Amazing Trailblazing Green School in Indonesia – You Must Learn About This Incredible Place!

By | Feb 21, 2019 | Views: 2,002

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(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline)

Education plays a key role in the world and mankind’s progress. It allows us to learn from the past so we can shape a better future. Discoveries and advancements in fields such as Science, Mathematics, Medicine, Psychology, and Engineering have all been made possible because they were driven by education.

However, many education systems developed in the past have remained stagnant while the world has changed, and continues to change at an unprecedented pace. These outdated systems fail to provide the necessary syllabi to meet the needs of our children today and the challenges they will meet in the future. With many schools offering educational structures and learning systems closely resembling those experienced by our parents and grandparents, modern children may not be as prepared as they should be for the world ahead. Modern education systems should take into account the changing landscape of mankind and of the world, which is now driven not only by automation and technology but also an increasing awareness of our impact on the environment, and our connectivity with each other and the earth.

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On the other hand, some schools are raising the bar when it comes to innovation and creativity. From a gender-free school in Sweden, to a bamboo school without walls in Bali, innovative learning centres around the world are redefining the rules of traditional education and are achieving incredible results.

I am blogging about this in order to create more awareness about the contribution John & Cynthia Hardy are making towards humankind by creating a school with an education system that suits the needs of today’s world. The schools we went to as children are so outdated and so not in touch with the needs of today’s world and schools like these are our educational salvation. Very little of what I learned in public school in the U.S. helped me in my adult life. I hope many will read this blog post and prompt them to visit the school and learn from this unique and very necessary educational model. If we can create a new generation of people that are sensitive to our planet’s needs and the needs of the modern day person, then we will literally save our planet. I hope many thousands of schools just like this will open around the world. I hope public schools around the world will change to this model of education. We will have much more happier people in the world.

As a Buddhist monk, I fully believe in reincarnation. If I return to this world to continue serving others and have to go to school in my next life, I would like to attend a school like this. Thank you John & Cynthia Hardy from the bottom of my heart for doing something for our planet that is so necessary. May you both live very long and be healthy to continue this work. I contribute to your work and school through this blog post which I will promote to create more awareness of this educational revolution.

Humbly, Tsem Rinpoche

1. Egalia Pre-School, Stockholm, Sweden

Egalia School in Stockholm takes the concept of mixed-gender schools that have been the norm in most Western countries for decades to a whole new level. The ideal of complete equality forms the basis of this revolutionary school system that aims to avoid all types of discrimination based on race, gender, age, status, skill, class, and disability.

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Here, the traditional labels and names that are gender-specific are avoided. Teachers use group names or a child’s first name instead of ‘girls’ or ‘boys’ or ‘he’ and ‘she’. During story-telling and book reading sessions, teachers often change the roles of princes and princesses, so the prince is saved by the princess, or use gender-neutral characters to bring to life the lesson or moral of the story. Children are taught to judge each other by their personalities or actions rather than pre-conceived gender roles.

According to the headmaster, Lotta Rajalin, “It is important that the children learn the basis of democracy both in practice and theory in order to be good world citizens who do not discriminate. Self-belief is the basis for learning and development.

 

2. Steve Jobs School, Amsterdam

Like the luminary whose name it bears, the Steve Jobs School does things differently. It aims to be the model for a new era that encourages children to find their passion through learning and exploration. Founded in Amsterdam, it now has branches in Belgium, the Netherlands, and one in South Africa.

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All learning at the school is self-guided. Each child receives an iPad pre-loaded with educational applications and games, and is encouraged to choose what they want to learn and when, while coaches (they are not called teachers) offer guidance where necessary. This approach has been shown to increase focus and improve learning.

In addition to computer-based learning, the school also incorporates social skills into its training through collaborative projects with other children.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Steve Jobs School model is the involvement of parents in their child’s learning. Parents meet coaches every six weeks to check on their child’s progress, and to be updated on his or her individual learning plan. Parents also use a personalised iPad application to track their child’s progress in real time with more useful details than the old fashioned report card or parent-teacher meetings.

 

3. Carpe Diem Schools in Ohio, Indiana and Arizona

The classrooms of Carpe Diem Schools are open-plan offices with cubicles. These free public schools blend middle-school and high-school learning models and provide project-based learning using computers and at a pace determined by the students.

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Each student learns independently instead of being separated into different classes by age or categorised skills. This allows them to accelerate or decelerate their learning without being held back, falling behind or coming under undue stress.

In addition to the software-based curriculum, students work on team projects in a more traditional classroom setting. These projects focus on research-based learning, where students are encouraged to make and learn from their mistakes. They are given opportunities to work with real businesses, community organisations and local colleges to solve real-world problems.

Carpe Diem schools outperform other schools. For example, Carpe Diem schools in Arizona have an average of 92% proficiency compared to the state average of 65%.

 

4. Waldorf School of the Peninsula

The Waldorf School of the Peninsula might be located at the epicentre of technological innovation in Silicon Valley, USA, but it takes a very low-tech approach to education. Employees of technology leaders such as Apple, eBay, Google, and Yahoo send their children to this school where no monitor, tablet, or smartphone can be found.

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The Waldorf School provides what it calls “renaissance education” by reducing the distractions of modern media to create a mental and physical space needed for creativity and innovation. These skills are highly valued by technology organisations. The Waldorf School believes that instead of relying on technology, a more traditional teacher figure that cares about the class and individual students is needed for a better learning environment.

All the school’s subjects are taught using arts, creativity, exploration, games, and projects. Storytelling plays a central role in the education model, while certain mathematical principles are taught through knitting, and languages are practised during games. Parents and teachers are not concerned about students lagging behind in technology education at all. They claim that technology is getting simpler and more intuitive every year, so it will be easy for the students to catch up when the need arises.

“What do you remember as a child in the classroom? It is usually field trips, getting your hands dirty in a lab, or a beautiful story. Those are the things that stay with you 50 years later,” says Beverly Amico, the school’s outreach leader.

The school aims to equip students with the abilities and skills to navigate a fast-changing world. Its focus on personalised learning allows students to take an active role in their own education while they apply new skills to projects and team-based learning.

 

5. The Green School in Bali

With the growing need for sustainable living, the Green School in Bali aims to nurture a community of people who will protect the Earth’s finite resources, by providing a holistic education system. This eco-friendly school runs on clean energy generated from solar panels and a hydro-powered generator, and its buildings are made from sustainably harvested bamboo.

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The school compound is designed around the principles of an organic permaculture system and students eat what they grow at the organic garden. Instead of rote learning or relying on textbooks, the school encourages students to learn by tackling real-world challenges. The school’s concept of education is based on discovering a student’s interests, then incorporating literacy and numeracy education through themes or projects, which also reflect the school’s vision of progressive, sustainable education.

 

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The Green School Way

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The Green School is a non-profit, private and international school that provides learning from pre-kindergarten level right up to high school. The Green School is situated along the Ayung River near Ubud, Bali in Indonesia. It has no walls and is nestled amongst rainforests with rice paddy fields nearby. The building is built solely from bamboo, and is powered by the sun. The Green School has made its mission to educate students and the community on sustainable living using an education syllabus that focuses on sustainability through community integration and entrepreneurial learning.

John and Cynthia Hardy founded the Green School in 2006 based on Alan Wagstaff’s Three Springs concept for an educational village community. The school opened in September 2008 and can be accessed via a 22-metre (72.1 ft) bamboo bridge across the Ayung River. Initially built to cater to 90 students, it has since grown to accommodate 415 students from 30 countries. 50 bamboo buildings provide classrooms and boarding houses for the students.

The foremost priorities of the Green School are sustainability, education, conservation, community support, and nurturing its children’s individual talents. Traditional topics are combined with experiential classes, such as cooking, gardening, and even traditional Balinese mud wrestling. The children learn biology by working in the school garden and looking after the school buffalo. They study geographical topics on the river banks that flow through the school. They also learn in a classroom setting with books and paper.

John and Cynthia Hardy

Academic learning at the Green School involves creating community-based solutions to big challenges through the “Roots and Shoots” programme. Students identify specific challenges their neighbourhoods face, prioritise the problems, develop a solution to each one, and take action. Founder John Hardy believes that projects like this provide an essential extra strand to the children’s education.

No learning would be successful without the right teachers. At the Green School, the teachers are as diverse as the students. They come from all walks of life, and most have travelled from all around the world just to be a part of the Green School’s mission and values.

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Much more than just a school, the Green School is turning into an actual community. With initiatives by the students’ parents, green and sustainable houses within walking distance of the school have been built, and the community makes it a point to actualise the principles children learned at the school. In this way, the parents and children are spreading the Green School’s mission through action.

The school was awarded the 2012 “Greenest School on Earth” prize by the Centre for Green Schools in the U.S., and was a finalist in the 2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

 

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The Green School Curriculum

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The school caters to students aged three to eighteen through four programmes:

  1. Early Years
  2. Primary School
  3. Middle School
  4. High School

1. Early Years (Learning Through Play)

Children aged three to six begin their studies under the Early Years programme. They are grouped into three groups: Geckos (ages 3-4), Starlings (ages 4-5) and Kindergarteners (ages 5-6).

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This play-based programme aims to pique the children’s curiosity and instil the joy of learning through art, dancing, singing, story-telling, meditation, and green studies. The development of the children’s creative, cognitive, language, and social-emotional aspects is fostered through the Three Frame Day (thematic, proficiency and experiential).

Click for Early Years Curriculum Overview

 

VIDEO: Green School Learning Neighbourhood (Early Years)


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSIMqdIGyks

 

Classes are held in circular bamboo classrooms and the colourful play structures are made of recycled materials. Also included in the curriculum are Special Activities that complement the learning experience of the children, such as:

  • Indonesian Culture (Budaya Indonesia), where the school introduces Indonesian culture through the making of puppets, folklore, games, songs, activities and cultural celebrations in the Indonesian language.
  • Go Travelling (Jalan-Jalan), where the children are taken on field trips to explore the wonders of their surroundings. This is related to the “Thematics” taught in the classroom, where they will go to a family-run factory across the river to make chocolate, a nearby art centre to make batik, planting and harvesting at the Kul Kul farm, or zoos to learn about animals.
  • Weekly Trash Walk (Getting Our Hands Dirty) every Friday, where the children clean the streets around the school campus to create awareness about recycling and reducing waste.
  • Mud Pit, where the children get to play in the mud and experience the joy of getting dirty.
  • Cooking Class, where the children learn to cook Indonesian and western dishes using ingredients that may be bought or grown in the school.

 

2. Primary School (Nurture & Inspire)

In this highly supportive learning environment, primary school students are trained to be competent in maths and literacy. They are also taught entrepreneurial thinking through guided hands-on projects. These young minds are nurtured to become effective communicators and collaborators, empowered decision makers, and risk takers through environmental education, practical skills, and art.

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The holistic approach engages the four intelligences — physical, emotional, intellectual and intra-personal. This is achieved through the Three Frames of Learning in open air classrooms that inspire students to connect with their environment, chase after adventure, and pursue their passions. These students will also build relationships, express creativity, and get dirty while having fun.

Click for Primary School Curriculum Overview

 

VIDEO: Green School Learning Neighbourhood (Primary School)


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHAtW7OUrDo

 

Also included in the curriculum are Special Activities that complement the learning and experience of the children, such as:

  • The Footprints Project, which is a new Grade 5 project that is designed as a capstone experience to prepare students for the Grade 8 Quest and Grade 12 Green Stone projects.
  • Helping Hands, in which students assist the school’s operations staff in the daily running of the school and tasks that range from preparing school lunches to sweeping and cleaning.
  • Indonesian Language & Studies, where students learn about the Indonesian language and culture, as they form an important part of the Green School curriculum. Bali arts and culture also feature heavily in the school’s festivals and assemblies, and are taught as part of the Visual Arts and Performance Arts practical lessons.

