Pointing Out The Great Way Foundation

POINTING OUT THE GREAT WAY FOUNDATION(POGWF) BRINGS INDO-TIBETAN MEDITATION AND TEACHINGS TO WESTERN STUDENTS AND NURTURES AND SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY OF PRACTITIONERS. IN TUM, POGWF PROVIDES SUPPORT BACK TO THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND LINEAGE TEACHERS TO HELP THEM TO PRESERVE THEIR CULTURE AND TRADITIONS.HISTORICALLY, POGWF GENERALLY HAS NOT PROVIDED PROGRAMMING TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION. THE MAJORITY OF OUR OBJECTIVES INVOLVE DIRECTING DONOR FUNDS TO OTHER ORGANIZTIONS, BOTH IN THE US AND ABROAD, WHO IMPLEMENT THE STATED PROJECTS. OUR TRANSLATION PROJECTS ARE A NOTABLE EXCEPTION.POGWF IS AN ALL-VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.

THE MUSTANG CULTURE AND EDUCATION CENTRE(MCEC), BASED IN JOMSOM, MUSTANG NEPAL, IS A REGISTERED SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AIMED AT SUPPORTING THE EDUCATION OF LOCAL CHILDREN, BETTERING LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE VILLAGE POPULATION, AND PRESERVING ITS UNIQUE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS.MCEC HAS IDENTIFIED AS AN ONGOING IMPERATIVE THE NEED TO RESTORE THE CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS FOR THE INDIGENOUS TIBETAN POPULATION LIVING IN THIS AREA OF NEPAL. THE BON, THE INDIGENOUS AND OLDEST RELIGION OF TIBET, HAS STRONG ROOTS IN MUSTANG. THE RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OF BON, CENTERED AROUND LOCAL MONASTERIES, HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN THE HEART OF CULTURE AND RELIGIOUS LIFE FOR THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION IN THIS REGION. HOWEVER, CURRENTLY NO BON PO MONASTERY EXISTS IN THE AREA TO SUPPORT THESE PRACTICES FOR THE LOCAL POPULATION. MCEC'S OBJECTIVE IS TO CONSTRUCT, ON LAND DONATED BT THE COMMUNITY, AN INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL CAMPUS IN JOMSOM, THE ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER OF MUSTANG.MCEC'S VISION FOR THE CAMPUS INCLUDES:*A MAIN BON TEMPLE AND LIVING SPACE FOR 100 MONKS;*A YOUTH HOSTEL FOR 100 CHILDREN-ALL LEARING THEIR INDIGENOUS TIBETAN LANGUAGE AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES; AND*A 50-ROOM GUEST HOUSE FOR ADVANCED WESTERN STUDENTS. THE MONASTERY WILL SERVE AS A HUB FOR REVITALIZING LOCAL INDIGENOUS RELIGIOUS PRACTICES. LAMAS AND MONKS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE LOCAL POPULATION TO OFFER THE RANGE OF PRAYERS AND RITUALS THAT ONCE WERE A VITAL PART OF EVERY ASPECT OF LOCAL LIFE IN MUSTANG. THESE PREACTICES INCLUDE RELIGIOUS PRACTICES FOR BIRTH, DEATH, PROTECTION, DISEASE-PREVENTION, FARMING, AND PROTECTING THE HARVEST. THE MONASTERY WILL BE A PLACE FOR THE DESPOSITORY AND PRESERVATION OF OLD MANUSCRIPTS, THE REPRINTS OF WIDELY USED SPIRITUAL TEXTS, AND FOR TRADITIONAL ARTS AND PAINTINGS. IT ALSO WILL BE A PLACE TO PASS ON PRACTICES FOR MAKING AND MAINTAINING TRADITIONAL STUPAS. BUILDING A MONASTERY WILL ENSURE A POPULATION OF LAMAS AND MONKS TO SERVE THE LOCAL POPULATION FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.THE INTEGRATION OF THE YOUTH HOSTEL INTO THE CAMPUS WILL MEAN RELOCATING THE CHILDREN FROM THE EXISTING RENTED FACILITY IN THE TOWN. THE EXISTING FACILITY IS ALREADY AT MAXIMUM CAPACITY WITH THE 38 STUDENTS IT CURRENTLY HOUSES. THE NEW FACILITY WILL ALLOW MCEC TO EXPAND, THROUGH TIME, TO 100 STUDENTS. IT ALSO WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN LIVING CONDITIONS FOR THE CHILDREN AND WILL LOCATE THEM NEARER