We are very happy that this project has been completed. After the Buddha statues were restored,the wooden shrine was built and the traditional Buddhist wall paintings were installed last year, the final finishing touches to the complete completion of the monastery could be carried out. The large inauguration celebrations took place from September 25th to 27th, 2012, held by Ven. Shangpa Rinpoche [Link: www.shangpa.org] , who is also the head lama of this monastery, and Ven. Dupsing Rinpoche. A lama with 2 monks will maintain the monastery and fill it with Buddhist practice. The residents of the Samar community are extremely happy and pleased about the revival of their Buddhist culture and tradition.

We are always given a very warm welcome by them on our project visits (usually twice a year).

In 2011, the residents installed the flags of the 5 Buddha families and the wind horse flags with wishes for the well-being of all beings at the new monastery with us. Afterwards, we meditated together on the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, then celebrated in the evening and danced until late into the night. The mayor’s father explained to us that the 16th Karmapa, the then head of the Karma Kagyu lineage (one of the 4 schools in Tibetan Buddhism), held a Black Crown ceremony in 1944 around 50 m to the left of the current monastery. A large tent city was erected for this important event, and Gyalwa Karmapa stayed in Samar for a few days and visited all the Buddhist sites in Upper Mustang.

A brochure about  the reconstruction of the Samar Gompa

For further inquiries please contact: Anna Elisabeth Bach