3. Middle School (The Bridge in the Middle)

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The middle school curriculum is centred on teaching students to take control of their own learning, to ask the right questions, and to be confident in searching for answers. The programme gives them the freedom and responsibility to select their choice of courses such as Arts, Physical Education, ‘Jalan-Jalan’ and Literacy.

Click for Middle School Curriculum Overview

 

VIDEO: Green School Learning Neighbourhood (Middle School)


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krmaCOtvj8o

 

In addition to the Three Frames of Learning, middle school introduces integrated units into the proficiency frame to prepare students for the elective process of high school’s blended frames. Also included in the curriculum are Special Activities that complement the learning and experience of the children, such as:

  • Jalan-Jalan – Each week, the students will take half a day off the timetable to focus on experiential learning in the services, enterprise, and outdoor education areas. They are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and try something new. The students will then work with the teachers to identify their personal learning outcomes to complement those designed by the teacher. These courses are designed to help foster adaptability, awareness, collaboration, leadership and creative thinking.
  • Quest Capstone Project – This project at Grade 8 allows students to identify one of their passions and incorporate it into a project that has aspects of environmental or societal sustainability. The project culminates in a TED style presentation.

 

4. High School (Lighting a Fire)

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The high school syllabus aims to get the students out into the world so they can embrace their own personal learning journey that is not limited to the classroom, but instead becomes a lifelong process that can take place anywhere. The Green School’s perspective is that education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.

Click for High School Curriculum Overview

 

VIDEO: Green School Learning Neighbourhood (High School)


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP0bisjMwMw

 

The programme has proven to be a resounding success – Green School graduates are achieving personal, academic, and professional success at universities and organisations around the world. The curriculum is complemented by Special Activities that enhance the learning and experience of the students, such as:

  • Jalan-Jalan, which focus on experiences through physical, artistic, and environmental pursuits.
  • Sport, where teachers lead at least two hours of sports time each week, to encourage physical activity and relationship-building outside of classroom settings.
  • Green Stone, which is a Grade 12 capstone experience that culminates in a Ted Talk-style speech delivered to the community.
  • Social Emotional Workshops, that include ‘Being a Grown-Up’, ‘Get a Life’, ‘Rites of Passage’, and ‘Risky Business’.

 

Admission and Academic Year

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The Green School’s academic year consists of two semesters, with each semester consisting of two terms. The school year starts in August and ends in June. Applications for admissions are accepted throughout the school year and students may begin in either August or January.

Click here for information on New Student Enrolment and Tuition Fees.

Through its commitment to diversity, the Green School ensures that at least 20% of its students are Balinese. Over 30 nationalities are represented in the school’s student body. Fees range from $7,000 to $16,000 per year.

 

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The Green School Community

Apart from providing education for children, the value of the Green School extends to the students’ families, faculty, staff, and local neighbours. They form a diverse, multicultural community, rich in its variety of beliefs, languages, traditions, values, principles, and identities. In this way, the community is gifted with constant exposure to new ways of life that inspire tolerance, expand perspectives, and broaden its worldview.

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There are various programmes to foster community involvement, including an outreach programme to collaborate and cooperate with the local neighbours; a volunteering and internship programme; and a parents’ association. The Green School engages deeply with the local community and activities, and at the same time powerfully connects globally – all this from a small community in the Balinese jungle, while playing its part in making the world sustainable.

 

Architecture

The Green School’s architecture was conceptualised by the Balinese company PT Bamboo Pure. They worked out the technical designs of the school based entirely on the use of bamboo, and utilised Asian wood for the structure, decoration, recreation, flooring, seating, tables, and other fixtures.

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The design at the heart of the Green School is anchored around three lineally located nodes that connect with all other programmatic elements, radiating out in a spiral. Light bamboo columns span the full height of the structure, interwoven, and ending in a wooden ring framing a skylight, with elaborate mullions at each anchor point. The light is allowed to reach every space as the fluid helical thatched roof stems from each main vertical support, corkscrewing with deep overhangs to protect the open air interior. Three main staircases link the three floors, with multi-functional areas and varying levels of privacy.

The rice fields, gardens, fish pond, and compost toilets make the school a model of sustainable living. International and regional artists often visit to organise activities in the structure and spaces, which have been decorated by the students. A harp was installed on the wood columns, and is available for anyone who wishes to play. The whole campus gives an integrative experience that resonates with its educational principles.

The school has a common hall in the shape of a large oval footprint, to hold festivals, reunions. and activities for the school and community. The construct is built like an arena, with three tiers of seating delineated by natural stones on compacted earth. A bamboo structure supporting a large canopy extends from the ground, split lengthwise by a skylight for natural lighting.

 

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Founding the Green School

John Hardy grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada as an undiagnosed dyslexic. When he was six, he started working in his grandfather’s general store. He was not an excellent student, but took up business studies, and later studied art at the Ryerson Polytechnic Institute. Finding Canada’s climate not to his liking, he moved to Bali in the mid-seventies.

The Green School was founded by John Hardy and his wife, Cynthia.

The Green School was founded by John Hardy and his wife, Cynthia.

Cynthia joined John and they grew their jewellery business from six employees to 800 over 15 years. They sold the business in 2007, but their ecological stance remains a significant influence on the business brand and since 2012, the company’s jewellery has been made from recycled silver.

John and Cynthia had a wonderful life in Bali and decided to give back to the community by starting the Green School. They wanted a school where someone could graduate as a whole person without going to school “in a box”, but could not find one in Bali.

A unique villa in Green Village, Bali

A unique villa in Green Village, Bali

Centering on such green ideas and principles, the Green School aims to nurture its students in an environment that empowers them to be creative and innovative green leaders of the future. The school is a must-visit site for progressive educators, with famous luminaries such as former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and primatologist Jane Goodall among their visitors.

A total of 2,630 bamboo trees were used to build the school, which was not as easy as it seems. A salt mixture had to be applied on the bamboo floors, walls and furniture to make them hard. The buildings were built using age-old techniques, mostly by hand. Classes are taught during daylight hours, and even the boards are made from recycled car windscreens.

Vegetables are grown on permaculture principles in the school gardens and the school has worked with the Begawan Foundation to establish a breeding programme for the endangered Bali Starling. The students also scuba-dive with the University of Queensland’s CoralWatch project, and attend UN climate conferences.

This amazing concept is now growing outside of Indonesia. John is now planning to open Green Schools in Mexico, New Zealand, and Budapest.

Watch John’s much-viewed TED talk below.

 

VIDEO: John Hardy – My Green School Dream


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD4bpztESWw
 

John attributes his founding of this Green School to a film that he “really didn’t want to see”, Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. The film is a documentary describing the former U.S. Vice-President’s efforts to raise awareness about global warming. After starting the Green School, John went on to create The Green Village with his daughters, Elora and Ibuku.

John and Cynthia have also started an eco-lifestyle boutique hotel, with a collection of antique Javanese bridal homes called Bambu Indah.

 

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Getting to the Green School

Bali is an island within the archipelago of Indonesia. It has an international airport which makes it easily accessible.

The Green School is located at an undeveloped part of a jungle of the Sibang Kaja Village that is bisected by the Ayung River. This makes it a safe and secure site for students to connect with nature, and for the community to lead a sustainable life.

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The school is about 25 minutes from the Coco supermarket in Ubud. For new visitors, it would be advisable to find a guide who can take you there, as there are no signs until you reach the turn for the school. The road is mostly decent, apart from a little bumpy bit at the end of the journey.

 

Directions to the Green School from Ubud

  • Go down Hanoman road (the main road going South from Jalan Ubud Raya).
  • Turn right onto Nuyh Kuning road (heading West) just before the petrol station and drive for a while.
  • After 2.5 km (1.5 mi), turn left at another petrol station.
  • After 3 km (1.86 mi), turn right at the traffic lights.
  • After 3.5 km (2.1 mi), turn left at a street market.
  • After about 2 km (1.2 mi), you will reach a petrol station to your right, take the THIRD turn right after the station to the Green School.
  • Although there is a bamboo sign, the turn is very hard to see. Once you find it, keep going straight and cross two roads. The road will get very bumpy and narrow, and it will be difficult for cars to pass through.
  • Go straight and past a bridge, then go uphill to find two half-columns on either side of you, and take an immediate left.
  • Keep going until you reach the parking lot. People will be there to direct you.

Alternatively, you can put the geographical coordinates for Green School -8.56643, 115.213894 into Google Maps. It should show you the exact location for you to drive there easily.

Ubud, Bali

Ubud, Bali

 

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Media Coverage

 

Green School, Bali – the innovative school made from bamboo by John Hardy (+ video)

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450 students, 33 nationalities & 50 bamboo houses

John Hardy realized his vision by building the future-orientated Green School in Bali. It is impressive, not only the architecture, but also the concept behind it, is remarkable! Everyone would like to be a child again at Green School!

 

VIDEO: Green School, Bali – the innovative school made from bamboo by John Hardy


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0Tic2kg9uc
 

The “green” school is a non-profit, private and international school with a future-orientated concept, built sustainably from bamboo. Sustainability, conservation, education, community support and promoting the children’s individual talents, are the foremost priorities.

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John Hardy, the Canadian jewellery designer, conservationist and visionary, first came to Bali in 1975 and together with the talented Balinese craftsmen he produced his famous jewellery. Here, he also met his future wife, Cynthia. Together they founded Green School in 2006.

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When the time came for his children to go to school, there was no suitable school in the area, so he decided to build his own. Green School opened in 2008 with 90 students. Today there are 450 students from all over the world. Among them, there are also more than 30 Balinese students who qualified for scholarships.

“I wanted to stay in Bali, and I didn’t have anywhere to send the kids.” -John Hardy

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With the construction of the school, he also wanted to show people how to build sustainably with bamboo and at the same time motivate the local communities to live sustainably. Bamboo grows quickly and by using it as a building material, the exploitation of the rainforests can be reduced.

 

Green School Tour

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There is so much to tell about Green School! But it is best to have a look for yourself on a Green School Tour! (Admission fee USD 14)

“You have to visit Green School Bali to truly experience the uniqueness of such an inspiring, educational and architectural vision come to life.”

The water in Green School comes from the Ayung River and is cleaned in a water treatment plant. The people from the local community can also fetch water from here free of charge.

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The pathways at Green School are more than just somewhat uneven, even though there are so many children running around, but there is a good reason behind that too!

“You have to be mindful where you’re going,” says John Hardy.

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Every day, 500 students enjoy a fresh and healthy lunch. Almost 60% of the ingredients are cultivated in the Green School’s gardens. They grow rice, tomatoes, beans, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, spinach, manioc, eggplant, cabbage, jackfruit and pumpkin.

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Fresh eggs come from their own chickens. The kids also learn entrepreneurial skills. They buy chickens with their savings, feed them and sell the eggs at the local market.

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The children are encouraged to be more curious, dedicated and passionate about the environment and in the fight to help save our planet.

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To teach the community how to recycle, they are prompted to bring their garbage to the school. For 5 kg (2.2 lb) of garbage per month, their children can then attend free English lessons!

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There is also plenty of fun. The mud pit is very popular with the children. “Mepantigan” is a form of Balinese martial arts. It also draws upon Balinese drama, fusing fighting with the performing arts.

Tanja, a former student at Green School, was our tour guide.

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A community of learners making our world sustainable.

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There is a maximum of 17 students in a class with three teachers.

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The students even have their own pool in the river!

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The Cathedral is the most significant building on the school grounds and was built within six months. Anyone who donates more than $100 to the school, can even have their names inscribed on one of the bamboo canes.