TO THE NEPALESE SCHOOL THAT THEY ATTEND. MOST IMPORTANTLY, INTRGRATING THEM INTO THE CAMPUS WILL PLACE THEM NEARER THE MONKS, WHO WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN EDUCATING THESE STUDENTS IN THEIR CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS, INCLUDING THEIR TIBETAN LANGUAGE. FOR MORE ON THE CHILDREN, SEE OUR DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MCEC CHILDREN'S HOME BELOW.THE PLAN FOR THE SPIRITUAL CAMPUS ALSO INCLUDES A GUESTHOUSE TO ACCOMMODATE VISTING STUDENTS FROM THE WEST. THE HOPE IS THAT THE GUESTHOUSE WILL CREATE A DEMAND FOR ADVANCED TEACHINGS FROM THE CULTURE OF THE CAVE AND HERMITAGE YOGIS IN A WAY THAT WILL REVITALIZE THE CAVE AND HERMITAGE YOGI CULTURE. THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE THESE ADVANCED TEACHINGS AND PRATICES IN THIS SETTING WILL BE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR QUALIFIED WESTERN STUUDENTS FROM THE POGWF NETWORK.SUPPORTING THE MCEC INDIGENOUS TIBETAN SPIRITUAL AND CULUTRAL CAMPUS PROJECT IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR POGWF. THE GRAT HOPE OF THIS PROJECT IS THAT IT WILL HELP TO RESTORE AND REVITALIZE THESE PRECIOUS TEACHINGS IN THEIR INDIGENOUS SETTING. WITHOUT SOME INTERVENTION, THE RISK IS GREAT THAT THESE PRACTICES WILL DIE OUT IN THE REGION IN THIS GENERATION. WE SEE OUR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT AS PARAMOUNT TO FULFILLING OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES AND LINEAGE TEACHERS IN PRESERVING THEIR CULTURE AND TRADITIONS. HELPING TO BRING THIS CAMPUS TO FRUITION WILL BE AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE TO THESE INDIGENOUS CULTURES FOR SHARING THEIR MOST PRECIOUS TEACHINGS AND PRACTICES WITH OUR SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY IN THE WEST.POGWF HAS IDENTIFIED NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP SUPPORT MCEC'S VISION:* MOBILIZE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO HELP WITH THE PROJECT DESIGN, ANALYSIS, DUE DILIGENCE, AND MANAGEMENT* CREATE MESSAGING ABOUT THE PROJECT TO BRING AWARENESS OF IT TO THE WESTERN PRACTICE COMMUNITY* ACTIVELY RAISE FUNDS ON BEHALF OF MCEC AND THE PROJECTIN 2021 WE RECEIVED DONATIONS OF $154,316 TO SUPPORT MCEC'S PROJECT TO BUILD AN INDIGENOUS SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL CAMPUS IN NEPAL. THE FUNDRAISING FOR THIS PROJECT WILL OCCUR OVER A MULTIPLE-YEAR PERIOD. THE FUNDS THAT WE RAISE WILL BE TRANSERRED TO MCEC WHEN NEEEDED AND/OR WILL BE USED TO PAY FOR THE VARIOUS SERVICES THAT WE SECURE ON BEHALF OF THE PROJECT. THE CURRENT ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR THE PROJECT IS $10 MILLION.THE CHILDREN'S HOME IS AN ONGOING PROJECT OF THE MUSTANG CULTURE AND EDUCATION CENTRE(MCEC). ONE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO HELP DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IN MUSTANG TO RECEIVE A QUALITY EDUCATION NEAR TO THEIR FAMILIES. IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN OF THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY IN THE AREA BY EDUCATING THE CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE.THE CHILDREN'S HOME, A BORADING HOME FOUNDED IN 2012 BY GESHE SONAM GURUNG, CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EDUCATING THE CHILDREN IN THE RURAL VILLAGES WHO OTHERWISE LIKELY COULD NOT HAVE ATTENDED SCHOOL. THE VILLAGES DO NOT HAVE SCHOOLS, AND THE GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED SCHOOL IN JOMSOM CAN BE AS MUCH AS A FOUR-HOUR WALK AWAY. IN ORDER TO ATTEND, THESE STUDENTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO LIVE NEARER THE SCHOOL. THESE RURAL FAMILIES COULD NOT AFFORD THE ANNUAL TUITION AT THE NEPALESE SCHOOL, LET ALONE ADDITIONAL BOARDING FEES. AS A RESULT, MANY OF THESE CHILDREN WOULD LIKELY HAVE STAYED AND WORKED ON THE FARMS. THE MCEC CHILDREN'S HOME IS LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF JOMSOM, JUST A SHORT WALK FROM THE NEPALESE SCHOOL, WHERE THE CHILDREN RECEIVE THEIR CORE CURRICULUM, AND NEAR ENOUGH TO THE VILLAGES THAT FAMILIES CAN MAINTAIN GOOD CONTACT WITH THEIR CHILDREN. MCEC PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE CHILDREN LIVING IN THE CHILDREN'S HOME. THIS SCHOLARSHIP INCLUDES TUITION, ROOM AND BOARD, BOOKS, SUPPLIES, UNIFORMS, AND EXAMINATION FEES. BUT THE CHILDREN'S HOME PLAYS ANOTHER CRUCIAL ROLE FOR THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION.IN 1954 THE NEPALESE GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED A NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL POLICY. THE ADVANTAGE OF THIS POLICY WAS THAT CHILDREN IN NEPAL COULD GET A GOOD EDUCATION AT A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED NEPALESE SCHOOL. THE DISADVANTAGE WAS THAT THE POLICY OF NEPAL REQUIRED THAT ALL CHILDREN IN SCHOOL LEARN NEPALI AND ENGLISH. THIS POLICY MEANT THAT THE CHILDREN OF INDIGENOUS ETHNIC GROUPS NO LONGER LEARNED THEIR INDIGENOUS ETHNIC LANGUAGE. THE CONSEQUENCE FOR THE LAST TWO GENERATIONS OF INDIGENOUS TIBETAN PEOPLE IN THE MUSTANG REGION OF NEPAL IS THAT THEY DID NOT LEARN TO SPEAK THEIR INDIGENOUS TIBETAN LANGUAGE AND THEREFORE CAN NOT READ THEIR OWN SACRED TEXTS OR DO THEIR FAMILIAR PRAYERS AND RITUALS.THE MCEC CHILDREN'S HOME BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN THE NEPALESE EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND THE CULTURAL NEEDS OF THIS INDIGENPUS COMMUNITY. IN THE MORNING, BEFORE ATTENDING NEPALESE SCHOOL, AND AGAIN IN THE EVENING, THE CHILDREN LEARN TO READ, WRITE, AND SPEAK THEIR INDIGENOUS TIBETAN LANGUAGE. THEY LEARN TIBETAN HISTORY AND TRADITIONAL TIBETAN PRAYERS AND RITUALS. WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THE POSITIVE OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT. THE GRANDPARENTS WHO STILL SPEAK TIBETAN ARE AMAZED TO SEE THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, HOME DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS, SPEAKING TIBETAN, CHANTING TIBETAN PRAYERS, AND DOING FAMILIAR RITUALS IN TIBETAN. THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO RESTORE THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE TO THIS GENERATION OF CHILDREN AND THEREBY REVITALIZE THE NATIVE TIBETAN BON AND BUDDIST PRECTICES IN MUSTANG.THE POINTING OUT THE GREAT WAY FOUNDATION (POGWF) PARTNERS WITH MCEC BY FINDING SPONSORS FOR EACH OF THE CHILDREN. CURRENTLY, THE COST OF SPONSORSHIP IS $1,200 PER CHILD. WE HAVE COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING EACH CHILD UNTIL THEY GRADUATE FROM SCHOOL. IN 2021, OUR MEDITATION COMMUNITY WORLDWIDE PROVIDED FULL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ALL 42 CHILDREN AT THE SCHOOL. DONORS PROVIDED SUPPORT TO MCEC FOR ENHANCED NUTRITION, FIREWOOD, CLOTHING, AND OTHER NEEDED SUPPLIES AND REPAIRS TO THE BOARDING FACILITY. OUR SUPPORT IN 2021 WAS $45,125 THE FOUNDATION ALSO ASSISTED WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR PURCHASING A BUILDING THAT IS SUITABLE FOR A PERMANENT HOME TO BOARD THE SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH THE ABILITY TO EVENTUALLY INCREASE THE SCHOOL TO 100 CHILDREN.

