is about the size of Switzerland with a total surface area of 46,500 square kilometers and a population of about 810,000. Most people live in villages of 50 to 300 people with agriculture, consisting largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry, and forestry providing the main livelihood for more than 90% of the population. The country is almost entirely mountainous which makes the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. These rugged mountains dominate the terrain, in the north rising to over 7,500 (over 24,000 feet)meters going down to about 160 meters above sea level in the south.

Bhutan has adopted a unique approach to development called Gross National Happiness (GNH). First presented in the 1970s by King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, development is understood as a process that seeks to maximize happiness rather than economic growth. There are 5 parts to this plan: human development, good governance, balanced and equitable development, preservation of culture and heritage, and environmental conservation. Bhutan is considered internationally to be a least developed country with average income of less than $1 a day. With careful use of their resources, in particular the mountain rivers which are a huge source of hydroelectric power (the electricity sector provided almost 45% of the national revenue in 2000 and 2001), the basic infrastructures in the country have been considerably improved. The Kingdom has also sought to improve the basic level of education and the efficiency of government.

In 2000, people living on Mt. Shamdrang approached the Abbott of their monastery, Sangye Teng Gompa, and requested he find additional donor support to help them rebuild and restore the lower and upper complexes. The wooden superstructures of both complexes were in urgent need of work. There was concern that if major repairs were not done soon the inner treasures (texts, statues, and practice materials) could be harmed and perhaps even the monastery permanently damaged.

The villagers around the monastery were willing to put in the time and energy needed to carry the tin sheeting, wood, concrete, paint etc.and living supplies for the workers if money could be found to purchase them and to help cover the workers living expenses. Since Sangye Teng Monastery does not have a road to it, electricity, piped water or telecommunications all materials to complete the restoration would have to be carried in by hand....a 5 to 7 hour walk up and down 3 mountains.

Sangye Teng Monastery was founded on the shoulder of Mt. Shamdrang, located in Trashi Yangtse District of Eastern Bhutan in the late 1500's by Sangye Lingpa. It is a living example of traditional Buddhist architecture and is listed as a National Treasure of Bhutan.

The lower complex is the site of the great assembly hall used for meditation and rituals. It houses the practitioners and Lamas, has rooms for classes, and the kitchens and utility rooms. Here public ceremonies and teachings are given as it is accessible to the people of the surrounding communities.

Coming into the great hall of the temple, one sees life size gilded bronze images of Shakyamuni Buddha, of Padmasambhava and of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. On the ceiling of the temple are the eight great mandalas of the Longchen Nying-tik lineage to which Sangye Teng belongs.

On the walls of the temple are built-in bookcases of ornately carved and gilded wood containing the Tibetan Library. Here are the 108 volumes of the Buddha's words (the Kan-gyur) and the over 7400 texts of treatises and commentaries by enlightened successors of the Buddha (the Ten-gyur). Of special note are volumes of the Prajnaparamita (texts on supreme wisdom) with their ornately carved book covers, and the terma (revealed treasure) texts of many of the great teachers of the lineage in their original manuscript form. There is also a large variety of other texts on ancient Buddhist lore including meditation, Buddhist medicine, logic, philosophy and the lives of the masters.

The upper complex is several hours hike up the side of the mountain. It provides facilities for long-term retreats and is where they live in self-built meditation huts that surround the complex. Inside the temple of the upper complex is a life size gilded bronze image of Padmasambhava, along with large copper stupas (reliquaries) containing the physical relics of lineage holders of the Monastery, and a great purba mandala for advanced practice.

History and Project Agreement

Beginning in 2001, Abbott Tsewang Seetar Rinpoche began to look for ways to fund the multi-year project. Through the help of donors and by carrying out projects in Bhutan and the USA, he was able to secure enough funds to repair the infrastructure of both complexes including new tin sheeting roofs. Assured that the buildings were once again intact and heartened by his fund raising abilities, a group of 11 local artisans approached him with a new idea. If he could secure an additional $10,000 to pay for part of the materials, their living supplies and lost wages, they would donate the rest of the materials, their food and fuel needs and lost wages and move to the upper complex for one year to do a complete inner restoration of the temple walls and ceiling. Such a restoration had not been done since the first painting almost 500 years ago all though the building structure had been repaired three times since it was first built.

To be able to work on the restoration would be the greatest "job" they could do as artists and would be a lasting gift to the Buddha, the Bodhisattvas, generations of their families and friends and the whole world. As they worked they would be chanting and praying that their work would make the world a better place for all beings.

When this idea was described by the Abbott, Foodaid.Compassion saw a project that fit our reasons for existing. Bhutan is a least developed country and Trashi Yangtse is in the least developed part of Bhutan. We prefer working with individuals or small groups who self identify a need and are willing to help meet the need. We look for concrete projects with a beginning, an end, an identifiable outcome and a trust worthy local administrator. Most importantly we like to see people happy and helping each other.

The Agreement:

Foodaid.Compassion has funded a $10,000 one year project beginning January 1, 2005 for 11 families in the Trashi Yangtse District of Eastern Bhutan. When added to locally generated project funds, it will allow each family to send a full time volunteer with materials and basic living needs to work during the Year of the Wood Bird on a project of great local importance; the complete restoration of the upper level of Sangye Teng Gompa, an official Bhutanese National Treasure, first painted over 500 years ago. Carpentry repairs of the building have been conducted, the last in 2003-2004, but this will be the first restoration of the paintings on the walls, ceiling and pillars.

This project will have a local manager and an USA based manager. The local manager will conduct regular visits to the project and manage daily needs. He will send reports on progress via the telephone and mail to the USA based manager. Additionally the USA based project manager will visit the project site at the beginning of the project and again at the end before signing off on the second half of the project money. The USA based manager will report by telephone, email and in person to the president of Foodaid.Compassion on a regular basis with project updates. Project documentation will be mainly pictorial with accompanying explanation. This documentation will include both the 11 project families and the actual restoration itself.

Expenses incurred by the local and international manager, such as the 2 round trip tickets from the US to Bhutan, have been donated by the managers and are not part of this grant. The US based manager will have an operating budget of $500 which includes a multi purpose printer/fax/copier, a telephone calling card, memory sticks for a digital camera and disposable cameras to be left at the project site to continue documenting the work during the year.