Sources: http://beautiful-places.de/en/green-school-bali-theinnovativeschoolmade-frombambooby-john-hardy/

 

Green School, Bali

Bird's-eye view of Green School

Bird’s-eye view of Green School

A unique school in Bali was awarded ‘Greenest School on Earth’ status in 2012 by the Center for Green Schools. Here, learning about sustainability and green living goes hand in hand with studying more traditional subjects.

Some of the most innovative schools around the world are international schools. New, ambitious projects spring up, attracting interest from parents and pupils from all over the world, creating globally aware, diverse and interesting places of learning.

The Green School in Bali is a perfect example of this. Some families moved to Bali specifically so their children can enjoy the unique education Green School offers, while local children make up a proportion of the students and also benefit from the school’s approach.

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Established by John and Cynthia Hardy in 2008, Green School Bali is breathtaking to look at. The school is set in 20 acres of verdant garden, hidden in the jungle and bisected by the Ayung River. It consists of two dozen buildings built from giant bamboo poles.

There are no walls and there is no air-conditioning, just gracefully arched roofs, concrete floors and bamboo furniture. From its bamboo swimming pools to its home-grown lunches, every aspect of Green School Bali is a model of sustainability.

“Being at one with nature has a huge and positive impact on our students’ learning,” the school says.

There is also a computer lab, a well-stocked library and an array of courses drawn from an internationally-recognised curriculum which is taught in English. The school caters to nearly 400 children from 32 countries. Pupils study traditional subjects like maths, grammar, science, business studies, drama and Bahasa Indonesia, the country’s official language.

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The aim of the school is not only to provide a traditional education to children but to incorporate sustainable and environmental learning as well.

“It aims to raise a generation of children who are more aware of the environmental issues we face globally. We encourage green entrepreneurial skills from a young age in both the pupils and local communities.”

 

Inspired learning in classrooms without walls

Green School Class Room

Green School Class Room

Children at Green School are as likely to be learning biology by spending time working in the school garden and looking after the school buffalo, or studying geographical topics on the banks of the river which flows through the campus, as they are to be learning in a classroom using books and paper.

“Being at one with nature has a huge and positive impact on our students’ learning process. It positively affects the quality of their relationships, the way that people conduct themselves and behave with sensitivity to each other and it helps those youngsters who are easily distracted in conventional classrooms to focus much more on their tasks,” says John.

Among the many activities which complement the academic learning at Green School, students get involved in creating community-based solutions to big challenges through the Roots and Shoots programme. This involves mapping their community to identify specific challenges their neighbourhoods face; prioritising the problems, developing a solution to each one, and taking action. Projects like this, John believes, are what provide an essential extra strand to the children’s education.

“An education at Green School is preparation for our Green leaders of tomorrow,” says Hardy. “Our students will be a confident generation that wants to, and can make a difference.”

 

A Parent’s Perspective

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Marta Kaltreider has three children currently at Green School. She describes learning more about the school’s programme called Kul-Kul Connection which develops relations with the local community.

“We attended the Kul-Kul Connection Ramah Tamah [welcoming] celebration and found it to be truly inspirational.

Ever since we found out about Green School we have been hearing snippets about Kul-Kul Connection, but it wasn’t until the Ramah Tamah celebration that we realised its importance. Kul-Kul Connection goes beyond providing English lessons and after-school activities to Balinese children. It strives to achieve integration between the local community and the Green School community so we can all work cooperatively to turn Sibang Kaja into the greenest village in Bali.

Through learning activities such as plays, field trips, music and involvement in green initiatives in Bali and beyond (Bio Bus, Bye Bye Plastic Bags, Trash Walks and Kul-Kul Farms just to mention a few), Kul-Kul Connection is building a community with strong ties to the environment. It encourages younger generations to be aware of how they can make a difference and solve the challenges of living a sustainable life.

It was empowering and inspiring to see Green School teachers, staff and parents working together and supporting the local kids who so proudly performed, spoke and danced for us, their community to share all the lessons that they have learned. Their sense of belonging, the pride of their acquired skills and knowledge, and the will to turn Sibang Kaja into a role model of green living was incredibly inspirational.”

Source: https://www.wintersschoolfinder.com/articles/green-school-bali/

 

Welcome to the jungle: The Bali school attracting wealthy Western families

Everyone from rap stars to doctors is enrolling their children in Bali’s Green School, where a focus on self-sustainability is designed to equip students for the uncertain future.

The morning school runs, at first glance, like any number of affluent, socially progressive, private-school runs the world over. There are lithe yoga mums, dads with beards and the occasional man bun, kids with Lionel Messi soccer jerseys and top-heavy backpacks. There are hurried embraces and pods of parents, takeaway lattes in hand, swapping info and gossip. This boisterous procession – from filing past the guard to the mass exodus when the bell sounds – takes 10 minutes before calm descends.

But at Bali’s Green School, if you look past the familiarities of this ritual, incongruities begin to emerge, as in a spot-the-differences puzzle from a child’s workbook. First, that bell is a gong. Second, there is the incontrovertible fact that the school is in the jungle: some eight hectares of rolling terrain abutting the Ayung (Bali’s longest river) in the district of Abiansemal, about half an hour south-west from the island’s cultural capital, Ubud.

Students walk across Green School’s Millennium Bridge, which was built of bamboo in 2011 and straddles the Ayung River. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

Students walk across Green School’s Millennium Bridge, which was built of bamboo in 2011 and straddles the Ayung River. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

Then there’s the fact that almost all of the structures – even the basketball backboards – are made of bamboo. These are no simple huts, but grand, occasionally towering, wall-less structures, graceful and whimsical, that resemble a scene right out The Lord of the Rings. Sometimes, during the rainy season, the rain falls so hard on the roof that the teachers (prefaced with the Indonesian honorific Pak or Ibu) temporarily halt lessons because they cannot be heard.

Shoes are optional. Students read from a well-stocked (if mildew prone) library; they build bridges and bamboo bikes – as well as the school playground.

While another school might employ the word “green” in the context of its environmental design or recycling efforts, this place takes green to another level. Instead of four-wheel-drives, kids might show up in used-cooking-oil-fuelled Bio Buses (another project led by students, one of whom represented Indonesia at the 2017 Miss World pageant). School lunch is cooked with sawdust fuel from a local bamboo farm and served on ingka, straw baskets with compostable banana-leaf linings. There is a menagerie of rabbits, pigs and chickens. The year 4 students took out a loan to buy the chickens and now raise them and sell their eggs, in a typically immersive Green School introduction to economics. There’s a food-generating aquaponics facility and an aviary for the endangered Bali starling.

There is the occasional snake – the music teacher found a bright-green viper under the mixing board one morning – but there’s a “snake man” who can be summoned to remove particularly dangerous ones. A mud pit, not far from the kindergarten, is for mepantigan, a Balinese martial art, often practised in nearby rice fields. Even after the kids have gone to class, one still finds surprising numbers of parents milling about, enticed by the open-air cafe (the best coffee for miles), the biweekly on-site farmers’ market or the chocolate-matcha macaroons at Living Food Lab, a raw restaurant run by a Finnish school parent. Not to mention the Wi-Fi.

The school garden generates food that is sold at its on-site farmer's market. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

The school garden generates food that is sold at its on-site farmer’s market. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

And, on a day like the one on which I arrive, there’s a rare Balinese ceremony. Today is the first day of resi gana, a purifying ritual (celebrated every 25 years) for the land upon which the school sits. The teachers, rather than wearing their customary shorts and T-shirts, are in sarongs. Holy men and Balinese royalty have been invited.

One element of resi gana – and here, in a fascinating estuarial swirl of cultures, is where the norms of a progressive educational institution meet Bali’s uniquely animistic strain of Hinduism – involves animal sacrifice. “They don’t teach you this in administrative school,” says Leslie Medema, a straightforward South Dakota native who heads the school. Through some diplomacy, she was able to arrange for the actual sacrifices to occur off campus.

In the library, I see a book from the Choose Your Own Adventure series; it seems the best way to describe what is happening all around. As another American, Melinda Chickering, the school’s academic adviser, tells me, “This isn’t for everyone. Some kids are super sensitive. There’s a lot of sound, a lot of colour, there are animals. There are a lot of variables here.”

The school's principal, Leslie Medema. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

The school’s principal, Leslie Medema. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

Heather Blair, a 2016 Green School graduate now at university in New York, says that when she used to lead tours of the school, “people couldn’t even comprehend that it was a school in front of them”. Like visitors to a temple, she says, they would take pictures.

But the element that truly distinguishes Green School is its very premise. Begun a decade ago by John and Cynthia Hardy, jewellery designers and long-time Bali residents, it was intended to do nothing less than create a future generation of “green leaders”, even as it would defy – in form and function – what we know as school itself.

In a much-viewed 2010 TED Talk, John Hardy, clad in sarong and sandals, speaks passionately about his own early troubles as a student (owing, in part, to his undiagnosed dyslexia) and how his school differs from a traditional educational institute. That talk and word of mouth, has lured more than one parent to Bali from as far afield as Malibu, Budapest and São Paulo.

“We’re trying to work out how you educate for a life in 20 years’ time: what are the skills our daughter might need and where do you get them?” – Alan Fleischmann, parent

The Green School is not simply the default option, as it is with other international schools, for expat families employed by nearby multinationals. Today, its student body consisting of 435 students, from pre-school to high school, across 35 nationalities has more than quadrupled from its original size. The school has become a sort of bamboo beacon, a pilgrimage site for progressive educators, a stop for global luminaries from former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to primatologist Jane Goodall. “We’re the little school in the jungle that got big,” Medema says.

The Green School’s popularity offers the provocative suggestion that the next generation of leaders does not necessarily require maths, literature or history – though the school teaches those, too – but a wider set of tools. These tools range from adaptability to teamwork to problem-solving skills that flourish under constraint. They will prove useful in a world whose resources continue to diminish.

It is a school meant to do more than merely prepare students for university. It equips them with survival skills for an unknown new world, in which proficiency with alternative fuels and sustainable building practices – and the experience of living in a non-traditional, unpredictable environment – might be more useful benchmarks than ATAR scores.

For all its idealistic trappings, Green School was founded, initially, on a pragmatic concern. “I wanted to stay in Bali,” John Hardy tells me, “and I didn’t have anywhere to send the kids.” John, who grew up in Canada, moved to Ubud in 1975. He met California native Cynthia in Bali in the 1980s, and their two daughters attended Green School. (Hardy’s other two children, from a previous marriage, were too old to attend by the time the school was founded, though his eldest, Elora, has a Bali-based company that specialises in building with bamboo and helped design several structures at the school.)

A campus game of soccer; to create its curriculum, the school has cherry-picked from education systems globally. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

A campus game of soccer; to create its curriculum, the school has cherry-picked from education systems globally. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

The local Balinese schools were all about learning “by rote”, he says; at the other end, the traditional expat-driven international schools were a “monoculture” of privilege. The Hardys enlisted local friends and acquaintances, along with some international recruits, and in 2008, Green School was born.

It is not hard to see in John and Cynthia something of the spirit of Rudolf Steiner – the polymathic, charismatic Austrian whose principles formed the school he created in 1919 called Waldorf-Astoria. The name lives on in more than 1000 Waldorf schools worldwide.

While the Hardys abandoned the idea of starting a Steiner school because of its excessive dogma, the influence remains. It is evident in the Green School’s emphasis on “holistic” (non-academic) development and “experiential” learning, and also in highlighting the aesthetics of the classroom. Steiner once called the schoolroom a “veritably barbaric environment”.