OUR TRANSLATION PROJECTS CURRENTLY ARE THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR FULFILLING OUR MISSION TO BRING INDO-TIBETAN MEDITATION AND TEACHINGS TO WESTERN STUDENTS. IN 2021, POGWF CONTINUED ITS FUNDING OF THE TRANSLATION OF BON AND BUDDHIST MEDITATION TEXTS. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO BRING THE PRECIOUS LINEAGE TEACHINGS OF THESE INDO-TIBETAN MEDITATION PRACTICES TO THE WEST, TRANSLATED IN A FORM OF MEDITATION THAT IS READILY UNDERSTANDABLE BY WESTERNERS AND YET PRESERVE THE HEART OF THESE TEACHINHGS IN THEIR ORIGINAL FORM. OUR FOUNDATION WILL HOLD THE COPYRIGHT TO THESE PUBLISHED WORKS AND PROVIDE STEWARDSHIP OF THE PUBLICATIONS INTO THE FUTURE.TRANSLATION OF THIS MATERIAL REQUIRES SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE, INCLUDING DEEP EXPERIENCE WITH INDO-TIBETAN MEDITATION PRACTICES AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE TIBETAN LANGUAGE. THE TRANSLATORS ARE DANIEL BROWN, PH.D. AND GESHE SONAM GURUNG. THEY TRANSLATE THESE PRECIOUS TEXTS WITH PERMISSION BY AND UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF HIS HOLINESS MENRI TRIZIN, THE SPIRITUAL LEADER AND LINEAGE HOLDER OF THE BON PO AND HEAD ABBOTT OF MENRI MONASTERY, DOLANJI, INDIA. DR. BROWN IS DIRECTOR, THE CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY IN NEWTON, MA AND ASSOCIATE CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL. HE HAS STUDIED, TAUGHT, AND WORKED TO BRING THE WISDOM OF THE GREAT INDO-TIBETAN SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS TO THE WEST FOR OVER 46 YEARS. GESHE SONAM, A NEPALESE SCHOLAR AND TIBETAN MONK, HOLDS THE DISTINGUISHED GESHE DEGREE-THE EQUIVALENT OF A DOCTORAL DEGREE IN DHARMA STUDIES-AND PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO HH MENRI TRIZIN, 33RD ABBOT OF MENRI MONASTERY.IN 2021, OUR TRANSLATION PROJECTS INCLUDED FUNDING FOR THE SHAR RDZA RINPOCHE TRANSLATION OF MAIN TECHNIQUES OF CLEAR RAINBOW BODY. THE TRANSLATION OF THE BIOGRAPHY OF SHAR RDZA RINPOCHE MAIN STUDENT, ZA BA BRAG PA, INCLUDING HIS EXPERIENCE OF RAINBOW BODY.IN 2021 WE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT: DR BROWN'S IN-DEPTH RESEARCH ON TRAINING ATTENTION IN CHILDREN IN PREPARATION FOR ADAPTING THE ELEPHANT PATH MEDITATION PRACTICES INTO A TEXT FOR TEACHING THESE PRACTICES TO CHILDREN.FINALLY IN 2021, WE CONTINUED WITH THE SUPPORT OF DR BROWN'S AND GESHE SONAM'S TRANSLATION OF SHAR RDZA RINPOCHE TRANSLATION OF THE "THE PRECIOUS TREASURY OF THE EXPANSE AND THE LIVELINESS OF AWAKENED AWARENESS THROUGH FUNDING TRAVEL COSTS FOR GESHE SONAM TO TRANSLATE WITH DR DANIEL BROWN IN THE UNITED STATES.