Kalmyk’s 60th year in the United States
On the Flag of Kalmykia, the yellow stands for the sun, the people and the religious faith of the nation. The blue represents the sky, eternity, and steadiness. The lotus is a symbol of purity, spiritual rebirth and happiness. Its five upper petals represent the continents and the lower four stand for the quarters of the globe. Together, they symbolize the will of the Kalmyks to live in friendship and to cooperate with all the nations of the world.
(Extracted from Wikipedia, Flag of Kalmykia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Kalmykia, 23/12/2011)
On the 12th of November 2011, the Kalmyk people residing in the US celebrated their 60th year since they settled in the States. I was requested to send a message to them since I could not be there in person. So I recorded a video message for them and you can see it below. The event was also reported in the local papers. I include a copy of the article here also.
I send my felicitations and warm wishes to the Kalmyk community of Howell where I grew up. They have struggled and created a new life for themselves through sheer tenacity, hard work and determination. I am proud to be associated with the beautiful Kalmyk people.
I’ve requested pictures of the event from my cousin Ms. Sara Andreyev through my assistants… as soon as she sends me some, I will post it here for all to enjoy. I am happy for the Kalmyks. Very proud for them.
Tsem Rinpoche
My message to the Kalmyk people
Kalmyks’ American experience enjoys strong roots in Howell
The Kalmyk community recently celebrated 60 years in the United States at a gala dinner event in Atlantic City, hosted by the Kalmyk American Culture and Arts Foundation.
More than 250 people attended the colorful event held at the Trump Taj Mahal, which featured specially recorded video messages from revered Buddhist lamas, Arjia Rinpoche, Tsem Rinpoche and the Shadjin Lama of the Kalmyk Republic, Telo Tulku Rinpoche.
The program also included a slideshow of photos of early Kalmyk life in America and traditional Kalmyk songs and dance performance.
The historical connection between the Kalmyks and New Jersey started when the Kalmyks arrived in New Jersey in the winter of 1951, and the community has now grown to approximately 3,000 people. The early communities were responsible for bringing Tibetan Buddhism to America, and the first Tibetan Buddhist Center was opened in Howell in 1952.
The Kalmyk community is marking the 60th anniversary year of 2011 with a series of events that started last spring with Kalmyk culture featured at the New Jersey Folk Festival organized by Rutgers University .
The gala event in Atlantic City opened with a video message from Arjia Rinpoche sending his greetings in Kalmyk and Mongolian languages followed by a prayer.
Both the video messages from Telo Tulku Rinpoche and Tsem Rinpoche focused on the importance of remembering the often painful history of the Kalmyk people and also passing on the traditions and culture to the younger generation. Kalmyk-American Elena Brunner, 22, said of the anniversary, “After 60 years in America, the Kalmyk culture and language has become endangered with the passing of older generations and the assimilation to American culture of the younger. However, it is times like tonight, we celebrate our history and ourselves to uncover what it means to be Kalmyk. It is important to continue to rediscover and learn from our elders, while celebrating our accomplishments and triumphs over the last 60 years.”
Dechen Kelden, 21, whose mother is Kalmyk-American and father is Tibetan, also commented on her Kalmyk identity, saying, “From a young age my mother tried to instill in me a sense of pride in the identity of being Kalmyk. She would tell me to never feel weak, because I was Kalmyk, among the strongest, toughest people in the world. “I recognize a solidarity between the Kalmyks and the Tibetans in that the Kalmyks were the first group to stand up and protest against China’s illegal occupation of Tibet outside the United Nations in New York on March 27, 1959.
“I see the essence of our Kalmyk diaspora as our connection to family, our community, and our connection to other Buddhist communities. As a group we always support each other and never leave family behind, we share the entirety of our lives together.”
This article was submitted by Kunsang Kelden, a NewYork-based Kalmkyk-Tibetan activist and former board member of Students for a Free Tibet.
(Source: Tri News, http://tri.gmnews.com/news/2011-12-08/Front_Page/Kalmyks_American_experience_enjoys_strong_roots_in.html)
Photos from Sara Andreyev
(Tiara Ballroom, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel, Atlantic City)
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
The great Protector Manjushri Dorje Shugden depicted in the beautiful Mongolian style. I hope many Mongolians will print out this image and place in their houses to create an affinity with Dorje Shugden for greater blessings. To download a high resolution file: https://bit.ly/2Nt3FHz
The powerful Mongolian nation has a long history and connection with Manjushri Dorje Shugden, as expressed in the life of Venerable Choijin Lama, a State Oracle of Mongolia who took trance of Dorje Shugden among other Dharma Protectors. Read more about Choijin Lama: https://bit.ly/2GCyOUZ
So nice of Rinppche to make this video for the Kalmyks. Hope this is a start of Rinpoche’s work spreading much wider in the USA , Rinpoche’s brand of dharma appeals to the modern person no matter East or West! Rinpoche has much to offer to all over the world with his modern way of sharing the dharma.
Kalmyk – the only Buddhist country in Europe!