Kate Druhan, a pragmatic former human resources manager who chairs the school’s board of management says the school has cherry-picked its curriculum – a dose of Australia here, some International Baccalaureate there, with a dash of Singapore Maths for good measure – and stresses what she calls “integrated thematics” across the subjects. For example, when learning about ancient Egypt, students will explore its history, but they might also use the pyramids to study geometry. But what most distinguishes Green School from other expat-driven international schools found the world over is its strong connection to the local community and its emphasis on doing.

“At most schools,” Medema says, “you learn about making a bridge in a book. At progressive schools, you maybe make it out of matchsticks or carve it out of soap. At Green School, you actually just go and make it.”

That the school’s model is still in flux may be in the very nature of progressive education, which defies pedagogy as well as current society itself. It is not always clear what that means; as Druhan prefers the word “progressive” to “alternative”, because “you can go in all kinds of directions.”

With technology, for example, Medema says, “a lot of parents will come here thinking, ‘I don’t want my kid near any wires – I thought Green School was zero tech.’ ” Another group, she continues, wants facilities that are top-notch, “but in the jungle.”

Students take music lessons in an open classroom environment at the Green School. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

Students take music lessons in an open classroom environment at the Green School. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

Ambitiously idealistic experiments often collapse under the weight of their own internal contradictions, and it is certainly possible to find these at Green School. Here are mostly Western, affluent families, many of them temporarily abandoning their comfortable lives for a metaphysical gap year of voluntary simplicity (or life rebalancing or spiritual reawakening) in an exotic stage-setting, at a school whose annual tuition (roughly $19,000 per annum for a year 6 student) is far beyond the reach of the average Bali local. Hardy’s original vision of having at least 20 per cent of the school comprised of Balinese scholarship students was, Druhan notes, easier to scale when the school had 90 students. Today, about 9 per cent of the student body are on scholarships.

Still, as much as any parent who’s unsure whether his or her child is getting the best education (in other words, all parents), I surveyed with envy the kids merrily clambering down jungle paths, the river gurgling in the background and the colourful shrines bedecking the hillsides, thinking grimly of my daughter encased in her sealed window public school building, shunted to the school gym to watch movies on days with a little bit of bad weather.

Faced with a problem involving the school’s hydropower system, the students are working with masters’ students from Germany’s University of Cologne to design and build a new system that will combine solar and hydro power. On sunny days, surplus solar power will pump river water up to a holding tank. On cloudy days, that water will be released downhill, powering a turbine.

Green School’s students scuba-dive with the University of Queensland’s CoralWatch project and spend summers as oil-rig hounding “kayaktivists” and attending UN climate conferences; they start fashion companies like Nalu (which dedicates a portion of sales to help children buy school uniforms in India and Indonesia) and lobby the Balinese government to reduce the scourge of plastic bags on the island. “They really do want kids to go off and change the world, as clichéd as that sounds,” says former student Heather Blair.

But even amid this backdrop of plucky inventiveness and rational reuse, this armature of sustainable skills, is there not only an impulse toward betterment but a small whiff of dystopia: a prep school prepping for a world that is increasingly out of whack? Is the old paradigm really over?

According to Green School parents I speak to, it is. A variety of “digital nomads”, early retirees, mid-career rebooters and Steiner evangelists, they speak of being on a shared mission. Regan Williams, who first enrolled as a boarding student , inspired the rest of her family to come over from California. Her father, Rob Williams, says over email, “the families are bonded by the fact you have to be a little nuts to move to the middle of the jungle in Bali … Everyone is sweaty and has bug bites … Our kids are challenged, engaged and happy.”

Alan Fleischmann, a retired doctor from Minnesota, tells me over beers one night that he and wife Kara chose Green School for their six-year-old daughter after an exhaustive global search: “We’re trying to work out how you educate for a life in 20 years’ time: what are the skills she might need, and where do you get them?”

This being Bali, other factors entered the decision-making process as well. He and his “witchy” wife, as he lovingly terms her, tuned in to Bali, and received a portent of sorts. “You can argue it’s coincidence, but we had a dramatic indication that Mother Bali wanted us here.” As for his daughter’s education, Fleischmann considers skills like memorisation largely useless. “I’ve never studied tropical medicine,” he says, though he is often pressed to consult in Bali. “Fifteen minutes on my phone and I know as much as anyone.” At Green School, he says, he sees examples of “project-based management” – “how do you get through something using critical thinking. All that emphasis is not found in a lot of other places.”

The main building of the school, created primarily from local bamboo. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

The main building of the school, created primarily from local bamboo. CREDIT: JEREMY PIPER

Many families, Medema says, come on holidays and end up staying for the education. Michael Diamond, aka Mike D. of the Beastie Boys, who enrolled his two sons (Davis, 15, and Skyler, 13) last year (he and his ex-wife take turns living in Bali), first visited the school at the insistence of Skyler, whose friend had recently enrolled. Diamond was struck by how different it felt from the “traditional boarding school model – you go here because your grandfather went here and then you’re going to go to Yale and then work at this law firm and charge people $US500 an hour to argue about nothing.”

The sense I get from many Green School parents, echoing the school’s idea of nurturing and developing the whole student, is not only the hope that the school will help make their children better citizens, but will leave them better placed to navigate a world in which values and norms are changing. That the old school model might be lacking is not necessarily a progressive thought; the head of Manhattan’s elite Trinity School recently warned in a letter to parents that his institution is in danger of becoming a “credentialing factory”, helping to produce a “cognitive elite that is self-serving, callous and spiritually barren”.

When I asked Druhan if she can sum up Green School in one moment, she pauses. One of her strongest memories is of when her young son was doing the “rice thematic”– rice being of central economic and cultural import in Bali. His class had gone out in the fields to learn how to grow rice. He raved about the farmer. “He said, ‘Mum, he’s like a scientist! He has so much knowledge, and he doesn’t have even any instruments.’ ” The students went on not only to harvest the rice, but to cook an elaborate dinner in an underground fire pit, which they served to the farmers, parents and teachers. “That was everything that’s good about Green School in one moment: The hands-on learning, the respect for school values, the connection to the community.”

As a tear brims, she changes tack. “Then there are other moments,” she says, with a wry smile. “I sat down with my coffee the other day and there were six parents talking about what the best coffee enema was – exactly how it works and the condition of how it came out. I thought, ‘Well, that’s only at Green School.’ ”

Source: https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/welcome-to-the-jungle-the-bali-school-attracting-wealthy-western-families-20180117-h0jri9.html

 

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More Videos of the Green School

 

CNN Video – Bali’s ‘Green School’


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mv4D26LsxI
 

 

Visiting Green School


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fusI4T2GYko
 

 

Green School’s 10th year Anniversary Documentary


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAfE3s07KkA
 

 

Video Montage of Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE Visiting Green School Bali


Or view the video on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-sBniGikd8
 

“We are building Green School to create a new paradigm for learning. We want children to cultivate physical sensibilities that will enable them to adapt and be capable in the world. We want children to develop spiritual awareness and emotional intuition and to encourage them to be in awe of life’s possibilities.” – John & Cynthia Hardy

 

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Sources:

  • https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2011/dec/21/green-school-bali
  • http://bambuindah.com/about/csr/
  • http://nuvomagazine.com/magazine/summer-2017/john-hardy-the-green-warrior
  • https://mmlafleur.com/most-remarkable-women/cynthia-hardy
  • https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/welcome-to-the-jungle-the-bali-school-attracting-wealthy-western-families-20180117-h0jri9.html
  • https://greenbyjohn.com/about-john-hardy/
  • http://nuvomagazine.com/magazine/summer-2017/john-hardy-the-green-warrior
  • https://www.littlepassports.com/blog/educational/9-schools-around-world/
  • https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/can-learn-5-innovative-schools-world/
  • https://www.developgoodhabits.com/education-quotes/
  • https://www.greenschool.org/
  • http://kulkulfarmbali.com/green-school/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_School_(Bali)
  • https://www.liveloveraw.com/what-special-about-green-school-bali-how-to-get-there-ubud/
  • https://www.designboom.com/architecture/pt-bamboo-pure-green-school-bali/

 

For more interesting information:

 

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Pastor Adeline Woon
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About Pastor Adeline Woon

Adeline Woon is a Buddhist Pastor and a Sangha-to-be in Kechara who enjoys learning and sharing the Dharma with others. Due to her deep interest in Buddhism from a young age, Adeline enrolled herself into the Dharma Drum University in Taiwan, where she graduated with a Master in Religious Studies in 2012.
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13 Responses to Amazing Trailblazing Green School in Indonesia – You Must Learn About This Incredible Place!

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  1. Samfoonheei on Sep 17, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    Green School Bali is a private and international pre-kindergarten to high school located in Bali, Indonesia. Very unique structure all built entirely of bamboo . Its education system is also very special , more of an educational village community amongst the jungle and rice fields of Bali. All thanks to the founder of husband and wife team John and Cynthia Hardy. They are making towards humankind by creating a school with an education system that suits the needs of today’s world. Looking at all the beautiful pictures tells us a thousand words. The unique structure is amazing indeed. This Green School has indeed inspires a global renaissance.
    Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for this wonderful sharing of such a school which I first come across.

  2. nicholas on Oct 28, 2019 at 2:10 pm

    The Green School Way is really unique in the sense of in this modern era, technologies is highly advanced but people are looking back to the olden days of values for their children to learn and experience. Technologies will keep on advancing and many things will be much simpler to ease modern people’s life. But with all these gadgets people will tend to forget many important things of life and what are we living for and how if one day all these technologies no longer work for whatever reason? How are we going to life our life since we are so dependent on it? 



    I personally love the idea of the green school and it makes the children understand the value of life with nature, how to appreciate the nature that has been providing us the necessity and how we can live with nature in a simple way. Just love the simplicity of the education and how it makes the children appreciate the nature, environment and people around them. 



    Technology is not bad but if we are too dependent on it then it will give a negative impact. We should be the ones control our life and not technology. Nature allows us to balance our life.

  3. Chris on Oct 7, 2019 at 2:53 pm

    This is one of the most unique schools that I have ever come across. Its education system is not the conventional type where the students are being groomed in a certain way of thinking which can limit their potential not beneficial for their future.

    In this school, the students are given the chance to think out of the box and make decisions on their own. They will be responsible for their decisions and the courses are designed to enhance other skills of the student such as social and problem-solving skills. They are not being spoon-fed but instead given the freedom to express themselves.

  4. S.Prathap on Sep 17, 2019 at 4:38 pm

    Truly an amazing and informative article that every parent should read.This school does not focus just the academic results but it also emphasises on living in harmony with our environment.
    The design concept for Green School is simply superb having constructed with bamboo,local grass and renewable resources.Thank you very much for sharing such a good article.

  5. Wai Meng Wan on Jun 2, 2019 at 10:42 pm

    I do think we can learn much environment and nature. With our environment and nature constantly under threats, a new generation of people learning how to live in natural surroundings it cant be a bad thing at all.

  6. Chris on Mar 23, 2019 at 12:08 am

    Thank you for Rinpoche and the blog team to come with this amazing blog post that talks about the Green School. This school is very amazing because the way it is being set up is very different than conventional schools. It merges learning with nature which proven to be effective.

    Nowadays, people want to be in the forest, and near the greens. They do not want to have the city life which they grew up in because it is very stressful and very unhealthy for the body and also the mind. Concrete cities are full of pollution which is very bad for our health and also our mental health. That is why alot of the people living in the cities are depressed or anger some. These negative emotions arise easier when we are in the city.

    What is amazing about this school is also the way they introduce education into the children’s lives in a non-conventional way. From the video, it looks like the children are enjoying this way of education more than the conventional way because they are allowed to express themselves more.

  7. sarassitham on Mar 7, 2019 at 5:20 pm

    Firstly thanking Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for sharing the amazing and wonderful Green School of Indonesia.. I was puzzled to explore about the green school and getting to know about it in other parts of the world. The vision of the founder, The Bali Green School was to educate young green leaders in global citizenship. The method introduced was very very unique and very challenging.

    The founder John & Cynthia Hardy had made the world aware of the necessary of the greens, by saving the environment and earth living. The couple have had developed the young generation to become innovators and to think creatively and to live in an innovation way. They solved problems, how to work with others and how we to look at the world around us.

    Today’s educators can have a tremendous impact on the future of our world. We too have to think about our future generation. If we expect the modern education system to change the world, we have to stop seeing the curriculum alone as the core differentiator.
    Let us start by looking at the situation that motivates the renewed focus on education.

    It was a pleasure to know a lot from this article and it gave me a remarkable note about innovation and creativity education. I wish to pay a visit to this Incredible and Amazing Green School of Bali in my future trip to Bali.

  8. Samfoonheei on Feb 28, 2019 at 11:04 am

    Wow ..incredible couple John and Cynthia Hardy having built such a cosy green school in Bali. Vey unique and impressive green school. Its a non-profit, private and international pre-kindergarten to high school. Blessed with many talents and a great love for Bali together they decided to build a unique green school . Where children came to having connections to nature, and where they happily learn conventional skills while playing in an environment that encourages ideas to be wild and free. The design concept for Green School is amazing having constructed from bamboo, local grass ,traditional mud walls and renewable resources.
    Well it looks like a place for exploration, learning, contribution and joy. They inspired and encourages each other to live a purposeful and meaningful lives . The school provides opportunities for both local and international students all over the world.
    Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for this wonderful sharing.

  9. Wei Theng on Feb 22, 2019 at 8:01 pm

    Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for sharing Green School and schools that focus on not just technology and knowledge from book but also taking into account the changing landscape of mankind and of the world, which is now driven not only by automation and technology but also an increasing awareness of our impact on the environment, and our connectivity with each other and the earth.

    In Malaysia, we also have a few schools that using Waldorf Education System that focus on humanity, creativity and mankind. I find it very interesting and good for the younger generation as it is not just focus on knowledge but the environment too.

  10. Yee Yin on Feb 21, 2019 at 9:20 pm

    The Trailblazing Green School in Indonesia is amazing, I really like its concept. It does not focus just the academic results but it also emphasises on living in harmony with our environment. The school teaches the students our impact on the environment, and our connectivity with each other and the earth.

    The Green school is very environmentally friendly, the buildings are not built from concrete but bamboos. They are not hooked up to the main power supply but they rely on solar power. The main focus of their education syllabus is sustainability through community integration and entrepreneurial learning.

    It is important to educate our children about the close connectivity we have with our environment. We are not the owner of this planet but one of the residents here. We have the responsibility to take care of it and protect the environment so our future generations can also live comfortably. Our human development has done a lot of damage to our environment, we must create awareness and sense of responsibility now to protect it before the planet earth deteriorates further.

  11. Tsa Tsa Ong on Feb 21, 2019 at 2:22 pm

    This school is really a great and wonderful place for children to play and learn and grow up the normal way. Schools these days are too conforming and children don’t have time to play and learn to have a normal childhood and natural talent. They are spending too much time on studies and tuition day and night with heavy loads of school books on their backs everyday. It’s totally peer pressure education these days for children…which is a real pity for kids. Thank you very much Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for sharing this Amazing Trailblazing Green School in Indonesia ??????

  12. Tsa Tsa Ong on Feb 21, 2019 at 2:21 pm

    This school is really a great and wonderful place for children to play and learn and grow up the normal way. Schools these days are too conforming and children don’t have time to play and learn to have a normal childhood and natural talent. They are spending too much time on studies and tuition day and night with heavy loads of school books on their backs everyday. It’s totally peer pressure education these days for children…which is a real pity for kids. Thank you very much Rinpoche and blog team for sharing this Amazing Trailblazing Green School in Indonesia ??????

  13. Sofi on Feb 21, 2019 at 12:57 pm

    This is an amazing article on the different methods available albeit scarce at the moment, for children to grow into a responsible adult at their own pace. I love the Green School concept so much. The children grow so freely, caring for each other, others and the environment. They are taught with hands-on experiences of real-world activities and are allowed the freedom to activate their natural problem-solving abilities in real situations. They all looked so confident in whatever activities they engaged in. Truly an amazing and informative article that every parent should read. Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for sharing this here.

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Weekly Blog Chat discussion pause from August - September 2024.
Resume on October 6th (Sunday) 8 pm (GMT +8).

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KECHARA FOREST RETREAT PROGRESS UPDATES

Here is the latest news and pictorial updates, as it happens, of our upcoming forest retreat project.

The Kechara Forest Retreat is a unique holistic retreat centre focused on the total wellness of body, mind and spirit. This is a place where families and individuals will find peace, nourishment and inspiration in a natural forest environment. At Kechara Forest Retreat, we are committed to give back to society through instilling the next generation with universal positive values such as kindness and compassion.

For more information, please read here (english), here (chinese), or the official site: retreat.kechara.com.

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  • Samfoonheei
    Saturday, Aug 10. 2024 02:52 PM
    Venerable Ajahn Chah was a Thai Buddhist monk, an influential teacher of the Buddhadhamma and a founder of two major monasteries in the Thai Forest Tradition. Been a man of great wisdom was respected and loved in his own country Thailand. He was also instrumental in establishing Theravada Buddhism in the West and a revered monk whose life and teachings continue to this day. He was undoubtedly one of the most revered Buddhist teachers in the modern era. His teachings were rooted in direct experience and presented in simple language. He was an exemplary teacher who inspired deep confidence and enthusiasm amongst his followers who came from around the world. Ajahn Chah remained bedridden until his death at the age of 73. Interesting biography of a great teacher.
    Thank you Rinpoche for this interesting sharing

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/venerable-ajahn-chah-the-forest-monk.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Saturday, Aug 10. 2024 02:50 PM
    DUKKAR (SITATAPATRA) or White Parasol is known for her powers to protect against sorcery, spirit harm, evil spells,malicious intents and so forth. She is white in colour because the principal means by which she accomplishes protection is the enlightened energy of pacification. She is a form of Tara and is well recognized throughout Tibet, India ,Nepal and the Himalayan region. Whoever practices her mantra will gain protection against supernatural danger and witchcraft.
    All thanks to the kindness of the monks from Gaden Monastery Kecharians from Puja team have conducted a Dukkar Puja and learned the various traditional pujas as well.
    Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful sharing.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/kechara-13-depts/dukkar-sitatapatra.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Saturday, Aug 10. 2024 02:45 PM
    The possibility of extraterrestrial life has always fascinated humans and we’ve been searching for alien life for some time now.No extraterrestrial life has yet been conclusively detected. We always wondered if there is life beyond Earth in space. With all of the countless billions of stars and possible planets and moons in space, we do think that under the right conditions, life can exist elsewhere in space. However, there is no evidence for this. Extraterrestrial life has never been discovered, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I do believe of their existence. Only a small fraction of our galaxy has been studied and the question of whether aliens exist is something scientists have been trying to understand, explore and figure out for a long time. Despite decades of peering at and listening to planets around other stars, scientist still don’t have a concrete answer to the question of whether we are alone in the universe. Scientists are have been using new methods to reveal that we’re not alone in the universe and that alien life must be out there.
    Reading this interesting blog will definitely opened our eyes as one day we could possible see them , rather than just listening their voice . Since in a few occasion they the aliens have made communication contact with human.
    Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/science-mysteries/ancient-aliens-the-return.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Saturday, Aug 10. 2024 02:42 PM
    The Karmapa heads the 900 years old Karma Kagyu sect, popularly called the Black Hat sect of the Tibetan Buddhism. The 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, is the spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, a Buddhist school in Tibet. The Karma Kagyu lineage is the most influential of the Tibetan Buddhist lineages outside Tibet studied and practiced all around the world. The teachings of the Kagyu lineage have been passed down for nearly a thousand years within Tibet. As one of Tibetan Buddhism’s four main lineages, the Kagyu School is especially known for its profound meditative practices, its tradition of strict retreat, and the countless awakened individuals it has produced. The teachings of the Kagyu lineage stretch back to ancient India, having a long history behind it.
    H E Lodreu Rabsel Rinpoche, a Karma Kagyu Lama, recently sent an open letter to HH Dalai Lama on behalf of the thousands or millions of Kagyu practitioners. This letter mentioned various points of aggressive pressure and assaults, threatening, and discrimination attributed to supporters of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama. Finally one courage Lama speaking up how practitioners have been suffering all these while. He is the only high-ranking Tibetan Lama formally recognised both by Dalai Lama and the Chinese.
    Well it seem that other Tibetan religious groups also experiencing religious discrimination ,having many similarities to the Gelup lineage. Lodreu Rabsel Rinpoche has dedicated his life to the preservation of the Karma Kagyu lineage. Lodreu Rabsel Rinpoche highlighted the lack of religious freedom among the Tibetan people due to the persistent interference of their Tibetan leadership. Due to the Tibetan leadership the Karma Kagyu split so as in the Gelup lineage sufferings to the practitioners. In time to come hopefully it will resolve the disputes for the sake of Dharma.
    Thank you Rinpoche for this interesting sharing.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/downloads/karma-kagyus-lodreu-rabsel-rinpoche-asks-the-dalai-lama-for-religious-freedom.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Saturday, Aug 10. 2024 02:37 PM
    Everyone of us have a dream house. Some might go for bigger house while some might choose a simple house far away from city lives and so forth. Living in a green mountainous place doing practices, mantras, prostrations, offerings and reading the holy dharma was a dream of our Guru Tsem Rinpoche . That’s a great idea , what a beautiful place to live without much disturbance of traffics and activities . Kechara Forest Retreat is one special place one might go for. Having a house, quiet and green environment place is definitely everyone wish. One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. Green and clean, that’s everyone dream.
    Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/i-belong-in-the-mountains.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Saturday, Aug 3. 2024 01:23 PM
    We have to understand that we own nothing. Everything that surrounds us is temporary. Life is like a flowing river in which nothing stays not even our relationships, fame, riches, poverty, happiness, sorrow, disease, objects, people, troubles, problems, etc. We have to accept the true facts all things will change with time, nothing stays permanent. Let us make our future now, and let us make our time in this world meaningful doing what we have to do. Learning, practicing Dharma is a good choice to make before its too late. Do something useful for others in our life .We are all going to die, it’s just a matter of when no one knows. We can’t take along anything we have as we come into this world with nothing, we goes with nothing too.
    Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing as a reminder for us all of the precious nature of life.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/we-own-nothing.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Saturday, Aug 3. 2024 01:22 PM
    It’s wondrous . There is so much we don’t know about the workings of our beautiful planet. Imaging a world where we could better in farming as to nature. But making Kechara Forest Retreat a spiritual sanctuary for all is amazing as mother Nature brings a sense of calmness and brings a greater sense of appreciation for life. All thanks to our Guru Tsem Rinpoche and many faithful students goes all the way up to where its today. Pastor Chia, Ms Julia Tan and Ms Li Kheng were the few who have done a fantastic job increasing yields and providing more healthy food.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/kechara-13-depts/some-go-all-the-way.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Saturday, Aug 3. 2024 01:17 PM
    Thank you Li Kheng for highlighting the problems, sufferings under the unethical Dorje Shugden ban.
    Dorje Shugden is one of the important protector deities worshipped by many throughout the Tibetan Buddhism . And even many high Lamas since the time of the 5th Dalai Lama and in monasteries have had propitiated Dorje Shugden. Tibetan leadership has been exploiting their people all these years with the Dorje Shugden ban. Many families are torn apart by this ban instituted by the Tibetan Leadership.
    Living in Malaysia a multi-country is a privilege , we allowed to pray what we want , having religious freedom. But not for those Tibetans living in India, Nepal and so forth who propitiate Dorje Shugden. Current days many news has created increased exposure and awareness of the plight of Dorje Shugden practitioners in the world. And it is slowly going down to history , as many Tibetans are standing up and speaking up on the unfairness and discrimination to be heard.
    Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding…..quoted.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/guest-contributors/united-colors-of-spirituality.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Saturday, Aug 3. 2024 01:13 PM
    We should respect all religions and just believe in peace, kindness and harmony. Everyone has the right to choose and practise a religion. We should never judge, mistreat or hurt others just because they practice a different religion than ours. The first way we can begin to respect different forms of spirituality is to learn about them. Promoting tolerance and understanding is an important part of our life. Respecting people of other faiths allows us to foster an environment of tolerance and understanding. It helps us recognize that there are diverse perspectives and beliefs in the world. Everyone has the right to choose and practise a religion. The deep frustration felt by the Tibetan people who lack religious freedom to practice how and what they want, is beginning to surface with more and more people speaking up against the behaviour of the Tibetan leadership. Dorje Shugden practitioners face restrictions on freedom of belief, speech, assembly, and cultural identity. Every aspect of Tibetan life is under siege but until recently they could speak out about what they are facing, the more is spoken out, the more others will be aware of the issue. Reading what H E Tsem Rinpoche had said why he had to keep silent about his Protector practice of Shugden until now. Its all about guru devotion and faith in his guru. Tsem Rinpoche had explained clearly the reasons behind it. Well hopefully more and more people understand after reading this blog. Having peaceful dialogue through communication and solve the controversy issue for the sake in the preservation of the Dharma, has to be achieved.
    Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/i-can-speak-up-now.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Sunday, Jul 28. 2024 03:37 PM
    Tibetan sky burial is a mysterious funeral practice that fascinates and sometimes intimidates people from a different cultural background. Tibetans see it as a last gift to the universe — a way to show the insignificance and the impermanence of our earthly lives. In reality sky burial, holds much greater significance. The practice demonstrates fundamental values and beliefs of Tibetan Buddhism such as reincarnation, impermanence, compassion, and non-attachment. Although it might seem brutal for some at first, yet this tradition demonstrates deep love and compassion towards all living beings and genuine concern about the earth. It’s the last act of merits and they consider them a spiritual practice that’s all about giving back to the world.
    Sky burials is a funeral practice are where human corpse is placed on a mountaintop to decompose to be eaten by scavenging animals such as carrion birds.
    Looking at those pictures though scary yet will remind us to train our mind and every single time in life is important spent it wisely. Nothing stays forever, its better to accept it and prepare our next life as what Tsem Rinpoche had advised us to meditate on death.
    Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/art-architecture/sky-burial-of-tibet-warning-viewer-discretion-is-advised.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Sunday, Jul 28. 2024 03:36 PM
    The historic first Kalachakra initiation by the young Panchen Lama Bainqen Erdini Qoigyijabu held publicly in Tibet,China. Awesome over hundred thousand attended the self-initiation of the Kalachakra deity and teachings. Among them thousand monks and nuns and hundred incarnated lamas and teachers in attendance were HE the 20th Denma Gonsa Rinpoche, HE Nyitrul Rinpoche, Venerable Lama Jampa Ngodrub Rinpoche and many other High Lamas. On the first day auspicious sign appeared with shower of rain. With over thousands of people attended this initiation , it proven that the influence of the young Panchen Lama is growing and will continue to grow even more and stronger. This also proves that he is indeed the unmistaken incarnation. This definitely have a positive impact on the acceptance of Dorje Shugden’s practice. Historically, one of the main Protectors of the Panchen Lamas is Dorje Shugden and he is also the Protector of Tashi Lhunpo, the monastic seat of the Panchen Lamas.
    Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor David for this great sharing.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/historic-first-kalachakra-initiation-by-the-11th-panchen-lama.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Sunday, Jul 28. 2024 03:35 PM
    Revisit this post again and fortunate given the opportunity to attend the initiation recently with my Dharma brothers and sisters. About thousands of people took the initiation of Avalokiteshvara, or in Tibetan Chenrezig Ngesung Kundrol recently at Kechara Forest Retreat. We are indeed very fortunate to receive the blessing from Venerable Chojila .The very first initiation of Chenrezig Ngesung Kundrol been held here. Its such an auspicious powerful event attended by many people from around Malaysia and overseas.
    Thank you Rinpoche with folded hands.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/chenrezig-ngesung-kundrol.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Sunday, Jul 28. 2024 03:34 PM
    More than 350 years, highly attained Lamas have relied on the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden to clear obstacles and create conducive conditions for their spiritual path. Buddhist masters from the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism as such Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug . Over a period of time, the practice entered into Mongolian culture, since than Mongolia had adopted Tibetan Buddhism many hundreds of years ago. Mongolia has a long history and connection with Dorje Shugden. Even the State Oracle of Mongolia, Choijin Lama Luvsankhaidav, regarded highly of Dorje Shugden and had a special thangka commissioned for worship. Lama Luvsankhaidav even took trance of Dorje Shugden painted the importance the Mongolian people once placed on the protector.
    Interesting read,
    thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/one-minute-story/mongolian-state-oracle-paints-dorje-shugden
  • Samfoonheei
    Sunday, Jul 28. 2024 03:33 PM
    The historic Choijin Lama Temple located in the center of Ulaanbaatar Mongolia. The Choijin Lama Temple is an architectural masterpiece of the 19th and 20th centuries at the order of the spiritual leader of Mongolian Buddhism the eighth Javzandamba Khutagt. The complex was dedicated to his younger brother, the sitting Choijin Lama, who had served as the official state oracle of Mongolia until his death. The historic temple of the Choijin Lama is an important example of Chinese-style religious architecture where the Choijin Lama would go into a trance. This temple been one of Mongolian Buddhism’s surviving links with the past with unique collection of copper and brass sculptures, scroll paintings, diverse artworks, masks engravings, and instruments used for religious ceremonies. This temple is considered one of the most beautiful temple in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia and is now a museum preserving the elaborately decorated interiors and containing a rich collection of other Mongolian Buddhist sculpture and painting.
    Thank you Rinpoche and Choong for this interesting write up

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/choijin-lama-the-state-oracle-of-mongolia.html
  • Samfoonheei
    Tuesday, Jul 16. 2024 11:02 AM
    That’s wonderful now we have H E Tsem Rinpoche’s short biography in Mongolian. More and more readers got to know of our Guru and Dorje Shugden. May Rinpoche’s teaching spread and reach out to those Monglians.
    Thank you Rinpoche and writers team for this wonderful sharing.

    https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/tsem-rinpoches-short-biography-mongolian.html

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I must thank my dharma blog team who are great assets to me, Kechara and growth of dharma in this wonderful region. I am honoured and thrilled to work with them. I really am. Maybe I don't say it enough to them, but I am saying it now. I APPRECIATE THESE GUYS VERY MUCH!

Tsem Rinpoche

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The Unknown

The Known and unknown are both feared,
Known is being comfortable and stagnant,
The unknown may be growth and opportunities,
One shall never know if one fears the unknown more than the known.
Who says the unknown would be worse than the known?
But then again, the unknown is sometimes worse than the known. In the end nothing is known unless we endeavour,
So go pursue all the way with the unknown,
because all unknown with familiarity becomes the known.
~Tsem Rinpoche

Photos On The Go

Click on the images to view the bigger version. And scroll down and click on "View All Photos" to view more images.
According to legend, Shambhala is a place where wisdom and love reign, and there is no crime. Doesn\'t this sound like the kind of place all of us would love to live in? https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=204874
5 years ago
According to legend, Shambhala is a place where wisdom and love reign, and there is no crime. Doesn't this sound like the kind of place all of us would love to live in? https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=204874
108 candles and sang (incense) offered at our Wish-Fulfilling Grotto, invoking Dorje Shugden\'s blessings for friends, sponsors and supporters, wonderful!
5 years ago
108 candles and sang (incense) offered at our Wish-Fulfilling Grotto, invoking Dorje Shugden's blessings for friends, sponsors and supporters, wonderful!
Dharmapalas are not exclusive to Tibetan culture and their practice is widespread throughout the Buddhist world - https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=193645
5 years ago
Dharmapalas are not exclusive to Tibetan culture and their practice is widespread throughout the Buddhist world - https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=193645
One of our adorable Kechara Forest Retreat\'s doggies, Tara, happy and safe, and enjoying herself in front of Wisdom Hall which has been decorated for Chinese New Year
5 years ago
One of our adorable Kechara Forest Retreat's doggies, Tara, happy and safe, and enjoying herself in front of Wisdom Hall which has been decorated for Chinese New Year
Fragrant organic Thai basil harvested from our very own Kechara Forest Retreat farm!
5 years ago
Fragrant organic Thai basil harvested from our very own Kechara Forest Retreat farm!
On behalf of our Puja House team, Pastor Tat Ming receives food and drinks from Rinpoche. Rinpoche wanted to make sure the hardworking Puja House team are always taken care of.
5 years ago
On behalf of our Puja House team, Pastor Tat Ming receives food and drinks from Rinpoche. Rinpoche wanted to make sure the hardworking Puja House team are always taken care of.
By the time I heard about Luang Phor Thong, he was already very old, in his late 80s. When I heard about him, I immediately wanted to go and pay my respects to him. - http://bit.ly/LuangPhorThong
5 years ago
By the time I heard about Luang Phor Thong, he was already very old, in his late 80s. When I heard about him, I immediately wanted to go and pay my respects to him. - http://bit.ly/LuangPhorThong
It\'s very nice to see volunteers helping maintain holy sites in Kechara Forest Retreat, it\'s very good for them. Cleaning Buddha statues is a very powerful and effective way of purifying body karma.
5 years ago
It's very nice to see volunteers helping maintain holy sites in Kechara Forest Retreat, it's very good for them. Cleaning Buddha statues is a very powerful and effective way of purifying body karma.
Kechara Forest Retreat is preparing for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations. This is our holy Vajra Yogini stupa which is now surrounded by beautiful lanterns organised by our students.
5 years ago
Kechara Forest Retreat is preparing for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations. This is our holy Vajra Yogini stupa which is now surrounded by beautiful lanterns organised by our students.
One of the most recent harvests from our Kechara Forest Retreat land. It was grown free of chemicals and pesticides, wonderful!
5 years ago
One of the most recent harvests from our Kechara Forest Retreat land. It was grown free of chemicals and pesticides, wonderful!
Third picture-Standing Manjushri Statue at Chowar, Kirtipur, Nepal.
Height: 33ft (10m)
5 years ago
Third picture-Standing Manjushri Statue at Chowar, Kirtipur, Nepal. Height: 33ft (10m)
Second picture-Standing Manjushri Statue at Chowar, Kirtipur, Nepal.
Height: 33ft (10m)
5 years ago
Second picture-Standing Manjushri Statue at Chowar, Kirtipur, Nepal. Height: 33ft (10m)
First picture-Standing Manjushri Statue at Chowar, Kirtipur, Nepal.
Height: 33ft (10m)
5 years ago
First picture-Standing Manjushri Statue at Chowar, Kirtipur, Nepal. Height: 33ft (10m)
The first title published by Kechara Comics is Karuna Finds A Way. It tells the tale of high-school sweethearts Karuna and Adam who had what some would call the dream life. Everything was going great for them until one day when reality came knocking on their door. Caught in a surprise swindle, this loving family who never harmed anyone found themselves out of luck and down on their fortune. Determined to save her family, Karuna goes all out to find a solution. See what she does- https://bit.ly/2LSKuWo
5 years ago
The first title published by Kechara Comics is Karuna Finds A Way. It tells the tale of high-school sweethearts Karuna and Adam who had what some would call the dream life. Everything was going great for them until one day when reality came knocking on their door. Caught in a surprise swindle, this loving family who never harmed anyone found themselves out of luck and down on their fortune. Determined to save her family, Karuna goes all out to find a solution. See what she does- https://bit.ly/2LSKuWo
Very powerful story! Tibetan Resistance group Chushi Gangdruk reveals how Dalai Lama escaped in 1959- https://bit.ly/2S9VMGX
5 years ago
Very powerful story! Tibetan Resistance group Chushi Gangdruk reveals how Dalai Lama escaped in 1959- https://bit.ly/2S9VMGX
At Kechara Forest Retreat land we have nice fresh spinach growing free of chemicals and pesticides. Yes!
5 years ago
At Kechara Forest Retreat land we have nice fresh spinach growing free of chemicals and pesticides. Yes!
See beautiful pictures of Manjushri Guest House here- https://bit.ly/2WGo0ti
5 years ago
See beautiful pictures of Manjushri Guest House here- https://bit.ly/2WGo0ti
Beginner’s Introduction to Dorje Shugden~Very good overview https://bit.ly/2QQNfYv
5 years ago
Beginner’s Introduction to Dorje Shugden~Very good overview https://bit.ly/2QQNfYv
Fresh eggplants grown on Kechara Forest Retreat\'s land here in Malaysia
5 years ago
Fresh eggplants grown on Kechara Forest Retreat's land here in Malaysia
Most Venerable Uppalavanna – The Chief Female Disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni - She exhibited many supernatural abilities gained from meditation and proved to the world females and males are equal in spirituality- https://bit.ly/31d9Rat
5 years ago
Most Venerable Uppalavanna – The Chief Female Disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni - She exhibited many supernatural abilities gained from meditation and proved to the world females and males are equal in spirituality- https://bit.ly/31d9Rat
Thailand’s ‘Renegade’ Yet Powerful Buddhist Nuns~ https://bit.ly/2Z1C02m
5 years ago
Thailand’s ‘Renegade’ Yet Powerful Buddhist Nuns~ https://bit.ly/2Z1C02m
Mahapajapati Gotami – the first Buddhist nun ordained by Lord Buddha- https://bit.ly/2IjD8ru
5 years ago
Mahapajapati Gotami – the first Buddhist nun ordained by Lord Buddha- https://bit.ly/2IjD8ru
The Largest Buddha Shakyamuni in Russia | 俄罗斯最大的释迦牟尼佛画像- https://bit.ly/2Wpclni
5 years ago
The Largest Buddha Shakyamuni in Russia | 俄罗斯最大的释迦牟尼佛画像- https://bit.ly/2Wpclni
Sacred Vajra Yogini
5 years ago
Sacred Vajra Yogini
Dorje Shugden works & archives - a labour of commitment - https://bit.ly/30Tp2p8
5 years ago
Dorje Shugden works & archives - a labour of commitment - https://bit.ly/30Tp2p8
Mahapajapati Gotami, who was the first nun ordained by Lord Buddha.
5 years ago
Mahapajapati Gotami, who was the first nun ordained by Lord Buddha.
Mahapajapati Gotami, who was the first nun ordained by Lord Buddha. She was his step-mother and aunt. Buddha\'s mother had passed away at his birth so he was raised by Gotami.
5 years ago
Mahapajapati Gotami, who was the first nun ordained by Lord Buddha. She was his step-mother and aunt. Buddha's mother had passed away at his birth so he was raised by Gotami.
Another nun disciple of Lord Buddha\'s. She had achieved great spiritual abilities and high attainments. She would be a proper object of refuge. This image of the eminent bhikkhuni (nun) disciple of the Buddha, Uppalavanna Theri.
5 years ago
Another nun disciple of Lord Buddha's. She had achieved great spiritual abilities and high attainments. She would be a proper object of refuge. This image of the eminent bhikkhuni (nun) disciple of the Buddha, Uppalavanna Theri.
Wandering Ascetic Painting by Nirdesha Munasinghe
5 years ago
Wandering Ascetic Painting by Nirdesha Munasinghe
High Sri Lankan monks visit Kechara to bless our land, temple, Buddha and Dorje Shugden images. They were very kind-see pictures- https://bit.ly/2HQie2M
5 years ago
High Sri Lankan monks visit Kechara to bless our land, temple, Buddha and Dorje Shugden images. They were very kind-see pictures- https://bit.ly/2HQie2M
This is pretty amazing!

First Sri Lankan Buddhist temple opened in Dubai!!!
5 years ago
This is pretty amazing! First Sri Lankan Buddhist temple opened in Dubai!!!
My Dharma boy (left) and Oser girl loves to laze around on the veranda in the mornings. They enjoy all the trees, grass and relaxing under the hot sun. Sunbathing is a favorite daily activity. I care about these two doggies of mine very much and I enjoy seeing them happy. They are with me always. Tsem Rinpoche

Always be kind to animals and eat vegetarian- https://bit.ly/2Psp8h2
5 years ago
My Dharma boy (left) and Oser girl loves to laze around on the veranda in the mornings. They enjoy all the trees, grass and relaxing under the hot sun. Sunbathing is a favorite daily activity. I care about these two doggies of mine very much and I enjoy seeing them happy. They are with me always. Tsem Rinpoche Always be kind to animals and eat vegetarian- https://bit.ly/2Psp8h2
After you left me Mumu, I was alone. I have no family or kin. You were my family. I can\'t stop thinking of you and I can\'t forget you. My bond and connection with you is so strong. I wish you were by my side. Tsem Rinpoche
5 years ago
After you left me Mumu, I was alone. I have no family or kin. You were my family. I can't stop thinking of you and I can't forget you. My bond and connection with you is so strong. I wish you were by my side. Tsem Rinpoche
This story is a life-changer. Learn about the incredible Forest Man of India | 印度“森林之子”- https://bit.ly/2Eh4vRS
5 years ago
This story is a life-changer. Learn about the incredible Forest Man of India | 印度“森林之子”- https://bit.ly/2Eh4vRS
Part 2-Beautiful billboard in Malaysia of a powerful Tibetan hero whose life serves as a great inspiration- https://bit.ly/2UltNE4
5 years ago
Part 2-Beautiful billboard in Malaysia of a powerful Tibetan hero whose life serves as a great inspiration- https://bit.ly/2UltNE4
Part 1-Beautiful billboard in Malaysia of a powerful Tibetan hero whose life serves as a great inspiration- https://bit.ly/2UltNE4
5 years ago
Part 1-Beautiful billboard in Malaysia of a powerful Tibetan hero whose life serves as a great inspiration- https://bit.ly/2UltNE4
The great Protector Manjushri Dorje Shugden depicted in the beautiful Mongolian style. To download a high resolution file: https://bit.ly/2Nt3FHz
5 years ago
The great Protector Manjushri Dorje Shugden depicted in the beautiful Mongolian style. To download a high resolution file: https://bit.ly/2Nt3FHz
The Mystical land of Shambhala is finally ready for everyone to feast their eyes and be blessed. A beautiful post with information, art work, history, spirituality and a beautiful book composed by His Holiness the 6th Panchen Rinpoche. ~ https://bit.ly/309MHBi
5 years ago
The Mystical land of Shambhala is finally ready for everyone to feast their eyes and be blessed. A beautiful post with information, art work, history, spirituality and a beautiful book composed by His Holiness the 6th Panchen Rinpoche. ~ https://bit.ly/309MHBi
Beautiful pictures of the huge Buddha in Longkou Nanshan- https://bit.ly/2LsBxVb
5 years ago
Beautiful pictures of the huge Buddha in Longkou Nanshan- https://bit.ly/2LsBxVb
The reason-Very interesting thought- https://bit.ly/2V7VT5r
5 years ago
The reason-Very interesting thought- https://bit.ly/2V7VT5r
NEW Bigfoot cafe in Malaysia! Food is delicious!- https://bit.ly/2VxdGau
5 years ago
NEW Bigfoot cafe in Malaysia! Food is delicious!- https://bit.ly/2VxdGau
DON\'T MISS THIS!~How brave Bonnie survived by living with a herd of deer~ https://bit.ly/2Lre2eY
5 years ago
DON'T MISS THIS!~How brave Bonnie survived by living with a herd of deer~ https://bit.ly/2Lre2eY
Global Superpower China Will Cut Meat Consumption by 50%! Very interesting, find out more- https://bit.ly/2V1sJFh
5 years ago
Global Superpower China Will Cut Meat Consumption by 50%! Very interesting, find out more- https://bit.ly/2V1sJFh
You can download this beautiful Egyptian style Dorje Shugden Free- https://bit.ly/2Nt3FHz
5 years ago
You can download this beautiful Egyptian style Dorje Shugden Free- https://bit.ly/2Nt3FHz
Beautiful high file for print of Lord Manjushri. May you be blessed- https://bit.ly/2V8mwZe
5 years ago
Beautiful high file for print of Lord Manjushri. May you be blessed- https://bit.ly/2V8mwZe
Mongolian (Oymiakon) Shaman in Siberia, Russia. That is his real outfit he wears. Very unique. TR
5 years ago
Mongolian (Oymiakon) Shaman in Siberia, Russia. That is his real outfit he wears. Very unique. TR
Find one of the most beautiful temples in the world in Nara, Japan. It is the 1,267 year old Todai-ji temple that houses a 15 meter Buddha Vairocana statue who is a cosmic and timeless Buddha. Emperor Shomu who sponsored this beautiful temple eventually abdicated and ordained as a Buddhist monk. Very interesting history and story. One of the places everyone should visit- https://bit.ly/2VgsHhK
5 years ago
Find one of the most beautiful temples in the world in Nara, Japan. It is the 1,267 year old Todai-ji temple that houses a 15 meter Buddha Vairocana statue who is a cosmic and timeless Buddha. Emperor Shomu who sponsored this beautiful temple eventually abdicated and ordained as a Buddhist monk. Very interesting history and story. One of the places everyone should visit- https://bit.ly/2VgsHhK
Manjusri Kumara (bodhisattva of wisdom), India, Pala dynesty, 9th century, stone, Honolulu Academy of Arts
5 years ago
Manjusri Kumara (bodhisattva of wisdom), India, Pala dynesty, 9th century, stone, Honolulu Academy of Arts
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CHAT PICTURES

Thank you Pastor Seng Piow for the dharma sharing and leading today's puja 3rd August 2024. Pic by Siew Hong and uploaded by Jacinta.
5 days ago
Thank you Pastor Seng Piow for the dharma sharing and leading today's puja 3rd August 2024. Pic by Siew Hong and uploaded by Jacinta.
Puja sponsorships packages of RM100, RM 50 and RM30. Really appreciate the continuous support for our Penang DS Chapel. 28/7/2024 By Jacinta
5 days ago
Puja sponsorships packages of RM100, RM 50 and RM30. Really appreciate the continuous support for our Penang DS Chapel. 28/7/2024 By Jacinta
Completed weekly puja at Penang DS Chapel. 27th July 2024 by Jacinta.
5 days ago
Completed weekly puja at Penang DS Chapel. 27th July 2024 by Jacinta.
For those Penang members who were back in Penang, instead of having a weekend off, they chose to go to Penang DS centre and did a DS puja for the benefits of all beings. 20th July 2024, Saturday. By Jacinta
5 days ago
For those Penang members who were back in Penang, instead of having a weekend off, they chose to go to Penang DS centre and did a DS puja for the benefits of all beings. 20th July 2024, Saturday. By Jacinta
So proud of Penang Kecharians for attending initiations given by Venerable Chojila at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong on 20th - 21st July 2024. Against all odds, many of us made it there. (Not in the pic Mr. Teo and Sunny) By Jacinta.
5 days ago
So proud of Penang Kecharians for attending initiations given by Venerable Chojila at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong on 20th - 21st July 2024. Against all odds, many of us made it there. (Not in the pic Mr. Teo and Sunny) By Jacinta.
Wishing all sponsors' wishes be fulfilled and thanks for supporting our Kechara Penang Puja packages on 13/7/2024. By Jacinta
5 days ago
Wishing all sponsors' wishes be fulfilled and thanks for supporting our Kechara Penang Puja packages on 13/7/2024. By Jacinta
#throwback 13th July 2024, Kechara Penang Study Group completed DS puja. We have special guest that day, Paul, a long time senior Kecharian with his friends. By Jacinta
5 days ago
#throwback 13th July 2024, Kechara Penang Study Group completed DS puja. We have special guest that day, Paul, a long time senior Kecharian with his friends. By Jacinta
Beautiful offerings arranged by Choong. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
1 month ago
Beautiful offerings arranged by Choong. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
7/7/2024 Kechara Penang weekly puja completed. Kechara Penang Study Girup by Jacinta.
1 month ago
7/7/2024 Kechara Penang weekly puja completed. Kechara Penang Study Girup by Jacinta.
This week's puja offerings sponsored by a few people and we hope their wishes be fulfilled. Pic taken by Choong and uploaded by Jacinta.
1 month ago
This week's puja offerings sponsored by a few people and we hope their wishes be fulfilled. Pic taken by Choong and uploaded by Jacinta.
29th June 2024. Kechara Penang Study Group completed weekly Dorje Shugden cum Manjushri Namasangiti. Pic taken by Choong and uploaded by Jacinta
1 month ago
29th June 2024. Kechara Penang Study Group completed weekly Dorje Shugden cum Manjushri Namasangiti. Pic taken by Choong and uploaded by Jacinta
Need a dose of spiritual nourishment or perhaps any spiritual protection? Do take up our Kechara Penang food/candles offering packages. Do not hesitate to contact our member Choong for more info. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
2 months ago
Need a dose of spiritual nourishment or perhaps any spiritual protection? Do take up our Kechara Penang food/candles offering packages. Do not hesitate to contact our member Choong for more info. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
Different food offerings offered on Penang Kechara Chapel's altar behalf of the sponsors. May sponsors' wishes be fulfilled. Great effort from Choong Soon Heng, one of our Kechara Penang dedicated members who thought of this way for people to generate merits while clearing obstacles. Uploaded by Jacinta.
2 months ago
Different food offerings offered on Penang Kechara Chapel's altar behalf of the sponsors. May sponsors' wishes be fulfilled. Great effort from Choong Soon Heng, one of our Kechara Penang dedicated members who thought of this way for people to generate merits while clearing obstacles. Uploaded by Jacinta.
These are some of the offerings offered on behalf of our sponsors. We have different offerings packages which one can choose from or just simply sponsor our weekly puja in dedication to our loved ones. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
2 months ago
These are some of the offerings offered on behalf of our sponsors. We have different offerings packages which one can choose from or just simply sponsor our weekly puja in dedication to our loved ones. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
We hope you enjoyed our pictures, as much as we enjoyed our Wesak Day together in Penang. Let us carry the energy and enthusiasm we experienced so far and inspires many more. Happy Wesak Day! 22/5/2024 KPSG by Jacinta
3 months ago
We hope you enjoyed our pictures, as much as we enjoyed our Wesak Day together in Penang. Let us carry the energy and enthusiasm we experienced so far and inspires many more. Happy Wesak Day! 22/5/2024 KPSG by Jacinta
Puja offering packages. Thanks to those who sponsored the puja. May all your wishes be fulfilled. KPSG by Jacinta
3 months ago
Puja offering packages. Thanks to those who sponsored the puja. May all your wishes be fulfilled. KPSG by Jacinta
Colourful altar with plenty of offerings. We had DS puja with Praise to Buddha Shakyamuni as we celebrate this special day of Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana. KPSG by Jacinta
3 months ago
Colourful altar with plenty of offerings. We had DS puja with Praise to Buddha Shakyamuni as we celebrate this special day of Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment and Parinirvana. KPSG by Jacinta
Some of the activities done during the Wesak Day Celebration in Penang. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
3 months ago
Some of the activities done during the Wesak Day Celebration in Penang. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
Wesak Day Celebration in Penang!Buddha's Bathing Ritual. 22/5/2024 Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
3 months ago
Wesak Day Celebration in Penang!Buddha's Bathing Ritual. 22/5/2024 Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
11/5/2024 Saturday @3pm. After puja, all members helped out clearing the offerings and we shared out the blessed food offerings with our families, friends and even animals. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
3 months ago
11/5/2024 Saturday @3pm. After puja, all members helped out clearing the offerings and we shared out the blessed food offerings with our families, friends and even animals. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
11/5/2024 Saturday @3pm. Activities during puja. Members chanting Dorje Shugden mantras. We've completed Dorje Shugden puja cum Namasangiti. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
3 months ago
11/5/2024 Saturday @3pm. Activities during puja. Members chanting Dorje Shugden mantras. We've completed Dorje Shugden puja cum Namasangiti. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
11/5/2024, Saturday @3pm. Activities : Offerings of khata to Rinpoche, garland of flowers to Dorje Shugden and a new Tibetan butterlamp being offered on the altar. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
3 months ago
11/5/2024, Saturday @3pm. Activities : Offerings of khata to Rinpoche, garland of flowers to Dorje Shugden and a new Tibetan butterlamp being offered on the altar. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
Today we have an inaugural cancer free diet talk and info sharing by Mr. Ooi. Mr. Ooi is a Penangite and like any other man, he has a family to provide for. From colon cancer stage 4,he is now known as a cancer-free man. Learn more about his story and his acquaintance with Dorje Shugden here https://youtu.be/x7i-yXJBUwM?si=A-5O0udxjg52iS58
3 months ago
Today we have an inaugural cancer free diet talk and info sharing by Mr. Ooi. Mr. Ooi is a Penangite and like any other man, he has a family to provide for. From colon cancer stage 4,he is now known as a cancer-free man. Learn more about his story and his acquaintance with Dorje Shugden here https://youtu.be/x7i-yXJBUwM?si=A-5O0udxjg52iS58
Kind-hearted sponsors sponsored these kuih-muih & flowers for today's puja @ 4th May, 2024. Should you wish to contribute these or sponsor our weekly puja, do contact us for more details. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
3 months ago
Kind-hearted sponsors sponsored these kuih-muih & flowers for today's puja @ 4th May, 2024. Should you wish to contribute these or sponsor our weekly puja, do contact us for more details. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
Pastor Seng Piow guides us on the flow of Dorje Shugden puja, its benefits, significant of Chanting the names of Manjushri and also explaining the dedication for the sponsors and to those in need before we start the puja as we have 2 newcomers today.
4 months ago
Pastor Seng Piow guides us on the flow of Dorje Shugden puja, its benefits, significant of Chanting the names of Manjushri and also explaining the dedication for the sponsors and to those in need before we start the puja as we have 2 newcomers today.
Two Pastors in da house! Double the merits, double the happiness. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
4 months ago
Two Pastors in da house! Double the merits, double the happiness. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
Mr. Cheah Fook Wan offered lights and incense to The Three Jewels prior to the puja in Ipoh. (KISG - Kin Hoe)
4 months ago
Mr. Cheah Fook Wan offered lights and incense to The Three Jewels prior to the puja in Ipoh. (KISG - Kin Hoe)
Kechara Ipoh Study Group has carried out Mother Tara prayer recitations on Sunday afternoon in Ipoh. (KISG- Kin Hoe)
4 months ago
Kechara Ipoh Study Group has carried out Mother Tara prayer recitations on Sunday afternoon in Ipoh. (KISG- Kin Hoe)
Powerful Dorje Shugden puja @ Jalan Seang Tek, Penang. Every Saturday, 3 pm. Remove obstacles and grant blessings to fulfil wishes. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta. 6th April 2024
4 months ago
Powerful Dorje Shugden puja @ Jalan Seang Tek, Penang. Every Saturday, 3 pm. Remove obstacles and grant blessings to fulfil wishes. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta. 6th April 2024
Rejoice to the volunteers (also kind sponsors) who cleaned the Gyenze Chapel and made abundant offerings to Gyenze. ~ Alice
5 months ago
Rejoice to the volunteers (also kind sponsors) who cleaned the Gyenze Chapel and made abundant offerings to Gyenze. ~ Alice
Offered beautiful flowers abundantly to Gyenze. ~ Alice
5 months ago
Offered beautiful flowers abundantly to Gyenze. ~ Alice
Offered beautiful flowers abundantly to Gyenze. ~ Alice
5 months ago
Offered beautiful flowers abundantly to Gyenze. ~ Alice
Our weekly Dorje Shugden Puja @ 23/3/2024 . William, as the umze is seen here burning incense powder as we are about to recite the Sangsol Prayer to Dorje Shugden composed by Ganden Serkong. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
5 months ago
Our weekly Dorje Shugden Puja @ 23/3/2024 . William, as the umze is seen here burning incense powder as we are about to recite the Sangsol Prayer to Dorje Shugden composed by Ganden Serkong. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
And here's Mr Wong of KSK Ipoh who dropped by to pray and offered some donation to the Chapel. Kechara Penang Study Group. Pic by Siew Hong & uploaded by Jacinta.
5 months ago
And here's Mr Wong of KSK Ipoh who dropped by to pray and offered some donation to the Chapel. Kechara Penang Study Group. Pic by Siew Hong & uploaded by Jacinta.
Today's puja (16/3/2024) ended around 420pm, Jacinta was the umze of the day. Pic by Siew Hong. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
5 months ago
Today's puja (16/3/2024) ended around 420pm, Jacinta was the umze of the day. Pic by Siew Hong. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta.
Group photo taken after the last session, sealed with King of Prayers. Come and join us next time! Sayonara - 9-10th March 2024 - Kechara Penang DS Retreat by Jacinta.
5 months ago
Group photo taken after the last session, sealed with King of Prayers. Come and join us next time! Sayonara - 9-10th March 2024 - Kechara Penang DS Retreat by Jacinta.
Abundance altar! Fruits, flowers, Mee Koo (traditional Penang buns), Bee Hoon, sourdoughs and snacks are some of the offerings to Rinpoche, Buddhas & Bodhisattvas. Kechara Penang Dorje Shugden Retreat 9-10th March, 2024 by Jacinta.
5 months ago
Abundance altar! Fruits, flowers, Mee Koo (traditional Penang buns), Bee Hoon, sourdoughs and snacks are some of the offerings to Rinpoche, Buddhas & Bodhisattvas. Kechara Penang Dorje Shugden Retreat 9-10th March, 2024 by Jacinta.
Siew Hong, one of retreatants and an active member of Kechara Penang group proudly presented her torma to be used during the Kalarupa puja. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
5 months ago
Siew Hong, one of retreatants and an active member of Kechara Penang group proudly presented her torma to be used during the Kalarupa puja. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
Torma making was taught by Pastor Seng Piow and held one day before the retreat. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
5 months ago
Torma making was taught by Pastor Seng Piow and held one day before the retreat. Kechara Penang Study Group by Jacinta
Penang Dorje Shugden Retreat cum Puja, 9-10th March 2024 led by Pastor Seng Piow with 12 retreatants. Uploaded by Jacinta
5 months ago
Penang Dorje Shugden Retreat cum Puja, 9-10th March 2024 led by Pastor Seng Piow with 12 retreatants. Uploaded by Jacinta
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Dorje Shugden
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